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Today was the day, Himuro was so excited to be visiting the zoo after years. He’d been so focused on studying and basketball, he hadn’t done much else apart from the odd sightseeing when he had returned to Japan. He’d managed to get Murasakibara to agree to go with him on the trip. The rest of the Yosen team had declined once the purple haired boy had agreed to go with him. They enjoyed spending time together as a team but lately the feelings Himuro and Murasakibara had for one another had become even more obvious than before, so the others thought it may be best to let them go on the trip as a pair, perhaps that way they would work it out between them. They knew Himuro would be spoiling Murasakibara to no end with the amount of sweets and snacks available at the zoo, they just hoped his usually strong stomach would hold up so he could join them with practice the following day. They needed to get as much practice in as a team as possible, but breaks were just as important to keep up their good spirits. Himuro had looked concerned when the rest of the team turned him down for the trip, he thought it would be a nice idea for them all to go but they wished him luck, Liu had even given him a nudge. He had been tempted to ask about it, not really understanding what his teammate was implying by it.
As the two teens headed to the zoo, Himuro's phone rang in his pocket.
"Who's calling you, Muro-chin?" Murasakibara asks as he saw the other pull out his phone.
"Ah, it's Taiga!" Himuro replies and answers the call immediately.
Murasakibara scowls in response, not liking the idea of Kagami ringing during their outing. He always felt that he got in the way of things. He felt slightly jealous of the way Himuro's face lit up when he saw that it was Kagami ringing him. The younger teen couldn't help but wonder whether his face lit up when he rang, he hoped so then again, he was normally with the other boy so they didn’t contact each other through phone very often. It was strange, he wondered when he started feeling that way, wanting to be the person to make Himuro smile like that. He was always annoyed by the fact that they tended to speak to each other in English so he couldn't understand what they were saying. From spending so much time with Himuro, he had picked up on some phrases and words, but he didn't know much.
"Are you alright, Atsushi?" Himuro asks as he notices the other staring at him.
"What did he want?"
Himuro chuckles at the other's response, he loved how he didn't hold back and just spoke his mind. Others hated that about him but Himuro appreciated it, even when what he said was harsh, he’d rather hear the truth. "He was just asking how things were, so I told him we were going to the zoo"
"Good, now he should leave Muro-chin alone for the day"
"I can tell him all about it next time"
Murasakibara felt warmth spread throughout him as he watched the other bouncing along happily as they reached the zoo gates. It was rare to see him act like this, normally he kept his emotions concealed so it was nice to see him displaying how he truly felt.
They reach the front kiosk and Himuro excitedly asks for two tickets. As he reaches into his pocket to pull out his wallet, Murasakibara stops him and hands over the money. The dark-haired boy stares up at him in surprise. He had been the one to suggest the trip in the first place so he should be the one paying.
"My treat Muro-chin" Murasakibara says with a quick smile.
Feeling slightly flustered, Himuro nods in response and wonders whether it was just his imagination seeing the other smile. It was rare to see him smile properly which he thought was a shame, he thought the giant teen had a wonderful smile. In fact, he thought everything about him was wonderful. He knew the other could be thoughtful in his own way, but he certainly couldn't have foreseen him paying for their tickets. He'd definitely have to treat him back with all the candy floss he could find. Himuro clears his throat to try and focus. "Thank you, Atsushi. Oh look! All the flamingoes are out"
"They're just standing there"
"But they're so pretty!"
Murasakibara can't help but think 'not as pretty as you' then shakes his head, wondering how he kept thinking like that lately. Normally he'd speak his mind, but he couldn't let that slip out, though he wondered if it'd even matter as many people called Himuro pretty. It was just common knowledge and although he absolutely agreed when he heard people comment on Himuro’s looks, he didn't like how much others brought it up and he certainly didn't like it when people only thought he was a 'pretty face'. He was so much more than that, he was so dedicated that Murasakibara couldn't understand it, but he had come to admire how much effort the other put in.
The pair go around the zoo, Himuro bouncing excitedly over to different animals shouting "ATSUSHI, LOOK!" many times over and the tall teen catches up to him eventually at every enclosure. When it came to the animals that Himuro was more excited to see, he grabbed Murasakibara's arm and dragged him over and the teen couldn't help but enjoy it when Himuro didn't let go of it while watching the animals with fascination. He wondered if he'd be able to last the day, he felt so warm, and his heartbeat sped up like crazy at seeing and being with him like this. The sudden urge to wrap his arms around the shorter boy's waist came over him, making him tense up for a moment at the thought. He wondered what the other would do if he did but he surely thought there's no way the beautiful and talented Himuro Tatsuya shared his feelings.
"Atsushi, are you alright? Sorry I got carried away..." Himuro says softly and lets go of the other's arm.
Snapping back to his senses, Murasakibara takes Himuro's hand and places it back on his arm causing the other to look at him in utter surprise.
"I like your hand there" Murasakibara mumbles and looks away with a faint blush on his cheeks.
Himuro flushes and wonders if his hearing was playing tricks on him. Did his crush just say he liked his hand on his arm? Or was that more wishful thinking on his end but either way he had put his hand back there so maybe he did actually like it. He squeezes the strong arm under his hand in response and smiles softly at the purple haired boy. He wished he had the courage to speak up about his feelings, he didn't want to risk losing his trust and causing problems within their team but at this rate he wondered how much longer he could conceal them. He wasn't doing a very good job of it.
"Ah... Time to get some candy floss, right?" Himuro suggests, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible even though his heartbeat was erratic, and his mind was overwhelmed with his feelings for the other.
Himuro smiles fondly as he watches Murasakibara enjoying some blue candy floss. He knew it wouldn't last long and would treat the other to more. He blinks in surprise as he hands out the candy floss to him.
"Here Muro-chin, you should have some too"
"I bought it for you!"
"But you should enjoy some too"
"Well I... if you insist, this is a rare offer after all” Himuro replies and takes the candy floss, still surprised that the other boy was actually willing to share. He must be in a good mood.
Murasakibara watches as Himuro slowly eats the candy floss, he always took his time with food and never seemed to eat that much especially in comparison to himself who was almost never without snacks and ate them at such a fast rate. Himuro enjoyed the candy floss, it’d been a long time since he’d indulged in such a treat, he remembered the last time he had some was back in America with his friends at the amusement park. That had been a wonderful day, but this was even better. He was having a lovely time, he just wished it was a date rather than a friendly outing. It even felt like it could be a date but he highly doubted Murasakibara realised that or would want to see it as one. He didn’t want that thought to dampen his mood especially as it was his own fault for developing feelings. Absorbed in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the way the other teen was watching him for a while. He finds himself looking into purple eyes when he finally focuses again.
“I’ll go and get you some more, wait here Atsushi” Himuro announces and walks away rather briskly, feeling his heartbeat thumping. He didn’t realise how close they had been, and it was like he fell in love with his purple eyes all over again. He mentally slapped himself for being so awkward, he’d really have to get his feelings under control somehow before he did something he regretted. The last thing he wanted was for Murasakibara to feel uncomfortable around him.
“You’re spacing out again, Muro-chin” Murasakibara says behind him, causing the other to jump slightly in surprise.
“I’m sorry Atsushi, here you go” Himuro replies and gives him another stick of candy floss but the pink one this time round for some variety. He really would have to try and come to his senses; it wouldn’t do to keep spacing out like that. He’d started doing it a few times during practice while watching Murasakibara, he would watch in awe and then have to shake his head to concentrate.
“What do you keep thinking about?”
Himuro waves his hand, trying to brush off the topic. “Nothing! I’m probably just tired from all the training”
There was some truth in that statement, Himuro worked ever so hard even when they were meant to be resting. He always felt like he had to push himself for when he finally played against Kagami again, he had to be ready, and he didn’t want to lose. When that time came, he wanted to face his brother knowing he had done everything possible so he would practice as much as he could. As long as his studies were still alright, he didn’t see any reason not to practice for most of his time. Surprisingly, Murasakibara had joined him more lately in practicing too which really improved their skills together, they were virtually unstoppable.
Murasakibara kept a close eye on Himuro during the rest of their visit around the zoo, it bothered him when the other would space out. Before it had annoyed him that Himuro overworked himself but now he truly cared for him and was trying his best to show him that as he knew he wasn’t the best at showing that side of him. He hoped Himuro was telling him the truth, that it was just tiredness causing him to space out, but he knew him well now and was unsure. The thought of Himuro keeping something from him made him feel anxious and he didn’t like it. He seemed happy though which was what mattered most, especially when they saw the seals. Himuro’s exposed eye had widened, and he dragged Murasakibara over so quickly to see them. The way Himuro had gushed over them had made him smile, he didn’t understand it himself but if seeing seals made the other happy, he’d gladly see them again with him.
They were reaching the end of their day trip, they’d been to see a few more animals after the seals and Himuro had bought more treats for his sweets loving friend. He still wanted to pay him back for the entry ticket, so he bought him whichever treats he wanted. They had been content just strolling back to where they started. Himuro’s exposed eye glittered as he spotted the gift shop, he thought buying a souvenir would be the perfect way of finishing their outing nicely. It would serve as a nice reminder of what a good day it had been. As they looked around the gift shop, Himuro couldn’t help but chuckle to himself at seeing all the tiger related items. He wondered what Taiga would think if he brought him back something tiger related. His younger brother would probably just punch him playfully in response.
“Muro-chin look what I found” Murasakibara says and holds up a soft toy of a baby seal.
“It’s so cute!!” Himuro dashes over from the other side of the shop and smiles brightly.
The taller boy holds it out to him indicating for Himuro to hold it. He wished he could capture the moment, Himuro looked so happy and content. It was so soft and fluffy that he couldn’t resist cuddling it. He knew it probably looked silly, a boy his age cuddling a baby seal plush toy in the middle of a zoo gift shop, but he couldn’t help it, especially as Murasakibara had pointed it out to him it made the whole experience more special.
“That’s my souvenir sorted” Himuro says then feels the seal plush plucked out of his hands. He blinks in surprise as Murasakibara takes the soft toy from him.
“I’ll get it for you now then Muro-chin” Murasakibara replies casually and walks off with the plush.
Himuro stands there with his mouth slightly open in surprise, he knew he probably looked ridiculous, but he couldn’t help it. It was like the other was determined to take him by surprise today. He wondered if it was all part of a plan to try and bribe Himuro into letting him sit out of training. Himuro composed himself and got souvenirs for Taiga and a little something for their team members, it only felt polite to do so. As they left the shop and headed back, Himuro couldn’t help but ask as Murasakibara hadn’t said anything else.
“Why have you done all this for me today?” He asks curiously, looking up at his giant friend.
“Because you’re beautiful and always care for me Muro-chin” Murasakibara replies then picks up his pace, making sure to walk infront of the other.
“Wha!? Atsushi!!!” Himuro calls out after him in complete confusion.
Murasakibara smiles to himself as he keeps ahead of Himuro for a short while.
“Wait!” Himuro says and grabs the other’s arm to stop him from walking further. He wanted an explanation and he wanted it now.
The taller teen decides to be bold after seeing the look on Himuro’s face, thinking that if he wasn’t interested, they could just eventually move past this and carry on as normal teammates but if Himuro did indeed like him back he had nothing to lose. He leans down and presses his lips against Himuro’s before he can ask any more questions. Himuro’s exposed eye widens then closes as he gets lost in the moment and kisses back. He jumps back in surprise as he feels the other’s tongue run along his lip.
“A-Atsushi!!” Himuro blushes and covers his mouth while looking away.
“You don’t like it?”
“No, I do...I really do but we shouldn’t do this here” The dark-haired boy replies and cups the other’s cheek, looking into those beautiful purple eyes. He can’t help but smile softly at the way Murasakibara pouts in response, knowing that he didn’t like being told they’d have to wait to continue.
“You don’t have to hold back though when we get home” Himuro whispers into his ear. That was all the motivation the giant teen needed to get home quicker than the usual sluggish pace he went at.
The next day the rest of the Yosen team couldn’t help but feel pleased with themselves as they saw Himuro resting his head on Murasakibara’s shoulder after practice. It seemed their plan to not go along to the zoo with them had worked perfectly. Liu nudges and winks at Himuro, he must have been learning this kind of behaviour from Fukui. He smiles happily in response then takes a quick selfie of them to send to Taiga later as he had told him he’d report back on how the trip had turned out. He’d never have guessed it would have turned out with Atsushi’s lips on his, but he certainly wouldn’t have it any other way and he had his seal plush too for when his boyfriend wasn’t there.