Surprise! A Kai x Aichi Story

10. Valentine's Day

Aichi let himself into his dorm building and started up the second floor stairs to his room, once again appreciating the relative quiet of the Honors dorm he lived in. He sighed to himself, thinking that although he finally had a significant other this Valentine's Day, he was ironically more lonely than usual, as he was almost 7000 miles away from Kai and everyone else who cared about him.

As he walked down the hall, he noticed all of the doors had a cheerful red or pink lacy paper heart with the occupant's name written on it, and stopped to look at his own pink one as he fumbled with his key. It said "Happy Valentine's Day, Aichi!" in black sharpie, with a doodle that may have been a card deck on it. He smiled at it, as Ralph came down the hall with a roll of tape and extra hearts in his hands.

He unlocked the door and turned to face his RA with one hand behind him on the doorknob. "Wow, Ralph! This was a nice idea, thank you!" bowing slightly, reflexively. (He couldn't seem to lose the habit despite being in America for six months.)

"No problem, Aichi!" Ralph said with a smile. "I mean, not to point out the stereotype, but it's not like most of you freshman Honors nerds have had the time or fortitude to get yourselves attached." He laughed. "You might be the only one on the floor!"

He started stuffing the extra hearts back into their plastic sleeve. "So, do you guys even have Valentine's Day in Japan?"

Aichi's face fell. "Yeah. We do. There's a LOT of chocolate. Girls usually give guys chocolate, then next month on White Day, guys reciprocate."

"Aw, sorry man, looks like I bummed you out."

Aichi pushed his door open a few inches, now just wanting to end the conversation and put his heavy messenger bag down. "It's ok. I...I just haven't been able to get a hold of Kai today. I wanted to tell him..."

He blushed as he trailed off and looked up at Ralph, who was looking past Aichi into his room. His friend's mouth was open in a comical cartoon 'O' of surprise. Aichi whirled around and pushed his door all the way open, then froze. His book bag slid from his shoulder and hit the floor with a solid thump.

He stared for a moment at Toshiki Kai, who slowly uncoiled himself from sitting on Aichi's bed and stood looking at him with a wry smile and burning emerald eyes.

Aichi suddenly made a raw noise deep in his throat and bolted the ten steps toward Kai, launching himself at the last moment, wrapping his legs around his waist, and burying his face into his arms which latched around Kai's neck. Kai caught him easily, enfolding him in a death grip. He breathed "Aichi..." before closing his eyes and leaning his forehead against his blue hair.

"Ah....uh..." Ralph murmured, shocked and forgotten. He leaned to the side and groped for the strap of Aichi's bag in the hall without ungluing his wide eyes from the display. He finally snagged it and took a step forward, dropping the bag just inside the door, then reached around to engage the lock on the inside doorknob. "So I, uh, I...later then". Ralph took in a last eyeful of the motionless couple as he quietly let the door click shut. He leaned his head against it for a second and took a deep breath. "Christ, that was hot." he whispered, and pushed off to go back to his room."I gotta get a girlfriend."

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A few moments later, Aichi reluctantly uncurled himself and dropped to his feet, Kai's arms still wound around his back. "How...how are you here?" he said in confusion. He reached up and gently touched a too-large, faded-yellow bruise on the side of Kai's face. "And how did you get hurt?"

Kai dropped a kiss onto Aichi's head, and drew him back down onto the narrow bed, settling him into the crook of his arm. He gestured to the thick red and orange comforter and smirked. "I like what you've done with the place. Matches mine."

Aichi blushed. "Thanks again for sending it. My old one really was warm enough, though. And don't change the subject. I thought you were going to start saving your tournament money for a... a house" (turning redder).

Kai kissed him gently. "Extra blushy, today, Sendou? Worth every penny to see it..." He sighed. "Don't be mad."
"I didn't dip into my savings this time. I, uh... earned it on the side. There was a high stakes Vanguard street ring I heard about when we were in Vienna. I had to disguise myself a little. Gaillard had too much fun with that." He huffed a laugh, then touched his bruise absently. "We had no way of knowing they'd object so....strenuously...to an outsider winning the pot."

Aichi knelt up and straddled Kai with a sharp intake of breath. He traced his fingers over the older boy's cheek. "Kai. Promise me you won't do anything like that again!"

"I won't. It sounds worse than it was. When the punches started, Gaillard and Neve backed me up and got us out of there. And these two fanboys who recognized me when my hat fell off helped." He laughed. "It was a brawl for a minute there." He caught Aichi's teary, level stare and subsided. He brought Aichi's hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to it.

"Hey. Hey. I'm fine. I promise I won't do it again. This is a one time thing. I could not miss our first Valentine's Day." A faint pink stained his cheeks. He tipped Aichi's face up to meet his gaze squarely. "I didn't want to tell you this from half a world away. Sendou Aichi, I love you. It took me too long to admit it to myself, and I don't want to wait any longer to admit it to you. I love you, and I...I want you in my life. For as long as you'll have me."

Aichi's brimming eyes finally spilled over as one tear traced down his cheek. "Kai... T- Toshiki. I love you too. I have for as almost as long as I can remember."

Kai growled softly and kissed him. He pulled back a tiny bit and whispered right against Aichi's lips, "Again."

Aichi, knowing what he wanted, breathed "Toshiki..." and pulled Kai's lips back down to his.

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