Heartstrings [Kirishima Ikuya x Reader]

7. ♤•Lion•♤

Pursuing a career as a professional athlete and aiming to stand on the global platform is not an easy dream to chase by far. Certainly not when it feels like there is always someone who is better, faster and stronger, no matter how much he improves. It's hard to face that fact on the best of days, let alone the worst.

Ikuya can't imagine anything else. He loves doing what he's doing; getting to swim and compete and win is all he can ask for.

Life is pretty damn sweet.

That's not to say he's satisfied. No, Ikuya has always reached for more and he isn't gonna stop until there's nothing to ask for. His ambition and will are greater than ever to become the best, and he'll probably never give up thirsting after victory because competition in the world of sports never really ends.

But he is in a good place at life right now. He has grown a lot over the past year in almost all aspects. Ikuya is no longer alone, the water doesn't try to fight him anymore, his times have been consistently improving, and school hasn't totally been kicking his butt.

And he's the lucky, lucky boyfriend of the monster rookie producer, (L/n) (Y/n), who has been getting a lot of attention in the music industry because she is apparently incapable of making a bad song.

He feels himself begin to smile at the thought of her, fighting the turn of his lips because the people on the bus will not hesitate to judge him for it. Even if he has gotten a little more confident, he isn't quite ready for facing that yet.

A year into being in a relationship with (Y/n), and Ikuya couldn't be happier and more in love. It's a warm, giddy feeling knowing that he has someone to go home to after a long day of practice. Or to know that she's looking forward to finally getting to him after work, and that the thought of him pushes her through tiring hours at the agency. They don't really live together officially, but they've inadvertently settled into a routine of switching between spending nights at the other's apartment halfway through the week.

Monday to Wednesday at Ikuya's and then Thursday to Sunday at (Y/n)'s unless their schedules conflict their unspoken arrangement.

Ikuya would love to feel like that all the time and actually move in together, but he knows that he isn't ready for that just yet, and neither is (Y/n). They have their individual careers to work on and they still have so much time before a big step is required. Just like with everything else in their relationship, they'll take their time and work it out together when they're both ready.

Natsuya will occasionally tease him about taking things so slow, but his relationship with (Y/n) is so important to Ikuya and he wants to do it right. He wants to take time to cherish every bit of it and pour all of his soul into it so that he doesn't have to look back one day and regret doing injustice to something so precious.

When he enters his apartment, he finds it shrouded in the faintly warm glow of his night-lamp, and he approaches the source of the light with careful footsteps, just in case his lover has already fallen asleep.

"I'm home," he whispers softly to the lump of blankets, knowing she's awake by the restless shifting of her form even though the covers are pulled over her head.

She shifts some more, and he watches in amusement while he sheds his thick jacket and woolen scarf. "Welcome back," she mumbles finally, her voice muffled.

Rolling his eyes, he prods her form so she'll scoot over, tugging pointedly to get her to release some of the covers for him, managing to pull them off her face and settle down beside her. Ikuya basks in her warmth, instantly moving to pull her closer and bury his nose in the crook of her neck.

"Cold," (Y/n) hisses, trying to push his face away in protest, but Ikuya clings on stubbornly and eventually she gives in. "How disrespectful," she grumbles, but settles neatly against him so they're as close as they can get.

He hums, lightly kissing her neck to placate his whining girlfriend. When she squirms at the sudden touch, he grins and kisses her again, laughing when she smacks his arm. "You're so warm, I can't help it." He shrugs, but he knows she isn't buying it.

"You must've had a good day if you're being so bold," she remarks, turning on her side so she can face him, her hands finding their way to his hair and he closes his eyes at the soothing touch of her fingertips against his scalp.

Ikuya makes a noise of confirmation. "I beat my own time again," he provides, cracking an eye open lazily to catch the grin she sends his way. "Also," he continues, "Natsuya-nii called. He's finally asked Nao-senpai on an official date."

"Shit," (Y/n) comments, and he snorts in response. "Honestly, they could probably skip right to marriage at this point."

He nods. "Probably, but Natsuya-nii says he wants to do this properly." Ikuya pauses and frowns. "Which makes him a huge hypocrite because he's always teasing me for going too slow with you."

There's a bout of silence that makes him open his eyes, and he finds (Y/n) with pursed lips, looking like she wants to start laughing.

"Does he know?" she asks finally, and Ikuya instantly flushes.

"No," he states bluntly. "I'm not going to discuss that with my brother. Ever."

Now she really is laughing, and he smiles a little too as he feels her skin get warmer and her form shake in his hold. "You're so cute, Ikuya," she says finally, lightly kissing his nose.

He pulls away from her embrace, face hidden by his hands as he rolls onto his back and shakes his head. "Am not," he denies, wishing his cheeks wouldn't feel so warm. He certainly isn't cold now and all his boldness from earlier seems to have evaporated along with the autumn chill that had been clinging to him.

(Y/n) attempts to disguise her laughter, but it's a poor attempt and Ikuya glares at her for it. She quietens her giggles and wraps her arms around him again, practically laying on top of him as she rests her chin on his chest and pulls his hands away from his face to give him a sweet kiss of compensation.

"I love you," she murmurs to him, voice toned down and smile tinged with adoration that tugs at something deep in his chest.

Ikuya has never been particularly religious, and he doesn't quite know if he believes in abstract ideas of heaven and hell. But if there really is heaven somewhere out there, he thinks it must feel like this. With the warmth of his lover in his arms and the taste of her love on his lips, he can almost believe in paradise for a second.

He blinks, his eyes finally catching the fabric of the t-shirt she's wearing. Ikuya's eyebrows rise. "Isn't that mine?"

"Not anymore," she sings, propping herself up with her forearms on either side of his head.

Chuckling, Ikuya tugs at the collar of the shirt, pulling her down to press a lingering kiss to her lips. "I love you, too."