"Ya better catch up, Reiji, or else I'm leavin' ya behind!" Soshiro called out over his shoulder, his boots clicking a rapid, impatient rhythm against the pavement as he spun around to walk backward.
"Mm," Reiji hummed softly, not bothering to speed up his stride. "I doubt you'd do that, kitsu."
"Oh yeah? What makes ya say that?" Soshiro smirked, tilting his head with a cheeky glance, his eyes glinting with playful challenge as he dropped into a slower stride alongside him.
"Oh, I don't know..." Reiji tapped a finger against his chin, exaggerating a look of profound, agonizing thought while keeping his gaze fixed on the road ahead. "Perhaps it's because a little someone pestered me for a whole year to join the force... and went as far as forging my signature without my permission."
"Oi—I told ya to leave that behind already! Past is past," Soshiro barked defensively, a sudden flush dusting his cheeks. He reached over and gave Reiji’s back a light, playful smack, trying to pull off an annoyed scowl, but the twitch at the corner of his mouth completely betrayed him as the memory resurfaced.
"You're lucky I'm dating you, Soshiro, or else you could've gotten court-martialed for that," Reiji replied smoothly. He tried to hold a stern, unyielding expression, but a faint, fond smile tugged at his lips anyway.
"Hey! Shouldn't you be the lucky one dating me?" Soshiro countered, puffing out his chest and throwing a thumb against his collarbone. "I'll have you know there are countless people who would kill to date me." He punctuated the boast by leaning in and poking Reiji squarely in the cheek with a finger.
"I guess so," Reiji murmured, making no move to pull away from the touch or deny the claim. He paused his steps, turning his body fully toward Soshiro as his expression softened. "Can the lucky man get a kiss from his lover then?"
As if on cue, the color drained from Soshiro's cheeks for a split second before exploding into a brilliant crimson. His hand froze in mid-air, caught completely off guard. While Reiji wasn't strictly against small displays of affection, he usually kept things low-key—meaning every time he initiated something like this, it knocked the wind right out of Soshiro's sails.
"Hello? Earth to Soshiro," Reiji chuckled softly, tilting his head with a warm, indulgent smile as he waved a hand gently in front of Soshiro's dazed face.
"Oh, uh—" Soshiro blinked rapidly, snapping back to reality and clearing his throat to regain a shred of his composure. "Yeah, sure."
Closing the distance between them, Soshiro pushed up slightly onto his tippy-toes, cupping the side of Reiji's neck for balance as he pressed his lips to Reiji's in a quick, gentle peck.
When Soshiro pulled back, Reiji’s eyebrows knit together in a slight, dramatic frown.
"That's it?"
"We're in public!" Soshiro hissed in a frantic whisper, his gaze darting nervously around the street while his ears burned bright red.
"Kidding, just kidding," Reiji laughed, the low rumble of his chuckles warming the air between them.
He slid a hand out from his pocket and extended an open palm toward the visibly flustered man in front of him, his smile softening back into something gentle and unhurried.
"Well, shall we?"
"Ever the hopeless romantic," Soshiro teased, letting out a small, affectionate huff. He rolled his eyes, but didn't hesitate for a second to step closer, sliding his hand into Reiji's and lacing their fingers tightly together. "We shall."
