Sometimes, Kagami thinks, they work Takao too hard—there’s quite a lot to be said for doing one’s best, but it seems like Shutoku is asking too much. They want Takao to be a basketball star with perfect grades (and their classes are already so tough) and to devote every bit of his free time to the health committee. And while Kagami can’t blame him for the lack of time they have to spend together, it’s still frustrating as fuck. And it seems that way especially when their time together ends up with both of them studying (or Kagami attempting to) and then Takao falling asleep on top of him when they take a break to watch TV.

Right now he’s dozing off, head on Kagami’s chest—every so often he’ll jerk back up but then he’ll go right back under. Kagami rubs his back; he’d rather Takao get the rest he needs right now than have him awake—it’s not quality time together when Takao’s this exhausted. Takao’s head jerks back up again and he rubs his eyes; Kagami stills his hand.

“Hey, Tai-chan…”

“Yeah?”

And then it hits him—he freezes up like a computer whose memory is suddenly overloaded with too much to process.

“Did you just—?”

“Yup,” says Takao, through a yawn. “Tai-chan.”

And Takao going all of a sudden from his last name to this, nonchalant and completely knowing what he’s doing all while half-asleep, is so unfair and so completely Takao. And Kagami knows his expression is starting to turn into a goofy grin and it can’t be helped. And Takao’s looking up at him, loose and easy smile spread across his own face—and then he leans up a little bit more and Kagami feels a slight tickling on his cheek. Takao’s blinking rapidly, and—those are his eyelashes. And Alex had told him about those (and tried to demonstrate once, and he’d fled)—what were they called? It doesn’t matter. Some kind of kiss.

He leans down in an attempt to return the favor but his nose smacks against Takao’s chin first. Takao begins to laugh, and okay, it might be kind of funny but Kagami still glares at him--it was his first try. But he can’t stay mad at Takao for very long, especially not when he says the things he does.

“You’re the best, Tai-chan.”