#kaiisa

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Almost every first has a second, and every second a last, but the fun thing about kisses is that one can have many firsts if you just look at it the right way.  

If you broke down their relationships into different eras, Michael could count four different distinct first kisses he and Yoichi shared. Five, if he wanted to get really technical and sappy about it.  

The first was a surprise, well before they began dating.  Before they were even friends, really.  Michael had admired Yoichi from afar for a while, and  was exhilarated by the catty rivalry they had created.

Yoichi rarely gave him the time of day back then as he was more focused on overcoming him than anything else.  They frustrated each other.  Pissed each other off.  Yoichi was catching up to him in all of the ways that mattered on the field, and he wanted something, anything, that would make him feel in control again. 

He admits now, that maybe this power move wasn’t the correct one.  It was cruel…. Teasing to kiss him just to assert his dominance. Especially when that dominance was waning every second he interacted with Yoichi. 

Yoichi simply had this pull…this internal fire that made Michael want to step closer… to risk getting burned.  Michael had zero desire to put that fire out, and he should have known better than to try to control the blaze….but he couldn’t help it.  

Reaching a hand out, he had grabbed Yoichi’s chin mid-sentence… interrupting his train of thought. Yoichi paused, face already contorted into an irritated frown that communicated every single emotion of Yoichi’s that mattered in that moment. 

Maybe Michael just wanted him to stop talking for once… the inane drivel that fell out of his mouth like hot air out of a deflating balloon… Yoichi could try to devour him if he wanted so long as Michael was not the one to devour him first. 

Michael pulled him closer (and Yoichi allowed him to, knowing that this was simply one of Michael’s specific Yoichi Intimidation tactics), and stole a quick kiss, looking him right in the eye while Yoichi panicked. 

It was just a simple kiss… Closed lips and brief contact, cut even briefer from the way Yoichi pushed him away.  His cheeks were red, and he wiped his mouth on the back of his arm.  All of his words were gone just like Michael wanted, and Yoichi had walked away from him.  Before leaving the room, he turned around, just to ask Micahel “what’s wrong with you?”

Michael had shrugged, and blew him a kiss goodbye. 

What was wrong with him? 

What a loaded question. 

Nothing, really.  Nothing at all unless you counted the way he could still feel Yoichi’s lips against his after their time together had ended.  Or the way he was already thinking about when he could kiss Yoichi again, properly this time. 

Because he did like Yoichi quite a lot.  There was only the small issue of their egos and their pride getting in the way.

But at least that kiss had put an idea into Yoichi's head because suddenly, he was different.  He was calmer, and less quick to anger.  He very clearly picked his words around Micahel, and didn’t make any hasty actions or rash movements.  He watched Michael like a nervous puppy, trying things on for size and determining if he was safe.  

“I really like you, you know,” Michael had told him one day, as they lingered together after practice.  “It doesn’t have to be about football all the time.”

Yoichi had looked shocked, as if he had never even considered such a thing.  But the blaze behind his eyes sparked and he nodded, as if coming to terms with a concept that never crossed his mind before that moment. 

Maybe, Yoichi liked Michael, too. And maybe, he could separate the player from the man and give whatever was bubbling up between them a chance.

No rash decisions were made when they shared their second first kiss.  

Michael held his hand, sweaty and damp and nervous as it always was in the early days of their relationship. Yoichi couldn’t relax, which matched the nervous rattle inside of Michael’s head. He looked so calm and collected on the outside, which only made Yoichi more anxious because he had no way of knowing how shaken Michael was on the inside.

Inhaling deeply through his nose, Michael squeezed Yoichi’s fingers, smiling at him sweetly.  

“Yoichi, what would you think if I asked to officially be boyfriends with you?” 

Yoichi sputtered, choking on his own tongue as he tried to find the words that best matched those inside of his heart. 

“Boyfriends?” 

Michael nodded, trying to remain confident despite this unclear response. He wasn’t sure if Yoichi was excited, or nervous, or even repulsed by the idea.  Intrigued maybe, with the way he blushed so sweetly, the color reaching the tips of his ears.  

He never let go of Michael’s hand, and that was a good sign, but even so, Michael wanted to say so much more.  He wanted to explain his thoughts, and why it felt like a good time to ask.

Nothing came out though, because he didn’t want to flood Yoichi’s ever present train of thought with more thoughts.  He didn’t want Yoichi’s mind to be clouded with his own feelings, when really, Yoichi needed to sort through his own.

Michael can’t say that he didn’t have to hold back a sigh of relief when Yoichi finally nodded yes, accepting his offer and sealing their fate as partners.  

Michael had smiled, one of relief and affection, as he tugged on Yoichi’s hand, pulling him close into a soft, sweet kiss. Yoichi squeezed his hand back, shyly smiling against his mouth as Michael kissed him, the first of many shared that afternoon when they finally remembered that they could, simply because now, they were officially together. 

Their first kiss as boyfriends…truly one of Michael’s favorites, simply because Yoichi was so sweet, so excitable… so happy to be his. 

The fondness Michael has for their second first kiss is clearly overshadowed though by the third.  Most people wouldn’t even count it as a third, because nothing really changed then about the status of their relationship.  Nothing on the outside that anyone would notice, nor really care about. 

But for Michael…for them, really, it was everything, and everything in between.  

The first first that really shook Michael to his core, and made him want to cry, because it was the first kind of first not initiated by himself. 

Of course, he had already felt the same for a while, but didn’t want to rush Yoichi into reciprocating as he knew he was already a mile ahead.  He had thought the words to himself a thousand times and more, and spoken them to his friends when he was sure he wouldn’t be teased.

“I love you…” Yoichi whispered against his neck one night, too shy to say it face to face.  Michael felt his brain stop, short circuiting slightly at the words, before he squeezed Yoichi back, their hug never ending as he mumbled back against his hair.

“I love you, too.”

Yoichi hugged him tightly, a pressure and love so strong that Michael felt his throat close up both from the force of the squeeze, and from the tears that threatened to spill over.

He was so happy.  Yoichi made him so incredibly happy, that he could not begin to wonder how he got so lucky. 

Michael peppered the side of Yoichi’s face with kisses until he began to laugh, untucking his head from Michael’s shoulder.  As soon as they were exposed, Michael leaned in with a special kiss for Yoichi’s lips, taking his time to enjoy the closeness of his love.  Yoichi’s arms wrapped around his neck, fingers playing with the his hair, content to stay like this forever/. At least until the first kiss turned into a second, then a third before they completely lost count and just got lost in each other.  

That was oh so easy to do.  Getting lost in each other. In the joy of each other and their love.  So many kisses shared daily when they were together, and so many more longed for and missed when they had to be apart.  

Michael was glad when that problem resolved itself, and Yoichi agreed to be his forever.  Not just boyfriends. Not just partners.  But something a little bit more. Something not so easily shed, and even less easily broken. 

By the date of their wedding, Michael was not scared at all for this fourth first kiss.  All of the others made him warm with nervous anticipation. But what was there to be nervous about on this day? Yoichi had already said yes, and he was not the kind of person to get cold feet at the last second.  The fact that they had made it to this day was a feat in and of itself, but now they were here, and all of the fears Michael ever felt about losing Yoichi and not having him in his life were gone. 

Yoichi was his forever.  He knew this as he woke up that morning, and as he got ready surrounded by his closest friends.  They hadn’t even said their vows yet, but Michael didn’t need all of those flowery words and theatrics to know that in a few short hours, he would be Yoichi’s husband, and he would have him every day for the rest of his life. 

The kiss was only the topper on an already fantastic day.  Michael would’ve described Yoichi as beautiful, just to see the crinkle on the bridge of his nose as he protested. But he wouldn’t be so selfish at the altar, when he had just sworn to make Yoichi happy. 

Even so, Yoichi was beautiful. All dressed up and handsome. Big blue eyes wet with happy tears as he waited for permission to kiss his new husband.  

Yoichi reacted before Michael did, jumping forward as if on a loaded spring. He kissed Michael with such force that he knocked him off balance, catching him around the waist while their friends and family politely applauded.  Michael knew Yoichi would’ve kissed him longer if he had the chance, but for now, they would have to wait just a few minutes more for that. 

When they were finally alone, they got to share the kiss that Michael counted as their fifth first.  Sure, the one they shared during the ceremony was their first kiss as husbands, but even then, that kiss was less for them, and more for the spectacle that all of their guests had come to see.

This first kiss was now just for them, hidden away in one of the dressing rooms. Yoichi, all smiles, fell into Michael’s hands so easily, accepting the palms that cupped his face.  Michael rubbed the apples of Yoichi’s cheeks with his thumbs, leaning down to steal his final first kiss, just like he had stolen his actual first kiss all of those years ago. 

Yoichi now no longer pushed him away.  He didn’t shy away from his touch, but rather leaned in to it, tugging on the front of his suit jacket to urge him closer.  Yoichi sighed against his lips, happy, relieved that the day had gone off without a hitch.  Michael agreed with the sentiment, words failing him as he tangled his fingers in Yoichi’s hair, a knock on the door the only thing that protected them from getting too carried away.

Patting Yoichi’s disheveled hair down while he straightened Michael’s loosened tie, they readied themselves to return to their party. They would have time for their next firsts later as they only had a few more hours until they could be alone again.  

While this day marked the last of their first kisses, Michael would never say he was disappointed that he would never be able to kiss Yoichi for the first time again.  They still had a number of other firsts to check off of their list, and Michael looked forward to that, and all of the many other kisses they would share in between.

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A/N : Surprise~ Its not Saturday so happy Kaisagi Tuesday. I found the Year of the OTP prompt list on Tumblr, so I decided eh, why not! Lets do this for Kaisagi. I ALMOST missed January because I only found it a couple days ago, but, Ice Days are good for something, right? We in Texas have unfortunately been hit with an Ice Storm again, so everything is shut down. Perfect to write about some Kaisagi first kisses!