FASH: Well, someone has to write some more of this pairing, it's not really my forte though, so sorry if it's a bit: meh.

Disclaimer: Akaba and Kotarou are not mine, it would be incredibly awesome if they were though.

""-speech

''-thoughts

Kotarou sighed and dropped himself onto the bench in the change room, turning his comb around in his hands idly as he mentally went over the last several minutes he'd spent outside the change room.

Once again he'd asked Julie to go out with him and once again she didn't exactly say no, but she didn't say yes either. He couldn't understand why, they'd known each other since they were kids, they were comfortable around each other, why did she always answer with a: "Whatever, stop saying stupid things, moron!"? If she would just give him a straight answer for once then he would know whether or not to give up hope.

He frowned and ran his comb through his hair with several quick flicks of his wrist.

"Being rejected like this all the time, so not smart." He muttered, not expecting a reply.

"Fuu, I couldn't agree more."

"What the- Akaba!" Kotarou spring up from the bench to glare at the redhead who had just opened the door and entered the change room. "You're not allowed to agree with me on anything! And why are you in here anyways?"

"I left my sunglasses in my locker." He replied simply as he walked past Kotarou towards his locker.

Kotarou glared at him as he passed before sitting down on the bench again, crossing his arms and looking in the opposite direction as he huffed.

'At least he doesn't have his guitar around, I prefer to sulk alone and in silence.' He closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath as he began combing his hair, mentally commanding Akaba to leave before his eyes opened.

It didn't quite work as he had planned.

Instead of Akaba being gone by the time he opened his eyes the redhead's face was looming right in front of his.

Kotarou reared back in surprise, nearly falling from the bench in the process.

Once he'd finished precociously failing about and managing to keep his balance he frowned darkly at Akaba who was still leaning over. In an attempt to rectify that he braced his hands against Akaba's shoulders and pushed. He could feel the heat in his cheeks, from anger, he told himself, and his heart was beating too fast, because of the shock, he mentally assured.

"What the hell Akaba?! Do you not know what personal space is?" He demanded, becoming even more angry when Akaba refused to budge until he was good and ready, which was right after Kotarou had given up on pushing.

He would have started spitting on him by now, but Julie had been on his case about that lately so he reluctantly stopped himself from doing it.

"Fuu, I just thought I'd stick around to give you some advice." Akaba replied as he adjusted his glasses.

"Like I'd even listen to any advice you gave me." Kotarou muttered under his breath and either Akaba didn't hear him or he just felt like ignoring what he said.

It was probably the latter.

"Sometimes what you're looking for is in the last place you'd look for it. Right in front of your eyes."

Kotarou rolled his eyes dramatically. "Of course it's in the last place you'd look for it, no one's going to look for something after they've found it. And what do you mean 'right in front of your eyes?' I see Julie all the time."

Akaba smirked. "Just meditate on that for a while, I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough." He said before exiting the change room.

'Of course I'll figure it out, I'm a smart kind of guy.' Kotarou mentally agreed. 'Stupid Akaba, he didn't have to get right up in my personal space just to tell me that what I'm looking for is right in front of me... Wait a minute...'

Kotarou blinked slowly before dispelling the thought that had dared to enter his mind with a shake of his head, frowning a bit when the heat in his cheeks refused to be dispelled as well.

'Akaba's way to cryptic to be so obvious about something.'

He ran his comb through his hair confidently before another thought struck him.

'But usually when he's being cryptic all he talks about is rhythm and music stuff, he didn't mention any of that this time.'

He pulled the comb away from his hair, hand shaking ever so slightly.

'Now that I think about it. If it had been any person other than Akaba to deliberately do that and then say that, I would kind of think they had a thing for me.'

He stood up and shoved his comb into his pocket before racing out the door, stopping abruptly when he saw Akaba was just outside, like he was waiting for this.

"Hey, we need to talk." He demanded, although the effect was partially ruined by the slight shake his voice had developed, as if to mimic his now quivering hands.

Akaba pushed off from where he had been leaning against the wall and walked over to Kotarou, the barest hint of a smile pulling up at his lips.

"Wonderful, I thought you'd never suggest it." Akaba said and he sounded far too pleased about something, but Kotarou didn't have time to think over what he could possibly be pleased about because the redhead, still lacking the notion of personal space even after the other boy yelled at him minutes prior because of it, dragged Kotarou into his arms and placed his lips over the other's.

Later on Kotarou would assure himself that the reason he didn't make any move to get away from the kiss or kick Akaba's ass after the kiss was just because of shock. But even he didn't fully believe himself, he was much to smart for that.