Work Text:
Shima slams down the pen onto the table with probably more force than he should have. “Enough.”
Ibuki jumps up in his seat from across the table, his own pen slipping from his fingers where he has been doodling on a piece of paper. “Enough of what?” Ibuki grins and straightens up. “Reports? Hell yea!”
Shima watches his partner jump from his seat and sighs. “No, Not that. You. Me. Tomorrow at six o’clock in the police gym.”
Ibuki tilts his head. “The gym? With you? On our day off?” A smug grin scratches over his lips. He leans down. “Of course Shima-chan!”
Shima realizes his eyes are locked on that annoying grin and he tears his eyes away to look into his partner’s eyes. “Good, now go back to filling your report, I’m almost done.”
Ibuki plops down back into his seat, he picks up his pen and puts away his doodles going back to his work computer to finish his report.
******
It’s been around a month since their falling out and making up.
Shima knows Ibuki was listening in on him talking with Kokonoe, he also knows Ibuki definitely didn’t listen to the end. Several facts indicate it - Ibuki’s anger during their phone call, if he heard Shima praising him he would have definitely teased Shima with it at least a bit by now.
Second - Ibuki has a quick fuse temperament, more than once Shima has used this fact to get Ibuki do something he didn’t want to (for example filling in their reports properly). He definitely blew up at the part where Shima explained his feeling of blaming someone else and how stupid those feelings were.
This led to the conclusion - Ibuki never heard Shima’s explanation on why he was going on alone, how Shima was actually considering telling Ibuki everything before he found the bug… Their relationship as partners was continuing on based on Shima’s apology and the fact that both of them fucked up and knew it, both were sorry about it.
Which would have brought them back to their relationship pre-falling out, with mutual respect and maybe even a little more trust in each other and understanding of their character.
Instead.
Instead there was something underlying between them. Something strange.
Ibuki was a simple minded man, it was both a good and a bad quality depending on the situation. It didn’t mean he didn’t have hidden depths, Shima still didn’t know everything about his partner, but he knew enough, knew that Ibuki wouldn’t be keeping it to himself if something was bothering him about Shima or his actions, Ibuki would have called him out already.
(Just like he did when he was curious about Shima's past, he was shameless in his curiosity, unapologetic in his digging, but his honesty was his saving characteristic and Shima could never hate it).
Thus, the lingering looks, the pensive expression on Ibuki’s face when he was lost in thought during their shifts were pissing Shima off.
Since when was that brat good at keeping things in? Was he thinking of non-work related things? That was the only explanation Shima could think of. The only subject Ibuki could actually be closed off was his personal matters, they didn't talk much about what they did on their days off, mostly sharing opinions on this tv show or that anime one of them managed to catch while being off…
Memories of Kikyo-san during the years in the First Division was what drove Shima up the wall the most. The fact that he never knew anything about her while nursing a crush on that capable woman… Was it happening again? With his partner this time? Or was history repeating itself?
Would Shima get left behind again, not being informed about important live events of people he considered close to himself?
Shima would not let it pass this time.
He wasn’t going to be complacent about it. Not this time.
So he made a plan.
*******
Ibuki jumps up and down in front of him, baggy sports shorts and a t-shirt move up and down in the momentum.
Shima notes that even when it comes to sportswear Ibuki made his clothes match.
Their hands are wrapped in bandages and they’ve done their warm-ups already.
Only the main course remains - hand to hand combat.
As police officers who more than once had to catch the perpetrator they need to know self defense and how to take down a criminal if they are resisting.
While they haven’t cooperated often it had happened more than once (a memory of that time when they were arresting the fish sausage wrapper guy raises to Shima’s mind, the memory of how good it felt when they managed to move in sync did something to Shima’s gut every time he reminisced of it…)
Well, at least he will finally get to punch that annoying face… Shima smirks as they start their spar. And maybe this will allow them to loosen up enough to talk about what was on Ibuki’s mind after that…
************
Half an hour later the two of them are panting next to each other, leaning by a wall, a water bottle passing between them as they sip it little by little. An uncertainty comes to Shima’s mind, maybe everything is actually fine?
No.
Even if it is fine now, keeping the status quo is not a sustainable strategy moving forward.
He’s learned his lesson, even if he feels safe now, it doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed, nothing is permanent and he doesn’t want to be a fleeting memory in Ibuki’s life. Someone he will just move on from in the future and maybe reminiscent fondly about as somebody he used to know.
“This was awesome.” Ibuki says from his side.
“We definitely need to spar together more often.” Shima agrees.
“Yea, so this was why you said [Enough] in that bossy voice yesterday? Were you pent up?” Ibuki teases, a teasing smirk on his face.
Shima splutters at the implication of those words. Shut up, “ They need to talk. A voice inside of his mind says. Not here he says back to it. “Do you wanna hang out after this?”
He tries not to feel like an idiot asking such a question, what was he? Sixteen? Who asked to hang out with their work colleague on their day off after spending half an hour beating each other up?
“Sure!” Ibuki clearly doesn't think it sounds stupid as he agrees. But there’s something shining in his eyes, a smile evening into something much more genuine than what Shima is used to.
Something flips inside his gut.
Shima stands up. “Let’s go to my place then, we can pick up some beers and snacks on the way.”
Ibuki immediately jumps up from his seat by the wall. “Your place? I haven’t seen it yet! Let go! Let’s go!”
Sixty minutes, a shower and a stop at a konbini later finds Shima and the cause of all his problems entering his apartment.
Ibuki’s eyes dart around the small hallway as he takes off his shoes. “Sorry for the intrusion.” he says to the empty air.
Shima snorts. “It’s only you and me here, let’s go sit down.”
Shima’s apartment isn’t that big, but it’s still a two room apartment with a separate kitchen. In Tokyo this was actually a very good apartment. Or so Ibuki says as he pokes his head around Shima’s living room.
Shima puts down two beers on the table and brings the rest to his fridge. He contemplates if he should rip the band aid off immediately or try to relax Ibuki first, get him a beer… but then he might actually say something he didn’t mean to… no they should talk sober first.
Shima comes back to the living room determined. Ibuki has finally finished his exploration of Shima’s minimal living room decor and is now sitting by the table opening up and setting down their snacks.
Shima sits down on a pillow across the table from Ibuki. Is this too formal? He looks into Ibuki’s eyes and clears his throat.
Ibuki‘s senses seem to immediately come online as he sits straight, eyes curios as he looks at Shima.
“Recently…” Shima starts and falters, not sure how he should proceed. He looks down at the table but the police training kicks in and he looks back into Ibuki’s eyes. “Recently, there’s been something that has been bothering you, hasn’t there Ibuki?” Confidence, even if he doesn’t feel it, he needs to look confident, like he knows what he's talking about.
Ibuki sighs and shimmers around the table next to Shima. “Shima, Shima, Shima.” There’s a small excited note in his voice, like he has been waiting for Shima to say something about it.
Shima feels his insides relax a bit, this was the right choice, he knew it would be…
Ibuki stops in a position right next to Shima and turns to face his partner. Shima turns to meet him.
The space between them is now small enough that their knees are almost touching from their kneeling positions. There is no longer a safe space with the table between them. (Why does he feel that there needs to be a safe distance between them?) There’s no colleagues walking around, no incoming calls in their patrol car, no passerby to interrupt them.
Shima’s heart starts hammering inside his chest. Ibuki is speaking again. “Isn’t this why you invited me over? I’m not stupid.”
Ibuki grins, his smile is genuine. “I know it took you a while to get over Kikyo-san and accept me in your heart, but I’m glad you’re finally ready.” Shima feels like he skipped a whole conversation, how did Kikyo get involved in this?
And then Ibuki is leaning down and kissing him.
On the lips.
It lasts only a few seconds, Shima is too shocked to react. So Ibuki pulls away a bit to mutter “C’mon Shima.” and then presses their lips again, this time more insistent.
What the hell?
Shima’s heart is beating inside his ears.
He opens his mouth, closes his eyes and kisses Ibuki.
It’s unfair how intense it is.
Of how all he can feel is his heart beating and their lips moving against each other.
Of how he can think of nothing else but Ibuki, Ibuki Ibuki.
They separate and reality comes back around Shima.
He feels Ibuki’s hands on his face, he realizes he’s gripping Ibuki’s hoodie, pulling the other man towards himself.
“What the hell.” he mutters.
Ibuki chuckles, soft and amused. “Have to agree, that was way too good.”
Shima releases Ibuki’s hoodie and leans back, the hands cradling his face fall off, he kind of misses their warmth and pressure already.
“Let me reprise. What the fuck Ibuki?”
Now Ibuki’s face falls from soft and amused to confused. Shima knows his own furrowed brows are at fault for that.
“Um, we kissed? Finally?”
“What do you mean finally?”
Ibuki falls back a little, his eyebrows furrow, the corners of his lips slide down, Shima’s heart is now aching, but this doesn’t make sense? How did this conversation lead to kissing of all things? What finally?
“Isn't that what it’s been all about? The tension between us? You said you had enough of it? So we worked it out physically in the gym, and so you invited me over so we can finally talk about it?”
Shima rubs his temple. He sees the logic jumps now, understands what led Ibuki to his conclusion (wonders why he was so blind he didn’t see it himself). Of course Ibuki would create an unrealistic scenario in his head, but actually be somewhat right in the conclusion.
He raises his eyes to see Ibuki now frozen in his spot, realization finally dawning that he might have completely misinterpreted the situation.
Shima grabs the idiot’s hoodie and pulls him down, this time logically understanding what he’s doing. (He still needs a moment before he can voice it, a little more courage.)
He presses his lips to Ibuki’s.
Licks them when Ibuki remains unresponsive, frozen just how Shima was when Ibuki first kissed him.
Then lips open and Shima wastes no time making it filthy. Their tongues brush and Ibuki grabs Shima by his waist. Shima feels want stir in his gut and pushes away before he can get fully turned on. It wasn’t time for that. Not now, and maybe not even today.
“Idiot.” Shima says. “Your story lacks concrete evidence and relies too much on your instincts.” Ibuki blinks at him owlishly, he looks a bit lost and Shima can’t help but enjoy it, he smiles. “This time your conclusion worked out, but the path to it should have been quite different.”
“I always tell you you should properly look over the evidence before making conclusions.”
Ibuki blinks and then a grin blooms on his face. “Oh, so it's all fine, all fine, Shima does actually like me, I was worried for a second.” Ibuki pouts. “Why do you gotta scare me like that? You meanie!”
Shima rubs his forehead. Why did he like this idiot again? Right. He’s not sure, he just realized he does like him. Likes him like that .
“Sorry, your thought process was too hard to follow so it took me a while.”
Ibuki takes Shima’s hand into his and slowly caresses his knuckles. It makes Shima feel things and he doesn’t know how to name them, it’s not entirely unpleasant. The take away from it should be that he doesn’t want it to stop. So he doesn’t comment or take his hand away. It lays relaxed in Ibuki’s paw, being caressed like it was something precious.
Was having feelings always this complicated? Shima feels like a high schooler all over again, with hormones and feelings flying in his head and no concrete understanding how to deal with them all.
“Wait.” Realization finally dawns on Shima. “So you’ve been acting weird for the last couple weeks because of this?” Shima tries to think of a proper word to describe the situation between them. The tension that had been hanging around them. ( Sexual tension his mind whispers.)
“Well, you know-” Ibuki starts and he stops caressing Shima’s knuckle, instead fully taking his hand and putting them on their knees bridging the tiny gap between them. “-after I listened to the conversation you had with Kokonoe that day we went to the pier I understood you thought about me much more than I ever realized. And then I thought about how much you changed during the course of our partnership as well as how it all felt after that incident.”
Ibuki stops, looks sideways, a small embarrassed blush on his face. “Looking back now, it really does seem like I made a leap in logic.” He looks back to Shima and shrugs his shoulders, not really apologetic. “Anyways, it seemed logical that it must be because you came to like me, when that thought came to me I thought that it was nice. That if you liked me, well then that’s the best actually, Shima-chan should only like me, that’s how it should be.”
Shima sighs, how Ibuki like, realizing he likes someone in a very selfish way, but. Love should be selfish, that was the very essence of it, if love was not selfish, would it be love at all? To want another person to look at you, to think of you, to care for you. That's how it should be. (The other side of wanting the one you love happiness, is selfish as well.)
Shima realizes how absurd it all is. How out of his prediction this situation is, how off rails the conversation went. He chuckles. Ibuki makes an inquiring noise.
Shima waves his free hand (the other one is still clasped in Ibuki’s, it is quite comfortable there, convenient if he wants to grab Ibuki and drag him closer…) “Nothing, It’s just coming to me how absurd this is.” Shima looks into Ibuki’s eyes, for once they are not obstructed by fake glasses. “We really did it a bit backwards.”
Ibuki opens his mouth to say something, but Shima continues. “The things we should be saying right now should go like this: Ibuki, I like you, let’s go out.”
It’s clear and straightforward, unlike the whole conversation until this point.
Ibuki blushes, Shima hasn’t seen him blush that much, it’s a novel view, it brings back fluttering to his stomach. Now that Shima knows he realizes he’s been having these feelings for a while now, but has always brushed them off. Didn’t want to analyze them.
Ah, but saying it out loud is like taking a weight he didn’t even know he had on his shoulders. Especially because he knows Ibuki also likes him. It’s quite freeing.
“Shima-chan!” Ibuki finally splutters. “You can be so forward when you want to!” he scoots closer so the tiny gap between their legs is closed. Then scoots even closer, his thighs brushing against Shima’s knees.
Shima feels breath leave his lungs as he looks up into Ibuki’s eyes. “I really like Shima as well, I think Shima should go out with me as well.”
It’s cocky, and even here Ibuki can’t really budge and be the one who’s asked out. Shima rolls his eyes. “Whatever.”
He finally uses the advantage of having been holding hands with Ibuki the whole time and pulls Ibuki down. Why does this man have to be this tall?!
Ibuki’s lips are shaped in a smile as their lips meet for another kiss. This time it’s soft, it conveys what neither of them really want to admit out loud - yea, I will go out with you.
“This changes nothing at work.” Shima says when they pull away.
“Shimaaa-chaaan!” Ibuki whines as he throws his arms around Shima’s shoulders and puts his cheek into Shima’s curls. “Not even secretly holding hands while we patrol?!”
While Shima is pretty sure Ibuki is just being difficult on purpose he has a very firm conviction on the topic. “Private life should be left outside the station, so don’t get any ideas or I will be asking for a transfer immediately.”
Now Ibuki stops his act and straightens up , eyes serious, hand firm as they grip Shima’s shoulders. “Okay, okay! No flirting! No hand holding! We have to be partners! Our partnership is great!”
Shima rolls his eyes. “It’s great to see you understand.”
Silence falls between them.
“Now what?”
Ibuki grins. “Now we open those beers, turn on something good on TV, and I get to hug you while we watch it. I always wanted to hug Shima more, you're the perfect hugging size!”
Shima doesn’t have a better suggestion, now that he thinks about it his plan was to talk to Ibuki about the thing on his mind, and well, that’s it. There was no lead up after that, no Plan B.
So. They turn on the TV, it’s a bit awkward, suddenly being so close, his heart may be beating faster than usual as Ibuki hugs him from behind, arms wrapping around his middle, straying to his side sometimes. Like Ibuki’s checking if he’s real.
And if it leads to some making out well, it’s their own private matter entirely.
Tomorrow, once he’s off the hormone and beer buzz Shima will look back to this evening, confused how they ended up like that. Panic about it all over again, this time alone and allowed to over think.
Then a text from Ibuki will come saying good morning. And. Well. Shime will take this relationship thing one step at a time, maybe for once, he will be able to keep this nice thing he has. He trusts Ibuki. And well, that’s probably the most important thing. Trusting your boyfriend.
God, how stupid, they didn’t even properly establish that did they? Too embarrassed to say it out loud. Even though they know better, miscommunication is a major mistake in relationships.
Shima sighs and sends a text back to Shima, better to swallow the bitter pill now, over text if he can’t do it face to face.
“We’re going out now, right?”
An answer pings a moment later.
“Of course Shima-chan! You’re my boyfriend and I’m your boyfriend.”
Well, and there’s that. Plain and simple. How silly.
Shima sighs and gets up. This will definitely be a change of pace in his life, but getting complacent wasn’t ideal anyways…