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Shoki Ikenami isn't someone who likes asking for help. For so long, he's preferred to handle his problems on his own; the less he worries other people -especially his parents- the better. So he handled it, though up until recently 'handling it' mostly meant keeping quiet and letting the bad and uncomfortable things simply happen to him. Then along came a group of oddballs that helped him break free of the vicious cycle Shimotsuna had trapped him in long before he ever even knew her name. It didn't make it any easier to ask for help, exactly, but he was more willing to try.
Luckily for him, his recently acquired friends were always willing to lend a hand when he did ask, and none was more so than Nagisa, which worked out in his favor for this particular venture. Accidentally implying to his dear Mamma that he was dating his friend should have been easy to clear up. But the moment he had realized the miscommunication, it was already too late for him. His mother had sounded so happy, more so than he'd heard her in a long time; that made the thought of disappointing her with the correction unthinkable. When he'd taken his plea to Nagisa to pretend to date him for a period of time until after his mother had visited, he hadn’t expected how easy he would be to convince. Ever eager to help, his redheaded friend had signed on as his faux-partner.
That's how the two of them end up in the quiet of Nagisa's family living room, preparing themselves for their first trial run at a 'date'. "How are you at kissing?" Shoki maybe could've done with a little more lead-up to the subject, but putting together a convincing act of a young, fresh couple required a lot of planning on their parts, as it turned out.
His friend seems surprisingly unfazed by the question. "I wouldn't know, the last time I kissed someone was my mom when I was little, and even that doesn't really count."
Shoki is a little surprised that a charismatic guy like Nagisa has never kissed anyone before. Especially when he know for a fact that there were quite a few girls who would be happy to volunteer. That's fine though. The reason why they were there was to iron out all the kinks before he goes and introduces him to his parents, after all; this was just something they’d have to put a little extra effort into. "That's alright. I've never really done it for real, either, but I have done plenty on stage."
Nagisa's face twists into an expression Shoki can't quite name, but it's gone almost as quickly as it comes. "I guess it's no different than preparing for the play then. I'll be looking to you to know what to do when the time comes."
He finds himself stepping forward before he knows what he's doing. "We're taking the time to work out the details, we may as well do a trial run. Just like rehearsals, the best way to ensure a good performance is to practice our parts, right?"
"Right.” Nagisa’s eyes linger on his face, briefly flicking down to his lips before meeting his eyes again. “Isn't there such thing as a stage kiss? I'm surprised you didn’t just want to go with that?" He seems to physically stutter for a moment. “Or was that the plan?”
"There is stage kissing, yes. There are a few ways to do it, actually. They work fine onstage, sure, but up close, it's much easier to tell they’re fake. If you're bothered by this, though, I wouldn’t push it. We can keep the kissing and other affection to a minimum, and any that does happen, we can keep it chaste. The last thing I want is for you to be doing something you're uncomfortable with, especially when you're going out of your way to help me."
Their eyes are locked on the other's as Nagisa answers softly. "I guess that makes sense. But no, real kissing is fine, I was mostly just curious.” They both shift closer to each other like magnets being drawn together by an unseen force. “You are gonna have to show me, though."
Shoki lifts Nagisa's chin, angling his face just enough for him to perfectly swoop in and steal a kiss. A totally platonic practice kiss, he tells himself. He's met with lips softer than he'd imagined, unmoving in his inexperience, but that was fine. Before Shoki can break it to offer instructions to make things look more natural, his partner leans into him, lips quickly transitioning from a lifeless prop in the scene they were building to a starring role, electric in their performance. Shoki melts into the contact as one of Nagisa's hands slides into Shoki's curls.
"Buono." He says as they come up for air, still hovering inches from Nagisa's face. Suddenly his brain comes to a screeching halt as it catches up to his mouth with the realization of what he'd just said. "I-I mean, bene! Bene. You were-that was good! You're a quick study Nagisa." He assures hastily as he tries to ignore the hot flush creeping into his cheeks.
"You think so? I was worried it might look awkward. Do you think we should keep practicing? Just in case."
Nodding along, Shoki slides a hand to cradle Nagisa's cheek. "I appreciate your dedication to playing this role. I'm happy to keep practicing until you feel comfortable." Nagisa is doing this as a favor to him, after all. What kind of friend would he be if he didn't help him feel properly prepared? As he blissfully dives back in for more 'practice', he finds himself wondering if it will take them all afternoon. He must be a good teacher because he really, really hopes it does.