[ spiderman ] an upside-down kiss, just like in the movie [ Nagumo and X ]
[ spiderman ] an upside-down kiss, just like in the movie
the darkness of the room is pierced by the flicker of the screen, colors flashing across uzuki’s face as the movie plays on. the jcc’s rec room isn’t exactly comfortable—too many hard chairs, creaky couches, and an ever-present draft—but it’s one of the few places to get a moment of quiet. uzuki sinks further into the couch, trying to focus on the plot instead of the uneasy feeling of someone sitting beside him.
nagumo.
they barely know each other, having exchanged only a few words in passing. uzuki isn’t sure why nagumo’s here now, sprawled on the same couch, acting like they’re friends or something. probably nothing—nagumo’s arm draped over the backrest isn’t directed at him, but it’s close enough to make uzuki’s skin prickle. he tries to ignore it.
the movie drones on, some cheesy american action flick that nagumo insisted on—spider-man, if uzuki remembers right. half his thoughts drift to the mission ahead, plans forming and dissolving in the back of his mind. then nagumo shifts beside him, moving in a way that catches uzuki’s attention. he turns his head, puzzled, just as nagumo leans back over the couch.
nagumo is upside down. his upper body hangs over the backrest, his face dangling inches from uzuki’s. it’s so sudden, so absurd, that uzuki doesn’t know how to react. nagumo’s grin is flipped by gravity, his hair falling towards the floor, and his eyes… there’s something in his eyes that uzuki can’t quite read.
“hey, uzuki,” nagumo says, his voice light, almost teasing. before uzuki can respond or even question what the hell he’s doing, nagumo leans in closer. and then his lips are on uzuki’s.
it’s an upside-down brush of warmth, too close, too sudden. uzuki freezes. it isn’t like he hasn’t been kissed before, but this—nagumo, here—it’s different. his heart lurches against his ribs, a jolt of alarm shooting through him. nagumo’s breath is warm against his mouth, the faint taste of mint catching uzuki off guard.
for a moment, he doesn’t know what to do. the world narrows to just this moment, nagumo’s presence overwhelming yet oddly comforting. there’s something captivating about him, an air of mystery that draws uzuki in, making the space around them fade into a blur. nagumo’s bravado, that constant smile—it pulls at something deep inside uzuki, something he hasn’t dared to confront.
the confusion gives way to an impulse. uzuki leans in, pressing his lips back against nagumo’s, a fleeting spark igniting between them. it’s tentative at first, a silent question lingering in the air. he feels nagumo respond, his lips soft yet insistent, and for a brief moment, uzuki allows himself to sink into it. the warmth spreads through him, erasing the tension that always seems to coil in his gut.
something sounds on the tv, he feels back in control, he pulls back instinctively, the motion sharp and awkward, voice coming out in a stammer that betrays the confusion surging inside him. “what…?”
nagumo pulls away too, that upside-down smile of his widening. it’s infuriating, the way he looks at uzuki like this is the most casual thing in the world. “it’s called a ‘spider-man kiss,’” he says, as if that’s supposed to explain anything, his tone maddeningly calm. “saw it in the movie and thought i’d give it a shot.”
he swings himself back upright with ease, resettling on the couch as if nothing happened. uzuki is still trying to process it, the cold calculation he relies on feeling distant, drowned out by a strange buzzing in his head.
“what was the point of that?” he manages, his voice steadier than he expects, but still too soft, too… unsure. he hates the uncertainty, the way it makes him feel exposed.
“dunno. just felt like it.” nagumo shrugs, tossing uzuki a sidelong glance. his smile is still there, but there’s something else in his eyes, a flicker of sincerity or… curiosity, maybe? “besides, you looked like you needed a distraction.”
uzuki grits his teeth. he wants to dismiss it, to brush off the strange feeling twisting inside him, but the weight of nagumo’s gaze lingers, making him feel off balance in a way he hasn’t felt in a long time.