Asami had been going to the same barbershop ever since he received his first paycheck.

Even now with his multi million-dollar corporations he still went to the same shop on the other side of Tokyo, and despite his reputation; Asami didn't afford himself many luxuries, because there were few things to him that actually were luxurious.

But for some reason the small, simple barbershop seemed much more luxurious and comfortable than any high class boutique you'd find in Shinjuku, and his ability to unwind in that worn leather chair with a hot towel over his face and the barber humming a quiet tune in his ear was exclusive only to that place.

There was an equality in going there that he never got anywhere else, he was there for a hair cut; the same as everyone else, it didn't matter who he was or how he changed over the years, the barber had treated him the same as all his other customers.

He kept going even when the old barber handed the business over to his grandson 6 months ago, in fact; he'd been going more often since he met Takaba.

Takaba kun had this calming aura about him that had Asami relaxing the moment he sat in the chair, he'd chatter away about everything and nothing, berating Asami when he looked tired or even slightly on edge.

The bed head blond was sassy and bold, boisterous even, but the gentleness in his fingers had this way of drawing out all Asami's tension and whisking it away, and that fingertip hypnosis was precisely why he'd been coming back more often than he should. Even Kirishima was starting to notice.

Which is currently where he was now, there was a warm towel over his eyes and his was chair reclined back, with sleep inching ever closer. Deft fingers caressed his nape in familiarity as Takaba hummed a song he didn't know.

"Don't sleep, Asami san." Came the mumbled sigh, and he couldn't place the emotion without that expressive face to look at.

"Hm?" and in the back of his mind, even Asami was surprised at his own defenselessness.

"I can't trim your hair with your head all floppy like this!" came the heckle as the towel was yanked away and a scowling face entered his vision, "Geez, you're way too relaxed." The cocked hip and accompanying 'tch' that came with it had Asami chuckling, because this was another thing that had him coming back time and again.

"Consider yourself special, there aren't many people I'd let my guard down with, Akihito kun." He crooned the tease as the chair was pushed up, expecting a slap on the back of his head in retaliation, but upon looking in the mirror's reflection in front of him; he found a blushing mess failing for words, and he'd never known Takaba not to have a smart remark up his sleeve, much less be lost for words.

Oh, he was really cute.

The rest of time passed in silence, the routine just as calming and worth while as ever, Takaba moved around him in fluid motion, concentrating with the razor as the blade brushed against his nape, and frowning with focus as he scissored the ends of Asami's hair that didn't really need cutting.

He watched Takaba work the entire time, his attention to detail and skill were second to none, after all he'd been taught by his grandfather, and the shop was as well regarded as ever. Slender fingers and wrists, long limbs and lightly muscled, his tight jeans and tight black shirt showcased his build perfectly, and Asami liked what he saw, he'd liked it from the very start.

Asami realized there was a lot of things he liked about the barber, and maybe that was the penultimate reason he'd been so keen to come back, he chuckled in the chair as Takaba took the towel from around his neck and reached forward to tighten his tie.

Faces inches apart, he was met with a skeptical raised brow and searching hazel eyes, "Something funny, Asami san?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out, Akihito kun." And Takaba's earlier awkwardness was gone, because he just scoffed as he fetched Asami's suit jacket from its hook on the wall to set it in his outstretched arm.

"You keep your weirdo thoughts to yourself." a finger wiggled in his face, full of sass and no nonsense as they found themselves at the counter where Asami handed over exact change as usual and got his next appointment card in return. "See you in a month's time, Asami san, please take care of yourself until then."

"I look forward to it, Akihito kun." He drawled with all the honey his tongue possessed.

He left a blushing-once-more Akihito in the shop; smirking in self-satisfaction as the nostalgic ting of the doorbell marked the start of something he hadn't experience in a long time.

One month exactly until he'd be back here again, and he truly was looking forward to it.

This was interesting, who would have thought that he, Asami Ryuichi would have a crush on his barber.

The question now was, what was he going to do about it?

Today was earlier than the scheduled day, but Asami had a function to go to, and he reasoned that he could move his appointment forward for an excuse like that, because that's what is was; and excuse. Takaba had seemed his usual happy self on the phone when he called to rearrange the time, and here he was in that chair again.

The shop was empty apart from them as it always was, and it was either always a coincidence or Takaba planned it this way, either way Asami liked it better this way.

Today's head massage was longer than usual, a little more thorough, and even more pleasant. He couldn't help but think Takaba was being a little bolder with his fingers than he normal, tips of fingers trailed down his nape, and even wandered around to his jaw, down his neck and back around. It felt good, and he was all too happy to relax into that touch.

Takaba hummed a new tune this time, something up beat and peppy, and so this visit passed in the same fashion as all the others, his chair was pushed back up so the Akihito could do this thing, working around the him with an adorable concentrating bite of his lip. Asami was much more aware of him now, he watched his every move in the mirror and didn't try to hide the fact.

He saw the pink rise on Akihito's cheeks, exactly the thing he was after, until finally the barber stopped, hand on hip and sass turned on full, "Really, Asami san, it's rude to stare like that."

"Where am I supposed to look then, hm?" teasing him was so much fun.

The resulting sputter and huff was too good, "I- I don't know, at anywhere but me!"

"Fufu, alright then, Akihito kun."

When he was all done, Akihito stepped back with a self-assured smile as he finished styling Asami's hair, pulling back the last few strands and fussing over things that didn't need fussing over. "All done! You'll be looking swish for your function now, Asami san, your date is a lucky duck."

Asami heard the unasked question, innocent and intentional, and so he decided to play this game they'd found themselves in, "There is no such 'lucky duck' coming with me." Was all he said, obvious in his meaning as he stood and turned to look at Takaba once more.

"Oh… well that's a shame then." though Akihito didn't sound like he thought that at all.

Just like that, their monthly exchange was over, they were at the counter where he got his next appointment card and well wishes until next month.

Except this time he made sure to overlap his fingers with Akihito's, to brush their skin together and let the sparks fly as he took the card, the barber hid his reaction well, choosing to scratch his head with an awkward laugh, but it was there plain for Asami to see.

He stepped outside the shop with the tell tale doorbell marking his exit, thinking to himself.

Well, at least Asami could be sure now that his crush was mutual, because how ridiculous would it be if it wasn't?

Nonetheless, he'd test his theory for a few more visits before he decided to take action on this odd feeling.

Another month to wait.

He never lasted the full month, not for that appointment nor for the three months following, and he was fast running out of excuses.

Each visit was longer than the last, more intense and intimate one minute, and just as light hearted and easy going as it always had been the next.

The massages changed, the fingers lingered more, strayed over his pulse and along his jaw, down his throat and under his collar, Asami lay back in the barber's chair with the hot towel over his eyes and let it happen each time, Akihito would lean in closer, and Asami couldn't help but be drawn in more because of that citrus scent and mute courage Akihito wore.

Then it was his turn to wordlessly return his intentions as Akihito cut his hair, he'd sit back up and follow that figure with hooded eyes until he was told to cut it out.

Back and forth they went, Asami enjoyed making him squirm each time he made a seemingly sarcastic pass at him as he left, but this time; he'd make his intentions obvious.

His chance came early on, because this was the closest Akihito had come extra close during the scalp massage, his hands near down Asami's shirt, running along his collar bones and tracing back up in a way that was obvious to them both, and so before Akihito could react; Asami pulled the towel away from his eyes and pulled the face that was only inches above his down the last of the way for a lingering upside down kiss.

The surprise only lasted an instant until Asami was being kissed back, hungry and thorough with all their tension released.

They parted only for breath, still a whisper apart as Akihito smirked down with teasing hazel eyes of his own, "If you wanted to ask me out that bad, you could have, I probably would have said yes."

"Oho, probably?" and it was nice to be the one threading his fingers through Akihito's hair this time, it was much softer than it looked.

"Well yeah, if it's to stop you from coming in earlier and earlier, I'm running out of hair to cut you know." he was still hovering above, cheeky and bold as ever.

"Is that the only reason?" Asami dared the rhetorical question, mocking and playful alike; he was so comfortable like this.

"N-no, not really." Honestly failed Akihito then as he blushed once more, averting his gaze as Asami's hold on him kept him from escape, because he wasn't going to go one more month with things unchanged.

"Go out with me, Akihito kun?" Asami whispered with a smirk.

"Mm, took you long enough."

The next time Asami saw his barber turned boyfriend, it wasn't one month later because of an appointment card, but only a few days later because they had a date instead.