It probably didn't mean anything, especially not to Kirino, but sometimes Shindou's mind wandered back to a particular moment. He and his friend were sitting next to each other in the Inazuma Caravan, coming back from an away soccer practice at Teikoku academy instead of another time period.

There was a lot of idle chatter between the other members of the team but the two of them were silent. When Shindou looked to his side, he saw Kirino resting his hand on his chin, staring at the sunset through window. They hadn't said much to each other since they'd gotten in the caravan, but that was OK; they just enjoyed each other's company. Shindou thought of this as he absently gazed at the defender.

Eventually, Kirino spoke up, muttering partially to Shindou and partially to himself. "Maybe we can still see it, if it's not too late." He was talking about the movie they planned on seeing that day, since they were told practice would likely be canceled. "We could ask Tsurugi and Tenma if they want to come too. I don't know if they'll be OK sneaking in though, it is rated 'R'."

However, Shindou didn't listen to the rest of his sentence, he was focused on something else he noticed. When he looked down, he saw that Kirino was holding his hand, and their fingers were intertwined. He didn't remember when he grabbed his hand,he didn't even feel it. It was so gentle, and the other said nothing about it. Shindou felt his face warm up. How long had they been like this? Kirino would have noticed his blush but he was too busy staring out the window.

After getting over his initial surprise, Shindou was overcome with another emotion. His lips formed a slight smile. It probably didn't mean anything to Kirino but to him, it was one of the sweetest gestures. Despite how much Shindou wished it, they weren't dating. He felt he had done a very good job of hiding his feelings for the other, and he didn't think Kirino saw him as anything more than a best friend, unfortunately. But, in a way, that's what made it so special.

Shindou's smile grew a bit more. Probably for the first time, he was OK with that. He was OK with the idea of him and Kirino never dating. Usually, he would shy away from that, he found it so upsetting. He couldn't stand the thought of Kirino rejecting him and then being stuck with those intense feelings forever. But not this time. Because he finally realized, even if it wasn't romantic feelings, that didn't mean there wasn't love. And Shindou really did feel loved in that moment. Kirino's hand was warm and it felt nice having their fingers linked together like that. The hold was gentle but firm enough to make sure he didn't slip away.

Of course, Shindou thought, we're best friends. We've always been. Having been best friends almost their entire lives, watching each other grow up, always being there for one another, it was foolish to think Kirino didn't love him just as much as Shindou did. Even if that love took a slightly different form, it was still there. And for a while, Shindou forgot to value that.

He settled back into his seat, finally feeling content with himself. Slowly, hoping that Kirino wouldn't notice, he tightened his hold on the other's hand. He hummed, acknowledging that Kirino had spoken to him and after that, they both remained silent for the rest of the trip home. He didn't even bother to reject his idea of sneaking into movies, like he usually would. At this point, Shindou would be happy to do anything as long as they were together.

Only when it was time to leave did their hands separate. And neither of them ever mentioned it. Shindou figured Kirino had already completely forgotten by now, but he didn't mind. He figured one day he would tell his friend how he really felt, as soon as he could work up the nerve to. But until then, there was no rush, he could honestly say he was happy. They were already together and they always would be, and that's all that really mattered.