Chapter Text
“Happy birthday, Aoba-san!”
Aoba jumped. A loud pop was followed by a stream of confetti floating in front of his face. Clear had pulled a party popper from inside of his coat just as Aoba’s birthday cake was laid out on the table. His grandmother grunted at the loud noise, and Koujaku sat with a smile hidden behind his hand across the table. Ren and Beni peeped up at the humans from the floor. Mizuki had been invited as well, but unfortunately he’d been booked out doing tattoos at the shop. Instead, he’d offered to take him out to dinner or buy him a gift in return for missing out.
“Geez, you scared me with that thing!” Aoba told the android. Clear quickly shoved what remained of the popper back into the endless confines of his coat pocket.
“Sorry, Aoba-san.” He apologized. Aoba tousled his fluff of white hair. After what would have been running close to the third year of going without a trim, Aoba knew that his own hair was no match for his amateur skills with scissors. Koujaku acted as if he’d woken in heaven weeks prior when his childhood friend confessed that he needed a haircut, and if anyone could be trusted enough with the job, it’d be him. So, finally his hair was back to sitting just below the shoulders, where it didn’t get stuck in his pants every time he pulled them up.
“It’s fine.” He waved off Clear’s worry, focusing on his cake. His grandmother and Clear had agreed after some squabble to bake it together, or rather, the woman focused on the cake, and Clear made decoration his priority. More or less, it looked like something from a high-class bakery he’d only visited once before. That was a white day he wouldn’t soon forget, but he wasn’t about to think on it too much on his own birthday. The year before the occasion passed just days after coming home, and it came and went in relative silence. Now, he felt well enough to really enjoy himself.
“Ah, that’s right, candles! I almost forgot.” Clear went pilfering into his coat again, pulling out a handful of sticks. Aoba sat back and watched him stick them into the icing, one by one.
“Haa... Just how many are you going to put in there?” Aoba questioned as he counted the seventh going in. Clear pushed an eighth into the icing.
“You’re twenty-six today, aren’t you Aoba-san? That means that your birthday cake should have just as many candles on it, right?” He paused between the eighth and ninth, looking over to Aoba for confirmation. Aoba raised one of his hands up.
“It’s ok, you don’t have to.” He paused. “I mean, more candles means more holes in all the hard work into what you and granny put so much hard work into making, right?” He added.
Clear nodded, pulling out a matchbook this time. He lit the candles up one by one, little flames igniting in the wicks on each end. Koujaku piped in from the other side of the table.
“You’ve gotta make a wish, right? Tell us what it’s gonna be!” He egged Aoba on. The birthday boy turned up his nose at him like a child.
“If I told you, then there’d be no chance of it coming true, now would there?” He teased back. He did think for a moment, however, staring down at the candles. He could wish for anything, after all. For money, to travel, for something big and fancy that no wish could ever get him. But, one thing popped into his mind, and he closed his eyes. He puffed air over the candles, blowing out the fire so hot wax could drip down into the icing.
“Good, now let’s cut the thing already.” His grandmother noted, standing again with a knife and a stack of plates in the middle of the table. Aoba scooted back out of the way for her to cut slices out of the cake, moist and yellow underneath the colorful icing. Once everyone had their piece, Tae turned around and moved the cake back onto the countertop. During which time Koujaku stole a moment to hand a forkful of the sweet stuff down to his allmate. Beni was one of the occasional allmates that could also run on human food, so he hopped over and snatched up his share of the sweet.
The woman turned back around, and a colorful box took the place of the cake. “Happy Birthday, Aoba.” She told him, the usual grumble leaving her voice just for a moment. Aoba took the box, holding it in both hands carefully.
“Ah- thanks Granny!” He exclaimed as he started to tear away the stick-on ribbon. He peeled back the paper, and a flash of pink met him behind plastic on the inside. Through the box’s thin window, there was a set of pink headphones- an updated model of the ones that had been tossed out with the rest of his belongings. He lit up, turning the box over and scanning the description on the other side. “Ah- they’re just like the other ones I had!”
His grandmother nodded. “You’ve broken at least twenty pairs of the little ones that go into your ears, so I thought I’d step in and get you another good pair.” She huffed. Aoba laughed, however, knowing full well that she cared. He made a beeline for his birthday cake, when there was a thud on the other side of the table. Koujaku had brought down a bottle of liquor on the table, a round container with twine mesh around the upper half of the bulb. Aoba blinked, about to reprimand him for trying to start drinking in the middle of the afternoon, but then the bottle was pushed towards him.
“I thought you’d like this.” His friend told him. “The flavor of it isn’t too bitter, so if you want to drink it later or something, that’d be fine.” Koujaku looked slightly embarrassed, but again, Aoba met him with laughter. He took the bottle by the neck, sitting it next to the pair of headphones.
“Thanks, I’m sure I’ll like it.” He said gratefully. Before he could move any more though, there was a tapping at his leg. He’d finally bought pants that fit after a while, so his calves weren’t left out in the cold. Aoba peered underneath of the table and saw blue eyes staring back at him. Ren was at his feet, holding some kind of card in his mouth. He lifted his partner up into his lap, taking the card. “...This is a voucher for one free massage.” He read aloud. The message was sealed with a tiny paw print. Not Ren’s of course, but it was a sweet touch that made his heart swell up. He hugged the allmate close, vigorously ruffling the pup’s fur.
“Happy Birthday, Aoba.” The small allmate told him. “It isn’t much, but it’s the least that I could offer. I’m very grateful to have you here- if you hadn’t found me, I might not be here myself. Thank you.” He told his partner, and Aoba grinned at him.
“Thanks, Ren.” Aoba thanked him back. The allmate wiggled around in his grasp, and Aoba set him back down on the floor to return to the other side where his avian companion was pecking up cake. Just as Aoba was about to do the same, he was faced with one final interruption. From beside him, Clear had pulled out a small box from his pocket, wrapped with a hand-tied bow laced around the sides. It almost looked like a decoration.
“Ah- I got you something too, Aoba-san.” He murmured bashfully, never making eye contact as Aoba took the gift from his hands.
Aoba smiled, stroking the box with his thumbs. “You really didn’t have to. None of you had to, I mean-”
“But Aoba-san, it’s your birthday! And we all care about you, so if giving you a gift is just one way to show that we care, then I think that it’s important!” Clear insisted. From the other ends of the table, Koujaku and his grandmother both nodded their heads.
So, Aoba turned and held the box in front of himself, untying the ribbon and placing it down on the table. Underneath the packaging was one more small box underneath. He pulled the lid off, and blinked at the object inside. At first he had to think about what it was, but upon picking it up and seeing the letters on the right and left sides, it made sense.
“Contacts...?” He questioned. Beside him, Clear gave an enthusiastic nod. Aoba turned the cap on the left side, and sitting in a tiny puddle of solution, there was a round contact lens. It was a golden hazel color, and Aoba recognized it as something very similar to what his original eye color had been. He smiled, but didn’t move to put it in. “Clear, this is great, but do you think that normal contacts will work in my eye?”
“They aren’t normal!” Clear informed him. “I have a friend who used special contacts, and when I mentioned that I wished that I could find some that would work for you, he told me where I could find someone that would be able to make them. I tried the right one in myself, so they should fit just right. Go ahead, put it in!” He bounced up and down like he was the one getting the present. Aoba cocked an eyebrow.
“A friend? Who would that be?” He asked. So far as Aoba knew, Clear didn’t know anybody that wore contacts. Or rather, if he did, it had never come up in conversation between them before. But then, Clear could very well have friends of his own that he’d never met.
“I wish I could say, but I promised him I’d keep it a secret. He lives pretty far away, now. Let’s just say that he’s my pen-pal.” Clear insisted. Aoba took his word, and lifted the lens onto the tip of his finger. He had no physical idea how to insert a contact lens, so he did his best, thankful for the dulled sensation this eye provided. With some effort he managed to work it in, settling the lens over his eye.
“How’s it look?” He asked, blinking several times.
“The same as it was!” Koujaku replied, being the one directly across from him. “I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.” At his side, Beni popped up, and Koujaku lifted Ren off of the ground so that he could look as well.
“It does!” The sparrow piped in, bits of icing still stuck in his feathers.
“It’s very natural-looking, Aoba. The color suits you very well.” Ren told him, and Aoba smiled. He hadn’t yet seen them for himself, but he felt confident in the lens already. He turned to his grandmother and blinked, and she replied only with a short nod. Finally, he looked back to Clear. For the first time in a year, their eyes were unmatching, completely different in external appearance as they met. Clear clapped his hands together, his eye lighting up with stars.
“It’s perfect, Aoba-san!” He beamed. “Is it comfortable? I mean, do you like it? I thought about getting a glass eye to go with it too, but I wasn’t sure if-”
“Clear. I love it.” Aoba told him sincerely. “And don’t worry about glass eyes or anything yet. I look scary enough with the eyepatch that nobody wants to mess with me- and I’m attached. But thank you, I mean it.” With that, Aoba was finally able to find the sweetness of his birthday cake before it grew stale from sitting out. Clear gave another deep nod of his head, shoving cake into his mouth on the end of his fork.
The rest of his small get together flowed smoothly. For a moment, he wondered if he shouldn’t have thought to invite Noiz along. They’d formed some kind of friendship ever since their rematch, but bringing him and Koujaku anywhere within earshot of one another was sure to cause mayhem. So, he could have him over another time perhaps. But as they were, the six of them ate cake and dinner together, Aoba’s favorite- his grandmother’s meat and potato stew was amazing as always. He couldn’t have asked for anything more on his birthday than to be surrounded by the people that he loved. And, at the end of the night when his grandmother slipped him postcards that had come on his birthday over the years, it made the night perfect. He had the guise of the contacts to hide under when Clear asked why he looked as if he’d shed a tear.
So, with Koujaku heading home for the night and his grandmother cleaning the kitchen, Aoba found himself being tugged silently along at the bottom of the staircase by a gloved hand. He held fast though, standing with his feet planted on the bottom of the stairs while Clear insisted on going up. “Wait, I should help Granny clean up.” He argued, pulling towards the kitchen. However, the android tugged his sleeve persistently.
“It’s alright, it’s your birthday Aoba-san, relax. Just come upstairs with me, I have something else for you.” Clear explained. Aoba cocked his head to the side, budging just a little bit towards the wooden steps.
“What is it?” He asked. “Can’t you just give it to me now?”
“I can, Aoba-san, but not right here.” Clear emphasized, and Aoba suddenly made sense of what he was asking for. He allowed himself to be pulled up the stairs and to his bedroom, the door closing quietly behind them.
“Clear, granny’s home, are you sure you want to-”
“Yes. But only if you think we won’t get caught.” Clear cut him off. Aoba had to think seriously for a moment. Was it worth it? No, probably not. But was it his birthday, and was he able to convince himself that he deserved a treat? Yes, oooh yes.
“Sure. But we’ll have to hurry.” Aoba told him. Soon enough, Clear had guided him over to his bed, urging him to lay back with his ass on the edge and his feet on the floor. He had to prop himself up onto his elbows to see the android taking his zipper between his teeth, pulling it down ever-so-slowly so as to avoid making noise.
He’d certainly grown more confident in touching him, Aoba noticed. For the first few months, they didn’t become intimate with each other often, besides kissing and dry humping, and maybe a handjob tossed around here and there. When they did go all the way through, it was a little tough on both of them. Sometimes, they had to stop, because he or Clear became uncomfortable somewhere along the way. Aoba was fine with it- he understood that the memories wouldn’t go away for either of them, but nonetheless, he enjoyed intimacy and the good feelings over the bad one. After a while he’d also taken note that submission was Clear’s game, and Aoba respected that, but after some months he wanted a turn as well. Or, maybe it was a certain itchy voice inside of him that was craving it. Either way, he caught Clear by surprise with that shiny bullet he’d seen in the sex shop; and from then on there wasn’t any issue with switching roles. In fact, the ease and comfort of sex itself was eased after that incident. Now, they were both confident enough in themselves to do things like this even in such a risky situation.
But, with Clear’s lips kissing the head of his cock, Aoba’s thoughts were blown out of the water.
Clear slipped his pants and his underwear down to his ankles, his mouth wrapped tight around his shaft. Aoba watched the white fluff of hair move up and down, lips occasionally curling into a smile. He bit his own lip, suppressing a groan as heat pooled into the lower half of his body. He allowed for his eye to fall closed for a moment, until he felt that wet heat leave his cock. It was only half open again when he felt the warmth transferred to the cleft of his ass, licking between his hole and his balls. Aoba gasped, squirming at the feeling, and cursing under his breath as Clear’s slender fingers wrapped around his forgotten shaft. It was slicked with saliva and transparent beads of pre leaking out of his tip, allowing for the heat of Clear’s palm to spread across the wetness.
The other man worked at him, mindful to keep the noise to a minimum while Aoba lay there, writhing in pleasure. He arched his back into the slick heat against his ass, feeling Clear’s nose bump against him every few moments. He gripped the sheets, hissing out what words he could. “C-clear, I’m cumming...!” He breathed. Seconds after his warning, he felt his balls tighten, and shooting strings of seed came flying onto his belly. It was all the Aoba could take to at least keep from letting out a long sigh, but he kept his quiet, breathing sharply through his nose as he came down from his high. Clear was lapping the seed off of his belly, and he flushed at the sight and feeling of it.
“Clear, hey-!” He gasped. The other man looked at him, tongue still sticking out. “You don’t have to... Do that.” Aoba grumbled.
“I apologize, Aoba-san. I just wanted to clean you off.” He said, though he still moved to wipe away the last drop with his tongue. “I’ve gotten used to the taste of it by now. I’d love to make you feel even better today, but I can’t with Tae-san here. But, tomorrow’s Friday, you can stay over at my house, and we can do whatever you’d like!”
Aoba sat up, pulling his pants back up from where they’d been peeled down. “Really? What if I wanted you to make me dinner and watch movies all night, and nothing else?”
“That would be just fine. Whateeever you like~” Clear chimed. He pecked Aoba’s cheek.
“Sounds good. You don’t want me to do you too?” Aoba asked.
“Not today, I’m fine. Thanks Aoba-san.” The android replied. However, he made an ‘o’ with his lips. “Oh- I really did have one more thing to give you. But, I was too embarrassed to give it to you at the table because... Well, I thought that everyone would laugh at me.” He told Aoba in a shy tone. Once again, he was off searching in the endless space of his pockets, stored full of umbrellas and matchbooks and whatever else he came across. But this time, he pulled out a simple box, unwrapped and unmarked. “I actually bought these, but I added the decoration on by myself. I just... I thought that it might be cute.” He babbled on. Aoba waited for him to finish speaking before he opened the box.
He pulled back the flaps of it, peeking inside. Laying in the bottom was a small black cloth, with a long, thin strap attached to it. With careful fingers Aoba lifted it from the container, holding it in his hand. It was a black eye patch, similar in style to the ones that the stereotypical pirate, or video game super-villain might wear. He’d never shown much interest in any besides the white medical variety, but upon flipping it over, Aoba immediately warmed up to it. Stitched into the patch was a pink heart, sewn in with red thread and held securely in place on top of the patch. He laughed, a warm smile pulling his lips back.
“It’s dumb, isn’t it?” Clear asked him, looking away to the floor. He looked back quickly though, as Aoba had removed his usual patch and started lacing over the new one. His lover’s jaw hung open a bit as it was finally secure around Aoba’s head.
“Well, does it look alright?” Aoba asked him. It was a snug fit, but he didn’t mind too much, worst case scenario the strap would need replaced.
“Oh, yes it does Aoba-san! So you really like it then?” Clear beamed. Aoba nodded, humming in agreement all the while. Then, he watched white gloves scramble up to Clear’s head. The white patch went flying off, it was soon replaced. “I guess now is the time to tell you then, I made one for me too!” He secured the eyepatch on with a snap, smiling triumphantly. “See? Now, we match!”
Aoba gawked at him for a second, staring at the cute patch laced over his eye socket. He snorted, and burst out laughing. Clear jumped, his confidence suddenly gone.
“Aaaah, Aoba-san, do I look stupid?” He questioned. Aoba pulled himself up from holding his sides, taking a deep breath.
“No, no. You look fine. I’m just laughing because you thought to make them match.” Aoba explained. Clear puffed his cheeks out in a pout, crossing his arms.
“What’s wrong with that? I just wanted to look cute together... I mean, with those contact lenses, now it isn’t as obvious when we’re around one another that it isn’t your real eye. My offer still stands on buying you a glass one if you want it.” Clear huffed. “I mean, with all of the crazy clothes that people around here wear, it’ll look normal.”
“I know it will. I’ll definitely wear it.” He turned, taking Clear’s face by one hand. He kissed the man on the lips, and he could feel heat beneath his palm as his cheeks lit up red. Aoba would never understand how he could go from giving him the eyes of a wild animal while pulling his zipper down, to blushing red as a beet from a kiss. He pulled back, met with that flushed face. “Thank you.”
Clear snuggled up to him, pulling him in close despite his embarrassment. “You’re welcome, Aoba-san. Thank you for being here with me.... Are you more comfortable now? I mean... Last year at this time you’d just learned to walk again. Does your body feel okay? And are you truly okay with me being here?”
Aoba tutted, and tapped Clear’s back with his fist. “Of course I am. My body’s fine, it’s been a year now, and now everything matches up. I won’t have to worry until I’m fifty and I have the hands of somebody who’s twenty-two. I’ll have to start wearing clothes like yours.” He nuzzled the man’s chest. “And as for being okay with you... Don’t doubt that. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if you weren’t here with me. You promised that we were going to make good memories together to cover up what happened in the past, and every day it gets better and better. I love you, Clear.”
The android listened to him carefully, returning the nuzzles against his forehead. “Thank you, Aoba-san. That’s all that I wanted to hear. I love you too... And I hope someday I can put a hundred candles on your birthday cake!”
Aoba laughed. “God, I’ll really have to worry about my arms and legs looking different than my body then. I might not be able to lift them! You’ll have to cart me around in a wheelchair!”
Clear pulled back from him, holding Aoba’s forearms in his hands. “And if you do, I’ll push you wherever you want to go! I’ll still be strong, so don’t you worry about a thing, Aoba-san!” He promised. Aoba continued to chuckle, wiggling out of his grasp and standing up.
“I trust you. But don’t complain when you’re carrying me and my wheelchair up a flight of stairs!” He teased. “Now come on, I’ve got that bottle of liquor downstairs that Koujaku left, I think the two of us should celebrate.”
Clear stood up, following him out. “But Aoba-san is such an awful drunk!”
“Really? You’re the one who told me that I don’t have to worry about a thing! I should be able to loosen up on my birthday, at least.” Aoba turned back to look at him, a mischevous grin on his face. “Or, since you’ve been working at delivery works long enough to earn some days off, why don’t we take it back to your house?” He cooed. He’d made steam roll out of Clear’s ears, his jaw quivering and his face flushed with so much blood it looked ready to burst. But the other man swallowed, grinned straight back, and threw open the bedroom door.
“Yes, please!”
They bumped shoulders as they ran down the stairs, mechanical legs in perfect time. Aoba could feel the silicone in his arm working to elbow Clear in the ribs, and feel his knees support his weight as he stood to laugh. He’d closed his eye just for one second, but he opened it back up, and absorbed the grinning, joyful face of the man that he cherished more than anything.
Nothing made him happier than to know that the eye looking back at him saw with exactly the same way.