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It was a nice, breezy afternoon, as Toya laid down atop his bed, feeling the wafts of refreshing wind ruffle his otherwise neat hair. He had just finished revising for his upcoming English test, and was about to remind Akito to do the same. Toya opened up his messages app, only to see a few unread texts from Akito, which were sent just a couple minutes prior.
akito
yo
pick one
1 or 2
toya
What for?
akito
youll see tmrw
js pick one
Well, two is always better than one. Toya is better with Akito than he is alone, just as an example. This was Toya’s extremely reasonable rationelle for choosing option “2”, whatever that signified.
toya
Okay.
2
akito
thx dude
thats what i was gonna pick anyways
felt like i needed ur opinion
toya
You're welcome?
I still don’t know what I helped you decide on.
akito
dont stress man its nothin serious
itll all be clear tmrw
trust
toya
I trust you, Akito.
I was just curious, that’s all :)
Plus, remember to study for your English test!
akito
yeah yeah i will
its easier to study when ur here tho
lowkey like studying when im w u
Akito liked to study with him? He had thought that Akito always hated studying, no matter who he was with. He seemed miserable either way. (Toya felt proud that his presence could make such an impact on Akito’s studying habits.)
akito
anyways i got plans tn
see ya tmrw toya
toya
Yes see you tomorrow
I’m excited to see what you made me choose.
Remember to study!
All he can do is wait until tomorrow to see this surprise that Akito had mentioned. This seemingly miniscule choice was really eating at Toya, what did he even pick? Was it to decide where to eat lunch? What songs they should practice? Whether Toya or Akito would confess their undying love for each other first?
Okay. Definitely not that last one.
…
Crap.
Now that Toya had that thought in his mind, he could not get rid of it. Just imagining them, best friends and beloved singing partners, wide-eyed and face-to-face underneath cherry blossom trees-
He really should be revising for English.
Romantic fantasies be damned, active vs passive voice needed to be studied.
Tomorrow, Toya will finally find out this mystery of a choice that he has made.
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Normally, Toya is extremely attentive in his lessons. Very rarely can something cloud his mind so much that he can’t focus on the matter at hand. But as the clock’s minute hand slowly drifts towards the 12, he can’t help but imagine this surprise Akito has for him. Well, maybe it’s not for him, per se. It could very well be something all of VBS could benefit from, like picking a restaurant to eat at after practice today. Or perhaps it’s something small, like simply what pair of jeans to wear after school. His dark grey barrel leg pair, or maybe the acid wash-
The school bell sounds, cutting through his thoughts. Lunch has officially started.
Toya had never been more glad to be out of a classroom in his life.
He soon realizes that he would have to speedwalk—he would never dare to run in the hallways (less because of his own morals, more because of the fact that he really did not want to get held up by Tsukasa’s booming voice shouting at him to slow down)—because Akito was typically the one to meet at Toya’s classroom before heading off to find a place to sit. Toya had to hope and pray to whatever was up there that Akito’s surprise made him way less eager to pack up and leave.
A panting Toya quickly arrived at Akito’s classroom’s door, peering inside to see if he had just missed him. Luckily for him, he was currently staring at himself in his phone camera. Weird, but maybe he had something in his teeth and no one told him until just two seconds ago.
“Akito?” Toya softly called out to his red-headed partner.
“Toya? What’re you doing here?”
“Well, to be honest, I came to find you to see what I had chosen yesterday. I would be lying if I said that it wasn’t on my mind since then.”
As Toya was monologuing, he slowly walked towards Akito’s seat at his desk, and Akito’s hand suddenly flew up to cover his mouth once he realized how much closer Toya had gotten.
“Is something the matter?”
“No, it’s just that I don’t want to ruin the surprise,” Akito spoke, voice slightly muffled due to his hand covering his lips.
Now Toya was extremely curious, if he wasn’t before. What surprise could possibly be with Akito’s lips?
Toya felt his ears redden as his brain betrayed him in imagining what Akito could surprise him with using his lips. He really needed to get a grip.
“Ready, Toya?”
He eagerly nodded yes.
As Akito gingerly lowered his hand from his mouth, Toya caught sight of it.
Shimmering in the light, he saw it.
A silver lip ring.
Toya couldn’t help but stare, the glimmering metal contrasting the soft pink of his cracked lips, it was almost hypnotic the way he wouldn’t let himself look away.
“Does it look good?” Akito asked, looking expectantly (and a bit nervously), at Toya’s bewildered face.
Toya’s jaw hung open, his gaze was affixed to his lips. Screw that, it was hypnotic, being essentially told to stare at your best friend’s perfect lips.
“Uh, dude? Earth to Toya? If it looks bad just tell me-”
“No.”
“What?”
“It doesn’t look bad. It looks beautiful, Akito.”
(If Toya wasn’t so entranced with his partner’s lips, he would have seen the red flush blossoming across his beloved’s cheeks and neck.)
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Practice that day had gone horribly, in the sense that Toya could not get anything down. He was stumbling, forgetting his lines, and seemed so out of it that Akito pulled him aside to ask if he was alright. He mumbled something about having a headache. He couldn’t really remember.
Truth is, he couldn’t stop staring at Akito’s gorgeous lips, with that shiny new piercing hanging off of them like a trophy. How Toya wanted to press his own against it, feel the cold metal as they-
He really needed to go to sleep.
Just as he was about to abandon the school work he was doing in favour of putting on cozy pajamas, he heard a faint buzzing noise coming from his jacket pocket. Upon further inspection, it was just his phone going off, with notifications from Akito. Just the thought of Akito messaging Toya this late at night made him simultaneously warm and fuzzy inside, yet also mentally scolding him for also ruining his sleep schedule.
akito
hey hope ur feeling better
dw ab practice i just want u to feel okay
also
pick one again
1, 2, or 3
toya
Thank you for your concerns, Akito.
I’m feeling much better now. Maybe I was just dehydrated.
Toya paused for a minute before typing again. Why was he asking for him to choose yet another thing? He couldn’t be seriously going out to get another piercing at almost 1am?
toya
What am I choosing this time?
I need to know to make an informed decision :)
akito
thatll give away the surprise no way
js pick one
plssssss toya
toya
You’re lucky I like you
3
Toya suddenly felt a surge of anxiety. That was too bold, even for someone as direct as him. He knows that he doesn’t sugarcoat things, but that was seriously risky. He debated deleting the message, but Akito had already responded;
akito
haha i like u too
promise u wont regret choosing it
meet me at the home ec room for lunch okay?
Good. Akito saw it in a purely platonic, funny way. Even if he wasn’t exactly the best at cracking jokes, he still managed to see right through him. Sort of. Toya didn’t mean it as a joke.
toya
Sounds good.
Now I’m really curious
Guess I’ll just have to wait and see :p
akito
k gn partner
go get ur beauty sleep
toya
I could say the same to you, Akito
Goodnight, see you at school!
This boy was going to be the death of him one day.
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Lunch time rolls around the next school day, and Toya still finds himself as eager as ever to really-fast-walk-but-totally-not-run his way over to the home economics classroom. As he makes his way over, bag slinged over one shoulder, he ponders as to what Akito could have possibly made him choose to warrant a meeting place as random as the home economics class of all places.
He gently cracks open the door, and sees Akito hovering over something in the fridge. Toya silently makes his way over to the red head, who is still fiddling with something inside the fridge.
“Take it out of the fridge if you’re going to mess with it,” Toya gently scolds his partner, a sarcastic eye roll evident in his tone.
Akito whips his head towards Toya, pretty lip piercing and all, clearly surprised at his sudden appearance.
“Don’t look!” Akito exclaims, turning to face Toya in an attempt at covering whatever’s in the fridge with his back and arms spread out wide.
Toya lets out a soft giggle before playfully responding, “I wasn’t looking~”
“Mhm. Sure you weren't," Akito grumbled.
A moment of silence passes before Toya has to ask;
“What’s in the fridge?”
The flustered red-head awkwardly reaches over to grab the mysterious thing he had prepared, contorting his body to try and keep the secret hidden from his partner’s view.
“When you told me that you weren’t feeling well yesterday, I lowkey couldn’t help but make you something. I hope it’s good, and I promise you it’s not too sweet,” Akito humbly explained, holding the glass dishware out in front of him.
“It’s half-sweet tiramisu,” he clarified. “Tiramisu isn’t even normally that sweet, but I didn’t want to take any chances. For you, Toya.”
Even though the dish was only half sweet, (and he didn’t even take a bite of it yet) he felt the sugar rush hitting his head because of how kind and considerate his partner was. How lucky was he? He feels “off” one day and gets a whole tray of tiramisu? Toya couldn’t help but swoon over Akito’s caring nature.
“All of this, for me?”
Akito nodded his head, a shy grin creeping onto his face.
“Oh Akito, you’re the best partner ever!” Toya tightly squeezed Akito in a slightly awkward hug, as he was still holding the dessert.
“Yeah, yeah, just take a bite already.” he gruffly said, with no actual venom in his tone.
Toya quickly took a plastic fork from the collection on the countertop and grabbed a considerable scoop of tiramisu, which was then immediately shoveled into his mouth.
Oh wow.
This was literally the best thing that he had ever tasted before in his whole 17 years of living. He wasn’t even biased because his literal soulmate and love of his life best friend made him the treat. Okay, maybe a little bit. Who can help it when your crush hand-makes you the most delicious dessert you’ve ever had, personalized to your preferences?
“Mmm— Akito, this is so good! Please bake for me more often!” Toya excitedly exclaimed, grin so wide you could get lost in it.
(If Toya hadn’t closed his eyes while smiling, he would have noticed the cutest expression adorned on his crush’s face, flustered by Toya’s adorable demeanor.)
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While walking home from school, VBS’s practice had been abruptly canceled due to An taking Kohane on an impromptu date.
an
sorry guys!!! kohane and I found a suuuuper cute cafe on our way to practice and we had to stop in!! practice is cancelled today!!
kohane
Our apologies! (∩˃o˂∩)
We can pick you guys up something if you’d like? All the desserts look so good (ꈍᴗꈍ)♡
…
Akito suddenly had an idea.
“Hey Toya, pick once more for me would’ya? One, two, or three?” he said with a sneaky smirk growing on his face.
“Sure, um, how about one this time?”
“Perfect. I’ll pick you up at 11am tomorrow, if that’s okay with you?”
Toya couldn’t help but feel really giddy about this one. This choice directly involved the two of them, together hopefully. Not that the last ones didn’t, but this seems more personal. At least Toya prayed that it would be.
“Sounds wonderful, Akito. I didn’t have any plans for tomorrow anyways. Thank you in advance!” he excitedly told him.
“No need for all of the thankings, dude. Just wanted to treat you to somethin’.” Akito paused before speaking again; “The place I'm thinking of taking you to is kinda fancy. I’d say to dress somewhat nice, but like no suit and tie, you know?”
Toya felt his heart beat rhythmically against his chest as he realized the implications of what Akito was telling him.
‘This is basically like a date, my crush is taking me out on a date…’ Toya thought to himself, cheeks staining pink.
This is just a hang out as purely platonic bros and he had to find a way to bring his feelings into it. Whatever, Toya was overjoyed nonetheless.
“Got it. I can’t wait!” he replied, trying to keep his cool.
“Me neither… Hope we’ll have fun.”
“Of course we’ll have fun Akito, every moment spent with you is like heaven on earth to me, you know.”
The red-head tried to non-chalantly cover his blush by looking away and covering half of his face with his fist, scoffing with fake annoyance.
“Anyways dude, what’d you write for the long answer question on your test today?”
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As a gentle melody started to chime from Toya’s phone, he immediately shot up and rose out of bed.
Today was his and Akito’s first date surprise hang out.
And he literally could not be more excited.
Toya had picked out his outfit the previous night, settling on a black turtleneck and a nice pair of jeans. He rushed through his morning routine, despite it being only 9am, out of pure and uncontained joy.
He is really lovesick for this boy, isn’t he?
In an effort to calm himself down and simultaneously pass the time, he chooses to read a mystery novel that he recently picked up from the library. Even with his undying passion for a good novel, he still found himself distracted.
‘Where is Akito taking me? I really hope it’s somewhere romantic. Wait, he doesn’t even like me. What am I even thinking? Gosh, I’m going to be sick…’
Time seems to pass agonisingly slow, yet all too fast for Toya’s liking; the butterflies in his stomach settling somewhere between excited and anxious.
By the time he’s been ruminating over the current situation that he’s about to face for probably the third or fourth time he hears a distant ringing coming from the front door.
Toya grabs his things in a rush, both on edge and thrilled for their excursion, and hurriedly makes his way to meet Akito.
“Good morning partner,” casually greeted the redhead.
Toya, being a tad out of breath from practically sprinting down the stairs, simply gave him a blinding smile, hoping to convey his feelings that way.
“You excited or something? You’re literally radiating dude.”
“Yeah, just a little.” Toya giggles.
They both give a bubbly smile, then slip on their shoes and make their way to wherever the hell they’re going. Even though Toya has absolutely no clue, he’s bouncing-off-the-walls thrilled anyways.
Once they’re just down the street from their destination, Akito asks Toya to close his eyes. He does (hesitantly), as his partner grabs his arm and leads him a few feet forward to the front of the establishment.
“Okay dude, open your eyes.”
Once Toya’s light eyes adjust to the brightness of the early afternoon sun, he now sees exactly why Akito wanted to bring him here.
A big, flashy sign read:
“Cats & Coffee Café”
He could die of happiness right there.
“So, uh, good spot to hang out or…?” Akito asks tentatively, watching as Toya stares in awe.
“It’s perfect,” he replies breathlessly.
“Toya, it’s not really that big of a deal; You’re acting like you’re seeing your wedding venue for the first time or somethin’,” he replies sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
Toya wishes that this was his wedding venue. Not because getting married at a small, downtown café was his dream or anything, but because marrying Akito would make even the crappiest junkyard look like a royal castle. Being with his partner, best friend, soulmate, crush, whatever you want to call it, is his dream. It always has been, since the day they first met. Maybe not the living together for the rest of our lives part, but similar enough. This boy was going to be the death of him one day, and he has long since accepted that fact.
“Anyways, let's go inside. I heard that they have a mocha marshmallow crepe and i've been fucking dying to try it”
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Once they had their fill of an overloaded crepe on behalf of Akito, a black coffee and a biscuit for Toya, and an equal enjoyment of playing with kittens, they decided to walk around the downtown area in hopes of finding a cool place to stop at.
As they leave the store, Toya suddenly recalls a question he’s had over these past few days.
“Akito, I have to ask, all these things I’ve been picking; did you actually have other options or was it just an excuse for you to do something you’ve been wanting to do?” Toya asked curiously, tilting his head towards his partner as he spoke.
Akito awkwardly grimaced before replying, “To be honest, not really. The piercing one was an actual choice between two things, but I’ll probably end up getting the other one later anyways. The dessert one wasn’t a choice, I knew I wanted to make you tiramisu since the moment Ena brought home a dessert cookbook that her girlfriend gifted us, but I just never really had a good opportunity to make it without it being too weird.”
“What about this…?” Toya had to cut himself off from calling this a date.
“Yeah, I only had one pick for this too. An actually recommended this place, that's where they went yesterday and her text reminded me of it. Hope ya don’t mind that it wasn’t really much of an actual choice. I did it once for the piercing thing and it was fun seeing you get all worked up about it…” Akito admitted, shying away from looking at Toya due to the embarrassed flush creeping its way up his neck.
‘He’s so cute.’
“I still really enjoyed it, Akito. The picking things, and this too. I wouldn’t mind doing something like this more often. I love spending time with you.”
“Damn, you’re so sappy Toya, I’m literally going to melt,” he replied sheepishly, lightly punching Toya in the arm.
Toya just couldn’t help but giggle. He was so infatuated with this boy.
“Gosh, I just love you so much, Akito…”
Akito stopped dead in his tracks, choking on air, cheeks and ears blooming a fiery red.
Toya stared at his partner worriedly, heart palpitating, ghostly pale in the face.
“Did I just say that out loud…?”
“Yeah, you did.”
“I should leave now,” Toya muttered as he turned on his heel and started speedwalking, then turned running, down the sidewalk.
Toya felt nothing but shame and regret. As much as he tried to ignore the pain twinging in his chest, his emotions got the best of him and tears started streaming down his face. How could he have been so caught up in his romantic fantasies with his singing partner, best friend even, that he failed to realise that he is not into him? Hell, is he even into dudes? They’ve never talked about girls, or just crushes for that matter, so it might’ve been fair for Toya to make that assumption–
A strong grip found itself holding onto Toya’s shoulder.
“Toya, please. Turn around.” the boy pleaded, guilt evident in his tone.
Toya hesitantly turned to face his partner, and in searching for the disappointment or disgust on his face, he found none. The expression on his partner’s face was nothing but compassion and perhaps a flicker of hope. He didn’t want to let his own hopes rise, but his feelings overtook his logic and the butterflies of nervousness and excitement found their way back to him.
“Dude, I– how the fuck do I say this…”
Akito stared into the ground beneath them, fidgeting with his rings as he continued.
“I, uh… like you too. There, I finally said it. And if that’s not what you meant by that comment back there then I’m super fucking sorry and I hope that we can–”
Before Toya could even realize what he was doing, his hands wandered to Akito’s jacket collar and pulled him closer, crashing their lips together.
It lasted for maybe a few seconds, yet also felt like a lifetime. The simple contact set fireworks off in Toya’s brain, sent a wave of fuzzy emotions coursing through his veins, and ignited a fiery passion in his chest. How had he not thought of doing this sooner?
Akito’s reaction was simply; ‘Holy shit, he kissed me.’
They sheepishly pull apart from their embrace, looking into one another’s gleaming eyes as they process what just happened.
“I thought you didn’t like me, Akito.”
“How could I not like you, Toya? You’re so passionate and talented at everything that you do, you’re literally the sweetest fucking man alive, and not to mention the fact that you’re fucking gorgeous. Don’t ever think for a goddamn second that I don’t like you. I’d choose you first over anything else. You’re literally my perfect partner, Toya.”
Fresh tears, this time of joy, rolled their way down Toya’s pink, flushed cheeks.
As if on instinct, Akito cupped his partner’s face to softly wipe away the droplets with his calloused thumb.
“You have no idea how much I love you, Akito.”
“Yes, I do– I love you the exact same way, Toya.”
“Thank you.”
“Stop thanking me, dude.”
“We just kissed and you’re still calling me dude?”
“Toya, I swear to god–”
Their lips pressed against each other for the second time that day, and this marks the start of many stolen kisses, late night calls, and a deep bond that a diamond couldn’t cut through. Because they’re Akito and Toya. If you asked Toya to pick between his beloved partner and anything else, he’d choose his one and only. Not because they’re one in the same, but rather made for one another. And they wouldn’t have it any other way.