Chapter Text
Akito Shinonome couldn’t fucking believe he had to put up with this.
He was absolutely bewildered at An Shiraishi’s complete lack of emotional intelligence. How could someone be so confident and expressive while being so out of touch with themself? She was moping around like a puppy who’d just been kicked and, what? He wasn’t supposed to take note? Hah, reaaaaal funny. It’s almost like she was trying to bring attention to herself. He pitied her—
—Is what he wanted to say. However, if he dared to utter a word, he would be smacked upside the head by Shiraishi herself, receive a motherly scolding from Meiko the next time he’d find himself alone with her, or would have to cope under the coldness of Toya’s disapproving gaze. The latter was what really kept him in line. Regardless, he still couldn’t understand how An had no grip on her emotions. It dumbfounded him, but then again, he had been in her position once. Though he was embarrassed to admit it.
Ever since the day he and Miku had to act as impromptu therapists in the alleyways of their SEKAI, Akito found himself watching An with a close eye. He realized they were very different people. He understood her difficulty transitioning from a solo singer to performing in a group. Still, the difference between their pasts was night and day. An grew up in the street music scene as the daughter of a legend. She had very few people who could rival her in her age group; she was the girl on Vivid Street. Akito, on the other hand, fought tooth and nail for where he was now. He struggled as a solo artist and thrived with his partner. When An found Kohane and formed their partnership, he had a feeling it wouldn’t be an easy path for her. It was only natural, at least in his opinion, to be competitive with those closest to you. The street music scene was a brutal world, after all.
He could still see her body language and expression in his mind as he recalled Miku giving An her piece of advice in the situation. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen it. She looked uncomfortable in her skin, like she wasn’t sure what to do with the unfamiliarity of the feeling. She didn’t know where to start in identifying her feelings and how to cope with them. The first time he saw An acting the same way was that one time backstage after a gig, where her feelings began— Where she realized she wasn’t immune to insecurity. It had all spiraled from there.
Akito was strangely intrigued. He couldn’t put himself into her exact shoes. He could only wonder what her specific type of lack of emotional experience felt like. Was it due to lack of exposure as a child? Suppression of feelings on such a drastic level that her emotional spectrum was limited? Or she simply just wasn’t good with words? Who knows. It wasn’t really his business.
Well, it quickly became his business when he was entrusted with An’s emotional well-being, even if just for a short time. He was sick and tired of seeing her mope when no one else seemed to care, so he stepped in. At first, it was for his own sanity, but he never imagined that Shiraishi would accept his intervention. Yet, that’s what happened. And now Akito felt like every time he looked at An he was seeing someone completely different. She had more depth than before, like he’d chipped away the first few layers and was starting to see her core. He wasn’t sure if he was comfortable with it or not.
And now, here Akito was, trying to enjoy his coffee break at Meiko’s place in peace while Kohane and An obnoxiously booped each other’s noses with whipped cream, giggling all the while. Just another Saturday.
This kind of stuff confused Akito even more. It was a known fact that Shiraishi had little to no emotional intelligence, yet she displayed such fondness for Azusawa. This left Akito with two possibilities: One, An had feelings for Kohane but wasn't able to identify them as romantic or, two, she was able to identify them as romantic but didn't know what to do with them. Either way, she liked Kohane; There was no denying it. That was what pissed him off the most.
This whole stupid teasing shit was nothing new; the two girls were always lovey-dovey. An was more forward, while Kohane shyly accepted her advances. That’s just how it always was. Akito, even if he didn’t want to admit it, knew the two of them were meant for each other. If they weren’t totally in love with each other, he wasn’t sure what love was. Here was a perfectly passionate relationship stuck in the friendzone, simply because neither of them knew what to do next. Hence why he pitied them.
He honestly had no idea if the two of them knew that other people were painfully aware of their feelings for each other. Meiko, maybe. Miku, he wasn’t sure. Len, definitely not. Because, at the very least, he was. So, he alone had to sit with the fact that they were both too idiotic to realize that, no, holding hands and snuggling and staring deeply into each other’s eyes were not “normal singing partner” things. However, Toya would disagree, saying “Akito, isn’t that what we do? And we’re partners, aren’t we?” Akito would reply, “Toya, we’ve been dating for three months.” and Toya would give a dejected nod and accept that, no, those aren't "normal singing partner" things.
Akito had debated confronting An and Kohane about their mutual feelings, but he didn’t want to have dirt on his hands if shit hit the fan. Kohane would freeze up on the spot and spout some bullshit excuse, and An would beat him up without a second thought. He realized it wasn’t his place to directly meddle in their relationship, but as time went on and their lovey-doveyness got more and more frustrating to watch, he felt like he needed to take drastic measures before he started to bald from the stress. He had considered asking Toya for help, but he didn’t want to get him caught up in the situation as he didn’t seem to be bothered by it the way Akito was. So, he spared him the frustration of dealing with the world’s most pathetic platonic deadlock.
It was moments like this when Akito was very fortunate that he and Toya were proactive enough to turn their longtime bromance into a legitimate romance. Admittedly, Akito had once scoffed at the idea that he and Toya would end up together. An had noticed their closeness (because why wouldn’t she always find something to use against him?) and decided to take advantage, the exchange going something like this:
“Akito, you and Toya are really close, yeah?”
“Eh, I guess. What about it?”
“I see you guys have a rather special connection.”
“...Why are you wiggling your eyebrows like that?”
“Don’t you see the way he looks at you?”
“Just get to the point.”
“Dude, he likes you.”
“Very funny. Ha-ha.”
“I'm being honest! You two have some serious chemistry going on~!”
“An, I’d rather eat my shoes than date a guy, especially if that guy was Toya. Stop projecting your weird romantic fantasies onto us just because you can’t get any bitches. Wh— Ack-! ”
“—Shut the fuck up!”
“Ow! What the fuck was that for?!”
“When you two get together, I’m never gonna let you live it down. Got it, Mr. No Homo?”
And now, Akito was dating a guy, that guy being Toya. Curse An and her dumbass gay premonitions.
Back to the main point: It took Akito quite a long time before he realized that he couldn’t honestly say “no homo” to Toya anymore. And lucky for him, Toya felt the same way. But Akito made sure to take the necessary steps to turn their friendship into a relationship because, unlike An and Kohane, he and Toya actually had a conversation about where to go next. Because what else were they supposed to do? Well, not having that conversation was the other option, and that seemed to be the path Kohane and An were favoring. But Akito was so, so sick and tired of watching them fuck around. It was getting concerning at this point.
Leaving behind that train of thought, Akito took a long sip of his warm latte, the once pristine tulip pattern in the foam warping as he drank. He glanced at Toya, who was seated to his right. He seemed to be tuning out An and Kohane’s antics in front of them in favor of focusing his attention on the novel he had his nose buried in. Akito placed his latte back on the coffee table separating the two sets of partners and cleared his throat, drawing Toya’s eyes away from the pages and towards the ginger.
Akito had his eyes locked on the two girls in front of him, who were practically wrestling each other in an attempt to get the most whipped cream on the other’s nose while avoiding it themselves. He scoffed at their antics and cleared his throat a more obnoxious second time, drawing Kohane’s eyes away from her partner’s. He had managed to get maybe 10% of her attention; The other 90% still focused on their absurd whipped cream game.
“Shinonome, do you need something- Aha!” Kohane did her best to give him a solid response before An grabbed her side and forced a laugh from her lips, leaving her defenseless. Kohane yelped as An tapped the cream from her finger onto her partner’s nose, the two erupting into a fury of giggles. Akito rolled his eyes. He hoped this wasn’t what he and Toya were like. This was unbearable.
“Yeah, can you two knock it off?” Akito’s leg bounced up and down, adding to the signs of annoyance he was so clearly displaying. The two girls paused their game to turn their attention to Akito, but An wasn’t happy.
“Aww, c’mon! We’re just having some fun!” She wrapped her arm around her partner’s shoulders as she put her other hand on her hip. Giving him attitude, as expected…
Akito sneered. “It’s not fun when we have to sit here and watch. You two are so obnoxious it hurts.” At this point, Toya had closed his book and placed it on the table next to his half-empty cup of coffee. He crossed his arms as he silently observed his partner, trying to see just where he was going with this. Akito could feel his gaze burning a hole in the side of his head, a silent warning to not push their buttons. However, Akito was feeling audacious today.
Shiraishi cocked her head towards the split-haired boy sitting across from her. “Oh, come on. You don’t get to talk when Toya is sitting right next to you!” The neutral expression he wore was unwavering, even as Akito turned his head to glance at his boyfriend.
“That’s different and you know it.” The ginger scoffed.
“What? I can’t show affection to Kohane?” An used the hand on Kohane’s shoulder to twirl her fingers around one of her signature pigtails. Azusawa dipped her head in an attempt to shy away, but she didn’t put her heart into dodging An’s moves.
“An…” Her eyes made their way from Toya to Akito to the wood grain of the coffee table. Her shyness prevailed in private, even if she had made huge strides onstage.
Akito extended his arms to reference the display in front of him. “Isn’t this a little overboard?” An gasped and, in an act of defense, wrapped her arms around Kohane’s head and drew her close. Kohane’s flushed face did not go unnoticed by the two boys.
“Why wouldn’t I show her what she deserves?” An ruffled her partner’s hair, drawing a stuttered giggle from the blonde as she leaned into her touch, “She’s the best partner I could ever dream of!”
“Yeah!!”
Akito turned his head towards the front entrance of the cafe, where the loud exclamation mixed with the chime of the door announced the arrival of Rin and Len. The two barely acknowledged Miku and Meiko, chatting near the bar counter. They began to practically run over each other in an attempt to reach the four other kids first. However, they were stopped dead in their tracks by Meiko, who held her arms out to block the blondes.
“Rin, Len, What have I told you about running in my cafe?” She fiercely gazed down at the two kids, who gazed back with the best puppy eyes they could manage. She held her ground, though. The two eventually lowered their heads. Akito’s heart sank at the idea of her using that scare tactic on him. She had the kind of intense motherly aura that sent shivers down his spine. “Next time, remember not to run. Okay?”
“We’re sorry, Meiko!” Rin said, elbowing Len in an attempt to draw an apology out of him.
“Ow—! We’ll remember, we promise!” He looked up at their faux-mother figure with eyes full of dramatic remorse. A light chuckle escaped Meiko. She placed her hands on their heads and lightly ruffled their hair to lighten the mood. Akito knew she didn’t like being so strict, but she had to contain the twins’ energy somehow.
“Apology accepted.” Meiko released the Kagamine twins and the two made quick business of reaching Akito and company at their table in the back. Before any of them had time to react, Rin tackle-hugged Kohane and An while Len gave each person around the table an enthusiastic fist bump, greetings filling the cafe in a soft echo.
“I totally agree with what An was saying,” Len swiftly pulled up a chair to the table, finding a place to the left of the couch An and Kohane were seated on. “You should show your appreciation to your partner! To show them you care, you know?”
Rin found a seat near Len and agreed with her brother, “Yeah! Len and I fight aaaaall the time, but we still care about each other!” She scratched her cheek and smirked devilishly, “Well, it really depends on the day. Sometimes you can be a real pain in the butt~”
“Hey, quit it! You’re just as bad!” Len puffed his chest and pointed an accusing finger in Rin’s direction. She gasped, and, as expected, the two began to bicker and argue. Really, just another Saturday.
An laughed at the twin’s antics and hugged Kohane close while glaring menacingly at the boys across from her. “See? They understand where I’m coming from!”
Toya chuckled. Akito gagged. Oh my god. They did not understand.
“…Tch…” Akito muttered under his breath, annoyance going unheard by the two girls. However, it did not go unnoticed by Toya, who gave Akito a sharp jab to the arm in return. The ginger winced and whipped his head to look at the other. The gaze he met dissolved all possible protests on the tip of his tongue. The cold silver of Toya’s eyes were a silent threat that told him to keep his trap shut. Akito didn’t want to push his luck twice in one day.
“…Fine…” He deflated, crossing his arms and sinking into the plush of the couch he and Toya shared. In the corner of his eye, he saw Toya’s frame relax as An and Kohane went back to their antics. He picked up his book from the table and opened the page his bookmark was placed in. His right hand held the book while Akito watched his left travel to rest on the ginger’s thigh.
A small smile crept onto Akito’s lips as he accepted the comforting gesture by placing his own hand on top of his partner's. What he would do without Toya, he wasn’t sure. Well, he would definitely be a nobody on Vivid Street— Actually, he’d probably be banned from performing at all . His past attitude was something straight from hell. So, he silently thanked the boy seated to his right. He was glad someone was willing to help him keep his stupid ass in line. Even if his anger towards An and Kohane’s bromance did test his limits.
It was well into the afternoon when Kohane and An announced they were leaving SEKAI for the day. The setting sun cast a golden haze within the cafe, illuminating the two girls as they exited through the front door and pulled out their phones to return to the real world. Meiko and Miku bid them farewell and waved as the two dissolved into the geometric mist that signified their departure.
The moment the last of the mist disappeared and all traces of Shiraishi and Azusawa were gone, Akito let out an elongated groan and sunk into the part of the couch he had occupied the majority of the afternoon. His entire body was tense with frustration. He could never truly hate An, but holy shit was he pissed at her ass. Not to mention Rin and Len. It was times like this when he wished he could blackmail Meiko into giving him a glass of whatever hard liquor she had in her secret stash under the bar counter.
After Rin and Len had arrived, the twins and the two girls spent the better part of the afternoon causing a ruckus in the cafe. Between endlessly chatting about everything under the sun, borrowing the stage in the back to sing, and convincing Meiko to let Rin and Len try their hands at pouring a latte, they certainly took advantage of every minute they had. Akito’s blood pressure was alarmingly high by the time Rin and Len had decided to leave. The twins said they “wanted to find the coolest, darkest, dirtiest, most epic-ist alleyway in SEKAI!” How their childlike spirits were still unsatisfied by the chaos of the afternoon, Akito couldn’t begin to understand.
Toya didn’t seem to mind the twins or An and Kohane, simply reading his book or making small talk with Akito. He envied his patience, or his ability to not give a shit, depending on how you look at the situation. However, it seemed to be Akito that began to test Toya’s composure.
Akito let out a dramatic, over-the-top, irritated sigh, and before he could take another breath, he jumped at the loud smack of Toya forcefully closing his book. Startled, the ginger watched as the split-haired boy placed the book back on the table, took a deep breath, turned to Akito, and glared.
“Akito, what is going on with you?” His tone was harsh and exasperated, but the other could sense the concern lacing his words. Approaching footsteps caused the two to break eye contact and watch as Miku and Meiko made their way over to sit where An and Kohane had been seated.
“Yes, is everything alright?” Meiko asked softly as she folded her hands in her lap, Akito noticing the way she was holding herself in a kind, motherly manner. They better not be ganging up on him…
“…What’s this about?” Akito raised an eyebrow at the sudden intervention. Toya tilted his head to the side and furrowed his brows at his partner.
“Did something happen? You’ve been more on edge than usual.” Toya replied.
Miku snickered, “You looked like you wanted to kill Rin and Len when they started to use the stage.” She leaned forward and rested her arms on her thighs, propping her head in her hand, “Did the two of them mess with you again? They’ve been laying off the tricks ever since you snapped at Len for scaring you that one time, but sometimes he just can’t help himself.”
“No, they’ve been leaving me alone.” Akito felt a slight pang of guilt as he recalled the time he lost his temper at Len for scaring him not once, not twice, but three times. He probably deserved it because the blonde simply couldn’t contain himself, but seeing him shrink in on himself and bow like a kid who’d just been told off by a furious parent made him feel like shit. Though he felt more like an annoying cousin, Len was still his friend.
“What about Shiraishi and Azusawa? You’ve been snappy with them.” Toya said, “They didn’t seem to notice, but I thought what you said to them today was pretty brazen, even for you.” Akito flinched. Of course, Toya had him figured out. Fuck.
“If there’s anything you want to tell us, we’ll gladly listen.” Meiko chimed in, hoping to relieve the tense atmosphere. Akito sighed and glanced at the two women sitting across and then his partner still seated to his right. Well, he was cornered. He had nowhere to run, and no way he could make up some sort of excuse. Time to spill it.
“Okay, look…” Akito growled, pausing to try and collect his thoughts, but his frustration began to boil over, and he had no chance of fighting it off. He might as well succumb to the anger.
“I’m sick and tired of watching An and Kohane fuck around and be all close and shit. They’re so touchy and clingy and it’s gross. But the worst part is that they still claim they’re just friends! What kind of bullshit is that?”
“Akito, wai—“
Akito smacked his fist on the table, causing the two women in front of him to jump. He continued on, voice raising and his tone growing more and more exasperated. “—AND what’s even worse is they’re so, so SO, clearly into each other. The way Shiraishi looks at Azusawa is so sweet it’s sickening, and Azusawa is down bad too. But they are both absolutely clueless! ”
“Both of them are either unaware of their own feelings for the other or just don’t know what to do from here! It’s fucking painful watching them friendzone each other like idiots because they have something special on their hands and they aren’t doing anything about it and now we have to sit here and watch a potentially successful relationship die because both parties are FUCKING OBLIVIOUS—“
“ Akito! ”
Toya grabbed Akito’s wrist in a desperate attempt to slow him down. The ginger huffed as his frustration clouded his psyche, short, ragged breaths leaving his chest. “Calm down! Please, take a deep breath.” The silver-eyed boy rubbed circles into his partner’s back, offering comfort to his oh-so terribly distraught boyfriend. Akito would have felt embarrassed at the gesture, but he was too pissed to care about any other emotion right now.
“…So what you’re saying is,” Miku hesitantly interjected, “Kohane and An like each other? And are unintentionally stuck in the friendzone?” The three around the table looked to Akito for some kind of confirmation. He stared at Miku before sinking back into the couch, recoiling in on himself.
“… Yes.” Akito muttered. Silence hovered over the four, and each found themself in their thoughts for a moment. Meiko was the first to break the silence, though.
“Hold on, I thought they were dating?”
Akito nearly choked.
“Huh? ”
Miku put a finger on her chin in thought, ignoring the disbelief Akito was displaying. “To be honest, I haven’t put much thought into it. But now that you say it...” Akito sputtered, trying to find something, anything to say. Instead, he looked to Toya. He simply shrugged.
“I already knew about their feelings for one another, but I don’t see anything wrong with the way things are going right now.” Toya explained, drawing a groan from his partner.
The ginger clenched his teeth. He turned to face Toya, hands clasped together while drawing in a deep, meaningful breath before starting. “Let me put it like this: Imagine it’s us two, because at one point it was us. Think about where we are now versus where we started. Azusawa and Shiraishi have the opportunity to make things official. And they aren’t taking it. Who knows why, but I’m sitting here watching them throw something potentially great away. It’s a wasted opportunity. Understand?”
“Mhm.” Toya hand had found its way to Akito’s, trying his best to tell his partner that while he had not a clue as to why he was so upset, he was willing to hear him out.
“Now, imagine if that was us, if we had never made things official. If we were still just friends. Our… Our relationship has grown so much, and we’ve come so far—“ Akito clenched his fists. Dammit, stop getting so sentimental. “Wh… What I’m trying to say is while this whole thing is pissing me off, it’s so hard to watch them because it makes me think they’re gonna throw away something great because they’re too oblivious or scared to take the leap!”
Toya sighed and, after a brief hesitation, scooted closer to his partner and leaned in to briskly wrap his arms around the ginger. Akito, taken aback by the sudden embrace, buried his nose into the crook of Toya’s shoulder, his hands finding their place in Toya’s two-toned hair. Toya squeezed tighter in response, planting a chaste kiss on the side of Akito’s head. Akito felt his heart flutter among all the other emotions swirling within his chest.
“I think I get it now…” Toya said softly into the crown of Akito’s hair, “You feel like you’re watching Azusawa and Shiraishi prevent their relationship from progressing. And you’re worried they’ll never be truly happy together if they stay friends, correct?”
“… Yeah.” Akito replied softly. Toya always understood what he meant in the end, more or less.
He closed his eyes and relished the feeling of his partner’s warm embrace. Toya’s sudden plan seemed to work and Akito began to relax in his partner’s arms. He would have been content to stay there forever, but Miku and Meiko’s cooing brought him, and subsequently his annoyance, back to the present.
“Aww, how sweet…” Meiko smiled at the two boys, cupping her cheek with her hand and giggling at the display. Miku, however, decided it would be best to taunt them.
“Knock it off, lovebirds! You’re just like Kohane and An~ ” She teased. Akito felt his blood pressure spike.
Toya hastily loosened his grip on Akito the moment he felt him tense up, and, before Toya could react, the ginger swiftly pulled away. He leaned over the table and pointed a seething finger in Miku’s direction, a gaze of daggers to follow.
“Oi! Cut the shit, Hatsune!” Akito barked. Miku’s smug grin drew a frustrated growl out of Akito, giving her the exact reaction she wanted.
“C’mon, be nice, you two.” Meiko’s soft warning accompanied with her strong gaze coaxed Akito back into his seat, an angry pout forming on his lips. “So, as I said, I genuinely thought those two were dating, and you just liked to poke fun at them. Now… I can see where your frustration comes from.” The brunette’s fingers mindlessly played with her dangling earrings as she spoke. “However, I’m not sure if this is the most effective way to get your point across to An and Kohane.”
Akito sighed and lowered his head, “I know…” He felt like a little kid being scolded by his mom. It was embarrassing, yes, but he felt like he deserved it. “I just… I just don’t know what to do.”
“What do you mean?” Miku inquired.
“Like, I don’t know how much longer I can just sit here and watch them. I’m gonna lose my fucking mind if this keeps going. It’s not just annoying… It physically hurts .” His voice cracked at the end of his sentence, the distressed tone catching the three’s attention. He didn’t mean to sound so worried, but he simply couldn’t help it. It wasn’t about himself anymore. It was for Azusawa and Shiraishi— For Vivid Bad Squad.
Meiko hummed in thought, trying to conjure up some piece of motherly advice, “Hmm… If I were in your position, I would just do my best to be a good support system.” Akito cocked his head to the side. Uh, support? Akito being supportive?
“They’re both on their own personal journey within their relationship. I would do my best to encourage them to keep seeking what they truly want and to take risks. I wouldn’t directly meddle, no, but just give them that first boost of confidence!”
“…Hm.” Akito nodded. Be supporting and encouraging? That was kind of out of character for him, he thought. He always beat around the bush with sentimental shit. Toya was more straightforward; It would be more natural coming from him.
“In my opinion,” Toya started, “I think the best course of action is to talk to them.”
“...What?”
“If I were you, I would go to Azusawa and Shiraishi and talk to them individually. I’d ask them about their relationship and see if they have feelings for the other. Then, I’d steer them towards the right path, using my experience as a guide,” Toya said, “It's best to get your information directly from them, so you know what to do going forward. “
Akito stared at the other boy. Oh, his sweet, sweet Toya…
“Toya,” Akito began, offering the sweetest, brightest, most gentle smile he could manage, “I love you, so much, but I would rather throw myself under a bus and die a horrible, painful death than directly talk to either of them about this.”
Toya opened his mouth to protest, a response on the tip of his tongue. But before he could get the words out, he paused, closed his mouth, and deflated with a sigh. Akito placed his hand on his thigh to comfort him. Miku snickered, Akito’s gaze finding hers.
“Honestly? It’s not your problem.”
The ginger’s brows furrowed, “Huh?”
“I seriously think you need to take a step back. It’s their relationship, not yours. If you don’t have to get yourself involved, why should you?” Miku crossed her arms as her gaze trailed off to the darkened sky beyond the windows of the cafe, “At a certain point, you have to let the two of them figure it out on their own. It might be annoying, yeah, but I don’t think it’s your place to do anything. Don’t encourage, don’t talk, don’t joke. Nothing. Unless it’s disrupting your dynamic as a team, stay out of it.”
“I…” Akito didn’t know what to say. He leaned over his thighs and combed his hands through his hair, overwhelmed with the different paths he was offered. Meiko’s option is objectively the most foolproof, but it didn’t get him the results he wanted. Toya’s was bold and did get him results, but it was too risky. Miku’s plan didn’t get him anything, but it made sure that An and Kohane’s relationship was untouched and unbothered. Ugh. He was getting a headache. “I don’t know….”
Meiko offered him a sympathetic smile and rose from her seat, making her way to the bar counter, “That’s okay. You don’t need to know right away. There’s no rush.” The clinking of glass and the pouring of liquid echoed within the quiet cafe. Wait, don’t tell him... Was she opening her secret stash...?
Akito looked up from his sulking to see the woman return to their table with a glass of… lemonade?
“Here, drink this.” She pushed the drink over to his side of the table. How… thoughtful. “Whatever you decide, it’ll be okay. Trust me, between all the young love I’ve seen throughout my years, An and Kohane seem to be on the right path. You are an incredibly empathetic person, Akito. Even if you express it in… unconventional ways, you still care deeply about your teammates. So, I trust your judgment and I believe that whatever decision you make is the right one.”
“…Thank you.” Akito paused, digesting Meiko’s words before carefully picking up the glass and taking a sip. The cold chill from the ice was rough on his tongue, mixed with the sour bite of the lemon. It had just the right amount of sweetness to balance it out. He gave a contented sigh and bowed his head to offer her his gratitude.
He still wished it was alcohol, though.
The door to Meiko’s cafe shut softly behind them as Akito and Toya bid farewell to the two women inside. The pleasant breeze of SEKAI’s night sent a shiver down Akito’s spine. He didn’t realize how late into the night it was until Toya pointed out the time while Akito was dozing off. Though neither of them had anything particularly pressing to do, the two decided to vacate the cafe for the night and let Meiko do her prep work for the next day.
As Akito pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket, he felt the light touch of Toya’s fingers brush his own. He looked up to meet the split-haired boy’s gaze, softly smiling at his partner.
“Sorry for all the drama today. I didn’t mean to get you all wrapped up in it.” Akito’s apologetic tone, accompanied with his sheepish grin, encouraged Toya to smile in return. The ginger wrapped his arms around the other, leaning into his shoulder to offer him a hug before departing. Toya returned the embrace, fingers combing through Akito’s hair.
“It’s okay,” Toya whispered, “I’m sorry I didn’t realize this was bothering you so much.”
“Toya…” Akito gently pulled his head away from Toya's shoulder and placed his forehead against his, noses brushing lightly. “It’s not your fault that Azusawa and Shiraishi are so damn annoying.” The snarky remark drew a chuckle from Toya, the sound reverberating through Akito’s ears and sending jolts to his heart. God, he loved him. He couldn’t imagine a present where he and Toya were just friends, precisely why he was so bent up about the two girls and their… “situation-ship.”
Akito paused, then slowly leaned in and offered Toya a short, chaste kiss. The ginger’s haste made the taller boy smirk, sensing his partner’s hesitancy.
“Are Miku and Meiko watching from inside the cafe?”
Akito grumbled, “Of course…” The split-haired boy laughed louder this time, his voice carrying through the maze alleyways surrounding them from all sides. Akito loosened his hold on the other, and the two separated, phones in hand.
“You came from your place, right?” Toya asked.
“Yup,” Akito replied. He opened his phone and located the file within his music to grant him passage back to the real world. “G’night, Toya.”
“Good night, Akito.” The two bid farewell as they both pressed the play button to their signature song. He waved to his partner as the bright geometric mist blinded him and engulfed his form. Before he could blink, he found himself right back in his bedroom, the same mist dissipating as he grounded himself back in the real world.
Akito sighed and, without a second thought, threw himself onto his bed, his face meeting the soft plush of a pillow. He was exhausted, emotionally drained, just… done. He prayed Ena didn’t bother him the rest of the night. While he didn’t mind her asking for favors, he needed the night off. And besides…
He had a decision to make.