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As Toya stood anxiously at the corner of the plaza waiting for Akito to arrive, he fondly recalled the promise Akito made to him shortly after the start of their relationship.
“Hey Toya, you never really get to go out for Christmas, right? I’ll make sure this year’s a good one then.” Akito said with a smile.
Toya remembered feeling very happy at that, knowing that his now boyfriend would be there to celebrate Christmas with him and make sure he had a good time.
Toya had to admit, he’d been looking forward to this day for quite some time now… Of course, Toya’s family had their Christmas celebrations earlier in the month and Akito’s family liked to have it on the day of, but the rest of their groupmates agreed to change the date of their group Christmas party in order to make sure that Christmas Eve was clear for the two of them to go out together.
Toya greatly appreciated the gesture, although Akito seemed noticeably disturbed when An kept poking fun at him for “wanting to hog Toya all to himself”. Despite this, Akito seemed very grateful to have a day where he could properly take Toya out and enjoy some quality time together for the holidays.
Toya was brought out of his reminiscing by the sound of his text tone, notifying him that Akito would be there any minute. He decided to wait by the bottom of the large Christmas tree in the center of the plaza, which was illuminated by dozens of small lights that Toya found to be quite beautiful.
As he waited, Toya began to notice small, white flurries falling down from the sky and onto the pavement below. The sight of the tree, illuminations, and snow all put together made Toya feel very glad that Akito decided to invite him out today.
Just as he was thinking about Akito, the boy of interest showed up in front of Toya wearing a long coat and a thick scarf. He waved at Toya with his gloved hands, quickly rushing over to wrap his arms around Toya’s waist.
“Hey, Toya.” Akito huffed, his warm breath turning to fog in the cold air.
“Hey, Akito.” Toya responded, leaning his head forward and smiling into the warmth of Akito’s scarf.
Akito gently pulled Toya’s head back so that Toya was facing him, and planted a small kiss directly on his lips. Toya laughed softly, tugging Akito closer so that he could lean forward and kiss him again.
As the two let go of their embrace, Toya chuckled softly, the sweet sound going straight to Akito’s ears and never failing to make him blush at least a little bit.
“Merry Christmas Eve”, Toya said, his voice barely louder than a whisper.
“You too, Toya.” Akito replied, standing on his tiptoes so that he could place another kiss on the top of Toya’s head.
“Where should we go from here?” Toya asked, interlacing his own gloved fingers with Akito’s. The cold had finally begun to set in, making Toya very glad that he decided to layer up in his own coat, turtleneck, and scarf.
“I was thinkin’ maybe you and I could walk around and see some of the shops around here, but we can do whatever you like.” Akito said, his voice laced with the sweetness reserved especially for Toya.
When other people told Toya that Akito treated him differently than everyone else, he wished it wasn’t that way. He thought that maybe it was because Akito didn’t feel comfortable around him the same way he did with other people, which made Toya feel a little disappointed. But soon enough, he realized that it wasn’t just that Akito treated him different, it was that Akito treated him special. And Toya felt very grateful to be Akito’s special someone.
“No, that sounds good, Akito.” Toya said, shaking his head. “I don’t mind doing anything as long as it’s with you,” he continued earnestly.
This, of course, caused Akito to blush furiously. “Uh- um, yeah… Let’s go, then.” Akito stuttered, his face suddenly turning warm despite the cold air.
As Akito took Toya’s hand, the pair headed off towards the end of the street. Most of the storefronts were busy and bustling with people looking to buy gifts for others, salarymen just trying to get home from work, and couples who were out on a date not unlike the two of them.
As they walked along the busy snow-covered street, Toya excitedly pulled Akito into a random store selling small trinkets that he practically had to pry himself away from. Akito always loved the way Toya’s eyes would light up every time he saw even the most trivial and insignificant of items, knowing that his awe and amazement stemmed from the fact that he was never able to experience these things as a child. When they had first met, Akito made a promise to himself that they would make up for all of Toya’s lost time together, as partners.
After visiting more than a few trinket stores, Akito’s eye was caught by a chocolate shop with a large window display.
“Do you want to go in there?” Toya asked knowingly.
“U-Uh, yeah if that’s okay with you.” Akito said, slightly embarrassed.
“Of course it’s okay. I still stand by what I said earlier, you know?” Toya replied, clinging slightly to Akito’s arm.
He’s so goddamn cute, Akito thought to himself.
A small bell hanging above the door rang as the two of them entered the shop, although the noise was largely swallowed by the tall, vaulted ceiling and the various conversations of the people moving past them.
“Whoa…” Toya had never seen a chocolate store so large before, and was pleased to note that the aroma of the shop wasn’t sickly sweet.
“Welcome!” an employee by the front of the store said cheerfully.
Toya nodded in their direction politely, Akito taking his hand and urging them further into the store.
Toya watched as Akito began inspecting every box of chocolate, a mixture of fascination and focus on his face as he picked up an assortment of chocolate truffles.
“I think I might get these for Ena. She’ll never stop bothering me if she knows I went out to get chocolate and didn't bring her any.” Akito said, tucking the box under his arm.
Toya held onto his other arm and slowly led him towards the back of the shop, where they happened to be having a sample table.
The woman behind the table greeted them kindly, urging them to try as many as they liked.
“What is it?” Akito asked curiously.
“This one is a milk chocolate ganache. It’s a little bit on the sweeter side, so it tends to be popular amongst our younger customers,” she replied.
Toya picked up one of the chocolates in its small paper wrapper, causing Akito a bit of surprise.
“You really gonna eat that? She said it was super sweet—” Akito said, before being interrupted by a small piece of chocolate hovering in front of his face.
“Say ‘Aaah’, Akito.” Toya said, holding the chocolate up to Akito’s mouth.
“T-Toya, what are you—” Before Akito could finish, Toya was already practically shoving the truffle into his mouth.
“Mmmph— Mmm…” Akito hummed, savoring the chocolate in his mouth after the initial surprise. “That’s pretty good”, he mumbled, face still slightly red from Toya’s earlier attack.
“Do you want me to buy you some?” Toya asked, tilting his head slightly.
“Nah, it’s fine.” Akito said shortly. “I was the one who invited you out, so I’m paying for everything tonight, ‘kay?”
“You don’t need to do that, Akito…” Toya said with a slight frown on his lips.
“Hey, it’s fine. Look around and see if there’s anything you like, yeah?” Akito said, patting Toya on the shoulder and walking away from the table.
“Okay…” Toya began scanning the colorful shelves, not really sure what he was looking for.
After a few minutes of browsing, Akito made his way back to Toya’s side with a bag of chocolate boxes in hand.
“Are you all done?” Toya asked him.
“Yeah, just got some things for me and my sister. Did you want anything?” Akito asked, allowing his fingers to intertwine with Toya’s once more.
“Nothing in particular. Are you ready to go now?” Toya squeezed Akito’s hand and pulled him closer to the entrance door.
“Yeah, let’s go.” Akito followed suit, hearing the bell above the door ring to signify their exit.
The two wandered down a few more streets until they reached a park surrounded by people.
“Hm? I wonder what’s going on here, this place isn’t usually that busy…” Akito murmured, weaving his way through the crowd.
“Akito, look! It’s an ice skating rink!”, Toya said, pointing excitedly at the large expanse of ice covering the floor of the park.
“Huh, I guess it is. I wonder if it’s always been here, I don’t think I’ve seen it around any other time of year…” Akito trailed off. “You interested, partner?”
“Ah… I don’t think I’ve ever ice skated before, but it seems fun.” Toya said sheepishly. He began to fidget with his hands, which was a surefire way of telling Akito how excited he was by the prospect of it.
“Want me to teach ya?” Akito asked, flashing a smile.
“You would? Do you know how to?” Toya asked, trying and failing to hide his excitement once more.
“Yeah, ‘course. It’s been a little while, but I should still remember the basics. Plus, these places usually have ice skate rentals for pretty cheap, if you want to give it a try.” Akito replied.
“Yes, I would like that very much.” Toya said, smiling and squeezing Akito’s hand.
“C’mon then.” Akito urged Toya towards the edge of the rink, where there was a small shop renting ice skates out.
After confirming their shoe size and receiving their skates (which Akito firmly insisted on paying for), the two boys sat down on a bench and placed their belongings inside the cubbies located at the side of the rink.
Akito shoved his gloves into his coat pockets before lacing up his skates and looking over at Toya’s, which were tied neatly into a little bow that Akito thought suited him perfectly.
“Are you ready to go?” Akito asked, standing up and extending his hand out towards Toya.
“Yes, I think s—” Toya’s words were interrupted as soon as he tried standing up, his feet wobbling and almost completely knocking him over.
“Ah… It seems that I’ve underestimated how difficult it would be to walk in skates…” Toya said dejectedly, slowly trying to regain his footing.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Just try to focus your balance on the center of your feet instead of leaning to the side.” Akito assured patiently.
Akito was so used to seeing the perfectly poised, elegant side of Toya that it still came as a bit of a surprise to see Toya struggle with anything sports-related like this.
Nevertheless, Toya took Akito’s extended hand and allowed him to steadily bring the two of them up to the edge of the rink, only one step away from the ice.
Toya had always admired Akito’s excellency at anything to do with physical activity, from running to soccer to dancing. His strength and natural ability made him good at nearly any sport he tried, although he would never say so himself. Toya supposed this must also apply to ice skating, and he had to admit that his heart quickened at the thought of a graceful, elegant Akito skating across the ice…
“You ready to go?” Akito asked, patient as ever. “You can hold onto the wall if you feel like you’re going to fall.”
“Ah- okay.” Toya said a bit nervously, trying to clear his head of his previous thoughts.
Ice skating was yet another one of the many sports that Toya’s father had never allowed him to partake in, with the hard ice and sharp ice skate blades posing a threat to Toya’s piano-playing hands. But somehow, when he was with Akito, it felt like none of those things mattered. Toya felt a sense of safety and comfort whenever he was in Akito’s arms, like no harm could ever come to him as long as Akito was there.
Feeling a new surge of confidence, Toya stepped onto the ice with one hand clinging to the wall and the other gripping Akito’s hand firmly.
They slowly made their way along the edge of the rink, Toya shuffling his feet alongside the wall with apprehension of collapsing onto the ice. He tried to follow Akito’s advice about just letting go and pushing off with his feet, but every time he did so he could feel his legs wobbling underneath him and threatening to give out completely.
Toya felt a bit guilty about making Akito take things so slowly, knowing he was likely more than capable of going off and skating on his own. Despite this, Akito never showed any signs of annoyance or discontentment. Instead, he waited patiently by Toya’s side and gripped his hand tightly whenever he was in danger of falling.
Toya was endlessly grateful to have a partner as sweet, kind, and considerate as Akito. Whenever he used those words to describe him, other people (including Akito himself) would have a hard time believing it. Toya never really understood why, though. From his perspective, Akito was the most gentle and thoughtful person in the entire world.
After finishing one lap around the rink, Toya was already a bit exhausted from the exertion of trying not to topple over for fifteen minutes straight.
“Akito, if you want you can go ahead without me…” Toya murmured, his body leaning over to reach the side of the wall.
“Are you sure? I can stay here if you want.” Akito said earnestly. “It’s no problem, I promise.”
Toya looked up at Akito’s honest expression and could tell he meant it, but... “That’s okay, Akito. I think I’ll be alright on my own. Plus, I want to watch you skate too.” To tell the truth, Toya had no idea if he would be able to manage on his own— but he really did want to watch Akito skate.
“Are you sure?” Akito asked again. “I really don’t mi—” He was cut off by Toya squeezing his hand, as if to tell him, ‘It’s really okay’.
“A-Alright, then.” Akito stuttered, taking off his jacket and slinging it over the wall of the rink. “I think I’ll be able to move faster if I take this off, so…”
“Okay. Be careful, Akito.” Toya smiled.
Toya watched as Akito took off on the ice, moving his feet with such ease that it almost seemed like he was walking. His movements were still a bit unpracticed, evidence of the long time since he had last ice skated— but still beautiful nonetheless. As Akito sped up, his ginger hair fluttered in the cold wind, making Toya’s heart beat much faster than it was just a minute ago.
No matter how many times he saw it, Akito’s physical prowess never failed to take Toya’s breath away. Even though Akito wasn’t officially enrolled in any sports, Toya loved watching him practice and play whenever he got the chance. He thought the way Akito moved and the sheer passion he imbued into every play was inspiring.
Toya had always admired how passionate Akito was about the things he loved. Above all else, Toya felt so lucky to be able to count himself as one of those things.
Before Toya knew it, Akito had already caught up to him around the rink, waving at him with a smile as he passed by. Toya felt the light blush on his cheeks deepen, although he knew it had nothing to do with the cold. He’s so beautiful, Toya thought.
At that moment, it occurred to Toya that he ought to be skating as well instead of admiring his boyfriend. With that, he shuffled forward a few more steps, still hesitant to let go of the wall.
Just as Toya had begun to make some progress, he felt two familiar arms slide around his waist from behind, curling around his midsection.
“Ah!” Toya exclaimed, nearly falling over from surprise.
“Hehe. Hi, Toya.” Akito laughed softly, burrowing his face into Toya’s neck.
Toya shivered from the sudden cold touch, causing Akito to lean back.
“Ah, sorry ‘bout that.” Akito said, scratching the back of his head with his hand. Under his other arm, he held his coat. Although the snow had mostly been reduced to a light flurry, the wind must’ve been getting to him. He slowly pulled it back on, taking Toya’s hand as soon as he got his arm through the sleeve.
“Do you think you can skate without the wall now?” Akito asked.
“I’m not sure…” Toya responded in earnest.
“That’s okay. As long as you maintain your balance, it shouldn’t be too tricky to move as long as I hold onto you.” Akito said, squeezing Toya’s hand in reassurance.
“Okay… I think I can try doing that.” Toya replied, letting go of the wall for the first time in what felt like ages. His legs immediately threatened to cave on him, but were steadied again with Akito’s firm grip around his arm.
“C’mon, let’s go.” Akito urged, moving steadily across the ice with Toya in tow.
Their pace was still slow, but constant— Toya no longer felt like he was about to topple over every five seconds. They continued to skate around the rink, Akito never letting go of Toya’s hand as they did.
After they had completed a full lap, Akito eagerly wrapped his arms around Toya’s neck in celebration. “You did it,” he said in a low but excited whisper.
“So I have. It was all thanks to you, Akito.” Toya smiled back.
Akito shoved his shoulder playfully. “Nah, give yourself some credit too.” he said, giving Toya a light kiss on the cheek. “Wanna keep going?”
“Yes, I would like that.” Toya replied, unable to control the smile that had slowly spread across his face.
The two of them skated for a few more rounds after that, Toya even getting the hang of it enough to be able to skate without holding Akito’s hand (although Akito was loath to admit that he wished he would never let go).
Nevertheless, Akito loved seeing Toya so carefree and happy. It made him feel like he would do anything in the world just to see Toya’s smile, and to make him happy for as long as he could. Watching Toya laugh as he glided across the ice made Akito’s heart somersault in ways he didn’t know were possible before he met Toya.
When Akito was younger, he thought that the mushy, complicated feelings that came with romance were dumb and completely unnecessary. That was, until he met a certain blue-haired boy who made him realize that things didn’t need to be so difficult if you were simply being with the one you loved.
Akito would have scolded himself for being such a sap if it were anyone else, but it felt natural when Toya was the one he was turning soft for. Almost instinctively, Akito’s hand reached for Toya’s once again, entwining their fingers together as they neared the exit of the skating rink.
“Do you think you’re ready to go yet?” Akito asked.
“Mm, I do suppose it’s starting to get a bit late now…” Toya replied, glancing upwards toward the deep blue sky.
“Alright, then.” Akito said as he skated them closer to the exit gate.
Before he could leave, Toya pulled him back with his grip on Akito’s sleeve remaining firm.
“Hey, Akito?” Toya murmured, knees slightly bent to maintain his balance as he urged Akito to face him.
“Hm?” Akito responded, turning towards his partner.
“Thank you for taking me out today. I had a lot of fun.” Toya said, smiling sweetly.
Akito felt his face flush immediately. “A-Ah, yeah. It’s no problem, partner.”
Akito couldn’t help but admire Toya’s facial features when they were up close like this, his soft skin, beautiful gray eyes, and the adorable little mole under his eye. Akito gently brushed the hair out of Toya’s face, cupping his cheek with the palm of his hand and leaning forward slowly.
Toya met Akito’s lips, the feeling so familiar and yet impossibly wonderful every single time they did it. His lips curved into a soft smile as Akito kissed him back, with as much care and passion as he always had when it came to Toya.
Toya straightened upwards so they could kiss properly, allowing the heel of his foot to come off the ground ever so slightly, until—
“Ah!” Toya exclaimed as he lost his balance, falling into Akito and knocking him over with a whumph.
Toya’s earlier feeling of bliss was immediately replaced with panic and concern for his partner, who was now lying flat on his back against the ice.
“A-Akito, are you okay?” Toya asked hurriedly.
He was met with the sight of Akito slowly lifting his head up, his face forming a smile as he began to laugh.
“Akito? Did you hit your head?” Toya asked with increasing concern.
Akito laughed again. “N-No, it’s just that… You’re so freaking cute, you know that?”
“Huh?” Toya wondered quizzically.
“Anyways, are you going to get off of me now?” Akito said, still trying to hold back a laugh.
“O-Oh, right.” Toya had just realized that because of the way they had fallen, he was practically lying on top of Akito’s stomach.
As the two of them regained their balance, Toya felt a light blush dusting over his face.
Akito kissed him again, this time only on the forehead. “We should probably get going before we start blocking the way.”
“Ah, you’re right.” Toya said, looking apologetically at the other people still moving across the ice.
The two of them stepped outside of the rink and made their way back to the benches where they started, Toya significantly more balanced than he was before they had practiced skating together.
After they sat down and untied their laces, Akito wrapped his arms around Toya’s waist for what felt like the dozenth time that day.
“Are you feeling tired? We should probably start heading back to the station soon…” Akito said, standing up from the bench and hoisting Toya up along with him.
“Yes, that sounds good.” Toya replied, walking over to the cubbies and retrieving his belongings.
Akito put on his regular shoes and peeked into his bag of chocolates to make sure everything was in place, glancing over at Toya as he did so.
Toya was holding his own small bag of trinkets, his gaze quickly shifting to meet Akito’s.
“What are you looking at me like that for?” Toya questioned.
“It’s nothin’. Just thinking ‘bout how pretty you are.” Akito replied.
“Alright, Akito…” Toya murmured to himself, not entirely sure whether or not to take Akito’s answer seriously.
The two of them started to head back in the direction they came, towards the plaza near the train station.
“Is there anything else you want to do before we go home?” Akito asked.
“Hmm… Not particularly, but I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee right about now.” Toya replied sheepishly.
“At this hour?! I seriously don’t know how you do it, man…” Akito trailed off. “Although, I guess it’s no surprise coming from you. Do you want to stop by a café on the way or something?”
“That would be nice.” Toya responded simply.
The pair walked down a different street than they did last time, although they were both too tired from their night out to take in any new sights. Akito steered Toya towards a coffee shop he spotted at the corner of the street, and led the two of them in.
The café was warm and inviting, with wooden floors that complimented the natural green tone of the walls. The hanging lights from the ceiling provided a stark contrast to the dark blue enveloping everything outside, reminding Toya of how early it got dark these days. He wasn’t fond of how it made him feel as though the day was ending sooner, though. He wished he could stay with Akito like this for just a little while longer.
“What do you wanna get, Toya?” Akito asked, scanning the café menu.
“Just a black coffee, I think.” Toya replied, not needing to look at the menu to know what he wanted.
“Alright, just try not to stay up all night, ‘kay?” Akito said, moving forward to order from the cashier.
“Wait, Akito—” before Toya could stop him, Akito was already ordering the drinks with full intention to pay for every cent.
““Akito…” Toya said with a slight pout, Akito coming back to meet him. “I said you didn’t have to do that.
“Sorry, partner. I just wanted to treat you for tonight.” Akito said, placing a kiss upon Toya’s forehead. “Plus, it’s only a cup of coffee. Nothing much.” He shrugged.
Toya sighed. “Alright, if you say so…”
The two picked up their drinks (a black coffee and a cup of hot chocolate), and continued on with their journey back to the plaza.
During their walk, words were scarce but Toya didn’t mind it that way. There were few people in the world he felt comfortable enough to share silence with, and Akito was most certainly one of those people.
If anything, the silence gave Toya the opportunity to observe his boyfriend’s lovely features and allow the affection bubbling in his chest to overflow. The whole day, he had been thinking about how lucky he was to be Akito’s partner, how sweet and ever thoughtful Akito was to arrange an outing like this just for the two of them, and how absolutely amazing and perfect Akito was in his eyes.
Once the two of them reached the plaza, Toya’s daydreaming was interrupted by the sound of Akito’s voice.
“Hey, before we leave, there’s one last thing I wanted to give you.” Akito said, pulling Toya to sit underneath the Christmas tree where they had started the afternoon.
Akito put down his cup and reached into his bag, pulling out a sleek, dark brown chocolate box with a green ribbon tied around it.
“H-Huh? I thought those were for you and your sister—” Toya began.
Akito chuckled. “Yeah, I know, but I got you something too. Do you want to open it?” He asked, tilting his head expectantly.
“Sure, if that’s alright with you.” Toya said, eyes looking down at the box placed on his lap.
“‘Course it’s okay. I got it for you, after all.” Akito responded.
As Toya slowly pulled off the ribbon and began to open the box, Akito continued, “I know you said you didn’t want anything, but I saw this box of matcha dark chocolates by the cashier and I thought you might like them… You mentioned liking matcha a while back during White Day, and I know you don’t like anything too sweet, so…”
“Oh, Akito, they’re perfect.” Toya said, smiling.
“R-Really?” Akito stammered.
“Of course! You are the person who knows me best in the entire world, after all.” Toya replied, beaming.
“Ah, I’m glad…” Akito murmured, face turning pink for probably the thousandth time that day.
After regaining some composure, Akito faced back towards Toya. “Are you going to try one?” He asked.
“Sure. Would you like to try a nibble?” Toya asked in response.
“Okay. I can’t say it’s exactly my cup of tea, but I’ll try a little…” Akito couldn’t help but feel like they had been doing something very similar just a few hours prior as Toya lifted the chocolate up towards Akito’s mouth.
Akito took a small bite, his face immediately scrunching up at the bitter taste. “Way too bitter for me. Although, I think you would probably like it.” Akito remarked.
“I’m sure I will.” Toya responded, taking his own bite out of the chocolate.
“Mm… It’s just right.” Toya hummed, popping the rest of the chocolate into his mouth.
Toya finished swallowing, and a look of bliss settled across his face. “Thank you for getting these for me, Akito. You really are the best partner I could ever ask for.”
“Of course. And you’re the best partner I could ever ask for.” Akito replied in earnest.
“Ah- that reminds me…” Toya muttered, fumbling around in his bag for something.
“I meant to wait until after Christmas to give this to you, but I suppose now couldn’t hurt.” Toya said, pulling two silver chains out of his trinket bag.
Attached to each chain was a small, silver, heart-shaped locket.
“I know it’s a bit different from the jewelry you usually like to wear, but I thought it would be nice if we could match… The lockets open up so you can put pictures inside, so I thought that maybe you and I could—” Toya was interrupted by the feeling of Akito’s hand in his hair, lips pressing firmly against his own.
After the kiss, Akito pulled back, his face flush. “Ah- S-Sorry about that, I was just… I, uhm…” Akito’s hands fell to settle on Toya’s arms, his face looking away in embarrassment.
“Hehe. It’s okay, Akito.” Toya giggled. “Can you look at me?” He asked sweetly.
Akito hesitantly brought his face up to meet Toya’s.
Toya always knew that Akito was better at expressing his feelings physically rather than verbally, so he didn’t want to pressure him to say too much else.
“Do you like them, Akito?” Toya asked softly.
Akito nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I like them a lot.” He said, his head falling onto Toya’s shoulder.
“I’m glad.” Toya smiled, burying his face in Akito’s fluffy orange hair. “By the way, this isn’t the only present I got for you. I have some more waiting at home, as well.”
“Geez, you tryna kill me or somethin’?” Akito laughed into Toya’s shoulder.
After a moment, the two stood up slowly, Akito hesitant to lift his head from Toya’s shoulder. He opted instead for leaning on Toya from the side, throwing away his empty drink cup as they silently made their way back to the train station together.
Along the train ride back home, Akito had fallen asleep on Toya’s shoulder— snoring softly as the train bumped and bustled beneath them. Toya always loved watching Akito rest— Akito was such a hard worker, and yet he seemed so unguarded and vulnerable when he was with Toya like this. It really made Toya feel like the most special person in the whole world.
As the train announced their stop, Toya gently shook Akito awake. “Akito, we’re almost home.”
“Hm?” Akito muttered groggily, rubbing his eyes open.
Toya took his hand and led him out of the train, the pair walking back home in mostly silence other than a few sparse comments here and there.
When they reached the street corner where they had to depart, Toya hugged Akito tightly around his waist before making sure they both had their respective gifts from each other.
“Thank you for taking me out again, Akito. I love you.” Toya said, smiling.
“Always. Love you too, partner.” Akito replied, placing another small kiss on Toya’s cheek, just under the mole by his eye.
The two of them waved goodbye as they headed off towards their own separate houses.
Toya usually hated going home at the end of the day, but he found himself smiling as he walked back to his house this time. His father was away as per usual during this time of year while his mother had work, leaving Toya with the house all to himself.
Once he got home, he took off his coat and placed it neatly on the coat rack before making his way to his bedroom. He put down his bag of trinkets and placed the box of chocolates on his desk before plopping down on his bed to recount all the events of today. Hanging out with Akito made him really happy, of course, but more than anything he just felt incredibly lucky to have someone in his life who loved him and cared for him so much.
As the day came to a close, Toya found himself picturing Akito by his side once more and thinking, “I love you even more today than I did the day before.”