Chapter Text
vii.
“It should be just around the corner.” Teruki mumbles, more to himself than Shigeo. The sun outside shines on his flushed face– which Shigeo knows is from embarrassment. He’s getting better at understanding Teruki’s tells, like how he knows that Teruki’s exclamation when he rounds the corner is from finally spotting the store.
The parlor is a quaint thing, old-fashioned in design. Above the windows are striped awning, yellowed with age; just like the walls, the sign outside the door is wooden and painted, although it’s faded slightly. The interior is just as aged as the outside. With the 50’s music and the old, incandescent lights, Shigeo almost feels like he’s walked into a movie.
“It’s very cool.” Shigeo smiles, looking over to Teruki, who's staring back. His outfit is more subtle than they usually are, with only 3 colors contrasting each other. His shirt is salmon pink, his pants a dull blue denim, and his jacket is a gentle lilac color.
“Good! That’s good. I thought you’d like it. I read a magazine that said they have the best milkshakes in town! I mean, I’m sure that’s an overstatement, but still.” Teruki grins, then shrugs.
They walk up to the front, passing a few wooden tables, where a server sits behind a case full of ice cream. Inside is almost 50 different flavors, ranging from vanilla to pistachio butter cream. The menu above them looks like a page from a dictionary, with how many words are crammed onto it.
“What would you like, sir?” The server asks politely, hands behind her back.
“Uh–” Teruki fumbles as he stares up at the robust menu, scanning it before looking back to Shigeo. “What flavor do you want?” He asks, looking unsure himself.
“Mm,” Shigeo thinks for a second. There’s many– almost too many to choose from. But one catches his eye. “Strawberry.”
Teruki’s face lights up. While Shigeo can appreciate any flavor, Teruki clearly has a preference: whether he gets a drink from a vending machine or buys candy from the store, it’s always strawberry flavored. He even has jewelry with strawberry charms hanging on it.
“Alright! One milkshake please– strawberry– with two straws.” Teruki winks at him when he says the last part.
“Anything else?” She asks with a bored expression.
“Uh– ooh, I’d like that cookie. The chocolate chip one?” Teruki points through the glass at a small batch of baked goods. A small cookie rests in it, covered in chocolate icing to make it look like a cat. Shigeo smiles.
The waiter nods and moves away to grab an ice cream scoop. Shigeo watches as she makes the milkshake, dropping the pink ice cream in a blender with a matching amount of milk.
Teruki taps his foot while they wait.
As a final touch, she sprays whipped cream on top and pours sprinkles on it. After adding the sprinkles, she comes back to the counter and places the milkshake down with the cookie. Shigeo picks up the small, pink plate that the intricate glass sits on, admiring its artistry. The drink itself is simple, but resting on top of it is a large dollop of whipped cream covered in small strawberry-shaped sprinkles.
“Oh, it’s so cute!” Shigeo gasps, smiling. He looks over to Teruki’s, who’s already putting his wallet back in the purse on his shoulder.
“Let’s sit…” Teruki scans the room, landing his eyes on a table with romantic lighting next to the front window. “There.”
The seat is comfortable. He takes a spoon to grab some of the whipped cream, tasting the sprinkles. He wonders how they even made something so detailed, and they remind him of the pink petals that he now associated with Teruki. Despite their cuteness, they taste pretty bland, but because Teruki’s here, they taste almost as sweet as straight sugar.
Teruki looks smug as he slides both the straws into the milkshake.
Shigeo takes the first sip, and lets out a pleased hum. It tasted almost like real strawberries, except with an added air of sweetness. And, of course, it tastes like milk.
“That’s really yummy.” Teruki licks the remnants of his first sip off his lips. “Strawberry was definitely the right choice!” He gives Shigeo a thumbs up, a grin striking his heart with its brightness.
Shigeo eyes his lips. “You left some.” He lies, gesturing to his lips.
Teruki grabs a napkin, but Shigeo grabs his chin before he can try to wipe anything away. He gasps, lips parting near his fingers. As Shigeo slides a thumb across his mouth, wiping away an imaginary speck, his face trembles. He sees and feels Teruki’s face heating up into a blotchy red.
It’s not by choice that Shigeo kisses him, but by need; his heart yearns to be closer. Teruki’s hand comes up, holding Shigeo’s face. It’s a brief kiss, but it causes warmth that spreads through his chest and turns his arms into jelly.
When they part, Shigeo thinks back to only a few days ago, when they were still “friends”. His master is right: he and Teruki will have many firsts.