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Dragging along an uncertain Gakuto, Yuushi strolled to his seldom visited home in Osaka with only a backpack. There was nothing like bringing someone back home, no matter how much time they spent together or how often they had met Yuushi's family in Tokyo. They would be spending half of their winter break together before Gakuto returned to his own family home, and Yuushi had plans. He was smart enough to realize that life did not turn out like the romance novels he so enjoyed; he needed to work. There may not be any romantic scenery he could openly use, but he would try, Oshitari family bickering be damned.
When they walked in the door, Yuushi's mother greeted them with quiet enthusiasm and enquired as to what they would like to do. They had taken the train after lunch, and it was nearly evening. Yuushi said they were tired and would relax until mealtime. He immediately made his way to his room, leaving Gakuto standing there awkwardly as Mama Oshitari smiled gently at him. Bowing slightly, he chased after Yuushi, mouth full of words he was ready to throw like weapons.
Gakuto had to glance into every room he passed before finding Yuushi's at the end of the hall. Frowning, he closed the door behind him and didn't even remove his bag before rounding on Yuushi, who was cleaning his glasses at his desk.
"You dumbass! You can't just leave me there with your mother like that."
"You should get used to it and talk to her. After all we're--"
"Fuck you. What am I supposed to say to her as soon as I arrive, without having seen her in more than a goddamn year? 'Hello, we've met before but instead of playing tennis with your son as his doubles partner, I'm actually-actually-'" Gakuto's voice trailed off and his rage dulled into fear with an edge of shame. His angry frown morphed into the trembling pout of his younger years. Yuushi, whose vision was still perfect, placed his glasses back on his face and stood. He removed the bag from Gakuto's shoulder and lovingly pushed his smaller yearmate to sit on the bed. Yuushi followed, lightly setting an arm about Gakuto's shoulders.
"We're even going to the same high school..."
"Hyotei is a very good institution. Why wouldn't we continue at the high school? And after so many years together, why wouldn't you visit me for a holiday?"
Gakuto kicked his feet listlessly. Yuushi thought such concern was unnecessary, but he would rather avoid having a serious fight. Squeezing Gakuto's shoulder, he removed his phone from the pocket of his hoodie and messaged the one local he could rely on in situations like this. Gakuto slumped onto the bed and curled into a ball, stripey sock-clad feet against Yuushi's thigh. Yuushi laid a hand on his ankle.
"Are you going to stay like that?"
"You're the one who said we're tired and will relax until it's time to eat." Yuushi hummed a response as his carefully drafted plot unraveled and rewove itself in his head. In time they were called to eat. Papa Oshitari had returned home as well. In his conversation Gakuto thought he detected a bit of the passion that could be riled up in Yuushi and his iguana-crazy cousin.
After eating, the boys returned upstairs to wait for a bath. As guest, Gakuto had the right to the first bath. Bathing in someone else's home always gave him a strange feeling; slight differences in layout, the peeping-tom like discovery of what products other people used and where they stored them, and the idea that he should be close enough to someone else to bathe at that person's home.
"Shit," Gakuto mumbled after rifling through his bag.
"If you forgot something, you can use mine."
"As if I could fit into your clothes! What kind of idiot would I look like?"
Yuushi went to his closet and dug around until he pulled out an old shirt and a pair of cropped sweatpants. "These shouldn't be too big. At any rate, you're only sleeping in them."
Gakuto took the items wordlessly and went to take his bath. He shed his day's outfit and sat on a little blue stool, eyeing the line up of bottles. He was disappointed by the hair care items, but at least he would smell good. After washing his hair, he sank into the bath and thought about his trip. He had thought he would do something nice, respond to the barely-hidden pleading look on Yuushi's face when he had casually suggested spending their break together in Osaka. Of course he had been surrounded by shrieking children on the train, forgotten his pajamas, and been forced to use sub-par shampoo and conditioner.
Unwrapping his arms from around his legs, Gakuto stood, dried himself, and pulled on the borrowed clothing. The sweatpants were obscenely loose, although the length was reasonable. The T-shirt was soft but clearly two sizes too big, and fit more like a tunic. So what if he had cut his hair a bit shorter in an effort to look more masculine? He felt like some girl stealing her boyfriend's clothing, all the while giggling at how comfortable yet cute she was. Except he wasn't a girl and he wasn't giggling or stealing, no matter that the clothes really did belong to his boyfriend. He set his facial expression to neutral and headed back to Yuushi's room, who was frenetically typing out something on his phone.
At the footsteps, Yuushi looked briefly at Gakuto, sensing that he should not say anything. He finished his business on the phone for the time being and went to take his own bath. Gakuto flopped onto the bed. From the main area of the house he could hear Yuushi's parents chatting rather loudly, although he didn't catch many details. He thought this must be another bit of family resemblence, and wondered if Mama and Papa Oshitari would have the same casual attitude to their son's relationships as the son himself did.
That Shitenhouji glasses guy had been nothing but horrendously obnoxious, but the headband guy wasn't bad. They had seemed to be in a genuine relationship, no matter that glasses guy was always going on about someone else and causing headband guy to freak out, which only made Gakuto pity the boy. Gakuto knew that Yuushi had a few translated foreign novels that would not incite such sad emotions. Perhaps he had suggested one of them to his parents. On the subject of books, Gakuto's curiousity grew and he forced himself up to snoop Yuushi's bookshelves. One tall case was nearly full, not unlike the shelf in Yuushi's room in Tokyo. At first glance he could not discern any order, so he started with the low shelves that he could reach without jumping. Squatting, he read through the titles and plucked out novels from between nonfiction works as he came across them to read the summaries. He wasn't particularly interested in any of those, so he went to the next shelf. From the first two books, he thought he had found the treasure shelf.
Sitting cross-legged, Gakuto flipped open the paperbacks to see if there was any editor's praise printed inside. The back cover summaries had been suggestive, and he wanted to confirm his suspicions. Finding what he wanted, his heart started beating faster. Could he read these books like they were nothing, like he was just another unquestionably straight teenager studying The Other, while sitting in his boyfriend's room, utterly closeted? If pressed, he doubted his ability to bluff; he had nearly run away from Yuushi's mother at the thought of conversation. Gakuto exhaled and began reading the shorter of the two novels, which had been praised for its 'hopeful and open ending.'
Gakuto jumped when he felt a presence sit next to him. "Jesus, don't startle me like that."
"You were utterly absorbed in reading." Yuushi smiled faintly. "I don't suppose you finally understand my love of literature?"
"Literature my ass. It's cheap romance novels."
Yuushi tutted. "You're reading an award winner right now."
"Do you ever recommend books to your parents?"
"I have."
"Do you discuss them?"
"On occasion. My mother has a poetic bent and likes to critique the prose."
"That's not what I mean!" Gakuto smacked the book on the floor in front of him. "You're so goddamn relaxed about keeping secrets, and what would happen when they get out!" Brows furrowed, Gakuto turned to glare at Yuushi, whose mouth was open with surprise.
With a huff, Gakuto flopped backward onto the floor and threw an arm over his face. "This is bullshit."
"I know."
"I wish we didn't have to put up with this."
"I know."
"Whatever happened to the really obvious doubles pair from Shitenhouji?"
"I don't know, but you can ask Kenya tomorrow."
"Since when do I have to spend my holiday with that reptile maniac?!"
"I thought it might be better to hang out in a group setting."
Gakuto knew this would be the path of least suspicion, although he felt resentment toward the entire Oshitari family, his own family, and society at large for making this the case. Sighing, he sat back up, took the book, and clambered back onto the bed. Momentarily Yuushi joined him with a large yellowing book of short stories.
"Are you going to read until bed?"
"Guess so." Gakuto was still feeling sulky. A light kiss on his hair reduced his frustration with the offender enough that he scooted closer than they already were. With their sides pressed together, they read until Gakuto yawned for the second time. Yuushi slid a bookmark into Gakuto's book as well as his own.
"Why don't we go to sleep?"
Gakuto nodded reluctantly and Yuushi took their books, placing them on his desk. Gakuto flipped up the covers and lay beneath them. "I'm taking your bed."
"I see that. But I think we can share."
"Are you sure?"
"They won't bother us."
Gakuto muttered sleepily into the blankets.
"Good night." Yuushi squeezed into the bed, finding the extra warmth comforting.
The next day Gakuto woke early, feeling squished, and clambered out of bed to stretch. He didn't want to run into Mama Oshitari alone, so he sat and continued his novel. He had made good progress by the time Yuushi murmured "You're up early," still lying down while watching him blearily.
Gakuto kept reading as Yuushi rose, yawned, and went to wash his face. Only when they were both ready did they head to the kitchen. Gakuto was relieved to find the house empty and waited patiently to be served breakfast. He looked at everything, careful not to touch, and absorbed as much knowledge as he could about the Oshitari family before Yuushi interrupted with food. They ate a traditional breakfast, and Gakuto found the familiar and almost boring nature of the dishes comforting. They piled the dishes in the sink for later and lazed about in their pajamas.
"What are we gonna do?" Gakuto flapped the legs of his baggy sweatpants as he kicked the air.
"Today we're going to a cafe with Kenya. He says it's the best place in the world."
Gakuto harrumphed and rolled over. "Before and after that?"
"We could go to the library, buy ingredients to cook together, visit one of the parks..."
"Basically a date with an interruption."
Yuushi stood, reaching out a hand with a smile. "Basically." Gakuto didn't need help getting up but he took it anyway and did not let go. Other than dark and empty streets, there was little opportunity for them to hold hands. He would never admit to how much he liked this simple gesture of affectionate touch, although Yuushi probably saw right through him. After all, he never even stuttered a half-assed refusal when Yuushi took his hand, and sometimes he found himself reaching for Yuushi's hand first.
Mercifully Gakuto had enough regular clothing to last the trip, provided he did a bit of laundry. He piled on the warmer layers as he watched Yuushi do the same.
"Voyeurism?"
"Shut it!"
"If you want, we'll have plenty of alone time today..."
"We are not fucking in your parents' house!"
"Are you sure?"
"I hate you, you know that?"
"I love you too."
Gakuto ignored this. "Well? Are we leaving now or what?"
"We can. I'll show you around a little before it's time."
Now that he had less hair covering his ears and neck, Gakuto made sure to bundle up with a hat and scarf. Yuushi wound a fluffy scarf around his neck and lower face. They stepped out into the chill, jamming their hands into their pockets, and began leisurely walking.
"There's a nice restaurant just down that way. The library is a little further." Yuushi pointed at another street as they crossed the intersection. "We can eat there at some point." They walked past a park on their way to the station where they could have played tennis in warmer weather. They rode the train a few stops and continued meandering. Yuushi waved Gakuto into a used bookstore. "I like treasure hunting here," he said.
Gakuto eyed the tall shelves and narrow aisles. There would be no jumping here, so he focused at what was eye level; the shop was so overflowing that he would not run out of books soon. He was standing in front of a jumble of cookbooks and DIY guides, and wandered around until he found the fiction. There was a nice mix of old cloth-bound hardbacks, shiny new paperbacks, and everything in between. He dragged his finger along the spines embossed with vintage golden print until he found something that sounded interesting, tugged the book out of the shelves, and cracked it open. In this way Gakuto wasted a good chunk of time and didn't notice until Yuushi softly tapped his shoulder and gestured for them to leave.
They made their way slowly to the agreed upon meeting spot and found Kenya waiting on a bench, tapping his feet impatiently until he saw his cousin and jumped up, waving, while Zaizen sat next to him, scrolling through his phone.
"Why am I even here?" Zaizen sighed. "I don't care about the scaly demons you call 'cute.'"
"Even numbers are better," Kenya said soothingly.
"If you want a double date so badly, why not ask Shiraishi or Hitouji?"
"D-double date?" Gakuto's mouth flopped uselessly and his cheeks tinged pink. Yuushi was poker-faced and Kenya grinned innocently.
"Tail-whipping, scratching, biting, vicious sharp teeth..."
"Sounds like some people we know," Yuushi remarked.
"I don't know why people like animals with such nasty personalities."
"A bit of masochism runs on the family," Yuushi said knowingly. Zaizen rolled his eyes as Kenya laughed. The group began walking the last bit to the cafe. Gakuto glowered at everything in his line of sight.
"Your jokes are shitty, you know that?" he hissed, walking shoulder to shoulder with the offender. "I could slap you."
"If it would make you feel better," Yuushi murmured. Gakuto harrumphed.
The four entered the cafe where Kenya was clearly a regular and crowded around a small table. Every wall was covered by reinforced shelves full of enclosures. Despite the branding as a reptile cafe, Gakuto saw some horrifically large tarantulas. With a grimace he ignored the things and looked over the sparse menu, settling on a sandwich and fizzy drink. They placed their orders and Kenya pointed out the different creatures around them. As he rambled on the virtues of the Argentine tegu, their food arrived. Gakuto didn't see the appeal in pets that were half his size or even larger, but the food was good and he kept his snide comments to himself.
When they finished, Kenya enthusiastically requested the staff to bring out one of the smaller lizards. Into his hand was placed a yellow creature with thick eyelash-like cresting from its actual eyelashes down its back. Its large eyes were a brilliant gold flecked with black.
"Crested geckoes are great for beginners," Kenya beamed. Zaizen snapped a few photos, gazing appreciatively at his phone. "They are photogenic," he admitted. Kenya extended his hand. "Take it."
With an uncertain look Zaizen took the reptile on one hand, and ran a finger along its back. Quietly he repeated this a few times until Kenya interjected. "Well? Are you starting to see the appeal?"
"They're not bad," Zaizen replied simply as he extended his arm across the table. Yuushi took the gecko next, enjoying its relative friendliness compared to Kenya's beast of an iguana. When Yuushi extended his hand, Gakuto only touched the gecko with one finger, satisfying his curiosity about how the scales and crest would feel. Kenya hummed contentedly as they returned the animal and paid. The cafe was not crowded, and they took the opportunity to get a close up look at the creatures before leaving.
"That was educational," Yuushi commented. Kenya took this and Zaizen's "not bad" as a mark of approval and grinned. "Do I have some converts now?"
"What do you pray to, Godzilla?" Gakuto quipped. Zaizen snorted and Yuushi was silent. After a visit to his beloved cafe, Kenya could not be provoked. The four decided to run errands together as well, as Gakuto needed souvenirs but Yuushi hadn't paid enough attention to changes in the local scene to give the best shopping tips.
"I can window shop faster than anyone! We'll find something good for all the people in your life in no time." Kenya volunteered to help.
"Can't he just get some snacks and call it good?" Zaizen looked unamused as usual. "You could pick any old supermarket and find something decent."
"That reminds me, the sale is ending soon! We should hurry so I can get vegetables for Speedy's meals and my green juice."
"You are the only person on this earth who likes green juice." Zaizen frowned as he looked at the map on his phone.
"Only a child would say that," Kenya said sagely as he lead the way around the neighborhood. In place of vibrant advertisements were ones in muted tones to better suit the historic buildings. Ultimately Gakuto did purchase snacks, but from hole-in-the-wall vendors. Mission accomplished, Kenya waved them off happily and Zaizen mumbled something about a blog post.
Yuushi stuffed one hand into his pocket and began ambling back to the station, one bag of souvenirs in his other hand. Gakuto carried a second bag and followed along. He had a lot of thoughts jumbling around his head that he wanted to voice, but Yuushi seemed content with the silence. They rode the train, each stuck in his own head, and walked home in the late afternoon sun.
"Well," Gakuto said, dumping his outerwear and gifts on top of his bag, "what now?"