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His pockets were empty when he patted down on them. Even checking in his bag beside Ren and his coil produced nothing. Aoba sighed in exasperation, trying not to bang his head on the pole beside him. It was his lunch break from the shop he worked at, but it looked like his wallet was left at home. The insistent growling of his stomach reminded him that he skipped breakfast too because, of course, he woke up late (again) that morning.
"Maaan, this sucks," Aoba sighed, leaning heavily on the pole. He should really pack his lunch like a normal person. Even if he didn't have the time to make something, at least putting some leftover dinner in a container would be better than buying something.
Better than standing here starving, anyway... Aoba continued leaning. His break was forty minutes long, usually ample time. But going home and returning while getting food on the way wasn't enough.
"Excuse me! Master, are you alright?"
Aoba jumped back from the pole, and nearly tumbled back from the person beside him. Inquisitive pink eyes on top of a red hospital mask stared down at him, the person wearing it leaning in rather close in Aoba's proximity.
"Shit! Y-yeah, I'm okay," Aoba said shakily. A hospital mask? Who wore that? Were weird chemicals being spouted in the air? Or was he a wannabe yankee? No one did that seriously anyone. Also, if Aoba hadn't heard wrong, he had just been called...
Every one of Aoba's alarms went off at the guy. He nearly jumped again at the sight of what was unmistakably...a jellyfish. Its bell was larger than a fist and pale pink, the tentacles fairly short with ribbony bits. It floated right on top of the man's head, looking on with black, oval eyes. Aoba assumed it had to be the guy's Allmate. How weird.
The strange man let out a relieved breath. "That's good! I was worried when you were against the pole like that, Master. It's a lot better to fall asleep on your bed, you know!"
If it had been anyone else, it would've sounded like he was being mocked. Yet somehow, Aoba was getting the impression the guy was being utterly serious. Well, there were weirdos all around Midorijima; he shouldn't be so fazed.
Aoba smiled unsurely. "I'll keep that in mind." With a nod, he turned and headed back toward the junk shop.
"Ah, Master, where is it you're going? Maybe I could escort you?" The masked guy was right on his heels, swinging a plastic bag in his hand. Probably noticing Aoba's expression, the guy explained, "Well, if you were to fall asleep again, it would be a problem." His Allmate nodded encouragingly, making excited sounds.
"I wasn't falling asleep, I was just a bit irritated," Aoba said with an awkward laugh. He didn't really want to talk to the guy but he didn't know how to shake him off either. "I forgot my wallet at home so I have to skip out on lunch."
The man grabbed Aoba's arm with just enough force to stop him. "That's not good at all! If you're hungry, you should eat!" he exclaimed in shock. Making sure Aoba was waiting, he brought up his bag and rummaged through it. There was a stack of two boxes inside with a logo Aoba thought he vaguely recognized. Opening up the box, he held out tissue paper with something inside.
Aoba blinked. "Huh? What's this?" Something sweet was wafting in the air.
"It's marble castella cake," the man explained cheerfully. He held it out, waiting for Aoba to take it. "Me and Grandpa sometimes set aside a batch of sweets aside for the elementary students, but I'm sure they won't miss a slice. Please have it."
Of course, Aoba declined, mostly because the man was suspicious in the first place and now he was being offered food from him? It was a shame he had to be suspicious, since the friendly disposition could be genuine. And the man did indeed insist Aoba take the sweet.
And well, dammit it all Aoba was hungry as fuck.
He smiled unsurely again, taking the breadlike slice. "Thank you."
Even if Aoba couldn't see it, he had the feeling the man was smiling. He could see his eyes crinkle at the corners. "Ah! I'm sorry, but I have to go. Do you have far to walk, Master?"
"No, I work at Heibon Junk Shop, so..."
"In that case, please have a good day, Master." The man bowed, his Allmate attempting to do the same. "And enjoy the cake!"
Aoba couldn't bring himself to move until he watched the masked guy turn the corner and disappear as quickly as he had come.
The castella cake had been sweeter than Aoba thought it would be. It was probably the chocolate touch, that Aoba assumed must have been for the children they were meant for. The green tea cake roll was more moist and soft. Aoba was self-conscious about eating it under an intent stare.
The masked guy had returned about two days later, much to Aoba's surprise. He was on the way back from taking the rolls to a catering location, and had made two extra, one of which he gave to Aoba when he stopped by the shop. It was then that Aoba realized why the logo on the boxes had looked familiar - it belonged to a sweet shop that Granny used to take him to as a child. So the masked guy worked there...
Licking the cream from his lips, Aoba gave a small smile. "It's really good."
The man made a pleased sound. "I'm so glad!" He continued to bounce in place as Aoba slowly ate the roll up. "I'm sorry for coming in unexpectedly. But since I had extra, when I walked by the shop, I remembered that you worked here, Master."
Aoba looked up at the man from his place behind the counter. His hospital mask was covering everything below his eyes, and his white hair was short but thick, the bangs coming down nearly right over his eyes. His whole face might as well have been covered. His Allmate was floating around the shop under Ren's watchful gaze, examining everything curiously.
"Hey, why do you call me that?" he asked, picking at the spongy roll. "My name is Aoba."
"Oh? Did that make you uncomfortable?"
"A little bit, yeah." The guy had such a formal and polite way of speaking. Maybe it was just a mannerism he picked up?
Understanding made the man's eyes grow a bit wider. "Okay, Aoba-san it is then." He plopped on the shop's countertop, bowing his head. "I'm Clear."
"Clear. So you work at Crystalline Confections? I used to go there as a kid."
That seemed to make Clear happy. "Grandpa has owned the place for a long time, before me even." The other green tea cake roll was wrapped up on the table, and Clear started peeling away the tissue paper.
"Your grandpa does?" He stared down at his own roll. "So does that mean you two make things like this?"
"We do!" said Clear, swinging his legs out. "Grandpa has taught me all he knows. The tea cake rolls and the castella cake are things I made." He looked a bit antsy, glancing at Aoba.
Knowing what Clear was trying to communicate, Aoba laughed a bit. "Well, you're really good at making them." To make his point, he slid the rest of his roll in his mouth, smiling. As soon as he did though, the phone rang. Frantic, Aoba swallowed and answered the phone with his usual friendly tone.
"Hello, you've reached Heibon Junk Shop! Uhuh. Ah, yes, as a matter of fact, we received a new shipment just yesterday..." It was a customer, and luckily one of the...less creepy ones. Aoba would hate to talk to one of them while Clear was there. He offered him an apologetic smile.
Clear waved his hands, showing he didn't mind. After some consideration as Aoba talked and pulled up something on the computer, he slid off the counter. After collecting his Allmate, he waved enthusiastically to Aoba before leaving the shop with a ring from the bell.
Aoba returned the wave, feeling somewhat like he wished Clear had stayed. It wasn't like he could've helped it, but it seemed rude for him to have a phone call and then not properly say bye to the guy who had given him sweets twice already.
Through the shop's door window, Aoba saw Clear pull out and open a transparent umbrella. Where he had been keeping it and why he opened it up when it was a sunny summer day was a complete mystery. But as he walked off, Aoba found himself wondering if Clear would stop by again.
He realized he hadn't been paying attention to the customer. "Oh, I'm sorry, how many again?"
By the time the call was over, Aoba saw the other tea cake roll on the counter - unwrapped, but untouched.
About three weeks had passed since he first met Clear. Aoba wasn't certain when it became an unspoken, agreed thing that Clear come by nearly every day to the junk shop. It was usually around Aoba's lunch break, so the two could talk without any interruptions.
Buildings in Midorijima were so closely packed that it wasn't difficult to end up at a completely different place with just a few steps. The one place they frequented was just a street away from the junk shop - the rooftop of one of the ancient parking lots. They sat down there unless it was raining, then they would stay in the shop. Aoba was surprised that Clear even came by on those days, but he did, transparent umbrella dripping and his eyes crinkled at the corners.
Ren was curled up between their feet as they sat next to each other on the roof. Clear had taken a great liking to the Allmate, and would, as he'd say, "indulge in his fluffiness" often. At the moment, Clear's hand ran through Ren's dark-blue fur lazily, and the Allmate seemed to enjoy it.
Clear's own Allmate, that Aoba learned was named Noe, was resting in one of Clear's ample-sized pockets. He told Aoba that even though Noe was a jellyfish, his body was more squishy than slick, and Aoba held the little Allmate in his hands sometimes, petting his tentacles where he was ticklish.
"You're going to make me fat at this rate."
Clear looked at Aoba in surprise. "Huuh? How so?"
Aoba poked at the melonpan that was next to his small store-bought bento. He shared a bit with Clear and nibbled at the melonpan, finding its sweetness hard to resist. Nearly everything Clear had made and brought him was better than any other time he had a dessert. They just fell short to Granny's doughnuts.
"Almost every time you see me, you bring a sweet with you. I see through your scheme though." Aoba waved the melonpan threateningly at Clear.
Clear looked panicked. Even with his ever-present mask, Aoba was getting better at reading his expressions. "I'm not scheming! I just thought Aoba-san would be happy if I brought something for him!"
"Uhuh. You just want me fat."
"But I can't help it if Aoba-san looks so pleased when I bring him something. When I hear that you like it, I just want to keep getting better at making sweets and give them to you." Clear's shoulders slumped as he explained himself, obviously taking Aoba's disapproval seriously.
Clear was too much of an honest person. Aoba couldn't recall a single word of his that was said in a mean way. If Aoba asked a question, Clear answered straightforwardly. Sometimes it meant that Clear didn't seem to know how to handle Aoba when he played with him like he was. It should've been annoying, but Aoba just thought it was sort of cute.
He tapped Clear's head, taking a bite of the melonpan. "I'm just teasing you." Narrowing his eyes a bit, he added, "But it does feel like my stomach has been getting softer lately."
"I'll try to calm down a bit then," Clear promised. Aoba could just make out the tips of his cheeks turning pink. He took the half of the melonpan that Aoba had to offer.
"It's better when you share it, right?" he asked Clear with a grin.
The pink in his cheeks became more obvious. But then Clear smiled. "It is." The two made a toast between their halves and resumed eating.
Aoba gave Clear a side-long glance as he tugged the hospital mask down just enough to eat. He had already asked why Clear wore it, receiving only a "because I want to" in reply. Somehow, Aoba wondered if that was really all, because Clear never actually took it off when he was eating. Just a tug, a bite, then putting it back in place before the process repeated.
"Hey, Aoba-san, do you know how to make any sweets?"
Aoba hummed thoughtfully before laying back on the cement with a content sigh. "Ah, not really. I'm pretty bad at it - things like baking somehow seem really complicated. Like you have to make it consistently and delicately. I can sort of cook though."
Clear peered down at him. His smile was more obvious at the new angle. "I would feel truly lucky to eat something that Aoba-san made!"
It was hard to look at Clear with the sun out, and Aoba put his arm over his eyes. He had been thinking for awhile now how he would like to do something for Clear. Obviously he made time for Aoba, what with him visiting so often. Aoba was certain he could consider them something other than aquaintences at that point, so it was only right he wanted to do something for Clear too.
"Alright. I'll bring something over tomorrow. You come by during lunch anyway, so it'll be fine."
"It'll be perfect!" Clear corrected, nearly bouncing with joy in that way of his.
Aoba smiled at his innocent reaction, taking a peek at him. "Okay, but don't expect anything too fancy. I don't exactly make pretty cakes."
Clear, who had stolen a bite of rice from Aoba's bento, smiled. "Anything from Aoba-san is best."
It was the first time Aoba had actually seen his smile. He didn't know if Clear realized it, but Aoba couldn't take his eyes off of it. It couldn't even have been more than a few seconds, but it was enough to study the spread of his lips, and catch a glimpse of two moles right beneath them.
"Aoba-san?" Clear was looking at him in question.
Aoba's cheeks felt warm. It was getting too hot, and he burned easily. They should probably leave soon. "Nothing. What food would you like in your bento?"
"A bento?" Clear gasped in excitement. He staightened up, and Aoba prepared himself. "In that case, you should make the sauce on the rice in the shape of a heart!"
Aoba pulled his arm down. "What?"
"Yes!" Clear was hovering over him, hands clasped and unbridled joy sparkling in his eyes. "Isn't it the way for there to be hearts in the bento somewhere? It's romantic!"
"Yeah, for high schoolers!" Aoba exclaimed, shoving his hand in Clear's face. "No hearts!"
Clear wail was muffled at first, then he lowered Aoba's hand. "But even in the cake I gave you last week, I worked for hard to cut the strawberry pieces like hearts!"
"Y-you did what?" Aoba had thought the strawberries looked strange, but didn't want to question it. He assumed it was a leftover or something. Clear wouldn't make something like that especially for him. Surely even Clear got how weird it was to give that to another man. Then again - it was Clear.
Ren uncurled himself, and his voice made the other two turn their attention. "Aoba, your break ends soon."
"Ah, thanks, Ren!" Aoba sprang up, putting Ren back into his bag and cleaning up the bento. Clear was also standing again, and at some point he had pulled out and opened his ever-present umbrella. After awhile, Aoba decided not to ask about it and chalked it up as another strange thing about Clear.
He held out his bento box. "Want the rest of the vegetables?"
"Oh, sure!"
Ren's head popped out from the bag. "Aoba, you should know that while its true your increase in sweet consumption isn't healthy, you shouldn't skip out on your vegetables at the same time."
Chopsticks already in his mouth (they had casually shared a pair), Clear looked slowly to Aoba and then offered the bento back, as if unsure how to respond to that.
Aoba scowled and grabbed the box. "Okay, thank you, Mom." He made a show of stomping off and shoving the green beans into his mouth, ignoring Clear's laughter behind him as Ren warned Aoba not to choke.
In the end, Aoba left the pink rice to the side, too embarrassed to even look at it and started over with white rice. He really didn't usually make anything fancy for himself to eat if Granny wasn't home, but he decided to put in a little extra effort in the bento he was making for himself and Clear.
Ren was sitting on a chair, making sure not to accidentally make Aoba trip. He watched Aoba's progress, reminding him of little things on the stove if they weren't being monitored. Within the hour, Aoba had packed two bento boxes, and he stared back and forth between them critically.
He held them out to Ren for inspection. "Do they look alright?" he asked nervously.
Ren took an experimental sniff. "They came out well, Aoba. There's no need to be too concerned."
Aoba laughed a bit, setting the bento to the side. "Yeah well, I wasn't counting on my aesthetic skills in the first place. I mean, Clear decorates food every day - anything would look plain compared to it, especially a bento."
Patting at Aoba's leg, Ren reassured, "If it tastes good, then that's what matters. Clear said himself that he would like anything you made." He bounced a bit on his tiny legs, as if imitating Clear's behavior as he said his words.
Aoba's next laugh was more genuine. He bent down and ruffled Ren's fur in thanks. As he opened up his bag on the table to put the lunches inside, he realized it looked empty. "Crap, I left my coil in the room. I gotta get going."
"I'll retrieve it," Ren said, jumping down from the chair.
"Thanks, Ren!" Aoba called to his Allmate's scampering form. He cursed again when he glanced at the time. He had gotten up even before Granny to make the lunches and still he barely had enough time.
He gave the lunches one last look. He didn't really care about what his was like. But Clear's... Aoba chewed the inside of his cheek and glanced at the sauce that he hadn't put away.
When Ren came back, Aoba quickly put him and everything else in his bag before heading off. It was darker than usual outside and Aoba thought he smelled something moist in the air. About halfway to work, a heavy downpour started to soak the streets.
Groaning, Aoba drew up his hood and ran faster, kicking up quickly forming puddles. In a minute, he thought he might as well be naked for all the good his clothes were doing. He hoped Ren was okay inside the bag, and he switched to hugging it close to himself.
Summers were always rainy. He should've known that, and the grey clouds should've warned him, but of course, Aoba had been side-tracked. His thoughts were already trailing again, and he tripped over a crack in the street.
"Shit!" Without regard for himself (he was wet already, how worse off could he get?), he curled over his bag. "Shit, Ren, are you okay in there?"
"I'm fine." Ren's voice somehow reached him through the bag even with the loud downpour. "You should get out of the rain soon, Aoba."
Aoba sighed - half in relief, and half in exasperation. "Yeah, but I'm soaked this much already..." He got up, kicking the crack in resentment before starting to run again.
Haga-san was rearranging things in a box when Aoba came through the door with a large exhale. "Aoba-kun!" his boss exclaimed in shock. "You're soaked!"
"Ah... It started raining during my way here. Sorry, but is there a towel around? I don't want to get the place wet..." How close his clothes were clinging to his skin became more apparent with the dry interior of the shop.
Haga-san returned from the back room with a towel and what looked like a clean white shirt. "I thought maybe you'd at least like to change a little, that way you won't catch cold," he explained as Aoba tossed the towel over his hair and patted it down.
"Thank you, sir." Aoba smiled and, after setting his bag down, went to the back room to change, hanging his jacket and shirt up over some racks to let them dry. The new shirt was a little looser than he was used to, but at least it wasn't wet. Feeling more content already, Aoba set out to work, apologizing then thanking Haga-san once more. He did the same to his boss' Allmate, who began wiping up Aoba's wet tracks.
The rain didn't put much of a damper on business considering customers that actually physically came by were few and far between. Business was usually handled on the phone, and as time went by, Aoba answered a handful of calls. During pauses between the phone calls, Aoba's mind wondered as he heard the rain outside. Would Clear still come? There was very little doubt that he would. After all, rain or shine, Clear bursted through those doors, smiling as always. Aoba couldn't see it, but of course he knew.
I really wish he didn't wear that hospital mask all the time. It's nice to see him smile, to see his whole face... Realizing how weird it was to think that, Aoba ratonalized himself. Well, if he saw Clear's face more often, obviously it wouldn't be as remarkable. Aoba had been caught off guard yesterday.
Tapping his fingers, Aoba glanced at his bag at his feet. It was getting close to his lunch break, but he didn't plan on going anywhere with that rain. He really hoped it would stop before he had to leave.
Another call came and went, and seconds after he hung up, the bell above the door rang, drawing his attention immediately.
Clear closed his umbrella before shuffling into the shop. He found Aoba instantly, the corners of his eyes crinkled. "Aoba-san! Good afternoon. It's quite rainy outside, isn't it?" He hung his umbrella on the door's knob and bounced up to the counter.
A huge breath of air left Aoba's lungs. It felt like something he had been anticipating for finally happened and he was relieved. "I can't believe you actually came when it's like that outside." Even though just minutes ago, he hadn't doubted it for a moment.
Clear gazed down at Aoba fondly. The unbridled gleam in his eyes made Aoba look away and fidget in his chair. "Of course I had to come. I thought of it selfishly all day, how Aoba-san was making something for me."
How can he say things like that with a straight face? Aoba lightly nudged the bag under the counter. "Alright, let me just..." He pulled out another chair from the corner that Clear used and put it at the opposite end of the counter.
Noe was out and about now, urging Ren to consciousness. The poor floating Allmate was usually the new subject of chase when three brats who frequented the shop came by at the same time Clear did. Aoba supposed Noe was quite grateful for the rain and to not be hunted down.
As Noe and Clear made light conversation with the now awake Ren, Aoba pulled out the bento boxes. Immediately, he felt like something was wrong. Apprehensive, he slowly peeked inside one, then the other in a panic. Oh. Oh it had to be a joke. Just a joke.
His thoughts must've been written on his face because Clear was trying to get his attention. "Aoba-san? Are you alright?"
Aoba tried to smile, but he didn't think it was convincing. "Um... Yes. Of course."
Clear studied his face, brows slightly furrowed. "Did something happen to the bento?" he asked, giving Aoba a soft look. Like Aoba was a child that needed reassurance.
Embarrassed by being looked at in such a way, he said, "Um. That is... Yeah." He sighed, opening up Clear's lunch, where the food was littered all over each other messily. "I tripped on the way to the shop earlier, but I didn't think to check them. I'm sorry." Crap, it really looked terrible.
"You tripped? Are you alright?"
Aoba frowned at Clear's choice of focus. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just ran because I forgot my umbrella. And the bento... You don't have to eat it. I'll make up for it another day."
Clear looked shocked. "Why wouldn't I want to eat it?"
"Well, I mean, it doesn't look very presentable, so..."
"That doesn't matter when this is food Aoba-san made," Clear protested. Aoba couldn't read the expression in his eyes, and the two sat there staring for what felt like was longer than necessary. But then Clear reached for his bento. Aoba snatched it back.
"No."
"But Aoba-saaaan," whined Clear. He tried to grab it again, but Aoba held it up. He completely forgot Clear was taller than him though, and he was able to take it right from Aoba's hand after leaning over the counter. Cheering in victory, Clear plopped himself on his chair. "Thank you for the food~"
Sharing a helpless look with Ren, Aoba split his chopsticks and dryly echoed Clear's words. He poked at his food, watching Clear tug down his hospital mask and take the first bite of rice.
His face lit up, another smile tugging at his lips. "Aoba-san, this is delicious!" he exclaimed, kicking his legs a bit. "Is this buttered rice?"
"Yeah, it is."
Clear took another bite, humming in enthusiastic approval. Aoba didn't think the rice was that good, but it made him smile to know Clear liked it so much. It certainly relieved him from mild anxiety he hadn't known he'd been feeling. He couldn't even remember the last time he cooked for someone that wasn't himself or Granny.
"My granny makes the best food in the world," Aoba said, starting to dig into his own bento. At Clear's alert look, he amended, "You're amazing at baking, but her cooking is second to none. You should try her doughnuts one day. Well anyway, it's taken me forever to get my buttered rice as good as hers."
Clear grinned around his chopsticks. "If Aoba-san has such an excellent teacher, then it's no surprise this is so good." As if to make his point, he picked up as much rice as he could and popped it into his mouth.
Aoba laughed, then slowed down his movements. He realized Clear wasn't taking his time between bites like usual. In between he would, of course, normally pull his mask back up. It was like whenever he could, he'd cover his face. But not right then. His mask was pulled down to hang off his neck. Nose, mouth, chin - Aoba was being given the opportunity to take them all in, and then Clear's face as a whole. He really was handsome, almost beautiful.
"Aoba-san?"
He was caught staring again. Aoba fumbled. "Hey, so what about the pork? I'm pretty okay with meat, so..."
They continued on like that. Not once did Clear pull up his mask. It was the first time Aoba had been able to hear him without the filter, and was able to enjoy his soft laughter. He wanted to ask about it again, but instead immersed himself in conversation, wanting to hear more of Clear.
Aoba looked down at Clear's bento, at the pool of sauce in the middle of his rice. The design he had put on it at the last second was ruined of course, but he felt mildly relieved. If it had been intact, Aoba wasn't sure if he'd have had the confidence to give the bento to Clear.
Maybe...next time, he thought, warmth filling his cheeks.
Too quickly his lunch break was over. Aoba had already put their boxes away and was walking Clear to the door. Noe grabbed the umbrella and handed it to Clear before bidding goodbye to Ren and Aoba, diving into Clear's pocket.
It was still pouring outside, but it didn't seem to put a damper on Clear's mood. His mask was covering his face again, much to Aoba's disappointment. He wondered why Clear had left it down for so long that day in the first place. He wondered if it would happen again.
"Will you be fine on the way back?"
"Yup!" Clear reassured.
"I feel a bit bad you come here so often when you're supposed to be working," Aoba confessed, shuffling his weight.
Clear waved him off. "It's fine. Plus, I asked Grandpa if it's alright to. He has other workers there to help him, and tells me he can survive an hour without me." Without warning, he embraced Aoba with one arm, Aoba's face smushed against Clear's shoulder. The scent of sweets filled his nose.
"Besides," Clear said, voice so close to his ear, "if it means to see Aoba-san, then it's all worth it. And today was really special for me."
Aoba forgot how to breathe for a few seconds. "Well, you always make things for me, so of course I had to return the favor." Feeling like he was blushing, he lightly pushed Clear away. Luckily, Clear didn't seem to mind.
Just as he opened the door, he paused before looking at Aoba decisively. "Hey, Aoba-san, when do you get off from work?"
"Ah, around five. Why?"
"You said you forgot your umbrella, right?" Clear asked, opening up his own outside. "Then I'll come get Aoba-san from work and walk you home."
The offer surprised Aoba. "Huh? But what about you? Won't you be working at the store with your grandpa?" He had already been lenient enough with Clear, so Aoba couldn't possibly allow him to ask his grandpa for more time away.
Clear shook his head, looking as cheerful as ever. "Grandpa wants to close up early today because of the weather. So I'll be by to get you, okay?"
Despite wanting to protest more, Aoba remained silent. Clear certainly had zero obligations to offer that, which meant he was doing it out of the goodness of his heart. And if Clear wanted to do it, there was little Aoba could say against it. More to the point, it felt...rather nice to be looked over like that.
Offering a small, embarrassed smile, Aoba nodded. "Okay. I'll see you then."
And never before had Aoba been so grateful for such a rainy day. His clothes were still a little wet, and Haga-san insisted he keep the shirt to wear during his walk back. But Aoba still changed and put the shirt in the bag beside Ren so he could wash it at home.
Clear was at the door waiting when Aoba stepped out and said bye to Haga-san. His boss saw Clear too and waved, seeming grateful that Aoba had someone to walk home with.
Clear sidled closer to Aoba, holding the umbrella over their heads. "Have you got everything?"
"Ah. Yeah."
"Then let's go!" Clear was awfully chipper for someone walking in the rain, but then again, it would be a surprise if he wasn't. Somehow, he seemed more lively than usual though, something warm radiating off of him as he hummed a tune to himself.
Aoba navigated them, but other than that it was an oddly comfortable walk. Clear's humming sometimes turned to singing, and when Aoba stared at him in question, Clear would only continue to sing, meeting Aoba's gaze with sparkling eyes. The light sweetness of Clear's singing was welcome in the dark downpour around them. He only wished he could better listen to it without Clear's mask covering his mouth.
Something Aoba had been thinking about since Clear left itched in the back of his mind. His tongue refused to move though, and he took a deep breath masked beneath the heavy rainfall.
"Hey, Clear."
His companion stopped singing. "Hmm? Yes, Aoba-san?"
"Um. That is, if you have nothing better to do and it's alright with you and your grandpa, would you like to stay at my place for a bit?"
Clear's eyes widened. "To Aoba-san's house?"
"Yeah. I thought maybe we could hang out, and you could try Granny's cooking if you wanted. But only if it's okay. I know I've taken a lot of your time already." He looked down, feeling sheepish. He couldn't remember the last time he fretted so much over something. Probably even before his rebellious teenage years. Then again, Aoba hadn't quite felt like himself all day.
Happiness seemed to flood out of Clear's very being, and he jumped up and down, getting them both a little wet. Aoba yelped, and Clear quickly centered himself, saying sorry. "I got excited. But how can I not? Yes please, if I may intrude, I would very much like to go to Aoba-san's house! I'll be sure to call Grandpa when we get there."
Aoba didn't think Clear would be that happy over the offer, but his reaction definitely wasn't disappointing. Grinning broadly to himself, Aoba let the content feeling flood his chest.
When he realized Clear was still staring at him, he lightly shoved him.
"A-aah, Aoba-san! Stop, you'll get wet!"
"Shut up, and don't look like that. Come on, we gotta turn here."
"Ehhh? Ehhh? Look like what? Aoba-sannn?"
Aoba didn't answer, only huddled close to Clear under the umbrella again and tried not to laugh.
A few blocks away from Aoba's house, the rain let up, then finally stopped. Clear didn't lower his umbrella though, and Aoba didn't distance himself. Instead, he hooked their arms together, enjoying the scent of sugar and rain around him.