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It’s early on Saturday afternoon when Daichi finishes packing the picnic basket and checks to make sure that everything is ready to go as soon as his boyfriend arrives, which shouldn’t be too long now. Suga will be coming today to celebrate their anniversary and then staying at Daichi’s student apartment until Sunday night. They don’t have much planned for the weekend beyond this picnic, but then, they’ve never needed to plan much. Theirs is a relationship built on the deepest knowledge of each other and a solid foundation of intimate friendship that is only made better by being in love. As he waits for the text telling him that Suga’s here, Daichi allows himself to reminisce.
One year.
They got together not long after graduation, but Daichi had already known for a long time. Suga told him that he, too, had known for ages, their feelings for each other having transformed into love long before they ever named it as such. After graduation, after everything with the team, Suga was the one to say it first, letting the words tumble out of his mouth as they watched a movie together in the comfort of Daichi’s living room. Daichi sat there in stunned silence for a moment, nothing in his senses but the sound of the television and Suga’s hazel eyes searching his, before he reached out to gently grab Suga’s face and kiss him. They kissed for what felt like hours, not wanting to breathe, not needing to when they were each other’s air. When they finally separated, Daichi breathed out his quiet reply: I love you too.
That summer was different, of course, for a number of reasons, but not so different as perhaps they might have expected. When you’ve been in love for years, the ways you show affection settle into their own little patterns. Just because you haven’t said it yet doesn’t mean it’s not there. So some things stay the same; Daichi still cooks for Suga, experimenting with new recipes to get them just right, having dinner together two or three times a week. Suga still sends Daichi songs that remind him of him, following them with a cute joke or comment about why it fits him so well, teasing him about his taste in music. But now, when Daichi cooks, Suga comes up behind him and wraps his arms around him, kissing the back of his neck and shoulders softly while Daichi stirs something on the stove. The songs that Suga sends to him are more often about love, and more often accompanied by hearts and pet names than they ever were before.
College hasn’t been as bad as they thought it might be. Their universities are only an hour away from each other, and they’re lucky enough to have their own apartments, so they get to visit each other on the weekends quite often. There’s late-night Skype calls and FaceTimes when they can’t be there in person, whether studying together, watching a movie, or just talking. It’s not too uncommon for Suga to fall asleep on the call, and when this happens, Daichi will just sit there and watch him sleep, committing every detail of his tranquil features to memory, no matter how small.
They’ve gone back to visit the team a couple times and see how they’re doing with Ennoshita serving as their new captain. Naturally, the team is thriving under his leadership—not that they expected anything else. Most of the guys like to tease them about their relationship, although it’s all in good fun. Noya and Tanaka always get a little dramatic about how cute Daichi and Suga allegedly are, how they “always totally knew you two were meant for each other”. The former first-years have a range of attitudes towards the situation, from Yamaguchi’s wholesome delight and well-wishing to Tsukishima’s polite indifference (although he did congratulate them when they first told the team, months ago). Hinata surprisingly doesn’t make much mention of it, but on one of their visits he takes Suga aside and asks him for help with his own love life, since “you’re a great setter with a great boyfriend so you definitely know what another setter might like, not that this is about a setter or anything, please don’t tell anyone about this”.
(Months later, Suga still upholds his sage advice as the reason for Hinata and Kageyama’s happy, albeit still ridiculous, relationship.)
Which brings them to now.
Daichi’s phone buzzes, the screen lighting up with a text from no one else but the man of the hour. He smiles to himself with fondness, thinking about the day ahead of them as he double- and triple-checks to be certain that everything is in its place. He opens the door and heads down the hallway to the stairs, which he jogs down to reach the first floor and greet his boyfriend in the building’s entryway.
“Guess who looks amazing today?” Suga says, beaming, as he sees Daichi heading his way.
Daichi snorts in response. “Are you actually trying to give me a compliment, or are you talking about yourself?”
“Oh, myself, of course. I say it to save you the trouble.”
“Mhm,” Daichi says before pulling his boyfriend into a kiss. “I’m sure you do.”
They trade brief, gentle touches and talk about their weeks as they head up to Daichi’s apartment, their hands intertwined even though it makes it a bit hard to go up the stairs together. As they reach the suite, Daichi feels Suga become ever so slightly more energetic, his excitement about their day palpable through the way his every movement becomes that much more lively. That alone is enough to make Daichi know it’s worth it.
They divide the picnic supplies between them to carry, with Suga shouldering the tote bag containing the blanket and flatware, while Daichi takes the basket of food itself to ensure that Suga won’t peek at it ahead of time. It’s not far to the park, thankfully—only about five minutes on foot from his apartment building—and they make it there without any mishaps.
Daichi lets Suga pick out a spot to lay out the blanket, and he selects one right in the sun, on a small hill overlooking the small pond that’s surrounded by wildflowers in the center of the park. It’s a beautiful view, really, but it’s not as if Daichi will be looking at it anyways. His gaze is focused on something much more exquisite.
Suga’s hair is gorgeous at all times, but it’s highlighted so spectacularly by the sun that Daichi doesn’t want to look away. He can only think about running his hands through it, feeling its softness, pressing gentle kisses to the top of Suga’s head as he reclines against him. Suga catches him staring as they sit down and offers him a soft smile, as if he’s able to hear what Daichi is thinking. “You know, if you keep looking at me like that, people are going to think you like me,” he teases.
Daichi knows exactly what he means, but he plays along anyway. “Oh? Like what?”
“Like you’ve just seen the most beautiful person in the world.”
“That’s because I have, obviously.”
“Hmm. Ridiculous,” Suga declares. “You can’t be looking at the most beautiful person in the world right now. It’s categorically impossible.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I’m looking at him, dummy,” Suga says as he leans in for a kiss, which Daichi happily returns.
“I’m not sure that I agree with your judgment, but I’ll let you have it for now,” Daichi replies as he finally gets around to unpacking the food. This captures Suga’s attention, and he lights up with a grin as he sees what the basket contains. Among other things (because Daichi really went all out), the contents include Suga’s favorite spicy mapo tofu and fresh strawberries that Daichi went out early to pick up that morning.
Suga is clearly ecstatic at what Daichi has prepared for the both of them, and Daichi hears it in his “Itadakimasu”, sees it in the smile on his face as he bows his head. It’s not long before they’ve both eaten most of their fill, and Suga is now leaning back against Daichi, nibbling on strawberries as Daichi hums one of the more recent songs Suga’s sent him, his arms wrapped around his boyfriend’s waist.
Suga sits up abruptly, extricating himself from Daichi’s grip, and turns to face him. “Babe.”
“Yeah?”
“Close your eyes.”
Daichi rolls them first, but obliges. “I have several misgivings about what is going to happen right now.”
“Well, don’t. Open your mouth.”
“Now I really have misgivings,” Daichi says before leaving his mouth open for whatever Suga plans to do.
He feels what can only be a strawberry press against his tongue, and he closes down slowly, making sure Suga’s fingers aren’t in the way before biting into it fully. He savors the taste, saccharine with a hint of tartness, and swallows before opening his eyes. When he does, he sees Suga watching him with an expression that can only be defined as enamored.
Daichi raises an eyebrow. “Is that all?”
“Mhm,” Suga hums. “I think you look really… lovely when you’re focused on what you’re eating. Which sounds weird, I know. But you really do. It’s like a softer version of the concentrating face you make when you’re cooking. And when it’s food you really like, it’s easy to tell that you’re happy.”
“Just how often do you watch me eat?”
“A lot.”
“You’re absolutely ridiculous,” Daichi mutters before pressing a kiss to Suga’s fingers, the same ones that just brushed his lips moments ago. “And I assume you expect me to return the favor?”
“Well, if you insist,” Suga says with a smile, wasting no time closing his eyes and opening his mouth in return.
As Daichi retrieves a strawberry from the carton and feeds it to his boyfriend, he thinks that maybe Suga has a point. Suga looks blissful, happily munching away at the fruit, and Daichi knows that it’s not just about the flavor. The food that Daichi so often makes for him, as he did today, is perhaps one of the most important ways that he expresses his love for Suga. And Suga knows that, too; this is what makes Daichi so certain that Suga’s smile is born out of more than just contentment with the taste.
“So, how was it?” Daichi asks as Suga opens his eyes.
“Absolutely exquisite. My compliments to the chef. Was yours just as sweet? Because I think these might be the best strawberries I’ve ever tasted. They’re so sweet, oh my God.”
Daichi is the sappiest of fools around his boyfriend, and Suga knows it, so there’s absolutely no surprise at what Daichi says next.
“Not as sweet as you, babe.”
The kiss that follows has never tasted sweeter.