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Gazing through the window, he was looking at nothing at particular. Hearing the bell, he took his bag, got up from his seat, wore his coat and scarf, then walked towards the door. When he was outside of class, Akutagawa looked for Atsushi in the crowd but he didn't see him in the corridor nor in the garden. While he was passing by the gate, he felt someone touching his shoulder.
"Akutagawa!"
He turned around abruptly. Atsushi was smiling like an idiot again. It was hard to look at him directly sometimes.
"Why didn't you wait for me?"
"I can't waste my time waiting for you. Also you reek of sweat, don't touch me like that." How he could keep up with his track team's practices in this cold was beyond Akutagawa. He started walking again.
"Don't be like that, we just finished the practice. I didn't even shout for your name because you don't like it when I do, what else could I do?" Atsushi said, catching up to Akutagawa.
"You didn't have to catch up to me. " he scuffed, unable to confess himself that he was glad to see Atsushi. He pulled his bag closer to himself and felt the gift that he couldn't bring himself yet to give to him shoke inside.
"We both know that you were looking for me, I saw you looking around!" Atsushi grinned. They started walking together at some point.
"Something must be wrong with your eyes." turning his head to the other way, he coughed into his hand.
"I won't make a mistake with anything that includes you."
Akutagawa felt color coming to his cheeks, he coughed into his hand again. Atsushi caught a glimpse of his rosy cheeks which made him smile but he didn't press the matter further.
They kept walking until Atsushi spoke up.
"Is it okay if we make a short detour?" asking this in this cold weather, there must be something he wanted to say but Akutagawa did not dare to hope. They were just friends who met coincidentally not too long ago. It was when a ball hit Atsushi on the head and he had to see the school's nurse in the infirmary and Akutagawa was resting there, on sick leave.
They were on a rocky start at first because Akutagawa wasn't too much interested in having friends but he fell under Atsushi's charm like everyone else did when they met the transfer student.
Each passing day, Akutagawa felt incomprehensible feelings that he had for the other within himself grew. These feelings had nothing to do with being friends which he couldn't admit to himself.
"Do you want me to freeze to death?"
"Just a short walk to the park. If you get too cold, you can have my scarf." said Atsushi, smiling again with the smile that made Akutagawa's heart rate go up. He collected himself right away when he focused on what the other said. He frowned.
Atsushi, the fool that he was, always thought about others before himself. He just got out of the practice, he might catch a cold if he gives his scarf to Akutagawa. Such a fool.
"I don't want your scarf. The park isn't that far, anyway." This made Atsushi happy. Even though Akutagawa refused it at first, he still walked with Atsushi to the park. He always put up with him in the end. Could he dare to hope for something more?
When they reached the park, Atsushi sat on one of the swings. Akutagawa murmured, "So childish." under his breath but couldn't resist the puppy eyes Atsushi was giving him and sat on the one next to Atsushi. Atsushi turned his head to one of the slides, he looked like he was getting ready to say something. He opened his mouth but then closed it and lowered his head. Akutagawa waited for the other to speak up.
Atsushi was nervous, he started fiddling with his thumbs. He couldn't miss this chance to ask Akutagawa out. New year's eve was just around the corner! He gathered up all his courage, stopped fiddling, turned his head to Akutagawa and asked.
"There will be a fireworks display on New Year's Eve and if you don't have any plans, would you like to come with me to see it?" Atsushi was blushing. Akutagawa raised his brows, he looked pretty much surprised and he didn't say anything. That's probably not good.
"Actually I was going to go with Dazai and Kyouka but Dazai said that he didn't want any third wheels. Kyouka already made plans with her friends. So that left me only myself and I didn't want to go alone." Refusing to meet with the other's eyes, Atsushi was starting to blabber.
Akutagawa couldn't focus on what Atsushi was saying. Out of all the people he could have asked, Atsushi was asking him out. He finally found a way to give his gift on New Year's Eve, instead of carrying it to school and trying to catch him alone like he did these past days.
"It's okay, Atsushi. We can go together." Atsushi stopped his blabbering and looked at him. Relief was written on his face and he smiled.
Even though Atsushi could be bold at times and tugged at Akutagawa's heartstrings, he could still blush with these simple things. But that's one of the things that made him endearing after all.
Seeing his smile with his slightly red face, a warm feeling spread around Akutagawa's chest and he didn't feel that cold anymore. It was a good thing he didn't take Atsushi's scarf, after all.
Atsushi reached the meeting point and soon after, he saw Akutagawa near the station. He wanted to shout for his name so the other would notice him. But somehow Akutagawa found him in the crowd very easily and started to make his way to him.
"Gin kept bugging me and didn't let me go until she asked all the questions about today."
"That's okay, I also just got here." When they started to walk side by side, Atsushi wanted to hold his hand but he hesitated, then drew his hand back.
"Wanna eat something first?"
"I hope the place you will take me has more options than just chazuke in the menu." Atsushi might have catched him smiling a little which in turn made him happy.
After having a great dinner in a restaurant that Atsushi suggested, they walked to the town square to look for a good spot for watching the fireworks.
They sat side by side on a bench in front of a fountain. Everything was going very smooth, Atsushi mused. He checked the clock tower, It was almost time for the clock to strike twelve.
Akutagawa was also growing restless. Their hands resting on the bench were so close, yet he couldn't be honest with himself and take that step. With the street lights shining on Atsushi's white hair, glowing pure white, looking more soft than the snow and his eyes that hold fondness when he looked at him made it hard for him to sit still. He wanted to reach out for something. He was longing for something he didn't know.
Atsushi, unaware of the inner turmoil that Akutagawa was having, realized that Akutagawa's hand on the bench was a little red and thought that he must be cold. His left hand reached for Akutagawa's right hand.
"What are you doing?" Akutagawa felt his cheeks getting warmer. All his hesitation turned out to be for nothing.
"I have been thinking about holding your hand for the whole day and you looked a little cold but if you don't like it-" Atsushi looked devastated. He was about to withdraw his hand. Akutagawa didn't want to let go of this warmth, especially when he just realized what he was hoping for the moment Atsushi asked him out.
"No, keep doing what you are doing." he said after turning his head and coughed into his hand. He couldn't meet his eyes.
Atsushi saw Akutagawa blushing and felt his face burn. They sat in silence for a while like that.
Akutagawa couldn't have Atsushi do everything for them so with the courage he got from holding onto his hand, he called out to him.
"Atsushi, there is something I want to give you." Reluctantly untangling his hand, he took the wrapped up gift from his bag.
"Did you buy me a gift!? Can I open it now?" Akutagawa nodded in response and Atsushi's face lit up. He opened the gift. It was a cute white tiger bag ornament.
"It reminded me of you."
"It is so cute, I loved it. Thank you!" Akutagawa couldn't help but smile. Though, It couldn't rival the smile Atsushi had or the way his eyes sparkled after opening up his gift.
"I also have something for you." Atsushi said and after attaching his ornament to his bag, he took his gift out from his bag.
Akutagawa was also surprised. He took it without a word and opened it. It was a black cat plushie.
"Did you like it? I thought that it looked like your cat, Rashomon."
"Thank you, Atsushi." with the way that he said it, it sounded like he wasn't thanking him just for the gift.
This time, Akutagawa reached out to hold the other's hand, looking into Atsushi's mesmerizing eyes with a small smile and receiving a smile in return.
People started to countdown but they couldn't hear anyone else other than each other's heart beats. When it struck twelve, they heard people cheering. Fireworks display had started.
Tearing their gazes from each other to look up to the fireworks, still holding hands tightly, they both hoped to keep this warmth for more years to come.