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“Are you sure it’s not that bad?”
Rindo fidgets nervously while he and Fret approach a piercing parlor in Harajuku. The two of them are on one of their usual Friday afterschool dates. A few weeks ago, Rindo had offhandedly mentioned wanting to get ear piercings like Fret, so of course, they decided that would be their next date activity. Besides, Fret had been wanting to get a third piercing for a while now, anyway. Introducing Rindo to something new while also getting something for himself was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
Fret squeezes Rindo’s hand in his own. “I swear on my life. It really doesn’t hurt that much.”
“But you’ve done this before. You’re probably used to it.”
Fret considers this for a moment. “Hmm, maybe. But hey, no pain no gain, right?”
Rindo bites his lip. “I guess…”
“Hey, if you’d rather not, we can go do something else. I don’t mind—”
“N-no, no, that’s fine. I… I want to do this.”
There’s that familiar resolve in Rindo’s voice. He doesn’t usually put himself in a situation if the results aren’t one hundred percent positive, but sometimes… Sometimes he gets unusually determined to follow a decision through to the end. He’ll figure that the positives outweigh the negatives and that whatever it is is worth any inconvenience. Most of those instances involve Fret, too. It’s like Rindo will only take risks for him. It’s cute.
Fret smiles and squeezes his boyfriend’s hand again. “Well, as long as you’re down with it, then I am too, Rindude. You ready?”
Rindo shrugs. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
That’s the most positive thinking he’s going to get out of Rindo for now, Fret supposes. He considers it a win.
They’ve reached the entrance by now. This place is one Fret has frequented time and again, and while not very big, it has a chill vibe to it. The first floor houses a small, cozy, coffee shop, while the piercing parlor rests right above it. The first two times Fret got piercings here, he ordered coffee afterwards, and since then, he decided to make a habit out of it. Rindo isn’t the biggest fan of coffee unless it’s filled with sweeteners, but Fret is certain there’s something on the menu he’s bound to like.
They can worry about that later, though. For now, they’re on a mission.
“Have you thought about what you want yet?” Fret asks as they climb the stairs to the second floor. He spied Rindo looking up different styles on his phone earlier, but it didn’t seem like he’d settled on anything yet.
“Hmm, not quite,” comes Rindo’s reply. “I figured I’d just see what they have and go from there.”
A classic Rindo response. He always had been indecisive about the little things. Whether it be ordering food at a restaurant or buying a new video game, he’d take his time deliberating over the given options.
They reach the top of the stairs. Fret turns.
“Would you like me to pick for you?”
A thoughtful pause. Then a nod.
“You know more about this than I do. I trust your judgment.”
It’s an exchange they’ve had many times before. The words come easily, a common routine that never fails in its consistency. Rindo can never make up his mind, so Fret always saves him the trouble. It’s a pattern they’ve fallen into that’s become too comfortable to break. Fret grins and releases Rindo’s hand to bow overdramatically.
“As you wish, your highness.”
His boyfriend chuckles and gives him a playful punch.
“You’re such a dork.”
Fret counts that as another win.
They enter the shop, and the whole ordeal only takes about fifteen minutes, between checking in, picking earrings out, and waiting for the piercer to get set up. Rindo goes first, and while his hands are slightly shaky with nerves, he handles the pain surprisingly well. He winces for a split second, but then it’s immediately over. The earrings Fret had picked out for him are a pair of simple diamond studs, and to be honest, there could not have been a better choice. They compliment Rindo’s soft features in the best way, bringing out his dark eyes and faint freckles, and Fret almost feels like Rindo is even more attractive now, if that’s even possible. It’s such a small touch, but the subtlety is what makes the earrings such a perfect fit.
He regrets absolutely nothing.
Fret’s turn is next, and it’s over a lot faster than Rindo’s, getting only one ear done instead of both. After getting his desired third piercing, they’ve got everything they came for, so Fret pays for everything, the woman working there hands them their bags of cleaning solution, and then the two of them are on their way. Totally quick and (relatively) painless, and Fret feels like he and Rindo are closer now because of it. All in all, it’s been a great date.
But of course, it’s far from over. The next few minutes puts them in the coffee shop downstairs, with Fret ordering the sweetest thing on the menu and Rindo mindlessly scrolling through his phone beside him. Once their drink has been ordered, they make their way to one of the tables.
“So, what exactly did you order?” Rindo wonders aloud. Fret almost doesn’t process the question because he’s too busy admiring the earrings. He grins.
“Hopefully something you’ll actually enjoy. They have this French vanilla mocha with whipped cream that I hear is to die for.”
“Mm, that does sound good,” his boyfriend hums, eyes lighting up ever so slightly, and Fret’s grin widens. Cute. Rindo always did have a sweet tooth. It’s almost funny—for being someone who can never make up his mind, he’s surprisingly impartial when it comes to sweets. Fret always liked that part of him. It made gift giving pretty easy.
A few minutes of silence drift by while they wait, and Fret hears Rindo hum with contentment. He smiles—this is nice. Just being next to each other, enjoying the company. No words being exchanged, just… Sitting close like this. Honestly, Fret prefers more fun, high-energy activities, but he can understand why Rindo appreciates the quiet moments too. It’s peaceful.
...Or it is until Rindo leans his head on Fret’s shoulder, seemingly forgetting that he just got his ears pierced and that the skin is still irritated. Whoops.
“Ow!” he hisses, pulling his head back fast enough to get whiplash. Fret turns to face him.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, just.” He cups a hand over his ear with a grimace. “Wasn’t thinking. Owww…”
“Yeahhh, it’s gonna hurt for a while, Rin.” Fret ruffles Rindo’s hair affectionately. “You gotta be more careful. Guess I prolly should have warned you about that…”
“It’s not your fault,” Rindo frets, waving a hand frantically. “I just need to be more mindful. I’m fine, really.”
Fret sighs, but there’s no frustration behind it. He smiles.
“Whatever you say, Rindude.”
At that moment, the barista calls their order number, so Fret leaves momentarily to fetch it. When he returns, Rindo is scrolling through his phone again. His earrings catch the light at just the right angle, and his golden hair looks as if it’s glowing. Fret absently wonders when his face will start hurting from how much he’s been smiling.
“Y’know,” he starts, sliding the coffee across the table. “I think those earrings make you look ten times cuter.”
He’s been wanting to say it since the piercing parlor. And now, finally, he’s had the perfect opportunity to.
Rindo stops. Lets his phone clatter to the table. Fret watches as a blush starts to bloom across his cheeks, and how he scoffs and turns his head to hide it. Score.
“Y-you’re just saying that,” he mutters. Despite himself, there’s a smile in his voice. Fret rests his cheek on one hand.
“Would I lie to you?” he challenges, and when he’s met with silence, he chuckles.
“Well. No,” Rindo finally answers. His ears were already red from being sore, but now they’re even redder. Fret almost considers taking a picture. Almost.
“In any case, that mocha ain’t gonna drink itself,” he says. “Try it.”
Rindo complies, reaching for the coffee and taking a sip. Almost instantly, his brown eyes sparkle with excitement at the flavor, and this time, Fret surreptitiously snaps a picture with his phone. Cute.
“You like it?”
Rindo smiles and nods happily. “Mmhm. Thanks.”
His cheeks are still slightly flushed, making his freckles a little more visible. The earrings still glitter in the cheap electric light. Fret wonders if maybe his boyfriend is an angel in disguise—there’s no way anyone can be this perfect.
He’s snapped out of his small trance when Rindo offers the drink to him, prompting him to try some. He blinks and accepts it, knowing full well that Rindo never finishes drinks anyway, even if they are full of sugar. He’s just always had a small appetite, but Fret is fine with that because it means they get to share.
The mocha is vanilla with a hint of caramel, but there’s...something else there, too. Fret takes another sip. Caramel, vanilla, and...cherry? He doesn’t remember that being part of the drink description. Odd. Still, it’s not a bad combination, so he decides to roll with it.
...Until he spies a slight shimmer on Rindo’s lips, that is. And then the pieces come together. Interesting.
Fret has an idea.
“Your chapstick tastes good,” he hums. Rindo perks up.
“Oh! Do you want some?”
He’s already digging through one of his pockets, but Fret has a better plan. Before his boyfriend can even fish the chapstick out of his pocket, he’s leaning forward to press their lips together in one swift motion. The kiss isn’t particularly deep or long, but it’s enough to be impactful. When they separate, Rindo is twice as red as he was before. He blinks dazedly.
“That’s. Not what I had in mind,” he squeaks, and Fret laughs.
“What? I’m not allowed to kiss my boyfriend because I love him?”
“Stooop, you’re embarrassing me…” Rindo groans, tugging his mask over his face. There’s still a bit of red visible despite this.
Fret smiles. “There’s hardly anyone here, Rin. You’re fine.”
“The baristas are here.”
“Well, yeah,” he concedes. “They kinda have to be.”
“Exactly,” comes Rindo’s retort, and Fret gets the feeling he’s not going to win this argument. His boyfriend has always been awfully stubborn about this kind of thing.
Ah, well. At least he got one good kiss out of it. Better than nothing, right?
He sighs and cards his fingers through Rindo’s hair lovingly. It still shines like gold.
“You’re so funny sometimes. I love you.”
He’s met with silence at first, and for a moment, he suspects the other boy is still too embarrassed to say it back. But then, he feels slender fingers intertwining with his own underneath the table.
“I… I love you too.”
Fret smiles once again. He considers this an absolute victory.