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Even though the bullet train ride is only a few hours long, Akira’s already at his wits end. The moment Tokyo Station gets announced he bolts up and starts gathering all his things, never mind the fact that there are still about 15 minutes before they reach the final stop. He walks down the corridor and stands next to the door, phone in hand, and careful not to lean on the messenger bag that is hiding Morgana he sends a quick message to the group chat while he tries to maintain his balance with the rocking of the train. His ‘about to get to Tokyo station’ is met with lots of cheers, welcome backs and festive stickers, so it’s understandable when he can’t help the smile that comes to his face, one that momentarily disappears when he sees Ann has sent him a direct message.
[New Message] from Ann
Ann (14:45): We sent someone to pick you up
Ann (14:45): Hope you enjoy the ride with your prince and his noble steed ;)
Akira’s brow furrows in confusion, he doesn’t quite get the joke. Could she be referring to Sojiro? Morgana won’t be happy to hear about that, he strictly prohibits the cat from coming out of the bag and getting hair all over the seats. He tries to ask Ann, but his friend simply sends him a bunch of kissie emojis and leaves it at that. Very helpful.
He won’t know until he gets there, then. When he finally exits the station he keeps an eye out for Sojiro’s yellow car, but he doesn’t manage to find it. As he is about to walk down the street a bit, to see if maybe he parked further down the road, he suddenly hears a voice calling his name. A very familiar, excited, smooth and rich voice that he’s missed more than he cares to admit. Shocked, he turns to the direction of the call and indeed finds a very handsome prince approaching him.
“Akira, you’re here!!” Yusuke exclaims, his face beaming with joy as he walks towards him, dragging a bike next to him. “It is so good to see you.”
“Yusuke,” the former thief lets out in a surprised whisper. “I… didn’t know you would be here.”
“Huh? Yusuke is here?” Mona asks from inside the bag, wiggling around until he manages to pop his head out.
“It's good to see you as well, Morgana,” he greets the cat, giving him a few scratches under the chin that are received with poorly contained purrs. “Ann is the one who suggested I should come meet you at the station, she said it would be a good surprise. I agree full-heartedly. Besides, I bet your luggage is quite heavy. Allow me to help you with it,” he says as he drags the bike in between them.
Akira chuckles slightly, taking a look at the vehicle. “It’s my first time seeing it in person. Have you gotten used to it already?” He asks as he and Yusuke lift up the suitcase to place it on the back rack.
The artist nods enthusiastically, grabbing the ropes to tie the luggage securely. “Yes! This is the most wonderful gift I have ever received!”
This shiny blue bike is the collective birthday present they got for Yusuke. Ryuji and Makoto were the ones who went on a hunt to find the more suitable option for Yusuke’s needs, and the rest helped with choosing the one the artist would find the most visually pleasing. Later, Ann and Futaba made sure to improve it further with accessories and stickers. Akira still hasn’t deleted all the bike photos they sent him so that he could stay in the loop with the whole process.
When thinking about a present Haru came up with the idea that Yusuke would benefit a lot from being able to move around easily, since he is always reluctant to pay the train fares and walks most of the time. She was more than right, because Yusuke looks positively radiant (and cute, but Akira won’t admit that out loud) as he keeps talking about his dear bike.
“As you can see it is able to carry heavy objects without an issue, it’s ideal for art supply boxes and even big canvases, while the front basket is the perfect size for my bag and smaller supplies. Oh, groceries too of course,” he adds quickly, his smile widening when he sees Akira’s face of approval. “It also has helped me get exercise more regularly. And that is not all; please, take a moment to admire the beautiful geometric symmetric it presents. The ratio of the proportions is-”
Akira listens attentively, happy to see him so cheerful, as he helps get everything secured. Once they are ready, Yusuke takes the seat and steels the bike before Akira climbs on the back, both feet firmly planted on the wheel’s side nobs as he straightens up. He curses the beat his heart skips the moment he places his hands on Yusuke’s shoulders, and tries to keep his fingers still not to squeeze the soft flesh too much. Yusuke then starts to peddle, making Akira hold on unless he wants to fall down. In order to keep himself somewhat gathered, he decides to strike up a conversation.
“Where were you planning to go?”
“Well, I assumed you’d like to leave your things at Leblanc first,” he replies, taking a turn carefully so the bike doesn’t tilt.
“Actually… Do you think we could stop by the park before Yogen-jaya’s station first?”
Yusuke gives him a quick, confused glance over his shoulder, but simply nods a moment after. “Of course, if you wish.”
The bike ride takes quite a bit, but the two boys don’t lose the opportunity to catch up during that time. When they finally arrive at the park and get off, Morgana shimmies out of his temporary prison, saying he will go the rest of the way by himself; he wants to stretch his legs after being inside the bag for so long, he says, and he’s also missed the city streets. Before turning tail he gives Akira a cocky smirk, letting his caretaker know the third reason why he decides to leave them be. Akira feels a bit embarrassed by it, but he too prefers there isn’t anyone else around for what it’s about to come.
Having rested the bike against a tree, they search for a comfortable patch of grass and sit down on it. The still bright winter sun makes them feel comfortably drowsy as they settle on the spot, and the quiet helps bring the perfect atmosphere to make Yusuke want to pull out his sketchbook. Before he has time to do so, Akira calls for his attention.
“So…” He begins, pulling his bag towards him. “I know we technically already gave you a present, but I have something else for you,” he explains, rummaging through his belongings and trying to find the plush pouch he securely stored on one of the sides, to protect it from being crushed by a kitty butt. Once he finds it, Akira pulls it out and presents it to a surprised looking Yusuke. “The neighbour next door retired while I was here in Tokyo, and she got really into pottery during that time,” he starts, watching how the artist begins to open the bag oh so carefully. “She’s always been very nice to me, and one day as she showed me some of the stuff she made she ended up teaching me the basics, and I kinda learned a thing or two…” As Yusuke begins to pull the object out, Akira looks to the side, hand already twisting the front curls of his bangs. “She was kind enough to let me use her tools, so I tried to make you a little something. I’m not super good at it though, but I thought you might… appreciate it.”
The thing Yusuke holds in his hands could be described as a noodley humanoid with its arms flying about and a carved face formed by orifices of different sizes. It is painted, of course, each part of it stripped, dotted or engraved with a different set of colours. Its utility is to be decided by the creative mind of its owner; Just decoration, to help hold up books, or as a holder for pencils or other objects. It will all depend on Yusuke.
Akira can’t help blushing when he looks at it, feeling like a kid presenting a school craft project to their mother. That is one of the reasons why he didn’t want to give it during the party tomorrow, in front of the rest of their friends. But surely, despite its obvious amateur nature, Yusuke will appreciate a handmade gift way more than a bought one…
And as expected, Akira knows his crush like the palm of his hand.
Yusuke observes the gift for a bit with a slightly agape mouth and wide eyes that begin to shimmer with pooling water. Though still flustered Akira smiles at the sight, because he knows that’s Yusuke’s reaction to being delighted.
“Do you like it?” He asks, a bit more confident now.
Waiting for a verbal answer, Akira jumps out of his skin when suddenly Yusuke goes into what Futaba lovingly calls ‘Yusuke mode’ and simply lunges forward, trapping the other into a death hug.
Akira knows the sun is not strong enough to make his face feel this hot. Still, his arms practically move on their own as he returns the hug, flushing Yusuke close against him. His body and mind get overtaken with a pleasant tingle, all senses focusing on the slight warm coming from the thin body in his arms, the feel of silky hair brushing his cheek, and the faint smell of cheap vanilla soap.
“Akira… Thank you so very much,” says the artist, voice muffled against the thief’s shoulder.
Akira chuckles, and even though he’s worried the other may feel the way his chest thrums, he squeezes him a bit harder. “Happy birthday, Yusuke.”