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It was a crush, just a crush. Little Ainosuke clutched his chest tightly as Tadashi’s face flashed in his mind. His gentle smile, his demure demeanor, his ever lasting kindness. Ainosuke was smitten with the older boy.
He tried to talk himself out of the crush. He tried so so hard, everytime he could convince himself Tadashi wasn’t an Angel in human form, Tadashi ended up doing something even cuter. Ainosuke was so head over heels.
Ainosuke decided, he loved his friendship with Tadashi too much to ever confess. He loved what they had. He loved the afternoons after school just skating. He loved sharing snacks that Tadashi snuck him from the convenience store by his school.
One morning, Tadashi asked him to follow him into the rose garden. The morning light casting a gentle glow onto the myriad of roses. The roses were also kissed in a sweet smelling morning dew. Song birds sung in the distance. It felt like Eden from the Bible stories Ainosuke was forced to read by his aunts.
As he met Tadashi, Tadashi gently reached for his hand, holding him close.
“Ainosuke-sama.” Tadashi said, his voice sounding like how Ainosuke felt when he had konpeito for the first time. Sweet.
“My father told me that roses first thing in the morning are the best. I saw them the other morning, and I was so blown away by them I needed to share with you. Aren’t they wonderful, Ainosuke-sama?”
Ainosuke was speechless. He never knew that the garden that Tadashi’s father cultivated would be the final thing to push him into confessing, but here he was, squeezing Tadashi’s hand.
“Hey, Tadashi.”
Tadashi looked at him with a puzzled expression hut then gave him one of his signature Tadashi smiles, he had Tadashi’s undivided attention.
“You may speak, Ainosuke-sama.”
“You’re the most wonderful person in the world. Thank you so much for sharing your love- your love of flowers with me.”
Ainosuke had chickened out, he felt defeated. But at least he could say something that he knew wouldn’t upset Tadashi.
Tadashi let out a small chuckle, and tilted Ainosuke’s chin with his hand. It was chaste, barely there, but Ainosuke felt Tadashi’s lips brush against his cheek.
“When we are older. Let’s return to this spot, and see how our feelings have changed, okay?”
Ainosuke broke out of his grasp, and ran off. He felt like crying. He wasn’t rejected, if anything, that felt like a confession. He was determined to make sure that Tadashi’s feelings for him were still there when they were ready.