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Rules are important.
Kaoru might go further and declare rules, or rather his rules are a necessity. Kaoru's rules are simple. Nobody’s allowed to interact with Carla. . . Well, save for one person. Few are privy to that knowledge save for the gorilla, who found his notepad detailing her next upgrades that only he could do.
Kaoru’s other rule, one the whole group observes? Zero can interrupt the weekend luncheon. Unless one is extremely sick, it's expected that parties will be in attendance. Kojiro chooses the restaurants. Sia la Luce would work fine. They've sampled his work, though, and he’s insistent on helping new businesses. He and Ainosuke know everyone, and could easily choose whatever upscale place is available.
Privacy is preferred, though.
Today, it’s a little café owned by an older woman and her girlfriend. Ainosuke compliments her whenever she comes by. He's thrilled to receive a genuine smile and insistence that he pair the cake with this coffee. He's a normal man here rather than some politician. Kaoru watches the woman with a smile. She's gushing over Kojiro, asking Ainosuke whether he knows that his friend has been such a help.
Usually, he would intervene. Too much attention from older women can be overwhelming for him, and throw him back into that awful uncomfortable space. Ainosuke is doing better, though. They've helped him move and the place is smaller than he's ever had. Whenever he smiles? It's a genuine one. Even now, though it’s rare, the four have uninterrupted time together. Rare as the time is? It’s easily among his favorite things.
Everyone can relax. Whenever the group is distracted? It allows him the chance to
pine over
observe Tadashi.
Tadashi's the brave one, willing to sample something new on every outing. It’s a slow, careful process. Tadashi chews on his lower lip, thumb brushing over the mole below his eye.
Today, he’s sampling a matcha cheesecake with a blueberry swirl. Everyone else is already done, and he's working on his food, his coffee largely untouched. He prefers to go slowly, savoring every little bite. It's a personal goal for him to determine the recipe based on one meal. He's never been successful, unfortunately, though it’s fun to watch his facial expressions change as he tries to pick through the ingredients.
Cheesecake is smeared across his mouth and it’s funny.
Was he anyone else? Kaoru would be annoyed with the slow meal and uncaring attitude in regards to having food on one’s face. The napkin he would shove toward anyone else is crumpled in his hand. Kaoru loves watching him enjoy. It's such a mundane thing: food and coffee. Yet, he behaves as though it's something special, even attempting to gather up the crumbs.
Maybe, he's watching too closely. That, or someone has been attempting to rope him into a conversation, and he’s been unwittingly ignoring them. Ainosuke delivers a painful kick to his shin, smiling pretty beneath Kaoru’s scowl. The smile is nearly devilish when he motions for the owner to come closer.
“Ma’am? I hate being a bother. . .” He gestures toward Tadashi, who is unaware of the situation he's being pulled into. “The poor man is too shy to ask. Would you be willing to share that lovely cheesecake recipe with him?”
Her smile is broad. She shrieks and claps her hands over her mouth, mortified. Her shame dissolves, though as she begins dragging Tadashi away.
“I’ve been messing with the recipe. My poor girlfriend swears I found the right recipe. I think she's being nice, you know considering that we’re dating.
Is he imagining things? He could swear Ainosuke is smirking and signaling that dopey gorilla to do something. Kojiro rises with an exaggerated huff.
“I'll go and supervise. I know she means well. . . If you love a dish, though? You’ll be there the whole day, sampling things for her. . .”
Well, he knows for sure now: Ainsokue’s plotting something. Kaoru tries to brace for whatever mess will be dropped on him. It has to be something bad based on the smile.
“Soneone’s crushing. . .”
Even a non-sentient rock could determine that. Ainosuke uses a sing-song tone, though, a smile growing when he chokes on his water.
“Teenagers have crushes!” Kaoru seethed, attempting to keep down a cough. “I don’t have a crush.”
The smirk dissolves. He hates the man for a second. Ainosuke is easier to communicate with when he's cocky. The concerned, gentle gaze has him squirming.
“Some rules can bend. Theres far worse things in the world than crushing on a friend.”
Rules are necessary. The number one rule, one he's managed to maintain up to now? Never develop feelings for a friend. It’s embarrassing; he doesn't have some fantastic backstory for the rule. Translation: no one ever dumped him. Crushes are simple. Doing something with them is frightening. You build a whole world together and make a plan for the future. Something inevitably happens and it's gone.
“I’ll never reveal a thing.” He leans forward, smiling. “I do urge you to confess, though. You might be oblivious to it. . . He returns the feelings, though. Now. . . I can help.”
“Do I have a choice in being helped?”
Ainosuke is already writing down a list for him.
-x-
Gardens are a common love between them. Unfortunately, during his attempts to create and maintain a garden? Hiromi tried to help, too with the effort, giving him a low-maintenance cactus that required high sunlight and low water. The poor thing passed in a month, confirming to the world that Kaoru has a poisonous touch.
It leaves Hiromi, or rather Tulip, as his hope when it comes to preparing a bouquet. Obnoxious as he might be, Hiromi’s skilled when it comes to gardening and creating beautiful things. Kaoru watches him, Hitomi’s patience is unwavering as he tries trimming a rose. Carla researched for Kaoru, the right thing to give Tadashi.
Roses are a little much. Everything Carla dug up? The language was love. Perhaps, something less vocal would be the right choice. Researching now would devour precious minutes; he's already running behind for a meeting with a client.
Kaoru decides on the logical thing: interrupt Hiromi’s delicate work and demand a suggestion. It’s a dangerous move, he nearly removes a petal. Hiromi’s brow twitches and he's desperately attempting to keep in control, although Kaoru can detect his ‘Shadow’ voice snaking through.
“Morning! Can I help you find something?”
“I need a recommendation. I need to communicate that. . . I have feelings for them. Roses are too strong, though.”
Hiromi’s expression is. . . Well, it shuffles through several reactions in mere seconds. A delighted smugness has him practically glowing. Whether he eager to showcase his knowledge or impressed by Kaoru’s lack of knowledge in the area? It’s difficult to decide.
Hiromi reaches beneath the counter and grabs a dictionary thick book. Its spine creaks as he opens the cover, its pages wrinkled and threatening to shred whenever he peels them apart.
“Gardenias could work. They can communicate untold love or secretive love. It can also mean renewal, clarity, or hope among other things. Should I include a card. . . Or?”
“I think those would do. A small bouquet of Gardenias then. . .” Kaoru looks over the worn book. “I want the meaning included.”
What could go wrong? Given his luck in love, the whole thing can go wrong. Some stranger will receive his order and believe there's some obsessed man looking for them. Hiromi will attach the wrong note, or worse. . . He completely forgets the order.
Here are the ‘good’ things. Hiromi remembers to attach a note, detailing the care and who gave them. He even receives a text, which is where everything goes wrong.
🐍: Thank you for the seeds. I look forward to planting them.
🌷: Sorry. . . There was a huge order requiring our Gardenias. I did the next best thing, right? Right?
He turns off his read receipts and goes with Carla for a long, long uninterrupted skate.
-x-
Things continue on and his humiliation manages to shrink. Kaoru wakes up to messages with new details on his miniature garden.
The progress is slow and he's tempted to ask where he manages to summon the patience. Kaoru would ask him if he could reach for his phone. Clearly, he's done something wrong. He manages to shrink his humiliation around the Gardenia seeds and in return? Kaoru’s sick.
It's rare for him to even come down with sniffles, and a splitting pain crawls between his eyes and curls around his temple. Carla tries to help. Her suggestions involve moving, though and his whole body threatens him with unconsciousness should he attempt it. Kaoru whimpers, a pathetic noise as new pain goes across his forehead.
“Continue to lie down. . .” Her voice is barely above a whisper. “Shall I order some medicine?”
“No. . .” His voice is a weak croak. “Just don’t turn on the lights and allow me to sleep.”
Carla allows him some rest for maybe a minute. Then, her voice is there again. “I apologize for the inconvenience; someone is here. Shall I ask him to leave?”
Damn the gorilla. . . He's determined to drop off food whenever someone’s sick. It was a dumb decision to text the group last night and announce he would be staying home, blaming his impending illness. He waves his hand dismissively and gives Carla permission to open the door. Except its not Kijiro’s thunking steps nor Ainosuke’s light tapping.
There's a nervousness to it, some uncertainty that's never been shaken based on the step. . . Pause. . . Step. . . Pause.
Is he imagining things? Well, it's far more reasonable that he’s suffering some pain-induced hallucinations. Is there another reason for Tadashi to be setting things on his nightstand? Medicine and coffee from the café, glorious caffeine promising to maybe remove the edge from his migraine.
“I have some things for you.”
He drops a couple of pills into Kaoru’s hand along with a water bottle. He’d much rather have the coffee, sitting there on his nightstand taunting him.
“Caffeine can come next. I’ll grab an ice pack; it helps me whenever I suffer a migraine.”
People never come into his room or his house, and it's strange having someone else around. It's a little embarrassing to realize. He can easily recall Sia La Luce’s coloring and its smell based on the day’s special. With a little effort, he could perhaps draw Ainosuke or Tadashi’s living room; the two love having a ‘normal’ life now, and that involves him and Kojiro coming over post-luncheon. He tries to remember the living room as he dutifully, perhaps with a little reluctance gulps down his medicine and water.
“You've never been a liar and I want to know. Am I making you miss the luncheon?”
He tiptoes back into the room with ice packs in hand and mild disgust on his face. “I think the freezer could use a deep clean. I offered to come over, though. I wanted to check on you. . . It was a little difficult, too, dealing with Kojiro and Ainosuke sneaking the other looks between bites.”
It feels, for a second, as though he's back in grade school and realizing he feels something bigger than friendship for a male classmate.
Warmth crawls up through his toes and grows bigger. Red spills through his cheeks and a comfortable fuzziness lies in his chest. Tadashi’s own face turns a lovely crimson, a little tremble in his fingers as he begins lying down the ice packs across Kaorus's forehead and neck. Tadashi’s fingers linger on his cheek a second too long, though, the callouses burning his skin. Kaoru’s tempted to ask him or even beg him to hang on a second longer. It’s too late, though. He's pulling back, leaving Kaoru with tingling skin and a heartbeat going hummingbird fast.
“I’ll grab another water.” He offers and then and there, he decides to rush ahead.
Fear boils in him; he's scared. He's so damn scared to receive the answer.
Kaoru decides to rush ahead and do the completely right thing, rejection and fear boiling in him be damned.
“Carla could use some upgrading. I usually manage her care. . .” Kaoru gauges his expression. “You're better than I am with the more advanced upgrades. I would never place her in someone else’s care.”
“I’ll work on her under one rule. I ask that you come over and help with the Gardenias. I wanted someone to garden with. One more thing: I’ll work on Carla should you wake up and still have that feeling.”
It's too difficult to argue. Tadashi’s fixing up his comforter and promising to bring more water later. Kaoru gives into glorious, deserved sleep as Tadashi watches, smiling on his lips.
-x-
Some things work between them.
Some things are a little too difficult.
Carla receives her upgrades and he's forced to undergo a week-long recovery. Well. . . He feels better on the second day and recovered on the third, managing to shake the migraine fog and feeling somewhat prepared to resume being a contributing member of society again. No one save for Tadashi needs to know that, though and the two indulge in relaxing together, splayed across the couch and reading.
Tadashi’s determined to fix Kaoru's poor relationship with gardening and kisses every little wound he manages to get while working. Kaoru watches him lie down kisses and asks, with his abdomen rolling nervously.
“Tomorrow. . . What are we going to tell them? You know Ainosuke and the damned gorilla will be demanding answers.”
They deserve to know, having suffered through the ceaseless pining and his unfortunate efforts. He gives Kaoru another kiss, on his palm and smirks.
“We can share. . . Once those two get together.”