Archive of Our Own ^beta

  Enji speed-walked over to the large display case, almost skipping. Toshinori followed close behind. For once Enji is smiling, a genuine one. He gestured to the trophies. Rambling on about how hard he studied. But Toshinori knew he wasn't trying to brag, at least not fully, he was just proud.

Enji had a lot of medals and trophies for a first year. One that he took a particular interest in was his combat medals. Embers flickered on his face and shoulders, practically floating on air. Yet there was one particular thing Enji really liked. Golden Trumpet trees, he had a lot of pictures of them in his room.

"Ahh... That's a Golden Trumpet tree. They're very beautiful." Enji muttered.

"You think so? I think so too!" Honestly, it Toshinori's first time seeing or hearing about them. "How did you find out about them?"

"I don't think they're beautiful, I know they're beautiful. It's a fact." Enji scoffed, face scrunched up as he smacked Toshinori over the back of his head.

"I see, why don't you get one?" Toshinori asked, rubbing the back of his head and chuckling nervously.

"They're like thirty dollars for some seeds, you dumbass!" Enji barked, hair flaming.

"And I don't want to wait five years for it to grow properly, not to mention a full grown tree goes for over two-hundred dollars!"

Jesus, that's a lot, just for a few seeds too? And Enji is too impatient to wait and get the cheaper option...

Toshinori would give Enji his seed for free. But that was besides the point... Wait, why don't Enji's parents just get him it? Toshinori turned around, opening his mouth to ask.

"And, no. My parents won't get it for me." Enji immediately closed down Toshinori's opportunity to speak.

Toshinori just nodded, turning his attention to the bed, yellow and orange checkers, turning into a gradient of red. Toshinori smiled, he thought Enji was more of a 'I only need the basic necessities, anything else is undeserved' type of guy.

The bed was full of a little too many bright and colorful things to be deemed normal, especially for someone like Enji. But he wouldn't judge, it is kind of cute the more he thought about it.

The bed consisted of a long, yellow and white cat pillow, another cat plushie, and a small strangely patterned blanket rolled in the corner. The blanket consisted mostly of triangles, squares, and zigzags...

Toshinori ran over, rolling onto the tall bed, it nearly went to his hips.

"Hey! Careful bird brain!" Enji shouted, running over and trying to grab the heavy man by his shirt.

"What type of blanket is this?" Toshinori grabbed the fuzzy fabric. Snuggling the blanket as it smelled strongly of Enji.

"It's a Navajo blanket, now get off my bed!"

Toshinori tried to ask what that was– only to be shushed by Enji again. Enji tried (and failed) to lift the nearly 190lb man, one arm hooked behind his neck, and the other behind both knees.

"Y'know, you should work on your lifting form–" Toshinori grinned "or else you can't pick heavy things up properly!" As soon as Enji lifted him up off the bed just a little bit, Toshinori went limp, dead weight immediately making Enji drop him with his arms still trapped.

"You asshole!" Enji growled, finally able to move his arms out from underneath the blond, who laid back triumphantly. Enji wondered who the hell Toshinori thought he was, messing up Enji's bed like he owned it. Enji ignored the other scenario in his head where Toshinori messed up his bedding in a different way.

Toshinori grabbed Enji, pulling the redhead onto the bed with him. Enji gasped, it was very much like Toshinori to manhandle him, but it still shocked the flame-wielder whenever he did. Enji decided to save himself from more embarrassment, every single time he did this– Enji would get mad and start stuttering.

Except Toshinori didn't make fun of him, only giving him a bright smile, cuddling him. Enji knew he could easily twist out of the other's grasp, and burn him if he really wanted, but he sort of... Enjoyed it.

Enji let himself indulge in the comfort of another person's warmth, even if it is another man. He can enjoy this while it lasts, knowing he had an arranged marriage with some girl who had an ice quirk. Enji shivered imagining the discomfort.

Strong arms wrapped around him squeezed him tighter, earnest blue eyes staring at him intensely.

"Sorry, you're just too cute." Toshinori whispered, throwing the patterned blanket over Enji.

  Enji narrowed his eyes, looking at the two matching rocks, standing out in the dirt. They were two beautiful, lightly colored, oddly smooth rocks that stood out amongst the rest. The redhead leaned over, grabbing both rocks and speed-walking the other direction, abandoning his original path.

The redhead rushed to the blond's house, determined to give him the gift, completely ignoring his original plan to get milk at the grocery store.

He'll just steal some of Toshinori's milk–

And that's because Toshinori has plenty in his fridge, last time Enji checked at least. He had at least three jugs. Since him and Enji needed the benefits milk gave, and Toshinori could share at least one.

And... Enji would just like to see him today.

Enji huffed, running into Toshinori's yard and onto the porch, hurriedly knocking on the door. Enji tapped his foot impatiently, giving a cursory glance at a few seed packets on a table in the corner.

The redhead whined, knocking again, harsher this time. He made such pitiful noises, yet the scowl on his face was the polar opposite of pitiful in most contexts.

The door opened seconds later, creaking as it revealed an unusually disheveled Toshinori, though the near perfect man still owned the look, Enji wasn't going to lie to himself and say the other man didn't look good.

"A- Sorry! Didn't expect visitors at... Five in the morning?" Toshinori looked at a clock beside him, startled as he realized the time.

"Why are you up so early...?" Toshinori looked back at Enji with wide eyes, who was seemingly unaffected by the early time.

"I haven't gone to bed yet. And I need milk.." Enji deadpanned, shoving Toshinori out of the doorway, walking into the house and taking off his shoes, heading to the kitchen as a confused Toshinori followed him. Enji stopped in the middle of the kitchen, turning around and giving the rocks to the taller man forcefully.

Toshinori examined them for a minute, before grinning from ear to ear, blushing.

"Thank you, Enji!" The blond held them close, pulling Enji into a bear hug. "They're lovely!" Toshinori didn't question where Enji got them from, just appreciating the gift from the underclassman.

"I also have a gift for you!" Toshinori pulled back a bit from their hug, tilting his head.

Enji looked at him confused, height difference prominent as Toshinori released Enji.

Toshinori held the rocks in his hand gently, signalling for Enji to follow. Enji followed Toshinori eagerly to the front door, curiosity growing.

Toshinori giggled, opening the door and stumbling a little bit, probably due to lack of sleep. Enji doubted Toshinori's ability to get drunk, since he had a higher metabolism than most. Toshinori walked to the corner of the porch, pulling a specific seed packet off the table.

Enji's eyes widened, eyeing the golden trumpet tree seed packet.

"Why did you– you didn't have to–" Enji stumbled over his words, smile widening against his will. His face heated, he should've hated showing his emotions to Toshinori. But he didn't hate it, he actually... Liked showing his emotions to him. Toshinori never judged him for it.

Enji grinned from ear to ear, he just barely resisted the urge to grab at his own face, hands twitching, wrists hitting together repeatedly. Enji resisted the urge to laugh with Toshinori, who pulled him into a hug.

Enji made small involuntary noises, all complete gibberish. Toshinori handed him the packet.

"We can watch it grow together." Toshinori kissed the top of Enji's head, still holding the rocks softly in his hand as if they we're a delicate piece of glass work.

Enji didn't want to ruin the moment by telling him about the arranged marriage, it was an issue they could work out later.