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Rukawa likes to collect Sakuragi’s shirts.
Despite being one year into their relationship, he’s never outwardly requested it and Sakuragi has never seemed to question it, either.
Essentially, it was like a silent agreement between the two; whatever shirt Sakuragi leaves in the gym locker room (and Rukawa’s room), Rukawa keeps.
“I think I know what to get Hanamichi for his birthday,” he heard Mito say.
Rukawa rarely has lunch in the cafeteria, neither does Sakuragi’s goons, matter of fact, but today he decided to pay the cafe an annual visit, not because he heard his boyfriend was coming down to join his friends later, of course.
“Oh! I was gonna get him a cake, so you better not get that.” Takamiya, he believes that was his name, replies.
He looks at the remaining two goons, Noma and Ohkusu? , who didn’t seem like they had gifts prepared yet. He wonders what Mito has planned though, because he too, has something planned for Sakuragi; and he wants it to be better than whatever his partner’s best friend has in store.
“Clothes, or just shirts really.”
“Huh?” The goons collectively respond.
“I got a peek of his closet the other day,” Mito started, his hands fiddling with his chopstick. “You guys probably didn’t notice, since you were all caught up with unboxing his new TV, his closet was open. And well, let’s just say there wasn’t much in it.”
“Hanamichi walks around without a shirt most of the time anyway.” Ohkusu remarks, startling Rukawa.
The movement catches Mito’s attention, who turns to look in his direction. Although Rukawa sat with his back facing them, he somehow felt very exposed.
“Well we wouldn’t want him wandering about shirtless in public spaces either, do we?” Mito said, eyes still fixed on Rukawa’s back. He chuckles. “I was thinking of getting him a simple T-shirt. Like the ones he usually wears. God knows where they went though.”
Takamiya snorts. “Probably in the deep pits of his washing machine.”
Rukawa feels the tips of his ears burning. In my room. Some next to my pillow .
“Huh,” Ohkusu curiously rubs his chin. “But if it is true that his shirts are lacking, he could just buy some. He’s been working, like he even got that big ass TV.”
The table behind Rukawa fell silent which made him oddly uncomfortable.
“What’s this about big TVs?” Sakuragi’s voice booms from his right, and Rukawa wonders how he didn’t see the red-head walk in.
He looks up, making eye contact with Sakuragi, and his heart skips a beat.
The other looked at him, eyes mellow and full of love. “Hey,” he softly says, hands instinctively reaching to ruffle his head.
Rukawa was ready to lean into the touch, but Sakuragi’s hand landed on his shoulders instead, reminding both of them they were still out in public.
“What are you doing here, fox?”
Rukawa looks down at his food, huffing. “Idiot.”
Rukawa was in the middle of changing back into his school uniform when Sakuragi walked into the locker room, forehead lathered in sweat. The red-head pulls the end of his tank top to wipe off some of the sweat on his face, which didn’t really do much.
“You should shower before heading back,” Rukawa says, buttoning his shirt back up.
“Have you?”
Rukawa briefly stops, before continuing with his last two buttons. “Just got out.”
“Mhmm,” Sakuragi hums, pulling his top over his head. He throws the shirt over his locker door, letting it hang there. He looks around the room to make sure no one was there as he shuffles closer to Rukawa.
“Can I hug you? I kinda stink right now so…”
Rukawa, who has been idly fiddling with his duffle bag (and still facing his locker), halts. He awkwardly scans the area just as Sakuragi had done, and finally faces the other. “Has everyone gone home?”
“All the second and third years vanished. The first years insisted on staying back to practice a little more and clean up,” he smiles. “It’ll be a quick one, promise.”
Rukawa purses his lips, skeptical. “That’s what you said two nights ago.”
Startled, Sakuragi blushes at the memory, eyes trailing around out of embarrassment. “Ugh, whatever, I’m gonna hug you now.”
Feeling bashful, Rukawa looks away, his arms opening to invite the other in. At this point Sakuragi has grown to be the taller man between them, and his head fits right into the crook of his neck. He inhales the scent he’s grown to love so dearly, letting his eyes flutter shut.
Sakuragi buries his nose into Rukawa’s hair, inhaling the familiar smell of sakura scented shampoo. “I have to cover a shift tonight so you don’t have to come over.”
Rukawa tenses in his arms, and Sakuragi smiles. His hand gently strokes the other’s back, a sign of reassurance. “I know I promised to watch tonight’s match with you, so I feel really shitty about it. But it seemed pretty urgent. The kid never calls in for absence.”
The two stood there hugging for a little more, before reluctantly pulling away. “If everything’s clear we can watch a replay tomorrow, how about that? I’ll call off the celebration if you want. We’ll just celebrate together, the two of us.”
Right, they arranged a birthday party. His friends . Rukawa shakes his head no. “It’s fine. We can watch it the next day. You were looking forward to it.”
Sakuragi grins, his face soft. He once again looks behind him to make sure no one was at the door before gently grabbing Rukawa’s face to capture his lips, giving him a soft kiss. “Love you Kaede. Though we've celebrated most of my birthdays together anyway, I wouldn’t mind celebrating with just you this year.”
He shakes his head again, this time a firm look plastered on his face. “No. We have more years ahead to celebrate together. Don’t leave your friends hanging. They probably have something planned.”
Surprised by Rukawa’s remark, Sakuragi’s face turns red for the second time that evening. “You’re making it difficult for me to fill in that kid’s slot tonight you know.” He ruffles his head. “I should really go shower now. See you Sunday?”
Rukawa smiles. “Sunday.”
Just as he was about to leave the locker room, Rukawa pondered if he should grab the tank top hanging by Sakuragi’s locker door, as he usually would. But as he reaches for it, he recalls Mito’s conversation from earlier during lunch break, and decides against it.
That night and the night after, Rukawa slept on his bed, face buried in one of Sakuragi’s shirts; something he's accustomed to doing whenever he’s not spending the night with his lover.
When Sunday came around, the pair had agreed to meet at their local McDonald’s before heading over to Sakuragi’s place for a mini belated celebration. Rukawa had arrived earlier than their agreed time, but luckily the place wasn’t too crowded, so he was able to wait more comfortably.
He looks into the paper bag, which has the gift he has prepared for Sakuragi. Truth was, he had had it prepared way before he overheard Mito’s plan for his boyfriend, and he was a little nervous at first that it may overcrown his pick; but after knowing what Mito had prepared, he felt a little smug at the knowledge that he has the better gift.
He waits around for a few more minutes when he sees Sakuragi and Mito approaching the entrance. Mito was the first to catch sight of Rukawa, and he gave him a knowing smile.
Rukawa’s brows furrowed in confusion.
When Sakuragi, who was interestingly dressed in an oversized hoodie, finally saw Rukawa sitting at the back of the McDonald’s, he momentarily panicked, eyes trailing back and forth from his boyfriend to Mito who was already picking his order on the kiosk in front of him.
Rukawa simply shrugs in response, until he realizes that Sakuragi was also early, and that they actually had 15 minutes left to spare before their date was supposed to start.
When Mito was done, he walked over to his table, leaving Sakuragi behind to order at the kiosk.
“Didn’t expect to see you here.”
Rukawa looks at him, unsure on how to respond.
Mito laughs. “We stayed over at my place to throw Hanamichi a birthday party. It was probably the biggest one yet, since everyone actually brought gifts this time around.” His eyes trailed to the paper bag next to Rukawa.
Still quiet, Rukawa looks around, eventually resting his eyes on Sakuragi’s broad back, who was still picking out his order.
“I only thought of getting two or three shirts, but after much consideration I thought of getting him a hoodie, too. Like that would be far more beneficial,” he chuckles, which intrigued Rukawa, who turned back to look at Mito. “Oh and it’s stylish. Well, my order’s almost done, so I’m gonna go grab that and leave. Have fun.”
He watches as Mito grabs his order, who then goes over to Sakuragi, likely bidding him a goodbye, as he steps out of the restaurant with a seemingly sinister smile on his face.
His eyes then followed Sakuragi’s figure, who was now heading to their table with a tray full of food in hand.
“That’s a lot.”
“I got some for you too.”
Rukawa’s heart thumped when he saw the shrimp burger on the tray. Something about Sakuragi remembering his favorite menu felt terribly endearing to him, especially since they rarely eat McDonald’s together.
“Are you hungry?”
Sakuragi pouts, which is really just the face he usually makes when thinking. “Not really. I told Mito earlier I was coming here to grab food before heading back home, and he insisted on following me, so I kinda regret telling him about my whereabouts. Should’ve just told him I was going home after. Luckily he’s only here for takeaway; got stuff to deal with at home.”
Rukawa hums in response. He pushes the paper bag over to Sakuragi, and mumbles a quiet happy belated birthday.
Sakuragi grins. “Can I open this now?”
“Sure, but you’re probably gonna have to inspect it at home. It’s a bit of a hassle to try on here.”
“Try on?” Sakuragi peeks into the bag. “What the fuck? You bought me shoes?”
“Well your last pair is starting to wear off. I don’t know how hard you drill those shoes into the ground because I’ve had mine for years and they’re still fine. But they’re the same model, slightly different colors, though.”
“You could get me the exact same one and I’d still kiss you stupid. These are damn expensive too!”
Rukawa’s lips stretched into a small smile. “Mito told me he bought you that,” he gestures his head to the hoodie.
“Yeah! Didn’t realize I never had a hoodie until he gave me it. Do you like it?”
Rukawa eyes the hoodie and thinks about how comfortable it’d be to be in them, surrounded by Sakuragi’s scent. “You suit it. You should get more.”
“I probably should.”
As they dig into their meal, Rukawa couldn’t help but think that perhaps Mito had beat him to getting the better gift (despite the other being clueless to Rukawa’s one-sided competition).
He thinks about their conversation from earlier and nearly spat out his meal at a sudden realization.
As reluctant as he was to admit it, it seems Mito had won this round of ‘the best birthday present’ by giving Sakuragi the hoodie.
Since at the end of the day, it’d be Rukawa who wears it.