Work Text:
Honestly, what was she going to do with him? Maki wasn't sure what the answer was as she walked up to Toge's house, unlatching the gate latch and pushing it open with little effort. They were supposed to be at the mall 20 minutes ago to meet Megumi and Nobara, but Toge, as usual, wasn't picking up Maki's FaceTime calls. She knew where he was, stuffed inside his house, being antisocial as usual and hiding under his comforter. Honestly, Maki felt more like his mom than his friend most of the time. "Toge! Get your butt out here!" Maki yelled, pressing the doorbell multiple times and pounding her first against the black door. "Toge!"
Cursing under her breath, Maki grumbled and dug through the flower pot, looking for the key Toge usually left there. When she didn't find the key, Maki huffed and headed to the back gate. He probably lost his house key again , Maki sighed. It was true. Toge had a bad habit of misplacing his house keys. So it would be no surprise to Maki if Toge used his spare until he got a new house key made. The sudden barking behind the back gate pulled Maki from her thoughts as she peered over the wood gate, watching the white Chow Chow dog bark. "It's just me, Panda. Calm down," Maki sighed, unlatching the gate and pushing it open. The dog, Panda, quit barking when he realized it was Maki and began whining, pawing at her leg as his fluffy tail wagged uncontrollably. "I'm happy to see you too, Panda," Maki spoke, kneeling and laughing when a purple tongue licked over her face. "Okay, okay! Stop, you're getting slobber all over me!" Maki cried, trying to push the Chow Chow away.
When Maki finally got away from Panda, she wasn't surprised to find the back door unlocked. Even if Panda wasn't outside, Toge usually left it unlocked, claiming no one would try to break in. Well, except for Maki. Grabbing the handle, Maki slid the sliding door open and took off her shoes before stepping inside, hooking her fingers around the counter of her sneakers and setting them inside the shoe cubby by the door. "Wanna come in?" Maki asked, glancing at Panda, who happily trotted inside the small two-bedroom home with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, not a care in the world behind those big brown eyes. Sliding the door shut behind her, Maki glanced around, not surprised by the plentiful pile of unclean dishes in Toge's kitchen sink or the full laundry hamper in his laundry room. If Maki hadn't been on a tight schedule, she'd do the dishes for Toge and tell him to get his damn laundry done, but she had places to go. "Toge!" Maki called, walking through the small space and heading down the hall. Panda followed behind her, far too happy for his good as the tags on his black leather collar jingled with each step. Stopping at Toge's bedroom door, Maki shoved the door open, having no shame if she walked in on Toge butt naked. But as she expected, she found the room messy, with random segments of clothes lying around the wood floor, open chip bags, and empty mugs on the desk. "Jesus fuck, Toge. When was the last time you cleaned?" Maki sighed, gold eyes scanning the room before stopping at the lump under the white comforter on the small bed. "Come on, get up," Maki spat, smacking the lump and hearing Toge's frustrated groan. "We have to leave. Hurry up and go brush your teeth," Maki demanded, playing tug of war with Toge over the comforter before pulling him out of bed by the ankles. As Toge yawned, wobbling out of the bedroom and into the bathroom across the hall, Maki went through his closet, pulling out a decent outfit with a small inventory of options because most of Toge's clothes were in his hamper, begging for a wash.
While Toge brushed his teeth and fixed his mess of hair, Maki cleaned up the empty bag of chips, throwing them away in the unused trash bin under the desk and headed to the kitchen with the mugs, adding them to the overflowing mountain of dished in Toge's sink. Hearing Panda's collar, Maki glanced behind her, watching Panda follow a fresh Toge into the kitchen. "Did you forget we are going to the mall today?" Maki huffed, pointing to the pink and green Callander with cute red pandas above the fake plant beside the fridge. Shaking his head, Toge glanced at the Callander and moved his hands, signing as he answered Maki, "No, I just didn't want to get up."
"You have a lot of nerve. You know that, Toge? Making me bust my ass driving to your house just because your a lazy little shit," Maki grumbled, rolling her eyes at Toge's happy grin as he signed, "At least I know you love me enough to make sure I'm not dead."
"Whatever. Let's go before we keep Megumi and Nobara waiting any longer," Maki scoffed, giving Toge a playful shove as she walked to the door, grabbing her shoes before heading outside.
"There you guys are! We've been waiting here for like an hour!" Nobara yelled from the mall lobby, standing from the plush black chair and waving an arm at Maki and Toge when they entered the mall.
"Sorry! Toge decided he wanted to sleep in," Maki laughed, a smile pulling at her lips as Nobara ran up to them, Megumi following suit with his hands at his sides.
"Typical Toge behavior," Nobara spat, no real venom behind her words.
"What can you expect' he's a hermit," Megumi huffed.
"Oh, Toge! You're outfit is so cute!" Nobara cried, suddenly doing mental gymnastics from the fact Toge was the one who kept her waiting and hyper-focusing on his outfit made up of black baggy pants, white sneakers, and a purple crewneck with a white collar sticking out. "Look at the pins!" She squeaked, forcing Toge to turn around so she could see the adorable rice ball, sushi, and panda pins on his small black backpack. "Oh my goodness, you're so cute!" Laughing as Nobara whined over Toge, Megumi, and Maki headed through the mall, leaving Norbara tugging Toge after them.
The mall was pretty packed since it was a Saturday. Groups of girls and boys running around, classmates and friends meeting up, parents doing their weekend shopping, and children playing and screaming on the indoor playground. Toge didn't like being in such a packed area, preferring the closed walls of his home where he could be lazy and lay around with Panda, but he loved meeting up with his friends when he had the chance, even if they had to drag him out of his house.
The shop lead was Nobara, having the group of four running up and down the mall, bouncing from shop to shop like children on a sugar rush. Every few minutes, Toge felt her hand wrap around his arm, hauling him into store after store. "Oh, look at that shop, Toge!" Nobara smiled, pulling at Toge's sleeve and dragging him to the girly store as Maki and Megumi headed in a different direction to check out another shop, leaving Toge at Nobara's mercy. "Oh my gosh, these are so cute!" Nobara squealed, pulling a pair of pastel pink sweaters with little red strawberries decorating the front in a heart shape. Holding one against Toge's front, Nobara practically shot up like a rocket at blastoff, "We have to get this! It would look so cute on you!"
To say Toge tried on clothes was an understatement. Nobara had him do a whole fashion show as she sat on the plush pink stool in front of the dressing room, clapping her hands and giving her opinion on each outfit she picked for him, judging them from 1-10. It wasn't that Toge didn't mind. It was just that changing into ten different outfits was such a hassle, and Toge found it took a lot of energy out of him. They left the shop with Toge carrying two big bags full of clothes he didn't buy willingly but knew he would wear, even if his wallet cried from the sudden withdrawal of two hundred and fifty dollars.
As Toge and Nobara walked through the mall, marching on without Megumi and Maki, they bounced from a few more stores before Nobara's phone dinged with a text from Megumi. Sliding her screen open, Nobara read the message, typing a quick answer with one thumb, her other hand occupied with a shopping bag full of jewelry and clothes.
Sea Urchin
[2:38] Where are you guys?
Shopaholic
[2:38] We're at Star Moon.
[2:38] Where are you?
Sea Urchin
[2:39] I'm at the food court with Maki. We're by the boba shop. Head over.
Shopaholic
[2:39] Okay! On our way.
[2:40]Don't order without us!
Sea Urchin
[2:40] K.
[2:41] Oh, also. Yuuta is here.
Looking over Nobara's shoulder, Toge glanced at her and signed, "Whose Yuuta?"
"Huh? Oh, that's right! You've never met Yuuta, have you?" Nobara gasped, suddenly aware Toge had no idea who Yuuta was. Furrowing a confused brow, Toge shook his head. "That's alright. You'll meet him soon!" Nobara smiled, grabbing Toge's arm and pulling him through the mall and to the elevator.
As Nobara pressed the down button, Toge felt a sudden surge of anxiety wormed into his stomach when the doors opened, and they stepped inside. Toge had difficulty meeting new people, especially people he didn't know. He wasn't exactly a social butterfly like Maki and Nobara, finding it harder to make friends outside and inside the school. Toge's few friends were Maki, Megumi, Nobara, and his dog, Panda. But Panda wasn't a person, so he didn't count. Also, there's Megumi's roommate/boyfriend(???) Megumi hasn't specified if they're dating, but Maki seems to believe they are), Yuji. Toge wasn't sure if he considered Yuji a friend, not yet, at least. He and Yuji are on a first-name basis, and they are friendly, but Toge only sees him when he stops by Megumi's apartment to hang out. "Toge?" Nobara asked, pulling Toge from his thoughts as she stared at him with wide amber eyes, "You coming?" With a quick nod, Toge stepped out of the elevator, nervously fidgeting with the straps of his backpack with his free hand as they walked through the food court, nearing the table Maki and Megumi sat at in front of the boba shop, but they weren't the only ones there. An unfamiliar man sat with them, dressed in a white t-shirt and black joggers, carrying a black shoulder backpack that sat next to him under his seat. Toge started to feel dizzy with anxiety, and his breath caught in his throat when striking, deep blue eyes turned to him when he neared the table.
Lowering his head, Toge found that the tiled floor was far more interesting, avoiding eye contact with the man. "Toge, Nobara!" Maki smiled, waving them over.
"Hey, guys! Sorry, I went a little overboard," Nobara laughed sheepishly, scratching at her cheek as she glanced at the shopping bags in her hands.
"Overboard? Toge's arms look like they are going to snap," Megumi huffed, rolling his eyes as he watched Toge set down his bags.
As Nobara sat down, she began greeting Yuuta, but they paused, eyes moving to Toge when he didn't sit down. "Toge? Aren't you going to sit?" Maki asked, glancing up at the off-white-haired boy. Suddenly hyperaware that all eyes were on him, including Yuuta's. Toge felt his face heat up with utter embarrassment as he hurried to take a seat, sitting stiffly with his shoulders tensed. "Oh, you've never met Yuuta, huh?" Maki asked, tilting her head as she glanced between Toge and Yuuta. Avoiding eye contact with the latter, Toge awkwardly shook his head. "Okay, well-"
"That's alright, Maki," Yuuta laughed, raising a hand to stop her, and Toge's stomach turned, his mind doing waves of mental gymnastics when he heard the man speak. His voice was so soft with a hint of deepness but lighthearted and sweet. It didn't exactly match his semi-muscular build that had Toge glancing at it a few times. Tilting his head, Yuuta offered Toge a gentle smile as black chin-length hair framed his face, "It's nice to meet you, Toge. I'm Yuuta Okkotsu." Staring with wide violet eyes, Toge didn't even realize he was staring until Yuuta awkwardly laughed, and Maki nudged Toge's side, glaring at him- Oh- He was staring. As his face began to heat up again, Toge averted his gaze and raised his hands, beginning to stiffly sign, "It's nice to meet you, Yuuta."
"You too, Toge," Yuuta smiled, amusement washing over his face when a shocked expression fell onto Toge's face when he realized Yuuta understood sign language.
"Sorry," Maki apologized, bringing a gentle hand to the top of Toge's head and gently ruffling off-white strands, "He's shy around strangers, but I promise he'll warm up to you."
Yuuta's smile warmed, laughing the situation away, "It's alright, I understand."
"Anyway, we're going to go order boba," Maki spoke, standing up after fishing her wallet from her purse. "Do you want anything, Yuuta?"
"Oh- Sure, I'll just have whatever Toge orders," Yuuta shrugged, glancing at Toge. "What do you want, Toge?" Yuuta asked, turning his attention to the man. Feeling his heart race with Yuuta's deep blue eyes on him, Toge dipped his chin down, hiding his flushed face under off-white bangs as he signed with nervous hands, "Peach boba tea with strawberry popping pearls, please."
"Okay. Come on, Nobara, let's go order," Maki smiled, waving Nobara over as they walked to the boba shop with Megumi trailing behind them, leaving Toge alone with Yuuta.
Nervously fiddling with the pins on his backpack in his lap, Toge stared at Maki, who had her back turned to him while she waited in line with Nobara and Megumi, with pleading violet eyes, trying to will her back to the table. Maki was his pillar! When she wasn't with him, Toge felt he was on the brink of a mental panic attack, especially when he was left alone with a stranger! Though he could get up and run over to the group. If he did that, it would draw more attention to him, and he didn't want to come across as rude to Yuuta.
Glancing at the pins on Toge's backpack, Yuuta hummed and spoke, "Do you collect a lot of pins?" Yuuta asked, attempting to make conversation, hoping to fill the awkward tension between him and Toge. Snapping his eyes to Yuuta, Toge internally screamed and cried like a toddler having a meltdown but managed to pull through by the grace of god as he nervously signed, "Just the ones I like."
Short answers , Yuuta mentally noted as he narrowed his eyes at the pins, taking note of the pandas, rice balls, and sushi pins. "You like pandas?" He asked, raising his gaze to meet Toge's eyes. He watched how Toge's brow twitched into a frown but relaxed just as quickly. Yuuta knew Toge was nervous and probably introverted before Maki even told him, and he didn't want to cause Toge any social discomfort, but he wanted to learn more about him.
"Yes."
Before Yuuta even met Toge, his interest in the young man peaked when Maki mentioned Toge one night when he, Maki, and Megumi were at Megumi's for game night with Yuji. She said Toge was mute, having a medical condition that made speaking difficult, so he used sign language, but when he did talk, he only said things like names. Truthfully, Yuuta had been excited to meet Toge when he ran into Maki and Megumi at the food court. He had a mental image of what the young man could have looked like, but Yuuta didn't expect him to be so- cute. Toge's shyness only added to it, too. And Yuuta's heart did a series of flips when those soft violet eyes glanced his way. "Maki told me you have a dog named Panda. Does he look like one?" Yuuta asked, leaning into the table, watching how Toge's tense shoulders sagged. Had he finally hit a topic Toge was okay with talking about?
"No, but sometimes I think of dying his fur to make him look like one," Toge signed, lips parting with shock when Yuuta laughed.
"Aw, that would be so cute," Yuuta smiled.
"What about you? Do you have pets?" Toge asked, becoming a little more confident with each sign.
"I have a cat named Rika. She's honestly a handful, but she's sweet once she warms up to you," Yuuta hummed, pulling out his phone and unlocking it before holding it out for Toge to see the picture of the small black cat in Yuuta's lap.
"She's cute. Is she a kitten?" Toge offered.
"No, surprisingly," Yuuta shrugged, putting his phone away, "I think she's the runt of her litter." He explained, watching Toge nod. "What about Panda? What does he look like?" Watching Toge dig for his phone, Yuuta admired his side profile, but before Toge could pull out his phone, Maki and the others returned with the drinks. "Okay! Here we go," Maki smiled, passing the cold beverages around.
While Megumi and Maki made conversation with Yuuta and Nobara, the picture of Panda was forgotten, and Toge sat quietly, sipping his boba and listening in on the conversation.
It wasn't till later that night, when Yuuta returned home to Rika's excited meowing, that he realized he forgot to get Toge's number. "Damn..." Yuuta frowned, staring into the white cat-shaped bowl, digging the soft food out of the can for Rika. "I wonder if Maki would pass it on to me?" Yuuta hummed, she probably wouldn't mind, but she'd tease him. Call it his consequence for forgetting to ask, but he wanted to see Toge again.
Rika's loud meowing pulled Yuuta from his thoughts as he glanced down at the small black cat, who pawed at his leg. "Alright, jeez," Yuuta laughed, walking to the pink mat where Rika's water bowl sat, and bent down, ignoring the pop in his knees as he placed the bowl of wet food down, watching Rika hurry to eat. Rubbing Rika's head, Yuuta stood up and walked to his bedroom to get his phone, leaving Rika alone with her meal.
Walking into his room, Yuuta unplugged his phone from the charge and fell onto his bed, shoving an arm under his head as he unlocked his phone and texted Maki.
Eye Bags
[8:15] Sorry to bug you so late, but could I get Toge's number? I meant to ask him but forgot.
Queen Maki
[8:17] Why? Are you trying to hit on him? 🤔😏
Eye Bags
[8:17] No!
[8:17] I mean...
[8:18] Come on, give me his number!
[8:18] Please! 🙏🙏🙏
Queen Maki
[8:19] Bros down bad hard.
[8:20] Fine, here.
[8:21] Make good use of it, you simp. 😏
Eye Bags
[8:22] I'm not a simp!
Queen Maki
[8:22] And I'm the queen of Japan.
Eye Bags
[8:23] Stop!
Rolling over on his side, Yuuta ignored Maki's teasing messages and made a new contact for Toge, deciding to make his profile a panda until he got a picture of his face. Opening the chat, Yuuta knew what he wanted to say, but he hesitated, thumber hovering above the keyboard on the phone screen as he tried to figure out how to word it. He didn't want to scare Toge off or seem pushy and demanding. After a few moments of pure silence, Yuuta began typing, wondering if Toge would even answer.
???
[8:40] Hi, it's Yuuta. Sorry for bothering you so late, but Maki gave me your number. It was nice seeing you today. I had a lot of fun. Would you like to visit the cafe near my house sometime this week? There's a park nearby so you could bring Panda, too. But only if you want to. Let me know.
Staring at his message, Yuuta suddenly felt anxiety pool in his stomach as he shut off his phone, laying on his back and throwing an arm over his eyes as his face heated up, "Ugh, Okkotsu, you idiot," Yuuta grumbled and chewed at his bottom lip, "Maybe Maki's right... Maybe I am a fucking simp." Breathing in, Yuuta sighed and stared at his ceiling once he moved his arm. Thoughts of Toge flooded his mind, images of the young man sitting at the mall table, head dipped and red face hidden as he awkwardly signed. Dragging a heavy hand down his face, Yuuta screwed his eyes shut, swatting away the imaginary thought bubbles of Toge.
Hearing a soft meow, Yuuta cracked open an eye, watching Rika climb onto his body before resting on his chest as soft purrs began leaving her body. "What am I going to do, Rika?" Yuuta frowned, running a hand over Rika's sleek, black fur, watching her eyes close. Following her example, Yuuta closed his eyes and sighed. There wasn't much for him to do but hope.
As the week went on, Yuuta's doubts grew when he got no reply from Toge. He wondered if Maki gave him the wrong number but quickly debunked that thought, knowing Maki would never do something like that to him. She may be an asshole at times, but she's not cruel. Even so, checking his phone every day or getting a surge of false excitement when he got a notification had become a habit in Yuuta's daily routine. But each time he checked Toge's chat, he saw that Toge hadn't even read it, and Yuuta didn't know what was worse when it came to pulling his heartstrings, being left on deliver, or having someone read your message and voluntarily ignoring it. Yuuta shouldn't jump to conclusions. For all he knew, Toge could be a busy person.
But unannounced to Yuuta, Toge was not busy. And he had seen Yuuta's message in his notifications but didn't open the chat out of embarrassment. Hiding away in his bedroom, wrapped in his comforter as he buried his face into his pillow, mind spinning with nausea at the idea of meeting Yuuta. Who wouldn't be nervous? Yuuta was a tall, charming, easy-going guy. And he wanted to befriend Toge! Sqrewing his eyes shut, Toge buried his face deeper into his pillow and puffed breaths of frustrated air as he kicked his feet wildly under his comforter. Turning his head to the side, Toge blinked violet eyes open and stared at his window, watching the wind blow against white curtains. His thoughts ran back to the first time he saw Yuuta at the mall, his eyes, how beautiful they were, how his black chin-length hair framed his face, and the way the white t-shirt he worse clung to his body, showing off his build- oh god, Toge was crushing on a guy he'd only met once!
What was he going to do? Toge knew he couldn't just not reply- that would be rude! And Toge wasn't so sure he didn't want to, either. Forcing the comforter off his body, Toge frowned in frustration as he sat up, knees against his chest with his back pressed against the ash violet wall of his bedroom, and he picked up his phone and unlocked it with nervous thumbs. Panda must have sensed his discomfort because the fluffy Chow Chow pushed at Toge's bedroom door and trotted to his bed, jumping onto the mattress and sinking into the memory foam as he nudged Toge's arm with a wet nose. "Panda," Toge frowned, voice small as he rubbed his hand against Panda's head, lowering his legs so Panda could lay his head on Toge's lap. After giving Panda some well-deserved attention, Toge's nerves calmed as he opened Yuuta's message, gulping while Panda leaned his head against Toge's lap as if telling him it was okay . Reading over Yuuta's text, Toge began typing a reply with trembling fingers as his heart ran a marathon, his mind spinning.
Toge
[2:04] I had fun, too.
[2:05] And sure, I'd like that. I'm sure Panda could use an outing, too. I don't take him on walks like I should.
Just as Toge was about to shut off his phone, it dinged with a quick reply from Yuuta that had Toge internally screaming.
Yuuta
[2:05] Okay! It's a date, then!
[2:05] If you give me your address, I'll pick you and Panda up. Is tomorrow at three okay?
Starting at Yuuta's message with wide eyes, Toge made a noise of distress as his face began to burn.
Toge
[2:06] Yeah, that's fine.
Yuuta
[2:07] Okay, see you then!
Throwing his phone onto his mattress, Toge clutched his shirt where his heart was, feeling like he was seconds away from a heart attack. What was he going to do? He's sealed his now!
Toge tried everything to get his mind off his nearing doom. He even cleaned his house as if his life depended on it to keep his thoughts from scrambling back to Yuuta. Panda was no exception to Toge's nerves, getting a well-needed brush on the living room floor, filling a full mini trash bag with clumps of soft white fur as the washer in the laundry room filled the silence.
When Megumi stopped by to drop off Toge's book that Yuji borrowed, he let himself in from the back door, shocked to find Toge running around his house in a scramble. "Toge, what's wrong?" Megumi asked, slipping off his shoes as he glanced at Panda, who looked like he lost 10 pounds, still overly fluffy. Rubbing his hand against the Chow Chow's head when Panda trotted over to greet him, Megumi frowned at Toge as the young man signed frantically, "Yuuta is taking me to a cafe tomorrow, and I don't know what to do!"
"Woah, calm down," Megumi frowned, placing a gentle hand on Toge's shoulder, "Take a breather."
"Sorry," Toge sighed, mimicking Megumi's frown.
"So Yuuta is taking you to a cafe? And that's a bad thing? Why?"
"Because-" Toge signed, a noise of distress leaving his lips, "Because I'm awkward! What if I say something dumb? I'm not good with- with this," Toge frowned, gesturing between him and Megumi, "Communicating."
Shaking his head, Megumi rolled his eyes with amusement and breathed a sigh, "Honestly, Toge. You're such an overthinker. Yuuta is a chill guy. He's sweet. I'm sure he can handle an awkward Inumaki Toge."
"That's easy for you to say. You know Yuuta!" Toge scowled, aggressively moving his hand and pointing an accusing finger at Megumi.
"It's going to be fine, trust me," Megumi smiled, patting Toge's shoulder. "You know, Yuuta used to be a lot like you."
"What do you mean?"
"Maki didn't tell you? Oh, well. When we first met, Yuuta was awkward and introverted. He still is, but not like he used to be."
"Really? Are you sure you're just not fucking with me?"
"I wouldn't do that, Toge! You know me better than that. You two have a lot in common," Megumi smiled. "I promise it will be fine. You're just nervous. Anyway, here's your book back. I need to head back to Yuji to make sure he doesn't burn down my apartment cooking," Megumi grumbled, grabbing his shoes and heading out after giving the manga back to Toge, waving goodbye as Toge watched him leave. Megumi is right. I'm just nervous. Toge frowned, shutting the door and sighing.
That night Toge could hardly sleep, his heart pounding in his chest as he stared up at his ceiling, listening to Panda's soft snores beside him. Toge was never a romantic and was honestly far from it. But as his mind tortured him with thoughts of Yuuta and different scenarios of how tomorrow may go, Toge began thinking otherwise.
True to his word, Yuuta appeared at Toge's house at three o'clock. The doorbell rang when Toge had just finished getting ready and put on Panda's purple harness with a rice ball pattern, clipping the black leash to the hook.
Quickly double-checking that he had all his desired belongings and Panda's ball in his backpack, Toge hurried to the door and took a deep breath before opening it to reveal the tall, black-haired man waiting outside. "Hi, Toge," Yuute greeted, a smile tugging at his lip. Toge fought off the blush creeping over his cheeks and nodded. Moving his gaze to the fluffy Chow Chow staring up at him, Yuuta cooed and knelt, "Aww is this Panda?" He asked, smiling when Toge nodded and laughed when Panda's tongue attacked his face. Pushing Panda off him, Yuuta glanced up at Toge, taking in the purple sweater and cream pants Toge wore, "You look cute." Toge's face deepened in a shade of pink as his heart did flips when he heard Yuuta's words, dipping his head down before looking up and noticing the same white t-shirt Yuuta wore from last week. The same one that showed off his build. But this time, he wore gray jeans and a blue jacket over it, the zipper unzipped. "You look good, too," Toge signed with trembling hands, and Yuuta flashed him a charming smile, sending Toge down the rabbit hole of heart attacks.
The car ride was quiet, and Toge wasn't sure how he'd survive being so close to Yuuta and stealing glances at the man when Toge thought he wasn't looking, oblivious that Yuuta saw each look from those wide violet eyes. The ride was silent besides Panda's panting as he popped his head out the open window, a happy smile pulling at the dog's lips as the wind ran through his fur, floppy ears blowing in the wind. And the ambiance of cars honking and going by. Toge found it pretty relaxing. He'd been so worked up last night over nothing because being with Yuuta- Was easy, just like Megumi said it would be.
When they made it to the cafe, Toge left Panda in the car, and Yuuta made sure a bowl of cold water was in the car for the Chow Chow and made sure all the car windows cracked.
Walking to the door, Yuuta smiled, a sense of joy in his step as he wrapped his fingers around the handle of the glass door, pulling it open and letting Toge in first before following after the young man. Looking around the coffee shop, Toge glanced at Yuuta and signed, "This place is pretty." Taking a moment to read Toge's hands, Yuuta's lips quirked up into a smile, "I'm glad you think so, too." As Yuuta walked by Toge, he could smell the sweet cologne flowing off the man and followed him to the cashier.
After getting their drinks, Yuuta and Toge decided on a quiet booth in the corner, away from prying eyes, as they enjoyed their drinks and pastries. "Maki said you went to school with them in midding school. Is that how you guys met?" Toge asked, taking a sip of his cold brew coffee. "Oh? Middle school? Yeah, that's how I met her and Megumi," Yuuta smiled, watching Toge with deep blue eyes as he leaned his cheek against his hand.
"What about Nobara?"
"I've only met her recently. I met her a couple of years back in high school before I moved overseas, then came back."
"You moved overseas?"
Sitting straight, Yuuta sipped his drink before asking, "Maki didn't tell you?" And when Toge frowned, shaking his head, Yuuta laughed, "Typical Maki, leaving out the most important details till the last minute."
"Tell me about it," Toge joked, pulling an amused chuckle from Yuuta.
"But, yeah. I moved overseas during my second year of high school and finished school in Canada before returning to Japan," Yuuta explained.
"Why did you come back?" Toge asked, pausing before continuing, "Sorry, that seemed a little rude..."
"Oh, no, you're fine," Yuuta laughed, tilting his head as he watched Toge dip his head in embarrassment. "I don't know. I guess I just missed Japan. Canada is nice, but it's not Japan," Yuuta shrugged. Turning the topic to Toge, Yuuta hummed, "What about you, Toge? Have you ever left Japan?"
Glancing up at Yuuta, Toge shook his head, "No."
"Well, maybe next time I leave on a trip, I'll take you with me," Yuuta smiled, oblivious to how his words tugged at Toge's stuttering heart. "What do you say? It could be fun."
"That would be nice," Toge nodded, feeling the back of his neck burn as his cheeks heated up.
Once they left the cafe, Yuuta drove them to the park near his house, and when Toge opened the back door, Panda jumped out, almost hauling Toge with him as the man tried to grab the leash, playing tag and it with the Chow Chow but Toge was the tagger desperately trying to snatch the leash off the ground. Watching the chaos unfold, Yuuta laughed and shut the door, following after Toge and Panda once Toge finally got the lash.
With the leash hooked around his wrist, Toge walked beside Yuuta as they walked the gravel trail silently, enjoying each other's company and the calming breeze of the wind. Glancing up at the sky, Yuuta turned to Toge, and he went to speak but paused when he saw the soft smile on Toge's lips, watching how the wind ruffled his bangs. Yuuta was suddenly hyperaware of how close they were, and his pinky twitched at his side, brushing against Toge's, but the young man seemed not to notice as Yuuta turned away, chewing his bottom lip. A sudden pull at his jacket sleeve pulled Yuuta from his thoughts, and he looked down, meeting the wide violet eyes of Toge, who stared up at him, looking like he had something on his mind, but looked down, letting it slip away. Suddenly, the fattest bee Yuuta had ever seen buzzed by them, closing in on Toge, and the young man squeaked harshly as the bee buzzed by his face and sent Toge side-stepping right into Yuuta with a force that punched a breathy gasp out of surprise from his mouth as Toge stepped on his foot, sending Yuuta tripping with his arms wrapped around Toge as they fell back off the gravel path and tumbled down the small grass hill, arms and legs intertwining into a tangled mess as Yuuta cupped Toge's head into his chest, shielding him from any damage as they rolled to a stop, leaving Panda at the top of the hill barking worriedly. "Ow," Yuuta hissed, blue eyes blinking open, widening when he saw Toge lying on him, his face buried in his chest. "Toge!" Yuuta gasped, cupping the man's face, "Toge, are you okay?!- Oh," he paused, seeing the bright flush on Toge's cheeks as wide violet eyes met his. With his hands cupping Toge's face, Yuuta felt the worry leave him, the sudden realization of the matter hitting him as he began laughing while Toge looked at him with a confused frown. "I didn't know you were scared of bees," Yuuta laughed, tilting his head.
"Did you see it?!" Toge aggressively signed, his frown deepening as he sat up on Yuuta, looking down at the man below him.
"I did," Yuuta smiled, staring up at Toge as he felt his heart flutter in his chest, his stomach turning with anxiety. Yuuta knew he shouldn't stare, he knew it made Toge uncomfortable, but he couldn't will himself to look away. Not when Toge was so beautiful, hair a mess with leaves and random pieces of grass tangled in off-white strands. Yuuta was sure he looked no better. Reaching up, Yuuta raked his fingers through Toge's hair, watching how his eyes widened when Yuuta slid his hand down to his cheek, feeling the soft skin warm under his touch. "You're beautiful," Yuuta whispered, eyes softening. Toge stared at Yuuta, his face deepening in shades of pink as he opened his mouth, speaking for the first time, "Yuuta," Toge frowned, playfully smacking the man's chest before leaning down and burying his face into Yuuta's chest as the man below him laughed, wrapping his arms around Toge.
As they headed up the hill, Panda excitedly waited for them, checking if they were okay with a series of sniffs. And with leaves and grass all over their clothes, Yuuta and Toge laughed, fingers intertwined as they walked up the gravel path and back to Yuuta's car.
Though neither wanted the day to end, they stood outside Toge's home, Panda inside as Yuuta held Toge's, fascinated with intertwining their fingers as they shared nervous looks and gentle smiles. "I had fun," Yuuta smiled, clearing his throat as he rubbed his thumb against Toge's palm before letting his hand go.
"Me too," Toge signed, a smile pulling at his lips as he stared up at Yuuta.
"Do you..." Yuuta trailed, glancing away before turning to Toge, "Do you want to go out again? Maybe tomorrow? Just me and you, and um, dinner?"
"Are you asking me out on a second date, Okkotsu Yuuta?" Toge teased.
"And what if I am?"
Toge's cheeks flushed as he paused, dipping his head, lips curling into a sweet smile, "Then I'd say yes."
Getting a burst of courage, Yuuta took Toge's hands in his own, staring into his violet eyes as he smiled, "So, Inumaki Toge, will you go out with me? And join me for dinner tomorrow at six?"
Looking into Yuuta's eyes, Toge couldn't help but smile more as his lips parted as his small voice escaped, "Yuuta," Toge whispered, nodding frantically.
"Good," Yuuta hummed, eyes fluttering shut as he leaned down and pressed his lips against Toge's, taking the young man by surprise as Toge closed his eyes, tilting his head into the kiss. Parting, Yuuta's soft eyes washed over Toge, "I'll see you tomorrow at six, yeah?" he asked, smiling when Toge nodded.
Watching Yuuta leave, Toge shut the door and leaned against it, sliding down with his knees tucked against his chest as he blushed furiously. Toge had rejected and ran from affection for years, but now that he had it, he felt like he was always on the verge of a heart attack, especially when Yuuta looked at him with those soft, deep blue eyes. Pressing a finger against his lips, Toge buried his bright red face into his knees. How did he end up like this? With his heart fluttering in his chest and his mind spinning when he was around Yuuta. Toge didn't know, but he liked it.
He liked Yuuta- no, he loved Yuuta.