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You wouldn't really associate him with it, but Gouenji had a sweet tooth to rival his sister's. They'd look at him and think: green tea or black coffee, bitter chocolate, and only one chocolate chip cookie. He was stoic and serious most of the time, not phased by anything, and always in control of his actions. It was rare to see him laugh out loud, even more so to see him sad. All the outside saw was a quiet, mysterious boy.
His family knew otherwise. And so did some of the team, like Endou, Kazemaru, Someoka, Fubuki, and Otonashi. They went with him to cafés and sweet shops and had to drag him (and Endou, for his sweet tooth was even worse) out of the place before they bought two-thirds of it.
His father didn't like the amount he ate on a weekly (daily, but his dad didn't need to know that) basis. However, as Gouenji's dentist could never find any issues with it, he couldn't really stop his son. He was a healthy young boy, and eating a few (a lot) of sweets wasn't a sin.
His sister was the only one who actually knew how much sweets he ate, so Gouenji had to bring her a new plushie or sweets of her own at least twice a month so she wouldn't snitch.
He thought it was a sound financial decision.
And he was fine, with no one else knowing of his sweet tooth. All the wrong presents he'd get with dark chocolate or green tea, he'd just give to Kazemaru. And the blue-haired boy would give him his presents containing strawberry chocolate and the like in return. Their fans really didn't know them at all.
However, one more person got to know about his sweet tooth. One he really didn't expect.
“Yuuka, slow down!" Gouenji laughed at his sister. She was dragging him along to a new café that had opened recently. She had heard of it from a friend in school who had gone on opening day. Apparently, it had really good milkshakes and frappes. Along with very sweet treats (there were also less sweet ones, but the two didn't really care for those).
So, of course, they had to go.
“But Onii-chan!” The little girl exclaimed, “They will run out of strawberry milkshakes and vanilla cake if we don't make it!"
Another fun fact about the siblings, Yuuka was more strawberry and vanilla inclined, while Gouenji consumed chocolate the most. Also a wide variety of fruit. His Starbucks orders were a dead giveaway on that.
“Well,” he said, stopping. She turned to him, frowning. He picked her up and put her on a free bench next to them. The street wasn't overly busy, so he thought his idea might work. “We'll be faster if I run, right?”
Yuuka smiled and jumped on her brother's back, holding on tight as he steadied himself and her.
“Ready?” he asked. She nodded at him, and they were off. Laughter followed after them as Yuuka cheered her brother on. Gouenji was smiling himself, glad to finally be able to carry his sister like this again. The familiar weight on his back and the bright giggle in his ear were memories that he thought would never come back.
Life was worth smiling for again.
They made it to the café not long after; the run short but enjoyable. Gouenji crouched down and let his sister jump off his back. The two turned to the café and felt their eyes widen.
Yuuka's friend had said it was very colorful and bright. Gouenji saw that it was. It was a one-story establishment with a terrace outside. There were flowers of all sorts everywhere. Weird ones, colorful ones, in bushes, vases, pots, everything, all wildly but beautifully placed around the place. They were hanging from the lanterns on the side of the building, and two sakura trees were planted in the middle of the terrace. The building itself was painted in every color of the rainbow and in every flower shape they could probably find.
Yuuka was smiling wide. “It's so pretty!” Gouenji hummed in agreement, admiring the view before taking a quick picture. She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.
Gouenji chuckled at his excited sister. When they entered, a similar scene awaited them. The walls, a soft sky blue, were filled with handpainted trees and flowers, and some animals (that looked fairly realistic, actually) were placed there as well. The furniture was a soft green color with light brown wooden legs. The tables were the same shade too, and every table had a different flower decoration placed on top.
The siblings really liked the café so far.
However, there seemed to be a bit of an issue. It was packed full. Gouenji frowned as he tried to find a place to sit for them. He also heard the door open behind him, and the urge to find a seat got bigger.
He spotted one for four people just as someone behind him spoke. “Gouenji-kun?”
The Flame Striker turned around just in time to see Otonashi and Kidou entering the café. “Otonashi, Kidou.” He nodded at them.
“Gouenji,” Kidou said, “what brings you here?”
“My sister heard of this place opening, so we decided to see if it was any good,” Gouenji said.
“You too, then.” Kidou got a deadpan stare from Otonashi then.
“Well, next time we won't have any sibling bonding, and I'll bring Sakuma. At least he'll appreciate it,” she said. Gouenji snickered as Kidou tried to backtrack.
“Onii-chan!” His sister's voice called for him. The three teens looked at her, sitting at the empty table. “C'mon!”
Gouenji chuckled. “One second, I'll be right there. You just guard the table."
“Yes, sir!” She saluted him and sat straight in the chair.
Gouenji turned back to his friends. “That seems to be the only place available here. We can share it, so no one has to wait for a different table? If you don't mind."
Before Kidou could say anything, Otonashi answered. “Of course! I haven't seen Yuuka in a while!” She proceeded to go to the little girl, and the two happily started talking. Since their first meeting, they have gotten along like a house on fire. Mostly, they roasted their brothers when they could. Those were the only times Gouenji regretted introducing them to each other.
Kidou sighed, but Gouenji knew it was fondly. “Well, I don't believe I have a choice.”
“Of course you do. You can always leave,” Gouenji told him, a knowing smirk on his face.
The strategist snorted. “Yeah, and risk ruining my reputation. Haruna would get revenge the moment I stepped out.” He smiled, a sense of pride there at his sister being able to stand her ground.
Gouenji hummed and led the both of them over to the table. As they sat down, a waitress finally came over. She smiled at the kids as she gave them a menu.
“Welcome, what can I get for you, or do you need a moment to decide?” She asked with her small, daisy-shaped tablet at the ready.
Yuuka looked at her brother, who nodded and gestured to the waiter. “Can I have the strawberry milkshake and strawberry and vanilla cake, please?” The small girl asked with a smile.
The waitress smiled bigger. “Of course, miss.” She tapped something down. “And the others?"
Otonashi hummed before turning and smiling. “I'll have the strawberry milkshake, too, and a red velvet muffin, thank you."
“I'll have a machiatto and a croisant, thank you,” Kidou said.
Gouenji looked at him. “Since when are you European?”
Kidou stared at him, absolutely done. Gouenji and he had started a banter-like friendship, trying to one-up each other with sarcasm and comebacks. So far, Kidou was somehow losing.
“And what would you like, sir?” The waitress addressed him.
Gouenji took one last look at the menu before answering. “I'll have a chocolate marshmallow milkshake and a triple chocolate cake, please.” He ignored the bewildered look that haunted him from behind Kidou's goggles.
The waitress nodded and tapped it into her tablet. "Your order will be ready shortly.” With that, she politely left.
“How much chocolate did you just order?” Kidou asked.
Otonashi giggled. “Oh, that's nothing. You should see him when he is let loose in that shop Endou always goes to.”
Kidou frowned and looked at her.
Yuuka giggled with her. “Yeah, my brother eats one chocolate bar a day!” She then leaned over to the other siblings and slowly whispered. “But don't tell dad. He doesn't know.”
Gouenji felt his cheeks heat up a bit. “Yuuka, that's our secret. We said, don't tell anyone.”
“Yes, but you still haven't bought me another plushie, and the month is almost over,” she said, smiling at him innocently. “Give me the plushie, and I won't say anything.”
Otonashi started giggling even more, suppressing it a bit but not feeling guilty, when Gouenji glared at her. Then the attention turned to Kidou, who was leaning towards Yuuka.
“He bribes you with plushies?” he asked, a smirk on his face.
“Yep! And sweets too!” Yuuka said. “But he eats a lot more sweets than me. Especially chocolate ones.”
Gouenji gently put a hand over Yuuka's mouth and pushed (a bit harshly) Kidou to lean back in his chair. “Okay, stop gossiping about my diet.”
“Questionable how it is,” said Otonashi, also with an innocent smile.
“I thought you would be the type to drink pitch black coffee,” Kidou said.
Otonashi started laughing as Gouenji grimaced. “He tried it once because we dared him.” Otonashi was grinning. “He nearly vomited all over Someoka's shirt.”
Kidou hummed in interest, glad to finally have some ammo for their 'show offs'. Usually it was Gouenji who had it (courtesy of Haruna, but he didn't have to know that). “So the mysterious and uninterested popular boy is a giant teddy bear underneath? How cliche.” He smirked at his teammate.
Gouenji glared. He'd accept the challenge. “And the Zuko redemption arc from Ebay ends up being a socially awkward animal lover. Who knew?”
The boys stared each other down, daring the other to give in. Otonashi sighed in exasperation. She knew the two were friends, but sometimes the previous rivalry really showed itself in these moments. Thankfully, it was for fun, though.
Yuuka watched the two boys, not knowing what was going on really. But she had seen similar banter happen in the romantic movies that their nanny liked to watch. For some reason, the couple always fought like this at first.
So it was obvious why her question ended up being, “Onii-chan, is he your boyfriend?”
The two boys looked horrified at the little girl, as red as the strawberries she wanted to eat. Otonashi was laughing loudly next to her.
“Yu-yuuka!” Gouenji stammered out. “What made you think that?”
“You're acting just like the couple in the shows Nanny watches."
Kidou sat back in his seat, looking anywhere besides the other people at the table. Never in his life was he taken off guard like that. If anyone from Teikoku ever found out about this, he would be screwed. Fudou especially wouldn't let him live it down.
“Haruna, stop laughing,” he mummbled to his sister.
“Oh no, please. Introduce me to my brother-in-law,” she said through giggles.
They both got more red.
“Yuuka, we are not boyfriends. He is just my friend,” Gouenji said. “And please stop watching TV with Nanny. I'm begging you.” He had a hand on her shoulder, still in wonder at what he heard.
The girl frowned. “But I like the shows.”
“They're for adults, sweetheart.” Otonashi came to the rescue. “You can watch them when you're a bit older. Until then, maybe you should watch shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender."
That got Yuuka's attention, and the two girls started conversing about the show, with Otonashi telling her all about it with minimum spoilers.
Gouenji and Kidou sighed in relief. They took a look at each other, and their cheeks were darker again, but this time they chuckled.
“Little sisters,” Gouenji said.
“The greatest gift and curse." Kidou finished for him.
Soon after, the waitress came back with all of their orders, carefully placing them in front of everyone. “Enjoy your meal.” She bowed lightly and left when they thanked her.
The girls immediately went to gush over their food with each other, sharing a bit of the treats they ordered. The brothers watched fondly at their bonding, happy that the two girls were enjoying themselves.
Then Kidou looked at the chocolate montrosities in front of Gouenji. “I pity your dentist.”
“At least I'm not basic.” He took a sip of his milkshake, smirking at the other. “Trying a bit hard to behave like a rich boy.”
“Excuse me if I don't want to inject diabities into my veins.”
Otonashi glanced at the two bickering idiots, shaking her head fondly. If they ever changed from this behavior, she would eat both her feet and her left pinky. They were so childish sometimes.
The only person she could have a civil conversation with at that table was Yuuka.