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“Nirei-kun, would you like to accompany me to tea this weekend?”
Though this isn’t the first time Suo has offered someone to come with him to tea, Nirei’s a little startled when the question is directed at him. He looks around, even though there’s no one else around them, even though Suo quite literally said his name at the beginning of his question.
“M–Me, Suo-san?” Nirei points up at himself, blinking a few times as he does.
Suo nods, a small chuckle escaping him. “Yes, Nirei-kun. What do you say?”
Nirei can’t really help the flush that comes to his cheeks. He doesn’t even understand why he hesitates, so it takes a moment before he gives Suo a nod. “Sure, Suo-san! I’d love to join you!”
The smile on Suo’s face widens, if only a little. He reaches a hand out and gently pats the top of Nirei’s head, allowing his hand to linger there for a bit. “Let’s meet in front of Cafe Pothos. We can go to Keisei Street right after, the place I’d like to go to is there.”
Nirei smiles brightly at that, nodding in agreement. “Okay! Just message me the time, Suo-san!”
When they part after school that day, Nirei goes home with various thoughts of what the weekend is to bring to him—only to end up at home, a red flush down to his neck, as his mind is full of thoughts about how Suo may have just possibly asked him out on a date.
Nirei falls face first into his bed, and his scream is muffled into the pillow below him.
Nirei meets Suo in front of Cafe Pothos as they had agreed, bright and early in the morning. Keisei Street isn’t too terribly far from their town, which means the walk there will be good at allowing Nirei to work off some of his nerves.
However, the way Suo is so casually dressed certainly doesn’t help Nirei’s predicament. He’s handsome, even outside of his Furin uniform, and it’s like being dressed so casually is amplifying that fact a million times over. Which is funny, because Nirei has already seen Suo in casual wear before—it’s not something he should be surprised by, and yet Nirei is unable to keep himself from staring a little.
Suo smiles at him as he approaches, his one visible eye crinkled in delight. (Or, at least, Nirei hopes that’s what it is. Sometimes, it’s still very hard to read Suo.)
“Are you ready, Nirei-kun?” Suo asks, holding a hand out to him.
Nirei eyes his hand for a moment before hesitatingly taking it, attempting to fight back the blush that is definitely making its way to his face. He can’t embarrass himself in front of Suo already! That’s the worst way to start off a da—no, Nirei, it’s not even a date! (…Right?)
Maybe he should ask Suo for clarification on that…
“Um, Suo-san—” Nirei begins as the two of them begin walking the path to Keisei Street, leaving Cafe Pothos behind.
“Yes?” Suo turns to look at him as they walk, a curious look in his eye.
Suddenly, Nirei can barely remember what he was trying to do. “Um… I–I forgot, actually. Nevermind! Don’t mind me!”
For a moment, Suo does nothing but watch him, gaze slightly scrutinizing in a way, before he merely nods and offers Nirei a gentle smile. It’s enough to settle Nirei’s nerves a bit, letting him know that there’s truly nothing to be scared of—this is Suo, after all!
The walk to Keisei Street is filled with soft small talk, with Nirei becoming acutely aware of the fact that the two of them have been holding hands the entire time. He would have noticed it at first, but he had been nervous out of his mind with overthinking—he’s still not sure what to think or do—but now, Nirei is feeling much more like himself. Suo listens to him as he rambles, asking a question here or there to keep the conversation going—even if the conversation is just Nirei doing most of the talking and Suo merely listening to him.
When they arrive at Keisei Street, there are a few people who recognize them from helping out Roppo-Ichiza. A few residents express their thanks, including an older woman who owns a flower shop that’s directly on the path to the tea house Suo is leading them to.
“Thank you so much for all your help.” She smiles at the two of them with a small bow of her head, which only serves to make Nirei flustered.
“Y–You don’t have to thank us, miss! I especially didn’t really do anything—”
“You helped keep Shizuka-chan safe, didn’t you?” Nirei slowly nods. She smiles brighter at him, her eyes soft. “Then that is help enough. Please, wait here for a moment.” She turns around and shuffles into the flower shop, leaving Nirei and Suo to stand there a bit awkwardly for a moment.
“I’m still not used to this…” Nirei mumbles, reaching his free hand up and rubbing at his neck.
“Used to what?” Suo asks, head tilting a bit to the side.
Nirei makes a gesture with his hand. “The… all of the thanks and everything. I feel like Sakura-san right now! I–I have no idea how to take her words! I really did nothing during the fight with gravel… I just stood there and watched…”
“But she’s still right,” Suo says, taking a step closer to Nirei’s side. He lets go of Nirei’s hand—it almost makes Nirei frown, his fingers twitching in the urge to reach out for Suo again—in order to reach up and gently rest his hand on the back of Nirei’s head. “You did help keep Shizuka-chan safe. You talked with her and stalled her long enough for Tusbaki-san and his vice captains to arrive. If it hadn’t been for you, Shizuka-chan surely would have gone straight to gravel, between Sakura-kun and I.”
Nirei’s not sure what he should think of Suo’s words. They’re almost too much for him, rolling around in his mind. He bites his lip, tucking his chin into his chest, curling his fingers into the hem of his shirt. “I… I mean, I guess so—but I don’t think—”
“Nirei-kun, whether you fight or not doesn’t determine whether you’re worthy of someone’s thanks or not.” Suo’s words are somewhat harsh, but his voice is warm. Gentle. Nirei nearly blushes because of it. He tilts his head back a bit, looking up at Suo. He’s taken aback by the fierce and sincere look in his eye, his mouth dropping open just slightly.
Suo gently runs his hand over the back of Nirei’s head, the expression on his face turning much softer and kinder now. He’s looking at Nirei like something precious. “There are many things you should be thanked for, Nirei-kun. Never undermine your own self-worth, okay?”
Nirei isn’t able to refute anything Suo says. He swallows a bit before he nods, a shaky but genuine smile coming to his face as he grips at the hem of his shirt a bit more. “Ye—Yes, Suo-san! I’ll try!”
Suo’s visible eye seems to soften even more, impossibly so. Nirei stares at him, thinking about what emotion is in his gaze, and—
“Here you are, boys!” The owner woman steps out through the shop doors once more, and Suo instinctively drops his arm down. She’s smiling at them as she hands them a small bouquet of flowers. “For you—both of you.”
It’s Nirei who takes the flowers from her with a smile and a bow, thanking her in return for the flora. She sends them away with a ‘it’s my pleasure’ and a soft shooing noise and motion. They continue to the teahouse as Nirei studies the flowers in his grasp, his eyes slowly widening.
Baby’s breath, edelweiss, honeysuckle, white carnations and red chrysanthemums.
Nirei almost trips over his own two feet as he registers them all. He’s sure that the woman wasn’t confessing love to him, much less the two of them together—but then he remembers she had said the both of you as in, both Nirei and Suo. As in, the two of them. Together.
Together.
She must have thought that he and Suo were—are? a couple, and the idea of it makes Nirei’s heart skip several beats in his chest. He feels a little faint because of it. His mouth is too dry right now.
“Ah, we’re here.” Suo’s voice makes Nirei look up, and when he does, he’s looking at the wooden sign of a teahouse. Suo turns to him and offers a smile. “Shall we?”
“Y–Yes!” Nirei hates the fact that he stutters, but Suo pays it no mind as he lays a hand gently against Nirei’s lower back and ushers him into the teahouse.
They’re seated down at a table, and Nirei lets Suo do all of the talking, since he doesn’t really know what to do here. Suo seems familiar with everything about the teahouse, fascinating Nirei a little. Does he come here often? Is this the usual teahouse that he brings the rest of their classmates and friends to? If so, then why—
“I hope you don’t mind me ordering for us,” Suo says as he turns to Nirei, the waiter now stepping away to put in their order. “Usually, I try to let my guest choose…”
“It’s fine! Really, Suo-san—”
“—but I really wanted to try and impress you, Nirei-kun.”
Nirei blinks. “Im… impress me? Suo-san?”
With a nod, Suo smiles that smile that’s really more of a smirk. Nirei is now fully unable to stop the blush that comes to his face. “Yes, Nirei-kun. Admittedly, I’ve never brought anyone else here before.”
“So…” Nirei starts, pausing, before his blush grows fiercer. “It’s just—me?”
Another nod. “Just you.”
Nirei gulps, swallowing down the ball of anxiety and fear that’s been forming in his chest. He grips onto the flowers a bit tightly, though he does his best to not crush any of them. Slowly, he lets go of them and sets them down on the table, careful to keep them sitting up right. Then, Nirei’s gaze slowly lifts to meet Suo’s, and Nirei finally lets himself identify the emotion that’s been in Suo’s gaze the entire day:
It’s love.
“Suo-san…” Nirei’s voice is a little shakier than he’d like it to be, but he forces himself to continue on. “Is this—it’s a date… right?”
Carefully, Suo reaches a hand out across the table, palm facing up. This time, Nirei doesn’t hesitate to put his hand in Suo’s, lips curling into a smile as he feels Suo’s fingers curl around his, squeezing Nirei’s hand gently.
“I’d like it to be, yes.” For once, Suo sounds almost… unsure. Nervous. Like Nirei’s never heard him before.
Nirei smiles at him, hoping it comes across as warm as he’s wanting it to be. He squeezes Suo’s hand in return, shifting their hands a bit in order to slowly lace their fingers together. “Of course, Suo-san! It’s a date!”