Chapter Text
Friday.
Taki's favorite day.
He stretches lightly in his desk’s chair and glances at his calendar where today’s date is circled with neon pink highlighter. He closes his notebook and spins a couple of times before standing up and walking towards his closet.
What shall we wear today?
Hm, probably the usual black hoodie and comfortable sweatpants since it’s getting colder lately. It wasn’t like he really had to dress up, after all it’s just a movie date with his best friend of years.
Taki selects carefully a plain white t-shirt and then slips on his black hoodie, looking at himself in the mirror. His hair was a little messy from the struggle with his clothes but nothing too serious, he just leaves it like that and walks out of his room.
Cologne? Not necessary, he thinks. His clothes have that intoxicating fabric softener smell and that is enough in his head. Clean should be enough, right?
He walks into the bathroom where he rinses his face and tries to tame his fluffy hair. Then searches for his toothbrush trying to be as brief as he can with his oral hygiene. He checks his teeth once he's done, giving a goofy grin at the mirror.
Nice.
Once he believes he is ready to go he heads downstairs and says goodbye to his mom who just gives him a knowing smile and asks to say hi to Harua as she slips a few pieces of candy into his hand.
Taki chuckles at what his mom believes to be a discreet action, reaching into the bowl at the entrance of their home for the car keys and changing into his sneakers, shutting the door behind him with a very loud 'I'm leaving'. He walks outside and takes the crisp air in, closing his eyes briefly as he hums in delight which is his own little way to welcome the colder breeze of winter. He then turns his attention to the car parked not too far from him and brushes his fingers along the cold metal. "Hello, gorgeous."
It takes him a few minutes to admire the family car that he finds himself strangely proud to drive before he can actually open the door and sit at the driver's seat. He lets out a ridiculous squeal and wiggles lightly in the plastic leather chair as he adjusts his seatbelt and ignites the engine. "Vroom vroom baby."
He finally drives off a couple of blocks to Harua's where he puts on some music after parking to wait for his friend to be ready.
As usual, Harua takes his sweet time.
He leans back in the seat and closes his eyes, happily singing along to the radio with a small smile on his lips. This was definitely his happy place, just one thing missing…
“My mother almost doesn’t let me come out. She kept insisting I had a snack before leaving because cinema food isn’t nutritious enough.” Harua half jokes, sighing as he slides into the passenger seat with ease and fastens his seatbelt.
Taki just snorts and holds out the handful of candy his mom had given him.
Harua smirks and shakes his head, reaching for it. “No way?”
"Way, you'd think she would get snacks for her favorite son.”
“You're her only son, however, as her honorary son I challenge you on the favorite affair.” Harua hums fondly, reaching to pop a strawberry candy in his mouth. “She never forgets.”
Taki pouts and sits up to turn the car back on to drive them off to the cinema. “She knows how much you like these specific candies, I’d say the honorary son here is me!”
Harua gives him a very proud smirk and is about to say something when he stops himself and leans forward with a much more serious look. “Show me.”
Taki teasingly grins flashing his driving license in Harua's direction for split second.
“Oh come on, I barely saw anything.” He sighs and leans back into his seat, he ready to complain when the taller one reaches to turn up the volume.
“Our song! Our song just came up!”
“Taki that song is embarrassing please don’t say that.”
“But this is the song that played when we meeeeeeet!” Taki whines in response. “It’s ours!"
We'll do it all
Everything
On our own
We don't need
Anything
Or anyone
Harua just laughs, pink dusting his cheeks as he sings along.
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel
“I can’t believe we met because of this song.” Harua laughs, looking over at Taki as he drives.
“It was pretty amazing finding someone who watched TeraHa and listened to the songs.”
“Those three words are said too much...
They're not enough…” Harua sings, a hint of shyness in his smile before reaching to gently tickle the younger one’s side.
“Nonononono I’m driving I have to pee I WILL PEE AND THEN I WILL CRASH THE CAR AND WE WILL DIE.”
“Don’t you dare DON’T YOU DARE PEE THE CAR WHY DIDN’T YOU GO BEFORE DRIVING.”
“THAT’S THE PART YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT????” Taki squawks, amused.
“Of course not! I can’t die like this!” Harua retorts, looking down at his outfit. “Or actually, I could. I’m wearing a nice outfit tonight. That’s also why you can’t pee the car.”
“I’m a good boy who keeps himself hydrated.” The younger smiles proudly. “This handsome face doesn’t just happen.”
“What handsome face?” Harua reaches to squish his cheeks with his hand.
“I’m handsome!” He gasps, pretending to be offended. “How dare you.”
“Of course you are. To your mom.”
“HEY. For your information I’ve actually become quite popular at uni. Girls have approached and asked for my number. Even a guy did.” Taki smirks, looking at Harua from the corner of his eye.
“Cocky aren’t we. Maybe they were trying to block you in advance.” Harua shrugs.
“How dare you.” Taki repeats as he reaches the shopping mall’s parking lot. He stops at the gate barrier and turns to Harua then who had already been looking his way. “You… Want to push the button don’t you.”
The brunette just looks at him with a mischievous glint in his eye and a grin. Taki watches as the elder stretches from his spot to touch the bright button that would give them their access card to the parking lot, catching how his cropped button-up shirt slowly rides up and exposes his abdomen. He doesn’t know how his eyes ended there in the first place but he can feel them comically widen and before he can come to his senses he gives into his impulse to gently touch him, just a gentle nudge.
“Ah, you’re cold!”
Taki can’t really think of anything else except feign innocence and smile at him, receiving a soft slap on his shoulder in return.
“Are the neon trees are up already?”
“The… neon trees..?”
“Yeah, those little neon trees they sometimes put in the street.”
“The LED trees?”
“That’s what I said.”
A loud snort echoes around the parking lot as both friends walk to the entrance of the mall. Harua furrows his eyebrows at Taki and playfully shoves him away.
“You know what I meant.”
“I do! I do! But do you?” Taki teases him again, watching how Harua's pace quickens towards the door. He watches him with a fond smile before shaking his head and walking faster to catch up. “Don’t be upset, I’m playing with you!”
“You’re making fun of me, it was a mistake. I'm human believe it or not, I just happen to look like an angel.”
“Hardly, but I’m making fun of you in a very loving way.” Taki nods eagerly, reaching to hold onto the elder’s hand to stop him from walking even faster and leaving him behind.
Harua feels his cold hand and his heart stops. He barely can look at him from the corner of his eye, feeling how his heart rate increases to the point where he needs to actually close his eyes to… Lose himself in the moment? What? “Yeah, right.” He barely manages to say after desperately trying to find the right words and pulls his hand away to cross his arms.
“Okay okay I won’t tease you anymore. Happy?”
“Thank you. Now go get us our snacks.” Harua pouts, getting on the escalator.
“Yes honey.” Taki smiles and leans to rest his head on Harua's shoulder from behind. “Popcorn and a soda?”
“And something sweet too.”
“Aren’t I enough?” Harua can't see him, but he can feel the smile in his voice.
“Cannibalism is frowned upon in our society. Don’t try to be cute. Maybe gummy worms.”
“I’m not trying to be. I know I am.”
“You really need to stop listening to your mother.”
Taki makes sure to stick his tongue out at him as they reach the top of the escalator into the level of the cinema. “How do you want your popcorn? Sweet? Salty? Both?”
“Both. I like balance.”
“Ugh, the things I do for love.” The taller frowns and scrunches his nose in a rather endearing way, if you asked Harua, as he walked away to queue.
“Harua?” Someone calls not too long after. “What a coincidence! You look cute, are you on a date?”
Harua snaps out of his thoughts, looking in Yuma's direction who approaches him quickly. He’s suddenly feeling a little shy. “I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
“I know! I don’t love going out but there’s a special feature I wanted to check out.” The eldest said with a tiny grin. "And I might have secured a little date of my own." He added with a wink.
"O-Oh it's not really a date, just two best friends hanging out. You know."
"No I don't know, best friends don't dress up like that to a hangout."
"What do you mean? This is definitely a hangout outfit, just something quick I pulled out of my closet to meet Taki."
"Yeah right, a cropped dress shirt? You're even willing to show skin- wait, Taki???" Yuma raised his eyebrows quickly scanning the queue ahead of them to find him. "Harua he looks like shit. That is a hangout with your best friend outfit."
There is a pause in the conversation, and Harua can hear the light bulb in Yuma's head flicker on. He immediately pulls him to the side looking a little too smug for the younger one.
"No way! You're seducing your best friend?"
"Yuma oh my god." Harua backs away until he feels a wall, his face bright red.
Taki has been watching all of this from afar, a little too interested in this interaction.
"Next!"