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The steady hum of conversation and the soft ambient sound of running water filled the aquarium as Itadori and Fushiguro walked side by side. Sunlight filtered through massive tanks, casting rippling blue light over their faces. Itadori, ever the ball of enthusiasm, looked ready to explode from the sheer excitement of being surrounded by aquatic life, while Fushiguro maintained his usual calm demeanor, though his small, fond smile betrayed his contentment.
“This is so cool! Look at that!” Itadori exclaimed, pointing wildly at a passing school of fish in one of the massive tanks.
“Yeah, they’re neat,” Fushiguro replied, glancing at the bright-eyed boy next to him rather than the fish.
“You’re not even looking, Megumi!”
“I’m looking,” Fushiguro said, smirking faintly as his eyes flitted to the fish for a moment before back to Itadori.
They moved deeper into the aquarium, passing exhibits showcasing jellyfish, sharks, and coral reefs. Itadori suddenly stopped in front of a large tank and pressed his face to the glass. “Aww, look at the cute dolphin.”
“That’s a manatee,” Fushiguro corrected, barely hiding his amusement.
“Oh…” Itadori tilted his head. “Well, it’s still cute!”
Fushiguro shook his head, tugging him away from the glass before he smudged it further.
When they reached the touch tank exhibit, Itadori’s eyes lit up. “Are we allowed to touch the fish?”
“No,” Fushiguro answered quickly, sensing where this was going.
“What about this one?” Itadori gestured toward a starfish.
“No.”
“Ok, what about th—”
“No.”
Itadori pouted. “You’re no fun, Megumi.”
“I’m trying to keep you from getting us kicked out,” Fushiguro replied, crossing his arms.
A few minutes later, Itadori stopped in front of another massive tank housing tropical fish and, of course, sharks. His eyes twinkled with mischief. “Megumi, what if I climbed in and tried to pet the shark?”
“No, I will not be your lookout while you try to climb into the tank to pet the fishes,” Fushiguro deadpanned, already pulling him away.
As they walked, Itadori kept peppering Fushiguro with random questions. “What’s that there?”
“I don’t know, seaweed probably.”
“I’m pointing to a stingray…”
Fushiguro sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, though he didn’t look truly annoyed.
“This is so cool! Look at that!” Itadori exclaimed, pressing his hands and face against the glass of a towering tank filled with sleek, gliding sharks. The water refracted the light, shimmering streaks of blue and white across his bright expression.
“Yeah, they’re neat,” Fushiguro replied. But he wasn’t looking at the sharks. His gaze lingered on Itadori—the way his golden-brown eyes sparkled with wonder, the way his lips curled into an unrestrained grin.
“You’re not even looking, Megumi!” Itadori whined, turning to pout at him.
“I’m looking,” Fushiguro deadpanned, smirking faintly before flicking his eyes toward the tank for good measure.
They meandered through the exhibits, stopping at nearly every tank as Itadori pointed out fish after fish. His boundless curiosity was infectious, though Fushiguro couldn’t help but occasionally play the straight man to Itadori’s antics.
When they reached a quieter corner of the aquarium, Itadori dug his phone out of his pocket. He stopped in front of a smaller tank filled with vividly colored clownfish darting in and out of the waving arms of anemones. “Hold on, I gotta get a picture of these little guys,” he said, crouching slightly to get a better angle.
Fushiguro stood behind him, watching as Itadori fiddled with his camera, mumbling something about getting the lighting just right. The glow from the tank lit up Itadori’s face, casting his features in soft, ethereal hues of blue and green. Fushiguro felt his chest tighten—a quiet ache, not of pain but something warm and steady, like the feeling of standing in sunlight after days of rain.
Without thinking, Fushiguro pulled out his own phone and snapped a picture—not of the fish, but of Itadori. The way his eyes were filled with wonder, the curve of his smile, the way he looked so completely alive in this moment. Fushiguro didn’t even realize he’d been staring until Itadori turned to him, catching him in the act.
“Megumi, were you just taking a picture of me?” Itadori asked, blinking in surprise before his face lit up in delight.
“No, I was—” Fushiguro tried lying before finally seeing the furious blush that was spreading across Itadori’s face. “Oh.”
“W-What?” Itadori asked, his eyes now staring down at Fushiguro’s hands, trying to avoid eye-contact with the elder.
“You’re...” Fushiguro loved this rare sight of Itadori being flustered. Usually it was him, who would be caught off guard with Itadori’s antics. It was Fushiguro who would be left a blushing mess, but there were rare occasions like this, and he cherished them.
Fushiguro stepped closer, his hand reaching for Itadori’s chin, forcing the other to make eye-contact with him. He leaned in, connecting their lips, tasting the remains of cherry chapstick on his boyfriend’s lips. The kiss was short, but enough to leave them in their own little world.
The dark haired boy pulled away, staring deep into Itadori’s chocolate eyes. His lips barely a few centimeters away from the other pair, “You’re really cute.”
Itadori, stunned, let out a soft giggle, “Did you kiss me because you wanted to? Or because I caught you in the act?”
“Shut up,” Fushiguro grumbled before raising his head and leaving a short kiss on Itadori’s forehead.
Itadori just laughed, and the sound was so bright and carefree that Fushiguro couldn’t even be annoyed. He sighed, leaning against the tank as he watched Itadori return to his mission of photographing every fish in sight.
Itadori turned back to him, holding up his phone. “Okay, but look! This one came out so good. You can even see the little stripes on the fish—ahh, they’re so cute!”
Fushiguro glanced at the photo, then back at Itadori, who was still grinning ear to ear. “Yeah,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “They’re cute.”
But he wasn’t talking about the fish.
Moments like this—Itadori lit up with unrestrained joy, completely immersed in the present—made Fushiguro feel like his carefully guarded heart didn’t stand a chance. And maybe that was okay.
“You’re staring again,” Itadori teased, breaking Fushiguro out of his thoughts.
“Am not,” Fushiguro shot back, turning his head away to hide the faint smile tugging at his lips.
“Are too.”
Finally, they reached the penguin exhibit. Itadori’s jaw dropped as he practically sprinted to the enclosure. “LOOK, MEGUMI, IT’S A PENGUIN. LOOK HOW CUTE!”
“I see it,” Fushiguro said, his tone flat but his lips twitching as if suppressing a smile.
“This is so sweet. I’m glad we came.” Itadori said, grabbing Fushiguro’s hand and giving it a small squeeze.
“Ahh, same. This is really ni—”
“LOOK IT’S ANOTHER PENGUIN!”
Fushiguro sighed, but his cheeks flushed pink as he let himself be dragged closer to the enclosure.
They wandered on, hand brushing against hand, until Itadori finally took Fushiguro’s fingers in his own. Fushiguro let him, his heart beating a little faster, and they moved toward the penguin exhibit, where Itadori would inevitably lose his mind all over again.
And as Fushiguro listened to his boyfriend gush about penguins, pointing and laughing like a kid at a carnival, he realized that days like this—simple, chaotic, and filled with joy—were his favorite. It was a truth as vast and certain as the ocean surrounding them.
As their aquarium date drew to a close, they lingered in front of a tank full of exotic fish. Itadori frowned at a particularly droopy-faced one. “That fish looks so sad.”
“Aww, it kind of does,” Fushiguro agreed, tilting his head thoughtfully.
Itadori turned his head to look at the latter, “That’s what I would look like if you weren’t in my life.”
Fushiguro’s eyes grew wide, “What are you saying, idiot?” but there was no malice to it.
“Don’t you love aquariums?” Itadori asked, gazing up at Fushiguro with wide eyes.
“Yeah, but zoos are better,” Fushiguro replied without missing a beat.
Itadori gasped in mock betrayal. “Get out of my sight. This might be a top ten worst anime betrayal.”
Fushiguro let out a rare laugh, and before Itadori could fake storm off, he tugged him back by the wrist. “C’mon, let’s get some ice cream at the café.”
“Only if you admit aquariums are amazing,” Itadori bargained, his grin returning.
“Fine,” Fushiguro said with a shrug, giving in easily. “They’re amazing.”
Hand in hand, they left the exhibit, the echoing laughter of their playful banter trailing behind them. It wasn’t the grandest of dates, but for them, it was perfect.