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“Hey, isn’t that the Erfolg College uniform?”
“No way, what’s a student coming from that rich school hanging around here?”
Well, I’m not exactly rich, Hibari thinks amusedly as the students of Nanajigen continue whispering around him. Not that they know that though!
He wasn’t here to entertain himself with student gossip, however. Hibari looks over the crowd of students and finds Akina among them, looking around. He’s probably heard that an Erfolg student was waiting by the entrance. “Akinya!”
Akina looks up and brightens at the sight of him. “Hiba!” He greets back as he finally reaches the entrance. “Were you waiting for a while? Sorry, there was a student council meeting that I had to attend.”
“It’s no problem! I haven’t been waiting a while, really.” Hibari shrugs as he stuffs his hands into his pockets. He was just hanging out around here in the cold for about ten to fifteen minutes, no big deal.
Akina scoffs as he reaches out to pinch Hibari’s red nose. “Liar,” he mutters fondly as Hibari whines. “You should’ve waited for me somewhere else, silly. It’s cold out.”
“...Wanted to see you as soon as I could,” Hibari mutters honestly, quiet enough so that only the two of them can hear what he said. He laughs when Akina goes red at the admission. “Erfolg is pretty far from Nanajigen, you know? We don’t meet each other that often, so I’m glad you invited me out.” He smiles this time. “Especially on this day.”
“You’re cheeky,” is the only thing Akina says as he turns his head around, embarrassed and flustered. Hibari laughs again. “Come on, let’s get going. More rumors are gonna spread that Nanajigen’s PR officer is seen colluding with an Erfolg College student or something.”
“Can’t be that bad.” Hibari shrugs as he falls into step with Akina, who started walking toward a nearby convenience store. “So, what’s the agenda for today? Are you taking me out on a date?”
“...Something like that,” Akina shyly admits, and that almost makes Hibari trip on the sidewalk. “Hey, watch your step!”
“Akinya,” Hibari dramatically whispers, sounding winded as though he ran a marathon. “Really? We’re going on a date right now? Can I hug you?”
“We’re in public!” Akina laughs, toning it down a bit as they enter the convenience store. “Well, I actually planned this one out for a while now, but we’ll be going to my house for today.” Hibari decides to stop functioning right then and there. Akina brings him back with a punch to his shoulder. “Get your mind out of the gutter, geez,” he whispers, cheeks red. “I asked you out today so that we can make chocolates together… or, uh, if you find that boring then we can go hang out somewhere else. I don’t mind.”
“What?!” Hibari yells, and Akina shushes him, glancing back at the staff behind the register and apologizing for the commotion. “That’s—what the hell, that’s not boring at all! I’m glad, even, ‘cause I’m totally an expert at that kind of thing!” Well, it’s Seraph when it comes to sweets, but he’s been learning bit by bit!
“Good,” Akina says as he sighs in relief, dragging Hibari over to the chocolate aisle. There’s a smile on his face as he picks at nothing in particular on his sleeve. “I have molds and other stuff ready at home, so all we have to do right now is buy some chocolate. There’s also a grocery store on the way back, if we ever want to buy something extra.”
Hibari hums as he squats down, picking out chocolates that are good for molding. “You really planned this out, huh?” He whispers as he looks up at Akina, a little in awe, feeling warm and fond.
Akina laughs a little, ruffling Hibari’s hair. “We haven’t done anything yet, so don’t look at me like that.”
“I can’t help it.” Hibari chuckles and Akina crouches down with him, bumping their knees and shoulders together as they whisper to each other what kind of chocolate they like and grab the ones they believe suited the both of them the most.
They exit the convenience store with a bag full of chocolate, and there’s a pep to Hibari’s step as they make their way to Akina’s house. Akina notices this and chuckles. “You’re pretty excited.”
“Of course I am!” Hibari laughs brightly. “I’m going to your house for the first time, and we’re going to be making chocolates for each other—ugh,” he brings a hand to his chest, on top of his heart, “I’m not going to make it out alive today. It feels like my heart’s going to burst.”
“Don’t die yet,” Akina jokes as he snorts at Hibari’s dramatics. “I still haven’t given you my… uhm, my honmei choco. So,” he clears his throat in an awkward manner, “stay alive, please.”
Hibari repeats the words honmei choco in his head until he can feel something snapping. He already knew what was going to happen, but still, this is honmei choco they’re talking about here! “...Akina,” he says, making up his mind. This makes Akina turn to look at him, obviously a little surprised at Hibari suddenly calling his name out properly. “We’re going to the grocery store in a bit, but… can I hold your hand the rest of the way back to your house?”
Akina blinks as he laughs. It’s a flustered little sound, and Hibari feels his heart squeeze. He’s so cute, he thinks absentmindedly. “...Okay,” Akina relents without much effort, because Hibari knows he’s got a weak spot for his earnestness. “You can’t wait at all, huh?”
“Nooope,” Hibari says with a grin. “I like you too much for that.” Akina promptly lands face first onto the sidewalk.
Once they head into the grocery store, Hibari decides to buy some strawberries and oranges. He’ll bring the oranges home with him and try to make orangettes with Seraph’s help, just to surprise Akina later on. It’s pretty much an uneventful affair, buying fruits and cartons of cream, and they walk out of the store with another bag in hand.
Hibari looks around and once he’s confirmed that there was little to no one around them, he subtly grabs Akina’s free hand in his and laces their fingers together. He even swings their hands together, and they both burst out laughing.
They’re still holding hands when they arrive at Akina’s house, but, very reluctantly, Hibari lets go so that Akina can unlock the front door. “Come in. I don’t think anyone’s inside right now, so there’s no need to excuse yourself. Make yourself at home.”
“Oh! Then, uhm… okay.” Hibari nods, a little lost, then huffs when Akina laughs at him. They leave their shoes in the genkan and he drops off his bag by the living room, proceeding to join Akina in the kitchen. He grins at the sight of the heart molds spread out on the counter and Akina in an apron. “You’re cute, Akinya.”
Akina almost drops the bowl he was holding and turns to squint at Hibari, cheeks a faint pink. “Where did that come from all of a sudden?” He mumbles as he brings up the bag of chocolates and groceries onto the counter.
Hibari puts on the apron Akina definitely laid out for him and moves to his side. “So, what are we making today? Truffles? Pudding? Cake?”
“I’m not exactly the best at making sweets, Hiba,” Akina says as he rolls up his sleeves, turning to face Hibari with an unconfident frown.
Hibari grins at him as he points at himself. “Well, that’s the reason why I’m here to teach you!”
Akina huffs, the faint pink in his cheeks now turning red. “...I’m making this for you, you know.”
Hibari laughs, all giddy and elated. “Of course I do. I’m really glad you asked me out for this. This way, we can make them together!” He takes out some of the chocolate they bought from the bag. “I’ll teach you how to make truffles, then. Simple enough for us, and they’re yummy!”
“Okay.” Akina nods, and there’s now a small smile on his face. “...Thanks for being here, Hiba.”
Hibari blinks, a little starry eyed at Akina’s rare moment of honesty. He scratches his cheek, which was definitely pink, as a flustered smile slowly forms on his lips. “No problem. You can always count on me. you know?”
Akina laughs. “How reliable,” he says amusedly, and nods again. “Okay. Let’s start!”
Hibari takes the lead in this operation as he helps Akina out with the chocolate to cream ratio. While Akina deals with that, Hibari takes out the strawberries from the bag and proceeds to wash them down. “Want some chocolate covered strawberries?”
“Snacks? Sure, but you really don’t have to go through all the trouble for that,” Akina answers as he stirs the pot of chocolate. “Oh, can you also get the cling wrap over there?”
“Coming right up—but hey, not just as snacks, you know! They’re also going to be my gift for you!” Hibari pouts as he hands over the cling wrap. “Once you get that wrapped up, store it in the fridge for one to two hours so that it can set. In the meantime, wanna help me with the strawberries?”
Akina nods, walking over to the fridge. “Yeah. I don’t wanna make you do all that by your lonesome, even if it’s a gift for… uhm, for me. That’s why I asked you to come over, anyway.” He smiles, finally setting aside the truffle mixture and making his way to Hibari’s side, bumping their hips together. “So that we can make them together.”
Hibari doesn’t hold back in hugging him. Akina laughs as he wraps his arms around him, too.
Armed with a bowl of strawberries and melted chocolate, Hibari and Akina get started, making quick work of the affair. An idea, however, pops into Hibari’s head. He snickers a bit as he turns to look at Akina. “Akinya?” He calls out, and Akina looks up at him.
Then he smears chocolate on Akina’s cheek.
“Wha—? Hey!” Akina yelps, trying to wipe it off with his hand, but it only smudges more on his cheek. “Hibari,” he whines in exasperation, but it was more amused than it should’ve been.
“Couldn’t help myself.” Hibari grins as Akina pouts at him… but Akina suddenly tugs at his collar, pulling Hibari down. Their faces are so close that their noses are touching, and Hibari can’t help but flush red at their proximity. “Akina—” He tries not to sound as affected as he feels, but his eyes widen when Akina huffs a laugh and smears chocolate on his cheek in retaliation, promptly letting go. Hibari blinks, stupefied, before he groans, hand on the chocolate-free side of his face. “...That was so unfair.”
“Hey, you started it in the first place!” Akina laughs as Hibari pouts. “Okay, fine, come here.”
Hibari huffs. “Like I’d fall for that twice.” He obeys anyway, because he’s simply a fool in love. He doesn’t lean down as he faces Akina, feeling petulant, and Akina sighs in amusement as he cups the side of Hibari’s neck, stands on his tiptoes, and gives him a quick peck on the lips.
Just as suddenly, Akina pulls away, very much flustered, but there’s a smile on his face as he grabs the tray of strawberries and makes his way towards the fridge without another word.
Hibari, like the fool he is, melts on the spot.
“It’s done!” Akina yells in relief as he slumps over the counter, a bowl of heart-shaped truffles set aside and the chocolate-covered strawberries that Hibari wanted to give Akina now wrapped, though there were still some extras. They plan to keep them as snacks. “Making chocolate is exhausting. I really couldn’t have done all this without you.”
Hibari laughs as he ruffles Akina’s hair. “Good work!” Akina gives him a thumbs up. “Surely you don’t regret making them, right?”
Akina looks up at him with a glare. “Of course not. Don’t think like that. There’s no way I would regret doing this for you.” Though he said it so bluntly, Akina is a little pink when he admits it.
Hibari grins as he grabs the bag of strawberries toward Akina. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Akinya!”
Akina smiles as he pushes the bowl of truffles in Hibari’s direction. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Hiba.”
Hibari takes a truffle out of the bowl and bites into it, humming in delight. “We really did good with this!”
Akina laughs as he bites into a strawberry. “Yeah, we did.”
(Hibari gifts Akina a bag of orangettes the following month. Akina looks at him, saying that he didn’t have to, but there’s a grateful smile on his face and Hibari shrugs at him with a grin of his own.)