Work Text:
confections for your affections
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“Flowers, flowers grow where I am laid to rest.
Honey, pick a blossom and hold it.
Hold it to your breast and you'll know, that's my love bursting out from inside.”
—My Love Will Never Die, Hozier
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Pearly bangs fell against his ruby stones as he leisurely flipped through the pages of his recently purchased catalogue. $6 at the corner shop, earning a prying smile and giggle from the old lady at the register.
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“Is it for your girlfriend?”
He glanced at her in confusion, the rouge betraying his attempt at nonchalance. “H-Haah?!”
“Ah, I apologize. Crush then, I assume.” She corrected, fixing her conveyor belt.
“You…”
She chuckled, “Fufu~ No need to explain yourself dear.” She continued, “Young love…Reminds me of myself and my late husband at your age.” Her honey gaze flickered lazily to his items on the register. “That’s a popular choice amongst the young men this week,” she gestured to the catalogue.
‘White Day Return Gift’
He bit down on his lower lip, “Tch…”
“I see you’ve left it to the last minute,” she hummed.
“What…no! It’s not—”
Her brow quivered, “No shame in it, young man.” She gave a throaty chuckle, “I can tell you care about her.”
“Whatever,” he mumbled, fumbling with his jean pockets, trying to get his wallet out.
Her wrinkled hands brought the scanner close to the magazine, waiting for the beep as the red light ran over the barcode. “I’d suggest cupcakes. Or the chocolate truffles.”
His ruby jewels flickered at the catalogue. “Alright.”
“You seem the baking type, is that right?”
He flushed, “E-eh?! How did you—”
“When you work in this industry for as long as I have, you get a knack for this sort of thing.” She smiled, “Call it an old fool’s luck.”
The albino shrugged it off, “I…it’s occasionally…not like I'm good or nothing.”
She met his gaze, ringing up the register. “She’ll love them. What a lucky girl she must be!”
“I—How much do I owe you?”
She glanced at the screen, “Six dollars.” She made a move to grab a reusable bag, “Do you need a bag, dear?”
He opened his wallet and took out some coins from the small pouch compartment. “No, it’s alright.” He handed over the money, watching as the old woman halted in grabbing a bag. Her aged fingers ran themselves over each and every cent. Assured in her count, she stashed it away in the drawer.
“Have a good day, dear.” She leaned over and grabbed his cheek with one iron grip, tugging it as one would a newborn child. “What a handsome, sweet, young man you are!”
“Tch!”
She retracted and bid him goodbye, leaving Subaru to catch a bus home.
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His hand subconsciously traced the reddened skin, small faded markings left from the old woman. Subaru sighed, glancing at the ingredients and components left organized on the counter. He’d—embarrassingly enough—had done this a few times for him to recount, a lost passion for a baker’s café shut down by the reality in which he lived. It was calming, save for the screeching accompanied by a short purple-haired gremlin badgering for “more sweets” and “more candy.” He rolled his eyes at the memory of the last monthly dinner, poor Reiji was left defeated again by the unadulterated and conniving whims of the manipulative bastard. Subaru was sure he was to get diabetes soon, that was if vampires were capable of such a thing.
“Her favourite sweet is…” He mumbled mindlessly, batting his lashes to no one in particular.
He directed his attention back at the magazine, recalling the old lady’s words.
Chocolate truffles.
Truffles didn’t sound too bad, and he’d made them before on a few rare occasions.
He flipped to another page, subconsciously admiring the art-work and aesthetics the tabloid prioritized.
The albino wasn’t one for reading, much less it having to do with “prissy teenage girl gossip” and flowery messaging directed at hopeless romantics. However, that was quickly overruled when Yui had thrown herself into his life, breaking down all his walls and showing him a world that bloomed with aromatic colours.
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“Subaru-kun!”
She ran up to him, the boy having been immersed in the pristine roses he catered to religiously. Subaru hadn’t noticed at first what she hid behind her back, just that the sweet sound of her voice pried him out of any other train of thought he dared to hop on.
“Hm?” He got up from the bushes, brushing himself off half-haphazardly. He was sure he looked messier than usual. “What do you want?”
She seemed to be fidgeting with her hands, a light blush creeping up on her cheeks as she shifted from one foot to the other.
He curled a brow, “Well?”
“S-Subaru-kun…” She mumbled.
“I can’t hear you if you speak so low, you know?” His voice hosted an unnecessary edge to it, “Why seek me out when you—”
“These are for you!” She exclaimed, holding out a box of chocolate and a small teddy bear keychain. Her roseate gaze met the floor, porcelain locks casting a shadow over her lowered lashes. “They’re…It’s…”
The albino flushed, “H-Huh?!”
She was trembling as she bowed, Japanese customs saving her from revealing her pain-staking embarrassment. She was sure to get rejected any minute now.
He mumbled, “Is this…?” taking the chocolate and key-chain in his own roughened hands.
“S-Subaru-kun?” She questioned, rising up before nervously biting her lip. “It’s for Valentine’s Day…”
He brought the key-chain closer to his line of view, examining it with as much gentleness as he could muster. Yui watched with keen eyes, continuing her blabbered mess of a message in fear she'd gone too far.
“You told me you don’t care for it, I know. But…” The heat rising to her cheeks with each passing moment overwhelmed her, “I…I like you, Subaru-kun!”
He looked up at her, “Y-You what…?”
She sighed, “Yes. And I apologize if you don’t return my feelings, I know I’m not what you want…or—”
“Tch! Shut up!”
“E-eh?”
“Y-you’re stupid, you know that?”
She tilted her head in confusion, “Subaru-kun?”
“I…You didn’t need to do this, you know?” He gave a soft smile, “I like you too, Yui.”
“O-oh…”
Realization dawned on her, eyes going wide with relief, “Oh! Wait, so…”
“Thank you, Yui.”
Soft arms enveloped his waist, and blonde curls buried themselves in his tattered up uniform. He flushed, running a few fingers through her hair. The symphony of her heart beating sounded like melodies to his ears.
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Another wave of blush tinted his cheeks at the memory, a small smile threatened to grace his lips.
He found the beauty in what he once resented.
Youthful, pure love.
Call him a lover boy, for the way Yui had taken over his mind had been anything if not religious.
For once, he’d understood why those around him revelled in the sight of love. The gifts, the excessive amounts of joy all bundled together with a beautiful, silky pink ribbon. Such foreign feelings became whispered promises uttered day in and day out, allowing Subaru a chance at understanding Yui.
It may have been human, but secretly he yearned for it more.
“What are you doing?”
A low voice ripped Subaru from his thoughts, a pang of fear erupting in his chest. He hadn’t noticed when a certain blond entered the kitchen, having been woken from his mid-day nap. Ruby met sapphire as rouge rushed to the former’s cheeks, his fidgety form giving away his original plan.
“I-It’s not like I got a Valentine’s gift so I thought I should give something in return…or something!” He shouted; hands waving in the air, the magazine clattering to the ground.
Shuu narrowed his lazy gaze, flickering to the magazine now left untouched and Subaru’s usual get-up having been replaced by a frilly black and white apron. “Mhm.” He replied, evidently unconvinced.
“Right…It’s White Day today, isn’t it?” He mused, taking slow steps towards the blushing mess of a younger-half brother, who promptly backed away. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about, okay!”
Shuu gave a low chuckle, “Sure.” He glanced at the ingredients on the wooden slab, “What were you making then, hm?”
Subaru hesitantly glanced in the same direction, “I…Nothing!” He grew defensive, searching for petty little excuses to get him through this encounter with Shuu. His mind landed on the best thing possible: Kanato. He made it a small reminder to apologize with other confections at a later date, however this was important. “Nothing, okay! Just Kanato’s—”
“Don’t bring that hysteric into this,” Shuu ran fingers through his untamed golden locks. “We both know he despises white chocolate.” He gestured to the white chocolate left on the counter, next to the eggs and butter. Shit. He forgot that.
Subaru stuttered, “I…He…”
“What trouble are you two causing now?” The sophisticated click of shoes was enough to bring attention to the taller man standing in the kitchen walkway. “It is almost time for me to prepare supper, so if you two will…” His voice trailed off, gaze plastered upon the magazine on the floor.
In big bold lettering read: ‘White Day Return Gift.’
“Oh?” Reiji leaned down, taking the catalogue in his hands, “What is this?”
Subaru could only wish he was able to escape the embarrassment he was feeling. Embarrassed was an understatement, he was close to death; knocking and pleading at Death’s door to take him as swiftly as possible. Anything to escape this nightmare of a night.
7:10 PM .
The old analog clock read, red numbering to taunt his misfortunes. He only had fifty more minutes to get this done, lest he transfer his efforts to his academy’s culinary classroom. That would be far more humiliating, he reasoned. More people, and far more nosey individuals to ruin his day and attempt at doing something nice for…
Yui.
The one he…loved.
“Well?” Reiji pressed, hand on hip cocked out.
Shuu smirked, leaning on the counter top. “He’s baking one of those return presents for White Day.”
Reiji opened the magazine, “Are you now?” He met Subaru’s hesitant, yet affirming gaze. “How juvenile.”
“Aw, don’t say that, Reiji.” Shuu giggled—rare for him on any occasion, earning a raised brow from the spectacled man—“Our sweet little brother here,” he ruffled Subaru’s hair, earning a scowl. “He wants to show his love towards the girl.”
“Mhm…”
“And what’s so wrong with that,” The blond joked. “I think it’s quite endearing.”
“S-Shut up! I’m not—”
“There’s no point in denying it, your face and attire tells us both that much.” Reiji stated bluntly, before flipping through the pages of the magazine himself.
He glanced through the options; chocolate confections, truffles, toffees, chocolate covered strawberries, even hand-made goods! “Oh my…Is that really true?” The man said to no one in particular, commenting on another option for a feasible gift.
“Guess you entranced someone in your love life, Subaru~” Shuu commented, leaving Reiji to raise his fiery fuschia, annoyed at his older brother’s charade.
“Shut up, Shuu.” The two brother’s quipped in unison.
Subaru silenced himself almost immediately, whilst Reiji placed the catalogue on the counter.
“If that is all, I suppose I must supervise this…endeavor…of yours. Lest you make yet another mess in my kitchen.”
Subaru groaned, “I can follow a simple recipe, you know?”
“Can you now?” Reiji narrowed his eyes, “Last I recall—”
“Let him do it himself, Reiji.” Shuu halted, standing up and walking near his brother, ready to drag him by the tie if necessary. “Although it is amusing to see Subaru so…” He paused, finding the words, “Loverboy-esque…”
“Haah!? What did you say!?” Subaru shouted.
“Tch!” Shuu covered his ears, “Don’t be so loud, if that is possible for you, wall-breaker.”
Reiji huffed, “I must agree with…this loaf.”
Shuu rolled his eyes, “Yeah, love you too.”
“Ugh! You two are wasting my time, let me just finish this shit!” Subaru turned his back and started to measure out ingredients.
“If there is so much of a speck of dust, you will regret it.” Reiji stated sternly, “Do I make myself clear, Subaru?”
Shuu grabbed Reiji by the tie, eliciting a yelp from the latter. “Y-You—! Unhand me, Shuu!”
“Good luck, Subaru.” He dragged Reiji out by the tie, chuckling as his brother muttered nothing by incoherent death threats and bodily harm.
Subaru sighed in relief. He had his work cut out for him.
He had to get it right.
For her.
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After a tiresome encounter with his nosey, useless, annoying older half-brothers, Subaru was finally able to complete what should’ve been a simple task. The white chocolate truffles were ready, intricately designed and placed into the small decorated box he’d settled on purchasing a few days back.
All that was left was to find Yui.
Before they were to leave for school, that is.
“We have ten minutes before Reiji said he’d leave us, Subaru, Chichinashi! Hurry up!” Ayato screamed, accompanied with the sounds of shoes retreating back to the limo.
Subaru took that as a swift invitation to stand outside of Yui’s door. He was fidgety, even more than usual. His hands became clammy, slight tremors of the fingers and his leg.
He was a mess.
A foolish, mess of a loverboy.
Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a surprised Yui.
“O-Oh! Subaru-kun!” Her hands folded in front of her skirt, head tilted up to meet his gaze.
He hadn’t thought this through, shaky breaths with even shakier stutters. “Um…”
“Hm?”
There it was. Her signature slight head tilt, just a few degrees to the left. God she was going to be the death of him. Him and his foolish, no good—
“Oh!” She glanced down at the box of homemade truffles, “Are these…for me?”
Subaru shoved them to her, “Y-yeah…Um…I’m not…”
“May I?” She gestured to the lid, a request to open it.
“S…sure. Yeah.”
God he felt like an idiot, the words escaping his mind after instantly coming into her sight.
Yui lifted the top, audibly gasping at the array. “Wow…Subaru-kun, you made these?” She met his hesitant ruby, roseate beaming with pure bliss.
“I…so what if I did?” He bit back.
She giggled, “It’s beautiful. They look professionally made!”
He scratched his head, mumbling as the blush rose to his visage. “They aren’t much…It’s not that good, you don’t have to lie, you know?”
“I’m not lying, Subaru-kun.” She bit her lip, “I couldn’t lie…not to you.”
He was sure he was the colour of Ayato’s hair. “Y-You—Just try one!” He grabbed a white chocolate truffle from the box and popped it into her mouth whilst she was still phased.
“Mhpm!” She instinctively chewed, letting out a few hums of pleasure mixed with approval. The flavours blended beautifully along her taste buds. “These are…”
“White chocolate,” he answered.
“My favourite,” she affirmed.
They stood there relishing the comfortable silence, each with words left unspoken, rummaging around in their mind. Subaru attempted to make up for it in his mumbled, nervous nonsense.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked, but I recall you saying white chocolate was your favourite…and I had to deal with stupid Shuu and Reiji…Tch! They were so…God they are nosey! B-But whatever, I just wanted to do something—”
He was interrupted by Yui hoisting herself up on her tip-toes, meeting his face to press a chase kiss to his lips.
“—Nice for you…” He flushed, bangs falling across his face.
Yui hugged him, the scent of fresh vanilla and artificial rose filling Subaru’s nasal pathway. “Thank you, Subaru-kun.”
Subaru hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist, “Yeah, I was just returning the favour.”
“Mhm,” Yui batted her lashes. She leaned up for another kiss, one that Subaru granted without hesitation; his undead heart pressing against hers, whispering a love he’d finally dare to say aloud. When they broke apart, pretty cathedrals for windows to her soul glanced into his own ravenous ruby, battered but beautiful. She smiled. A sweet poison reserved for no one other than himself.
“Happy White Day, Subaru-kun.”
“Happy White Day, Yui.”
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ALTERNATE ENDING:
Leaning against the wall, Shuu chuckled. “Told you he’d do it.”
Pushing his glasses up to his face, Reiji sighed. “I admit I may have miscalculated his tsundere nature…hesitancy in his confrontational skills.” He mumbled further, “Seeing as they aren’t…as up to par as I’d prefer.” The noirette brushed against the wooden banister, and Shuu swore he saw a slight smile grace his younger brother’s lips. “However, I am proud of him.”
“Mhm,” Shuu hummed. “I believe that means you owe me, yes?”
Reiji rolled his eyes, “Fine.”
“ Just fine?” The blond’s head tilted in amusement, smirking lazily. “I believe it was you who said—”
Reiji huffed, interrupting his older brother. “Yes, yes. I am well aware of what the terms were.”
“Good.”
“Fine,” Reiji finished. He started to walk down the stairs, casting a final glance at Shuu, beckoning him to follow suit. “Whatever your lacklustre demands must be…How foolish.” He went on another one of his tangents. “Hurry up, I can only do so much in terms of Subaru and the girl. You, however? You are unfortunately my responsibility.”
“Keep telling yourself that.” Shuu got off the wall and pushed past Reiji, earning a glare and another one of his younger brother’s signature scoffs. Always directed at him, he sighed.
What a White Day it was.