Work Text:
The lunch bell rings. Finally.
Lunch has become Akito's favorite class. Well, it was always his favorite, to be accurate. Was it even a class? Doesn't matter. It was a breath of fresh air from all the classes he had less than no care for. But it's recently become even more enjoyable. After all, what could be better than spending quality time with his partner while sharing a delicious meal?
Akito packs up quickly, the thought of the boy giving him a boost. He not-quite-runs to class 2-B, impatiently awaiting the sight of his partner. Once his destination is reached, he slides open the door. His eyes reflexively flick to the seat of the guy he's picking up, who's packing up his things. His split-toned blue hair is neatly brushed so the colors barely mix. Akito walks into the classroom to stand behind him, putting his arms around the other boy's waist to help him pack up.
"Oh, hi, Akito."
Toya smiles. He turns his head at the touch, looking at Akito's face, which was perched on his shoulder, achieved by standing on his tiptoes. His pace of packing up has been doubled thanks to the other boy, and he puts on his backpack and shakes Akito off once he's done.
"Shall we go?" Akito asks him, holding out his hand like a gentleman.
"Mhm," Toya hums, grabbing his partner's hand.
"'Kay. C'mon, partner."
Akito and Toya walk together, fingers interlaced, to their usual lunch area. It's located outside of the school building, in a corner where no one else resides. The blooming sakura trees provide shade from above as they gently shed their pink blossoms. A bench sits against the wall of the school, which the boys settle on. Akito leans on Toya while opening his bag, taking out the food they'll be eating.
"What'd you make today?"
Toya curiously peers over his partner's shoulder to look at the bentos he had taken out. Akito just hands him the blue rectangular box. The taller boy takes the lid off of the box, glancing at what was inside. It appears that today, Akito's made short-grain rice with chicken karaage. As usual, it looks and smells nothing less than utterly delectable. He reaches his open hand out to hover above Akito's lap, and the other boy grabs it, lacing their fingers together once again. Toya just stares at him.
"...No, I want chopsticks."
"....... Ah."
The ginger's face flushes as he quickly separates their hands, reaching into his bag to grab chopsticks for the both of them. He hands one pair to his partner and keeps one for himself. After a synchronised 'itadakimasu,' they both begin to dig in.
Toya scoops up a ball of rice with his chopsticks and shovels it into his mouth. His eyes light up. It's delicious–even moreso than he thought. The texture is exemplary, perfectly soft and al dente. He tries the karaage next, which he finds to be satisfyingly crispy and juicy. The savory flavor of the chicken complements wonderfully with the slightly sweet rice. These could easily pass as from a famous restaurant because of how good they are. He turns to Akito, his radiant expression evident on his face.
"This is so good, Akito."
"...Yeah."
Akito was not very good with Toya's praise. Especially when he praised him with that genuine expression, showing that he wholeheartedly meant what he said. He's gotten much more eloquent with his emotions over the course of being in Vivid BAD SQUAD, and every time Toya's face conveys his passion and love, Akito's heart swells with pride. Today, his big, sparkling eyes and wide, exuberant smile make him flush again. Akito looked down at his food.
He'd started bringing lunch for the both of them about a year ago, after he noticed that the "meals" that Toya packed for himself were not what a 16-year-old boy should've been having everyday for lunch. He'd have usually brought a small bag of store-bought cookies and some fruit, whether that be an apple, strawberries, blueberries, grapes… Akito decided that this wasn't okay. So he'd pick up an extra pre-made bento from the convenience store he frequented every day before heading to school.
He'd started taking an interest in cooking about 8 months ago, after it dawned on him that he could have pancakes whenever he wanted if he could just. Make them. What he didn't realize was that he had an aptitude for it. While not perfect, his first ever batch of pancakes was undeniably delicious. Especially when you compare that to what Toya could make. He strived to improve, because if he was going to cook, he was going to do it well. He needed to be good at this, to perfect every weak spot. Who else would provide meals for his partner every day when they lived together?
It wasn't until just about a month ago that he'd started making lunches. The store-bought bentos just didn't taste good anymore. Maybe they'd changed their recipe or added something new, or maybe he'd just gotten tired of them. In any case, he wasn't going to put up with them anymore. He needed something new. And for some reason, instead of just getting a new brand, the first solution that popped into his mind was to make them himself. Over the last 7 months, he'd polished up countless dishes. Save for all the sugar-filled and calorie-dense desserts, they would certainly make for lunch material. So, starting then, after waking up, taking a brisk jog, and showering every morning, he'd begin preparing lunch. He'd switch up the dishes each day, and just in case his partner didn't like what he made, he'd pack emergency chips in his bag. Thankfully, he hasn't had to use them yet.
A chopstick pokes Akito's cheek, making him jolt a little. Toya looks at him with pursed lips.
"You have to eat too, y'know," Toya reminds him.
"I know."
"Doesn't look like you do."
Akito had been too busy thinking to pay attention to his food. Quite ironic, considering he was thinking about nutrition. He grabs his own pair of chopsticks and begins to eat. He leans on Toya more, resting his head on the taller boy's shoulder.
"So, how was class?" Akito asks, still chewing as he talks.
"It was fine. My teachers, especially math, have been assigning a lot of homework, though," Toya replies, after swallowing the bite he'd taken beforehand.
"Awh. I'm not helping you with that."
"I know you aren't," Toya responds, and giggles softly. Akito can't help but smile at that. His partner's laugh was so cute, like a playful kitten excited to see its mom.
"How were your classes, Akito?"
"Boring as hell. God, my teacher could not stop going on about this stupid old history dude."
"Who?"
"Why do you expect me to know?"
"Because you were just in that class...?"
"...Right." Oh god, here comes the lecture.
"Akito, you have to pay attention in class. You need to learn. History is very important. We need to know what our ancestors did to see if they might have set a precedent for any events currently happening in the world. For example—"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Akito sighs. "I'll pay attention next time, I swear."
"I'll hold you to it."
Toya tries to scoop for more rice, but his chopsticks just scrape the bottom of his empty bento. He's disappointed, but it's not like he can complain. That was the best thing he's ever eaten. And he'll probably say the same thing tomorrow. He said so yesterday, after all.
However, Akito's bento still has food in it. About half of the portion of rice and karaage each are missing, presumably now sitting in his stomach. Toya grabs a ball of akito's rice between his own chopsticks. He holds it up to Akito's mouth. The shorter boy looks up, seeing his partner's happy expression. He ate the rice Toya offered. Everything tasted better when your partner was feeding it to you. This was no exception.
Akito eats the rest of his lunch like this. A single grain of rice had adhered itself to Akito's face in the process. That led to Toya kissing it off, which led to Akito having to kiss Toya back, eventually leading to the boys making out until the bell rang. Toya's the one to break the kiss. If Akito were the one to make the decision of pulling away, they would be here for much longer. Missing the contact, he tries to lean back in, but Toya gently pushes him away.
"No. We have to go to class now, Akito," Toya said sternly, to which Akito gave his best puppy dog eyes. He gave Akito one more chaste kiss on the lips as compensation, then helped Akito put the bentos back in his bag. He stood up, extending his hand for the other boy to grab, and help pulls him up, interlocking their fingers as Akito puts on his bag. They walk away from their haven and back into Kamiyama's interior. They arrive at class 2-A, where, to both of their dismay, they have to part. Toya gives him one last kiss on the cheek. "Bye, Akito. I love you," Toya tells him.
"Love ya too."
Toya walks off towards his class, though not before waving to and smiling at his partner. Akito waves back. It's funny; you'd expect everyone in the halls to be staring at them, but nobody cares. They're all so used to the boys' physical affection at this point. They're used to all their hand-holding and hugging and kissing and being together 24/7 that people would be surprised if they weren't so openly affectionate.
Akito slides open the door to his classroom and sits down in his seat, sighing, laying his head down on his desk, and closing his eyes. He misses his partner already...