Work Text:
Yellow, gravity defying tufts of hair bounce around as the short owner walks between tables. Today is always busy, it being Valentine's Day in a flower shop. But it seems worse than ever before, and the blond looks especially stressed!
Kaito frowns from the other side of the window he's watching the boy through. He's abandoned his classes and gone shopping for an entire new outfit, complete with a yellow tie to match those previously mentioned tufts, just to be greeted with the longest line the flower shop has ever seen. So, he stares into the shop longingly, hoping for a miracle. Now, Kaito is a very loyal customer to this shop. So it’s not like it would be weird for him to join the line, and he’s aware he’s getting nowhere closer to his goal by just staring. Still, he can’t bring himself to interrupt their hard work for something so… insignificant.
While he’s thinking, his miracle comes in the form of…
“Rin! I’m taking my break! I’m starving!”
The blond shouts out, and his apron is off before he can finish his announcement. Kaito smiles, and then it registers in his brain, and he sits up straight. His expression, as well as his thoughts, fall into panic. Now? I was just getting used to the idea of having to sit here for five hours! I’m not ready anymore! Thoughts like that and much more fly past his mind, and it makes him dizzy.
Anything he was feeling suddenly stops when the door opens and he hears that bell, along with a familiar gasp. He turns, horrified, towards the small noise. He was caught.
“Woah! What are you doing?”
“Uh… This was… I-”
“You know we have seats inside, Kaito!” He laughs, and Kaito slumps over with a sigh.
He really thought he would be upset, for some reason. Kaito follows up with his own, much more nervous laugh. He shakes his hands out while stepping towards the shorter boy. He should get this over with, he thinks. He’ll surely get rejected, but even just being so close to Len makes him so nervous he stops in his tracks. Len tilts his head.
“What’s wrong?”
Len’s voice once again shoots right through his crowded thoughts. Kaito clears his throat. It doesn’t help the lump forming. He stares at Len, who stares back with a mix of concern and curiosity. He wonders if his expression is as bad as he thinks it is. He inhales deeply.
“How… How long is your break?”
“Oh!” Len’s response is immediate. “I could get away with an hour. Do you need me?”
God, yes.
Kaito is very thankful his mouth doesn’t spit out the first thing he thinks as a response. He nods carefully in favor of a verbal response. Len responds with a laugh.
“I’m headed right across the street, to the cafe! We can sit together.”
Kaito’s ‘okay’ is barely audible. He thought he’d get less nervous, but it seems to be building instead. He follows behind Len, who’s practically skipping with excitement. Kaito smiles softly. It takes a while for them to get seated, with the Valentine’s spike in customers. He wonders if they look like they’re on a date. He sets his bag next to his seat, taking a deep breath.
“Len…”
“Yes?”
“It’s… Valentine’s Day.”
“Yes…?”
Kaito blinks at the smaller boy. He rehearsed so much. Why does it have to leave him now? Len is smiling at him so patiently, but the words won’t even form in his head. He leans down, reaching into his bag. He sets down a small box. When Len doesn’t react immediately, Kaito realizes he will actually have to explain himself. He fails to speak a few times.
“It… It’s for you. Chocolate.”
That’s all his throat can manage before feeling like it’s closed up entirely. While Kaito is feeling like he might have a panic attack, Len is lighting up so brightly you could use him as the star on your Christmas tree. Kaito thinks he may go blind.
“Chocolate! I only ever get any from Rin!” Len picks the box up, turning it over in his hands carefully. It’s fairly plain, with a decorative blue ribbon in the corner. Len sets it back down in front of him, staring at it. “Where’d you buy them? Hopefully not somewhere very expensive…”
Kaito manages a laugh. It’s very small. He shakes his head, but it takes a bit longer for him to speak up again. He clears his throat.
“I made them. They might not be very good.”
Kaito spent a month on them. His family got a lot of ‘failed’ chocolates in that time. They had to be perfect. He’s still not entirely confident in them, but he worked so hard… Len’s gasp pulls him out of his thoughts. He blinks, realizing he’d been staring at the table while thinking. He looks up at Len to see him chewing, box open and one of the chocolates missing. He winces. The expected criticism never comes.
“So good…!” Len holds his cheeks, expression pure bliss. As if it’s the best thing he’s ever eaten. “You made these? You’re so talented! You should sell them!” Kaito thinks he must be exaggerating, but in the span of a few minutes Len has eaten half the box. He looks down and gasps. “Ah! I need to save some…!”
He closes the box again quickly. Kaito laughs softly.
“So cute…”
He seems to be relaxing, until he realizes he said that aloud. He tenses up. He waits anxiously for Len to react, but he… doesn’t. Kaito is about to speak when the waitress appears beside the table.
“Here you are!” She hums, setting a plate and a cup in front of Len. “Enjoy your date!”
Kaito’s heart feels like it stopped. He opens his mouth, but no words come out. He can’t get himself to correct such an ideal misunderstanding. Len laughs, waving his hand in front of his face.
“We’re friends, but thank you!
The waitress gasps, hand over her mouth. She starts to apologize, her words are cut off.
“I’m in love with you.”
Both people’s heads turn sharply. Kaito is burning up. After a few very quiet seconds, the waitress seems to realize she should probably leave. Kaito and Len are left alone to stare at each other, equally shocked. As if someone else revealed Kaito’s secret. But it was, in fact, a confession from his own lips. He opens his mouth, ready to stumble through some excuse as to why he would say that. Len speaks up first.
“Kaito…” He looks serious, but he quickly bursts into a laugh. Kaito stiffens. He’s being made fun of… Len shakes his head softly, wiping a tear from his eye with a small sigh. “Sorry, just… It’s kind of obvious…”
Kaito blinks. Len laughs again, covering his mouth with his hand. Kaito slumps down in his seat, as if several tons of weight have been lifted off of him. He sighs.
“Sorry, sorry,” Len sits up straighter, calming himself down. “I didn’t want to… out you, or anything.”
Kaito nods slowly. He thinks his vocal chords have stopped working. Len takes a deep breath.
“I was waiting for you.”
“What…?” Len is smiling brightly. Kaito, once again, feels blinded. “So, you…?”
“I wouldn’t quite say I’m in love with you, though. It’s a little soon for that.”
“Ah, y-” Kaito’s voice cracks. He winces. “Yes… That’s true.”
Kaito sighs softly. They spend the rest of Len’s break mostly silent, Kaito smiling gently while watching Len eat. Eventually, Len stands up. Kaito grabs his bag and quickly follows after him.
“Unfortunately, I still have to work…” Len sighs dramatically. The way Kaito visibly deflates is very dog-like. Len looks up at him, carefully reaching for his hand. “Will you wait for me?”
Kaito just about jumps six feet in the air. He looks down at Len’s hand, so small against his own. He might pass out.
“Y… Yes! Of course. I'll wait.”
Len laughs. He tugs at Kaito's hand, leading him back to the flower shop. The line is even longer than when they left. When Rin spots them, she nearly explodes.
“You! Stop ditching wor- Huh?” She blinks at the sight, Len squeezing Kaito’s hand and laughing apologetically. “Ah. I see.”
“Sorry, sorry!” Len lets go of Kaito’s hand, and is instantly greeted with a light smack over the head.
“Good for you, but help me out!”
Len keeps laughing, rushing to find his apron and help customers. Kaito finds a seat in the corner of the store, content to watch them work.