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From an objective standpoint, Toya would call his life quite idyllic. The middling size of this little town he called home garnered a rich sense of community, and he made a decent share of money working at the bakery he helped to run alongside his friends Tsukasa and Hanasato – though for a good while, his baking skills left much to be desired… to put things relatively politely.
Regardless, Toya had come to cherish the little routine he'd established for himself. Every morning, he'd come into work to start morning prep and spend most of his day behind the counter, catching up with whatever friends and regulars came in to buy something. If it was his turn to close that night, he'd stay late to clean up and handle overnight prep, and then he'd go home to the empty studio a simple walk away from the bakery. It was nice and comfortable having such familiarity in his daily life.
…But that notion of regiment seemed to flip itself squarely on its own head the moment a particular orange-haired boy walked into the shop. It wasn't the first time Toya had been intrigued by a new face appearing in the doorway – the size of their town meant they seldom caught sight of someone unfamiliar, after all. However, it was something else entirely about this boy that snagged Toya's attention.
That being… he looked exactly like his favorite hero, Orange Eagle. Toya had been following his team, the Zoo Rangers, since they had debuted as a group aiming to protect the smiles of sick children in need. Though their leader Pegasus-Man Red was the most popular of the bunch by far, Orange Eagle easily captured Toya's heart with his cool confidence.
…Well, his striking good looks certainly helped. The mask he wore over the top part of his face slightly obscured a portion of his features, but there was no denying it – Orange Eagle was an extremely handsome man. As a certain collection of edits circulating the internet had proved, there wasn't a single angle you could photograph him from in which he wouldn't possess the glow of a supermodel. It was hardly a surprise that his radiant handsomeness held the power to leave Toya blushing at the counter.
Though it would be difficult to guess it from looking at his calm demeanor, Toya had gradually transformed into a fervent Orange Eagle fanboy over the years. His notebooks were filled to the brim with doodles of his favorite hero, he made sure to track every bit of merch no matter the pricing, and he'd even involved himself in several related forums and fandoms across social media. He'd venture to say the only person who knew more about Orange Eagle than him was probably the man himself.
And this boy before him… the resemblance between them was absolutely uncanny. That fluffy orange hair with the yellow streak going down the middle, the several piercings decorating his face… even the nonchalant attitude about his resting face matched perfectly. Toya could almost envision him shouting out one-liners and keeping his more chaotic teammates in check on the battlefield-
“Ah, if it isn't Akito!” Tsukasa suddenly came out to greet their guest, reminding a newly embarrassed Toya that he couldn't afford to lose himself in his fantasies while he was on the clock. As he looked up, he caught Tsukasa immediately slinging an arm around the ginger, who seemed annoyed but unsurprised by the sudden invasion of his space.
“Toya, you've got to meet my best friend in the world, Akito!” Tsukasa loudly announced, though the boy in question seemed quite unappreciative of that title as he shoved its bestower away. “And Akito, this is Toya! He's like a-”
“Yeah yeah, he's like a little brother to you, I get it...” Akito grumbled, disdain coloring his face as though he'd heard the story a billion times before. “You seriously collect siblings like Pokémon cards, y'know that…?”
“...It's nice to meet you.” Toya quietly cut in before what looked like the making of an argument could break out, raising one hand from his seat at the counter. “Did you want to buy something, or are you just here to see Tsukasa-senpai?”
“Ahh, you should've seen how stubborn he was acting, Toya!” Tsukasa huffed before Akito could so much as breathe a word in response. “He's been in town for a whole month, but he kept refusing all my invitations! Even though all I wanted was to be a good senpai and introduce him to a friend his age!”
“You should probably let me talk to the guy then, dumbass…” Akito groaned, a heartier shove prying a loud, suspiciously bird-like yelp from Tsukasa as the younger approached Toya's counter. The two-toned boy could only gulp as he was granted closer access to Akito's features, strangely feeling like he was really in the presence of Orange Eagle…
“Sorry ‘bout that… Guess you of all people know how pushy that guy can be.” Akito scoffed, eyes trained on the wallet he'd withdrawn from his pocket in order to card through for cash. “What do you recommend, then?”
“Well…” Toya hummed slightly, the smallest of smiles poking at the corners of his mouth as he pointed to the display case sitting beside him. “We actually have a promotion going on right now. For a limited time, we're selling filled croissants themed after the Zoo Rangers.”
“Huh…” Akito nodded in mild interest, looking over to the specialized arrangement of croissants representing each member of the group. “Don't suppose you've got Orange Eagle…?”
“We certainly do. According to rumor, he's fond of cheesecake, so it has a sweet cream cheese filling inside it.” Toya explained as he reached behind him to retrieve the item, though he could've sworn Akito seemed weirdly flustered as he did so. “Are you a fan of Orange Eagle, then?”
For a moment, there was silence. When Toya turned back around to slide the chosen treat across the counter, he found nervous gazes flittering between Akito and Tsukasa, momentarily fearing that he'd accidentally said something to offend…
“Y…yeah, guess you could say that…” Akito eventually mumbled, soothing Toya's worries with an epiphany – obviously he’d never been clocked as a fan before, and was simply embarrassed to have been found out with such ease… Toya could remedy that easily.
“He's my favorite too.” Toya rectified with a smile, though for some strange reason Akito's now-undeniable blush only deepened when he leaned forward to make the statement. “If I were ever in danger, I know there's nobody else's arms that I would feel safer in.”
“Y-yeah, well… That's his job, y'know? Gotta save the people with a smile and all that.” Akito did his best to play his nervous demeanor casually, though he briefly directed a biting scowl in the direction of Tsukasa and his pair of raised thumbs.
“I agree. At the very least, Orange Eagle has brought me lots of smiles.” Toya gave a demonstrating hum, once again nudging Akito's packaged goods toward him. “Since you're a first-timer, I'll give this one to you on the house. From one fan to another, you might say.”
“You serious? Thanks, man.” Akito's demeanor seemed to properly relax then, closing up his wallet with a smile as he took his croissant from the counter. “Guess I'll see ya later, then… Toya, right?”
“Yes, that's correct.” Toya returned his new acquaintance's smile, the two of them sharing a wave as the younger between them made his way out the door. “I look forward to seeing you again, Akito.”
“Hmph… He really does have no decorum whatsoever.” Tsukasa huffed as their now-mutual friend disappeared from view, having slipped behind the counter while Toya's attention was elsewhere. “He didn't even say goodbye to me!”
“Tsukasa-senpai… Don't you think he looks a bit like Orange Eagle?”
“W-what?! No way! You're just imagining things…!”
“Hm…? If you say so…”
From that point forward, Akito had securely nestled himself into a rather special position within Toya's gallery of regular customers. Every time he came in, it was the same old script – he'd brush off Tsukasa's loud greeting with an annoyed huff, replacing the sour look on his face with a smile right as the time came to ask Toya what he recommended. They'd chat about Orange Eagle for a bit if time allowed, then the doorbell would ring and all that remained was to wait until next time.
It was nicer than Toya had envisioned – being able to share his musings about such a specific interest of his. When it came to the topic of heroes, nobody in town really took an active interest – the girl with purple hair who lived on his street, the brunette who always showed up to buy out their supply of apple pies… even Hanasato and Tsukasa themselves would just awkwardly try to shift the topic away.
Akito, however… he was different. He listened with real intent, pumping Toya full of that specific glee which came with knowing your locked-up ramblings mattered to someone. Of course, it was Toya initiating all their conversations at first – asking if he thought Orange Eagle looked cool during the Zoo Rangers’ latest fight with the Fussy Eaters or some other villain, prodding to find out if he owned any sort of merch…
However, all of that was surprisingly quick to shift. They'd soon gotten to a point where Akito would be the one to ask if Toya liked how Orange Eagle looked in their latest battle with an expectant sparkle in his eyes – and, of course, Toya always gave an exemplary answer. In his eyes, there wasn't ever a time where Orange Eagle wasn't powerful, inspiring and looking quite handsome all the while, so all his songs of praise tended to hold such variations of those descriptors.
Still… there were fleeting moments in which Toya wondered if there was another layer to this bond they'd accumulated that he had yet to grasp. The confidence in Akito's eye as he fired off rare trivia about their mutual favorite hero, followed by a melting softness as Toya heaped praise unto his aquiline idol… Every time, it all tugged upon his heartstrings in a way that felt so achingly familiar.
“Do you think Orange Eagle is in love with anyone?” Toya had asked out of the blue one day. For some strange reason, he'd been interested in romance lately, and while there was certainly no shortage of shipping circles amongst Zoo Rangers fans… Toya was far more interested in hearing the opinion of his closest kindred spirit, and hanging out in the break room together made for a perfect opportunity to poke his brain.
“W-what?!” Akito exclaimed in response, choking mid-bite on the cup of pudding he'd been eating. “Where the hell did that come from…?”
“Hm… I've just felt curious, I suppose.” Toya shrugged, absentmindedly tapping his pen along the edge of the Orange Eagle doodle which stared back at him from the confines of his sketch paper. “He's brash and hotheaded, yet kind and sweet all the same… I'm sure that anyone would feel lucky to call themselves his lover.”
For a moment, Toya could sense the hesitation in Akito's body even without glancing over. After a good stretch of silence, he could feel the cushions of the couch rising and sinking with the gradual slide of Akito's body, suddenly slipping into Toya's personal space as though it belonged to him by right.
“Well…” Akito decided on mumbling out, a not-so-subtle arm looping around Toya's shoulder at the trough of a feigned stretch. “I bet he's got his eye on somebody he really likes… and he'd probably do anything if it meant they knew that.”
“Hehe. My thoughts exactly.” Toya spoke with a smile, turning his face to meet the one that had suddenly crept centimeters away from his own. “It really feels like we're always on the same wavelength, Akito.”
“I mean…” a newly flushed Akito cleared his throat with an averted gaze. “Not exac-”
“Akito!” came the sudden familiarity of Tsukasa's incredibly loud voice. “You know you can't be back here as a customer! We have to uphold store policy, even if it's you!”
“You're so lame...!”
“Sorry, Tsukasa-senpai…”
Though Toya hardly left the store that night having solved this odd puzzle within the depths of his soul, a certain feeling of fuzziness remained floating throughout his chest. Akito never failed to hold such sway over Toya's heart – always clearing out the doubts stopping up his head while also leaving room for new, enlightened thoughts to creep through the ducts and catch him in a continuous cycle of craving more.
He really was exactly like Orange Eagle, wasn’t he…? If Toya didn't know better, he'd assume he'd been talking to the man himself all this time.
Either way, all these strange thoughts and feelings encapsulating his life would come to a head on a most unsuspecting night. It was his turn to close, and they hadn't seen a single customer for a couple hours now… As such, he got quite the good head start on his usual overnight prep, ending up mindlessly sweeping the floor of the lobby when he'd run fresh out of kitchen-related tasks.
In the midst of that monotonous silence was when a face came barreling through the unlocked door – not that of a customer, but belonging to someone Toya never dreamed in a million years would grace him with their physical presence… Orange Eagle himself.
“To- Sir! Are you okay?!” the hero called as he threw open the jingling pane of glass, the distinct fluffiness of his appropriately orange hair swooshing in its attempt to catch up with his swift burst of motion. Toya, of course, could do nothing but grip his broom in stunned silence for several reasons.
“We spotted one of the Fussy Eaters sneaking around this building. It's really important that you get out of here safely…” Orange Eagle began to explain, but it purely went in one ear and out the other. How could Toya possibly focus on anything involving whatever words were supposed to be when his most amazing, incredible, oh so sinfully attractive idol was standing right in front of him…?
Truly, not even the photos spread over the net could provide Orange Eagle's handsomeness the justice it so deserved. Contrary to the previous take he had on the matter, his mask didn't cover up his striking features at all – they accentuated them more nicely than anyone could hope to ask for, those familiar olive eyes being framed especially well. Really, it was almost scary how much he looked exactly… like…
Wait, could it really be…?!
“W-w-wait, Orange Eagle!” suddenly called a girl's frantic voice, Salmon Pink herself suddenly bursting through the door alongside the notoriously deadpan White Crow. “It turns out we had it all wrong! Pegasus-Man Red is just… um… negotiating with one of the Fussy Eaters…”
“...Hah?” questioned Orange Eagle with a scowling huff and a miffed tilt of his head, that special brand of annoyance being one Toya knew he could recognize anywhere…
“Death Vegetable found his new favorite food.” White Crow tacked on, her overly candid declaration making her teammate's face scrunch up even further.
“Wha- Ew!” Orange Eagle's voice leaped up an octave as an especially strong cringe ripped through his whole body, and it was in that moment that Toya knew he could truly confirm his garnered suspicions as reality. “Honestly, he lectures me about ‘pursuing someone’ then goes and jams his tongue down-”
“Akito…?”
Instantly, Toya's mumbling of that name snatched up the wandering attention of the three heroes before him. All but White Crow immediately went wide-eyed and slack-jawed, their obvious panicked silence doing nothing to dissuade his realization. Then all this time, he was really talking to the actual-
“W-we should go help Pegasus-Man Red now, right?!” Salmon Pink suddenly declared, yanking her companion beside her in an obvious attempt to give the two of them proper space. “Come on, White Crow…!”
“Okay.” White Crow said flatly, allowing herself to be pulled along like a ragdoll until the two of them disappeared from view. Now only Toya and Orange Eagle… or rather, Toya and Akito, remained inside the store.
“...It is you, isn't it?” asked Toya with a tilt of his frowning head, approaching the hero step by agonizingly slow step until the tips of their shoes were bumping into each other. Even through the mask, Akito's look of guilt was extremely obvious, visibly forcing himself to meet Toya's observing gaze.
“Can I take it off?” hummed Toya as though it were a casual thing, a pair of fingertips brushing against the heat in Akito's cheeks as they met the orange-colored material which clung snug over the upper half of his face. Though he clearly had no idea what to say or do in this situation, Akito nodded his head a single time, so Toya heeded that permission and carefully peeled off that mask of obscurity.
“...There you are.” Toya smiled as he was met with Akito's face in its more proper form. It was a rather strange reaction on his part – after all, not only had Akito been actively lying to him, but he'd also been pouring out every ounce of his heart which belonged to Orange Eagle to Orange Eagle himself... but strangely, he couldn't find it in him to be upset. Not when the merging of these two identities finally made a long-awaited truth click in his mind.
“Sorry, Toya...” Akito finally found it in him to speak, his expression one of self-directed annoyance as he quietly mumbled out his apologies. “It's not like I didn't wanna tell you, but, uh….”
“...But?” Toya repeated as though his words were contagious, curiously blinking as he awaited the finished thought.
“You…” Akito cut himself off again, biting back a groan of pure disbelief as he scanned the painfully obvious boy before him up and down. “You seriously didn't figure it out by yourself?”
“Huh…? No, of course not.” Toya shook his head, redirecting his gaze to the discarded mask which sat limp in his palm. “I thought that your appearance and personality were a bit similar to Orange Eagle, but nobody seemed to agree with me when I brought it up… so I just came to the conclusion that I was imagining things.”
“So, uh…” a newly blushing Akito continued to bumble his way through the awkwardness embedded into this conversation. “When you said you thought Orange Eagle was super cool and handsome… and even when you asked if he was into anybody… You seriously had no clue we were the same guy?”
“Of course not. You're very good at hiding your identity, Akito.” Toya praised, the recipient of his glowing review choosing to bypass the fact that he was putting absolutely zero effort into that front. “It's a little bit funny, though… I've always felt strongly for Orange Eagle, but I didn't expect that I'd end up falling for the man behind the mask.”
“Huh…?” Akito's voice cracked as Toya's own secret snuck his way into the ears, reverberating throughout his brain on repeat just to ensure he knew well that he wasn't imagining it. “You mean you…”
“Yes, Akito… I've liked you for a while now, and I like Orange Eagle too.” Toya explained with that ever-ceaseless smile painting his face. “It was just a lucky coincidence that you ended up being one and the same. I'm sure you know what I mean, right?”
“I do?” blinked Akito in continued surprise, suddenly feeling like he was the one marred by obliviousness right now.
“You said it yourself, right? That Orange Eagle has his eye on somebody he really likes?” asked Toya with a deceptively innocent tilt of his head – because of course his memory would be photographic enough to tease him for that in hindsight. “Would that happen to be why you kept coming back to the bakery?”
“I-I…” Akito stammered uselessly. It was a far cry from the bold image Toya had cultivated of Orange Eagle, nor was it really an outward characteristic of Akito's typical daily persona… but Toya was starting to appreciate that he was privy to sides of both versions nobody else got to see.
“...I mean, it started to be somethin’ like that…” Akito finally relented, fraught with the conflicting embarrassment and relief of having an extra poorly-kept secret of his thrown into the mix. “You're a really great guy, y'know that? I feel happier just knowin’ I get to be with you, and I'm not just sayin’ that cuz you're a total fanboy.”
“Hehe. I can tell it certainly didn't hurt to hear all of that, though.” spoke Toya with the slightest teasing inflection once again. It was hard not to recontextualize every interaction they had together now that he'd been supplied with all this new information, and he could feel another hit of dopamine rushing through his veins at the idea that he managed to make his greatest hero fall for him without a clue as to what he was doing.
“I mean it…” Akito huffed in that adorably familiar way, though when he finally leaned forward with an instinctual placing of Toya's chin between a flat thumb and a curled pointer, all semblance of that flustered scowl on his face had fully dissipated.
“...Sorry.” Toya spoke just before their lips could meet, the gaudy orange mask in Toya's hands suddenly acting as a barrier between them. “Could you put this back on before we do this part?”
“Wha…?” Akito sighed with confusion and disappointment clear as day on his face. “How come?”
“This way, we can have our first kiss twice.” explained Toya as succinctly as one could, gently carding back Akito's hair so that he could reapply the mask over the top part of his face. “Once as Orange Eagle…”
Midway through his sentence was when Toya pulled Akito in for an unexpected kiss, making the younger noticeably jolt into the embrace. But, being the hero that he was, he adapted with unmatched ease, soon pressing his lips against Toya's with all the sweetness of someone who had been longing for an age.
“...and once as Akito.” Toya added as they pulled away, sweeping the portion of bang he had pushed up back into its proper place. Obviously, it didn't quite work like that, but such an innocent notion filled Akito with the sudden urge to pin him against the wall and show him at least his thousandth kiss from Orange Eagle by the time he had to go…
“Wahh!”
…until the noisy chaos that almost always followed the Zoo Rangers’ line of work filled his ears, and he could only groan at the realization that he would have to leave Toya behind – and with him, all his related wants and desires.
“...Next time we meet, I'm gonna hold you to that, kay?” Akito promised with an affectionate ruffle of his favorite baker's two-toned hair, relishing in the cute, almost puppy-like look of happiness created by the act even as he pushed toward the door. “I'll see ya later, Toya… as Akito.”
“I'll be looking forward to it…” said Toya softly, waving Akito off as he disappeared around the corner. “...my wonderful hero.”