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It's too late to get something from the store when he finds out about Hajime's birthday. He's wouldn't know what kind of gift to get him anyways. Tooru has already about forgotten the kite. He does know that he should give him a card. So he digs up a piece of light blue paper and folds it in half. In glittery gel pen he draws the cover of the card. A picture of Iwaizumi surrounded by stars and planets. 'Your out of this world' printed as nicely as he could manage along the bottom of the card and 'Happy Birthday Hajime!' and a little drawing of them together on the inside.
While he finishes his card he decides on what to get him as a gift. A card wasn't enough to give to him. One of those stupid beetles , he often sees them in Hajime's bug box, would be good enough. He doesn't know where to find the horned beetles at but he guess in the trees. Despite the number of times he's climbed trees to retrieve his ball it doesn't make him any less scared of the height.
It didn't matter how big the beetle was or how high up he'd have to go. Hajime is always brave for him so he has to be brave for Hajime now.
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The tree's branches are too high for him to reach up and grab but he gets up with a small jump. "Buggies come out," he call out to them and doesn't expect them to come but he wants to distract himself from the height as he goes further up. "Stop hiding little buggies," That makes him remember that they aren't little, that they're the size of his hand.
"Buggies," His voice wobbles as he climbs. He sees some smaller bugs. Ants, ladybugs, and dragonflies zipping by in the air. Then a buzz that definitively isn't the summer cicadas. He glances around trying to find the source and finds himself staring up at a bee hive. He hugs the branch not trusting his shaky arm to support his weight. Face tucked down on his arms in an attempt to pretend it wasn't there.
It reminds him how much he hated Hajime's bravery the day he grabbed the wasp. Tooru wants to cry and right at that moment he wanted nothing as much as he wanted Hajime to be there to fight the bees for him. But he knows that he can't be. That he can't rely on him the way he had been for the past month. Even if he wasn't the kind of friend that you smile at during school then forget in the summer, the sort of friend he never had, it didn't mean he could cling to him.
He reminds himself that now was his turn to be brave for Hajime.
He rubs his face on his just to be sure there'd be no tears to obscure his vision before he backs up a bit on the branch he's on and goes the opposite direction of the hive. He wasn't going to turn back. Not when he feels like he's close to finding one. However the tree decides that no he won't find them and the branch that he stands on snaps as he reaches up for the next one. The tree shakes as he falls and he cries while he runs away from the bees.
It's dark when Tooru arrives at home. His mother dabs some aloe on the few stings he recived while he tries to stop crying. "Now...i have nothing...for Hajime," His voice wobbles from sniffles as his crying calms down. His mother finishes up and leaves the bathroom for a moment coming back with a jar.
"How about you get something both of you like." Tooru smiles at the suggestion and dashes out the door with the jar.
---
It's midnight Tooru had decided that now was the perfect time. He'd be the first to tell Hajime happy birthday and his present would work best now.
He opens his window and starts to throw his hand full of pebbles at Hajime's until the window opens, a few hitting the other in the face. "I don't know why I didn't think this would happen. Go to bed" Hajime is starting to close his window.
"Wait wait wait!"He yells it forgetting that people are trying to sleep regardless of it being vacation. "Come down stairs I have to give you your present!" He's leaning out the window hands squeezing the sill as he try's to convince Hajime with the best pout he can manage while he's buzzing with excitement.
When Hajime gets down the steps and opens the door Tooru is already on his steps waiting for him Hands behind his back hiding the gift. Hajime huffs, "Well."
"Ta-da!" He holds out the jar and card looking proud of himself well he waits for a reaction. It isn't what he thought it'd be. It's just a frown. The same frown he gives Tooru but it hurts alot more. "I couldn't get you one of your stupid beetles but," he shakes the jar so the little bugs clinging to the sides lighting up as the start to fly in the jar. "but i found lantern beetles." He holds the out jar and steps a little closer to him trying to convince him to take it.
Hajime grabs the card first then the jar and uses the faint glow to look at his card and it makes him grin at Tooru. "You caught the stars for me." Tooru hugs him, it's the first time Hajime doesn's scould him for the lack of space between them.