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Ainosuke stands in the center of the bustling main road, holding an oversized park map open with both hands. The theme park is packed, voices overlapping with music and the distant roar of rides. He tilts his head slightly, scanning from one end of the map to the other, weighing his options like it's a serious decision, even though he knows he'll probably change his mind the moment something else catches his interest.
He looks the part of an overenthusiastic tourist, at least on the surface. He's dressed down in an oversized white T-shirt with a garish, smiling mascot on the chest and a cap pulled low over his brow. A pair of big, heart-shaped sunglasses hides his face, serving the dual purpose of hiding his identity from the public and making sure he's still the most fashionable person in the queue.
Beside him, Tadashi is far less concerned with appearances. His clothes are the same muted, plain tones he always wears, blending easily into the background. The only things out of place are the oversized star-shaped sunglasses perched on his nose, a pair of soft bunny ears sitting neatly on his head, and a cluster of balloons they received from the mascot near the entrance. He looks completely unbothered by any of it.
Ainosuke taps a finger against the map, then points decisively at two attractions on opposite ends. "Where do you think we should go first?" he asks, tilting the paper so Tadashi can see. "This extreme roller coaster, or the drop tower?"
Tadashi leans in slightly, his eyes tracking the distance between their current location and the far ends of the park. "How about this one?" he suggests, pointing at the teacup ride just a short walk away. "It's much closer to the entrance, so we can work our way up the park without wasting time backtracking. It might also be better to start with something a bit more relaxing before the intense rides. What do you think, Ainosuke-sa—"
Ainosuke cuts him off before the honorific can fully leave his lips. "No '-sama' today, Tadashi. I thought we were very clear about the rules this morning." He huffs and crosses his arms over the mascot on his shirt. "Today you are my boyfriend, not my servant, and I expect you to act the part. You don't have to always obey my demands."
Tadashi pauses, then offers a small, practiced bow that feels entirely too formal for a man wearing bunny ears. "My apologies. I'll remember for the rest of the day, Ainosuke-sa— Ainosuke."
Ainosuke clicks his tongue, not fully satisfied with the overly polite tone. It's an improvement, technically, but that doesn't mean he has to like it.
"Fine. But we're going on the roller coaster first," he declares, deliberately choosing the opposite of Tadashi's logical suggestion just to assert his whim. Without waiting for a response, Ainosuke reaches out, grabs Tadashi by the wrist, and starts pulling him toward the back of the theme park.
Tadashi doesn't resist in the slightest. He simply adjusts his grip on the balloons and lets himself be dragged along. His lips curl into a subtle smile as he follows his petulant, birthday-boy master.
Despite Ainosuke's insistence on the most inconvenient route possible, he still listens to Tadashi's earlier suggestions and stops at a few rides along the way. The lines are long, but he doesn't seem to mind as much as he usually would, mostly because he has something to occupy himself with. Or rather, someone.
He talks. A lot.
At first, it's about S, his voice dropping just slightly as he leans closer, as if the crowd around them might care about underground skateboarding politics. He complains about a recent race, criticizes a few skaters by name, and goes on at length about how Snow has been busy with the upcoming exams, so Ainosuke hasn't been able to properly fanboy over him lately.
The conversation drifts after that, as it always does. Ainosuke points out random things around the park, makes offhand comments about the decorations, the music, the people passing by. At one point, he spends a solid five minutes criticizing a themed snack stand for having a mismatched color scheme.
Tadashi hums along, nodding where appropriate, never once looking bored or distracted, which only encourages Ainosuke to keep going.
The rides are just as satisfying. The balloons, of course, are handed off to a random kid so they can actually board the attractions.
On the roller coasters, Ainosuke throws his arms up and laughs with a wild, infectious abandon that belongs more to ADAM than the public-facing "Shindo" persona he's worn in years. Tadashi sits beside him with a flat expression, though his knuckles turn white from gripping the safety bar. By the time they stumble off, Ainosuke's cap is slightly crooked and his sunglasses have slipped down his nose, but he looks delighted.
Ainosuke doesn't wait for Tadashi to comment before launching into a full critique of the ride, gesturing animatedly as they walk. "The second drop was decent, but the pacing was off," he says, pushing his sunglasses back into place with one finger. "If they'd extended the climb just a little longer, the anticipation would've been much better."
"I see," Tadashi replies. "So you'd redesign it entirely?"
"Obviously," Ainosuke nods confidently. "I could do better."
Tadashi hums softly, as if considering it seriously. "Would you like me to draft a proposal for them?"
Ainosuke snorts, half amused despite himself. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not doing their job for them." Even so, he doesn't look entirely opposed to the idea.
Between rides, they indulge in overpriced delicacies – mostly sweet, bright, and overly decorated treats that look better than they taste. Ainosuke takes a bite first every time, then holds it out toward Tadashi, expecting him to try it too. Tadashi always obliges, leaning in to take a small bite before offering an opinion that Ainosuke either agrees with or dismisses immediately.
They stop by the souvenir shops more than once. Ainosuke doesn't even pretend he's just looking. He picks things up at random, turning them over in his hands, occasionally holding them up in front of Tadashi like he's asking for an opinion, even though he clearly intends to make the final decision himself.
"This one looks cheap," he says, putting down a keychain before picking up another. "And this one is just ugly. Why would anyone buy this?"
Tadashi considers the item in Ainosuke's hand with a straight face. "It does seem a bit poorly made," he agrees.
Ainosuke lingers a little longer, then adds two items to the pile without comment, already moving on to the next display. In the end, he picks a pair of matching glittery keychains for the two of them, along with a few other random trinkets for the others as souvenirs.
By the time they step back outside, Ainosuke looks far more pleased than he did earlier. He adjusts his sunglasses slightly, glancing around the park again as if deciding what to do next, already scanning for the next ride, the next distraction, the next thing worth his attention.
It's not often they get this much free time, a full day with nothing scheduled and no one demanding their attention. Most of the time, the best they can manage is sneaking off to S late at night once in a while, stealing a few hours before reality drags them back.
For this birthday to even happen, both of them had been working overtime, clearing schedules, pushing things around, making sure nothing would interfere with today. The effort has clearly paid off, and for the most part, Ainosuke is genuinely happy. The sun is out, the atmosphere is alive with fun, and he has Tadashi all to himself.
Everything has gone smoothly, almost too smoothly. Which is exactly the problem.
They've spent months in couple therapy specifically to break the old patterns, to move away from the "master and dog" dynamic toward something that looks more like a partnership. Tadashi has learned how to hesitate, how to question, how to voice his own opinion instead of just following orders mindlessly.
But old habits die hard. More often than not, Tadashi still falls back into the old pattern, quiet and obedient like a well-trained dog. Even today, despite the explicit command to be an equal boyfriend, Tadashi has been far too compliant. He hasn't pushed back once, simply absorbing every whim and demand Ainosuke throws his way.
Ainosuke tries testing him, pushing the boundaries just to see where the breaking point might be. At one point, they're already halfway through a line, close enough that they can see the front, when Ainosuke suddenly turns on his heel. "Actually, I'm bored. Let's go on something else."
Tadashi glances toward the front, then back at him. "We're almost there," he says, his tone calm. "Would you still like to leave?"
"Yes."
"…Understood." Tadashi steps aside to let Ainosuke move past him. "Where would you like to go instead?"
Ainosuke narrows his eyes at him. "You're not even going to argue?"
"There's no reason to. If you've lost interest, we can simply choose another ride."
Ainosuke clicks his tongue, turning away with a sharp huff as he starts walking, fully expecting Tadashi to follow, which he does without question. It's the same pattern, over and over again. No resistance, no complaints, not even a hint of annoyance. He didn't even tell Ainosuke he was being difficult.
This is exactly what Ainosuke doesn't want. He wants an argument, or at least a firm 'no,' but instead he's getting the same old devotion.
Throughout the afternoon, the pattern repeats. Ainosuke buys a massive amount of sugary snacks, far more than he should reasonably eat, and Tadashi doesn't say a word about it. Ainosuke drags him into another shop just to walk out empty-handed moments later, and Tadashi has to deal with the extra purchases without any complaints. Ainosuke purposely raises his voice a little louder than necessary, drawing curious glances from passersby and risking his identity found out, just to see if Tadashi will finally step in and tell him to stop. But instead, Tadashi simply shifts closer, adjusts Ainosuke's cap slightly lower to shield his face, and guides him along without making a scene.
At this point, Ainosuke can't help the thought that slips in.
Is this Tadashi's way of disobeying? Is he ignoring the one thing Ainosuke actually asked for today just to continue indulging him? He told Tadashi not to act like a servant, not to obey him so easily. Therefore, by refusing to push back even when Ainosuke is practically begging for a fight, Tadashi is ignoring that instruction entirely. He's disobeying the order to disobey.
The paradox makes Ainosuke's head spin. Is Tadashi genuinely enjoying himself, or is this a new, more sophisticated level of "disobedience"?
Ainosuke can't tell if he should be impressed by the loophole or if he should start sulking in earnest because he's being outmaneuvered by his own dog. This isn't how it's supposed to work.
They settle on a bench off to the side, just far enough from the main crowd to catch their breath. Ainosuke sits there with his half-melted ice cream in hand, unusually quiet. His earlier energy has vanished, and he stares ahead without really looking at anything. It doesn't take long for Tadashi to notice the bad mood.
Tadashi moves closer, his gaze searching Ainosuke's face with genuine concern. "Is something wrong? You've gone quiet all of a sudden. Are you feeling unwell from the rides?"
Ainosuke doesn't look at him at first, staring instead at the melting swirl of neon-pink ice cream in his hand. Finally, he lets out an irritated sigh and glares at Tadashi through his heart-shaped lenses. "You shouldn't be this compliant. It's irritating."
Tadashi blinks, his head tilting slightly as he tries to process the sudden change in mood. "Pardon me? I'm afraid I don't follow."
"You've been acting like a dog all day," Ainosuke snaps, though there's more frustration than malice in his voice. He takes another bite of the overly sweet ice cream, more out of stubbornness than enjoyment. "No matter what unreasonable thing I put you through, you just go along with it. You're supposed to stop me sometimes. Complain a little. Tell me 'no.' That's what a normal boyfriend would do. They don't just let their partner walk all over them."
Tadashi watches him quietly as he speaks, the concern in his expression easing into fondness. When Ainosuke finishes, Tadashi lets out a small breath, realizing where all of this tension is coming from.
"It isn't like that, Ainosuke. I haven't been obeying you as my master today," he explains, his voice firm to ensure there's no room for misinterpretation. "I've simply been indulging my boyfriend on his birthday. There's a difference."
Ainosuke looks over at him, his pout faltering slightly, and Tadashi offers a small, knowing smile. "As long as you're happy today, I have no desire to stop you from being yourself. If that means putting up with a few unreasonable requests, I don't mind. But don't mistake my patience for a lack of opinion. This indulgence is a birthday gift, exclusive to today."
"However," Tadashi pauses, and a dark glint appears in his eyes that makes Ainosuke's heart skip a beat. He leans in close, his lips brushing the shell of Ainosuke's ear as he whispers, "If you're truly that desperate for me to put you in your place… I can arrange that once we're back home tonight. How does that sound, my bratty sub?"
The implication hits a second later, and Ainosuke's eyes blow wide open. Such bold words rarely leave Tadashi's mouth even when they're having sex behind closed doors, let alone in the middle of a crowded theme park. After a few seconds of stunned silence, Ainosuke bursts into a delighted laugh, especially once he notices the faint, tell-tale blush creeping up Tadashi's cheeks despite his stoic expression.
"I'll certainly be holding you to that, then," Ainosuke chuckles, his earlier irritation gone as quickly as it came. He thrusts the half-eaten ice cream toward Tadashi, the treat he'd only bought to be difficult in the first place. It's cloyingly sweet and not even particularly good, but he doesn't need the prop anymore now that his point has been made. "Finish this for me. Then we're moving on. There are still a few rides I haven't tried yet."
"Understood," Tadashi says with a small smile, and accepts the cone.
Ainosuke observes with a smug grin as Tadashi dutifully eats the treat, noticing the way his nose crinkles slightly at the overwhelming sweetness. Tadashi clearly finds it as unpleasant as he did, yet he finishes it anyway, just because Ainosuke asked.
It turns out that being indulged isn't so bad after all, especially when there's a delicious sting waiting for him at the end of the night. It really is a perfect birthday.
Ainosuke stands up and stretches his arms over his head, feeling the warmth of the sun and the genuine thrill of the day finally sinking in. He doesn't even wait for Tadashi to stand before he's already scanning the map for the next ride. "Hurry up, Tadashi! We still have half the park to get through before the sun goes down, and I don't want to miss the fireworks."
"Give me a minute," Tadashi says, picking up his pace as he finishes the rest of the ice cream. He steps up beside Ainosuke soon after, leaning in to look over the map with him. "Where are we heading next?"
Ainosuke's grin widens as he points at a ride nearby. "This one," he declares, already reaching out to catch Tadashi's hand in his and lace their fingers together. He tugs him forward toward their next destination, and Tadashi follows without resistance.
This time, though, Ainosuke isn't bothered by it.