Archive of Our Own

“Good evening, Hitoya. Are you done with work for the day?”

Hitoya puts his cell phone down on the desk after setting the call to speaker phone, a little smile gracing his face at the sound of the voice on the other end.

“Just about,” he answers, bringing his hands back to his keyboard. “It’s rare to get a call instead of a text, is something up?”

“In a sense, yes. I had something I needed to discuss with you.”

Hitoya raises an eyebrow as he skims over his email inbox one last time. Jakurai’s voice is more upbeat than usual, so whatever’s on his mind clearly isn’t something upsetting—good in of itself, but it makes the circumstances more than a little odd.

“Real cryptic wording there, pal,” he replies, “but go right ahead.” He hears Jakurai clear his throat quietly, as if preparing to read from a script.

“One day during the spring of our second year in high school, you lent me some change to buy a drink on the way home. It occurred to me recently that I’ve never repaid this debt; you simply must let me do so now.”

Hitoya’s jaw pokes forward on its own. He blinks slowly, and looks away from his monitor to stare at his phone.

“What?” he says after a moment. Based on the tone of his voice, he can already picture the downright goofy smile on Jakurai’s face when he starts to reply.

“One day during the spring of our—”

“I heard you just fine!” Hitoya cuts him off and drops his head. “I’m asking why you’re bringing this random ass debt up all of a sudden.”

“It’s only natural,” Jakurai answers, rather unhelpfully. “It’s far from proper to leave these things unsettled, you see—so you simply must let me repay you.”

“We can’t be talking about more than a couple of coins…” Hitoya sighs gruffly, already hearing the voice on the other end start to dig in its heels. Even though Jakurai can’t see it, he waves a pointed finger around in a circle in an imitation of a magic wand. “By the power vested in me, consider your obligation null and void. You’re good to go.”

“Oh, no, no, no—I absolutely must insist.” Hitoya squints at the image in his mind of Jakurai vigorously shaking his head against his phone. “After all, it’s been the better part of two decades, so surely I’ve accrued quite an amount due in interest. And if you consider adjustments for inflation as well, then it’s really no longer a paltry—”

“Nobody said anything about interest or inflation!” Hitoya snaps. “Why the hell are you acting so weird over pocket change from almost twenty years ago?!”

“I’m not acting strange, I’m simply setting right a most regretful wrong.”

Oh, for the love of… Hitoya can already feel his blood pressure ticking upward.

“Jakurai. You really need to get better at bullshitting.” He rubs at the space between his eyes before it can permanently implode. “Listen, I don’t know what the hell you’re actually trying to get at here, but if you don’t spit it out already I’m hanging up on you so I can pack up and leave the office.” He hears a shifting sound on the other end of the line.

“W-Wait, no—don’t go,” Jakurai pleads, the confidence in his voice finally faltering. “I’ll cut to the chase, I promise.”

“Ugh…” Hitoya shakes his head. “Well, hop to it.”

“Please…” Jakurai takes a short breath as if to steady himself. “Please let me treat you to a meal.” Hitoya blinks, his expression already starting to soften. “You won’t have to lift a finger—I’ll make a reservation for a restaurant in Nagoya and come to you. That’s how I’d like to repay you.”

This guy…

Hitoya strums his fingertips against his desktop, then raises an eyebrow.

“So, a dinner date,” he says after a short pause. “You wanted to ask me on a dinner date.” He squints a little harder. “Why’d you have to make it about repaying some age old debt, man?” Jakurai clears his throat shakily.

“I insist, I’m being nothing but sincere with you,” he says, obviously lying.

“Ugh…” Hitoya sighs, but quickly relents; there’s not much else he can do in this bizarre situation. “Well, alright. I mean, your reasoning’s still weird as hell, but a date night’s hardly anything new, so… sure, fine. When did you want to repay this oh-so-regretful debt of yours?”

“Ah, as a matter of fact, I already have a date in mind!” He’s already sounding chipper. Hitoya smirks a bit to himself. “It’s a weekday, so hopefully the timing won’t be too awkward, but would next Monday be alright on your end?”

“Next Monday…?” Hitoya repeats quizzically. An antenna in his head instantly shoots up for some reason. He pulls up a calendar on his monitor, and immediately realizes why. “The 29th?”

“Yes, that’s the one!” Jakurai replies.

“June 29th?” Hitoya presses, putting an elbow on the table and resting his head on his palm.

“Correct!”

Hitoya squeezes his eyes shut. The edges of his lips twitch.

“My birthday?”

It goes utterly silent between him and the phone for a beat. Then another. Then another.

“Er. W-Well…” Jakurai tries to fill the silence with a stammering chuckle. “N-Now that you mention it, that seems to be the case! My, what a happy coincidence!”

“Jakurai, you’re seriously the most unbearable man on the planet.” Hitoya grabs his phone to hover a finger over the red icon on the screen. “I’ll see you then.”

—

“Good evening, Hitoya!”

Jakurai’s practically radiating light in the entryway to his apartment when he opens up the door.

Idiot.

Hitoya raises an eyebrow expectantly and says nothing in response. After a few blinks, Jakurai’s smile starts to fall at the edges.

“Hitoya?” he says, tilting his head to the side. “Is something wrong?”

“Nope, not at all,” Hitoya replies. “I’m just waiting for the second half of your greeting.” He gets several more blinks.

“Second half?” Jakurai echoes. “I’m not sure I understand.” Hitoya smirks, and crosses his arms across his chest.

“The part where you wish me a happy birthday,” he says smugly. “Because that’s what you’re here to celebrate.” Jakurai jolts a little where he stands, his teeth clenched.

“I—I’m not…!” His eyes dart from side to side; the opportunity is simply too precious to let slip.

“You forgot your oldest friend’s birthday?” Hitoya immediately goes on the offensive, baring a canine with his grin. “After I reminded you, too? Such heartlessness, such cruelty! But then again, I suppose the almighty doctor has more important things to think about!”

“No, no, no…!” Jakurai shakes his head erratically, immediately flying into a panic. “That’s not…!”

“Haha!” Hitoya snickers, then leans over and gives Jakurai a quick peck on the cheek to calm him down. “Relax, relax. I’m just messing with you. Come inside already.” He opens the door wider, letting him meekly cross into the apartment. “But that being said, you really gotta drop the act at this point.”

“I’m not—”

“Jakurai.”

“Ngh…” His head droops sheepishly and he finally relents. “A-Alright. You’ve read me like an open book. Yes, I’m… I’m here to celebrate your birthday.”

“Finally. Took you long enough to admit it.” Hitoya laughs and flicks him on the shoulder. “Why were you trying so hard to make it a surprise, anyways?”

“Well, last month Hifumi-kun planned a surprise party for Doppo-kun’s birthday,” Jakurai explains. “It made him very happy, and the look on his face when he saw everything laid out for him was so lovely to see—so I thought I might try to do something similar…” Jakurai’s little pout looks so pitiful that Hitoya almost wants to hug him and ruffle his hair. “If only I were skillful enough to pull it off.”

“Did… Did you really not stop to consider that your pals’ circumstances are a little bit different from ours?” Hitoya laughs again. “They live together, man. Meanwhile you have to call in advance to make sure I’m even around, and then carve out at least two hours to get here—you can’t exactly get the drop on me.” Jakurai makes a surprised face, as if all of that is only just occurring to him. “Next year try recruiting someone local to drag me out of the office during the day instead, that’ll make for a better surprise. If I don’t die of a heart attack first, at least.”

A pause. Jakurai looks up for a second, then back.

“Say, Kuko-kun and Jyushi-kun know where you work, ri—”

“I was joking!” Hitoya quickly clarifies, his eyes narrowing into a squint. “I don’t need to spend my birthday imagining all the damage they’d cause…” He sighs with a shake of his head, then looks back at Jakurai. “Speaking of those little devils, they’ve been awfully quiet today. I’m guessing you had something to do with that too?”

“Hm?” Jakurai blinks. “Goodness, I really am an open book to you.” He smiles a bit sheepishly. “I may or may not have given them a little… incentive, shall we say, to…” He scratches at his chin for a moment. “Make sure this evening would remain a free block of time.”

“You bribed ‘em,” Hitoya translates flatly. “You bribed the brats into steering clear of our date.”

“Oh, nothing so crass,” Jakurai insists, his smile widening. “Really.”

“Did it cost you more than dinner?”

“Y-You don’t need to concern yourself with that, Hitoya.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll let up…” He huffs and points a finger toward Jakurai. “Just don’t spoil them too much. It’ll only make my life harder in the end.”

“Haha… I’ll be careful…” Jakurai brings his hand to his mouth as he chuckles. “But even though they’ve promised me a monopoly on the day itself, I’m sure those two will still find a way to celebrate your birthday as well.”

“Yeah, but they’ll reason that if it’s not on my actual birthday it’s okay to make me foot the bill like always,” Hitoya jokes, before standing on his toes to kiss Jakurai on the cheek again. “So I’ll have to get my money’s worth out of you today.”

“Haha!” Jakurai wraps his arms around him and lifts him off the ground, twirling around in a slow circle and nestling his face in the crook of Hitoya’s neck. When he feels fingers thread their way gently into his hair, his smile only widens. “In that case, I simply have no choice but to indulge you to your heart’s content.”

—

“Cheers to you, Hitoya!”

“Heh. Cheers to me.”

Two glasses clink together softly and glitter in the light. They both lift them to their lips and drink; Jakurai had meekly apologized and suggested that Hitoya order something alcoholic for himself, but he in turn insisted that they share matching drinks, so they ultimately settled on a bottle of mock champagne to capture the celebratory spirit of the night.

“Nice place you picked,” Hitoya notes after they finish a sampler set of appetizers, leaning forward at the table now that it’s clear. “Fancy, but not too fancy.”

“I’m getting better at threading that needle, aren’t I?” Jakurai replies. “And I didn’t even ask for Hifumi-kun and Doppo-kun to help me this time; I did my research all on my own.”

“Somebody’s lookin’ proud of himself…” Hitoya rests his cheek against his hand. “But I guess it’s true that you’re at least a little less hopeless than you were when we were kids.”

“That’s… quite a tempered statement,” Jakurai laughs. “Not that I have much of a defense for myself.”

“Seriously.” Hitoya shakes his head, then uses his other hand to point straight at Jakurai. “Remember that one year in high school when it was raining cats and dogs on my birthday, and you got completely soaked when a truck passed by and drove straight through a huge puddle? Boy, I’ll never forget the look on your face.”

Hitoya was looking out his window just as it happened; in the distance, an umbrella flew out of a familiar figure’s hand as a wave nearly overtook him.

“Shit, was that—”

“To be fair, I didn’t exactly have much control over that situation,” Jakurai counters with a strum of his fingers against the tabletop. “And didn’t you run out to help me, only to forget an umbrella in your rush? We both ended up drenched to the bone.”

“Heh. I guess that’s true.” Hitoya swirls his glass by the stem, then looks back up at Jakurai with another shit-eating grin. “Oh, and what about that year in college when you made it all the way back to my place with a birthday cake only to drop the box at the door ‘cause you smacked your head right into the doorframe?”

“Th-That…!” Jakurai shuts his eyes quickly, feeling a bit of warmth in his cheeks. He clears his throat quietly. “You had just moved. I hadn’t gotten used to the new height I had to duck to yet.”

“Excuses, excuses…” Hitoya tuts.

“And I apologized profusely.”

“Oh, trust me, I’ll remember how pitiful you looked at the brink of tears until the very moment I shuffle off this mortal coil.”

“You’re…” Jakurai hesitantly pokes one eye open, a smile curling onto his lips. “You’re in a rather nostalgic mood today.” Hitoya grins right back at him.

“I’m the birthday boy. Put up with it.” He leans back in his seat and crosses his arms, an utterly smug look on his face. “Now you know what I have to deal with from you.”

“I didn’t say it was unpleasant,” Jakurai points out. “If anything, I’m flattered you remember so much.” Hitoya’s expression flattens; he puffs out a cheek.

“Maybe that’s where the two of us differ…” he snorts. “I’d prefer it if you were embarrassed.”

“Oh, but any moment spent with you could never—”

“Ugh, stop, stop! You’re already turning the tables on me!”

They bicker and banter in equal measure over bygone but treasured days for a little while longer, cheer and irritation alike echoing from their table until their food arrives.

“My, my. How appetizing,” Jakurai says after their plates are set down. He lifts his phone up. “May I take a picture to share with our teammates?” Hitoya shifts in his seat.

“Heh—I didn’t take you for the type to snap food pics.”

“Hifumi-kun always likes a very thorough recap whenever I return from Nagoya.”

“Don’t go spilling all of our secrets…” Hitoya sighs, before settling into a casual pose over his plate. “Make sure to get a good angle.” Jakurai beams.

“Any angle is!”

“Alright, alright…”

After a few quick snaps and a couple of messages to their teams’ shared group chat, they pick up their utensils and start to eat, still chatting away in between bites and putting pieces of their dishes on each other’s plates.

“How have things been in Nagoya lately?”

“Same old, same old. Always something goin’ on—messes to clean up, little shits to bail out of trouble…”

“Such a busy man.”

“As if you aren’t!”

Even as their meal winds down, lighthearted conversation continues on. After the table has been cleared, Hitoya leans back in his seat, his eyes drifting toward the window next to them. Outside, twinkling lights illuminate a familiar cityscape against the darkened sky.

“Things may be a hassle all the time, but…” He huffs lightly under his breath. “There’s a view I’ll never get tired of.”

“Mm.” Meanwhile, Jakurai stares directly across the table; his clasped hands tighten around each other ever so slightly. “Likewise.”

—

“I have a small request to ask of you.”

“Hm?” Hitoya looks up just as he lets himself into the car; Jakurai’s still standing outside it, holding the passenger side door open for him. “What’s that?”

“Could you wait for me in the car for a little bit?” he asks. “There’s something I’d like to go pick up before we head back to your apartment.”

“Oh yeah?” Hitoya says, tilting his head. “You don’t want me to go with you?”

“Correct, I’d like you to stay here. Actually, I have another small request on a related note.” Jakurai brings a hand to his cheek in a pensive gesture. “Could you close your eyes while you wait, and keep them closed until we return?” Hitoya raises an eyebrow.

“Taking another stab at a proper surprise, huh?” he says with a little snort. Jakurai chuckles.

“I may have fumbled the first one, but I still have a chance here,” he says. “If you would play along with me for a bit.”

“Hm…” Hitoya crosses his arms and hums playfully. “Fine. I suppose I will.”

I mean, logically there’s only one thing it can be, but…

“Thank you,” Jakurai replies warmly. “I won’t be long.”

“Take your time.” Hitoya buckles his seatbelt, then turns back toward Jakurai and exaggeratedly shuts his eyes. “Eyes closed, as promised.”

“Good, good. I’ll be back soon.”

He hears the car door close, and everything goes quiet in the dark space behind his eyelids. The way he can’t even see Jakurai as he walks away makes the fact that he’s alone sink in more keenly, but his other senses step in to compensate. The familiar smell of the car, the familiar way his body sinks into his seat: slideshows of quiet night drives and lively road trips alike fill the void—

“Should we stop for some coffee?”

“It won’t be long until we’re there.”

“Oh, what a beautiful view!”

—and Hitoya smiles to himself as he waits.

Eventually he stirs in his seat at the sound of knuckles tapping against the window. He pats his hand against the side of the door until he finds the switch to lower the window, and feels a cool breeze swirl into the car.

“All done?” he asks, smirking a little. “As you can see, I’ve kept my word.”

“Indeed you have.” With no visuals, the little chuckle that Jakurai lets out sounds more endearing than usual. “I’m just going to put this in the back seat before we set off; I’d prefer it over the trunk so I can make sure from the driver’s seat that it doesn’t jostle around too much.”

“Sure, sure.” He hears the back door slide open next, followed by the crinkling sound of some kind of bag. “Does that mean I have to keep my eyes closed the whole drive back, too?” Jakurai chuckles as he makes his way to the driver’s seat, shutting the door as he sits down and buckles in.

“Be a dear and bear with me,” he says, leaning over to kiss Hitoya on the forehead. He sighs exaggeratedly in response.

“Guess I’ve got no choice…”

It’s a relatively short ride back; Hitoya hums to himself when he recognizes the last few turns leading toward the block where his building is even without being able to see the car in motion. After a quick look for a parking spot and a few precise maneuvers, he hears the engine come to a stop.

“Just give me one moment and I’ll take your hand to lead you upstairs,” Jakurai says, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out to retrieve whatever he’s left in the back seat. Hitoya snorts quietly, undoing his own seatbelt and stepping out of the car in turn. After a moment he feels a warm set of fingers wrap around his palm, and they start to walk.

“I can’t help but wonder if this whole ‘eyes closed’ thing was just a convoluted excuse to get to hold my hand,” Hitoya jokes dryly.

“You wound me,” Jakurai replies, equally unseriously. “I would never.”

They make their way into Hitoya’s building and up to his floor; once they step out of the elevator, Hitoya reaches into his pocket with his free hand, then passes his keys to Jakurai so he can unlock the front door.

“I’ll just need a moment in the kitchen, and then you can finally open your eyes again,” Jakurai says after leading him to a seat at the coffee table and letting go of his hand. “I appreciate your patience.”

“Better be one hell of a surprise, doc,” Hitoya jokes, folding one leg over the other and crossing his arms over his chest. “Though I think I could guess as to what it is…” As if on cue, he hears Jakurai shift his footing, causing the bag in his other hand to crinkle a bit against his leg. But his voice is unexpectedly level when he chuckles softly.

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” he replies simply. “But either way, I’ll be with you shortly.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

Hitoya sinks into his seat a little, listening keenly as Jakurai sets his not-so-mysterious parcel on the kitchen counter behind him; after more plastic crinkling, he hears cardboard flaps shuffling as a box comes open. Next, Jakurai must be going through one of the drawers, since he hears the clinking of metal utensils.

Of course. Hitoya smirks a bit to himself, but nevertheless says nothing. Really, this guy…

Jakurai’s footsteps have always been on the quiet side, but Hitoya’s ears are keen enough to pick up on the subtle sound as he approaches. There are a couple of clinks on the surface of the glass coffee table in front of him, then a few beats of total silence. He taps a finger against his elbow expectantly, then huffs lightly when Jakurai finally raises his voice again from behind his seat.

“Thank you for waiting,” he says pleasantly, laying his palms atop Hitoya’s shut eyes. “One last surprise for the evening awaits.”

“Sure sounds like it,” Hitoya smirks. “Can I finally open my eyes here?” He hears a gentle laugh.

“But of course,” Jakurai replies. “On three, two, one…!” The hands over Hitoya’s face open up like shutters, and light spills back into view when he lifts his eyelids.

Alright, now let’s see what kind of cake this big sap got—

His smirk is about to widen, but he quickly freezes in place.

“Huh?”

He takes a few blinks to adjust to the light and see if his eyes are playing tricks on him, but once the image settles it becomes clear that where there should be a box or a plate—hell, anything rising off the tabletop—there’s only empty space. His eyes naturally trail downward onto the surface of the table next, where all he finds is a crisp slip of paper. Puzzled, he picks it up and looks it over with a slightly furrowed brow.

What the hell…?

The name of a bank in Shinjuku is printed at the top, and in a box in the corner, the characters of Hitoya’s name are inked in a neat and familiar handwriting. A check. It’s a check, of all things. As if that alone isn’t perplexing enough, when Hitoya’s eyes move toward the amount it’s for, his jaw instantly drops like a rock.

Wait, what—?!

“T-Ten million yen?!” he balks, wide-eyed. He jerks his head in Jakurai’s direction, not noticing the little object he’s holding in his hands as he moves to the side of the chair. “Jakurai, what the hell is this supposed to—”

Before he can finish his sentence, Jakurai grins playfully and pulls back one of his hands.

“Surprise!”

“Gah!”

Hitoya jumps in his seat at the sound of a small pop, then blinks to find himself covered in confetti. Jakurai laughs cheerfully, a now-empty party popper in one hand as he takes out his phone with the other. Hitoya gawks dumbfoundedly.

Wait, his—?!

Realizing what Jakurai’s about to do, Hitoya scrambles to brush off as much of the confetti as he can, only to hear rapidfire shutter sounds as he swipes away at his clothes like a madman.

“Y-You…!” His face burns an intense red. “Jakurai! D-Don’t send that to the brats! I must look like an idiot!”

“Oh, but they’ll want to see proof that I managed to pull off the surprise after all!” Jakurai replies in a singsong voice, taking a few more pictures for good measure. “Hifumi-kun and Doppo-kun as well—everyone helped me brainstorm one final last ditch plan, so it’s only fair that they get to see its fruit, don’t you think?” He turns his phone screen toward Hitoya tauntingly, shaking it from side to side.

“Don’t you dare!” Hitoya hisses, leaping up from his seat. He lunges for Jakurai’s hand, quickly swiping the phone out of it and shoving it into his own pocket. Jakurai himself simply lets it happen, a blissful smile spreading across his cheeks, then slips his arms under Hitoya’s and pulls him into a hug. “Tch…!” Hitoya clicks his tongue in a token display of irritation, but he’s no match for the little smile creeping its way into the corner of his lips at the warmth between them.

“Haha! Just the reaction I was expecting—and now I’ve got you right where I want you.” Jakurai’s laugh is low and affectionate in his ear; he tightens their embrace, cupping the back of Hitoya’s head in his hand. “Happy birthday, Hitoya.” He cards his fingers through his hair delicately, and presses their cheeks together. “And may you be blessed with many, many more.”

“Ugh, you…!” Hitoya screws his eyes shut, but curls his own hands around Jakurai’s back to bluntly knock his knuckles against his spine. “I’m gonna cash that fucking check to show you what for, you horrible sap.”

“Well, it was really just meant to catch you off guard for a moment, but I suppose I actually wouldn’t mind that all that much.” Jakurai’s smile shines as brightly as ever. Hitoya clicks his tongue.

“Idiot. Are you always this careless with your money?” he asks sarcastically.

“Careless?” Jakurai repeats playfully. “I’m no such thing—I told you I wanted to repay my debt, didn’t I?”

“Ugh, that again?” Hitoya lightly smacks his shoulder, opening his eyes again to roll them.

“Hm?” Jakurai hums jokingly. “What’s wrong, Hitoya? Was I a few zeroes too short?”

“No, you dork, you’re overcompensating!” Hitoya complains directly into his ear. “You’re seriously so unbearable!”

“Haha!” Jakurai sways from side to side a little, bringing Hitoya along with him. “All the more reason to repay you most handsomely, then—for enduring my nonsense.” He pats the back of Hitoya’s head again, his expression softening.

“Here. I’ll spot you.”

The sensation of coins being pressed into his hand, of a light breeze running past them on their walk to a corner store. A simple image of two young friends at each other’s side. They linger on, even after all this time.

“I really am indebted to you, for far more than I can ever hope to return.”

“Ngh…” Hitoya grumbles, but the edge to his voice is dulled by the shared memory of a warm spring afternoon. He tugs lightly at a lock of hair. “Yeah. You sure fucking are.”

“Heh.” Jakurai’s grin returns, and in a swift motion he hauls Hitoya up off his feet, prompting a surprised grunt.

“W-Wha—?!” Hitoya instinctively wraps both arms around Jakurai’s shoulders to steady himself when he feels his feet dangle off the floor, and pulls his head back until they’re properly facing each other again. “What now?” he groans at the sight of Jakurai’s blissfully cheeky grin.

“Why, what else?” he says, walking along toward the kitchen. “Your birthday cake. That’s what I stopped to pick up.” He gestures toward the counter with his chin; Hitoya’s gaze trails in the same direction, and true to his word, a cake sits waiting for them, two plates and a knife at the ready.

“Good grief.” Hitoya lets out an exasperated sigh, settling into Jakurai’s hold. “You went so goddamn sentimental on me that I completely forgot about that.”

“So my surprise really was a smashing success, then!” Jakurai points out.

“No comment…” Hitoya flicks him on the shoulder as he’s lowered into a seat at the kitchen island. He peers over at the cake; it’s frosted with a light and airy whipped cream, with thin squares of chocolate tiled atop it to form a checkerboard pattern. He can’t help but smirk. “You know how to appeal to me.”

“I have Jyushi-kun and Kuko-kun to thank for giving me local bakery recommendations,” Jakurai notes, reaching for another chair for himself. “Come to think of it, I have several friends to thank for everything tonight.”

Hitoya narrows his eyes, a neutral expression on his face. Then, just before Jakurai can take a seat, he shoots a hand out and grabs him by the collar, pulling him forward in a quick motion.

“Ah!”

Jakurai sets a hand on the counter to keep himself from losing his balance, then blinks in surprise a few times to see the piercing colors of Hitoya’s eyes directly in front of his own. His heart skips a beat when he’s pulled closer still, to the point where the tips of their noses touch.

“You keep going on and on about gratitude,” Hitoya says quietly, “but don’t you forget to let me thank you.”

Before either of them can even feel the blush in their own cheeks, their lips meet softly. Jakurai’s eyes widen at first, but quickly fall with his delighted expression; Hitoya huffs gently, then quickly looks away when he pulls his face back.

“Thanks,” he says, crossing his arms. “It’s been a fun night. I appreciate it.”

“Hitoya…!” Jakurai’s chest feels warm in an instant; he immediately launches his arms around Hitoya again, nuzzling the sides of their faces together. “Oh, you’re so very welcome, of course you are! I’d do anything for you!” Hitoya sighs, even more exasperatedly this time, and pats him on the back with an open palm a few times.

“And you’re right back to being as mushy as always…” he says with a smirk and a shake of his head. “C’mon, big guy—let’s wrap up the corniness and cut this damn cake already.” Jakurai pulls back, still beaming from ear to ear.

“Yes, let’s!”

Evidently the night’s still young, with sweetness both figurative and literal in store for the two. Hitoya chuckles to himself as he watches Jakurai excitedly reach for the plates and utensils, the sparkle in his eyes a familiar one that flickers throughout countless memories.

If you’re in my debt, then I’m in yours too.

And at the same time, his own eyes glitter like a handful of coins in the light.

So here’s to another year of racking up each other’s tabs.