Chapter Text
A “wedding” had never been in Akito’s plans for the future.
Well, at least, not until he became partners with Toya.
Even then, as their bond grew, the idea was small and tentative in his mind. After all, what mattered most had always been that they’d stay together, sing together, until they one day decide to retire (not even from music, but just from the music industry), resting in the future they’ve created a legend in.
Marriage was only ever something that bound two together, recognisable to the world - it would mean nothing but names on paper if not for the true bond between them. That much was certain from his point of view.
That being said, he wasn’t averse to marriage, either. The gleaming proof that they chose each other over millions to be together with would be quite validating. Partners in singing, partners in love… opposed to what he might logically think, it was a very alluring concept.
.
.
.
… And so imagine what a surprise it was when his boyfriend sat on his bed on a Saturday night, hair still dripping wet with a towel on his head, and asked such a question:
“Akito, do you want to get married?”
Toya received no answer to his question, and after taking a look at Akito's blank face (maybe he's imagining things, but he also seemed paler than usual?), he began to explain himself.
“I was thinking, we are gaining some popularity in the industry. It might make a bigger fuss if we introduce ourselves as… together, later.”
Akito could see him struggling in real time to find his words. It was a rare sight, as Toya liked to think before he spoke, and was fairly eloquent, generally.
"That's… not the only reason, but…” Toya paused to look at Akito, “what do you think?”
His face returned to its original color before coming back to his senses.
"Ah, that. Did you want to…?”
Toya flushed a brilliant red, even brighter than the pink he already had from showering.
"Well, I'm asking for your opinion, aren't I?”
Sneaky, Akito thought, while probably blushing at the ears as well. But there's always the first person to answer, and Toya technically did ask first.
Akito thought of the reflections he had of marriage. They never made sure of a certain time he should get married, but he supposed, no time better than the present.
Besides, would there seriously be much difference? They're living together already, for god's sake, and the wedding vows he remembers from distant memories are clearly what they would already do for each other. So really, what's the holdup?
Akito's head hung a bit lower in embarrassment.
“...Yes, I'd like that to happen.”
Toya's eyes, which were fixed on Akito for the past few minutes of his introspection, shone in relief. A blinding smile took the place of the nervous expression from earlier.
Akito glanced up just in time to catch the expression.
.
It was cute as hell, man, warn a guy. And to think that this was brought out by him… his face slowly morphed into a (slightly) giddy grin.
“I feel the same as well.”
Perhaps there was little left to say, and after a few moments of staring in mutual excitement, they parted, Toya back to blowdry his hair and Akito to check the latest news in the industry.
But perhaps Akito was imagining it, but the night seemed sweeter than usual, with the prospect of tomorrow in his head and Toya in his arms.
—
It was time to tell the families.
They were highschool sweethearts, after all, so when Akito unlocked the door to his family’s house with a quiet click at five in the afternoon, lacing his hand with Toya’s at the doorway, it looked like any other day from their highschool years, just a regular dinner with Toya joining in as he often did. Even if their feelings at that moment were nothing like those they’ve felt before.
The door creaked as he opened it, and yellowing lights greeted him as he stepped in, pulling Toya with him before he gently closed it.
“I’m home!”
“Akito, welcome back! Oh, and look who it is! Toya, it has been quite some time! How have you been? You look –”
“Mom, a bit too much…”
Akito sighed, looking around at the house he hadn’t visited in some time. A sense of normalcy washed over him at the sound of her voice.
The furniture barely changed, as expected, but it had gotten less cluttered since him and Ena moved out for college. It was no less cozy and warm, though.
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.
.
“Welcome back, Akito, Toya. Long time no see.”
Ena was sitting on the armchair with her legs crossed, facing away from the doorway. There was a squeak as she turned around to glance at them.
She… didn’t know about the couple’s plans yet, but one look told her that they were way too jittery for a normal family dinner. The skin at the nape of his neck was flushing pink, like hell he wasn’t rubbing hard at it earlier. And Toya didn’t even follow up their mom’s questioning with a polite response, which he always did.
God, they were so obvious. Obvious then, obvious now. Some things never change, do they?
She fought to not roll her eyes at the lovebirds, and turned back to her phone. Hmm, Mizuki hasn’t replied since midnight last night…
“When did you get here?” Akito asked, his tone a bit subdued.
“I stayed the night last night, train tickets were going to be charged extra for the holidays today.” Ena replied, her eyes kept down at her phone.
Akito gave a small hum at her response, and after slipping into their respective slippers placed at the entryway (free of dust, clearly cleaned), they stepped in the house. The familiar smell of a home cooked meal wafted through the air as they took seats at the dining table.
.
.
.
“Toya and I… would like to get married.”
Such words tumbled out Akito’s mouth halfway through the meal. Toya visibly tensed up beside him, eyes instinctively training down to his food before quickly glancing up to check the parents’ reactions.
Ena showed little emotion, her eyes focused on the dishes in front of her, continuing to eat as if her brother hadn’t said a word.
Shit, she knew? But how?
“Oh… Well, I should have seen this coming, since this is the first time you’ve taken Toya here after moving out. But you two have always stayed close, haven’t you? Since high school?”
Their mother sounded a bit surprised, but otherwise not shook to a huge extent.
…How did they all know? Were they no better than those who did PDA all the time at school?
This time, it was Toya who answered, gently yet with a note of certainty. “Yes, mother. We’ve stayed together since then, and now, we’d like to hear your opinion.”
Akito took a glance at his lover, tender with fresh pride. Toya had always been eloquent, but it still sometimes surprises him to see how confident his underlying tone can be. He truly has gone a long way.
Their mother pursed her lips in an attempt to hide a soft smile, but it was no use, as everyone at the table could see through the pretense.
“Toya has always been a wonderful child. The two of you had also been through rough times together, and I believe that you’ve always lived your lives the way you wanted with the help of the other. I think you’d be wonderful together.”
Akito almost thawed from the kind and genuine words, intertwined hands with Toya’s under the table loosening slightly. He tilted slightly, to face the other parent that hadn’t yet spoken.
.
.
.
Akito had thought about it, about the matter of his father’s approval.
“Well, theoretically, it’s your choice, right? Whom you get married to? And when you do so?” were Toya’s kind prompts when they were talking about how the marriage should go.
Although… that man… had never really seemed like a father to him, there would still might be some trouble if he was homophobic - was he homophobic? - but the worst case scenario was to simply elope, no? Making sure that everyone they cared about knew of their engagement, and then take off. Isn't that what coming together as a couple truly meant?
Did anything else, other than that, matter?
.
.
.
And so, after receiving his mother's approval, he sat straight and tall, looking at the man assuredly. Holding Toya's hand, he looked straight into his eyes and stated clearly:
“I'm marrying Toya.”
His… father only looked at him mildly with a hint of regret, before replying, “I have no objection.”
Akito let out a breath he didn't really know he held, while still staying upright and slightly wary. It really was that simple? He really didn't expect more than this, but…
Their father stilled, before speaking again.
“You must have stayed strong through the many obstacles you must have come across while being in… such a relationship status.”
And then, quietly, “Continue to do so, you are a boy of pride.”
The duo listened intently till the last word, and the table fell back to its original, ambient silence.
—----
The Aoyagis were a different story.
The atmosphere was… stuffed, somewhat. Awkward, even. Even so, Toya seemed quite happy to return to his family's house on good terms.
“Mother,” he had happily exhaled when they entered, as his mother greeted them at the door. His expression didn't change much, but there was a small smile and a crinkle at his eyes and Akito hoped that she also saw it. Judging from her reaction, she probably did.
“Toya. Welcome back, dinner's ready,” his mother smiled gently back, waiting at the doorway to lead them in.
As they entered, Akito noticed that the rooms were clinically clean, the walls monotone and low-saturated. There were little pictures and decorations on the walls and around the house. Even so, it was bright and quiet, a uniquely comforting place to be.
.
.
.
Unlike Toya with the Shinonomes, Akito had rarely been to the Aoyagi residence. He could count on one hand of the times he had been there, and all of them had been for school projects and never to simply hang out. It felt like an unspoken law that outsiders were kept outsiders, and he was no exception.
And so the second he entered the dining room, he felt the assessing gaze of Aoyagi Harumichi at the dining table. (To be fair, it might have simply been a careful stare, but it didn't stop Akito from feeling uncomfortable, alright)
Toya had clearly told his family that he was ‘bringing a special person home’, because he couldn't imagine anything bringing this much attention to him other than the status of “Toya’s significant other”.
.
.
.
Harumichi mostly just stared at Akito as they ate.
“... you're the one that… encouraged Toya here to pursue his street music dream, weren't you?”
Akito stared at him back before he replied with a firm nod,
“Yes. I am Shinonome Akito, his partner in singing,”
Toya glanced at him, and so he continued,
“and if possible, we're asking for your blessing to be partners in life as well.”
Harumichi looked quite stumped, but it honestly felt more like he didn't really know what to say rather than outright disapproval. In disbelief, more like.
Not what he expected, but alright.
“...You wish to marry him?”
Akito couldn't really understand why he had to ask that.
“Yes, sir.”
A few seconds of silence passed, with the quiet clinks of silverware.
“I understand.”
… That was easy.
“I’m… familiar with your style. I’ve heard your songs before. On the internet.”
Not anymore.
—-----
It was a lovely morning.
The sky turned pale blue by the time Akito finished his morning run. On his way home, he picked up their typical breakfast choice (but never coffee, Toya liked to make it at home), and headed home a little faster than he usually would.
.
Which was his luck, too, because he got to catch Toya snoozing with the soft sunshine filtering through the room. He doesn't usually sleep in this late, but one look at his working table told Akito everything he needed to know.
It wasn't messy, per se, but it was still cluttered with music shorthand and many recent projects from their team.
Sighing softly, he set down the breakfast, tidied the desk to the best of his ability, and stepped in the shower.
.
Toya had always been a light sleeper, so as tired as he was, he still stirred by the faint water noise.
He sat up and rubbed at his eyes. They still wouldn't open, so he just let them be, sitting up and waiting for his body to wake up.
The water stopped soon, and not long after, he heard the door click open and footsteps to the kitchen.
.
Akito saw no sign of Toya around the house, so he figured he was still sleeping.
Damn, yesterday really tired him out, huh?
He paced in the kitchen, looking at the different coffee beans, trying to decide which one to use.
Toya had taught him how to brew coffee, sure. He never learned to do it as well as Toya did, but it was sufficient, he supposed. And it was “perfectly good, because Akito had taken the time and effort to brew a good cup of coffee”, in Toya’s words (why, oh why is he always this sincere, he'll never know).
But he never really learned the subtle differences between different kinds of coffee, so after debating for a few seconds about nothing at all, he gave up and pulled a random bag off the shelf and began coffee-making.
A few minutes later, a hot pot of fresh coffee was ready, and he carefully poured some into a cup before placing both it and the breakfast onto a tray and bringing it to the bedroom.
Toya was still sitting, but he was clearly halfway on his revisit to dreamland, what with his head nodding every few seconds, getting lower and lower every time. Akito could only suppress a chuckle and a sigh before setting the tray aside and placing his hands onto his partner's shoulders.
“Toya.”
The blue-haired gave a soft sleep-mumble before slowly blinking awake, eyebrows furrowing unknowingly on his face. It almost felt like he was forcing himself to rouse.
“Toya, I got breakfast for ya.”
It seemed like he didn't really register what the orange-haired just said, with the way he continued to stare at his feet.
For this, Akito crouched down with a soft smile on his face, keeping his gentle touch on his boyfriend. As he wished, he got to meet Toya’s gaze, albeit unfocused.
“Toya, wake up.”
Toya finally seemed to be awake enough to respond.
“Good morning,” he croaked.
Akito had to use all his willpower to not grin stupidly at his sleepy expression, and after a few moments, he brought the peace offering to Toya, setting it on his thighs while holding onto it for stability.
He mumbled a small thanks Akito wouldn't have been able to hear if he was any farther, and slowly began to eat, bit by bit, paired by the hand-brewed coffee.
Akito waited until he was mostly awake until he mentioned their agenda for today.
“We're going to sign the papers today, aren't we? You know, the ones that say we're lawfully husbands.”
At that, Toya finally blinked fully awake, widening his eyes at Akito.
“Ah, I'm so sorry! I prepared the documents a few days ago, but it slipped through…”
Akito kept his smile patient before saying, “Don’t worry about it, it's not time yet. Plus, you've been working quite hard these days. Let's just head out after we're done and wait for An and Kohane there.”
Toya smiled sweetly at him. “It's a date.”
.
.
.
The registration was quite speedy, if Akito had to say himself. He thought they'd have to fill in a lot of info, but the lady at the counter looked quite uninterested, and after the duo signed as a lawfully wed couple and their bandmates signed as fellow witnesses of their love, they were sent off with a simple certificate.
“Ah, that was quite simple! Maybe Kohane and I will also marry, some day?” An thought aloud, much to Kohane’s embarrassment.
“An-chan…”
An looped her arm onto Kohane’s shoulders as the latter began to blush at such a suggestion.
…They should do well with a few talks, Akito thought.
As if having a sudden thought, An turned back to the boys.
“Is that all? Kohane and I have somewhere else to be after this-”
“Yeah, yeah, you can go. Thanks, again.” The duo waved them off as they joined hands and took off.
Akito then turned to his partner with a widened smile, and held out a hand.
“What do you say we have some alone time?”
—------
After months of planning and organising the event, the big day finally arrived.
Toya unconsciously smoothed out his outfit. It was unblemished, of course, but it didn't stop him from fidgeting with the jacket.
Akito reached out and cradled both his hands into his own.
“Quit it, Toya.”
Toya glanced up with a jolt, only to be met with the patient, unwavering eyes of his lover.
Akito grinned at him as his silver tassel earrings swung slightly, catching the bright light from the venue ceiling.
Toya smiled back serenely, but the warmth hadn't reached his eyes.
“Got cold feet, Toya?”
Toya shook his head firmly.
“Of course not. It's just… there's so much I'm feeling, there's a weight at my chest.”
He looked back up at his partner, his eyes cool and deep with emotion.
“Today's the day we'll really, officially be together, Akito.”
At that, Akito thought for a second, his hand coming to rub as his chin.
“That is true, but Toya,” he kneeled down and looked into his gray eyes.
Beautiful.
“Even if this wedding thing had never taken place, we would still be together. I'd still want to spend my life with you. All this,” he gestured at the stage, “could all be for show, and our partnership wouldn't change. So… just enjoy the ride, yeah? You don't get married often.”
Akito realised what he just said.
“Well,” he chuckled in embarrassment, his ears beginning to redden, “hopefully. Maybe.”
With that, Toya began to thaw a bit, chuckling with his lover, and everything was lighter. It was alright.
.
It was (mostly) an Aoyagi- requested wedding, and therefore an Aoyagi-approved one, so to no one's surprise—
“OH— TOYA!! CONGRATS—”
“Onii-chan, please, shh…”
People were starting to glance, some in disdain and others in surprise, but Toya really couldn't care less. His eyes immediately shone with an excitement reserved only for him, almost as if his eyes reflected the light of the self-proclaimed star, his beloved senpai.
“Tsukasa-senpai!”
He hurried forward to meet them in the middle.
“Otoutobun! Oh, it's your big day today… It feels like only yesterday when you first came to our house! Look at you now, all grown up and handsome…”
The guy looked like he was about to tear up, and it wasn't even the vow readings yet.
Toya, of course, beamed with just as much enthusiasm:
“I’m so glad you were able to come. You should have your hands full recently, from the many festive performances.”
“It wasn't a problem at all! I have to come to see my little brother's wedding no matter what, don't I?”
To his side, Saki chuckled along, “We were hoping to catch you before the ceremony started, Toya! The preparation wasn't too difficult, was it?”
Toya smiled warmly at his childhood friend.
“It was not much trouble, Saki-san. Akito and I had to wake up earlier than usual to get ready, but the makeup artists did most of the work. We mostly just had to stay still.”
Tsukasa turned to Akito with a bright smile and clapped him good-naturedly twice on his shoulder. Bless him.
Akito waved at the actor, albeit a bit awkwardly. Two years, and he still hadn't really grasped how to talk to this… weirdo. But he has to admit, he was greatly indebted to him.
“You look great, Akito! Well, I trust that Toya here will be in good hands from now on. You're a good guy, and you’ve inspired him to keep pursuing what he likes, eh?”
Akito waved his senpai down.
“Yeah, yeah… save it for the speeches…”
God, why is Tsukasa like this as well?
The Tenmas then gave them a little goodbye wave before talking to the other guests. Toya, in turn, looked a lot less heavy-hearted, an elated smile still residue on his face. Akito internally sighed, while unable to keep a smile off his own face at the look of his partner. The influence of this big ball of light…
—----
The ceremony… sort of moved too fast and too slow at the same time. What do you mean, they marched on the aisle surrounded by warm gazes and flashing cameras and suddenly they're at the altar, with fucking Kamishiro Rui as the officiant, reading the opening words with a fucking smirk?
And the words, he could care less about. What was more important, was his… fiancé, in front of him.
His eyes were sparkling with almost childish adoration, as if trying to capture his presence at this very moment, when they were for everyone to see but only for each other to have.
Akito did not care what others thought of them, he really did want to hold this giddy Toya in his arms. But what was a few more minutes? They had the rest of time to do so.
“...now, you may exchange rings.”
An, in a sharp blazer and a really cool red-and-blue striped tie, walks to the middle of the stage, with the rings in hand.
Akito nods at An in thanks before taking a ring and carefully takes Toya's slender, pale hand into both his own. He couldn't resist kissing the back of his hand before slowly sliding the ring onto his ring finger.
Toya's eyes glimmered, and with similar gentleness, he does the same for Akito, and with a look of both disdain and approval from An, she took off, and it was finally, finally time for the vows.
“Toya, do you take Akito to be your partner, your best friend and love for life?”
“I do.”
Toya’s voice sounded deeper than it used to.
Akito glanced to the purple-haired, and could see the smirk, he could literally see him holding in the snigger – but he guesses that he'd have to be the bigger man again, ‘cause there's no higher injustice than thinking about this instead of Toya literally swearing to be with him for the rest of his life–
“Akito, do you take Toya to be your partner, your best friend and love for life?”
The answer had never changed since their first debut.
“I do.”
Rui continues.
“You have consented to the sacred bond of marriage, and now it is time to share vows, the promises that will guide you in the years to come. Akito, please share your vows with Toya by repeating after me.”
Akito recites his vows, the words he all but carved into his bones.
“Toya,
I will continue down our path with you,
whether that is music or life,
for I have chosen my partner for life a very long time ago.
I will do everything in my power to aid and to guide, if you shall ever need it,
as we chase a dream we have aspired to reach.
We will share our successes and share our hardships,
and stand strong together as every tomorrow arrives.
I promise to be your partner for as long as I live.”
Rui turns to Toya, “Toya, please share your vows with Akito by repeating after me.”
“Akito,
I promise to sing with you and stay by your side,
even as life throws barriers and fork paths in our way.
I promise to trust in your capabilities and your competence, as a partner in singing and a partner in life,
as you are my equal and that is what equals are.
I promise to lend you any help I can offer,
as the title of ‘partners’ means to be teammates, and a crisis of yours is a crisis of mine.
I will stand with you, for as long as I live.”
Rui, upon hearing the vows spoken, suddenly increases in volume in (mock) triumph:
“The vows have been spoken, and so by the power mistrusted in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband! You may kiss the groom!”
The kiss that ensued was a kiss that had happened countless times before, in quiet corners in their household or in small moments when no one sees, and so there was no nervousness as Akito wraps an arm around Toya's waist and a hand at his nape, and Toya's arms around his shoulders.
The little distance they had in between them closes, and Akito feels the familiar warmth upon his lips once again.
Applause quickly emerges throughout the venue, and as they break apart, familiar faces begin to come closer. The newlyweds could feel their presences…
but alas, they currently only have eyes for each other. <3
—-----
The ceremony smoothly flowed into the formal meal after that, under the excellent planning of the consultant.
Now, after the group pictures had been taken (it honestly felt like every possible combination had been taken photo of), the meals began to be served at a long table, with the lights hushed and candles on the table.
The welcoming and introduction of the couple had been completed. It had started quite a commotion when they introduced themselves as street singers that will take over the world (their exact words). It's too much a shame that the crowd consists of both classical musicians, who probably did not give a fuck about who they were, and the people that supported their dreams. Being considerate and mindful of their audience, they cancelled a show on stage they were originally going to perform.
They totally missed out, he thought.
.
.
.
For the traditional outfit change event, they chose their street performance outfits.
Akito did not lie at all when he said Toya looked magnificent in white, but looking at him in his usual outfit felt like welcoming him home, into the environment that supported him and enveloped him. He was a member on Vivid Street, and Akito loved seeing freedom and expression worn proudly on him.
The sight of them wearing vibrant streetwear, ripped jeans and edgy jewelry (the full package), sent the crowd into another commotion, but this time, the unrestrained cheers of An, Kohane, and the other members of Vivid Street were very much louder.
.
.
.
After long, long hours of socialising with people he had barely met before, it was finally, finally time for most of the guests to leave and the people remaining were all those that the couple themselves were familiar with. A traditional nijikai, so to speak.
The sky was dark already, and the streetlights were warm and homey as the former Kamiyama High students left the venue in a chattering line.
The happy crowd ambled across a deserted street, then past many sidewalks and a bridge, and finally got to a familiar pub they often went to.
“Ah… you two are really a thing now… the forever buy one get one free set… goodness…”
An slumped onto the sofa the newlyweds were sitting on, and Kohane followed suit. Akito raised an eyebrow.
“Why the long face?”
An put her hands up in surrender.
“Okay, no, I have zero objections. I'm just dead beat… the formal dinner is too much, I’ve never been to one before.”
Kohane chimed in with a small smile.
“Although, it's a good thing Aoyagi’s family didn't ask too much about our group… I thought about what to say, but everything sounded so off…”
Three of them all ordered their preferred cocktails (Akito offered to get them home, so he had to stay sober), while the newcomers Tsukasa, Rui, Mizuki, huddled around a menu.
After the three of them also finished ordering, Tsukasa leaned on the backrest, his expression comically pained.
“Nene couldn't come… it's such a loss! She said something about having to work tonight…”
Akito had to stifle a laugh. He could be wrong, but she'd absolutely be too tired from the socializing to continue to endure Tsukasa and Rui’s antics late into the night. But speaking of antics…
Mizuki straightened up in their seat, with a huge grin on their face.
“Otouto-kun! I haven't seen you all day! Can I take a picture of you and Toya? Pretty please!”
Well, Akito thought, apparently Mizuki had only snuck into the venue when the party almost ended. It really was the same old Mizuki he knew from high school.
Seeing Akito's lack of movement, Toya tapped at his shoulder.
“It's alright with you, right, Akito? Just one picture together?”
Akito, as cursed as he is, could never turn down any request from his partner. Having given up on speech, he waved Mizuki over and the latter grinned.
“See, Toya-kun’s so nice! Would it hurt to learn from him a little?”
Devils, they're all devils.
—-----
Once they've gotten a significant amount of food and wine down, and spirits (and voice levels) have gotten significantly higher, they started a game where everyone's got a sticky note on their heads, and each consists of an action they can't do. If they do it, they're out.
Akito's and Toya's were that they couldn't call each others’ names, An’s was that she couldn't do a toast, Mizuki couldn't tease, Rui couldn't chuckle “hehe”, and Tsukasa couldn't sing. Kohane wrote everyone's tasks, so she opted out to watch.
For a brief moment, everyone was silent, vibrating in fear and in anticipation.
Then An shouted, “And now, let's congratulate the gays for finally getting the balls to marry each other! Come on,” she raised a glass, “to Akito and Toya!”
Everyone burst out laughing. Mizuki was wheezing and banging the table, Tsukasa was doing his ‘star laugh’, hollering in glee, Rui chuckled his cat-like chuckle, Toya giggled as he bumped his shoulder against Akito, the latter chortling along. Kohane giggled and hid her smile behind a hand while the other hand patted at An when she groaned and ripped the sticky-note off her head, “it was the damn task, wasn't it?”
Akito, as if suddenly realising it, snapped up and:
“Kamishiro-senpai, you are out as well.”
“Oh?”
Rui took off the sticky note, and sighed in displeasure.
“Shiraishi, this was the purpose of the toast, wasn't it?”
“No, I wanted Akito and Toya to say each others' names!”
Akito perked up in interest. Drunk Shiraishi really had no clue how logic works, then.
Toya, having also heard that, turned to his lover.
He really looked like he was about to check in with him.
Ah, no–
Before Akito could stop him from saying his name—
“Akito, did you hear…?”
.
The orange haired in question tried extremely hard not to hold his head in his hands.
It seems like drunk Toya was no good at logic either.
Mizuki couldn't stop laughing to tease, and Tsukasa didn't even get a chance to sing. Now, after only a few seconds after the game started, there were only two people left standing (Akito guessed his goal and was already a winner).
“Toya-kun is really down bad, huh? He hears something and immediately goes to check with his beloved aibo…”
Scratch that, there's only one person left.
Akito never thought Tsukasa of all people would be the last one standing.
Tsukasa, confused as he was, got a paper crown and officially became king.
.
.
.
All was fun until the end. Tsukasa, Rui, and Mizuki all expressed their well wishes as they left the squad to have a sanjikai.
The sky has completely darkened as it was almost midnight, and the sidewalk tiles sparkled under the lights.
An and Toya were walking arm in arm in front of the others, looking well on their way to drunk heaven (Toya probably didn't look like it to others, but it was clear as hell), while Kohane strolled behind them, flushed but otherwise still coherent enough to walk on her own.
Akito could only sigh at the sight of his partner. He knew how he gets when he's drunk, 50 percent chance of being a puffed-up, prod-able bunch and a 50 percent chance of being a boneless, gooey mess. It was a gamble, really, because one was significantly easier to deal with than the other, but he didn't really care. It was their big day, after all. If he wanted to wind down this way, so be it. The worst thing he could do is to be a killjoy and bring him home. But honestly, Toya is his priority.
They winded down at another bar, this time with a karaoke. They started playing their favourite music and singing to their hearts’ content. With every two round of songs came a round of beer, and after an hour or two (well past midnight at that point), they could pass out right there on the velvet.
…that, and Akito lost the gamble.
Toya clung to him, like a child to his mother… no, a drunk guy to his lover, which is exactly what they are right now – he's thinking in circles.
“Akito, I love you.”
Akito's ears began to redden. It has been five years since they started dating, and even longer since they began being partners, and he still couldn't take a Toya truth straight to the face. Fatal flaw, really.
“Will you save it, goddamn it. We really should go home…”
Toya had the audacity to hum his satisfaction like he hadn't heard his aibo at all. He chuckled, and wrapped his arms even tighter around Akito’s neck, nuzzling into his hair in total content.
Then, all of a sudden, he snorted like he heard something funny.
“But Akito, I do love you. Why do we have to go home?”
Akito kind of wanted to hide from his partner from then. But alas, his trial wasn't over.
“Like, love, Akito, love… hehe. Akito, so reliable, so kind, so sweet. So hardworking, sings so well, so perfect–”
…Akito should never let him drink this much again. At this point, the skin at his chest was going to flare up, and he wasn't even drinking.
“AHH, YOU TWO, it's too much, damn you…” An shouted as she slumped onto the table. She started snoring, bless her.
Kohane, for once, didn't show an awkward expression, but simply a sweet smile and rosy cheeks, with her hands folded in front of her. It was still quite the headache for Akito to see, because he knows she never really gets like this.
“...guys, I really think y'all should be getting home.”