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Seishiro Nagi had an ever-growing list of things he found an utter, absolute pain, including, but not limited to: waking up early, especially on his precious days off, crowds, places where you can't use your phone properly, dealing with the elements, and so on.
Yet, as he was learning in the last few months, his list of no-gos had a natural predator: one that was tall, stubborn, and had a smile so bright it could blind anyone from outer space.
One that parked his dainty feet on Seishiro's door precisely at 6 AM and would probably discover 50 ways to pick a lock before giving up.
Reo. His doting, yet stubborn as all hell, partner.
“Nagiiii~ Rise and shine, my dear prodigy! Adventure awaits!” He hears from his bed-cocoon, barely able to keep his eyes open. Even then, his feet are already dragging on the floor, attempting to find slippers, as if he was a moth attracted to the purple light.
Ugh. Too early for metaphors, brain.
Being 100% fair to Reo, Seishiro did agree when he declared they'd go to the beach that weekend, something about making memories and relaxation being important parts of a healthy life. Not that Seishiro really liked the beach, quite the opposite, actually: most of the things he couldn't stand were a key aspect of that particular destination, and he didn't even own proper clothes for the occasion.
But Reo promised to get him a nice beach chair to nap on, snacks, and cold drinks. Besides, being pampered by Reo did sound better than suffering on that stupid heat wave with nothing but a tiny fan and a one-sided hate relationship with Summer. So Seishiro mumbled a bored “okay” and accepted the invitation.
Even then, knowing Reo and his preference for insane plans, Seishiro was half-expecting something different, maybe flying on a private jet to some quiet, ultra-exclusive tropical beach or whatever would allow him to sleep a little longer. Instead, he opens the door to find Reo already wearing occasion-appropriate clothes: a white t-shirt, purple shorts with yellowish crown print, and a matching cap and flip-flops (no jet, though).
Cute. Yet another version of Reo only Seishiro has direct access to. If his partner was a video game character, he'd be the proud owner of every rare skin. Reo would be a real cheat character to have, with his maxed-out stats and the secret attack of being in such a good mood this early in the morning.
“Good morning! I hope you didn't spend the night gaming.”
“Oh, so Reo expects me to lie.” Seishiro can't control a yawn, opening the door just enough so Reo can enter. “Why so early?”
“We're driving there, so I would rather not waste our precious fun time by oversleeping! Ba-ya is waiting downstairs, so chop chop~ I brought you some breakfast, but you can eat in the car.” Reo hands him a bag containing what appears to be a change of clothes.
“Ugh, do we have to go through all this effort? Doesn't that ginormous building of yours have a pool somewhere? At the very least, Ba-ya could build us one.”
“Really, what do you think Ba-ya is…” A mix of a witch and a war veteran who probably has an insane action film backstory. “I told you, I want to go to the beach! A regular one! Now hurry, go change, and stop debating with your Boss! Be my good boy, and you won't regret it, I promise!”
If anyone else pulled a crazy scheme like that on Seishiro, they’d already be getting kicked out. Instead, Reo goes through his kitchen mumbling a lecture about the lack of protein available while Seishiro changes into a sleeveless gray top, black shorts, his first pair of flip-flops in like a decade, and the biggest beach hat he has ever seen.
“I look like a scarecrow…”
“You're too pale, better to be safe than sorry. Once we arrive, I’ll also cover you in enough sunscreen to protect an elephant.” Reo explains as they go down the stairs, and Seishiro pretends not to hear the camera noises by his side. Which doesn't matter either way, as Reo pulls him to take a proper selfie before they enter the familiar limousine.
“To celebrate what is technically our first trip together! The first of many!”
“Hope that the future ones don't force me to be up this early.” Is what he answers out loud.
Especially on our honeymoon, this part Seishiro only says in his head, less because of shame and more for the fact that Ba-ya is now at earshot, and they have yet to announce their future marriage to the Mikage household.
So they enter the car and proceed with Reo's itinerary, a lilac lunchbox being handed over to him the moment they get comfortable in the leather seats. The information that this comes from the Mikage family’s personal chef does make him a little disappointed, but Reo's too high-energy to notice.
Next match, if I play my cards right, I wonder if Reo would make me lunch. That would sure be nice…
Making a mental note to access that new craving later, Seishiro eats his breakfast and completes his dailies on the time it takes for them to reach the beach. As soon as they stop, Ba-ya starts to effortlessly unpack everything they brought and build them a little corner on the sand.
As expected, the beach is hot, loud, annoying, and packed with people.
Reo is excited about every little detail, of course.
As always.
Right after they met, Seishiro thought that Reo was just one of those insanely positive people who saw life as a blessing, or whatever you could find in a cheap self-help book. A doe-eyed rich boy who thought the world was sunshine and lollipops based on the idyllic view of his penthouse windows.
Now he knew that what Reo was excited about was both choosing his own life and showing him the world. The last one was kind of pointless, because most of the time Seishiro was looking at him instead of their adventures, but you do crazy things for the person you love.
Love. Romance.
Another post-Reo consequence.
One that makes him pose with a peace sign for pictures and even take some of his own.
That makes him offer to return the favor once Reo finishes carefully applying sunscreen at every visible inch of his skin, unaware of the effects on Seishiro's blood pressure.
They play in the water and build a sandcastle. Reo gets them a strangely painted surfboard and a comically big floatie on the car, and somehow Seishiro and his inflatable companion are the ones defeated by the waves.
In the blink of an eye they've explored a filler episode's worth of beach shenanigans, and Seishiro collapses on a beach towel, Reo's warm laughter following him.
“Zombie-Nagi is now a beach species too?” Seishiro only mumbles a half-word as a response, so Reo continues. “Alright, you’re in battery-saving mode, message received. I’ll go get us something to eat. Rest a little, Nagi.”
Now that is something he's a master of. Despite the amount of people around, the pleasant breeze and the calming sound of waves hitting the shore should be a perfect combination to lull Seishiro into a nap… and yet, his eyes are unable to stay shut.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Huh. Reo's for sure taking his sweet time. He could interrupt Ba-ya’s reading time and ask her to go find him, sure. Instead, Seishiro only asks her for directions and starts walking, justifying to the tired-Seishiro in his head that by doing so, Reo would be pleased and agree to pet his head until he falls asleep after they eat.
He finds Reo next to a food stand, holding a plastic bag with what he assumes are two yakisoba portions, and understands what he was taking so long.
Reo's surrounded by people.
Alright, surrounded might not be the most accurate description. There are around five people talking to him, all either holding surfboards and/or wearing those swimming suits that stick to the skin. It seems to be a pleasant conversation instead of what Reo calls “entertaining the masses”, because Reo is making that face he has whenever he's fascinated by a topic.
That doesn't make things better. Quite the opposite, actually.
Fully aware that he's being lame, Seishiro turns on his tracks and starts walking, way beyond their spot, way beyond any part he recognized from that morning. This is stupid, really. Reo enjoying the company of anyone who treats him like a regular person is nothing new; he probably met other people who enjoyed surfing while waiting in line for their food and lost track of time a bit. Not a reason for him to be sulking like a child.
Deciding to take a break and realizing he is most likely lost, Seishiro sits on the sand, trying to let go of those overly-complicated thoughts caused by even more complicated feelings.
As if giving him the middle finger, the universe instead puts a white, faintly purple-tinted seashell right next to him.
Ugh. It's like he can hear the cheesy soundtrack for the beach episode climax.
When did I become so sentimental? It's a pain. That question has an obvious answer, really, as expected as the fact that he grabs the seashell and stares at it against the sunlight.
He can still save this. Go back, complain that Reo took oh-so-long and that he was starving, give him the seashell, and reap maximum rewards as his number one treasure. Pretend that he didn't get a random jealousy fit.
If only he could figure out how the fuck to come back in the first place.
“Seishiro-sama. I was looking for you.” Ba-ya calls, interrupting his unusually loud thoughts. She doesn't seem too tired, which means he's probably not that far from their spot, but again, Ba-ya is shaped like a superhero witch. He could’ve walked to the other side of Japan and still not make that woman break a sweat.
Seishiro grumbles an explanation and gets up, too worked-up to offer much. Ba-ya hands him a water bottle and starts walking as soon as she's sure he's following.
When Seishiro thinks the world is finally granting him a break, she continues talking.
“I was wondering, would you mind entertaining an old woman's curiosity?”
“Too many words…” He complains, sliding his finger through the ridges on the shell. Damn, with Ba-ya here, it's too late to get rid of it discreetly; he'll just have to keep the damn thing in his pocket until getting home. “Just ask, I'll answer if it's not a pain.”
“I was noticing that, much like with soccer, you don't seem to enjoy the beach too much.”
“Well, duh-”
“And yet you keep accepting those invitations. Any particular reasoning behind that? I know my Young Master can be convincing, but even his skills have their limits.”
From all the things you could ask a sunburned, probably dehydrated, gloomy boy, Ba-ya somehow chooses the most accurate, complicated combo. Reo definitely got some of his quirks from her, biology be damned.
Because the now-not-so-simple answer was that he did all those things because he liked Reo: if it meant continuing to be his treasure, Seishiro would be a freaking soccer prodigy, or climb a mountain, or go to the stupid beach; he would even enjoy those things, no matter how much he complained.
Anywhere he was with Reo, it was fun.
However, moments like this were a reminder that, unlike him, Reo had options. Sure, the ones on their average routine in Hakuho High sucked, but how long would it take for another interesting creature to get picked by his radar? A better soccer player? A companion for his next crazy dream?
What would it take for Seishiro to go from his special person to just a slightly talented boy with a dumb purple seashell in his pocket?
“Don't know.” He shrugs, hoping Ba-ya will at least pretend she doesn't see right through him. “Why would Reo keep inviting me anyway? Having all this trouble…”
“Insecurity doesn't suit you, Seishiro-sama.”
Ba-ya comments as the random beach items they pass start to look more familiar. Squinting a little, Seishiro can see Reo's bizarre-looking surfboard and a purple human-shaped dot, sitting on the sand, feet barely touching the waves.
“While I don't understand what caused your sudden change of heart, I can answer the question with a fact. Whether it is soccer, biking to school, or a rest day like today, the Young Master always looks the happiest when he's with you. That's something to keep in mind.”
They finally arrive at their spot, and Ba-ya parts with one last smile and request, kind of like if this was a classic RPG game.
“I need to get something in the car. Could you keep the Young Master company while I'm away?”
“Sure, I guess…”
Mission received from Nice Witch: Talk to the Purple Prince.
Getting closer to where Reo is sitting, Seishiro immediately notices the tell-tale signs of his mood shifting: unfocused purple eyes, the way he braces his knees, as if trying to disappear…
“Reo?” Seishiro calls, taking a seat next to him. Judging by the way Reo startles, he wasn't the only one tormented by annoying thoughts that day. Seishiro watches as his expression goes from empty to wide-eyed, as if seeing a mythical creature.
“You're back…”
“Eh? Why wouldn't I be? Just got distracted and ended up forgetting how to get back. Reo let's go buy ice cream, I’m dying~”
His childish intonation does steal a smile, yet it is one of those that doesn’t reach Reo's eyes, that barely hides his complicated feelings.
“I see… Hey, Nagi? Sorry for forcing you to come today.”
“Eh?”
“I mean, I already bother you enough on a daily basis, right?” The sentence is punctuated by the fakest laugh in history. “I get carried away sometimes, but that's no excuse.”
Wait, so while he was moping around, was Reo sitting here thinking that Seishiro was trying to run away from him? To escape into some random corner to be alone? A fair enough assumption for anyone else, but why couldn't Reo's stubborn head understand that he was different, that he was special…
The similarity between their thought processes doesn't go unnoticed, although Seishiro considers irony an uninvited guest.
He could explain his true motivations too, admit to Reo all of those complicated feelings and insecurities, and maybe help them to understand each other better.
The how-to was a skill Seishiro still had to acquire, though, so he instead reaches for his pocket and places the shell in Reo's hand.
“Found this. For Reo. To celebrate our first trip together. The first of many, right?”
And ok, perhaps that doesn't replace their ever-increasing need of actually discussing their feelings, but still. Seeing Reo's face slowly be taken over by red and a bright smile by having his previous words repeated to him is enough for today.
They're on the beach to relax and take it easy, after all.
“Thank you, Nagi! I wonder if we could find the other half… That way, we could have matching souvenirs!”
“It's ok, really.”
We can share this one. Reo's going to be with me forever, so no need to worry.
And even if that meant his “things Seishiro Nagi finds a pain” list would keep growing, having Reo there would always turn an annoying day into a precious memory.