Work Text:
The early morning sun filtered through the worn windows of class 1-1 as Nirei stuck his tongue out in concentration. He scribbled away in his notebook, trying to remember all the information he gathered in the past few days. It was a daily exercise he did that kept him on top of things.
He fought back a yawn, not wanting to admit that he went to bed far later than he should have.
“Hey, Nire-chan, Nire-chan.”
Nirei looked up at the interruption and met Kiryu’s twinkling green eyes. He sat a few desks away from him and had his head lazily perched on his palm with his phone in his other hand.
“Check this out— come here,” he beckoned playfully.
He made his way over to the other boy without a word, but with curiosity clear as day on his face. As soon as he stopped next to Kiryu’s desk, the glowing screen of the other boy’s phone was immediately shoved in his face.
“Eh?”
“Look, look!”
A small laugh bubbled from Nirei’s lips as he craned his head away. “Kiryu-san, it’s a bit hard to see with the phone that close.”
“Oopsie, my bad, Nire-chan. I got too excited.”
Without the phone blinding his vision, Nirei’s eyes finally adjusted to what was on the screen.
It was an Instagram post, a bright, hot-pink one that seemed to be some sort of advertisement. Nirei squinted as he began to read aloud.
“Come to Lovey Dovey’s on June 15th to try our brand new, limited-time summer desserts. Sale ends August 3rd… Note: only those who are— hey!”
Kiryu swiped the phone away before he could finish. “Ahh, no need to read the fine print, Nire-chan. But look at these beauties,” he continued, flipping the phone back around to show photos of the wide variety of desserts. “As soon as I saw them, I thought of you.”
Nirei’s mouth plopped open at what he was seeing. On the screen were perhaps some of the most elegant, meticulously crafted, and chocolatey desserts he had ever seen. He could practically smell them through the screen, and he had to force his mouth shut before he started drooling.
“I thought you’d like this one, here,” Kiryu winked as he brought up a new photo.
A small cake that was in the shape of a gummy bear was presented to him. Beautiful white swirls of whipped cream formed the bear’s ears, and an assortment of colorful fruit framed it on the plate. Chocolate flavor, the text read. But what made Nirei think he was experiencing Nirvana was the text next to that.
“Th-There’s gummies— in the cake?!”
Kiryu giggled. “That’s right.”
“Inside the cake?!”
“Yup!”
“But how?!”
“Magic, probably.”
Nirei froze as his brain tried to assess the situation. The overwhelming desire to buy that cake took over him— he knew in that moment that he needed to take as many cute photos of it as he could!
“Wait, today’s the 16th! It already started!” he exclaimed in a panic, as if he thought he was going to miss out.
“Yeah, yesterday—”
“Kiryu-san! Please go with me!” Nirei interrupted with a dramatic bow.
To say that Kiryu was surprised was an understatement. He knew Nirei would be interested, but this reaction was on a whole different level. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the earnest display Nirei was giving him.
“Hm? Go with Kiryu-kun where?”
The sudden, new voice joining the conversation startled them both. They turned their heads to see Suo approaching, hands characteristically folded neatly behind his back and with a pleasant smile on his face. He must have just arrived, early as usual.
“Suo-san!”
Nirei met him halfway, practically vibrating as he explained the situation with sparkling eyes. “Kiryu-san showed me this cafe that has these really cool desserts! We’re going after school!”
For a split second, something akin to a pout found its way to Suo’s lips, before his ever-present smile quickly replaced it.
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Nire-chan. I never agreed to that,” Kiryu corrected with an apologetic smile. “I can’t today.”
“Eh?”
“I promised my sister that I’d help her with something. I’m sorry, Nire-chan. I should have mentioned that sooner.”
Dejected, Nirei’s shoulders slumped as he let out a sigh. He glanced longingly at the photo of the gummy bear cake as defeat and acceptance settled over him.
“It’s okay… We can always go another time, I guess.”
There was a beat of silence between the three of them as Suo leaned over Nirei’s shoulder to look at the photo himself.
“Wow. That really is a nice cake,” he breathed, thoroughly impressed. “I could never bake something so beautiful.”
“It’s a work of art, right, Suo-san?” Nirei whined pitifully. “And there’s gummies inside of it!”
“Inside the cake?”
“Inside the cake!”
Suo’s smile turned soft, almost fond. “No wonder you want it so bad.”
Unknown to Suo and Nirei, something mischievous twinkled in Kiryu’s eyes; a secret grin curled at his lips. “Why don’t you take Suo-chan with you instead?”
The bubble around Suo and Nirei popped as they took in what Kiryu said.
“Oh… I-I mean, only if Suo-san actually wants to,” Nirei shyly mumbled before stumbling into a full ramble. “I know you’re on a diet and all— I don’t want you to force yourself for my sake a-and I know you don’t really like these kinds of things— so don’t force yourself! Kiryu-san and I can always go another time i-if you don't want to! And— ah—!”
A gentle hand was placed on Nirei’s shoulders, stopping his spiraling. Suo’s voice was quiet, calming, and private as he practically murmured, “I’d love to go with you.”
Like fireworks, Nirei’s expression lit up— all his previous shyness forgotten and thrown away to the wind. He radiated newfound joy as he leaned into Suo’s personal space, hands clasped together as if he was fighting the urge to smother the redhead in a crushing hug.
“Really?”
“Of course. It looks fun.”
Kiryu’s eyes crinkled, his smile turning proud. He faded into the background as he smugly watched Nirei animatedly talk to Suo about their plans.
He knew it wouldn’t be too hard to convince them to go alone, but he didn’t think it would be as simple as that. Behind his back, he crossed his fingers together in a secretive wish.
Don’t screw up this chance, Suo-chan.
“It should be just around this corner here,” Nirei mumbled to himself as he followed the directions on his phone. It turned out that Lovey Dovey’s was a lot closer to Furin High than Nirei thought. Just a quick 15-minute walk down their usual patrol route. He couldn’t believe he had never noticed this place before.
“It’s really… bright,” Suo observed once they spotted the building. “And pink.” Such a loud building was hard to miss, and yet for months, somehow, neither of them had ever acknowledged it.
Lovey Dovey’s looked quite trendy, there being intentionally designed photoshoot spots all over the building’s exterior. Green vines danced along the walls, popping satisfyingly against soft baby pink paint. Nirei was already itching to take his phone out to snap a few pics. By all means, it seemed like a casual and perfect place for youths to hang out at.
“Wow… Um, I kinda wish I wasn’t wearing my uniform. I feel out of place,” Nirei chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
“Don’t worry. I’m dressed the same as you; no one will mind us.”
“Yeah…”
The door rang a cute and energetic jingle once they stepped inside, but Nirei could barely process it as the interior design of the cafe floored him.
Light pink and white checkered floors. An arrangement of fake flowers hung elegantly from the ceiling, with the golden glow of LED lights peeking between the petals. Gentle yet upbeat music played faintly in the background, immediately putting Nirei’s mind and body at ease. It looked like something straight out of an influencer’s Instagram profile.
“It’s so cute…”
Nirei walked numbly through the cafe, Suo’s guiding hand on his back being the only thing grounding him to reality.
“Let’s sit here,” Suo suggested, snapping Nirei out of his trance. He led them to a small two-person table with pink, velvety chairs and pulled out a seat for the blond.
“O-oh, thank you, Suo-san…”
Suo merely chuckled as he sat across from Nirei. “You haven’t even gotten the cake yet and you’re already in heaven,” he teased.
Flustered, Nirei pouted. “I-It’s just so cute! Whoever designed this place did an amazing job.”
“Truly,” Suo agreed.
It didn’t take long before a waiter approached them with a radiant smile. Customer service at its finest. As expected, his uniform matched the cafe’s aesthetic to a T; a simple pink shirt with the cafe’s logo printed in cursive on his left peck, and a hot pink pair of slacks. He offered them each a menu, but Nirei already knew what he wanted. He studied the online menu all day.
“Hello, gentlemen, thank you for choosing Lovey Dovey’s. Could I get you started with any drinks at all?”
“Oolong tea for me, please. And you, Nire-kun?” Suo asked.
“Could I have the melon soda, please?”
The waiter scribbled their orders down on his notepad. “Both are great choices. I’ll get those started for you.”
Before the waiter could leave, Nirei spoke up again. “Um, actually, I’m ready to order, if that’s okay.”
The waiter offered him a perfectly practiced smile. “Wonderful. What would you like?”
A wide grin split Nirei’s lips, excitement giving him a small confidence boost. “The Gummy Bear Delight Cake!”
Something like surprise crossed the waiter's face. His flawless smile cracked slightly as he glanced between Suo and Nirei uncertainly.
“Ah, the Gummy Bear Delight,” he repeated, as if testing the waters. “You’re certain that’s the one you want?”
Nirei frowned, not only feeling confused but also a tad self-conscious now. “Yes?”
“Is there a problem?” Suo pointedly asked, smiling almost eerily at the waiter.
“Not at all.” The waiter cleared his throat before continuing, but a bit more awkwardly. “But I’d like to make it clear that this item is one of the exclusive, limited-time items.”
Nirei nodded, still not understanding the issue. “I know that…”
“This item is exclusively on our summer couple’s menu. Only couples can order this.”
Oh.
“Oh.”
For a brief moment, no one said anything. Nirei’s eyes lowered to his lap— he refused to meet Suo’s gaze as humiliation turned him as pink as the decor. Now he understood why the waiter seemed so confused. Of course he’d think two boys coming in to order a couple’s item would be strange.
“U-um…I— uhh…” he stuttered helplessly. He could almost feel the Gummy Bear Delight slipping out of his reach as he pondered what to say. What to do. He felt so awful for dragging Suo into this awkward, stupid situation. It was entirely his fault.
“We’re no—” he started, but a large hand suddenly resting atop his own stopped him. He didn’t need to look up to know it was Suo’s. But what was he doing?
“That won’t be an issue. We’re dating, after all.”
That got Nirei’s attention. The speed with which he snapped his head up made his neck ache, but that was something he’d have to worry about later. Because— because—
“S-S-Suo-san?!”
He looked smug, too smug. He even rubbed soothing circles against Nirei’s knuckles as if to really sell the lie.
The waiter seemed surprised at Suo’s declaration, too, eyes wide and brows raised to his hairline. “Oh, is that so?” he asked as professionally as he could. “If that’s the case, I do just need to ask you two a few questions… just to confirm if you’re really a couple.”
Suo squeezed his hand. “Of course.”
The waiter hesitated, looking as if he'd rather be doing anything else than this. “When did you two start dating?”
Oh, so it was gonna be like that?
Before Nirei’s thoughts could spiral out of control, Suo answered without missing a beat. “Since last Saturday, actually. This is our first date.”
For once, Nirei was glad that Suo was a master at telling false narratives, but he couldn’t properly appreciate it in the moment. Because why was he doing this? All so Nirei could get a silly cake?
“Who asked who out?” the waiter continued.
“I asked him out,” Suo smiled pleasantly. “My boyfriend is a bit shy, after all.”
Nirei flushed even redder, if that was physically possible. He was uncomfortably warm, and he was sure Suo could feel it radiating from his hand.
“Okay, and one last question,” the waiter said. “More like a request, actually. Um…” He hesitated, as if trying to figure out how to word this properly. Nirei wondered if this was the first time this waiter had ever done this Q&A with customers, or if he was just uncomfortable that it was two guys. He hoped it was the former.
He and Suo weren't even a real couple, so it’s not like it mattered that much—
“To prove once and for all that you’re a couple, we ask that you please kiss each other.”
Nirei’s eyes widened, and he could have sworn he felt Suo’s grip on his hand tighten imperceptibly.
Their gazes met. Nirei narrowed his eyes and pouted, trying his best to say, ‘it’s okay, just drop the act,’ but unfortunately for him, it seemed like his message didn’t get through.
Suo turned his attention to the waiter and chuckled, softly, pleasantly, as if he hadn’t just been told to kiss his best friend.
“That’s a bit invasive, wouldn’t you say?” Suo joked, but there was an edge to it that immediately made the waiter stiffen up. “Like I said before, my boyfriend is quite shy, so I’ll only do it if he’s okay with doing it.”
And now, the ball was in his park and Nirei had no idea what to do. It wasn’t like the idea of kissing Suo was bad or anything it was just— just—
…A bit overwhelming. Especially when Suo looked at him with such a heated gaze from across the table. Did Suo even want this? Did he think their lie had gone too far and was hoping Nirei would pull them out of it? Would Suo be okay with him taking his first kiss? Wait, has Suo already had his first kiss? Why did that idea make Nirei feel so… uneasy?
Those thoughts quickly vanished, however, when Suo caught his attention by interlocking their fingers. It was as if he could read Nirei’s mind, could feel the inner turmoil he was experiencing. When their eyes met again, all Suo did was smile gently and nod his head.
‘It’s okay,’ Suo’s expression told him.
Suo had gone this far into their lie, so why back out now? Nirei’s expression hardened. He wanted that cake no matter what!
“I’m okay with it,” he finally announced with more confidence than he was expecting. “We’ve kissed plenty of times, anyway, right?”
Suo’s expression went from surprise to a knowing smirk as he caught onto Nirei’s fib. “I’ll never forget our first kiss, Nire-kun. I never wanted it to stop, you know?”
Even though it was a complete tall tale, Nirei couldn’t help the flush that spread across his cheeks. “Suo-san!”
“And you’re so cute when you get embarrassed like that. So easy to tease.”
A pointed cough interrupted their play-flirting and they finally acknowledged the waiter again, who looked extremely uncomfortable and red. “...Please… Please kiss so I can get your cake ready.”
Without any further instruction, Suo got out of his seat to approach Nirei’s side of the table. The reality of the situation finally caught up to the blond and he let out a squawk as Suo offered him a hand. He let Suo help him out of his seat, and was pulled flush against Suo’s chest.
…Had Suo always been this big? This tall? Nirei felt like he had to crane his neck up to meet Suo’s eye.
Suo’s hand slipped out of Nirei’s, but found a new home on Nirei’s cheek, his other hand easily sliding around the blond’s waist to pull them impossibly closer. Nirei's hands hung awkwardly at his sides, unsure of where to place them.
Suo leaned in close, and Nirei was sure this was it— they were about to kiss. He squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath and—
“Put your arms around my neck,” Suo instead whispered in his ear.
His breath was warm and it sent a chill through Nirei’s body. He hoped Suo didn’t notice. Nonetheless, he complied, having to stand a bit on his tippy toes to properly reach. They were basically hugging, Nirei realized in a weirdly horrified delight. This was their first hug ever.
“Good,” Suo breathed into his ear. “Is this okay?”
Nirei couldn’t find it in himself to speak, so all he did was nod, knowing that Suo would feel it.
It didn’t take long before Suo readjusted them slightly before closing the distance between their lips.
A small, pitiful squeak escaped Nirei when their lips pressed together in a gentle kiss. Suo’s lips were softer than Nirei could have ever imagined— not like he ever imagined this to begin with. They slotted together so perfectly, as if he were being wrapped in a comforting blanket made exclusively for him. Something ached in Nirei’s heart, and he wondered if it was normal. Do other friends who kiss also feel this aching pang, too?
Suo rubbed his thumb softly against Nirei’s cheek with a hum before pulling away. And just like that, it was over.
In a daze, Nirei sat back down and barely processed whatever the waiter said. All he knew was that eventually, a melon soda and the silly cake were placed in front of him. How much time had passed?
After thanking the waiter, Suo frowned. “Nire-kun? Are you okay?”
“Hwah?”
“Your cakes here and you haven't even touched it… If it’s because of what we did, I’m sorry, it's completely my fault.”
Startled, Nirei waved his hands in front of him. “No, no! It’s not that! I, uh… I just get really sleepy at this time of day, is all.” He laughed awkwardly, knowing Suo wouldn’t buy his lie so easily. Hoping to distract the other, Nirei quickly pulled out his phone and began taking photos of the cake. “It’s just as cute as I imagined it would be!”
Suo merely hummed while taking a deliberate sip of his tea.
The rest of their meal went by without any hiccups. They casually chatted as their kiss faded into a distant memory. The cake was amazing, everything Nirei was expecting it to be and more. He knew better than to play with his food, but he wanted to excavate it to find all the hidden gummy bears inside. When he told Suo this, the redhead laughed, grabbed his own fork and offered to help.
“How’d they manage to fit so many in there? I counted 23 of them!”
“Don’t forget about the ones you already ate, Nire-kun.”
“There were 27 in it!”
It was strange how normal everything felt, despite the kiss they shared. Conversations flowed as they normally did, and there was no underlying tension that Nirei could detect. However, that sinking feeling in his heart persisted.
The sky was alight with shades of orange and pink as the sun set above them once they left the cafe. Today was one of their usual training days, but they decided it was okay to skip this one time.
Nirei let out a content sigh as he sat down on their usual staircase by the river. Suo followed shortly after, their knees bumping as they got comfortable.
“That was a lot of fun, Suo-san!”
“Agreed. I’m glad it was me who got to go with you.”
Thinking nothing of Suo’s words, Nirei carried on with a radiant smile. “I wanna try making something like that now, too! You know how to bake, right? We should try it! Oh, and then we can bring it for everyone in class to try!”
“I’d love that,” Suo smiled. “We can do it at your place sometime soon. I’ll gather the ingredients.”
“It was really good, I’m sure the class will love it, too!” Nirei started, before a small frown pulled at his lips. “You know, Suo-san, I just realized that you didn’t even eat any of the cake… even though you helped me get it.”
“It’s okay, I’m on a diet, afterall.”
Nirei shook his head. “No, that’s not what I mean! I guess… I just don’t understand why you went so far to help me get it. I’m really grateful of course, but still… pretending to be my boyfriend was really…um…” he paused, trying to think of the right word.
“Bold?” Suo supplemented.
“Y-yeah… especially when you didn’t even get anything out of it.”
There was a long pause between them and Nirei tried to read Suo’s expression, but his hair was blocking his face. He could tell there was something Suo wanted to say, but he seemed to be struggling to find the words. That was rare for Suo, wasn’t it?
“Nire-kun, what do you think about the idea of us really dating?” Finally the silence was broken.
Nirei turned rigged, mouth opening and closing uselessly as words failed to pass his tongue. “H-huh? Wha…”
A small glimmer sparkled in Suo’s eye once he met Nirei’s bewildered gaze again. There was a faint blush on his cheeks, and his eyebrows sloped downward in such a way that the blond could immediately tell what he was feeling… Suo looked shy.
Suo continued. “I… like the idea. That’s why I went so far.”
All at once, everything came crashing down. Everything made so much more sense; from the way Suo had saved him so many times, trained him in his spare time, and was so kind to him. The pieces of the puzzle had finally been connected.
“You… like me?”
“I do.”
Nirei clutched his heart, the same one that had been aching in his chest ever since their kiss. And finally, he had a word for it.
The idea of him and Suo dating, being together romantically, made his heart beat wildly. It was painful the way it rattled against his ribcage, but he knew it wasn’t from fear. It was from excitement. It was love.
A small giggle bubbled from Nirei at the absurdity of the situation, before it turned into full blown laughter. Tears streamed down his flushed cheeks as a wide smile split his lips.
He knew Suo knew what he was thinking— there was no one on Earth who could read him better than the redhead. Nothing needed to be said between them when Suo cupped Nirei’s cheeks in his hands. They laughed together, both losing their breath and resting their foreheads against each other.
“Suo-san, can I kiss you again?”
“I’ve been waiting for you to ask that for hours.”
Their lips met again, and Nirei was pleasantly surprised to find that Suo’s tasted like the oolong tea he had earlier. Nirei assumed he must taste of chocolate and gummy bears.
Away from prying eyes this time, they allowed this kiss to linger and deepen. Suo trailed his hands down Nirei’s cheeks, along his neck, and down to his hips where he pulled the smaller boy closer. The blond gasped at the sudden movement, briefly separating their lips before Suo swooped in to reconnect them.
Just like in the cafe, Nirei looped his arms around Suo’s neck but tangled his fingers through Suo’s burgundy locks this time, loving the way it made Suo hum contently against him.
Their lips popped apart when they realized they still needed to breathe. They panted against each other, feeling the way their shoulders rose and lowered in unison and their breathing intertwined like a melody only they knew.
What Suo said back in the cafe was true. He never wanted this moment to end. To be held in Suo’s arms, under the sunset and after a fun cafe date — it was totally a date, Nirei realized — he wanted to be like this forever.
“Suo-san, I like you, too.”