Chapter Text
It’s not like he was nervous
…ok he was nervous.
Watarai sat in the office chair by his study desk, his leg jumping up and down out of anxiety. He had his phone up close to his face as he unconsciously bit on his left hand’s fingernails. His other hand was scrolling through a Wikipedia article on “Top 10 BEST date spots.” His eyes darted up and down as he skimmed through it all, trying to find an activity that caught his eye.
Park picnic? Too hot.
Arcade? Too noisy.
Lunch at a fancy restaurant? Too…expensive for a high schooler.
He wanted to find something that was cheap yet perfect enough for a first date. Yes. First date. Tomorrow marked his and Hioki’s 1st week of being boyfriends, and they hadn’t even gone on a date yet. He wanted this first date to cement the idea he should be Hioki’s first and last love. In better terms, he needed it to be memorable.
AQUARIUM
The big, bold letters caught Watarai’s eyes almost immediately.
“aquarium date…” He thought.
He paused for a moment, then closed out of the Wikipedia article and went onto Pinterest.
“aquarium…date…aes..aesthetic..” Watarai muttered to himself slowly, typing out each word as he said it. A dozen images popped up. And god, was it beautiful. His eyes practically sparkled looking at how romantic it was. He smiled to himself, saving an image of a couple staring at each other in front of a hundred jellyfish. He named the board he saved it to: Hioki♡.
10 minutes passed, and Watarai had already saved over a hundred photos for “inspiration.” He was still smiling to himself, kicking his feet back and forth now. A sudden thought popped into his head. Maybe just walking around an aquarium not knowing anything would be…boring. That assumption soured Watarai’s mood, just a bit.
“how to…impress…boyfriend…top…ten—“
Again, Watarai muttered each word he typed to himself.
One thing caught his eye, perfect for an aquarium setting.
”Impress him with your knowledge!”
He could already imagine how this would go..
”and their hammer-shaped heads are scientifically classified as cephalofoils..”
”cepo- cephalee- cephfoil-“
”cephalofoils.” Watarai said, giggling
”How can you even remember that!? And pronounce it right?! That’s so impressive, Watarai!” Hioki said, looking up at him with the doe-est eyes known to man.
“you’re too smart…”
”I’m only smart in front of you…can’t look dumb in front of someone I want to impress every day.”
Watarai giggled to himself, hugging his phone against his chest as his face started to blush. He spun around in his rolling office chair, humming a little K-pop love song he heard earlier. When he spun, he saw himself in the mirror by his front door, looking like a loser in love. He cleared his throat, immediately sitting up straight and looking at his phone again, typing.
”…fish…one hundred…facts—“
_________________
[Watarai]
u ready?╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
[Hioki]
Almost
Not almost. Hioki panted frantically as he held up two shirts against his chest.
”white- black- white- black- blue-“ Hioki ditched the two options and went for a surprise third option instead, a clean looking light blue tee.
“Why did I wake up late why did I wake up late why did I—“ Hioki kicked off his pajama shorts and pulled on his jeans as fast as he could.
“ASAHI! YOUR FRIEND’S AT THE FRONT DOOR!”
”I-I’M COMING!”
Hioki sat down on his bed and pulled on his socks, almost slipping as he stood up and ran to the door with his little fanny pack bag. He ran to the bathroom, quickly putting on cologne and moving his bangs to the side, touching them up just a little bit.
“I’m so sorry, my alarm went off late—! No…I’m sorry Watarai, I didn’t forget our date I just didn’t set my alarm right— no..” Hioki mumbled to himself, practicing on what to say once he would open the door. Finally, he ran down the stairs, slipped on his shoes, and swung the door wide open.
”I’M SORR—“
*peck*
Watarai’s kiss lingered on Hioki’s cheek as he stared at him with wide eyes. No one was watching fortunately.
“you look pretty.”
”y- pretty- you look- you look pretty too- I mean- I mean you look nice and- and yeah…“
Watarai giggled in awe, simply taking the flustered Hioki’s hand and leading him out the front door, closing it behind them.
Watarai had on a chic white long sleeve with black slacks and brown business shoes, a contrast to Hioki’s light blue tee with jeans and sneakers.
“Alarm didn’t go off?”
”sorry for making you wait…”
”It’s okay. You’re here, that’s all that matters, right?”
Hioki blushed, looking away.
It was unfair. Watarai was always the one who had to be cool. That was the thing about him, no matter how much time had passed, he always found a way to make Hioki flustered. Hioki couldn’t put a finger on why…or how he did it. One factor could be the fact Watarai was a pretty “intense” lover. He was a true lover-boy through-and-through. Honestly, if Hioki ever lost his memory, he’d fall for that part of Watarai time and time again.
“so unfair…” “hm?” “n-nothing.”
”Ah! I borrowed my dad’s bicycle. Sorry if it looks a little rusty…” Watarai said, rubbing the back of his neck as they came closer to his parked bicycle.
Hioki giggled. “Anything Watarai touches is automatically cool.”
Watarai smirked, rolling his eyes as he carefully guided Hioki onto the backseat of the bike. Watarai hopped onto the front seat, steadying himself as he gripped onto the handles.
Watarai flinched as he felt Hioki’s arms wrap themselves around his waist. He felt his face nuzzle against his back.
”..so warm~”
Watarai cleared his throat. “I did my laundry right before this because I knew you’d want to hold onto something…comfy for the ride.”
Hioki fluttered his eyes closed, a soft smile on his face. “you’re too kind…watarai.”
Watarai looked straight as he began to pedal, his knuckles turning white from how hard he was gripping the handles. A giddy grin appeared on his lips, teeth-and-all. “am I?”
Hioki nodded against his back, feeling sleepy from the wind against his face and the warmth of Watarai’s shirt.
Watarai may seem calm and composed on the outside, but he was a panicking mess deep inside.
“Herbivores…they’re herbivores..or..wait no…the Angel fish..—“
Watarai was replaying marine life facts in his head over and over, trying to pick out facts that could sound impressive to Hioki. His mind felt like exploding with how much pressure he was feeling. That on top of Hioki clinging onto him like a koala, he was malfunctioning.
They bicycled past their high school, then past Hotta’s house, and through a long line of trees. Hioki opened his eyes slowly, taking in the scenery around him.
“Are you bored yet?!” Watarai shouted over the wind.
”Nothing’s boring with you!”
Watarai cheesed, hard. Hioki truly didn’t understand how much weight his words had on him.
”When I get my license, I’ll drive you all across Japan!”
”Now you’re being crazy!”
”I’m being serious!”
Hioki bit his bottom lip, trying to hold back a big grin despite no one watching him. As cliché as it sounds, Watarai always knew what to say to make him feel butterflies.
Out of nowhere, Watarai felt something rumble against his back. ”AH! S-sorry did you feel that?!” Hioki’s stomach had grumbled.
Watarai bursted into laughter, his stomach hurting from how hard he was laughing.
_______________
At last, their local aquarium was within Watarai’s field of view. Hioki was practically asleep by now with how comfortable he’d gotten.
“Hioki, we’re here!”
He exclaimed, slowing down as he went towards the bicycle rack.
“Hioki…”
He put his foot down once they reached the bicycle rack, turning around and looking over his shoulder. Hioki’s fluffy head was the only thing visible as his face had buried itself on Watarai’s back.
“You got extra time to sleep because of your alarm and you’re still sleepy?” Watarai mumbled to himself, getting off the bike and keeping it steady by letting it lean against him as he held Hioki up by his waist. Carefully, he lifted him up, then shifted his hands underneath Hioki’s legs, holding him bridal style. Hioki immediately stirred awake by the sudden movement, flinching and automatically wrapping his arms around Watarai’s nape.
“AH! OH MY GOD”
Watarai laughed, putting him back on his feet very carefully. “Morning~”
”wh-what’s with you and carrying me, huh?!” Hioki whined as Watarai rolled the bike into the rack, securing it.
”You like when I do it.” “…you’re making it sound raunchy…”
Watarai chuckled, holding his hand out. Hioki sighed, putting his hand in Watarai’s and firmly holding it.
“so…you don’t want me to carry you anymore?”
”that’s- …that’s not what I said…”
_____________
Are my hands sweaty? Can he hear me breathing weird? I hope I’m not too quiet…or am I talking too much? Am I doing okay for a first date? God…god I’m not good at this…
Hioki looked at Watarai.
Is he having fun at all?! Damn it, was this a good idea?…oh my god I’m so nervous oh god. Are my hands swea— can he feel my hands sweat ohmygodohmygod. I hope he’s having fun…He’s fine right?
Watarai looked at Hioki.
The deep blue light of the big oceanic glass full of marine life illuminated their faces as their eyes landed on each other by pure chance. Their silhouettes stood in front of the whale shark exhibit. Little schools of fish circled around the ginormous area, a singular whale shark swam by the two. Watarai noticed Hioki’s Adam’s apple bob as he gulped, visibly nervous. This was different from a school trip. They were on a date. A real date. Watarai’s been on dates with his ex before, and Hioki’s never been involved in such romantic activities. Despite their differences in experience levels, this was something they both felt equally nervous about. Hioki stared at Watarai, almost waiting for him to say something. Watarai blinked, breaking his trance on him. He pursed his lips together, looking back at the glass. Hioki did the same, looking at the whale shark.
Now’s the time.
”Did you know…whale sharks are the largest fish species in the ocean? They weigh up to 30 tons and grow as much as 60 feet.” Watarai said with quite a prideful smile, staring at the magnificent whale shark. “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Watarai added, a quippy remark on the tip of his tongue. Like you. Was what he planned to say next.
“That’s a lot of sashimi you could make from one fish, heh.” Hioki said.
Watarai whipped his head back at him, blinking. “eh?”
”Do you think they taste fatty? Like the good simple fatty salmon sashimi you find at the sushi-go-round.”
”A-Are you seriously thinking about eating a whale shark right now?”
”You just said this was, like, a fish?”
”I-I mean yeah but- well…”
Watarai rubbed the back of his neck. “Wanna go see the jellyfish?”
Hioki nodded with a smile. “mhm!”
____________
Watarai was practically breathless when he saw the beautiful luminous jellyfish swim around their area. The little baby jellyfish were nothing but adorable. One jellyfish was chasing after another, then when it caught up, they twirled around each other. It was like witnessing two lovers dancing. The jellyfish reminded Watarai of them in an odd sense. It warmed his heart.
”you know…Jellyfish are actually not real fish! They’re gelatinous marine invertebrates belonging to the phylum Cnidaria…and…the little jellyfish are cute aren’t they? They’re a lot like y-“
”gelatinous…like…jelly…”
Hioki’s stomach grumbled.
”eh?” “jelly…pink jelly…”
For the next 30 minutes of walking around and looking at each exhibit, Watarai would gush about different facts about different animals. Yet each time, he didn’t quite get the reaction he expected. As they made it to a darker exhibit reserved for glowing marine animals, Watarai had a funny little realization.
…A smile slowly spread across Watarai’s face. He hasn’t eaten all day, hasn’t he?
”Hioki…” Hioki looked up at him, confused.
“I have enough money for the sushi-go-round. Let’s go after.”
Hioki’s eyes practically sparkled. “YES! I mean, yes please! I’d- I’d like that.”
“I should’ve taken us to a restaurant first, huh?”
Hioki blushed, a bit embarrassed. “Sorry..”
“cute.” Watarai patted Hioki’s head as he looked down shyly, gripping the strap of his fanny pack bag. “You should’ve told me beforehand, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings.”
”I- well- I just-…you looked so…excited to come here first. Then you started gushing about marine facts like a cute little nerd! You looked so fascinated by each exhibit, I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay a little longer listening to your little facts and watching your eyes gleam at the fish.”
Watarai blinked, this time Hioki was the one to make him flustered. “oh- I didn’t- I didn’t think you actually cared about my facts…”
Hioki grinned up at him. “I’m always listening to you. I’m actually a little impressed you knew this much about aquatic animals.”
If people had tails, Watarai’s was wagging. If only you saw me studying my heart out for you last night.
”I’m happy you found me interesting.”
”When have I ever not?”
Their hearts were beating in sync by now. They stared at each other, holding hands. People couldn’t quite see them within the dark setting, but they could see each other. They stood by the back of the dark exhibit, hidden from the public’s eyes. “what’s wrong?” Hioki spoke up.
”hm?” “you’re staring at me.” “..is that so wrong?”
Watarai’s eyes were the first to shift down to his lips. Hioki turned away, immediately shy by what Watarai’s intentions were. “N-not here!”
Watarai’s hand let go of Hioki’s, moving towards his waist and pulling him against his chest. “I’ll make sure no one sees us. Trust me, hm?”
Hioki looked up at him with shaking nervous eyes, yet he nodded, he always put his full trust into Watarai.
Watarai turned them around, his back facing the other people. His frame blocked Hioki’s from possibly being seen by others despite how little light there was in this area of the aquarium.
“w-watarai!”
Watarai gently cupped Hioki’s cheeks with one hand and pulled his face closer, placing his lips against his. Their eyes closed, indulging in this sweet moment rather selfishly. The feeling was all too familiar, it was like home. Aquarium goers walked by them without noticing they were ever there. Hioki quietly slipped his hands around Watarai’s nape, his feet going onto its tippy toes. Watarai was the first to pull away. He smiled softly, wiping Hioki’s bottom lip with his thumb. Hioki fluttered his eyes open, then grinned.
“you can’t just kiss me in public…”
”you liked it.”
Hioki playfully hit his chest. “I did..”
”hypocrite.” The two giggled, their PDA hidden within the darkness.
_____________
Hioki’s face nuzzled itself against Watarai’s back as Watarai pedaled towards their favorite local sushi-go-round. Their hearts were full, and their smiles were wider than before.
“you think after sushi we could go somewhere else together?” Watarai asked.
“like…?”
Watarai went quiet for a moment. “I don’t really know.”
Hioki lifted his head up from his back, plopping his chin against his shoulder, looking at him. “Then why’d you ask?”
”…I don’t want the day to end. I just want to go wherever. As long as it’s with you…”
“Then…let’s go wherever. Let’s be together till the sun sets today.”
“you sure you won’t get bored of me by then?”
”watarai and boring could never be in the same sentence.”
“…can we do this again tomorrow?”
“I haven’t even left and you’re already planning a second date?”
“I feel odd without you around now.”
Hioki only smiled at that, then quietly pecked the back of Watarai’s head. The bike swerved just a bit, becoming a little unsteady because Watarai had physically panicked. “Eyes on the road, tsukasa.”
”If we crash into a tree it’s your fault you know that?”
”I like you too.”
They truly were each other’s die-hard fan. They wouldn’t have it any other way.