Work Text:
"That's definitely not what I expected when you said you wanted to go somewhere before studying," Taira said, staring at the long queue of people waiting in front of the little ticket booth.
A frown had been etched on his forehead ever since they stepped off the train two stations further down the line than the one close to their usual study spot. Now that they had arrived at their destination, the frown had deepened almost comically, and Azuma had to press her lips together so as not to chuckle.
"Well, it's not my fault you didn't ask for any specifications." She shrugged, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Wearing a ponytail when she was out and about usually wasn't her preferred hairstyle—since she already had long hair, she might as well make the most of it. But with the heavy summer heat currently lingering in the air, she had no other choice if she didn't want to end up with her hair plastered against her sweaty skin.
"I thought you needed to get something important from the store or something like that. And since when do you like gardens?" Taira's expression grew even gloomier as it became increasingly clear that they were actually heading towards the crowded entrance, and that the miracle he'd been hoping for wasn't going to happen. Azuma nudged him in the side, already guessing what thoughts were currently running through his head.
Too many people plus too much heat plus too many colourful flowers equals a complete waste of time. Time they could've spent inside a building where there was air conditioning and cool drinks, and where the setting wouldn't add to his his already sour mood.
"The rose festival is happening this week," Azuma said, as though that explained her sudden interest in flowers or gardens. "Besides, you really thought I'd need two hours to buy something at the store? I'm not Suzuki."
"I didn't want to pry and trusted that whatever you had in mind was related to our schoolwork," Taira replied, arching an accusatory eyebrow at her as they joined the line at the ticket counter. "Guess it was, once again, the wrong decision."
"Oh come on, don't make such a big deal out of this. I'm sorry for dragging you here without telling you, but there's no way you would've come if I'd told you from the start, and then I'd had to go alone because no one else wanted to. Besides, it's fun to hang out outside school sometimes, isn't it? We don't always have to meet just to study."
Azuma's heartbeat picked up at her own words—he did want this too, right? To hang out with her?
The truth was, though: she hadn't asked anyone else. She had picked this exact place because she knew no one else would be around. The new school year and all the changes that came with it had left her a little confused. Unlike all the previous years, she'd been dreading things changing again. Usually, she never really mourned the loss of any of her seat neighbours and friends, not being close enough to actually miss them when classes started again. She knew she'd always find some people to surround herself with; she'd already gotten used to it.
This year, however, had brought a new and almost foreign sense of anxiety with it, one that had accompanied her throughout the entire spring break and first weeks of school. She'd truly gotten attached to the poeple around her, and even though it was a wonderful feeling of belonging that had made every single day of school so much better, it also made other things a bit harder. Why she'd gotten particularly upset about not being in the same class as Taira anymore, she wasn't quite sure, but the nonchalance with which he'd spoken back then, as though—unlike her—he'd never even given it a thought, had irked her a little.
Maybe it was because they already knew each other for so long that he felt particularly important to her. She wasn't used to long-lasting friendships, and contrary to what she'd expected, theirs had gotten stronger the more time had passed. Which was exactly why she'd wanted to come up with an excuse to spend more time with him, in a place where they wouldn't run into someone they knew who could get ideas about them being together—even if it meant springing a rather absurd idea on him.
But, admittedly, she also really did like flowers.
Taira turned to look at her, his eyes narrrowed slightly as if he was trying to decided whether he should to believe her or not. Azuma's skin started prickling, and she quickly looked away again. Why was she suddenly so conscious of his gaze?
"So what you're saying is… I'm your last choice?"
"Don't twist my words," she protested, nudging him in the side again. Since when had she gotten so touchy? She really needed to calm down. "See it more like… you're my favourite choice." Yeah, now she had definitely laid it on too thick.
"Oh, sure. Go ahead, keep making fun of me." Despite his words, he didn't seem genuinely upset—mollified, even, if she had to find an exact word for his expression—and shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts. Azuma let out a breath of relief and forced herself to relax. She hadn't messed up.
Maybe this was going to be fun after all.
"It's too hot to be outside for too long, though," Taira piped up again, picking at his shirt. "The heat is unbearable."
"Here, Mr Sunshine, you can have this." Azuma pulled out her handheld fan, switched it on, and handed it to him. He gaped at her for a moment, then at the blue fan, as if he didn't quite know what to do with it. "I promise I just want to take a quick look around, and then we can leave again. I'll treat you to some ice cream afterwards, okay?"
"It's fine," Taira said, the gruffness now gone from his voice. He turned the fan so the cool air would reach her as well, shifting the direction back and forth between them as they advanced in the queue. "I… don't mind that much."
By the time it was their turn at the ticket counter, he must've forgotten all about how much he disliked being at that exact place in that exact moment. He had turned back to his quiet self, listening to her talk about hanging out with the girls the day before, nodding attentively as she shared all the gossip he always insisted he didn't want to know about.
When it was finally their turn, Azuma didn't even have time to fish out her purse; everything happened too quickly. Taira had already placed the money for two tickets on the counter before she could even open her mouth to complain—much to her surprise, for hadn't he earlier called this trip a waste of money?—and wordlessly handed one to her once the cashier had printed them out.
"You didn't have to," Azuma said when they were standing in yet another queue in front of the little gate that would finally lead them into the garden grounds. "It was my silly idea. I can't have you pay for my ticket!"
"You were taking ages; the people behind us were probably already getting annoyed." Taira shrugged, pushing his hands back in his pockets. "It's okay. Stop looking so shocked. I'm not that broke, you know? I can still afford some things."
Azuma's lips curled into a pout, but the effect was somewhat undermined by the deep flush colouring her cheeks as she quickly broke the eye contact. Why was she overreacting like that? It wasn't like him paying was suddenly turning this into…
She pushed any confusing thoughts to the back of her head and adjusted the straps of her grey top. As she took a deep breath, the sweet smell of roses filled her lungs, immediately lifting her spirits and reminding her of the beautiful flowers that awaited them on the other side of the fence. They were next in line anyway; there was no time to overthink.
Stepping through the gate almost felt like stepping into an entirely new world, and all worries and uncertainties immediately vanished as their eyes swept over the grounds they had just entered. Right in the middle, a long, rose-covered archway stretched ahead of them, pink and yellow blossoms amidst a sea of a green, forming a tunnel that led them deeper into the centre. To their left and right, small bushes lined the pebbled path leading through the outskirts of the garden, occasionally interrupted by ornate white columns that were likewise entwined with roses.
"Those are… a lot of roses," Taira remarked, his eyes unusually round as he took in their surroundings, despite his words. "We're going to smell like we fell into a pot of perfume once we're out of here."
"That's what you're worried about?" Azuma chuckled, pushing him aside, as they were beginning to clog the entrance. "Look at this place, it's absolutely beautiful! I've never seen so many pretty roses in one place! Which was do you want to go? Left, right, middle?" When Taira only shrugged, she pointed to their left, and they set off in that direction. (The rose-covered tunnel suddenly felt a tad too romantic, and she wasn't sure whether she'd be able to take it just yet. Not with the giddiness that was currently bubbling in her chest.)
A deep, sweet fragrance hung in the air and enveloped them as they passed by the bushes, colourful heads watching them and showing themselves off from their best side. People were constantly stopping to taking pictures of the countless blossoms, posing with their friends or partners in this beautiful setting. Azuma didn't want to hold them up for too long, but after passing by several absolutely gorgeous flowers, she was unable to hold back anymore and pulled out her phone to snap a few pictures of her own. Taira patiently waited for her, content to stand in the shadow provided by the high columns while she moved to the front, doing her best to stay out of the way of the other guests until it was her turn to take a picture.
She managed to snap a few shots of him as well, when he was distracted and looking at one of the blossoms, probably brooding over his own thoughts again while the sunlight hit his brown hair in just the right way. He nocited, of course, a shadow crossing over his face as he grumbled for her to delete it, the tension returning to his shoulders.
"But it turned out so pretty!" she exclaimed, turning her screen for him to look at it. He blinked silently at the picture, the muttered something unintelligible and looked away again. However, he didn't explicitly tell her to delete it again, so she grabbed him by the arm before he could change his mind, her fingers prickling as they came into contact with his skin. She pulled him towards a bush of orange and yellow roses (she made extra sure they weren't red!) and lifted her phone to snap a photo of the two of them together, tiptoeing to get both of them into the frame, her hand on his shoulder to keep her balance. After a few failed attempts, her phone wandered into Taira's hand, his height giving him the advantage, and they ended up with a few nice keepsakes of the afternoon.
Taira even offered to take a few shots of only herself when they eventually reached the rose-covered arch, an idea she quickly had to abandon when her blush deepend so much she probably was as red as the roses behind her. Having his attention entirely on her, along with his occasional "Hm, yes. Nice," was simply too much for her to bear.
"I hadn't pegged you as the kind of person who likes flowers," Taira remarked after they had wandered through almost every part of the garden. He briefly stepped behind Azuma as they passed a group of visitors who was taking turns getting their picture taken and were holding up the people behind them.
"What did you peg me as, then?" Azuma teased when he was back at her side, her tone light and playful. There was genuine curiosity behind her question, though, and her heart thumped with anticipation, growing more and more restless with every passing second.
"Ah, well… I dunno," Taira mumbled, the faintest hint of a blush appearing on his cheeks as he angled his body away from her, brows furrowed. "Gemstones maybe?" he finally answered, his tone hesitant.
"Gemstones, really? Ah, I think I know where you're coming from." Azuma laughed, amused by his response. "A girl who likes to wear bland colours, has a helix, and is known for being a little blunt and for having a thing for the so-called bad boys has to be interested in that kind of eccentric stuff."
"No, that's not what I meant." Taira's expression darkened even further, his face contorting into a grimace that showed his obvious discomfort. "I didn't want to… I wasn't trying to… It was just the first thing that came to my mind, okay? Would you stop laughing at me?"
"Sorry, sorry, I'll shut up now." Azuma giggled, bumping her shoulder against Taira's in an apologetic gesture. "There's no particular reason why I like roses," she continued, answering his earlier implied question. "They're just… nice flowers. A girl can like something simply because it's pretty, don't you think? There doesn't have to be a deeper meaning behind it."
"Mhm, sure." Taira didn't say anything more, pausing in front of the high fence to stare at the purple flowers growing across the metal bars. She had probably scared him off with her teasing reaction to his response—why couldn't she just act normal like any other girl?
"The purple ones are my favourites, by the way," Azuma continued, flicking one finger against the stem, the flowers wobbling back and forth from the impact. "Roses—or any kind of flowers, actually. It's an unusual colour, I know. Guess that does make me eccentric again; there's no hope for me after all."
"Just because you like something out of the ordinary doesn't mean you odd or eccentric," Taira mumbled, reaching out to gently brush his fingers against the purple blossom. "It's simply you. And that's… nice." He took one petal between his fingertips and rubbed it, then lifted them to his nose to breathe in its fragrance.
"I guess." Azuma didn't know what to respond, a tension lingering in the air she couldn't quite explain. Taira, too, was silent, his fingers moving to run over the base of the flower, then lower where its green leaves started branching off. She was about to break the quiet, her mouth already opening to say some probably silly and unwitting remark—as always when she got nervous. But he beat her to it.
"Ouch, crap!" He suddenly jerked his hand away from the rose bush, his face twisting into a grimace while he glared at it as if it had acted without his consent.
"You do know roses have thorns, don't you?" Azuma said, grabbing his wrist to take a look at his finger, immediately realising what had happened. A small bead of red had appeared on the fingertip of his index finger, and she shook her head. "That was very stupid of you."
"I know, I know. I wasn't… thinking,” Taira muttered. With his free hand, he reached into his pocket and fumbled for a tissue, which he then pressed to the small wound. "No need to rub it in."
"I'm pretty sure I have some plasters in my bag…" Azuma's eyes scanned their surroundings, stopping at a bench that had just been vacated. "Let's sit down for a moment."
"I don't think that's— Waa, hold on!" Wordlessly, she grabbed his wrist again and dragged him with her, ignoring his complaints about how all this fuss really wasn't necessary.
Once they were seated, Azuma rummaged through her bag, pulling out a little pouch in which she kept all kinds of useful things, one of the few things she made sure she always carried with her. She pulled out a plaster first, carefully balancing it on her knee while she searched for the antiseptic wipes she knew she usually kept there.
"You're lucky—this is the last one I have with me right now!" She held up the little white package like a trophy, then tore it open in one swift movement.
"Ouch, that burns," Taira muttered under his breath, wincing when she folded the cloth in half after wiping once and pressed the clean half to the wound again. He tried to pull his hand away, but she held it tightly in her grip.
"It's going to hurt even more if you keep fidgeting," Azuma said, giving the wound one last dab before stuffing the used wipe back into its package. "There, the worst part is over, we're almost done. You've been very brave."
Taira had fallen silent and was watching her work, his half-lidded eyes warm and attentive, and she felt her skin prickle under his gaze. Get yourself together, she warned herself, taking the plaster and peeling off the backing. Carefully, she placed the white cushioned pad on the tip of his finger and gently wrapped first one, then the other sticky strip around it, her fingers dancing over his skin and lingering there for a little too long.
"Thanks," Taira said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "You, uh, didn't have to do that, though."
"It's fine," Azuma waved it off with a flick of her hand, lifting her arm to dab away the beads of sweat that had started to gather on her forehead. The heat truly had become almost unbearable. "Couldn't just let you bleed out, could I? Who's going to say yes to my silly ideas if you're gone?"
He looked a little sheepish, staring at the plaster around his finger as if she had just done something far more meaningful than it really was. The tiniest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips, shy and hesitant, and Azuma's stomach fluttered. He really needed to stop doing that, or she was going to lose it again.
"What do you say we call it a day and get some ice cream?" she said, jumping up from the bench to distract herself from her own thoughts. "I promised earlier I'd invite you, and you've been a good and well-behaved patient."
"When will be the day you stop teasing me about everything?" Taira grumbled, slowly hauling himself to his feet. For someone who hadn't wanted to take a step into the garden, he was pretty reluctant to leave again.
"Hmm, not sure—guess you'll have to stick around to find out," Azuma replied with a shrug as they fell into step, lifting her hands to tighten her ponytail.
"Guess so."
She wasn't sure whether she had only imaged those words, or whether he had truly spoken them. The sound of the pebbles crunching beneath her feet, along with the animated chatter of the visitors around them had drowned his response. When she turned to look at his face, hoping to guess what he'd said by his expression, his countenance gave away nothing. He had shoved his hands back into his pockets, a little nudge of his chin warning her of the baby buggy in front of her just in time for her to avoid a collision.
May this be one of many times he comes along when I invite him somewhere, Azuma pleaded in her head, feeling silly about her own thoughts as they made their way back to the main entrance. There was an ease she only felt around him, a person with whom she could simply be herself, without any need to pretend or mask her honest likes and preferences.
She couldn't deny it anymore—she wanted to keep seeing him as often as she could, while they were still together. For theirs was a bond that was immensely precious to her, and under no circumstances did she ever want to lose him.
