Growing together (Chapter 48)
It was Monday morning and it was strange to be back at school, Kazu thought. He had slept a bit restless and woke up pretty early. He had been just too wired up still after the perfect date. Their parents had greeted them back with hugs and Kazu had been so excited, telling them about what they had done over the weekend while Satoshi had chuckled and hugged him when Kazu had run out of breath.
They had then shown a few pictures and soon enough Kazu had dozed off as the excitement had worn off and all that was left was the tiredness of two days filled with walking and staying up late. Satoshi had not yet been up to when Kazu woke up. Keiko had prepared him breakfast with eggs, miso soup, vegetables and rice since it was so early and Mamoru had asked for a bigger breakfast that day.
After the weekend filled with sweets, Kazu was reminded how much he loved his mother’s miso soup. He sighed as he played with a pen on his writing pad and scribbled stuff on it as he had his chin on his hand as he stared into nothing. There was a small smile playing on his lips as he remembered how warm Satoshi’s hand had been on his waist when he had pulled Kazu to the side so that he wouldn’t collide with an overly excited child, dragging their parent behind them.
“You look like a lovesick puppy.”
Kazu blinked and squealed as he moved back in surprise as he was face to face with Masaki and Jun. Both were way too close to his face and he wondered how he had missed that?
“What are you doing here?” he asked stupidly and Jun clicked his tongue.
“Going to school? Looks like the weekend went well?” Jun asked curiously and Nino nodded, feeling his cheeks going slightly warm.
“It was super fun. I love Disney,” he said, pulling out his phone to show them the pictures Satoshi had taken of him in front of the characters.
Masaki squealed though and pulled it out from his hands to check the screen saver. “How cute,” he said and Nino blushed as he remembered that Satoshi had put a picture of them both as the background. Satoshi had an arm around his back, both showing a peace sign with their free hand and Nino was wearing the Mickey ears that Satoshi had bought him on the first day.
Their parents had agreed that it was not too much and could be seen as a picture of them as brothers or boyfriends to whoever knew the truth.
Kazu snatched his phone back as the bell rang for the second time, to signal the start of the lesson soon, and Jun hit his head softly. “We want to know everything, later. Also about you two. Are you surer now?”
Kazu hid his face behind his hands as he remembered all the kisses they had shared and the cuddles on the bed. It just felt so right. He mutely nodded and felt his cheeks heating up even more when Jun and Masaki both high-fived in happiness.
-
“Can you come with me?” Kazu asked a few weeks later and looked at Jun with big hopeful eyes.
“Where to?” Masaki interrupted and Kazu stuck out his tongue. He was angry at Masaki for snatching the last of the cream buns at the cafeteria when he knew that Kazu wanted them.
“I’m not talking to you,” he grumbled.
“Where do you want to go and why?”
“Shopping. I need a good outfit,” he mumbled with slightly rosy cheeks. “And a present. Satoshi’s birthday is in two weeks!”
“And?”
“And?! He told me he will take me to an ice rink. A city over,” he explained. Satoshi had already asked for the day off and they would celebrate with their parents at breakfast and then head out. Kazu was looking forward to spending all day with Satoshi out of town, since it was so much easier to not look at other people, hoping that they behaved normally and not suspicious.
It was sometimes hard to not hug Satoshi or kiss him when Satoshi forced him to take a walk in the park or something like that. It was easier when they were at home, but Kazu could tell that Satoshi was not so happy with the hiding game they played.
“You have clothes though.”
Kazu grimaced and pouted. Satoshi knew all of his clothes he had, and none of them was super special date clothes!
“Also if you are on the ice rink I am sure you will be all bundled up in a winter coat. You are getting cold so easily.”
“We will have dinner at a restaurant,” Kazu hissed and glared at him. “Come on, I have no idea about what looks good. You actually like fashion.”
“I don’t think Satoshi-kun will mind either way, but okay, and only if Masaki comes with us.”
Kazu pouted but then nodded in agreement. If that meant that Jun would come with him and help him out then he could do it. He nibbled on his lower lip, trying to decide what to get for Satoshi’s birthday. He had not that much money since he had bought that stupid manga set without thinking about how the presents would mean more now. The clothes were easy since he would get an extra allowance from their parents for those but the present was different. And then there was also Christmas just in a few weeks. Maybe extra chores at home would help with that problem, he thought with a sigh.
At least Satoshi had been very appreciative of Kazu’s outfit of tight black, faded jeans with roughed up patches, a tight black shirt that was lowly cut to reveal his collar bones and a dress shirt on top. Kazu had felt a bit uncomfortable with the tight clothes but the way Satoshi had observed his figure was worth it somehow. And luckily Ohno had also liked the brush pen set that Kazu had found after much searching on sale. It was embarrassing but the most he had been able to afford at that time.
-
“Does your mother wear jewellery?” Jun asked in confusion as Kazu stood in front of a shop and stared at the pieces in the window. They were out for Christmas presents for their family and Masaki had vanished insides the shop to get a necklace for his girlfriend. He had said that she had mentioned it twice when they were out for a date and he was sure that she would like it.
Kazu was sure it would be the case with how heavily she hinted on wanting it but decided not to say anything since Masaki had looked so happy when he told them that he knew about the perfect present as if it was his idea right away.
“No, mama can’t wear jewellery during work, so she usually doesn’t have any. She has a necklace with a pendant that symbolises our family though. She wears it almost all the time when we are out.”
“So why are you checking them out. For Mina-chan?”
Kazu wrinkled his nose, as he had already bought a nice scarf for his sister. She lived a bit further away now and had told them on a visiting weekend that the place usually got colder during winter than they were used to. He liked the colour and knew that it would look super pretty on Mina.
“No, I got her a scarf. One of the big ones that you can even use as a blanket thing. It’s super soft!”
“Sounds nice, where did you get it? My mum would love that,” Jun asked and Kazu turned around to look at Jun now.
“I can take you to the shop after. And I was… Mhm… I am looking for something for Satoshi,” he said in the end and shuffled his feet.
“Didn’t you get him the canvas set?”
“That is for family presents!” Kazu explained with furrowed brows. He looked around, hiding his face slightly behind his hands as he stared at the floor. “But not boyfriend presents.”
“You are going to get two?!” Jun almost shouted, and Kazu glared at him.
“Shh!” he hissed. “It’s a surprise,” he explained, almost fearing that Satoshi was anywhere close, which was stupid. He should be at work now and the bakery was a few streets away still! But Satoshi also always appeared where he didn’t expect him to.
“Cute,” Jun chuckled. “But honestly you putting money into two presents…”
Kazu pouted and kicked his shin. “I am not that stingy.”
Jun snorted and hit his head slightly, making Kazu pout even more even if he couldn’t feel the hit because of his hat. “You are, makes it just cuter. Jewellery though? Satoshi-kun doesn’t seem like he would be into that.”
“He wears only things that have meaning,” Kazu explained with an embarrassed smile. Satoshi had worn his self made bracelet until it had fallen off, and always told him how much he had loved it. Kazu remembered that he had gifted it to him since their teacher in grade school had said to give it to the most important person, and since he still knew then that their mother couldn't wear it he had given it to Satoshi, as he had been the second most important person then.
But he wanted something more special for Christmas, something that looked nice and not some crooked band that he made and would break soon after, but something that would last. Because he wanted them to last.
They had then shown a few pictures and soon enough Kazu had dozed off as the excitement had worn off and all that was left was the tiredness of two days filled with walking and staying up late. Satoshi had not yet been up to when Kazu woke up. Keiko had prepared him breakfast with eggs, miso soup, vegetables and rice since it was so early and Mamoru had asked for a bigger breakfast that day.
After the weekend filled with sweets, Kazu was reminded how much he loved his mother’s miso soup. He sighed as he played with a pen on his writing pad and scribbled stuff on it as he had his chin on his hand as he stared into nothing. There was a small smile playing on his lips as he remembered how warm Satoshi’s hand had been on his waist when he had pulled Kazu to the side so that he wouldn’t collide with an overly excited child, dragging their parent behind them.
“You look like a lovesick puppy.”
Kazu blinked and squealed as he moved back in surprise as he was face to face with Masaki and Jun. Both were way too close to his face and he wondered how he had missed that?
“What are you doing here?” he asked stupidly and Jun clicked his tongue.
“Going to school? Looks like the weekend went well?” Jun asked curiously and Nino nodded, feeling his cheeks going slightly warm.
“It was super fun. I love Disney,” he said, pulling out his phone to show them the pictures Satoshi had taken of him in front of the characters.
Masaki squealed though and pulled it out from his hands to check the screen saver. “How cute,” he said and Nino blushed as he remembered that Satoshi had put a picture of them both as the background. Satoshi had an arm around his back, both showing a peace sign with their free hand and Nino was wearing the Mickey ears that Satoshi had bought him on the first day.
Their parents had agreed that it was not too much and could be seen as a picture of them as brothers or boyfriends to whoever knew the truth.
Kazu snatched his phone back as the bell rang for the second time, to signal the start of the lesson soon, and Jun hit his head softly. “We want to know everything, later. Also about you two. Are you surer now?”
Kazu hid his face behind his hands as he remembered all the kisses they had shared and the cuddles on the bed. It just felt so right. He mutely nodded and felt his cheeks heating up even more when Jun and Masaki both high-fived in happiness.
-
“Can you come with me?” Kazu asked a few weeks later and looked at Jun with big hopeful eyes.
“Where to?” Masaki interrupted and Kazu stuck out his tongue. He was angry at Masaki for snatching the last of the cream buns at the cafeteria when he knew that Kazu wanted them.
“I’m not talking to you,” he grumbled.
“Where do you want to go and why?”
“Shopping. I need a good outfit,” he mumbled with slightly rosy cheeks. “And a present. Satoshi’s birthday is in two weeks!”
“And?”
“And?! He told me he will take me to an ice rink. A city over,” he explained. Satoshi had already asked for the day off and they would celebrate with their parents at breakfast and then head out. Kazu was looking forward to spending all day with Satoshi out of town, since it was so much easier to not look at other people, hoping that they behaved normally and not suspicious.
It was sometimes hard to not hug Satoshi or kiss him when Satoshi forced him to take a walk in the park or something like that. It was easier when they were at home, but Kazu could tell that Satoshi was not so happy with the hiding game they played.
“You have clothes though.”
Kazu grimaced and pouted. Satoshi knew all of his clothes he had, and none of them was super special date clothes!
“Also if you are on the ice rink I am sure you will be all bundled up in a winter coat. You are getting cold so easily.”
“We will have dinner at a restaurant,” Kazu hissed and glared at him. “Come on, I have no idea about what looks good. You actually like fashion.”
“I don’t think Satoshi-kun will mind either way, but okay, and only if Masaki comes with us.”
Kazu pouted but then nodded in agreement. If that meant that Jun would come with him and help him out then he could do it. He nibbled on his lower lip, trying to decide what to get for Satoshi’s birthday. He had not that much money since he had bought that stupid manga set without thinking about how the presents would mean more now. The clothes were easy since he would get an extra allowance from their parents for those but the present was different. And then there was also Christmas just in a few weeks. Maybe extra chores at home would help with that problem, he thought with a sigh.
At least Satoshi had been very appreciative of Kazu’s outfit of tight black, faded jeans with roughed up patches, a tight black shirt that was lowly cut to reveal his collar bones and a dress shirt on top. Kazu had felt a bit uncomfortable with the tight clothes but the way Satoshi had observed his figure was worth it somehow. And luckily Ohno had also liked the brush pen set that Kazu had found after much searching on sale. It was embarrassing but the most he had been able to afford at that time.
-
“Does your mother wear jewellery?” Jun asked in confusion as Kazu stood in front of a shop and stared at the pieces in the window. They were out for Christmas presents for their family and Masaki had vanished insides the shop to get a necklace for his girlfriend. He had said that she had mentioned it twice when they were out for a date and he was sure that she would like it.
Kazu was sure it would be the case with how heavily she hinted on wanting it but decided not to say anything since Masaki had looked so happy when he told them that he knew about the perfect present as if it was his idea right away.
“No, mama can’t wear jewellery during work, so she usually doesn’t have any. She has a necklace with a pendant that symbolises our family though. She wears it almost all the time when we are out.”
“So why are you checking them out. For Mina-chan?”
Kazu wrinkled his nose, as he had already bought a nice scarf for his sister. She lived a bit further away now and had told them on a visiting weekend that the place usually got colder during winter than they were used to. He liked the colour and knew that it would look super pretty on Mina.
“No, I got her a scarf. One of the big ones that you can even use as a blanket thing. It’s super soft!”
“Sounds nice, where did you get it? My mum would love that,” Jun asked and Kazu turned around to look at Jun now.
“I can take you to the shop after. And I was… Mhm… I am looking for something for Satoshi,” he said in the end and shuffled his feet.
“Didn’t you get him the canvas set?”
“That is for family presents!” Kazu explained with furrowed brows. He looked around, hiding his face slightly behind his hands as he stared at the floor. “But not boyfriend presents.”
“You are going to get two?!” Jun almost shouted, and Kazu glared at him.
“Shh!” he hissed. “It’s a surprise,” he explained, almost fearing that Satoshi was anywhere close, which was stupid. He should be at work now and the bakery was a few streets away still! But Satoshi also always appeared where he didn’t expect him to.
“Cute,” Jun chuckled. “But honestly you putting money into two presents…”
Kazu pouted and kicked his shin. “I am not that stingy.”
Jun snorted and hit his head slightly, making Kazu pout even more even if he couldn’t feel the hit because of his hat. “You are, makes it just cuter. Jewellery though? Satoshi-kun doesn’t seem like he would be into that.”
“He wears only things that have meaning,” Kazu explained with an embarrassed smile. Satoshi had worn his self made bracelet until it had fallen off, and always told him how much he had loved it. Kazu remembered that he had gifted it to him since their teacher in grade school had said to give it to the most important person, and since he still knew then that their mother couldn't wear it he had given it to Satoshi, as he had been the second most important person then.
But he wanted something more special for Christmas, something that looked nice and not some crooked band that he made and would break soon after, but something that would last. Because he wanted them to last.