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“Yo, Toya… hm?”
A familiar rush of feelings runs through Akito as his gaze falls onto the empty desk. Confusion, vague annoyance, jealousy, and then concern; Toya never misses out on their shared lunchtimes unless something is wrong or a certain senior snatches him away. They’d agreed to eat together today, and Akito always picks Toya up from class. The disruption is disconcerting.
(Un)Fortunately, there’s another person in class who always knows the answer to this particular question; Akiyama Mizuki, blabbering excitedly to a classmate about her acrylic nails that definitely don’t meet uniform guidelines. Akito huffs, running a hand through his hair.
“Oi, Akiyama,” he calls, taking a step further into the classroom. The girl perks up with a little grin– weirdly cat-like, a playful one who’ll bat you with her claws out. Her eyes squint, beaming.
“Yooo, Li’l bro! Finally giving your big sis-in-law a proper visit, ehh?”
Akito huffs again, “You know I’m not. Where’s Toya?”
“Eh, Toya-kun? He went to the library!” Her smile shifts, turning smaller, more sympathetic; a soft wave of hand draws Akito further into the classroom to stand by her desk. Once he’s closer, she continues at a lower volume, “He seemed kinda frazzled all through class… got his headphones on as soon as Sensei left, poor thing.”
Instantly, Akito’s brows furrow– is something wrong? Did something happen, or is it just overstimulation, something Toya is all too prone to? Fuck, shit, he needs to be there—
“Woahh, Li’l bro, such a scary face!” Mizuki’s eager voice makes him jolt a little. He huffs, frustrated, a little flustered at being caught in such conflict over his partner. She clearly notices the cocktail of emotions, voice and expression turning softer, more soothing. “He was fine, promise, Akito-kun. Just a little overtired, y’know?” She smiles, “I noticed he looked kinda off, so I asked, and he said he just wasn’t at his best today. Still managed class and all fine, and I’m sure with his oh-so-loyal partner to the rescue, he’ll be a-okay!”
That last part makes Akito scoff, unbidden warmth flooding his cheeks– he glances away. “Whatever, whatever. You said library?”
“Yup!”
“‘Kay. Thanks, Akiyama.” He turns back to the classroom door, muttering quieter, “Thanks for lookin’ out for him, too.”
He walks away too quickly to get a full response, but the smug giggle he catches is more than enough.
The library isn’t too far, and Akito gets there even faster with his pace– a quick march, eager to get back to his partner and ensure his comfort. He recognises the student at the library desk when he walks in. At this point, he knows practically all of the library committee, just from how much he visits Toya.
“Hey, Oikawa-san,” he says, approaching the desk, “has Toya come through?”
The girl looks up. “Aoyagi-kun? He came in right at the start of lunch, I’m not sure if he’s still here. He didn’t say anything, so I don’t know if he’s looking for a book or studying.”
“Right. Thanks.” Akito gives her a brisk nod before wandering away. Toya’s here, but not on shift and not for any particular reason– he knows exactly where to look.
His feet carry him along the familiar path, weaving into the shelves and displays, towards the furthest corner of the library. It takes a minute to get there– unfortunately, Toya is right that their school has a good library– but he eventually arrives at what looks to be a dead end, an odd little clustered display in the corner mostly containing old, outdated textbooks and long-untouched niche novels. No one ever uses most of the shelves around here.
A soft smile finds its way onto Akito’s face as he moves through the familiar sequence. Move to the leftmost wall, grab the end of the smaller book display frame there, pull it out just enough to fit himself past. Squeeze through the gap between the bookcases and the wall, pull it back into place behind himself, and—
“Toya,” he smiles, “there y’are.”
Warmth squeezes in Akito’s chest as he situates himself, quickly crouching down and sitting on one of the pillows pushed into the little corner. This space is something special, their little secret; a disused corner of the library, arranged in such a way that this little pocket is closed off from the rest of the room. Toya had found it, one day, and later retreated to it in a moment of panicked overwhelm– and then it became a habit, until he was reinforcing the entrance to ensure it was hidden, bringing in a lamp to compensate for the shadows of the shelves, sneaking a few pillows and a soft blanket through the library to throw them in, too. Akito was bound to find out soon enough– what’s Toya’s is his, after all– and it’s been this way ever since, though it’s really Toya’s hideout before his.
Toya’s expression is carefully still whilst he watches Akito settle– eyes just a little wide, largely unreadable. Akito can tell what’s there, though. Silently, he opens his arms, and his partner jumps right into them.
The blissful sigh that leaves Akito’s lips as the weight settles onto him is entirely instinctual, and he rubs a hand between his partner’s shoulderblades as the other gently toys with soft blue hair. “You okay?” he murmurs, earning a nod against his neck. “Mm, just a little much today, then?” Another nod, arms winding tighter around him.
Akito hums as he feels Toya’s nose press into his neck. The boy is all but burrowing into him, and he gives a few more moments before pulling back, as much as it breaks his heart a little; he does have partner duties aside from hugging, after all. “Hey,” he murmurs softly, “you eaten?”
The simple question makes Toya stumble, just a little. He nods, only for it to be replaced with a tiny shake of head and a purse of his lips; he’s eaten, but not enough, is the message Akito gets. Akito nods in understanding and tugs his bag off, rummaging through it.
“Here,” he says eventually, placing a wrapped onigiri and mini packet of cookies in front of his partner; Toya’s gaze lands on the food, then slides back up to him with a soft tilt of head. Akito shrugs, “It’s fine, seriously. I’m not that hungry.”
Toya gives him one more wary look before taking the food, unwrapping the onigiri and biting into it. Akito gets out the other part of his lunch– a bag of toffee popcorn, enough to satisfy his sweet tooth– and eats alongside his partner, giving him a few quiet updates on his class activities throughout the day. Although Toya doesn’t say even a single word in response, Akito knows he’s listening intently. Words aren’t needed for that, and Akito won’t force them out until his partner is ready to give them.
They both finish their snacks soon enough, and Akito is glad to see a little more of the normal spark returned to Toya’s eyes. Something else catches his attention, too– a little crumb of one of those cookies stuck to his partner's lip. He leans forward to wipe it off, but catches himself; now might not be the time for that kind of unprompted touch. He says instead, “Partner, you got a crumb by your mouth.”
Toya blinks at him, taking a second to process the words. And then, adorably, he leans forward, eyes closed but expression expectant all the same; an affectionate little laugh tumbles past Akito’s lips as he reaches forward to oblige the demand, gently thumbing away the crumb.
His partner responds to the touch as usual. His cheek presses into Akito’s palm, his skin soft and cool to the touch, squishing a little against Akito’s rough hand. He can’t help laughing again, gently kneading into the soft flesh, rubbing his thumb in little circles and watching the way his partner’s skin moulds and shifts under his touch. Toya flutters his eyes needily– damn menace– and Akito obliges, shifting closer, his other hand brushing the soft blue bangs back and scratching through his hair.
The petting is usually enough to sate his partner’s needy side. Not today, apparently, because Toya moves closer still, making a soft little sound, not unlike a puppy’s whine for attention. Despite Akito’s usual disdain for the creatures, this particular puppy is one he can’t ignore; he sighs, affectionate, squeezing Toya’s cheeks and tugging him forward to stamp a kiss onto his nose. When Toya still looks a little unsatisfied, he continues, pressing his lips to each of Toya’s cheeks, his forehead, his mole, over each eyelid, and finally to his perfect pink lips.
The kiss is brief and gentle– Akito knows better than to push on days like this, when Toya’s limits shift, becoming more difficult to decipher. He just wants to take care of his partner, keep him nestled close and protected from the rush and hustle of the outside for a while, until his overwhelmed brain is soothed. That’s Akito’s duty as Toya’s partner.
It seems, though, that the attempt is misguided. He pulls away from the soft kiss only for Toya to grumble again, hands coming up to paw at Akito’s chest, almost on his lap by now. Akito raises an eyebrow. “What?”
The answer comes in the form of another kiss, Toya’s lips smushed insistently against his own for a second before the boy pulls away. He pouts at Akito, pleading.
Normally, Akito wouldn’t hesitate, would give in to this without a second thought– there’s nothing he loves to do more than kiss his perfect partner. But today, reluctance creeps through him; Toya had apparently rushed out of class and to his safe space as soon as he was able, after being noticeably distressed for at least the past hour. Akito knows better than anyone how much these moments of overwhelm vary, but he doesn’t want to risk making it worse with his own greediness. He’s itching to claim his partner like he so clearly wants, but what if that becomes too much?
His conflict must be easily read, because Toya responds quickly– he pushes his face closer to Akito’s, a frustrated scowl on his face (though it’s slightly offset by his pinkened ears). Don’t underestimate me, the expression says; he adopts it every time Akito thinks this way, accidentally shielding his partner, treating him with a fragility that he knows better than anyone else is entirely unnecessary. This is Toya– he doesn’t need to be coddled, he knows what he wants and how to take it. He could make Akito give him anything.
And so Akito relents, sighing softly. “Okay, yeah,” he says, “shove me if you need me off, ‘kay?”
Toya nods, though Akito gets the idea he won’t be using that signal. As soon as he’s sure of his partner’s acceptance, he surges forward, pressing their lips together proper– the sensation is achingly familiar, soft and warm, swallowing Toya’s gentle sigh of relief. They twine together like usual– Akito with a hand in Toya’s hair and on the small of his back, Toya with his hands gripping Akito’s shoulders– and fall into a rhythm, easily matching one another.
Kissing Toya is one of Akito's favourite hobbies. It jumped to the top of the list quickly, as soon as the two of them got that far in their relationship. So he's glad it helps his partner on days like this; it warms his heart that Toya considers it a comfort too, something Akito can give and take without feeling selfish for it. Sometimes, he thinks that Toya enabling his greedy side like this might not be a good thing– it's resulted in more than a little wasted practice time– but he can't feel guilty about it on days like these.
The two of them lean further backward against the floor as their kiss continues. Anywhere else in the school, that would feel gross, but it's okay here; Toya keeps his hideout clean and tidy, pillows on the floor softening their landing as Toya finally lays back. Akito leans over him, knees planted on either side of his thighs. His elbows support him against the cushions, shifting until his hands can continue their gentle petting of Toya's hair. Toya's own hands skim down Akito's sides to rest on his hips; Akito is sure, if he weren't wearing the layers of his uniform and jacket, Toya would be sneaking his hands onto the warm skin hidden below right now.
For a while, Akito lets his partner lead the kiss, hesitant to push forward at all lest he overwhelm Toya by mistake. The precaution doesn't seem too necessary after a couple minutes; Toya is clearly needy, shifting his lips against Akito's and tugging at his clothes. For as careful as Akito wants to be, even he can't resist the demands for too long– he relents soon enough, parting his lips against his partner's, revelling in the pleased, almost desperate hum it draws from the boy beneath him.
The taste that greets him is intimately familiar. Coffee-stained, light, mixing with the lingering flavour of the snacks they shared just a little while ago. In any other scenario, that thought would disgust Akito, but it doesn't even cross his mind right now– it's natural, nothing about Toya could ever disgust him, it's sacrilegious to even consider it. Bitter black coffee is delicious, if it's on Toya's tongue.
As much as Akito despises the mushy cliches of shoujo manga, he has to admit it gets some things right. Not that he'd know from reading it– obviously– but he can't deny the way that time blurs when twined with a lover like this. The feeling is pleasant, blissful, one of the only things in the world that makes his brain fall silent– why would he devote even a fraction of his brain to the passing of time, when he has his partner relaxed and pliant under him? Nothing else in the world seems to matter.
Unfortunately, the rest of the world doesn't care about Akito's stupid romantic heart. The spell is broken by the loud, conspicuous, annoying chimes of the school bell– the interruption is enough to make Toya jolt out of the kiss, a whine tugged from his throat as his hands instinctively retreat to his face, loosely pressing over his ears. It's brief, more a shocked reaction than anything, but still a harsh reminder to Akito: kisses aren't enough to cure his partner on a day like this. Also– lunchtime is over.
"Sorry, partner," Akito mumbles as he eases them both up to sit again. Toya shakes his head– there's nothing to be sorry for– and allows Akito to pull him up, both of them stretching to relieve the ache borne of laying against the floor. A quick glance at Akito's phone tells the disappointing truth that their afternoon classes begin in five minutes.
With gentle motions, Akito begins fixing Toya's hair back into its usual neatness; he doesn't mean to mess it up so much, but it's difficult not to lose control of himself once he gets his fingers tangled into the silky strands. As he works, he asks quietly, "You feel like goin' back to class? History next, right?"
A moment passes as Toya's expression twitches. His brows draw inwards, pink lips shift as he chews the inside of his mouth. Finally, his gaze slides upwards. Wordless, but an obvious answer.
Akito can't help exhaling a soft laugh as he finishes with Toya's hair. "You really wanna skip? You're always on my ass about that."
Toya's face morphs more obviously into a look of irritation. Akito laughs again, soothing the expression with a final pass of his hand through the boy's bangs. "It's fine, I get it. I can stay with you, and we'll see how you're feeling by last period, yeah? Akiyama knows what's up, 'm sure she can help with anything you miss." He scoffs, "Tell you what they did in class, at least. Dunno how good she'd be at actually helping."
That draws a small smile from his partner. Akito matches the expression, kissing the corner of Toya's mouth. "Cool. We got an hour to ourselves, then, so…"
The sentence trails off, but the implication is obvious. It makes Toya's smile widen, eyes sparkling; he leans forward onto Akito's lap to press their lips together into one more kiss, then pulls away. Akito is manhandled (as far as Toya's gentle pushes and tugs can be described as such) to rest against a cushioned shelf, legs parted, and only a couple moments later Toya lands between them. His back presses against Akito's chest, and there's a book in his hands; Akito smiles, exhaling another gentle laugh as he wraps his arms around the boy's stomach and pulls him close.
This position is a little odd for them, given the extra centimeters Toya holds over Akito. But, somehow, they make it perfectly comfortable; the mushy shoujo manga part of Akito's brain tells him that it's because they're made for each other, and in the warm haze that Toya's earnest affection creates, he can't find it in himself to argue against the thought. Why would he? With Toya leaning against him, sitting small and satisfied in his arms without a care for the class time they're missing out on– it may as well be true. Aoyagi Toya was made for Shinonome Akito, and Akito was made for him, too. It's as simple as that.
So Akito doesn't fight it when time begins to shift around them once again. Head resting on Toya's shoulder, pressing idle kisses to the smooth skin of his neck; there's no reason to concern himself with the rest of the world. All that matters to him is Toya, his partner, finally relaxed and content in his arms. That's more important to Akito than any class or lecture.
As Toya's told him, over and over– everyone needs a break, every now and then.