Work Text:
More and more.
My heart grows bigger all the time,
I feel so good.
Every day is fun with you.
You're the best I've ever had.
Push Your Love – FIFTY FIFTY
[♡]
Akito sat slumped in his desk with his chin resting in his hands as he stared blankly at the clock on the wall.
The teacher's voice droned on in the background, but he barely registered the words. He was bored, and his mind wandered to anything but the lesson being taught.
The minutes ticked by slowly, and each second felt like an eternity for the teen.
Stifling a yawn and shifting in his seat, he glanced at the clock another time: sighing under his breath as he counted down the minutes until the bell rang.
He couldn't concentrate on the lesson even if he wanted to, so while his leg bounced restlessly under the desk, he glanced around the room, scanning the other students, many of whom looked just as bored as he felt. Some were dozing off, others were sneaking glances at their phones under their desks, and a few were scribbling notes frantically, trying to keep up with the teacher's words. Others were gazing out the window, their minds clearly elsewhere.
Luckily, as the minutes ticked by, the teacher began wrapping up the lesson for the day.
Akito perked up at the realization that this was the last class of the day. He had plans for the evening, and the thought of being free to do what he wanted was already lifting his spirits.
He glanced at the clock again, willing it to move faster.
‘Only a few more minutes.’ He told himself. ‘Then I'd be out of here and on my way to enjoy some time with Toya’.
Yet although there were only five minutes left for the end of the last class, the clock seemed to be intentionally taunting him, moving slower just to annoy him. He stifled another sigh, wondering how much longer he had to endure this mind-numbing class.
As soon as the bell rang signalling the end of the class, Akito was out of his seat. He quickly gathered his things, stuffing his books into his backpack with practised ease that showed how eager he was to get out of there, and without even bothering to say goodbye to the teacher or the other students, he left.
“Finally.” He muttered under his breath while accommodating his bag over his shoulder. He could practically feel the weight of the class lifting off his shoulders.
Once out of the classroom and into the corridors of the school, Akito fumbled for his phone in his pocket. He navigated to his chat with Toya, and a small smile appeared on his face as he saw the last message they had exchanged.
TOYA🩵 : I’ll wait for you at the entrance of the school, my last class teacher finishes before yours.
Akito quickly typed out a short response, a simple “Ok” followed by a thumbs-up emote —along with a cute heart, even if he felt a flush creep to his cheeks at doing something that kitschy according to him— before tucking his phone back into his pocket.
With a spring in his step now that he had confirmation that their plans were still on, he picked up his pace: navigating through the hallway with ease as his thoughts were already on the plans they had made.
And at reaching the exit door, Akito stepped outside. The fresh air and bright sunlight washed over him, feeling it like a welcome change from the stale classroom atmosphere as it made him warm, and his hair to look super shiny. He then paused for a moment, scanning the area for any sign of Toya, and after a few seconds, his eyes landed on a familiar figure leaning against the school gate.
As he started walking in his direction, he considered calling his boyfriend's name to get noticed, but upon seeing him so distracted by his phone — probably because of some random video game the older boy had become obsessed with — he stifled a smile.
He moved stealthily toward Toya, trying not to get noticed yet without being able to avoid smiling and instead trying to suppress a laugh as he saw how engrossed the other boy was in his phone: as it was the perfect opportunity for a little fun.
Not being able to resist the urge to sneak up on Toya he continued to approach in silence, getting closer and closer to Toya, who still hadn't noticed his presence, hoping to startle him.
Yet before he could, Toya glanced up, sensing his approach just in time.
Akito's hand was about to reach for his shoulder when Toya whirled around, catching him in the act.
“Nice try.” Toya chuckled, a sly grin on his face.
And at seeing the younger surprised, Toya seized the opportunity and drew Akito closer by the waist, pulling him into a simple but unexpected kiss.
Akito, caught off guard, felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. He had only intended to scare Toya, and yet here he was, being kissed in the middle of the school gate.
Toya pulled back slightly with an amused expression on his face as he saw the blush spreading across Akito's cheeks. He couldn't resist teasing him a little further.
“Didn't expect that, did you?” He said with a smirk.
A simple flustered “Shut up.” Was the only thing that Akito, still recovering from the surprise of the kiss, managed to say after regaining his composure.
He tried to put on a nonchalant expression, but the redness in his cheeks betrayed his true feelings.
Toya chuckled softly at Akito's response, finding his embarrassment endearing.
He released his grip on Akito's waist, but his gaze remained fixed on him. “Come on, you know you liked it.” He teased, still sporting a cocky grin.
Yet Akito, determined to change the subject and regain control of the situation and eager to change the subject to divert attention from his still-blushing cheeks, brought up their plans for the day.
“Anyway.” He began, fixing his gaze on the ground in a poor attempt to hide his lingering embarrassment. “About those plans we had…?”
After a fond smile played on his lips as he listened to Akito's request, Toya took Akito's hand in his intertwining their fingers gently: starting to walk away from the school and letting out another chuckle, amused by Akito's attempt to recompose himself while still being visibly flustered.
“Let's go to the arcade.” Toya said with a smile, squeezing Akito's hand gently. “That was the plan, wasn't it?”
Akito nodded in agreement, but then added a little self-deprecating comment. “I have to warn you, though, I'm terrible at arcade games.” He said, his voice tinged with a hint of defeat.
Yet, at hearing that, Toya rolled his eyes playfully and gave Akito's hand a reassuring squeeze. “Please, you're better at the rhythm games than me.” He said with a dismissive wave of his free hand. “And it’s embarrassing considering that I spent most of my life playing the piano.”
Akito gave him a sceptical glance. “You're just saying that to make me feel better.”
And Toya feigned offence. “Hey, I would never! Why do you doubt my word?” He protested, putting a hand on his chest dramatically and hitting an exaggerated pose.
Akito couldn't help but roll his eyes at Toya's exaggerated display. “You're being so dramatic.” He commented, letting out a small laugh. “You've been spending way too much time with Tsukasa.” He teased, poking him on the arm. “You're starting to act like one of his over-the-top performances.”
The taller laughed too, acknowledging the truth in Akito's words. “Okay, so maybe Tsukasa has rubbed off on me a bit.” He conceded. “But don’t tell him that, or he'll just gloat about it for weeks.”
Akito chuckled, imagining Tsukasa's reaction if he heard about it. “Don't worry, your secret's safe with me.” He reassured.
With their playful banter continuing until they arrived at the arcade, Toya led Akito through the entrance and into the vibrant, neon-lit building. The arcade was alive with the sound of clinking coins, ringing game sounds and colourful lights as various game machines lit up the entrance, making the cheerful clamour of gamers and machines echo through the air.
“Here we are.” Toya said, pausing in front of the entrance. “Ready to put your rhythm skills to the test?” Toya let go of Akito's hand and surveyed the rows of flashing machines with a deep look.
Akito, looking up at the blinking lights and vibrant atmosphere of the arcade, nodded with a mix of excitement and nerves. “As ready as I'll ever be.” He replied, a bit of hesitation still evident in his voice.
So Toya, sensing his nerves, gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “You'll be fine.” He assured him. “Just relax and have fun.”
They stared soberly at the building, but as they exchanged glances couldn't help but burst out laughing. The realization struck both of them simultaneously – they were acting way too dramatically about something as simple as an arcade visit.
They both burst into laughter, the tension broken. “Why are we acting like this is some life-changing event?” Akito said through his giggles. “It's just some games.”
Toya laughed as well, shaking his head in amusement. “You're right.” he said, still chuckling. “We're making this a bigger deal than it is. It's just a few games. No need to get all dramatic and nervous about it.”
Akito nodded in agreement, a sly smile on his lips. “Yeah, but a little bit of emotion isn't bad sometimes. Still, maybe we overdid it this time.”
As they entered the arcade, the sound of gaming machines and music filled their ears. They made their way through the crowd and stopped in front of a rhythm game.
Toya chuckled at the sight of the game, and then turned to Akito. “Hey, how about a little bet to make this more interesting?” He suggested with a wicked smile.
At Toya's suggestion, Akito raised an eyebrow at. “What do you have in mind?” He asked, curious to know what the stakes would be.
Toya leaned against the arcade machine, a sly grin on his face. “How about we pick a song, and the loser has to... I don't know,” He drawled out, pretending to be deep in thought. “Something like, maybe,” He glanced at Akito as if contemplating something, “a kiss.”
Akito stared at Toya, dumbfounded at the suggestion. “No way,” He said, shaking his head in disbelief. “You've been reading way too many fanfics if you think I'm going to agree to something like that as a bet.”
Toya rolled his eyes in amusement, not surprised by Akito's reaction. “Oh, come on, it's just a simple bet.” He said, attempting to convince him. “It'll make the game more interesting. And plus, I know you want to kiss me again.”
Akito, flushing a bit, retorted. “If you really want to kiss me that badly, you don't need a bet to do it. We can settle this bet the old-fashioned way, like buying ice cream after we're done playing.”
Toya raised an eyebrow at Akito's suggestion. “Ice cream in September? That's a bit unusual, don't you think?” But, after considering it for a moment, he shrugged and agreed. “Okay, I'm in. Loser buys ice cream. Let's see who wins this bet.”
And with that they started playing until the sun settled.
It was hours later that they walked out of the arcade, with the sun beginning to set and casting long shadows over the street. Akito was still slightly miffed that he had technically lost the game, while Toya had a satisfied smirk on his face.
“I told you that you’d win.” Toya said, nudging Akito with his elbow.
Akito scowled at Toya's words, feeling a mixture of annoyance and affection. He knew that Toya had just let him win, and it rankled his competitive nature.
He glanced sidelong at Toya, who was still sporting that smug smirk.
“Don't look so pleased with yourself just because you let me win.” He grumbled.
Toya's smirk widened as he feigned innocence at Akito's accusation. “I don't know what are you talking about.” He said putting on a faux expression of pure innocence. “I didn't let you win. You just happened to be slightly less terrible at the game than usual.” And still maintaining his feigned innocence, he turned to Akito and began to look at him with solace; making his grey eyes to look stunning under the sunset light. “I'm still so sad that I lost." He said, affecting a sulky tone. “I bought ice cream and everything. Don't I deserve some kind of consolation for my loss, like a kiss?”
He batted his eyelashes dramatically, attempting to be cute.
Akito rolled his eyes at Toya's puppy-dog expression, but he couldn't help but smile. The pouty face was just too cute, and he couldn't resist giving in, even though he knew it was a ploy to get a kiss.
With a sigh, he leaned in and planted a quick kiss on Toya's lips. “There, are you happy now?”
Toya's pout instantly transformed into a satisfied grin as he savoured the kiss. He draped an hand around Akito's arm and pulled him close.
“That's more like it.” He said, his voice smug. “Maybe losing wasn't so bad if I get a kiss as a reward.”
Akito rolled his eyes yet again as they began walking away from the arcade. He couldn't believe how stubborn Toya was being, pretending not to know what he meant when it was obvious that he'd let him win.
He sighed and glanced at Toya, who was still sporting a smirk. “You didn't lose.” Akito said firmly.
However, Toya simply responded with, “I don't know what you're talking about.” Feigning innocence once more.
Rolling his eyes yet again, Akito, amused by Toya's insistence but enjoying the moment, just decided to let it go and instead focused on the beautiful sunset before them as they walked together.
So holding hands, they walked on with their shadows casting long, intertwining lines on the road. They walked along together, hand in hand, and the setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink like a beautiful backdrop to the city skyline. The air was cool and crisp, and the occasional breeze carried the promise of fall.
They continued to bicker back and forth all the way back to their homes, yet their words were light and playful with an underlying current of love and affection in their voices.
Because despite their arguing, there was no malice, only the comfortable banter of a couple secure in their feelings for each other.
We can't be separated.
When we always meet, we smile, me and you.
What are we gonna do next?
[♡]
Author note!
It's been a year since I started this series of one-shots, and I'm pleased to say that I've finally finished.
I started this project super excited during my senior year of high school, and now that I've finally finished it after so long, it makes me feel a little emotional.Some months it was hard for me to write, but I always tried to push through even though I had an incredible writing block, so I'm proud that I managed to do it.
I hope you liked this last one shot of this series (it feels like a full circle moment to upload this on the anniversary of the game somehow), so I'd love to know what you thought of it in the comments.
Lots of kisses, and I hope to be back in January with more one-shots featuring these two fools!
Don't forget to drink water and smile.
Be loved, and love.
Comments and Kudos are appreciated ♡