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It had been five months since Scaramouche confessed his attraction to Kazuha, and to his surprise, it turned out to be mutual. They didn't take long to start dating, and they enjoyed every moment as if it were their last.
Scaramouche didn't understand Kazuha's need to have a photo of every moment he considered important, and at this point, he could swear his gallery was full of pictures of just the two of them. The raven-haired boy didn't mind it; he just didn't quite get it, although there were times when it bothered him that he kept photos where he didn't look good or where he didn't feel he looked her best.
Kazuha had never explained why, despite asking him at least seventy times. When he asked, the white haired would just smile while examining the new photo on his phone. He didn't regret giving him a camera during their first month of dating, because the happiness on the ruby-eyed boy's face was indescribable and warmed his heart. However, now the nagging question of why he took so many photos was growing stronger, and they'd even had a few minor arguments. The arguments were more noticeable to the blue-eyed boy than to Kazuha, as he always maintained his usual calm demeanor, making it seem as if the raven-haired boy was arguing with himself.
Scaramouche never had a good relationship with his family, although he cared for them, and when he had the chance to live with his boyfriend, he didn't hesitate. Kazuha and his friends, including him, were looking for a place to live. And they had succeeded; they found the perfect place and celebrated with a small sleepover.
However, that very morning, after they finished moving in, Scaramouche had a small argument with his mother. This left the raven-haired boy in a bad mood all day. Even by nightfall, he hadn't completely recovered, but the fact that he was finally with his friends cheered him up a little.
The group of boys was in the apartment's living room, each one taking care of different tasks. Kazuha and Heizou had carried some of the mattresses they had taken from the beds. After doing that, they took what they considered a well-deserved rest. Meanwhile, Venti was arranging all the sheets, blankets, pillows, and cushions he had acquired; he had even brought Xiao's plushie. Xiao was in charge of preparing the food. The only one missing from the equation was... Scaramouche, who had said he was going to the bathroom and would help later, but he still hadn't returned. Venti was about to go and look for him when he appeared in the room, and all he did was throw himself onto the "bed".
"Where were you? You were supposed to help me bring all this," the raven-haired boy with braids complained, crossing his arms and sitting down on the bed, which by now was no longer so tidy.
"Sorry... Is there anything else I can help with?" he said, turning around and shielding his eyes with his forearm to block the light.
"No, we already did everything," Xiao said when he appeared with the food. Venti practically jumped on him, snatching some of the containers of different things to eat. Behind him appeared Kazuha, who a few minutes earlier had offered to help him bring some things.
He left his belongings on a small table near their sleeping area and went to throw himself on top of the raven-haired boy. The boy didn't even flinch when he felt the weight on him, nor did he seem to look at him. And as if nothing had happened, each of them went their separate ways. Xiao and Venti were playing on Xiao's phone, Heizou was looking at his own quite intently, and Kazuha... Kazuha was taking pictures with Scaramoucue, although at that moment the raven-haired boy seemed somewhat annoyed that he had once again been avoided with his answer, and he found something wrong with every photo Kazuha took, eventually refusing to even look at it. Kazuha, somewhat dissatisfied but giving up, rested his head on the raven-haired boy's shoulder, who kept his head slightly bowed.
"I'm angry, stay away," said the raven-haired boy, turning his head away to avoid the albino's gaze. The albino only chuckled and pushed him down onto the bed. Heizou threw a pillow at the white-haired boy, perhaps out of pity for the raven-haired boy who seemed tired. And as if by magic, Kaedehara's attention was now on the red-haired one. After a few minutes, this continued. Scaramouche began to feel somewhat ignored, but as if he had read his mind, Venti approached him.
"Why aren't you with Kazuha?" he asked curiously, tilting his head to look into the other's eyes with a playful smile.
"I'm angry. He still refuses to tell me why so many photos... It's annoying." It was mere whim, or at least it seemed that way, but the raven-haired boy had a strange need to know why. He didn't know how much longer he could endure so much intrigue.
"Did he refuse?" he asked, surprised.
"Not verbally, but he hasn't given me an answer either."
"He'll tell you eventually, besides... They're just photos."
That night continued normally. They watched a movie, ate, and slept, though some slept less than others. And time began to fly by as they organized the space where the five of them lived. Before they knew it, they were celebrating their eight-month anniversary. Scramouche panicked when she realized it the day before and had no idea what to get her boyfriend, because it was practically a tradition to exchange gifts on that day.
He almost made up an excuse not to go out that day so she wouldn't have to say, "I don't have a gift," because he knew how thoughtful her partner was about those things, and the thought of possibly not giving him anything made her feel bad. However, the next morning when Kazuha burst into his room, throwing himself onto the bed next to him and placing a wrapped object on the bedside table, Scaramouche forgot that he didn't have to give it to him and simply wanted to enjoy the moment. Kazuha hugged him while he was still asleep, or half-asleep.
"What time is it?" he asked, settling against the other's chest, his eyes still closed.
"The time doesn't matter. How did you sleep?"
"Hmm... It must be ten."
"It's not relevant, you know it is?"
The almost white skin of the raven-haired man could swear it had prickled like a cat's, startled by what he was about to say. He pulled away only to open his eyes, rubbing one of them with his hand to look at the albino. The latter reached for the nightstand beside the bed and picked up the wrapped object, offering it to the blue-eyed man with his typical smile.
"For you."
He remained motionless, though he took the object carefully. He didn't seem very happy; he was happy, but the fact that he didn't have to give it to him made him feel terrible, and he didn't even know what the gift was. He lowered his head to see what he held in his hands. The albino's gaze was fixed on him, anxious for his reaction, though he was disappointed to see that he didn't seem to react. The albino's right hand took the raven-haired man's hand over the object.
"I know, I'm not the best at wrapping gifts, but is it really that bad?"
"No, it's not that... It's just that— I... I don't have anything to give you," he muttered under his breath, embarrassed to have to say something like that to someone as diligent as Kazuha. As soon as he heard the albino laugh, he looked up, a blush immediately spreading across his cheeks. "What are you laughing at?!"
"You're cute." He smiled affectionately as he pulled the other into his arms and nestled his head in the crook of his neck. "Open it, please."
"I'm not cute!" He trailed off, touching his gift and gently trying to unwrap it, though he ended up tearing it in his impatience. "A book? It's not like—"
"Open it."
Scaramouche examined the book closely. Its cover was red and it was thick. Opening the first page, he found a poem, most likely written by the albino. He smiled as he read it. Turning to the next page, he found a photo with a sweet message for him. He continued reading, a lovestruck smile spreading across his pale skin. Kazuha smiled against his neck, admiring his wonderful work of art. However, the book continued and remained blank. He pouted as he closed it. And when he stopped to analyze it, he realized.
"These photos... You," he declared accusingly, narrowing his eyes in mock annoyance.
"I wanted it to be a surprise... The blank pages are for me to keep filling in. I was eager to give you this; I couldn't wait another month... Although I would have liked it to be when we'd been dating for a year—"
"Kaedehara Kazuha, I love you." —She kissed the albino's lips as he let out a couple of giggles; he was going to treasure that book for the rest of his days. "I'm sorry I don't have anything for you, even more so after this... So special."
"Heh... Your presence is enough for me, you're already a gift... And a gift from heaven." The raven-haired man blushed, quickly looking away. "I love you, my muse."
The blue-eyed man grabbed a pillow to hit Kazuha and make her shut up; if she kept this up, she'd turn him as red as a tomato. They spent that day together, and he could swear Kazuha spent the whole time taking pictures of everything she saw that looked good.