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“I want to do that.”
Akira looks up from the brew he was concentrating on to find his boyfriend pointing at the multi-tier cake standing elegantly at the end of Leblanc’s counter. It looks out of place in the cozy cafe, but Akira really didn’t know what else to do with it. He’s glad Sojiro agreed to accept it for a limited-time dessert special, after he got over his initial shock. Akira’s not sure he’s ever seen his guardian so surprised that he choked on the smoke from his own cigarette before.
“What, get married?” Akira replies with a sly grin, “You already asked this morning.”
There’s a crash behind him, and he turns to see Sojiro fumbling to pick up a large pot. Suppressing a chuckle, Akira turns back to find Goro transforming into an angry tomato. An incredibly adorable angry tomato.
“He’s joking!” Goro calls out, glaring daggers at Akira. “I mean learn to bake, you absolute imbecile .”
Akira hears Sojiro grumble something behind him, but he pays no mind to it, busy with making eyes at his boyfriend. He’s unfairly attractive when he’s mean. (there might be something wrong in Akira’s brain, but he’s okay with it)
“Quit looking at me like that,” Goro complains, covering part of his still flushed face with one hand. The other is still gripped around a coffee mug.
Cute.
Akira slides around the counter, moving to join Goro in the booth with his own cup of coffee. “What brought this on?” he asks as he sits across from Goro.
Goro looks away, his cheeks still a light pink. “...It’s unfair you’re so skilled at cooking and baking…” he mumbles.
So cute… want to kiss him
…better not during business hours
Akira smiles, tilting his head as he rests his cheek against one hand. “We could always resume your cooking lessons,” he says.
“No way,” Goro replies, “not after last time… ”
“It was just a tiny fire,” Akira says, amused.
“...Akira…” Goro sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“We can try something simpler,” Akira continues, “I could show you –”
“Not in my kitchen,” Sojiro cuts in.
Akira looks over to find his guardian giving him a stern look.
“Quit flirting and get back over here,” Sojiro adds, “Dishes need washing.”
“Coming, Boss,” Akira replies. He looks back to Goro and blows him a kiss before getting up, which earns him a light kick to his shin under the booth’s table. He doesn’t miss the slight upturn of lips though, as Goro tries to hide a smile.
Akira all but skips over to the sink in Leblanc’s kitchen, equally delighted and enamored by Goro’s sudden desire to learn how to bake. Goro’s always had a competitive streak, and Akira’s often surprised at how it comes out. He smiles to himself, daydreaming about teaching Goro.
Standing side by side as he shows Goro recipes and measurements
Standing behind Goro as he guides his hands… teaching him how to mix…or knead
Lightly dusting Goro’s nose with flour just to see him get annoyed, then kissing him
Leaving hand prints in flour on his –
“Wipe that look off your face.”
Sojiro’s gruff voice jars Akira out of his reverie. He coughs, trying to compose himself. “Sorry Boss,” he replies, refocusing on washing dishes.
He probably shouldn’t let his mind wander while on the clock.
Goro briefly wonders what Akira looked like to get that scolding from Sakura-san. He’s so easily distracted… Goro didn’t even do anything this time.
He sighs, lightly drumming his fingers on the table as his eyes move back to the gigantic cake sitting on the end of Leblanc’s counter. He’s not sure what exactly came over him earlier, when he suddenly blurted that he’d like to do that.
…Just something about how Akira’s so good at everything… the more he thought about it the more it got under his skin… more than he was consciously aware of, apparently.
He thought about immediately retracting the idea, but Akira seemed weirdly happy about it. Now the idea of pleasing Akira with his skills has taken root in his heart, drowning out the initial desire to beat him at something.
It’s that pesky little desire, that steadily grew the more Goro thought about it, that would end up casting him into a new kind of torment.
. . .
Eggs, Goro finds, are very very stupidly fragile .
“Stop laughing,” he groans, washing a bit of raw egg off his left hand.
“Sorry,” Akira replies between giggles, “... I didn’t expect that…”
Neither did I, Goro thinks to himself. He was simply attempting to crack the thing on the counter top as Akira had just done, and ended up crushing it and making a mess.
His fine motor skills are not that terrible, so clearly, it is the egg’s fault.
“...I’m not cut out for this…” he mumbles, drying his hands.
“Hey, don’t say that,” Akira says from beside him, placing a hand at the small of his back. “It’s just one egg.”
Goro glances at him, and is met with a reassuring smile. He frowns, wanting to argue, but can’t bring himself to when Akira is looking at him like that.
Akira leans in and kisses his cheek.
Or when he does that
Goro sighs. “Fine,” he relents, “Let’s try again.”
One egg becomes two, then three, then four… by the fifth one Goro has had enough.
“I’m clearly not cut out for this,” he says, annoyed, as he washes his hands again.
“That last one wasn’t as bad,” Akira says, wiping the counter, “You’re getting better at it.”
“If you consider it being half crushed as ‘getting better’, sure,” Goro replies with disdain. He dries his hands, using the last of the paper towels. Great. “It was still rendered unusable, unless you’re suggesting I bake the counter,” he adds, scowling.
“You just need a little more practice,” Akira says, stepping into Goro’s space. He kisses Goro’s forehead as he drapes his arms over Goro’s shoulders.
Goro’s expression involuntarily smooths under the affection. “I’m not sure destroying more of our eggs would yield any better results,” he mumbles.
“It can be a little tricky, but you’ll get the hang of it,” Akira replies, kissing the tip of Goro’s nose and smiling.
Goro feels himself flush. “I’m sure you could do it right away,” he says, frowning.
“Nope,” Akira answers, kissing the downturned corner of Goro’s lips. “Took a few tries before I was able to.”
“I highly doubt that,” Goro grumbles, feigning annoyance at the little pecks Akira is adorning his face with.
“I wasn’t born perfect,” Akira says, pausing his assault to smirk at Goro, “Even if you seem to think so,” he adds.
Goro rolls his eyes and gently pushes at Akira’s shoulder. Akira chuckles but doesn’t let go, pulling him into a kiss instead.
Goro melts into it, and it’s almost enough to distract him from his recent failings in the kitchen.
“Lets try again…” Akira says softly as they part, “I know you’ll get it this time.”
“No, Akira…” Goro replies with a small sigh, “I’m not wasting any more of the eggs.”
Akira looks a little sad at that response, but doesn’t push. Goro appreciates him for that.
“Let’s just clean up,” Goro says, kissing Akira on the cheek before moving away.
. . .
Despite the egg fiasco, the desire to learn to bake for Akira remains. His birthday will be coming up soon, and Goro wants to make him a cake himself. It’s an odd feeling… he’s never been one to have nurturing emotions of any kind… and yet, he can’t help but want to make something for Akira with his own hands. The thought of Akira enjoying something he made for him makes his heart swell.
So, even though he should be discouraged by his utter failure earlier, he is determined to learn how to bake.
The question is how…
While Akira is a good teacher who will have unlimited patience for Goro, he doesn’t want to rely on him for this. The cake he wants to make is supposed to be a surprise for Akira, afterall.
and if Akira thinks he gave up,
a much bigger surprise it will be…
So Goro wants to learn on his own. The problem is, he’s going to need somewhere to practice. He can’t exactly keep destroying his own kitchen when he and Akira live together. It would ruin the surprise.
He rolls over in bed, snuggling into Akira’s side with a soft sigh. His options for locating a kitchen to practice in are … limited, at best. Not having many close acquaintances himself, the only people he can think of to ask are Akira’s friends… which is … not that great.
He can’t ask Ann… while her apartment would be acceptable, she herself would be a problem. He can imagine her endlessly fussing over him in her excitement, and would probably tell the others.
Futaba is a no-go. Not only would she eternally ridicule him, her kitchen would also be Sakura-san’s kitchen, and he is not about to impose there.
Ryuji is pointless to ask. Goro’s not sure he even has a kitchen in his apartment… which goes for Yusuke as well.
Sumire is a possibility… he’s not sure of her living arrangement, but she does like to cook so it should be adequate… However he worries that if he were to practice there he may inadvertently take out his inevitable frustration on her… and despite how he used to not be fond of her, she is now the one friend of Akira’s he wouldn’t want to be mean to. He’d feel bad.
That leaves … Okumura.
Not a terrible choice. He’s certain she would have plenty of room for him to work in, and agreeable enough to allow him to do so. The issue there is her attached-at-the-hip girlfriend, Makoto Niijima. The younger Niijima sister has always grated on his nerves, ever since high school when they served on the student council together. Her haughty attitude and matter-of-fact way of speaking that manages to come off as condescending, no matter how much she denies that it is, drives him up the wall. He’d really rather not suffer her presence.
Goro sighs again, annoyed at the thought. He shifts, resting his head on Akira’s chest as he hugs him, and Akira’s arm unconsciously tightens around him. Charmed by the affection he’s receiving even as Akira sleeps, he gently presses a kiss to Akira’s chest, just above his heart, before settling and letting the steady thrum of Akira’s heartbeat lull him to sleep.
. . .
The first thing Goro needs to do is research. It sounds simple enough, but it quickly becomes tedious as he spends hours sifting through differing bits of advice and frustratingly long blog posts about someone’s life story before they get to the damn point.
It kind of makes him want to claw his eyes out.
Irritated, he throws his phone at the opposite end of the couch.
“Lose an argument?” Akira asks, coming over to sit beside him.
“No,” Goro grumbles. He leans against Akira as he sits.
Akira wraps an arm around him. “Hm,” he says, “Phone just being an asshole, then?”
“...Yes,” Goro replies, turning into Akira’s side and wrapping his arms around his middle.
Akira chuckles softly, kissing the top of Goro’s head. “Well you sure showed it,” he says.
Goro grumbles at the bad joke, hugging Akira tighter. Akira, to his credit, stops teasing him and starts running his hands through his hair instead. Goro lets out a content sigh, relaxing under the touch. He can resume his research later. For now, he wants to enjoy this.
Over the next few days, Goro eventually learns what will be helpful and unhelpful at a glance, and is able to gain some knowledge pertaining to his desired task. He’s saved many references, and feels he is ready to begin practicing.
Except there is still the issue of where he is going to practice.
He is still very reluctant to ask any of Akira’s friends, embarrassed at the thought of admitting what he’s trying to do. However he’s also running short on time, so he decides to make a request with as little explanation as possible.
He creates a separate group chat one night while Akira is out at one of his jobs.
Goro: Good evening.
Gremlin: Oooo, secret group chat? What are we scheming
Goro: we aren’t scheming
Gremlin: you’re no fun
Ann: Hiiii Goro what’s up? You ok??
Goro: Hello, Ann. I am fine
Gremlin: he is not fine
Ann: ‘taba be nice
Goro: I simply wanted to ask… a favor of sorts
Yusuke: Good evening, Akechi. I will help in any way I can.
Gremlin: you can pay him by convincing ‘kira to model
Gremlin: nude
Goro: Absolutely NOT
Yusuke: Ah, a shame
Ryuji: the eff??
Ann: Goro hun what do you need?
Goro: I require the use of a kitchen
Ryuji: uh dont u got one?
Goro: It’s for a surprise. For Akira. I can’t exactly use my own
Ann: Aw!
Goro: Also I implore all of you to not say anything to Akira
Gremlin: and what will you be paying us to let you in our kitchens?
Goro: For you? Nothing.
Gremlin: cheapskate
Ryuji: what about the rest of us?
Goro: My gratitude.
Ryuji: lame
Goro: Do you even have a kitchen, Sakamoto?
Ryuji: even if i did i wouldnt let u in there dudeGoro has removed Ryuji from the group
Gremlin: Rest In Pepperonis Ryuji
Gremlin: he’s right tho
Gremlin: as funny as it would be to watch the chaos, sojiro would kill me if you blew up our houseGoro has removed Gremlin from the group
Gremlin has added Gremlin to the groupGremlin: I won’t be silenced!
Goro has removed Gremlin from the group
Gremlin has added Gremlin to the groupGremlin: Lame
Gremlin has removed Gremlin from the group
Goro: Ann?
Ann: sorry babe, i love u but im gonna need my deposit back on this apartment
Goro: I’m disappointed your ‘love’ is conditional
Ann: im soorrryyyy :((
Goro: Useless. Where’s Sumire?
Ann: she’s out of town for a meet
Goro: Damnit
Yusuke: I would happily lend you my kitchen, Akechi. Alas, I do not have one.
Goro: Thank you, Yusuke.
Yusuke: My pleasure. Please tell me if I may assist in any other way. Your devotion to Akira is inspiring
Goro: … thank you yusuke
Goro sighs heavily, glaring at his phone. He can’t exactly blame them for refusing, given his track record, but he thought they would at least be willing to help for Akira’s sake. Useless fools.
. . .
The next day, he receives a message from Okumura.
Haru Okumura: Good afternoon, Akechi-kun. I heard you were looking to borrow a kitchen space to make something for Akira?
Goro: …That’s correct
Haru Okumura: Mako-chan and I are away for the time being, but you’re welcome to make use of ours.
Goro: Thank you very much, Okumura-san. I really appreciate that.
Haru Okumura: You’re welcome! I’ll inform my staff to let you in and make sure you have what you need.
Goro: That’s very generous, thank you.
Haru Okumura: It’s no trouble! Please give my regards to Akira
Goro: I will
He’s surprised to have gotten a message from her, and briefly wonders who it was that informed her of his plans… Ann, probably.
Well, whatever. This works out in his favor, especially considering Okumura and more importantly Niijima won’t be around.
And so, at the very next opportunity, Goro makes his way to the Okumura estate. While more modest than her late father’s sprawling mansion, the house and grounds are still quite expansive. Even the front gate is huge.
As promised, Goro is let in by extremely polite staff, and escorted to the largest kitchen he’s ever seen. It is very well equipped, with likely professional grade appliances and extensive counter space. The staff inform him of where he can find certain ingredients, as well as pointing out various cook books and a tablet in case he needs to look up anything. Goro thanks them and then is left alone.
He eyes the tablet, considering making use of it since it has a bigger screen than his phone… but all the references he intends to use are already saved on his device, and it would be a hassle to look them up again.
So he pulls out his phone, and begins navigating to the first set of material he needs to look over.
He spends some time studying, and just as he about feels ready to take out some ingredients and start practicing, he hears footsteps approaching.
“Akechi?”
Goro freezes at the voice.
What is she doing here
He turns slowly. “...Niijima,” he reluctantly greets. “I thought you were away at a seminar.”
“Yes, well, it finished early,” she replies, looking mildly uncomfortable, “I wasn’t aware you’d be coming by today.”
“Well Okumura-san did extend the invitation for whenever I needed it, and I had some free time today,” Goro responds, drumming his fingers on the counter.
Niijima makes a face, like she’s put off by the comment. Good.
“Something just came up, though,” Goro lies, “so I will be taking my leave.”
Niijima shifts, expression caught between relief and concern. “I wouldn’t want to chase you out…” she says.
“It’s no matter,” Goro replies, walking past her to find the exit. He thinks he hears her call after him, but he ignores it.
Frustrated by Niijima’s appearance hindering his progress and stressed by the impending deadline of Akira’s birthday, Goro has trouble sleeping that night. Even Akira’s soothing presence isn’t quite enough to fully put him at ease, leaving him waking repeatedly almost every hour. He tries to distract himself by looking at his phone, but it doesn’t help much.
Tired and irritated, he browses threads on reddit looking for a situation similar to his, though it’s not long before he loses patience and makes one of his own.
It also doesn’t take much time before the thread starts getting responses. It seems the denizens of the internet also have terrible sleep habits.
He scrolls through some of the comments, only getting further annoyed. There are many pointless ones, like asking why he doesn’t have friends, or telling him to just buy a cake. Goro deletes the thread and rolls over, shoving his phone under his pillow.
. . .
A couple of days later, Goro is at Leblanc, taking solace in the quiet atmosphere as he continues to look up information on how to make the perfect cake. The cafe is empty, aside from Sakura-san and himself - Akira is working elsewhere today and there is a blessed lull in customers at the moment.
Thankful for the peace, Goro sips his coffee as he reads through yet another list of tips.
“Looking to make a cake?” Sakura-san asks.
Startled, Goro looks up.
“I could give you some pointers,” Sakura adds.
That’s … a surprise
“...I wouldn’t want to impose,” Goro says cautiously.
“Nonsense,” Sakura replies, “Come around back here.”
Goro does, nervously moving toward the kitchen area where Sakura-san is waiting. His explanations are gruff, but very helpful, and Goro ends up learning a lot from his insights. He is also surprisingly patient when answering Goro’s questions, and when he spills a little bit of flour with shaky hands.
By the end of it, Goro is feeling better about his ability.
“Gonna make a birthday cake for the kid, huh?” Sakura asks as Goro is getting ready to go home.
“Ah… yes,” he replies, fidgeting.
Sakura pats him on the shoulder and smiles. “Don’t be so nervous. He’ll love it,” he says.
Flustered, Goro thanks the elder and leaves.
Armed with knowledge gained from Sakura-san, Goro makes his way back to the Okumura estate the following day. This time, he’s greeted by Okumura herself.
“Akechi-kun,” she smiles, “how lovely to see you.”
“Okumura-san,” Goro replies with a slight bow.
“How have you been?” Okumura asks as she leads him through the gates into the estate.
“I’ve been… good,” Goro answers honestly. The recent worrying about Akira aside, he has been quite happy since they started dating.
“Oh lovely, I’m happy to hear it,” Okumura replies, sounding sincere.
“How about yourself, Okumura-san?” Goro asks, mostly to be polite.
“I’ve been quite well, thank you!” she answers with a smile. “Mako-chan has been helping me prepare for the store’s opening, and we’ve made some good progress! Oh, speaking of Mako-chan, she’s out of town today,” she tells him.
“Is that so,” Goro replies, relieved at the news Niijima will not be present.
They continue to chat casually as Okumura leads Goro to the massive kitchen. Once there, she leaves him be to attend to other business. Now on his own, Goro pulls out his phone to bring up some references as he mentally starts planning out next steps.
He’s able to locate the necessary ingredients, and takes his time carefully measuring everything, looking at notes he’d compiled from various sources. He then begins the tedious process of combining things together; dry ingredients first, in a separate bowl… then butter and sugar together… then beat in two eggs…
Just as Goro reaches for the eggs, Okumura enters the kitchen to check on him, and witnesses him smashing one against the counter in surprise.
“Oh my, I’m sorry to startle you!” she says, coming over to help him.
“...It’s quite alright,” he replies. “I apologize for making a mess.”
“There’s no need,” Okumura tells him as she starts to wipe the counter while he washes his hands.
“I’m not the best at … this…” Goro mumbles, drying his hands before returning and picking up another egg. “...I try to crack them gently but just end up crushing them…”
“Hmm…” Okumura says, picking up an egg of her own. “Have you tried imagining it’s something you like that you’d want to handle gently? Like a baby bird.”
“...I’m not particularly fond of birds…” Goro replies, frowning at the egg.
“Oh, then…” Okumura thinks for a moment. “How about Akira-kun’s heart?”
Goro stares at her in surprise. “That’s rather … grotesque,” he says.
“It is, isn’t it?” Okumura replies with a smile.
She’s kind of scary…
“...I don’t think I would want to be tapping his heart against the counter…” Goro mumbles.
Okumura giggles. “No, I suppose not,” she replies. “Whatever you choose, think of something you would treat gently, then just … lightly tap,” she says, demonstrating with her own egg. “...and there. Just a small crack.” She skillfully opens the egg with one hand, adding it to the bowl containing the butter and sugar.
Goro looks back to the egg in his hand. What’s something he would want to treat gently? While the thought of Akira’s heart is fitting, his mind is a little too literal to use that as an example. So what is something else… something delicate to handle with care…
Flowers. Goro thinks of the first flower Akira gave him. It’s perfect; something delicate that he wouldn’t want to crush.
Thinking of the egg in his hand as that flower, Goro carefully taps it against the counter…
And successfully creates a small crack without destroying it.
“Oh! Great job!” Okumura says encouragingly, clasping her hands together.
Goro can’t believe he actually did it. He carefully moves the egg over the bowl and opens it (using both hands; he doesn’t understand how some people can do it one handed). The egg gently plops in next to the other one Okumura added.
Relieved, Goro is about to thank Okumura when she excuses herself to take a call.
He’ll have to remember to do it later.
He continues combining ingredients before adding the batter to a pan and putting it in the oven to bake. Now all he has to do is wait.
Okumura returns as Goro is taking the cake out of the oven. The cake that looks … flat. Why is it so flat? Wasn’t it supposed to rise as it baked? He places the pan on top of the stove and frowns at it.
“Oh my,” Okumura says, coming over to look at his work. “Perhaps the baking powder was a little off?” she suggests.
Baking powder… He forgot the baking powder.
Goro pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Yes…” he grits out. “That must be it.”
After allowing himself to calm down a little, he tries again. This time making sure every ingredient is included, and well mixed. As he waits for it to bake, Okumura makes them some coffee.
“I’m not as skilled as Akira-kun or Sakura-san, but I hope you like it,” she says, placing a mug down in front of him.
“Thank you,” Goro replies, picking it up to take a sip. It turned out quite nice. “It’s good,” he tells her.
Okumura smiles. “I’m glad,” she replies.
They chat about coffee and roasting techniques while waiting for the cake to bake.
When Goro pulls this one out, it looks better, but still not quite right. They let it cool a bit, before cutting a slice to sample.
“Oh, it is quite dense,” Okumura comments.
“It seems so…” Goro replies, frowning.
“Perhaps it was over mixed?” Okumura suggests.
“Perhaps…” Goro grumbles, going about preparing more cake batter.
After thirty or so minutes and another cup of coffee, Goro pulls the third cake out of the oven.
“It looks nice!” Okumura says.
Goro agrees. It looks… normal. Definitely better than the last two. Once it’s cooled down some, Okumura does the honor of cutting a slice to try.
“I think this one turned out quite well,” she says.
Skeptical, Goro tries a little himself.
It’s … actually kind of good. Maybe not as sweet as he was expecting, but still good.
“...Should I add more sugar?” he wonders aloud.
“Hm…” Okumura says, “Perhaps a little less salt?” she offers, “Oh, did you use salted butter?”
Goro looks over at the butter wrapper still sitting on the counter. “Yes?”
“I see! If you’re using salted butter instead of unsalted, you can slightly reduce the other added salt to help keep the flavor balanced,” she tells him.
Goro adds that to his notes. “Thank you, Okumura-san,” he says.
“Of course!” she replies. “I’m sure Akira-kun will love what you make for him,” she adds with a smile.
“...Thank you, Okumura-san,” Goro says again, flustered.
. . .
On the day of, Goro heads to the store once Akira has left for work. He needs certain things that got used up during Akira’s stress baking nights, and the one day he tried teaching Goro. He is also pressed for time, so he quickly maneuvers around the supermarket, picking up items as he goes along. Flour, sugar, powdered sugar, baking powder, no salt as they have some, vanilla … on to the next section … unsalted butter … more eggs (just in case) … milk … heavy cream … That should do it.
Upon returning home with his haul, he begins unpacking and organizing the ingredients. He’s going to need to start right away, to give himself ample time to make this cake perfect. So he preheats the oven, and begins taking out mixing bowls and various utensils, thankful for once for the obscene amount of kitchen paraphernalia Akira insists on keeping. He can’t believe the idiot tried to argue that they didn’t need a big kitchen while apartment hunting… It’s good Goro refused to compromise.
Once all the tools are laid out, Goro can properly begin the process. He starts with the dry ingredients first, carefully measuring and sifting the flour, then adding salt and baking powder. He sets that bowl aside, grabbing another for the butter and sugar. Once they are blended, he reaches for the eggs. His fingers twitch as he picks up the first one. He holds it gently, imagining the flower again, and lightly taps it on the counter. The crack produced is a little bigger than he’d like, but the shell is thankfully still intact. Goro adds it to the bowl and mixes before grabbing the second egg. He’s able to produce a smaller crack on the second try, and feels quite relieved as he adds it to the bowl.
Now that the eggs are mixed in, Goro adds the vanilla, then begins incorporating the flour mixture and milk, alternating between the two and mixing until just combined. Satisfied with how the batter looks, he prepares the cake pans, pours the mixture, and puts them in the oven.
While the cake is baking, Goro starts on the frosting. This step is a little easier as he has done it before when helping Akira finish off the ridiculous amount of desserts he’d made during those sleepless nights. So he whips the butter, gently sifts in the powdered sugar, adds some vanilla and a little heavy cream… whips until smooth… decides he should make extra just in case …
Goro jumps as the oven timer goes off. He moves quickly to silence it, and holds his breath as he opens the oven door. The cakes look… good. He lets the air out of his lungs in a sigh of relief. Carefully, he pulls the cake pans from the oven and sets them on the stove. He grabs a toothpick, gently placing it in the middle of each cake to make sure they are done, then leaves them to begin cooling. After ten minutes, he removes the cakes from the tins to transfer them to wire racks … mostly intact. A little bit of one edge didn’t fully separate, but he can probably cover it with frosting …
As Goro waits for the cakes to cool completely, he cleans up, then starts to look up the best methods for icing, trying to distract himself from the time ticking down …
When the cakes are cool, he carefully moves the first layer to the cake plate. He then begins spreading icing over the top, then along the sides, trying to keep it thin and smooth. Next he places the second layer on top and spreads more icing, matching the sides of the first as best he can. When it’s smooth enough, he adds a little more along the sides, and tries filling in the uneven edge. It doesn’t quite come out perfectly even, but he’s almost out of time now so he suppresses the perfectionist instinct to try to keep fixing it. He locates the numbered candles he bought earlier, and carefully places them atop the cake …
Now all he has to do is wait for Akira.
Akira hurries on his way home, excited to see Goro and what he has planned for today. He’s clearly been up to something, and though Akira hasn’t been able to figure out what, he’s fairly sure it has to do with today. What kind of surprise will his beloved boyfriend give him?
When Akira reaches their apartment building, he skips up the stairs, taking them two at a time. As he reaches their door, he pauses to catch his breath. Then slowly, he unlocks the door and pushes it open …
The apartment is … dark. Well, dim, more like. There is soft evening light filtering in through the windows, and as Akira enters the quiet space, he notices a warm glow coming from the direction of the kitchen. He makes his way over, curious to see where the light is coming from.
What he finds makes his breath catch
Sitting at their small kitchen table is Goro, illuminated by the soft glow of candle light… candles… that are on a cake…
The cake is a little misshapen, uneven on one side and rounded on top… the icing is a little bit messy, and the numbered candles are crooked…
but it is the most beautiful cake Akira has ever seen
“Happy birthday,” Goro says softly. The candle light sparkles in his eyes and highlights the faint blush on his cheeks.
Akira’s heart swells, and he feels like he’s floating.
“You did this for me?” he asks.
Goro nods. He’s standing now, looking a little nervous as he fidgets.
Akira crosses the room quickly, pulling the startled Goro into a tight hug as he lifts him and twirls him around.
“- Akira!” Goro exclaims in surprise.
Akira laughs, unable to contain the joy and adoration bubbling up in him.
“Put me down –” he clings to Akira a little more tightly as he’s spun again, “- you absolute menace!”
Giggling, Akira does set him down gently, but doesn’t let go, still hugging him tightly as he rocks them back and forth. Goro returns the hug in kind, holding on just as tight.
When Akira pulls back a little to look at his perfect boyfriend, he finds Goro is a bit more pink than before… and trying to hide in his shoulder.
“Goroooo….” Akira coos, peppering the side of his face with kisses.
Goro groans, flush deepening, though he makes no move to stop the assault.
Akira giggles again, nuzzling Goro’s cheek before walking backward, aiming for the chair at the table and dragging Goro with him, pulling him into his lap as he sits. Goro goes willingly, sitting up straight and resting his hands on Akira’s shoulders as they sit.
Akira looks over at the cake, that feeling welling up in him again. He pulls it closer.
“Care to make a wish?” Goro asks.
Akira turns back to him with a smile. “Nah. I already have everything I could ever want,” he says smoothly, cupping Goro’s face with both hands.
Goro turns a very pretty shade of red as his face twists between embarrassment and adoration. “You … You’re incorrigible…” he grumbles.
Akira grins brightly. “But you love me~” he replies in a sing-song voice.
Goro kisses him to shut him up, and Akira feels like he’s floating again.
He only whines a little when Goro pulls away.
“...Blow out your candles, heathen,” Goro says fondly, “so I can cut the cake.”
He leans toward the table, gently blowing out the flames over the two and zero.
In his heart, he makes a wish…
I want to keep him … forever
Akira reluctantly lets Goro go so he can fetch a knife to cut the cake with, and promptly pulls him back into his lap as he returns.
Goro makes a sound of surprise, then glares at Akira, though he doesn’t try to get up again, much to Akira’s delight. He just lets out a dramatic sigh, and makes himself comfortable. Akira smiles, and wraps his arms around Goro’s middle.
He watches as Goro carefully removes the candles, then slices a good sized piece of the cake, laying it gently on a small plate and pulling it close. He then looks at Akira expectantly.
“You aren’t going to feed me?” Akira asks with a smirk.
“ No, ” Goro replies, eyebrow twitching.
Akira pouts, and Goro lightly flicks him on the forehead.
“You aren’t helpless,” Goro says.
Despite this, he still picks up the fork, gingerly cutting through the cake slice and scooping up a bite size piece with the perfect balance of cake and frosting. He holds it up to Akira’s lips, watching intently.
Akira smiles, locking eyes with Goro as he leans forward slightly, just enough to take the bite of cake.
It’s delicious… light and fluffy, sweet without being too sweet, with a subtle vanilla flavor.
Goro is still watching him closely.
“It’s perfect,” Akira says softly.
“...I doubt that…” Goro replies, disbelief written on his face.
“Really… It is,” Akira says. He takes the fork out of Goro’s hand, and scoops up another bite, holding it up for Goro to try.
Goro looks at him warily before accepting. His expression changes to surprise as he chews.
“...Oh.” Goro says after swallowing.
“See?” Akira replies. “Perfect.”
Goro sags against him, laying his head on his shoulder. Akira hugs him instinctively.
“Thank goodness,” Goro mumbles. “I was worried it would be terrible…”
Akira rubs his back and he sighs, relaxing.
“What made you think that?” Akira asks.
“...You saw how bad I was…” Goro replies, “...and the practice versions didn’t come out well…”
Practice versions… so that’s what he was up to…
Akira’s heart swells.
“You really worked hard,” he says, the adoration he feels seeping into his voice.
Goro raises his head to look at him. “...I wanted to make something nice for you…” he says softly.
Such a sincere declaration makes Akira feel like his heart is about to burst. Unable to contain himself, he squeezes Goro in a crushing hug.
“God. I love you.” Akira says.
He can feel Goro’s breath hitch.
“...I love you, too,” Goro murmurs into Akira’s hair.
They stay like that for a few minutes, as Akira relishes the embrace; the feeling of Goro in his arms, pressed close against him… the sweet smell of cinnamon and honey as he breathes him in… He gets a little lost in it as love swirls through him.
When they part, he smiles up at Goro, still feeling giddy.
“...What’s with that goofy look on your face…” Goro says, pretending to be annoyed.
“Nothing,” Akira answers, still grinning like an idiot, “I just have the perfect boyfriend.”
Goro flushes slightly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Well, aren’t you lucky,” he replies.
“Mhm…” Akira agrees, “Luckiest man on earth~”
“Don’t you forget it,” Goro replies as he leans in
I could never… Akira thinks to himself as Goro captures his lips.
They remain in the kitchen for a while longer, still holding on to each other as Goro stays in Akira’s lap. They take turns feeding each other bites of cake as Goro tells Akira about the trials he faced when trying to learn how to bake, and Akira halfway chokes when Goro tells him of the grotesque imagery Haru had suggested…
Goro, being mean, laughs at him. But Akira doesn’t mind, as that laugh is his most favorite sound in the world.
I could do this forever…
The thought fills his mind as he leans against the table, a little smile on his face as he listens to Goro rant about all the stupid long life stories and contradicting advice he’d found.
And as he listens, completely absorbed in the presence of this perfect man in his lap, Akira really does feel like the luckiest guy on earth.