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"Yo, Koujaku!" A floppy blue mullet bobs up and down behind the screen door, hands fumbling to turn the key. Finally succeeding, the slender figure of Aoba Seragaki bursts through the door, beaming. He shakes off his boots, ruffles his hair, and slides the screen door shut with a click.
"Welcome home, babe," Koujaku greets him from his place on the puffy couch, looking up from his magazine and turning to his boyfriend.
"I would say welcome," Beni chirps from his perch on Koujaku's shoulder, "but I would be lying."
"Good to see you too, Beni," Aoba replies, Beni curving his tiny beak into a smirk and fluttering over to greet Ren, who is tagging along behind Aoba.
Aoba strides over to the couch, wrapping his arms around Koujaku's broad shoulders and kissing the top of his head. "Working hard, I see?"
"Shut up, Aoba! You know I'm off today," Koujaku grumbles in mock frustration, tilting his head back and grinning. "From the looks of it, you're done, too."
"Sure am, old man." A sly wink in Koujaku's direction.
"Who're you calling old?"
They both laugh and hug each other closer. Aoba finally lets go and bounds around to the front of the couch to plop down on Koujaku's lap.
"Take your boots off, you're going to get my kimono dirty," Koujaku complains, reaching down to tug off Aoba's shockingly blue footwear.
"No, hang on. I was actually thinking--" Aoba stops him, catching Koujaku's hand midway. "I kept them on because I was thinking that we haven't gone anywhere in a while and-- and maybe we could go to the park together. Like a picnic."
"The park..." Koujaku echoes, placing his hand back on Aoba's skinny-jean-clad leg. "That's a good idea. We could use some fresh air."
"Great!" Aoba leaps up, grabbing Koujaku's hand and pulling him onto his feet.
"Woah, slow down, there, Mister excitey-pants! What are you, five?"
"Precisely why I called you old man, old man."
A sneer and a grimace are exchanged on the most hopelessly romantic of terms before Aoba runs into the kitchen to pack some food for the picnic while Koujaku tugs on his shoes.
"Ren, Beni, you guys come, too!" Aoba calls, frantically stuffing everything into a basket, hair whipping around him in a cloud of blue. Koujaku isn't sure what Aoba is packing, but the fact that he's so excited about it is enough. Whatever it is, it can't be worse than what Noiz would pack.
A throaty baritone voice sounds from somewhere below him. Ren patters over to Aoba, weaving through Koujaku's legs, Beni nestled comfortably on his head. "Of course, Aoba," Ren says, wagging his bushy tail. "We would love to."
"Then, it's settled! We're off!" Aoba crams the remaining food into the basket, covering with a dark blue blanket, and picks it up by its handle, rushing out of the kitchen to meet Koujaku by the door.
"It's pretty sunny today," Aoba notes. "Should I wear this?" He gestures to a hideous blue-and-white trucker hat hanging on a hook to his right.
"Are you SERIOUS?" Koujaku snorts from laughter to Aoba's obvious disdain. "That thing is completely unstylish! You'll look like a young version of Haga-san!"
"Are you implying that's a bad thing to look like?"
"Aoba, have you SEEN Haga-san?"
"Insulting my boss now, are you? I see how it is."
"Oh be quiet, you!"
"I think I'll wear it, then. If only to spite you, you hippo."
"Fine, I don't care. You'll look cuter that Haga-san, anyway, because you're my Aoba."
Koujaku is right. Aoba pulls back his hair, tying it with a white ribbon and letting a few loose strands fall on his face. He plops the hat onto the wavy blue mop, and it's just the right mixture of utterly and infuriatingly adorable and completely hideous that Koujaku blushes instantly.
Aoba notices, laughing. "Don't tell me you're gonna get another nosebleed. Or worse, blush when you see Haga-san!"
"Shut UP!" Koujaku exclaims, pulling the rim of his hat down over Aoba's eyes in a swift motion.
They both start laughing uncontrollably, finally getting out the door, arm in arm. The pair continues down the bustling sidewalks of Midorijima without a care in the world, basket swinging merrily from Aoba's free hand.
After a few minutes of walking, they arrive at the park, still linked together. Koujaku spots a place under the shade of a tree with little wisps of leaves collecting at the bottom, and with a nod of agreement, they set off to arrange their picnic.
"Alright, let's see..." Aoba says, spreading the blanket out on the grass and taking out the food items one by one. "We have sticky rice, leftover takoyaki, some of Tae-san's biscuits..."
He arranges everything on the blanket, finally plopping down a stack of paper plates with a flourish. "Enjoy," he announces, pleased with himself. Beni and Ren get right to it, and Koujaku plunks down and drags Aoba onto his lap, kissing his cheek and then shoving some takoyaki into his own mouth.
They take turns exchanging quick kisses through bites of food, eventually feeding each other pieces of fruit and bits of Tae-san's biscuits. Aoba lays his head on Koujaku's lap, hair cascading like a waterfall behind him, and Koujaku strokes his fingers through his boyfriend's hair, taking little strands and twirling them around.
Once they're satisfied and have downed the last of their sodas, they kick off their shoes and lay together on the grass, gentle breeze ruffling their clothes and causing the blades of grass to tickle their bare feet.
"You know, Aoba," Koujaku says, shifting his position to look into Aoba's warm golden eyes. "I never in a million years thought something like this would happen to me, after everything-- the tattoos, and all-- but I'm so incredibly glad it did and that I'm with you."
"Me too," Aoba replies, smiling contentedly. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere but here and with anyone else but you."
"Mm," Koujaku sighs, closing his eyes. "I'm very lucky."
"You're a sap is what you are, old man," Aoba says. He smirks and leans over to kiss Koujaku on the tip of his nose. "I like that about you."
Aoba relaxes back into the grass again, placing his palm on Ren's head and brushing against Beni's wing, both of whom are settled into sleep mode beside him. He scratches Ren behind the ears a bit before breaking the stark silence again. "I'm very lucky, too. And I'm so glad that Scrap turned out to be as helpful. Without it, this wonderful, amazing, dorky boyfriend of mine would be gone."
"You sure did save our hides. Thanks to you, here we both are."
"You helped me too, though," Aoba says. "Without you there to hold me up, I wouldn't have made it through."
"Don't be silly, Aoba," Koujaku laughs breathily. "You have something as important as Scrap, but what do I have?"
"A kind heart."
"No, Aoba. I have naught but my own hands."
It's at this moment that Koujaku realizes what he just said. Without even trying, he made it sound incredibly, undeniably suggestive.
"I-- I mean--" Koujaku stumbles over his own words, desperately trying to remedy the sticky situation. "What I tried to say was-- um-- you're very important to me-- and uh-- that you have so many-- so m-many great things at your disposal and-- I wasn't trying to-- oh my god-- wh-what I mean is--"
Aoba turns to him and starts laughing uncontrollably, bright eyes crinkling at the edges. He clutches his chest, flashing his teeth and bursting out into fits of giggles. He looks so immeasurably beautiful that Koujaku can't help but stare, and he figures, Oh, what the hell? He sighs, visibly relaxing, and says, "What I mean is that I have naught but my own hands... But I'd really like to hold yours."
Without a word, Aoba smiles breathlessly and kisses Koujaku on the lips, lacing his slender fingers through Koujaku's rough, callused ones. They press together, curled around each other, and watch the clouds float by as the sun illuminates the horizon and casts a million hues across the sky.
"That cloud looks like your dumb hat."
"Shut up, old man."