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Safety -- Ever since they'd first met, that was something Toya had always felt around Akito.
Akito would always swear up and down that he had no intend to coddle Toya, of course. He was a caring soul, but it was equally ingrained into his nature to become bashful when faced with his own generosity -- especially when it came to Toya, the very boy who'd come to occupy such a large amount of space in his heart that it was forced to grow twice its size just to make room.
But even if he hadn't been doing it consciously, just being in Akito's presence was enough to make Toya feel secure. His wild passion was something the older felt he could soak himself in forever, cradled by its flame from all corners. From the way his face scrunched up in disdain when Toya brought up his father to the fervent manner in which he'd rant about the dream they'd come to share... Something about it all was like white noise for Toya's very soul, soothing him to his core with that innate feeling that he would never face danger or judgment at the hands of this amazing boy who'd taken him in off the streets so graciously.
Toya had never felt such comfort with someone before. He liked it, he decided -- the warm and fuzzy feeling that came about from having someone who cared about him unconditionally and without relent... and truly, only Akito could ever fill the role of the person he'd always be delighted to come back to.
"Oh... This must be what love feels like." He'd realized on a particularly unremarkable Tuesday afternoon, after which his immediate vocal confession succeeded in making Akito choke on his coffee.
It was more wonderful than he ever could've imagined -- being able to put a name to these fickle emotions and express them as he pleased. Wholeheartedly, he threw the entirety of his faith into the belief Akito had gently placed upon his shoulders. Yet despite that weight, knowing this boy who loved him so would never fail to have his back made him feel light as a bird soaring through the air.
To put it another way, Akito made everything feel wonderful. Even the harmonies they sang together and each synchronized dancing step they took felt all the sweeter, overflowing Toya's heart without a care in the world-
"Gah...!"
...Until he tripped during practice and winded up eating concrete.
"Whoa, Toya...!" winced An, stumbling out of step herself to bounce toward her grounded teammate. "You okay, dude? That looked like a really nasty fall..."
"Mm... Yes, I should be f- Ah...!" Toya's own body had betrayed him mid-sentence, his leg giving out halfway through standing up. He toppled over with the firmest possible grip on his ankle, wincing at the aftershocks of pain that crackled through his nerves.
"Outta my damn way..." Akito grumbled, a hint of worry in his voice as he shoved past the girls. He dropped to one knee beside his partner, taking up an immediate contrasting demeanor of gentleness. "Hey, take it easy... You alright, partner?"
"I think it's my ankle..." Toya pointed out the obvious with a strained tone, holding himself in his position for all its awkwardness for fear of aggravating it again. "I must have sprained it when I fell."
"Well, don't put any pressure on it, kay...? I don't want you to hurt yourself again..." Akito whispered oh so sweetly, reaching out one hand to lovingly cup his partner's cheek as he spoke. He then turned his head back to the girls, his expression whipping back to normal just like that. "You guys can go if you want. No point in practicing if Toya's gotta be left out..."
"Eh...?" Kohane blinked in surprise. "But the nearest first aid kit's all the way back at MEIKO-san's cafe... Don't you need h-"
"Nope. I've got it." Akito quickly cut in, proving his own point in the blink of an eye by hooking one hand beneath Toya's thigh and the other right at his back, allowing him to scoop up his fallen partner like it was nothing.
"Oh... I guess you do." murmured a shocked Kohane, sharing a glance of agreement with her own partner. They supposed Akito was the choicest pick to be Toya's caretaker. He was well-equipped with wholehearted dedication to his partner, an intimate understanding of his wants and needs...
...and, of course, his fierce protectiveness. As much as Akito refused to entertain the idea that he was in a constant state of playing guard dog around Toya, he had a tendency to snarl and gnash his teeth at anybody who dared to get too close during his partner's hour of need. Toya didn't really injure himself that often, but it seemed like this was no different in that regard.
"...Sorry to trouble you, everyone." Toya sighed. They'd started today so hyped to practice for their upcoming event in the US, and yet he'd forcibly stomped out that flame before it could so much as warm them up...
"Don't be, dumbass..." Akito muttered, doing his best to plant a kiss onto the very same cheek he'd caressed earlier -- and, as always, Toya could feel his worries physically melting off his body as the contact left his skin.
"Don't worry, Aoyagi-kun...! We can give it another go as soon as you're rested up." Kohane reassured, cradling her belongings in her arm as she prepared to exit SEKAI.
"Yeah, it's not a big deal! Plus, you get some extra quality time with Akito~" An draped herself all over Kohane with all her usual dramatics, her teasing words earning a middle finger from Akito as they made their leave. "Kohaneee, let's check out that new crêpe shop down the street~"
A telltale flicker of light, and suddenly the two of them were alone. Only then did it hit Toya that Akito was carrying him bridal style -- quite easily, he might add. All at once, every bit of crimson flush which should've accumulated in his face over the past couple minutes suddenly flooded his features in a dizzying rush of blood.
"You good, Toya?" Akito asked with a cocked brow. His partner seldom blushed that hard, and he had just injured himself... Oh, if only he could read the much too gay thoughts currently running rampant through his partner's head, made worse by how obvious it was that he was exhibiting this strength without any effort. Sure, Toya was a bit soft and skinny, but he was still a boy, one standing at 179cm to boot -- yet Akito held his full weight like it was no more than a bundle of grapes.
"...Y-yes, I'm fine. My ankle just hurts a bit." Toya chose to lie, though he could tell Akito wasn't really buying it. He'd always been somewhat awful at obscuring the truth from his partner, even moreso when the sound of his own heartbeat was starting to pound louder than any rational thought he could possibly have.
"If you say so... Just hold on tight, then. I'll take care of ya soon." Akito spoke gently, though that didn't stop a subsequent noise akin to a squeak from escaping Toya's lips as he started to move -- carrying him dutifully like a knight in shining armor rescuing a princess from a blazing tower.
This was certainly a new feeling... It wasn't like Toya was unaware of Akito's strength. It made sense, after all. He did all kinds of workouts, danced regularly and even played sports on occasion... It was no surprise he'd be athletic. It was more that Toya had never really stopped to consider how much he liked it -- that Akito was strong, able to sweep him off his feet with no effort at all, total security coursing through his veins like a sip of hot tea for the freezing body as he found blissful sanctuary in his lover's arms...
"Mmf."
Suddenly, Toya had been set down. A twinge of unexpected disappointment sighed past his lips, though it became equally short-lived as a knock against his injured ankle forced a sharp hiss through his teeth.
"Shit, sorry..." Akito winced, his whole face pursing like that of a puppy who'd accidentally earned its owner's scorn. Oh, how perfect he was -- worrying himself to death over something so miniscule as if he hadn't been treating Toya like a priceless treasure this whole time.
Ever so sweetly, like a prince delivering a particular glass slipper unto his beloved, Akito used both hands to elevate Toya's foot. It wasn't exactly ideal to pile both of their bags on top of an adjacent table and place it there, but they'd have to make due until Toya could be reasonably expected to make it home.
"Better?" Akito asked in that pillowy soft tone again, to which Toya nodded in silent approval. Before he knew it, Akito was then bucking back up to his feet, pushing Toya's hair back to smack one more affectionate kiss against his forehead as he rose.
"I dunno where the hell MEIKO-san keeps her first aid kit, but I don't see her anywhere, so I guess today's the day I find out..." Akito grumbled, eyes skimming the perimeter of the cafe's dining area just to make sure he didn't go on more of a wild goose chase than he had to. Finally, his eyes fell back on Toya, all semblance of annoyance vanishing the moment they did. "Stay here, okay...? I'll be right back."
"I'll be fine, Akito... You don't have to worry so much." Toya chuckled out his response, though it generated the unique look that always painted Akito's face when he didn't quite like being told what he was hearing. This was most likely the only context in which he'd ever use it on Toya, the sight becoming all the more endearing for it in the older's eyes.
Regardless, Akito then strode off to look for the first aid kit, leaving Toya to sigh dreamily in his absence. Oh, what he wouldn't give to regain his ability to leap up from his seat and shower kisses upon his partner -- his perfect, incredible, amazing partner who loved him so and surely deserved that love twenty times over in return-
"Found it!" Akito announced just before Toya wandered too deeply into the generous supply of homosexual fantasies he kept stored in his head. Even so, that which his brain had already managed to drum up was more than enough to stretch his grin toward each ear as he was granted the sight of his partner's re-entry.
"...What're you staring at?" mumbled a suddenly flustered Akito. Not even his vocal objection was enough to inject any amount of shame into Toya, his eyes becoming rosy and half-lidded as he continued to drink in his partner's every atom. Sometimes he really did need to do that -- just so his brain could take the time to comprehend the fact that somebody who held the power to make him feel this unfathomably happy truly existed.
"I'm just wondering how I managed to get lucky enough to find somebody as amazing as you, Akito." Toya answered truthfully, the lovey dovey way in which the words curled off his lips almost managing to make Akito drop the first aid kit in his hands.
"It's nothing... You're my partner, so obviously I'm gonna take care of you if you're hurt..." Akito muttered as he dropped to his knees to begin icing and compressing Toya's ankle, any attempt to hide his blushing face rendered futile by the way it crept up to the very tips of his ears. He'd always been the type to play off his own kindness, but it had become so easy to make him blush with a bit of praise since they started dating... Toya found it adorable.
"Wh- Toya...!" Akito ended up jolting back when he felt a cold fingertip poke at his reddened ear. Toya had long since known he'd been sensitive there, unable to help teasing him for it when his reaction was so cute every single time -- another testament to how comfortable their relationship was, that he could act on such impulse without a lick of concern for whether he was being a bother.
"I love you, Akito." said Toya now that the boy in question was made to look at him again. "I really mean it. I love you very much, and I'm far more grateful to have you than you probably know."
"I... The hell's this even comin' from?" Akito knelt back down in another attempt to hide, but Toya quickly thwarted it by tilting his jaw upward with two fingers. The very same hand moved to card its fingers through Akito's fluffy orange hair, massaging through its thick softness in a slow, loving motion before finally drooping down. He lovingly cupped Akito's cheek, pointer gently tracing the curve of his pierced ear as his thumb tenderly padded against his cheekbone.
"It makes me happy that you care for me as much as you do, Akito." Toya continued, his words firm despite the warm smile on his face. "It hardly matters whether you see it as an obligation of our relationship... What does is that you saw I was in trouble, and you came to my rescue without me even having to ask. That truly means the world to me, Akito."
"...It was noth-"
"Don't say that." Toya quickly shut down, seeming to have anticipated his partner's response before it even left his lips. "I mean every word I'm telling you, Akito... Your kindness will always, always be something I cherish."
"T-Toya..." Akito ended up muttering in defeat. Toya wondered if he knew that he wasn't only talking about his injury -- that ever since the day they'd met, he'd been a walking safe haven for Toya's then-fragile heart, lifting him up to glance upon the top of the world and kicking back anyone who dared to bring him down... He wasn't sure if the words to describe how much that meant to him existed in any language. Luckily, that was precisely what a kiss was for -- to encapsulate any unspoken affections in one simple act.
"Hey. Hey hey..." Akito jumped the moment Toya leaned in, tone reaching faulty parachute levels of panic as he repositioned his partner by the shoulders with equal parts forcefulness and grace. "You might hurt yourself again if you move too much, alright...?"
Oh... To be honest, Toya had entirely forgotten he was currently injured.
"If you want a kiss, just tell me..." Akito sighed, massaging his palms into Toya's shoulders as he delivered a sweet peck unto those pretty, beckoning lips. "Just the one, okay? I don't w-"
"One more, please?"
"...Kay, but just one more." Akito instantly relented, moreso telling himself at that point. It was usually him who tended to get way too into things like this... Regardless, the hand currently planting itself at the back of his head pulled him closer, prompting him to kiss Toya again -- this time more deliberate in his motions, a slow press of their lips together that would leave a far more satisfying imprint.
Akito pulled away again, only to instantly be met with those puppy eyes he'd become weaker to more than anything else. With a grunt of faux annoyance, he muttered a tiny 'Yeah, yeah...' as he quickly moved to satiate his partner. Toya hummed happily as Akito kissed him again, encasing his free palm over the hand that had come to rest on his thigh.
"This is nice." Toya mused within his own head, following Akito's lead with a lazy yet no less adoring demeanor. It was a thought that often graced him whenever he had the pleasure of kissing his beloved partner, yet it never ceased to be one worth relishing in his eyes.
Toya could have pushed back and taken control of the kiss, but Akito seemed oh so very keen on spoiling him -- evident by the way his free hand came up to caress Toya's right cheek, a perfect mirror to the earlier display of affection his partner had given to his left. Who was Toya to deny him such a desire?
Despite his feigned reservation, Akito kissed as passionately as ever. With a gentle squeeze against Toya's thigh and the warmth of his palm pressing into his partner's soft cheek, he'd provided himself with all the necessary means to deepen the kiss on his own. Toya followed suit, eyes fluttering shut as he was made to marinate in this blissful feeling.
He was sure Akito would simply blush and call him a sap were he to vocalize the thought, but Toya truly believed this was the essence of love -- this otherworldly sensation, like drifting off to another dimension where nothing mattered but the tender embrace of the one he'd given his heart to without a second thought. With each moment that passed, Toya could physically feel every synapse in his body firing at full throttle, pumping out dopamine and serotonin in equally excessive measure until his very soul was overflowed with what he assumed it felt like to be high.
Akito pulled back again, just to get ahead of their mutual habit to forget breathing was something they sort of had to do... Just a split second to take in some breath is all it should have been, were it not for the sudden buzzing in Akito's pocket that sounded off just when he was about it dive back into roaring waters.
"Ugh... If Ena's texting me right now, I swear to god..." Akito growled, his knelt legs folding up in order to drop back toward the ground. With a petty scowl, he yanked out his phone, eyes widening when he read the screen which awaited him.
"...Akito?" asked Toya with a curious tilt of his head, though his lack of mobility sort of forbade him from taking a gander at his partner's phone. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, it was just Kohane rescheduling something in the group chat..." Akito began, tucking his phone back where he'd gotten it from as he rose to his feet. "But shit, we've been here for way longer than usual... My mom's gonna get crazy worried if I'm not back soon..."
"Oh..." Suddenly, Toya felt the bulk of a thousand anvils weighing down the corners of his mouth. This was the biggest downside to loving somebody so deeply at such a young age, he'd found -- they never had nearly enough alone time.
"Hey, do you wanna come over to my place? It's gonna eat away at me all night if I'm not there to help you out." Akito suddenly asked, ever his greatest savior. "My mom keeps asking when I'll bring you home for dinner again anyway, so she won't mind..."
"Hold me, please?" Toya cut in shamelessly, to which Akito couldn't help reaching out both hands to ruffle up his partner's hair in a show of affectionate amusement.
"You liked getting carried, didn't you...?" Akito shook his head, despite already having snaked his arms beneath Toya in preparation. The older could probably walk now so long as he had some support, but Akito never had it in him to deprive Toya of anything he wanted.
"Of course I did." spoke Toya with the utmost simplicity, finding his reward in another sweet, chaste kiss that almost distracted him from the sudden feeling of weightlessness overtaking him. In the exact same position as before, Akito was holding him again, the accompanying heat spreading through his chest very much validating his declaration of fondness for the act.
"...Lemme know if you're uncomfortable, okay?" Akito chose to murmur as they left SEKAI, his devotion remaining something Toya would always choose to treasure.