"Good morning Valentine...I love you..." Yuushi drawled slowly as he woke Gakuto with a long, deep kiss.
Only half awake, Gakuto kissed him back. His body as always was instantly horny and getting into their usual wake up routine long before his brain kicked in. Yuushi would kiss him awake early, depending on how much the tensai wanted to fool around before practice and school. Some mornings it was so early, hours early, and Gakuto would complain although he secretly loved it. Yuushi would touch him and turn him on to wake him, and Gakuto would kiss him back. They both slept naked so there was nothing to remove and nothing in between them touching and tasting each other everywhere.
"Me too." Gakuto mumbled a sleepy reply. It was his usual response to Yuushi's thousand and one times a day telling him he loved him. Then Gakuto moaned, and knew his boyfriend would know it was both a protest at the early hour and him responding to the tensai's touch and wanting more. Yuushi slid his hands over Gakuto's body while kissing him over and over, in that so damn hot swirly way that made Gakuto's head spin in a daze of lust. Gakuto loved how Yuushi woke him up every morning. He loved almost everything about it.
Except one thing.
His boyfriend, Yakkity Yuushi talked too damn much in the mornings. It was almost as if the six to eight hours that they slept together, naked and holding each other tightly after having incredible sex just wasn't close enough for the tensai. So he had to blab to Gakuto the whole time they made love in the mornings to make up for it. And it could be over anything that Yuushi had rolling around in his genius brain of his, but usually it was just about how much he loved Gakuto.
Gakuto had to admit, it was nice that his boyfriend loved him this much. Really. The other people he had dated before were complete bastards. Yuushi spoiled him in the nicest ways. Things with the tensai were very good. They were close. In fact, Gakuto had never been so close to anyone before, and he loved Yuushi.
Really, it was hard for him not to love him, and he had really tried, especially in the beginning. But Yuushi had always been there, loving Gakuto, keeping him safe, making him happy, and that made it impossible for Gakuto to resist him. Everything actually was very good. His grades were up due to Yuushi's help, his tennis had improved to where they were a nearly unbeatable doubles team, and the sex...gods...the sex...
The sex was...really phenomenal.
It was constant and amazing. They couldn't keep their hands off each other, and Gakuto had a sense that it would always be like this. That with his sex drive and Yuushi's wanton ways they would always find new and interesting things to keep it hot. When he thought about it all, Gakuto felt lucky. And happy. Very happy. Which was why he suffered willingly though most of Yuushi's morning monologues.
Fortunately, Gakuto was not well read. This meant that most of the time Yuushi would recite to him poems and stories to him by other people. Sonnets from some Portuguese, or some Shakespeare crap Yuushi would later tell him Romeo said to Juliet. It was horrible and painful to endure, but Gakuto could take it. His boyfriend had some stupid need to be all sappy and moony over him, and the reading of other people's crappy lovey things to him was fine.
Because it was a hell of a lot better than the alternative!
The nightmare.
The horror of when Yuushi wrote his own crappy poems and sonnets and songs TO Gakuto, and then recited or sang them TO him. One morning it was a long winded poem on how Gakuto was like a flower! A damn rose! Another time a terribly horrible song. Another morning it was a really long and tearful monologue on how Gakuto made Yakkity Yuushi's life complete! And they weren't even in high school! Even now, remembering that one made Gakuto cringe.
Gakuto rolled his eyes because he knew another morning loving verbal vomit was coming from sweet, gentle, Yakkity Yuushi. But then, to his abject horror, the actual DAY it was hit Gakuto's sleepy brain like a jolt of adrenaline and put all his senses on high alert.
Oh holy hell.
Oh fuck!
It was Valentine's Day!
Now what in the hell was Gakuto going to do?
Since the tensai first mentioned the stupid holiday all moony over it, Gakuto had been in nearly a panic over what his boyfriend was going to do. It would be something huge, and mortifying. Gakuto decided long ago he was gonna get up early and run away to avoid the day completely. Stupid Yuushi must have known Gakuto was gonna run and had carefully not mentioned it at all lately. Not once. Damn it! Gakuto was so screwed!
Yuushi said while kissing Gakuto's nipple in a nice swirly way, "What ever you would like to do today,we'll do. I'd like to first make you breakfast; whatever you would like, and then we can take it from there." The tensai looked up at him and smiled, looking very happy, "What would you like for Valentine's Day?"
Damn it. Gakuto felt trapped. Yuushi cooked really good, but Gakuto's mind was filled with horrors of all the things Yuushi would try. Plus what he was gonna SAY! Gakuto cringed remembering girls who ordered food brought in or flowers or candy delivered to their boyfriends the year before. Yuushi would do crap like that, only-worse! Much, much worse!
Gakuto couldn't help but feel a bit smug as he asked, "Whatever I want?" Sure, he would miss out on a really good breakfast, and it was a shame he would miss out on really good morning sex, but there would be other breakfasts and lots of other good sex. It would be worth it to escape the tortures the tensai had lovingly planned for Gakuto.
Though he felt surprisingly a little guilty about it as Yuushi eagerly said, "Of course. What ever you would like. No matter what it is. Just tell me."
Okay, guilty. But not guilty enough to suffer, so Gakuto said excitedly, "All right! What I want, is that we both go to practice early, like right now,and work on some stuff."
Yuushi frowned, "So...no breakfast?" Gakuto shook his head no. "And no making love this morning?"
Gakuto emphatically shook his head no, even though he felt bad because Yuushi looked disappointed. The tensai tried again, "And you truly do not want me to do anything for Valentine's Day?"
"Yuushi!" Gakuto said and rolled his eyes, "You said whatever I wanted and that's what I want. I want nothing for stupid Valentine's Day. I hate it! I want nothing! I wanna go to practice. We can fool around later. We just did it last night!"
Oh and how they had...
Gakuto drew a sharp breath even in his anger remembering how mind-blowing it had been.
Perhaps they should do just a few things, maybe just a little...but no! He decided even a little would open the door for the tensai to lovingly torture him. Gakuto could wait. It was just a few hours. He could!
Still he felt a little down about how easily Yuushi agreed. The tensai didn't even bargain or really try. It was like Gakuto took the wind out of Yakkity Yuushi's sails. Gakuto felt a touch of fear that Yuushi had bigger and better plans for him and he was falling right into them, but then he smiled at Yuushi as they went to leave early to practice, and the tensai didn't completely smile back.
Gakuto was torn between feeling extremely relieved, and extremely guilty at disrupting Yuushi's plans.
But as he had told Yuushi before, they were both guys. Valentine's Day in Japan was really when girls gave you stuff. And if you were a popular, funny, and handsome guy like Gakuto, you got a lot of stuff. All in all, he didn't really hate Valentine's Day. It was great in some ways. All day girls would give him stuff, tell them they liked him, and give him candy. Not so bad.
There were several girls who really liked Gakuto and had crushes on him. Five that he knew of but there were probably more. In homeroom, he was embarrassingly delivered candy from a secret admirer. He thought it was from Yuushi maybe, but the candy was all orange flavored and covered in dark chocolate. The tensai wouldn't have done that. He knew Gakuto loved milk chocolate and strawberries.
In first period, Gakuto received flowers and chocolates delivered as well. The guys laughed, the girls tittered and blushed, and Gakuto fumed. More stupid dark chocolate, stupid flowers, and still lots more stuff not from Yuushi.
It was coming. He could feel it. Any moment now he would be mortified.
He waited.
In his next class, he received more stuff. Some homemade chocolates and peanut butter candy. Gakuto hated peanut butter, but thanked the blushing and smiling girls. He rolled his eyes as he showed off to his friends his haul. Gakuto was glad they had this same class together so he could see how Yuushi was doing. He still felt kinda guilty about ruining the tensai's plans earlier, but he waited for the embarrassment that was still to come.
The guilt faded as two other guys started telling Gakuto how all morning, some girl had been having candy delivered to each of Yuushi's classes. Each box of expensive chocolates had attached to it a little hint as to who it was that loved him. It was a puzzle that Yuushi would have to solve to figure out who loved him. Not liked, but specifically the hot pink cards said loved. The guys laughed at how red Yuushi's face had turned as he read all the hot pink paper clues. The guys eagerly awaited the next delivery, and the mystery solved. Before Gakuto could really even ask Yuushi about it, or sit next to him, more delivery people showed up.
This happened every year at Hyoutei, and the teachers were by and large used to it. They knew Valentines Day and White Day classes were going to be interrupted as a matter of course. The wealthy students would often try to outdo each other. Parents also routinely sent delivered gifts to their children on these days too.
Many teachers would allow the delivery people a few minutes before class, they next would struggle to try to get the class to calm down so they could instruct for at least half the period, and then they would inevitably decide it was all a failure. They would end the class early so the delivery people who had waited in the hallway during the class could get on with their work on a very busy day. The more seasoned teachers knew better than to even try to conduct lessons and would just let the students have their way. This was the kind of teacher Gakuto and Yuushi had for this class now.
Two delivery guys brought Gakuto more damn dark chocolates. Gakuto read the cards and smiled at the one girl who sent them that was in this class with him. She was blushing crimson and turned away. The redhead rolled his eyes and tossed them in with the others in his bag. "You're doing well." Yuushi said after stealing a glance into his bag when it was opened.
Gakuto went to reply but then another delivery guy came in for Yuushi. From his anonymous sender, more chocolates and apparently another hint because it was hand written on expensive hot pink paper. Yuushi shook his head slightly as if to tell Gakuto he had no idea and was dismissing the entire thing. He tossed his newest candy into his bag and Gakuto looked in.
There was a lot in there. Maybe as much as Gakuto had. There were also more hot pink pieces of paper and the redhead felt completely jealous.
And worried.
And annoyed.
Damn it! This sucked. He should have spent the morning in bed with Yuushi letting the tensai get this romance crap all out of his system. He really should have. It wouldn't have been the worst thing to make Yuushi feel good. Stupid things like this meant so much to stupid Yuushi, and Gakuto realized he had basically been a jerk to his boyfriend.
Gakuto sighed and said softly, "I really hate Valentine's Day."
Yuushi smiled slightly though the smile never reached his eyes. Quietly he said back, "I know."
At lunch was even worse. Freshman year, a tradition was started by their Vice Captain Atobe Keigo. Well, not by Atobe but it was his damn fault. Girls adored Atobe. Freshman year, several had cooked Atobe his lunch. An actual cat fight had broken out. Everyone had been impressed.
Now this year, it seemed as if the entire female student body had decided it was acceptable to cook lunch for their favorite of the 30 or so sub-regulars. Gakuto had his choice of lunches from fangirls who liked him, but he didn't want any of them.
All he really wanted was that breakfast Yuushi would have made him earlier in the morning if Gakuto hadn't been such an idiot.
His boyfriend also had a wealth of bentos and lunch things to choose from-most of which he noticed were things Yuushi didn't even like. Their lunch table was transformed into a groaning buffet and while some guys, like Jiroh and Atobe seemed to bask in the fangirls' attention, others like Shishido and Ohtori seemed smart enough to avoid the lunch scene completely. A delivery person approached Yuushi and held out an expensive looking, restaurant-style, wrapped bento box, complete with hot pink paper attached. Gakuto stood up, grabbed his bag, and went to stand in the lunch line. Yuushi was quickly behind him, although the stupid bento was in his hands still.
"What's wrong?" Yuushi asked and managed to somehow sound sincere.
"Nothing." Gakuto said and gave a half laugh ruefully. "I hate this! I really do. I just don't want to be bothered when I eat. I'm gonna go eat..." Gakuto went to say outside, but he held his tongue. It was cold out. "...I don't know where, just not here."
"Would you like me to accompany you?" Yuushi drawled slowly.
Gakuto was annoyed and getting angry. "What..." he started to say whatever but knew he would have felt horribly alone if Yuushi didn't choose to go with him so he said, "Yeah..." But then added, "If you wanna..." because if stupid Yuushi didn't want to go then Gakuto didn't want him to.
"Of course." Yuushi said softly and sounded sincere.
Gakuto then was wondering what Yuushi wanted. He had never asked the tensai back what he wanted for stupid Valentine's Day and maybe Gakuto should have. Damn it!
The tensai quietly asked, "What are you having?"
It was Gakuto's turn and he hadn't noticed. Instead he stood there stupidly spacing out. Yuushi didn't make fun of him, but Gakuto probably would have made fun of the tensai. Great. Now he felt worse.
"A...a salad please." Gakuto pointed at the one he wanted. He didn't want a salad, and in fact really liked one of the lunches they made that day, but he wanted something else more. Yuushi ordered the entrée Gakuto really wanted and asked for it to go. Gakuto selected the two dressings he loved when Yuushi mixed for him and a strawberry milk to drink. He held out his food card to pay the lady at the register, "I'm...ah...paying for him too..."
The woman rang them up and Gakuto felt totally stupid. He didn't know why he did that on impulse but he did. He knew he was slightly blushing and tried to think of other things. He rarely blushed and hated when he did because his red face would match his hair. Jiroh always called him an Oompa Loompa when he blushed and he glanced over at their usual lunch table. A girl was sitting on Jiroh's lap and he and Atobe were laughing over something with other girls hovering around them. Gakuto was glad everyone was distracted.
Apparently no one saw him flush he thought and felt relieved, but then Yuushi said, "Are you warm?" The tensai looked all concerned and as if he was going to put his hand to Gakuto's forehead to look for fever.
"Fine." Gakuto shrugged and said, "I just wanna go." The tensai gave him a concerned look and they left.
As they walked Yuushi said, "Would you like to eat at home?" Gakuto thought about it and shook his head no. He was horny and they had class. Yuushi hated to miss classes, but would if Gakuto insisted or started kissing him. However, then Gakuto would feel guilty again. Plus, if Yuushi rejected him because of class, Gakuto would feel terrible.
"I know a place, if I may make a suggestion?" Yuushi said it so cautiously Gakuto was mad, but not at his boyfriend, at himself for being so temperamental.
To Yuushi he said only, "Okay."
At first as they went outside, walking quickly in the cold air, Gakuto thought Yuushi wanted to eat in the gym where he practiced gymnastics often or maybe the indoor tennis practice field, but the tensai walked on. He walked to the indoor pool and went in the main door. Gakuto followed and looked around. He rarely had ever been here, maybe at most once or twice. It was quiet. They seemed to be the only ones around. Yuushi walked into the room where the pool was, and to the top of the bleachers where people cheered for the swim or the diving teams.
It was warm and humid from the heated pool. After the chilly winter day, it felt nice. Except for the chlorine smell, it was as if they walked into spring. Gakuto was jealously wondering how Yuushi knew to come here and who he had been here before with when Yuushi asked, "Is...this all right?"
His boyfriend looked worried so Gakuto said, "Yeah. It's good Yuushi, thanks." Then Gakuto looked at what Yuushi was holding, "Why do you still have that?"
Yuushi's eyebrows drew together in confusion, "It's fried chicken. I thought you might want it."
"Well, I don't." Gakuto said and took out his salad. It wasn't dressed yet, and he wanted, he really wanted...
Yuushi stroked his index finger across the back of Gakuto's hand softly. "I'm sorry," Yuushi said, "I'll get rid of it." Yuushi set it behind him, out of sight, and turned back to Gakuto. "Would you like me to dress your salad?"
Gakuto went to shrug and say he didn't care. He meant to, but somehow it came out with him saying small, "Yeah."
He forgot to be angry when Yuushi smiled in that gentle smile he only showed to Gakuto. Halfway through eating his dressed salad, Yuushi asked if he Gakuto wanted to switch meals. The tensai had started doing this with Gakuto a while ago, and though everyone at meals had first looked in awe, and Gakuto always rolled his eyes, the little redhead loved it. He had always been previously convinced that no matter what he ordered, the other person had the better meal. Yuushi always traded and if he saw Gakuto liked it, he never asked to switch back. If Gakuto asked to switch back, Yuushi did without complaint. In fact, the tensai seemed utterly happy whenever Gakuto was content.
All Gakuto would have had to do was listen to a little stupid lovey crap this morning. He would have made Yuushi really happy, they would have had more great sex, and he would have been too full from a great breakfast to eat lunch. Gakuto was really angry at himself, and even more frustrated because Yuushi loved him so ridiculously much that the tensai wouldn't be mad at him about ruining his plans at all. Gakuto really gave him so much grief. He wasn't even sure why anymore.
It was always Yuushi who took care of him, made plans for them, and arranged everything all the time. Gakuto never had to do a thing and so he just didn't. Like a selfish brat he just took and took and gave very little back. He decided to try something, "Yuushi?" The tensai looked at him, and Gakuto finished, though he felt like an idiot, "You wanna go see a movie this weekend?"
Yuushi smiled. If he was thrown off by Gakuto asking him for a change, he never reacted. Instead his boyfriend said, "Of course, is there something you would like to see?"
Gakuto felt like such a bastard at that point. He was trying to ask Yuushi on a date, and all the tensai figured is Gakuto wanted to see something to he was going to drag Yuushi along with him. Gakuto kept from sighing and said, "Not really. I just thought, you know, we could go. It would be nice..." Gakuto suddenly recalled that Yuushi always paid when they went to the movies too. Damn it.
Gakuto tried again, "I thought maybe I could take you, and we could go see...something you wanted to see. You know, that you could pick the movie you wanted to see, if you want?"
He realized with a start that he wasn't even sure what kind of movies Yuushi liked. Oh. Damn. Except for the stupid romance ones. But how many stupid movies had Yuushi sat through holding Gakuto's hand because he just wanted to be with Gakuto? Probably all of them. Yuushi was fun to go to the movies with too. He could not only remember every line, and read fast, but he spotted all kinds of flaws. Sometimes, if it was a good movie with a lot of flaws, like the microphone showing up at the top, they would rent it later after seeing it in the theater, and the tensai would point out all the mistakes to Gakuto's delight.
Oh. Damn it! He just realized that he made Yuushi sit through all those stupid movies twice, picking out the flaws.
Yuushi never even complained. He seemed happy just to be around Gakuto.
Yuushi sometimes went with some girls from school to those chick romance flicks he so loved. Maybe that was where this girl had met the tensai. Damn it. Gakuto had to put a stop to this. He suggested, "We can even see that 'Say You Love Me' one if you want." It was the sappiest, stupidest looking thing Gakuto had ever seen. The preview alone had Gakuto shifting in his seat uncomfortably, but he knew Yuushi was dying to see it. It would be painful, but Gakuto could do this. Better than him going with some girl.
Yuushi looked at Gakuto as if surprised, "You don't want to see that." He went to ask, "Gakuto, why...?"
"It doesn't have to be that ONE, okay? Just, whatever you wanna see and I'll go! But it can be that one! Pick something and we can go! If you want!" Gakuto was exasperated. He was going to have to be painfully obvious to the oblivious tensai, "Like on a date, Yuushi!"
The tensai looked at him like he was crazy.
Then he smiled just a little. The corners of his mouth tilted up adorably as they did when he was really happy and amused, but trying to not upset Gakuto, "That sounds very nice, Gakuto. I accept." Yuushi said quieter because you never knew who was around, "I love you."
"Me too." Gakuto said, as always, and felt a little better. As if he had accomplished something.
He was just finishing Yuushi's lunch when the tensai said, "I'm going to go back to the room before our next class. My bag is getting heavy. Will you accompany me?"
At first Gakuto was going to say no because it would hurt if Yuushi didn't want to miss class and fool around, but then he thought it might be better if he saw exactly what the tensai had been getting. He decided this was a good time to keep an eye on Yuushi and not leave him alone. Plus this was the second time Yuushi suggested going back to their room. Yuushi probably had a surprise or three waiting for him. And okay, most of it would be sappy and stupid but it would still be fun in a Yuushi kinda way. Gakuto went and felt even better as the tensai threw away the uneaten bento along with their other trash.
When they got to their room, Gakuto was surprised to discover their door was covered. He realized he shouldn't have been because this girl chasing Yuushi was pulling out all the stops, but still, this was a bit much. Another Hyoutei tradition, though older than Atobe. It happened when a girl liked a guy, she and her friends covered his door with decorative paper and then wrote notes or kisses on it. It happened often on holidays and before a big tennis match for luck. This though, was extreme. Their door was covered in white paper and hot pink lipstick kisses covered the paper from top to bottom. Down to the floor. A hot pink note with another kiss was taped to the door handle.
Gakuto's jaw dropped open, and he felt a rush of anger.
Yuushi blushed.
The tensai actually blushed and went to move the paper aside to unlock the door.
Like he didn't wanna ruin it or rip it!
In a fit of sudden rage Gakuto made a small leap up to the top corner and savagely ripped at the paper, making one big tear. Then he tore and pulled the rest down. He roughly crumpled it all up into a big ball. There was so much of the sticky lipstick all over it, that it got all over his shirt and hands. Yuushi unlocked the door and opened the note. The tensai sighed as he stood back to let Gakuto pass into the room first like always. Gakuto didn't. He left his bag on the floor and stormed down the hall with the big ball of paper in his hands. He went into their floor's common bathroom everyone else had to use, those that weren't tennis club sub-regulars and who didn't have a premium room or suite, and he threw the paper out by violently stuffing it into the garbage.
The little redhead marched back infuriated. He stomped past his boyfriend and into their room. Yuushi closed the door, and bent to kiss his cheek. Gakuto pulled back. "I need to go wash my hands." Gakuto explained still feeling angry.
"You have lipstick on your cheek." Yuushi said smiling, as if it were cute and not disgusting.
"Well don't KISS it Yuushi! You have no idea where it's BEEN!" Gakuto was furious again. Damn how he hated Valentine's Day! He didn't stick around to hear Yuushi say something witty like of course the tensai knew, it had been all over their door.
No! Gakuto couldn't take it!
Gakuto looked around the room and had to admit, he was disappointed.
He had expected that Yuushi would do something for Valentine's Day after all. He really did. He could see Yuushi spreading rose petals all over the floor and their bed. He could see Yuushi buying sex toys and wrapping them up for Gakuto to unwrap and them to try out later. He could see Yuushi filling the room with scented candles and sappy lovey music and making Gakuto have to painfully slow dance with him.
But Gakuto could only see it in his head.
Because their room looked exactly like it did when they had left earlier. There were no candles, no roses, no music, no chocolates, no scents, and no toys. Nothing. Gakuto had told Yuushi to not do anything for Valentine's Day and his boyfriend who always listened to him and catered to his every whim...had listened.
And it hurt.
Damn it!
Surprisingly it really hurt. Sure, all those lovey stupid things were embarrassing, but for the first time Gakuto realized they were also a lot of fun. For the first time he realized these things didn't only mean stuff to Yuushi, they meant something to him too.
Gakuto mentally cursed his big fat stupid mouth because he ruined their first Valentine's Day. Even if they were together for years and years and years he would always remember this one, their first, as having sucked. It would shed a pall over all the ones to come no matter how great they were because he had to open his big mouth and tell Yuushi he didn't want anything...unless...
No way! There was no way he was gonna do THAT!
He stomped off into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. That was when he noticed the sticky pink goo was all over his shirt and school jacket. Gakuto cursed up a storm as he took his clothes off. He bent over the sink full of hot water and began to scrub it off his face and hands.
Gakuto sensed Yuushi behind him before he felt his warm, comforting touch.
Yuushi slid his hands along the skin of his back and then around Gakuto's naked chest. Gakuto stood but kept his eyes closed because his face was still wet from rinsing. He pressed himself back against Yuushi and felt the stress he was feeling melt away. His boyfriend dried his face gently with a towel and then kissed his shut eyes. Yuushi liked to do that so Gakuto kept his eyes shut and let him for a while. Then he tilted his chin up and knew Yuushi would meet his lips in a long, good kiss. He whimpered in his boyfriend's mouth as Yuushi kissed him.
THAT was annoying too. One morning without their regular hot sex and Gakuto was ready to do it right then and there. Yuushi's lips curved into a smile. He knew Gakuto so damn well.
Gakuto's hormones battled with his emotions for control. He was so instantly and completely turned on he felt drunk and high. He knew he could let go because this was Yuushi, who loved him, and he could be with Yuushi right here and now and everything would be all right. His boyfriend kept kissing him, and said softly, "I like your hair like this..."
Gakuto knew without looking, the front of his hair had fallen forward into a V shape. Yuushi always said that when it did. Gakuto had a widow's peak and hated his hairline. There was also a scar on his forehead he always tried to hide with straight bangs. His boyfriend told him how much he liked his hair like this all the time.
Yet, if he asked Yuushi to cut his hair, hell if he asked him to shave his head, the tensai would have done it the first chance he got. It was how Yuushi showed him he loved him a thousand times a day and really, he got nearly nothing back from Gakuto, right? Yuushi told him at least that many times a day that he loved him, and Gakuto almost never said the whole thing back. All he ever said was a stupid-sounding, "Me too." He could count on one hand the number of times he had actually said the words to Yuushi. He knew words mattered to Yuushi too. It just didn't seem fair.
Gakuto tried to show how much he loved his boyfriend in a kiss. He pulled him closer and kissed him deeply in a kiss that felt all too needy and greedy to be really called giving. Yuushi responded with his entire body though as if this for him was how Gakuto loved him. The tensai made one of those good turned on humming noises in Gakuto's mouth as he hotly kissed him back. Gakuto wanted him so much it hurt. But at the same time, it felt wrong and scary.
Because as turned on as he was, his emotions were screaming at him, 'What if?'
What if Yuushi liked the girl who did things like this? What if Yuushi missed all the little things someone more romantic-someone more like Yuushi-did? She couldn't even really know his boyfriend and yet she had done all this when Gakuto, who supposedly loved him, had done nothing. Nothing but bitch and complain. Nothing but disappoint Yuushi.
What if Yuushi left him? What if Yuushi left him, okay maybe not now, but maybe when they graduated or something? What if he left him for a girl? What if his boyfriend was only infatuated and when he discovered how crass and unromantic Gakuto really was, then Yuushi left him? What if the tensai wanted someone nicer, smarter, and someone who was more willing to give him all the little things that Gakuto begrudged him?
Gakuto was suddenly aware of how many people would kill to have a guy like Yuushi love them. Yuushi loved so completely that they would feel really happy and lucky. They would crave his little stupid morning mushy speeches and recitals of love as much as they craved his body, his kiss, his warmth, his humor, his touch, and his heart. His boyfriend was handsome, young, brilliant, sexy, fun, caring, loving, and beyond wealthy. Yuushi could have anyone. He could get and be with anyone. For the first time, Gakuto was seriously worried about making and keeping Yuushi happy, because he was afraid that if he couldn't, sooner or later, Yuushi would leave.
But even more than that, he was worried about making and keeping Yuushi happy because what if he just couldn't? What if Gakuto just didn't have it in him? It was not a nice feeling, and they were not nice thoughts. Gakuto felt his heart breaking at the same time he felt an almost overwhelming fear that Yuushi really might someday leave him unless he could learn to start giving. If he could.
Whenever Gakuto felt afraid he jumped in, but this time he hesitated because it wasn't just about Gakuto's fears, it was about Yuushi's wants and desires even more. So he made a decision and put together a plan he normally never would have. He kissed Yuushi back and then pulled away. "Thanks." Gakuto said, "I feel better. I just had a bad day. Sorry."
Yuushi looked stunned. So stunned he reached out and felt Gakuto's forehead for fever. Gakuto had to hold his tongue from lashing out at him. Instead he rolled his eyes, "Yuushi, I'm fine. Go on to class or you'll be really late. I gotta go finish getting dressed."
The tensai looked both completely turned on and visibly perplexed, "You...want me to go to class?"
Gakuto reached his lips up for Yuushi to kiss and said, "Yeah. I gotta get changed. You go on ahead. I'll see you later."
Yuushi looked at him suspiciously, "O...okay...I'll see you later. I love you."
"Me too." Gakuto said absently. He couldn't wait for him to leave, and of course Yuushi lingered as if expecting Gakuto to change his mind.
Finally, Gakuto locked himself in with the toilet figuring the tensai would figure he just had a stomach ache and wanted to be alone. Yuushi of course knocked on the door and asked if he was all right. Even through the door, Gakuto could feel his boyfriend's concerned frown. It annoyed him, "Of course Yuushi!" Gakuto willed himself to calm down. Starting another of their horrid fights due to his own raging temper would defeat the entire purpose of his plan, "I'm fine. Go on ahead."
Eventually Yuushi left and Gakuto breathed a sigh of relief.
He waited a few moments after he was dressed before leaving for the stores. He wanted to be sure that no one he knew would be around to see him or to ask him what he was doing. Gakuto stared for a moment in dismay at the hot pink papers Yuushi had tossed away in the trash along with the other Valentine's Day cards the tensai had received. He made certain their door was locked so the wacko pursuing Yuushi couldn't get inside their room.
The first place he stopped was the dry cleaners to get the sticky pink disgusting goo removed from that uniform. He was pleased he remembered to bring Yuushi's clothes along too. Usually he forgot completely and Yuushi always went to drop off their clothes and pick them up.
Next he went to the hairdressers. The good one and he was lucky to get right in because someone canceled. He ignored the guy who told him how difficult and precise maintaining that V-shaped hairstyle would be. Yuushi would help him and as long as his scar was covered and Yuushi liked it, who cared if anyone else did?
Though Gakuto secretly hoped he wouldn't look like a dork, and was surprisingly pleased with the results when it was done. Gakuto would never look his age because he was so small, but the bowl cut he had really made him look like a little kid. He at least now looked like he was in junior high. He paid for the haircut and bought more of the shampoo and conditioner that Yuushi liked him to use. He'd have to shower before he saw Yuushi or his hair wouldn't smell like strawberries how Yuushi liked. On impulse, he bought the bubble bath and soap that smelled like it too.
Gakuto went from place to place to place getting what he needed. He raced to get home to get everything ready. He worried that Yuushi might try to return home before he went to practice. He knew by now the tensai would know he didn't go to class and would be worried. To keep Yuushi from coming home, Gakuto called him right when class ended.
Before the first ring finished, Yuushi answered and Gakuto figured he was probably going to call him. "What's wrong?" Yuushi sounded worried.
Gakuto was excited, but tried to act normal so Yuushi wouldn't worry or suspect, "Nothing Yuushi! Why do you always think something's wrong?"
Yuushi said, "You didn't go to class."
Gakuto said, "Yeah well, I didn't feel like it. But, I'll see you at practice."
"I'm coming home. Where...?" Yuushi said. Gakuto saw him as he rounded the corner. He had already been heading out that way just in case Yuushi tried to do this.
"Hey!" Gakuto said with a little bouncy step. He was nervous and excited.
Yuushi still held the phone to his ear and in surprise said into it, "You...you cut your hair?"
"Yeah." Gakuto shrugged, "Got it cut. Needed a change." Yuushi said nothing but looked surprised still so Gakuto asked a bit worried, "Does it look stupid? You can tell me if it does."
"No it..." Yuushi swallowed and looked longingly at him, "No, you look really...good..." Yuushi finished kind of lamely and it was a rather disappointing reaction.
But then Gakuto looked at him, Yuushi's cheeks were flushed and the tensai's voice was a bit gruff. Yuushi looked at Gakuto as if he wanted to carry him off to bed and his boyfriend licked his lips as if they had suddenly gone dry. Gakuto cocked one eyebrow at Yuushi, feeling a small surge of self-confidence, and he started to walk in his usual bouncy step to the tennis club regulars changing room. He made certain to brush the front of Yuushi's pants "accidentally" with his hand as he passed, enjoying the feel of Yuushi's turned on reaction under his hand, and the tiny whimper of want he was able to coax out of Yuushi's throat.
Gakuto felt good all through practice. No one made fun of his haircut, in fact Jiroh and a couple of guys said it was cool. The fangirls even squealed over it. At the end, he got more candy from girls in classes he missed in the afternoon. He even got a copy of the day's notes from two of them. All through practice, Yuushi had watched him. His boyfriend even was yelled at by Atobe specifically for paying more attention to Gakuto than tennis and had to run laps. After practice, Gakuto showered making certain to use tons of strawberry shampoo, just to drive the tensai even crazier. In fact, he took his time, hoping maybe that Yuushi would surprise him IN the shower by joining him. They had often discussed it, but so far it hadn't happened.
He finished his shower though and no Yuushi appeared. Sighing, Gakuto toweled himself dry and went out into the main locker room. Again no Yuushi. Which was strange. True, since all the craziness of last year Gakuto didn't have to stick as closely to Yuushi, but the tensai always, always waited for him. So where the hell was he? Gakuto felt a surge of dread and jealousy mixing in an unpleasant knot in his stomach. He was remembering that time he came home last year and saw...
No. No.
Gods no. Yuushi wouldn't do that.
Never again. He had a reason for doing it the first time. A good reason. He loved him.
But where the hell was he?
Damn it!
Gakuto hated Valentine's Day!
He crammed his things into his bag to go hunt for his stupid boyfriend. He was hungry, and had thought maybe to take Yuushi to pick up dinner. That is if he could even find Yuushi. And also, he didn't know where to even suggest because stupid Yuushi always took Gakuto out and suggested places he knew Gakuto liked. There must be some places Yuushi liked to go but he never mentioned anything to Gakuto. Gakuto kicked his locker before he left so he didn't take his anger out on his boyfriend. He knew he was feeling surly and it would ruin his plans. He saw Yuushi outside holding his bag. His back was to Gakuto. The tensai's hair was wet still so he had showered, just not with Gakuto.
Gakuto was about to call out to him but something about Yuushi's body posture kept him from making a sound. As he got closer, he saw Yuushi was talking to a girl. A girl who was holding something out to him, and in his other hand, Yuushi held a hot pink piece of paper. The girl looked to be in tears, although Gakuto was feeling upset, her crying made him feel better, until he saw Yuushi reach out one of his long, graceful fingers and wipe off a strand of hair that was stuck to her tear stained cheek. She fell towards Yuushi crying loudly and he pulled her to his chest in a hug.
Or an embrace? Maybe they were tears of joy after she confessed?
Gakuto didn't know.
He stood there shocked and still and silent and felt...broken.
And foolish for having learned everything he needed to know apparently too late. He had thought he was heartbroken after Sato chose Taki over him, but that was nothing compared to how horrible he felt now. It was like someone punched him in the stomach and he couldn't catch his breath. Gakuto heard his own broken heart beating loudly, pounding in his ears. It was so loud he never heard Ohtori come up behind him.
"Thank you again for the birthday present, Gakuto...oh...excuse me...I...I'm very sorry..." Ohtori must have seen Yuushi and then the girl too.
Gakuto didn't turn, but Yuushi did. Their eyes met and locked.
He heard Shishido say quietly behind him, "Excuse us. Come on Choutarou."
He thought he knew every expression Yuushi ever made but he was unfamiliar with this one. Regret? Pity? Guilt?
Gakuto didn't know. He wondered at how much Yuushi had clearly wanted him earlier and watched him all practice. And this morning, and again after lunch, and accepting the movie date. It didn't make any sense. Was it to say goodbye? Gakuto opened his mouth to excuse himself as well and leave, but nothing came out. He closed it tight when he realized that if he had made a noise it would be either a sob or a scream. Neither would be good. Both would be embarrassing.
The girl must have noticed Yuushi's attention was diverted. She looked at Gakuto and turned crimson. Her hands flew to cover her mouth and fresh tears fell. He didn't know who she was, and had never seen her before. She was pretty despite her tears and looked delicate in a porcelain doll kind of way. Gakuto wondered if Yuushi had told her about him, and if she was feeling guilty for breaking them up or feeling sorry for stupid Gakuto letting a great guy like Yuushi go. A strangled little noise came out and at first Gakuto thought it was from him. In surprise he realized it was made instead by her.
"Mu...Mukahi-senpai!" She deeply bowed, stammered an excuse, and ran away taking these little girly running steps of someone not used to running for real. She ran across the grass and about 200 meters away fell flat on her face. She got up and continued running.
Gakuto would have laughed if this was not so horrible. All he felt like doing was crying.
Unfortunately, the only one he could cry to was the same person he wanted to cry about. After watching the clumsy girl run away, Yuushi took off his glasses and wiped his eyes.
It wasn't fair for Yuushi to cry when he was breaking Gakuto's heart. He went to tell his boyfriend, correction, apparently ex-boyfriend to just SAY it and get this over with but the words turned to ashes in his mouth.
No.
He wasn't going to make this easy for Yuushi. He stood with his hands in fists and willed himself to breathe in and out or he would pass out or make himself sick like he did sometimes when he was really stressed and his heart was pounding and his thoughts were racing and damn it this can't be happening and it just isn't fair because he really loves Yuushi and he's sorry and now he knows and he appreciates Yuushi and if he just is given another chance then he swears that he will never, ever take him for granted again not as long as they both live and...
"I'm sorry." Yuushi said ending the swirling maelstrom of thoughts running through Gakuto's addled brain. "When she came to me and confessed, and she was so nice, and so pretty, and so gentle, I just...I couldn't help myself. I was weak. I am so, so sorry. I love you so much, and you were acting strange today, and I felt so jealous all day, and when she confessed to me because she hadn't seen you this afternoon...I just...I snapped." Yuushi took in a shaky breath, "I told her you were in love with someone else. I know, I shouldn't have, but I did. And then when she cried, I felt such empathy and so terrible because I worried that you would leave me that I..." Yuushi looked heartbroken and he was crying those big slow Yuushi tears that Gakuto hated to see. He whispered, "I'm sorry."
Gakuto tried to quickly put together what the tensai had said, "She confessed to you because she hadn't seen me?" That made no sense.
"Yes, she walked into the club room while you were still in the shower." Gakuto's eyebrows went up almost to his hairline in alarm. Few non tennis club members would dare to walk by there let alone in there, no girls certainly. If Atobe saw her he woulda killed Yuushi for her being there. "I didn't want you to get in trouble so I took her outside and told her I would relay her message to you."
"To me! But...?" Gakuto gestured to the hot pink paper in Yuushi's hand.
Yuushi crumpled it unopened. "That was left on my tennis locker. Our door was covered by that girl, who ran away because she is in love with you. This..." Yuushi held up the ball of paper, "I don't know who the hell this is from. I don't care. Someone who said in bad clues she wants to meet me in the library tonight at 8. Obviously I'm not going."
Gakuto shifted so his weight was on his other leg.
Yuushi saw the unasked question, and answered it, "Because at 8 tonight, I hope I will be with you."
Gakuto shifted again.
Yuushi continued, "I don't care what we do or where we are, I only want to be with you." The tensai held out a box of candy the freshman had apparently given to Gakuto via Yuushi and then tossed the hot pink ball into the trash. He hoisted his bag to his shoulder, and took Gakuto's from him as he often did. Yuushi said, "Are you angry?"
Gakuto shook his head to clear it, "Because you told her I was in love with someone else?" Yuushi nodded and Gakuto, even though it was probably milk chocolate, threw it and the unopened letter in the garbage as well. "No. I'm not mad Yuushi. It's the truth." Gakuto shrugged when Yuushi turned to look surprised at him. "What? I am in love with someone else."
Yuushi gave him that small smile again when he was really pleased, but his boyfriend said, "You know, I think I really hate Valentine's Day."
Gakuto was annoyed, "Don't say that Yuushi. Just because I ruined today for you, doesn't mean it's bad."
Yuushi looked confused in the early evening light light as they walked. They reached the split where the dorms were one way and where dinner was off in the other direction. Without hesitating or explaining, Gakuto went off towards their dorm. Yuushi of course followed. The tensai said, "You're not hungry?"
Gakuto shrugged.
Yuushi tried again, "How exactly do you think you ruined today for me?"
Gakuto shrugged again, "You know." Yuushi didn't seem to, "Well you probably had a lot of really goofy, lovey, but fun ideas that you were gonna do but I told you to not do any of them so I ruined it. I mean, if we had just even had a normal morning then today woulda been much better."
"You didn't ruin anything Gakuto." Yuushi said insistently, "I still could have and should have done things. But you are right about one thing, all day I've missed that we didn't have our usual morning. I miss you."
They were walking up the stairs and Gakuto smiled back at him, "Well you're damn lucky, because I'm right here." Gakuto thought about it. "Hey! I know. We can do the morning things now. Like we're starting the day over. You can even make me breakfast like you were gonna but we can have it for dinner. If you want?"
Yuushi smiled and seemed to consider this. "All right," the tensai drawled slowly as he unlocked their door. He crumpled the hot pink piece of paper on their door into a ball and tossed it unread into the trash. "Only, how should we begin?"
Gakuto grinned. He couldn't help it. "We should start backwards. We usually have sex and then eat and then bathe. Right? So we should have a bath, then eat, and then have...I mean make love." Yuushi preferred when he said that. "Okay?" He hoped the tensai would not point out they had both just showered.
Yuushi smiled, but his brow was creased. Probably at how uncharacteristically enthusiastic Gakuto was acting. The redhead tried to keep himself calm and relaxed, but he couldn't help it. He felt nervous and tingly and excited. This was actually fun.
"Aren't we usually naked in the morning already?" Yuushi said and smiled. Gakuto grinned and pulled half his clothes off of him in about three seconds. The tensai laughed and it was a warm, comforting sound, "Wait, wait, you'll get cold. I'll go heat the water first."
His boyfriend was still laughing as he walked over to the bathroom door and opened it. Gakuto put his hands, still half in his sleeves to his mouth covering a wide and hopeful smile.
Yuushi gasped.
Gakuto didn't think he could smile harder but when Yuushi gasped, somehow he did.
Yuushi whispered in surprise and awe, "Gakuto..."
A warm rush of strawberry-scented air drifted past the tensai. Whether it was from the bubble bath or the tons and tons of burning candles Gakuto had lit before he met Yuushi for practice, he didn't know or care. He had also thrown rose petals all over the bath and the floor, hell, he had also thrown them in between their sheets in case they ended up in bed first, but this, was even better.
Yakkity romantic Yuushi was rendered utterly shocked and speechless for once.
"Happy Valentine's Day Yuushi." He hugged Yuushi hard and vowed to him, "I promise to never ruin another one again, okay?" Gakuto smiled at him, "I love you."
Yuushi smiled, but had tears in his eyes. He said softly, "Me too."
Gakuto threw his head back in sheer delight and laughed along with his boyfriend.
Later. Much later. It was after their bath, the sex in the bath, and the sex out of the bath. It was after they had eaten the strawberry pancakes Yuushi had made with the strawberries cut into tiny red hearts with fresh strawberry whipped cream. And it was after the sex with said strawberry hearts and strawberry whipped cream.
They were laying naked, spent, and content wrapped up in their bed and wrapped up in each other's arms. Every now and again they had to peel an annoying rose petal off each other where they'd stuck. They both decided rose petals were nicer in books than in real life. Yuushi kissed Gakuto and made that good, contented humming noise. It was a little softer and different than his turned on one, and though he always denied making any noise, Gakuto was learning all his sounds well.
His boyfriend looked at the clock as they kissed, "It's almost over."
Gakuto must have looked confused. He was feeling warm, sore in a good way, and sleepy.
Yuushi explained, "Valentine's Day. It's almost over. Is there anything you want?"
"Yeah." Yuushi looked surprised at him, "But first you gotta go get your gift. It's under my pillow." They never slept in Gakuto's bed. Always together in Yuushi's. Still for appearance sake, they kept the bed there and made.
"You got me enough," Yuushi said, but still he got up, picked out the white box and the card, and sat next to Gakuto who stayed warm under the covers. The tensai's brows drew together and he said sounding confused, "It's for White Day?"
"Yeah. Open it." Yuushi slowly did and inside were 18 white chocolates. "Otherwise I woulda had to get you regular chocolate and you only like the white." Gakuto shrugged and explained. "Besides, from now on, you can do Valentine's Day and I'll do White Day. If you want?" Gakuto added though it wasn't really a question. Gakuto grinned, "That way I can always outdo you."
Yuushi smiled, "So this year, I can do White Day?"
"No way Yuushi! Look, I only did Valentine's Day because I woulda ruined our first together. What?" Yuushi was looking at Gakuto as if he said something strange. "Yuushi! The first things are important because you remember them always. That's why I had to fix it after I ruined it. Besides I already know what I'm gonna do and you're gonna love it!" Gakuto grinned, "Don't even think of asking me to tell you what it is!"
Yuushi smiled and kissed him, "All right." He pulled back and ran his finger down the part of Gakuto's hair. He smoothed down the point in the front when he was done, and said, "You cut your hair for me. Bought flowers, candles, and candy. Mukahi Gakuto, you are full of surprises."
Gakuto smiled, "And I got you a card. You're supposed to get a card Yuushi." Gakuto rolled his eyes. He had written the card fast and didn't remember exactly what he wrote. The front of the card was all lovey like Yuushi adored and it had the Portuguese thing on it. In the inside he wrote something saying basically that he was sorry about the day but White Day would be kick ass, he got Yuushi 18 chocolates because that was about how many months Gakuto had known him, and that he loved him and would try to tell Yuushi more often that he did.
Yuushi could remember everything a second after seeing it so Gakuto wasn't sure why the tensai kept reading it over and over again. Finally Gakuto asked, "What? Is it all right? Did I spell something wrong?"
Yuushi had tears in his eyes. Gakuto cringed for the lovey stuff out of reflex, but found it was kinda easy to tamp it down his negative reaction. The alternative of never having the lovey crap again hurt a million times worse than the pain of listening to it. Yuushi finally said, "Gakuto...it's...it's...it's perfect. I couldn't have...I would have never thought that you would have ever..." Yuushi tried to pull himself together or say something. He didn't normally struggle with words so it was interesting to watch. "Thank you. I love you."
"Me too." Gakuto said reflexively. Oh damn, he thought, I'm gonna have to fix that, "I love you too." Oh he should also mention, "And I do still wanna take out to the movies on a date if you wanna go?"
Yuushi smiled. "I'd love to," he said, kissed him gently,and stood. Gakuto watched with a mixture of horror and pride as Yuushi crossed the room and carefully put the card safely away as if it was a precious thing. He really hoped that no one else but Yuushi would ever see it. Yuushi put the expensive box of white chocolates in the refrigerator. Gakuto knew the tensai would dole it out to himself slowly. He'd only eat one probably a week for-freaking-ever to make them last. He was weird like that.
Maybe Gakuto should buy him more and sneak some into the box so he never ran out. That would confuse the tensai and might be fun. And if Yuushi caught him in the act of replacing them, his boyfriend would be really happy.
Yuushi came back to bed and held Gakuto close. Gakuto kissed him and tasted a sweet taste. He guessed the juice Yuushi drank as passion-fruit. "Gakuto," Yuushi said, "I am so sorry I don't have anything for you. I had planned on doing a lot of things, only when you said not to do anything... I'm really very sorry. I feel terrible. I have nothing to give you."
"Yuushi, you give me stuff all the time," Gakuto yawned. "It's my own fault for telling you to do nothing." Gakuto was still thinking of things to make his boyfriend really happy and another one occurred to him, "And there is something you can give me." Yuushi looked interested in the dim nightstand light. "Can you turn that off?" The tensai did with one hand and turned back to him. With the lights out, Gakuto felt more comfortable saying mushy moony things. "You didn't get to say anything to me this morning because I wanted to get to practice early." Gakuto took a deep breath and inhaled, "So I was thinking maybe you could say two things to me now. One for this morning and one for Valentine's Day. That could be my present."
Yuushi said, "You mean the things I say to you every morning? You want me to say something like that to you?" Yuushi sounded shocked and his voice caught a little.
Gakuto suddenly understood a whole lot more about his boyfriend, the genius. Yuushi got caught in his own trap. He had probably started saying the morning things sincerely, but mostly as a joke. He loved puns and irony and Gakuto's mortified reaction probably struck the tensai as hilarious while at the same time, it allowed Yuushi to express his feelings as he seemed to need to. But somewhere along the way, the things he said started to really mean something to Yuushi, almost as much as they meant to Gakuto.
They were both caught in Yuushi's trap. Gakuto said, "Yeah." And felt both an idiot and a victor because he had really captured Yuushi's heart just like Yuushi had conquered his. It was silly and stupid and wonderful being in love, and they both deeply were. Only Gakuto just realized that Yuushi knew he would react all annoyed, to everything all the time. And he realized something else. Gakuto grinned, "So what did you really get me Yuushi, and are you ever going to give it to me?"
Yuushi gave half a laugh and then chuckled softly. He said, "You really do know me very well, don't you?" The tensai exhaled, "I was afraid to be as romantic as you were, although I wanted to be, but instead, I bought us some new toys."
Gakuto smiled wider, "Really? You shoulda told me earlier!" He was way too tired and needed a rest right now, but in the morning, that would be all different.
"But earlier, Gakuto, was perfect with just us."
"Yeah..." Gakuto sighed contentedly remembering. "So what'd you get? Did you get the thing with the thing like you told me about?" Yuushi kissed him, chuckling again at his eagerness, and hummed a yes reply as he did. Gakuto pulled out of the kiss, "And how about the thing with the little things that I saw? You know, that one?"
Yuushi laughed a little more, "Yes, that one too. And several others. I've had wicked thoughts about you all day as usual. Worse because we didn't do anything this morning. Even worse when you came to practice looking very sexy." He kissed Gakuto again. "I would love to try a few in the morning, when we wake up our normal way?"
"Yes please." Gakuto said with an eager smile and a laugh at having caught Yuushi lying.
"As for your other request, I'm afraid I don't have anything prepared...I was going to give you the morning off saying anything for Valentine's Day..."
Oh. Damn. He didn't know that. "S' okay Yuushi, you can just tell me two you already said that I like. I get to pick them 'cause its my present." Gakuto yawned again.
"Oh? All right. Which two would you like? You don't have to do this you know."
"Shut up Yuushi. I wanna. I want the Portuguese one and..." Gakuto felt his heart pounding in nervousness, "And the one you wrote yourself."
"How you're like arose?" Yuushi said sounding surprised.
"No! Not that one, the other one. The long one." Gakuto was glad Yuushi couldn't see him blushing in the dark, "The make my life complete one."
Yuushi gave a small laugh, "You can't be serious." Gakuto said nothing. He said what he wanted. "You're serious?" Yuushi asked needlessly.
Now Gakuto felt stupid, "Forget it Yuushi. You don't have to. I just thought it would be nice is all."
His boyfriend said, "Gakuto, I only questioned it because you hated that one. Loathed it. You squirmed the entire time I said it to you."
"No, I didn't Yuushi. I never said I hated it and I never squirmed!"
Gakuto calmed down, "Look, you asked me which ones and I said. If you don't wanna, then forget it." Gakuto took a breath and said softly, "But I didn't hate it Yuushi. It was okay. It was okay because...it was you and because you meant it. But...just, look, forget it, okay? Never mind." He had to admit to himself though that he wanted to hear the words. Gakuto really needed to hear them after the terrible thoughts he had been having all day. The words suddenly mattered very much to him too.
After a long pause, Yuushi kissed him softly, and said, "You are full of surprises Mukahi Gakuto, and I love you. I truly do. I love you more and more every day." Gakuto thought about all he had felt the entire day. He knew he had gone quiet and that Yuushi was waiting for him to say something, but"Me too." simply didn't seem like enough anymore. Yuushi smoothed his hair with his hand gently, and said, "Which would you rather hear first? The one from the card you gave me?"
"Yeah," Gakuto whispered around the lump in his throat, "Portuguese one."
Yuushi kissed him first though. He kissed him, touched him, and held him for a long time. Long enough for the tears that choked Gakuto to disappear until he again smiled as he lay together with Yuushi. His boyfriend held Gakuto close and caressed his back with his hands lovingly. He touched Yuushi's skin softly back and felt Yuushi's lips smile on his own as they kissed. They lay side by side in the dark, naked, with nothing between them. They held on to each other, pressed together as close as possible. There was nothing else in the world but this moment, this time, and each other.
It was almost perfect.
Gakuto knew right then how to make it be perfect. He pulled his boyfriend as close as he could to him and said, "Yuushi? I love you. I really love you."
His boyfriend was quiet for a long peaceful moment. It was then that Yuushi began to recite the memorized words to Gakuto's heart from his own, "How do I love thee, let me count the ways..."