Watanuki's cheeks burned and he glanced away briefly before turning his gaze back. No, this would be done right, with eye contact and determination and sincerity, like Yuuko was always saying. It was worthless unless he was up front about it.
"Doumeki, I'm in love you. I have been for months, but you've been too dense to notice. All the subtle hints and the obvious ones you've completely ignored or not picked up on."
"What about Kunogi?"
He gave an exasperated sigh, but it was a logical question. "I only fawned over her to make you jealous."
For the first time, he saw an emotion come across those features with the slight widening of the eyes and it was surprise. He just hoped he hadn't destroyed all he'd tried to gain with this stunt, but there had been nothing left to do. Doumeki wasn't going to get it otherwise and he desperately wanted something to happen in this summer trip.
"You really didn't notice? At all?" Watanuki wasn't sure if he should be surprised or just completely exasperated, so he settled for a mixture of both.
Doumeki shook his head, his golden eyes staring intently into his own blue ones as if searching for something there. Watanuki knew that this was the deciding moment of all his hard work. It either all came together or all fell apart right here.
Doumeki took a long moment, thinking over what he had just found out, and then seemed to come to a decision. Then, Watanuki found himself being pressed into another kiss. It wasn't anything terribly romantic or song worthy. It was sloppy, inexperienced, uncertain, and completely wonderful. When the kiss ended this time he was holding onto Doumeki's yukata again, but this time to keep himself standing.
Doumeki didn't make any moving love declaration, nor did the fireworks for the festival choose that moment to go off. It was simply that one gesture of returned affection. Watanuki couldn't have chosen a better way to end his confession than that, even if he had planned out everything down to the fireworks.
"Why didn't you just say something before?" Doumeki asked him as he was busy trying to regain the use of his legs.
If he hadn't of been holding onto Doumeki he really would have fallen over then. Why didn't he…? It wasn't that simple, not when you were worried about rejection the entire time. "It's not easy to explain. Let's just leave it at I didn't think it was the best way to go about this. I wanted to know if I even had a chance first."
"Oh." Doumeki, as always, a man of few words.
Watanuki couldn't help but grin, the butterflies in his stomach gone, and his worried abated for the first time in forever. Standing straight, he grabbed Doumeki's hand. "Come on, we still have more of the festival to see."
Walking around the festival holding Doumeki's hand had to be the epitome of bliss. He didn't care that they might get stares or looks. All he cared about was that he could hold and be held by Doumeki in ways he'd only dreamed about. He could even rest his head on that shoulder as they watched the fireworks together.
That night, as they slept, he reveled that he could sleep comfortably in such warm arms. He still had three days left and maybe then they would both be comfortable enough to do something a little more than just a few awkward kisses. It was new ground and he was just trying to get used to the fact that his dreams had come true.
Little by little, they got to know more of the romance side of their relationship and Doumeki didn't seem to mind his fits of clinginess that happened every once in a while. By the time it was time to leave, Watanuki was desperate for it all not to end. If he could have stayed in seclusion with Doumeki for the rest of his life, he would have.
The train ride was horrific and he kept watching behind him as the summerhouse grew farther away. His heart had been given away then and accepted there and he made a promise to himself that he would come back again with Doumeki every year.
And Doumeki held his hand through the whole train ride.
When they got off the train Yuuko was there, waiting for them, the biggest smuggest grin he had ever seen plastered onto her face.
"Welcome back. How was the trip?" She gave a pointed look at their intertwined hands.
"It was wonderful," Watanuki replied cheerfully, refusing to rise to the bait, and let the whole week be ruined by him losing his temper. "Here's the sake you asked for." He held out the bag to her. Which she took greedily, suddenly forgetting about her teasing, and her victory.
They took the moment she spent giggling over her sake to walk past her, but it was useless as within seconds she was walking right along side of them as if she belonged there.
"I do expect to see you at work tomorrow Watanuki," Yuuko informed him halfway back to his apartment. He was beginning to think she was going to follow them all the way there.
"I know that. You've already given me a week off, I wasn't expecting any more than that." He didn't look at her as he said that, knowing what kind of look he would find on her face if he did.
"Alright, expect to work hard." There was a hint of disappointment to her voice; he knew she was expecting those details she had asked for, but nothing of the sort she wanted to know about had happened on the trip. Even if it had he wouldn't tell her.
"I always do." He rolled his eyes at her child like behavior, still in too good of a mood to let her get to him. She seemed to pick up on that and dismissed herself, heading back to the shop.
They were alone once again by the time they reached his apartment door. This is where they would be parting. It wasn't like it was a permanent goodbye or anything, but Watanuki was unwilling to let go of his time with Doumeki. After all, he had finally gotten what he wanted.
He opened the door to his apartment, setting his suitcase inside, and put his keys back into his pocket. This week, at least, wouldn't end without a kiss. Sure there had been many over the last three days, but he had come to find out that he was greedy concerning that one thing.
So he wrapped his arms around Doumeki's neck and kissed him for all he was worth; now that he had what he wanted, Doumeki's attention, he wanted to be the center of it even when they were apart. He wanted Doumeki to think about him as much as he had been thinking about the dense idiot all those months.
The archer's arms slid around his slimmer form and held him close. Later, things could happen, when they weren't just getting used to each other. And Himawari and Yuuko would pester him for any details they could get out of him. But right then, he was so happy he felt as if he wasn't touching the ground.
When Doumeki pulled away, he muttered almost hazily, "I'll get you a key made soon…Shizuka."
His boyfriend nodded and whispered something in his ear that left him blushing and he stared at that retreating, but lovely back. He still wanted him, but his heart felt as it would burst. He'd never been so happy in his whole life.
"I loved it, Kimihiro."