Akice Cream
Akito was in his bed when he received a notification on his phone.
It was Toya, he had sent him a link to a menu from a new place.
Toya: Are you awake now?
Akito: im ready steady
Toya: Look at this new ice cream shop that opened near us.
Akito: huh fancy, do u wanna go w me
Toya: Of course. We can invite Azusawa and Shiraishi, too.
Akito stared at his screen, blinking slowly.
Akito: sure
Akito: do u think the place is too expensive tho
Toya: I can pay for you if you need.
Akito: nah ill be fine
Toya: Ok.
They set up to meet in front of the ice cream shop during the afternoon of the next day. A big shiny billboard had the words “Tsuki Ice Cream” in bright pink while the interior displayed a tartan pattern of silver and turquoise. Toya was already there when Akito arrived of course, and it made a smile spread on his face.
“Yo.” The ginger said curtly.
“Good afternoon.” Toya looked a bit worried as he looked at his phone. “Azusawa and Shiraishi just told me they won’t be able to make it, they said something about a traffic jam and didn’t answer anymore.”
“Huh. That’s weird.”
Before they could keep talking, the waitress by the door comes out and heads towards the duo. She wore a purple dress and sported some kind of artificial cat ears in her head. Akito tried not to judge, and specially tried not to imagine Toya wearing it, while he turned his head to listen to what she had to say.
“Wonderhoy!” The waitress greeted us. “Are you lovers here for the couple’s sale?”
“No.” Toya answers, tilting his head curiously.
“We came for the ice cream.” Akito completed.
Neither of them were amused by the confused look on the waitress face.
“Well, anyways!” She recomposes herself with a beam. “We only have this place open for now, but if you guys wait 10 minutes or so more spots will be available in the interior.”
The girl pointed to a table protected by a heart-shaped sunshade near a little artificial fountain. Toya was already heading there to sit but Akito grabbed his sleeve.
“I’m cold.” Akito looked down, speaking in a whisper. “Can’t we wait so we can sit inside.”
“Sure.” Toya blinked in agreement. “But I can also lend you my coat if you want. Do you think I'm this egoist?”
“I’m fine.” The ginger answered with a snort. “It’ll probably be too big for me too.”
Akito slowly led his hand up from Toya’s sleeve to his shoulder blades, slightly groping the area. Toya lets out a little gasp.
“See? Your back is way broader than mine.” The ginger stared into his friend’s eyes. while caressing his lower back.
“Ahem.” The waitress made a sound, drawing both boys’ attention. “So I’ll be waiting for you inside.”
After 15 minutes, the same girl called Toya and Akito over and led them to a secluded table next to a window. She handed them the menus and said she would be there when they were ready to order.
“Huh, kinda pricy.” Akito muttered.
“We can order a single one and choose a flavor we both like.” Toya suggested, leaning on his own hand.
“Nice call.”
Akito scanned the flavors and types of ice cream, having to contain his excitement when he spotted his favorite kind.
“Chocomint sounds good.” The ginger spoke as if he wouldn’t throw a tantrum if he got denied.“I’d much rather have pistachio.” Toya grumbles.
“Uh… I don’t like it very much, but that’s okay.”
“Are you sure?”
Akito can almost see a tail wagging behind him, is he not rich enough to eat that everyday?
“Yeah, Toya.” He half sighs.They order their ice cream and wait while talking about random things. However, after some minutes, Akito feels a foreign presence near his leg, looking down to check on it. His eyes go wide and his face pales, he has to hold himself to not scramble up his seat when a fluffy, small white dog rubs his nose and fur against the ginger’s leg.
“T-T-Toya…” He curses under his breath for stuttering so much.“Huh, what’s wrong, Aki-” Toya seems to finally notice that little ball of fur. “Oh.”
Toya looks inbetween both individuals. Akito looks dead inside, his face is almost purple, and the dog just looks like it wants attention from the boy.
“Pfft, let me take this guy to its owner again.” Toya gets up from his seat.
Akito felt relieved until Toya’s movement seemed to startle that little creature, as it ran to the other side of the ginger’s seat. Due to that, Toya had to lean in more closely, bending his back over Akito’s lap to grab the dog. It was warm, really warm. Akito could smell the shampoo on his hair.
“Your heart is racing.” Akito flinched as Toya said that too closely. “You’re really that scared of that rad dog. Haha.”Finally, Toya got ahold of the dog in his hands and gave it back to its owner at the other side of the shop.
Weirdly, Akito felt kinda hollow.
The ginger felt his heart slowing a bit, and he didn’t feel so nervous anymore. Right when Toya came back, the ice cream had arrived.
“Looks nice.” Toya said, getting hold of a spoon. “Oh, and the ice cream seems okay too.”
Akito didn’t get what that meant.
“Oh.” Akito scrambled with his hands around the cup. “There’s only one spoon.”Toya watched as Akito looked down, he looked nervous for some reason. What a dummy, that had a very easy solution.
“Well…” Toya moved his legs side to side a little shily. “I can just grab another spoon.”“S-Sure.” The ginger blushed as Toya got up.
He grabbed another spoon at the counter and brought it back to his friend, who eagerly started to eat the ice cream like it was his first meal in years. Toya didn’t judge him, even if he was the complete opposite, eating slowly, politely.
After enjoying the ice cream for a while, Toya notices something.Like a connoisseur who contemplates a mistake in a fancy porcelain vase, Toya points to Akito's rosy cheeks, as something tainted a portion of his face’s serenity.
“You don’t need to eat this fast. You must be a beat eater.” Said Toya with a circumspect sigh. “Look, it’s dirty here.”While he listened to such words, Akito saw Toya extend his hand in a delicate action. At each passing second, those slender fingers approached his skin. The scent of pistachio tangled with the warmth of Toya’s hand, forming a harmonious amalgamation, the only one that was capable of showcasing the subtlety of that movement. Their bodies were never this close before. The ginger’s heart pulsed in the same frequency in which the fingers of his bro irradiated a lively warmth from the thinnest blood capillaries towards his face. There was no turning back now: Toya grabbed a napkin holder a little behind Akito’s head, offering it with a smile.
“Here.” Toya didn’t mean to, but it sounded like mocking. “Clean yourself up, don’t stain your coat for nothing.”“Thanks, dude.” Akito blinked. Must’ve been the wind.
He grabbed a napkin and wiped his face.
After they finished eating, both boys got up to pay for the meal at the counter. Akito grabbed hold of a spot in the long line, taking a bit of time to notice Toya staring at some goods on the shelves. The taller boy’s eyes shone while he admired some heart shaped box, probably the chocolate type. Akito walked up to him, too curious to care about losing his spot on the line.
“What’s up?” Akito asks.“They’re cherry flavored.” Toya’s mouth was nearly watering.
The ginger smiles, he feels his eyes wrinkling a bit from the overwhelming joy of seeing his friend so openly excited about something. It was endearing how, after being friends with Toya for so long, he could recognize what he felt through subtle changes in his usually impassive expression. Akito was staring, but he just couldn’t look away, he wanted to see Toya looking like this over and over again, for the rest of their lives. Together.
“Do you want it?” Akito asked.“Are you sure?” The same question from before, as if Toya already didn’t know the answer.
“Yeah.”
They come out of the shop. Akito with his hands on his pockets and Toya hugging his chocolate box.
“You know, Akito…” Toya looks down, looking flustered. “I have something to tell you…”Akito stops in his tracks, gulping.
“W-What is it?” He didn’t mean for his voice to shake like that.“You…” Toya took a deep breath. “You are a very dear friend to me.”
“You dummy, I also care about you.” Akito smirked.
While they walk back home, feeling satisfied from their time together, Toya points ahead.
“Look, Akito.” Toya spoke. “A rainbow.”“Where?” Akito looked around.
“Beyond the way.”
The end