Hajime no Insho
sho sanjuhachi.
“Come on, I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?”
Akira nodded, and the smile on his face was one of the most heartwarming things that Takanori had ever seen. “Yeah, a surprise. You know. Something that I’ve planned and haven’t told you about because I know you’ll love it anyway?” He chuckled at the confused expression on the singer’s face, and he gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
Takanori studied him for a moment, half of him attempting to decipher the grin and the light in Akira’s eyes and the other half storing it in his memory. And then he smiled, and he squeezed the bassist’s hand in return. “Okay, fine. Do I have to close my eyes or something?”
Akira chuckled. “Wouldn’t do much good. You’ll know what it is as soon as you hear it.” He grinned again, and they’d presumably reached their destination, as Akira came to a stop, gave Takanori’s forehead a soft kiss, and then opened a door for him. And as Takanori passed him, looking wary, he let go of his hand, sliding an arm around him instead, and he smiled. “You’ll like it, I promise.”
Takanori raised an eyebrow, glancing around, and he looked up at Akira when they came up to a counter, watching as he smiled and conversed with the man that he called ‘Fuji-san’, and he tried to comprehend what on Earth the bassist could have planned for him that he would hear before seeing it. And, if it was at all possible, he raised his eyebrow farther as Akira turned his head to smile at him before leading him off, following the attendant.
And for a few short moments, Akira had him stumped, and as they followed the man called Fuji to a locked door, Akira grinned over at him, ducking his head down for a quick kiss, murmuring, “Pick any one you want,” as he beamed and led Takanori forward once more. Takanori knew that with the smile on his face, he was incredibly proud of what he’d planned, and he knew that anything he was this sure about was something that he would like as well.
He bit his lip, and he felt his heart pound restlessly in his chest, and then he heard Fuji-san cooing gently, and then the sound of barking filled his ears. Almost instantly, his heart swelled, and he grinned up at Akira, who slipped his arm from around his shoulders, gently twining their hands together once more. “’kira…”
The bassist smiled. “You don’t have to say anything, love. Go on, some lucky dog is waiting for you to choose him.” The twinkle in his eyes had returned, and he released a quiet chuckle as he kissed the singer’s cheek. “I’ll wait here.”
Takanori grinned, and he gazed up at the bassist in awe, and then, urged on by a soft kiss, he pulled away from him, walking down the row of barking animals. He smiled at a few louder animals that yelped at him, and he petted their heads as he passed by, and then, near the middle of the long row of cages, he stopped. The animal that caught his eye was small, and it had incredibly long fur, but it was wagging its tail at him, tongue hanging out of its mouth, and he beamed, kneeling down to reach his hand out. The dog eagerly nudged its nose forward, pressing it against Takanori’s knuckle, and the singer smiled.
“That’s Sabu-chan,” he heard Fuji say, and he smiled. His hand turned over, palm up, and the dog took to affectionately licking the pads of his fingers. “That one’s a real sweetheart; he’ll always keep you warm.” Takanori bit his lip, and he looked up at Fuji, and he nodded.
“I think he’s the one.”
And Akira watched as Fuji opened the cage and let the dog out, and he covered his grin with curled fingers, watching as Takanori picked the animal up, one hand holding on to it and the other smoothing gently over soft fur. And then he had the dog against his chest, and even from a distance, Akira could tell that his eyes held the purest kind of love. Their gazes met for a moment, and Akira gave a dip of his head, and he settled against the wall, watching from afar.
Takanori petted the dog lovingly as Fuji told him about its different likes and dislikes, and he was smiling softly and speaking quietly to the animal, and it looked like he’d been fated for just that one dog.
And after a few minutes, Takanori was walking up to him, the dog settled contentedly into his arms, and he was beaming. Akira grinned back, pressing a kiss to his hairline, and pulled him close to his side as Fuji led them back to the counter, which sufficed to keep Takanori’s stammering thanks long enough for Akira to pay for the dog and a few accessories that Fuji had mentioned that Sabu liked.
When they left the shop, Akira slid his arm around Takanori’s waist, and he smiled. “So, was I right?”
Takanori nodded. “Of course you were. Thank you, Akira. Really. I-“
“I know.” He let his hand gently rub the singer’s side for a moment, and he turned his head to kiss his temple, and he smiled once more. “I know, and I love you too.”
“A surprise?”
Akira nodded, and the smile on his face was one of the most heartwarming things that Takanori had ever seen. “Yeah, a surprise. You know. Something that I’ve planned and haven’t told you about because I know you’ll love it anyway?” He chuckled at the confused expression on the singer’s face, and he gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
Takanori studied him for a moment, half of him attempting to decipher the grin and the light in Akira’s eyes and the other half storing it in his memory. And then he smiled, and he squeezed the bassist’s hand in return. “Okay, fine. Do I have to close my eyes or something?”
Akira chuckled. “Wouldn’t do much good. You’ll know what it is as soon as you hear it.” He grinned again, and they’d presumably reached their destination, as Akira came to a stop, gave Takanori’s forehead a soft kiss, and then opened a door for him. And as Takanori passed him, looking wary, he let go of his hand, sliding an arm around him instead, and he smiled. “You’ll like it, I promise.”
Takanori raised an eyebrow, glancing around, and he looked up at Akira when they came up to a counter, watching as he smiled and conversed with the man that he called ‘Fuji-san’, and he tried to comprehend what on Earth the bassist could have planned for him that he would hear before seeing it. And, if it was at all possible, he raised his eyebrow farther as Akira turned his head to smile at him before leading him off, following the attendant.
And for a few short moments, Akira had him stumped, and as they followed the man called Fuji to a locked door, Akira grinned over at him, ducking his head down for a quick kiss, murmuring, “Pick any one you want,” as he beamed and led Takanori forward once more. Takanori knew that with the smile on his face, he was incredibly proud of what he’d planned, and he knew that anything he was this sure about was something that he would like as well.
He bit his lip, and he felt his heart pound restlessly in his chest, and then he heard Fuji-san cooing gently, and then the sound of barking filled his ears. Almost instantly, his heart swelled, and he grinned up at Akira, who slipped his arm from around his shoulders, gently twining their hands together once more. “’kira…”
The bassist smiled. “You don’t have to say anything, love. Go on, some lucky dog is waiting for you to choose him.” The twinkle in his eyes had returned, and he released a quiet chuckle as he kissed the singer’s cheek. “I’ll wait here.”
Takanori grinned, and he gazed up at the bassist in awe, and then, urged on by a soft kiss, he pulled away from him, walking down the row of barking animals. He smiled at a few louder animals that yelped at him, and he petted their heads as he passed by, and then, near the middle of the long row of cages, he stopped. The animal that caught his eye was small, and it had incredibly long fur, but it was wagging its tail at him, tongue hanging out of its mouth, and he beamed, kneeling down to reach his hand out. The dog eagerly nudged its nose forward, pressing it against Takanori’s knuckle, and the singer smiled.
“That’s Sabu-chan,” he heard Fuji say, and he smiled. His hand turned over, palm up, and the dog took to affectionately licking the pads of his fingers. “That one’s a real sweetheart; he’ll always keep you warm.” Takanori bit his lip, and he looked up at Fuji, and he nodded.
“I think he’s the one.”
And Akira watched as Fuji opened the cage and let the dog out, and he covered his grin with curled fingers, watching as Takanori picked the animal up, one hand holding on to it and the other smoothing gently over soft fur. And then he had the dog against his chest, and even from a distance, Akira could tell that his eyes held the purest kind of love. Their gazes met for a moment, and Akira gave a dip of his head, and he settled against the wall, watching from afar.
Takanori petted the dog lovingly as Fuji told him about its different likes and dislikes, and he was smiling softly and speaking quietly to the animal, and it looked like he’d been fated for just that one dog.
And after a few minutes, Takanori was walking up to him, the dog settled contentedly into his arms, and he was beaming. Akira grinned back, pressing a kiss to his hairline, and pulled him close to his side as Fuji led them back to the counter, which sufficed to keep Takanori’s stammering thanks long enough for Akira to pay for the dog and a few accessories that Fuji had mentioned that Sabu liked.
When they left the shop, Akira slid his arm around Takanori’s waist, and he smiled. “So, was I right?”
Takanori nodded. “Of course you were. Thank you, Akira. Really. I-“
“I know.” He let his hand gently rub the singer’s side for a moment, and he turned his head to kiss his temple, and he smiled once more. “I know, and I love you too.”