Chapter Text
“I’m home.” With the gentle click of an unlocked door, Touya and Akito slipped off their shoes to enter the Tenma residence, in slightly better fashion than Touya’s previous entrance.
“TOUYA!” An instant echo through the hall, the two watched Saki slide around to the front door, as if she were on ice, and jump towards him in a hug. As he paused and processed the event that had just occurred, he returned the hug with attempts to match the enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Akito nodded slightly and let himself into the home, hoping to dodge the entrance of the unwanted Tenma… who happened to be turning the corner just as he stepped out.
“Ah, Touya! Welcome home!” Tsukasa cheerfully exclaimed, somehow missing Akito’s presence momentarily. Once the daggers from his eyes hit Tsukasa, he turned to greet Akito with equal cheer - “Oh, and Akito too! Welcome, I’m glad to see you and Touya as close as always!”. The genuine kindness only sharpened the daggers’ blades.
“Yeah, hi…” was the response.
“Oh, Akito? Isn’t that the guy you always talk about, Touya?!” Detaching herself from Touya, Saki locked eyes with Akito, whose face had turned from a grimace to a grin at this new information. "Hi! I'm Saki Tenma, Tsukasa and Touya's little sister!" Almost on cue, Touya's eyes widened as he realized what had just been said.
He was… Saki's brother now?
It felt natural, like it was always meant to be. Yet, part of his soul felt disturbed, as if he were intruding on something he had no part in. An intruder condemned to a life of imitation.
After introductions took place, Saki and Tsukasa stepped aside to begin preparing food together.
Well, 'preparing' was used lightly, for half the ingredients had accidentally been dropped on the floor in Saki's attempts to help her older brother.
Nonetheless, food was being prepared. And with the food being prepared, Touya took a moment to show Akito around the second home he'd grown up in (that was now somehow his actual home, despite how unreal it felt). Gesturing to picture frames, all of the mini Tenma's faces grinning and shining, though the location was most often within the hospital Saki became accustomed to. For a moment, he paused, as he noticed a new frame on the wall - of Tsukasa and his theater troupe, all but Nene grinning as they showed off Rui’s numerous mechanics. Touya presumed Nene would have been smiling if it weren’t for Nenerobo smacking her in the gut. Further analyzing the wall, he became completely immersed in the framed worlds that could never be recreated yet still felt so present every day. He only snapped back to reality once Akito gently tapped his shoulder and hummed.
“You good? You’ve been staring at that picture for a bit too long.” Akito asked, standing by Touya’s side as he too looked at the photos.
“Ah… yeah.”
“Look, Kohane has that picture we took at Phoenix Wonderland that one time, right…? We could always go to the café and ask her if she can get you a copy.” Touya’s eyes lit up as he turned towards Akito, the thoughts he hadn’t hinted towards having been heard. “I’m just sayin’ this because you look like a lost puppy lookin’ at all these photos. I’m sure you could have one put up too.” As Touya nodded, Akito gave a soft smile and patted his head, unintentionally referencing the puppy comparison made previously.
“I hope so… I was just thinking, as they have so many pictures up…” Akito lifted his hand off of Touya’s head and backed up slightly to allow his boyfriend to continue speaking. “It made me think how I don’t have any of these in my old home.” Previously shining eyes now glazed over, he looked to the ground and turned his body towards Akito. “Just made me feel a little sad, that's all.”
“Hey, first off, that place was never your home. This has always been your home, just… not the one you spent most of your time in, if that makes sense?” He made an odd gesture with his hands and continued, “What I’m trying to say is, that place doesn’t matter. You have everything you need here.” Offering a hand to his partner, Touya took it graciously and gave a soft smile.
“Yeah. I have you, after all.”
“Wh- you…!” Stammering at these words, Akito's face lit up with the heat of a thousand stars, and similar to that of such a nuclear reactor, he felt fit to burst. “Stop bein’ so cute, dumbass…” To this, Touya chuckled, and led him towards the staircase, just as Saki burst past, heading in the same direction. Upon seeing Touya, she skidded to a halt, and both her brother and Akito reached out to prevent her from becoming the latest wallpaper against the wall.
“You two! Are you… are you busy right now?!” Between desperate breaths, Saki exclaimed a question that made the two exchange a glance.
“No, Touya was just showing me around. Why, did something happen?” As Akito responded for them both, in his classic overly polite turn, Touya took to checking on Saki. Gently patting her on the back, she couldn’t help but hold the wall for dear life. Though she wasn’t meant to overexert herself, sometimes the energy within challenged the prescribed energy levels she was meant to use. So, as she fought for breaths, Touya transitioned from patting her back to holding her free hand, unsure as to what to do.
“Agh, god, give me a minute…” She let out a long exhale, as if a steam train had just emerged from the middle child’s lungs. “Okay! Hi!”
“Hi.” In sync, as always, Akito and Touya responded to the cheery greeting.
“Me and onii-chan were wondering if you guys could run to the shops and back for us! We uh… forgot the flour… for the panc-” At the mention of his favourite food, Akito’s eyes widened, though he himself was unaware of the way he lit up. “I mean! Very special and secret snack we are making for our established guest, yes!” As she had often been during their youth as well, Saki struggled with keeping secrets, especially if they were exciting ones.
It happened when Tsukasa was putting on a secret play for Touya as children after a horrible day with his father, though he pretended as if he hadn’t heard it, for her sake.
…and then there was the secret Valentine's mission with Emu and Airi that one time…
…and THEN there was another time where she accidentally gave away the secret birthday party she was hosting for Honami to Honami’s face and she then, in panic, accidentally texted Touya that she’d blown it rather than Shiho…
It was quite common. Not that it usually bothered anyone, because she always had the best of intentions. She just didn’t have the best of poker faces.
“Yeah, we can go and grab flour for the secret snack.” Trying to cover up the accidental reveal, Touya breezed over to Akito and smiled at him. “We needed to go grab something from Ken-san’s café anyway, right?”
“Ah, yeah.” Akito turned to Saki and gave a small wave. “We’ll be back in just a moment, then!” Almost as soon as they’d gotten home from their date, they left again, this time in the direction of the shops.
“You know, I’ll never quite understand why you put on that voice.” Was the first thing to leave Touya’s lips as they left the Tenma household. Significant time had passed, and the sky had been painted with numerous stars. Despite the celestial display enticing him from above, Touya couldn’t help but stare at his own personal star, who was readjusting his hood. He knew if he tried to voice such affections out loud, all words would leave him and he’d be left with just a small squeak. He had never been eloquent with verbal communication.
“What voice?” As he turned to face Touya, Akito’s face was embraced by the dazzling moon, his eyes sparkling in a way that made it clear why the sun chose to set earlier - it knew it would be no challenge for Touya’s love.
“The really fake, ‘nice’ one you put on when you meet new people.” He looked to the ground as he spoke. “I just think if they met the real Akito, they’d like you as much as I do…” Hearing this, Akito couldn’t help but break out into a grin, as his face mirrored the sunset they saw earlier.
“Hey, you… what did I say earlier, about bein’ so cute?” Nudging Touya lightly, his face fell slightly as he finished his statement. “But, I just think… People think I’m rude and that I’m a prick, they say I’m too intense. They think the same of Ena - cos, she absolutely is if you wake her up early, but that’s irrelevant… I guess I just don’t want to piss new people off, I at least want a chance to be seen as pleasant.” He sighed as he finished his sentence. Touya’s face fell to mirror his partner’s, and he thought of maybe grabbing his hand to reassure him, though he wasn’t sure if that would express what he intended it to.
“Well, Tsukasa always told me as a kid… that you should never be what others want you to be. He meant that for my relationship with classical music, but I’m sure it could count for self expression too. After all, the real Akito is very cool to me. He’s really passionate and he always gives his all.” As he often did when trying to describe his dearest Akito, Touya began lightly flapping his hands in joy, as he was speaking of someone that made him so happy.
“Seriously, never thought I’d be overjoyed after you give me advice from that guy…” Akito scratched the back of his head, trying and ultimately failing to hide the rising heat throughout his face. For a redhead, you wouldn’t expect it to extend to his face, but Akito managed to surprise Touya more everyday. “No, but… thanks, love… god, that’ll never roll off my tongue right…!” Touya chuckled as they found themselves outside of the store.
“You’re welcome, my love. Shall we?” He outstretched his hand in a gesture of welcoming. “Tsukasa and Saki wouldn’t want us taking too long.”
“Gosh, all this just for going into a shop…” Despite his response, lighthearted in nature, he happily took his boyfriend's hands as they walked into the store. It was almost easy to forget their other agenda for their late night walk… though, maybe they were best left in their personal bubble of bliss.