Disclaimer: I own very little.

A/N: As in Hope You're Hungry and Of Kittens and Fluffballs, the Taka-san and Dan here are based on their respective characterisations in the LJ-based roleplaying game Tenipuri University. Shortly, Dan studies Electrical Engineering, while Taka-san is a Culinary major. Both have recently gone through a break-up, so they are somewhat careful about relationships. Right now, it's Akutsu's birthday.

Wisdom

The bowl of ice cream in Dan's hands was empty.

This more than anything alerted Taka-san to the fact that Dan was, in fact, fairly bothered by Akutsu's birthday. While it was hardly the first time they ate ice cream in front of the TV together, this was the fastest he'd ever seen Dan finish a bowl – even counting the first time he'd tried to cheer up the depressed Dan. Considering Dan claimed to be avoiding sugar, Taka-san couldn't help but find this somewhat disturbing. It was easy enough to gather that sugar was Dan's way of dealing with anything that bothered him. Which meant he was now more than just feeling a little down.

Despite his attempts at keeping up a conversation, Dan hadn't talked much, and when he did it was never about Akutsu even though they both knew what was why he was there. This worried Taka-san – if Dan didn't talk about it, how could he possible get over it?

Just as he was about to break the semi-silence of the TV and purring kittens, though, Dan finally spoke, not looking at Taka-san. "…What did I do wrong?"

There was no question about what Dan meant. However, there was also no answer Taka-san could truly offer. Thus, he just sighed, wrapping a comforting arm around the slim shoulders – Dan really should gain some weight, he noted as an aside – and tried his best to smile soothingly. "Trust me, Dan-kun, you did nothing wrong."

"But… Akutsu-senpai…" Dan sniffled. Much though the sound pained Taka-san, he was also slightly relieved – at least Dan wasn't bottling it up anymore. "Why did it go wrong?"

"I think…" Taka-san started to speak, more to give himself some time to think than because he actually had anything to say. This was something he'd wondered sometimes, himself – the two had seemed so perfect, practically made for each other. "I think it could have worked… if it'd been six years ago." Of that, he was certain.

"Huh?" Now, Dan looked up at him, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean… it'd been six years since you last saw each other, right? And soon after that you got together – partly because you thought you knew each other already. But you didn't." This was actually starting to make sense, now… "Six years is a long time, Dan-kun, especially when one is a teenager. A lot can happen – and a lot can change."

"…You mean, we couldn't stay together because we were different from middle school?"

"Not necessarily." Taka-san smiled sadly. "You did make each other happy for a while, didn't you? There was nothing either of you did wrong, really. It's just that you both expected the other to be just like he was six years ago, and that's were you were amiss. If you'd accepted or even expected there would be changes, you could have worked your way around them, but now…"

"Changes?" Dan sniffled again. "Like what?"

"Like… Akutsu's open talking about… um." Taka-san flushed, hoping Dan knew what he meant. Most probably yes, thankfully. "And, well, you're not the same as back then, either, are you? Back in middle school you'd beam for days if Akutsu as much as looked at you. I don't think he even realized you might not be as easily satisfied, now… Ano, anyway, you weren't prepared to deal with the changes… so it didn't work."

"…Let's switch roles, okay?" Dan turned his head to hide his face in Taka-san's shirt. "I'll be the nice guy everyone likes with the kittens and ice cream and you can be the data person. You certainly seem to have a better head on your shoulders than I do desu…"

"Heh, it's hardly anything like that." Taka-san hugged Dan a bit. "It's just that when it comes to Akutsu, you get too emotional to use this sharp little head of yours properly." He petted the blue hair. "Now, as far as I see it, you have two options. You can hung onto your memory of Akutsu, wonder what you did wrong, and let it bring you down again and again. Or, alternatively, you can accept that it's over, he's not coming back anytime soon, and you should just be happy about the good times you did have with him before the break-up." Now, just listen to him. Taka-san, the most hypocritical of all hypocrites.

"…Okay desu. I promise I'll do my best to do so. But!" Dan poked Taka-san in the side. "I have one condition desu!"

"Oh?" Taka-san asked. "And what is it?"

"…You do the same." Well, hypocritical or not, apparently he wasn't much of an actor. "Neither of us can cheer the other up if we are both down, ne?"

"Ano… I guess so…" Taka-san rubbed the back of his neck, flushing slightly. "So! Let's both try to cheer up, okay?" As Dan gave him a careful smile and nodded, he beamed. "Great! Shall we get some more ice cream, then?"

The smile Dan now had on his face was the first bright, genuine one Taka-san had got from him all day. And the next bowl didn't get empty quite as fast, he noted.

And if by the end of the night they were both asleep on the couch, Dan held close to Taka-san's chest like a little teddy bear, it only made them both more glad to have such a lovely friend.