"Iwa-chaan," Tooru whined and dragged his feet, "I'm dying, let's go somewhere in shade for a while."
A bead of sweat itched as it rolled down Hajime's neck, and the shirt glued to his sweaty back under the small backpack. The air was thick with heat and the smells of seasonal berries and fried food wafting from the vendors. Through the crowd swarming around them, Hajime spotted a terrace of some restaurant ahead.
"Come on," he tugged Tooru's hand, "let's go get something to drink."
The sweet relief of air condition caressed their sun-scorched faces and arms as they walked inside. They had been in the bright sun for so long, it took a while for Hajime's eyes to adjust to the dark décor and mood lighting. All the hustle and bustle of the busy street was left behind, and Hajime's whole body gave a sigh of relief.
They ordered cold drinks and slumped at the table by the window. The ice cubes clinked as Tooru drank his lemony drink with big, thirsty gulps. The cold glasses sweated and left wet rings on the table. Hajime leaned back in his chair and enjoyed the cool darkness.
"Better?"
"Yeah. I was about to pass out." With closed eyes, Tooru pressed the cold side of the tall glass against his cheeks red from the swelter.
"Maybe we should call it a day. I don't think we'll find a fan anywhere. They're all sold out."
"It sure looks like it," Tooru moped. "I guess it's gonna be another sleepless night, then. I couldn't find anything online, either. When did the landlord say they'll fix the AC?"
"Not before next week."
"Great." Tooru reached for the pile of napkins on the table and wiped the sheen of sweat off his forehead. He pulled his shirt off his sticky skin with a grimace. "Ugh, I feel so gross. I'm gonna go soak in the bathtub full of cold water as soon as we get home."
"What do you wanna eat for dinner?"
"I dunno, I'm not really that hungry. Maybe just a salad or something?"
"I think we have some noodles from last night. And some chicken. We could make a cold salad of them."
Tooru hummed and watched people walk by the window. Walking around in the heat started to weight Hajime's eyelids, and he yawned. They should head home before he falls asleep, but sitting down felt too good. Suddenly Tooru perked up.
"There's an ice cream stand right there! I'll go get us some."
"If they have shaved ice, get me – "
"Green tea with cherry, yeah, I know."
Hajime wanted to wipe the smug smirk off Tooru's face but didn't have the energy. Tooru swooshed past him, and a waft of sweat, dust from the streets, and shampoo tickled Hajime's nose. A few minutes later he came back with two plastic cups of cold goodness.
"What's that?" Hajime said and looked at his green tea-cherry shaved ice.
"It's a heart. A cherry heart."
"I can see that, but why is it in my ice?"
Tooru shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe he thought I was buying it for my girlfriend."
Hajime looked at Tooru's mountain of two scoops of ice cream. caramel fudge, banana slices, fresh berries, cookie crumbs, whipped cream, and colorful sprinkles. "I find that hard to believe."
"Anyway, swap buddies," Tooru said and sunk his little plastic spoon in Hajime's shaved ice and scooped himself a chunk of the flavored slush. The heart made of cherry syrup on top of the pile of ice was broken.
"Hey, leave me some!" Hajime pulled the cup out of Tooru's reach and swatted his spoon away.
Tooru rolled the cold ice on his tongue and made a face. "Eww, bitter."
"Then why do you always to swap?"
Tooru gasped offended and clutched his chest in mock heartbreak. "But Iwa-chan, we always swab first!" Then he grinned mischievously. "Also, because I get to do this," he said, scooped his own loaded ice cream, and held the spoonful out for Hajime. "Say 'aaa'".
Hajime glared at the spoon dripping with caramel and then at Tooru. "In your dreams. I can use my own spoon, thank you very much."
"Aww, Iwa-chan, must we always go through this song and dance? You say 'no', I say 'why not?', you say 'because I'm not a baby', and I'll say 'but you're my baby', and – "
Hajime's cheeks flared red, but this time it wasn't because of the heat. Before Tooru could get any further in his reciting Hajime leaned over the table and quickly devoured the ice cream off the spoon. The dripping string of caramel hit his chin and covered his lips. His face would be all sticky the rest of the way home.
"See?" Tooru grinned at him, but a rosy shade was starting to color his face, too. "I always – umfh!"
His smug-fest was cut short when Hajime snatched him by the wrist and pulled him in for a kiss. The fudge smeared Tooru's lips and chin, too, as Hajime mushed their mouths against each other. His tongue dipped between Tooru's parted lips, and he could taste traces of the sweet tea syrup. When he pulled back, Tooru was frozen in his spot and his wide oval eyes blinked at Hajime.
Quietly Hajime went back to eating his shaved ice which had started to melt a bit.
"Now, we're swap buddies."