~P~
Desired
~P~
Rei fiddled with the object in his pocket that he had - much to his irritation - been carrying around for the majority of the day, and glanced nervously at the overzealous blond skipping ahead of him, chattering away. Unlike a little while beforehand, Rei no longer had anyone or anything to help distract him from the contents he had concealed away, and so now his mind was focused solely on one thing - exactly =how and when he would give Nagisa his birthday gift.
He didn't want to look like a fool in front of anyone for putting so much meticulous effort into the present - it had taken him hours the previous night to wrap it just right so that it didn't bother him - which was the precise reason, among others, he hadn't given it to the blond boy at his birthday party a few hours before. He had a high standard for his pride, and he intended to keep it in tact. He couldn't let anyone know what a soft spot he had developed for Nagisa over the past few months. And so as he had watched the others present Nagisa with what they had gotten them, he had looked away and lied with an apology that he didn't have one - to which Nagisa had thrown his arms around the glasses-wearing boy's neck and told him that it didn't matter; that he was just glad he had come to the party in the first place.
A part of him felt bad for lying to Nagisa, as giddy as he was regardless, but he just didn't have the courage in him yet to publicly display the affection he knew he had towards him. It was difficult enough for him to purchase the gift in the first place, but to just directly give it to him in front of group of people? No, no, that was much too embarrassing, too damaging to his gentle ego. A small part of him - though he would never admit it - wanted to bask in Nagisa's reaction solely by himself, too, to take all the recognition and joy without anyone else to distract or steal away that happiness he hoped the present would bring him.
And so he had waited restlessly for the ideal moment afterwards, but it just hadn't come yet, and it was starting to drive him a bit crazy, even if they hadn't been alone together for all that long. His mind spun with the potential the situation would hold, and he had to scold himself inwardly several times not too get too carried away, lest a blush - at least a more furious one than what his face already betrayed - take place on his features.
Rei continued to work himself up and over until Nagisa's energetic voice broke into his thoughts and his hand grasped his own larger one. "Rei-chan! We're here!" He flashed him a grin before opening the door in front of him and Rei's brow furrowed in confusion for a few seconds before he remembered where they had been headed - Nagisa's house. Somehow, Nagisa had talked Rei into staying the night - "Reiii-chan, you have to! For me, please? It's my birthday, after all!" - and now, there he was. He blinked at Nagisa a few times and felt at the gift again before entering the house and before he knew it, he had been taken by the hand again and was being led up a set of stairs.
"My room's up here," Nagisa told him for no particular reason, face bright as always, tugging him about with a surprising amount of force. When Rei didn't respond, Nagisa turned and gave him a look. "Rei-chan, are you okay? You haven't said much since we left your house to get your things."
At this, Rei had to stop himself from utterly overreacting, which he just barely avoided. "O-oh, it's nothing, Nagisa! Really, I'm fine."
The blond boy didn't look convinced, but dropped the subject and continued happily dragging Rei to his room, back to not having a qualm in the world, it seemed. He had pushed Rei onto his bed and was talking about random objects in the space and trivial topics of no importance, but Rei's mind was once again preoccupied with the protrusion in his pocket, practically demanding to be given already. Staring at the blond, he felt an overpowering urge to just go for it, and figuring now was as best a time as any other, he dug into his pocket and he held it tightly in his grasp as he spoke up to get Nagisa's attention, hoping that his face wasn't as red as it felt.
"Nagisa."
"Did you know that…!"
"Nagisa."
"It was so much fun! I can't believe-"
"Nagisa."
The boy blinked at Rei's use of a firmer tone, and took note of the flush that stained his cheeks. "Yes, Rei-chan?"
Rei swallowed thickly and squeezed his eyes shut before thrusting his hand out in front of him, the little gift sitting in his palm and finally visible for Nagisa to see. "I-I… happy birthday, Nagisa." He initially refused to even look at the other boy, his embarrassment and nervousness renewed tenfold the second he pulled the present out. His eyes were forced open - and his glasses sent flying off - though, when he felt himself being sent backward, a weight on chest that he quickly recognized as Nagisa himself. His arms were securely latched around his neck and his face was buried in the crook of Rei's neck, close to his ear where he could hear the chiming of Nagisa's laughter.
It took a few seconds for Rei to regain his breath, but the second he did and grasped the situation, their proximity, his composure flew out the window and his face was flaming, his arms raising shakily, hesistantly to encircle Nagisa back and press him closer. He had tried to prepare for a situation like this, but it was all in vain, because now that it had occurred, his mind was spinning and his emotions were haywire. This is exactly what he wanted to happen, but he didn't know what to do, and Nagisa hadn't even opened the thing yet.
"Rei-chan!" Nagisa laughed, breaking away to give Rei a smile so brilliant he could feel his heart threatening to leap out of his chest. "Thank you!" He pulled back even more, allowing Rei to sit up, however remaining in his lap, straddling his waist, which the other boy took intense note of, try as he might not to. The blond peered at the object in his hand gleefully, before something occurred to him and he cocked his head to the side cutely. "Wait, why didn't you give this to me at the party?"
Rei tensed a bit at this - he had believed that Nagisa would be so caught up that he would forget all about that, only now to be proven wrong. Searching for his glasses, he placed them on his face and played with them as he looked away and answered, "I-I… uh, it was at my house, so I didn't have it at the time. That's why." He hated how broken his speech was and how foolishly he felt he was acting - this was so different than how cool and collected he normally tried to appear, and so it was degrading for him, especially to be so in front of the boy he liked.
Nagisa opened his mouth to speak again - to ask why he had denied having a present at all if that was the truth, then - but then thought better of it and directed all of his attention to the gift he held. He took note of purple wrapping paper and the little bow on the side of the box, and how neat and clean the job was. "It's so prettily wrapped," Nagisa said, poking the bow, "I almost don't want to open it and ruin it - I couldn't expect anything less than the best job from Rei-chan, though~"
Rei's face flushed again at this comment - yet another thing he wished Nagisa wouldn't have noticed. He had spent such a long time picking out the right colour and bow, and making sure it was wrapped to perfection, that it was to his standards, that it was beautiful as he liked things. He didn't want to give Nagisa anything less than what he approved of - but at the same time, he didn't want his anal tendencies to be noticed, to be made fun of. However, he was surprised when Nagisa gave him a warm grin and said softly, "Thank you for the thought, Rei-chan."
He swore the boy was going to be the end of him with the way his heart skipped a beat and then started up again almost violently. With a shaking hand, he tapped the gift still held in Nagisa's grasp, and the other boy took the hint eagerly, easily over his regret of ruining the immaculate presentation of it. Rei watched closely, nervously as Nagisa tore at the paper, his eyes curiously scanning the box that lay under it and the contents that could be inside. He blinked at it and held it up to his ear, shaking it.
"Oooh, I wonder what it is!" Rei was going to go crazy if he didn't just open it soon, but he bit his tongue and kept quiet, anxious for his desired reaction. Nagisa's fingers flew to the edge of the lid, and pried it open to what lie beneath, and when his eyes landed on what is was, they widened exponentially and seemed to almost sparkle, his excitement magnified.
He quickly removed it and held it out in front of him to admire - a necklace, beaded and with a small penguin charm in its center. Nagisa continued to peer at it for a few second longer, a smile stretching and growing on his face, before he could take it no longer and flung himself at Rei again, clutching the necklace in his palm as he hugged him. He held tightly to the taller boy, trying to express his gratefulness physically as much as he was vocally. "Rei-chan!" he shouted, nuzzling his cheek. "It's so cute - it's perfect - I love it! Thank you~!" He just had so much to say to express how much he adored the gift and the boy who gave it to him.
At this, Rei's nervousness flew out the window and happily reciprocated the embrace - he was right, Nagisa did like what he had picked out. He had been so scared that even though he had spent an embarrassingly long amount of time trying to pick out the perfect necklace, that the blond would not like it for some reason. But he did, and now he didn't have to worry anymore, and he sighed, relief entering his system where the anxiety used to sit. Feeling a grin equivalent to Nagisa's appear on his face, he tightened his arms around him and squeezed him gently.
When they broke apart, Nagisa looked at the necklace again, this time more closely, his heart swelling and he had to resist the urge to hug Rei again. Rei straightened out and watched Nagisa closely, relishing how adorable the boy looked sitting there, so close to him. Head whipping up, Nagisa gushed, "It really is perfect, Rei-chan~" At this, a subtle blush arose on Rei's features, much less violent than the others, fuelled by his feelings for the boy rather than straight up embarrassment.
Pushing his glasses up his nose, he blinked sheepishly at the blanket at his side, avoiding Nagisa's magenta gaze. "I-I'm glad you like it," he said, "I thought you would - I-I mean, it just seemed to suit you so well, because I know how much you like penguins and all, considering there was one on that swimsuit you let me borrow once and I-" He was stopped from babbling when he felt a gentle hand of his shoulder, and he redirected his gaze to Nagisa again only to notice that in the time he had been speaking, the blond had placed the necklace around his neck and was now staring at him. Rei blinked at him - he was so close, and was it just him, or were Nagisa's cheeks tinted pink?
A small smile forming on Nagisa's lips then, he leaned even closer and Rei stiffened when he felt his breath fan across his face. "Thank you, Rei-chan," he whispered, before bridging the gap between them and placing his mouth against Rei's in a soft kiss. Rei's hands fisted into the blanket at his side, his heart jumping into his throat at the action, mind in disarray. But the longer Nagisa continued to kiss him, the more comfortable and calmer Rei found himself becoming, and slowly, he returned it, hands instinctively rising to hold Nagisa against him. Boldly, as only Nagisa would, he nipped at Rei's lower lip, a noise escaping the back of Rei's throat that only encouraged him to continue doing so.
When the need for air became a necessity, they broke apart reluctantly, and Rei had to stop himself from both staring in utter disbelief and grabbing Nagisa back to keep kissing him. "N-Nagisa…" He peered at the smaller boy, whose forehead was pressed against his and had a gentle smile gracing his features, and decided right there and then he wasn't going to over think the situation for once. He was just going to let things happen, flow naturally, because God knew he didn't want to ruin this moment. Experimentally, he raised a hand and brushed his fingers past Nagisa's cheek, and felt a warmth blossom in his chest when he leaned into his touch. Encouraged by this, he leaned in again and his mouth opened to ghost a few words over Nagisa's lips. "Happy birthday, Nagisa." And with that said, he closed the distance between them again, to which Nagisa eagerly responded and Rei smiled.
He had certainly gotten his desired reaction.
~P~
Author's Notes: Based around the idea Nagisa has an affinity for necklaces, seeing as how all the casual outfits we've seen out of him so far he's been wearing one. Also Reigisa fluff, who needs an excuse for that~?