"Oishi! It's empty in here!", Eiji declared as he and Oishi took their seats at a booth in the ice cream parlor. Indeed, besides the man behind the cash register and a single waitress, they were the only ones in the shop.
"Is that…bad?", Oishi started worrying slightly. *Please don't let the day get off to a bad start* he pleaded, to nothing and no one in particular.
"No, it's just…strange. There's usually a lot of people here. You know, little kids, couples on dates…"
"Well…we're on a date, aren't we?", Oishi smiled as he whispered this into Eiji's ear.
"Sshh!", Eiji blushed, taking a quick sideways glance at the waitress and the cashier. Friends and family he didn't mind, but he kinda had this thing about complete strangers knowing that he and Oishi were together. The waitress approached them.
"Would you like menus?", she asked. Oishi replied that he already knew what he wanted, and gave his order. After a few seconds of pondering, Eiji decided to order the same thing: a chocolate sundae. The waitress informed them that it would only take a few minutes, and left.
"…Oishi.", Eiji said after a few seconds of silence.
"What?"
"I was just thinking a little…about us. It seems so strange to think that last year, we were just friends, and not too long before that, we didn't even know each other. Right now, I can't imagine life without you, and…", Eiji paused, smiled a little, and blushed, "I sound like a corny movie character right now, don't I? Must be all the sappy Valentine's stuff, clogging up the air, I breathe it in and become infected by it…", he blushed an even deeper shade of red when he thought of how ridiculous he was sounding at that moment. Oishi simply chuckled a little and ruffled Eiji's hair.
"It's okay, Eiji. I feel exactly the same way, and you know it.", he said, smiling, "And on that note…", he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, "…this is for you."
"Oooh! My Valentine's present??", Eiji grabbed the box in his eager hands.
"Well, yes, but more than that."
"More? What's more?"
"You remember, right? Just think a little, I don't think you've completely forgotten."
"Hmm…umm…", Eiji scrunched up his forehead in concentration for a few moments, "…Ah!", his eyes widened slightly, "It's already…!"
"That's right. It's our one year anniversary."
"I can't believe I almost forgot! It was last Valentine's Day when we told each other our feelings, wasn't it?", fumbling slightly, Eiji opened the tiny box in his hands and pulled out a bracelet. There was a charm on it, a little cupid pointing an arrow with a tiny heart at the end. The heart was made out of a yellow stone, which Eiji recognized as citrine, his birthstone, "O…Oishi…"
"Happy Valentine's Day…and anniversary."
"Here are your sundaes.", the waitress announced as she placed their orders in front of them, "Oh, and by the way, you can go ahead and kiss or whatever you want to do, we don't mind."
"Eh?!", both Oishi and Eiji blushed profusely, realizing too late just how easily the sound of their voices could be heard in the empty ice cream parlor.
"You don't have to hide the fact that you're in love, even if you're both boys. Personally, I think the two of you look very cute together. Yeah, I'm sorry, but I could hear your conversation."
"That's okay.", Oishi smiled at the waitress, then at Eiji.
"Yeah!", Eiji beamed, "'Cause, you know, Oishi, I really want to kiss you now!", and he did, any embarrassment he had had before melting away like the ice cream in his sundae.