A/N: Happy birthday Ikejiri 3
It wasn't like life was dull before meeting Sugawara; it was just that before him Ikejiri barely thought much significance for living day by day. Before he would wake up every day and settle into the fact that he would always stay in his village and care for his parents the older they came. He would work at the bakery his father owned and he would fall in love with a simple girl and just live a normal, safe life as one would could get with magic roaming in the air and world. It was sort of funny how his life worked the way his hobby of watching the sunset would result to his unexpected friendship with Sugawara, a traveling elf that made rounds during winter and spring for a particular study for something he wasn't entirely sure of. All he knew was it was centered on magic and the creatures that were involved in the environment around his town. He didn't snoop but he liked when he got to hear snippets of magic from the elf. It was exciting and still a foreign topic for a guy that spent his whole life in a human town that barely brushed magic. It was just his luck that he happened to live in the sector and kingdom that prohibited most people to be dependent on magic.
That was why Ikejiri loved spending his rare moments with Sugawara. Elves were scarce in his town; and someone like his new friend made the town welcome him quite quickly. There were few that were wary but for the most everyone was happy to see what Sugawara's lifestyle had to offer. He had fun the way he was the nice and had so many facts about nature and how his kind could make barren lands recover faster and healthier. But besides the business on why he came in the first place Ikejiri was thrilled of every winter that plastered his town, because then it meant that he wouldn't have to wait for long for Sugawara to come by and study the lands and make time to chat with him while putting up with his curiosity of magic. Their afternoons would be filled with Sugawara taking notes of the land and taking samplings and Ikejiri bring fresh bread to munch on when he was in break or had a day off. The cold would provide some incentive for Sugawara to come over his bakery and enchant the kids that came over for stories from his travels.
Those simple days would flash by too fast with cold sunsets ending their days. Spring would come next and that was when Ikejiri's heart really fluttered. The warmth of the air would kiss his skin, the hum of a steady unused magic would rise and spread by Sugawara's fingers making the lands sing. His silver hair that was already beautiful would shine more with every passing afternoon. The flowers would bloom heavy and give Sugawara a smile that made Ikejiri have a stroke. He knew they were friends but the longer he stayed close with him the more he wanted to tell Sugawara how made life feel brighter, to describe how hard his heart worked when he heard him laugh and why Ikejiri wanted to step aside the life his parents already scheduled for him just so he could explore the world his kingdom perverted him from having. But most importantly he just wanted to know how it felt to hold Sugawara's hand when they stared at the sunset they always watched together. However, that was the issue. He didn't know how he would be able to translate all his thoughts and actions without scaring him away. It wasn't like he was the best talker out there, he was clumsy and awkward. He often tripped over his words and couldn't simply for the living crap. Most of the time he preferred how Sugawara was the one that talked first in order for Ikejiri to come up with a reasonable response versus letting him take the wheel and end up crashing and burning as a stuttering mess. That wouldn't be pleasant for either of them; time was in the essence and something he couldn't afford to screw with just because he had feelings for the prettiest elf he has ever had the privilege to meet and befriend. Not even his best friends Sawamura and Michimiya could get him to confess. Which was why he couldn't fathom why when it was in the middle of spring did his mouth started to talk by itself. They were just talking about dragons and how difficult it was to ride one when Sugawara flashed him his favorite smile one when he snapped.
"Do you want to go out sometime?"
The words were a little flubbed but it got the job done for Sugawara to look at him flush in record time. With a pause he watched how Sugawara study him and Ikejiri's quivering mouth ready to apologize for making it awkward between them.
"Sure." His smile turned to a lopsided grin. "I'd really like that. How does tomorrow afternoon sound?"
Ikejiri barely had his voice working as he nodded a little too eagerly. Sugawara giggled watching him stutter of places of where they could go and eat. The whole time Ikejiri didn't know what possessed him to not faint the way Sugawara leaned on him as they planned out the date. It was too surreal that at one point he had to ask out loud if Sugawara was okay going out on a date with him for only to watch Sugawara give him a look that made him shut up and feel dazed the way the elf briefly held his hand when they walked back to town. Leaving the safety of their spot and coming back with loud noise only his town could make made him feel hyper aware of the warmth that radiated off from Sugawara's touch. When he saw his bakery, Ikejiri reluctantly let go of Sugawara's hand and watch his figure merge with the crowd. His lips were still spelling a grin when he went inside. From his side view he knew it wouldn't take long for his father to greet him and ask about his smile. Instead of his usual bashfulness overcoming him he settled with all knowing smirk that his father understood within the seconds before giving the thumbs up.
"Attaboy."