of smiles and scowls.
day four – on a date.
The nighttime air held a harsh chill in its bony fingers, prickling cheeks and eyelashes as the breeze blew by. It was just beginning to transition into winter, but the temperature could've fooled Kyon twice – even with his light jacket, goosebumps still pricked at his skin. The stars glittered overhead in the navy sky, staring judgmentally down at the two boys who walked side-by-side along the lamplight-lit path.
"It's cold," Kyon stated dumbly, clutching himself in a tight embrace. He rubbed his arms and chattered his teeth. Without proper attire, the slightly cool air was sub-zero.
Koizumi, on the other hand, was bundled up in so many scarves and coats that Kyon could barely make out his figure. He was adorn with a long, black trench coat with shining buttons that swayed near his upper thighs. A white scarf was wrapped around his neck, bashfully hiding his mouth and muffling his speech. "I do apologize. I wasn't expecting it to be this chilly," he said, a hint of worry in his voice. "My apartment is just a few blocks away. Woe is I; the romantic walk I had planned didn't turn out quite so romantic, did it?" He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders, nonchalant towards his own self-pity.
"Don't use that word," Kyon grumbled.
"Excuse me?"
"That word. Romantic." He hissed it like a disgusting poison.
Koizumi tilted his head softly. "I'm sorry; was that too soon? I tend to overstep my boundaries, as you've probably noticed." Kyon could tell by the tone of his voice that he was truly genuine.
Kyon turned his head away a tad to watch the trees sprout in their murkiness. "Whatever." Koizumi always planned stupid stuff for them to do together – dates, he called them. They were certainly the most stereotypical dates in the book: fancy dinners, cheesy movies, a night on the town… though neither of them had enjoyed the trivial activities that much. Koizumi had only wanted to please, but the constant, fretting glances he shot Kyon had ruined the date for the both of them. Their relationship wasn't normal enough for that sort of nonsense, Kyon thought bitterly. They were both dense, teenage guys – and while Koizumi had a bit of romanticist in his veins, artificial mood by riverboats and candlelight wasn't going to cut it.
Koizumi was defeated; this time around, he had only planned a walk for the two of them. It wasn't unpleasant, Kyon begrudgingly admitted to himself – all they did was talk, and although Koizumi had quite the mouth, he made sure that neither Haruhi nor philosophy were mentioned. Koizumi was really quite enjoyable to talk to, if he wasn't blathering on about topics Kyon didn't care about.
"You're pleasant as well. I could listen to your wit and commentary for hours," Koizumi complimented, eyes sly in the moonlight. He nudged Kyon's arm with his own.
Kyon cringed at his touch. "Shut up," he murmured, ignoring the deepening flush on his cheeks. It was too dark for Koizumi to notice, he hoped.
"I actually think this went better than any other of my schemes." He dropped the conversation, thank god. "Walking and talking… it's so simple, and yet so perfect. I don't think either of us are cut out for romantic dinners. I would imagine we'd be stared at, anyway… two high school boys on a date? Yes, I think the backlash we'd receive would be too shaking. Keeping on the down-low would be best. Miss Suzumiya could leap out at any corner."
Kyon breathed out a sigh. A wisp of swirling, white vapor drifted from his lips and flitted up into the sky. "There you go again," he slurred quietly.
"What was that?"
Kyon glared at him. "Do you honestly think Haruhi would care?" he challenged, raising a brow.
Koizumi blinked, eyelashes batting in confusion. "Would she care?" He brought a hand up to his cheek and tugged the scarf down. "I would say yes. I've seen her fume with jealousy towards Miss Asahina for even brushing your shoulder. To know that you were engaged in a relationship with somebody – and another man that she knows, at that – would be shaking to her. But, then again…." He chuckled, void of humor. "You are her key, not me. You'd know her better than I."
He hated how Haruhi was treated as a villain. It wasn't her fault – it was his for falling for goddamn Koizumi, out of all of his options.
He had no idea how he managed to do that.
"Just shut up before you ruin the moment," he said, trying to smooth out his rustled feathers.
"Of course."
Despite passive arguments and paranoia, the fresh, starry air coaxed both of them into a relaxing silence. Even though it was a tad boring, it wasn't bad; it was more pleasant than previous. But, even at the time, they hadn't been entirely unbearable, either.
After all, Koizumi was with him, and that made all the difference.