Chapter 5

After an excited day at the theme park, the exhausted Hiyori and Yuki fell asleep on the backseats of the car soundly. The car was in total silence, with the girls asleep and Yokozawa almost dozing off at the passenger seat in front.

"Just take a nap already," Kirishima steered to the left direction entering the express way, catching a glimpse of Yokozawa's sleepy fatigue face. "I'll wake you up when we've reached."

"It's fine," Yokozawa muttered. "Mind going to the convenient store? I want to buy some beers; my house ran out of it already."

He had something he wanted to get at the convenient shop, other than beer. Since it's his birthday. He should at least get a cake for him, he thought.

"No problem."

Using the girls' safety as excuse, he managed to get Kirishima to stay still in the car while he hurried to the convenient shop to get his beer, as well as the cake.

He paid for a medium-sized butter cake, along with four dozen of beers (8 six packs of beers) as camouflage and exited the shop swiftly.

"That's a lot." Kirishima opened the car boot when he saw Yokozawa approaching with a few big plastic bags of stuff. "What? Trying to get drunk just like the first time we met? I'm not going to be as patient as that time you know." He teased.

"Like hell." Yokozawa snorted, recalling the first time when he met Kirishima.

He was drunk and it was Kirishima who brought him to a hotel, while he was totally knocked out by alcohol. He also remembered that hay wired emotions he experienced when he saw himself naked under the blanket while Kirishima stepped out of the shower. Well, if that didn't happen on that day, he would not be able to be in a relationship with Kirishima, perhaps.

He carefully placed the cake among the beers and after making sure that it was safe, he closed the lid and hopped into the car.

They drove back to Kirishima's place and as the driver cut the engine, Yokozawa woke the two little girls up.

"We're home already?" Hiyori mumbled, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Yesh. Time to go back home." With a gentle expression carved on his face, he patted Hiyori on her hand.

"Okay…" Hiyori nodded sleepily, turning to the Yuki who just awoke. "Let's go, Yuki-chan."

"Eh…"

"Erm, Hiyo? There's something I want to ask you…" Yokozawa hesitated. Hiyori will never forget about her dad's birthday. Maybe she had some plan with her, he thought.

"Yesh? What is it, Onii-chan?" Hiyori lifted her gaze up, waiting for the question Yokozawa wanted to ask.

"Today—" Just then he heard the sound of the car boot opening. He turned to find that Kirishima was already standing in front of the back of the car, his hands stretched out, wanting to get the plastic bag of beer, and of course, the cake he bought secretly.

"Wait-!" Putting aside what he wanted to ask, he ran up to where Kirishima was, grabbing his hands to make sure he did not touch the bags of beers.

"Huh? What're doing?" Kirishima's gaze followed down from Yokozawa's face to his hand.

"I'll take it." Yokozawa explained, releasing Kirishima's hand.

"Hmn…" Kirishima looked at him suspiciously and hmn-ed. "Are you trying to hide something?"

"Wh-What?" Yokozawa tried to squeeze out an expression as best as he could from his fixed facial expression. "Of course not!"

"Suspicious…" Kirishima gave a doubtful look. "Did you buy some porno magazines or something?"

"Ha?" Yokozawa almost dropped the bag he was holding upon hearing that. "How the hell did you arrive at that conclusion?"

"Just thought so," he continued to stare at him.

"Wha-What are you looking at?" Yokozawa took out the plastic bags of beers and passed them to Kirishima. "Hurry up and take it!"

"Okay, okay." At last, the glued gaze flickered away from Yokzoawa, and he sighed in relieved. Why the hell must he behaved like a thief! He paused to wonder.

"Onii-chan," Hiyori walked to Yokozawa as he shut the lid of the car boot. "What's it that you wanted to ask me?"

Oh no—

"N-Nothing." He couldn't just ask directly, not in the presence of Kirishima.

"Okay," Hiyori gave a confused look and went back to beside Yuki as they headed for the lift.

Yuki's mother opened her door as they pressed the doorbell.

"Mummy!" Yuki ran and gave her mother a hug as soon as her mother's figure appeared behind the door. "I had so much fun today! Uncle Kirishima and Onii-chan are so nice and took care of me!"

"Really? Thank you for taking care of Yuki today." Yuki's mother stood up and bowed lightly, showing her gratitude. "I really appreciate your kindness for today."

"Not at all, madam." Kirishima greeted back with a polite and friendly smile on his face. He then turned to look at Yokozawa. "Shall we go now?"

"Papa, can I overnight at Yuki-chan's house today, please?" Before leaving, Hiyori tugged Kirishima's pant, asking for permission.

"Yeah, uncle Kirishima, can you let Hiyori stay over today, please?" Yuki-chan begged, and turned to her mother. "Mummy, can Hiyori-chan stay over tonight?"

What? Stay over? Yokozawa was confused at the situation. Had Hiyori forgotten about Kirishima's birthday?

"Hmn…" He thought, and then turned to Yuki's mother. "Do you mind if my daughter could spend a night at your house tonight?"

"Of course not!" She smiled. "Feel free to stay over, Hiyori."

"I guess its fine, then." Kirishima smiled, patting on Hiyori's head. "Be a good girl and don't create trouble okay?"

"Yes sir!"

"Yay!" Yuki cheered, waving her hand to signal Hiyori to enter. "Come on in, Hiyori-chan! I have something to show you!"

"Right away!" And thus, the two little girls disappeared at the corner of the hallway.

"Sorry for the trouble." Kirishima bowed, playing the polite gentleman role.

"No, not at all."

With that, the remaining two adults went up the floor to Kirishima's apartment.

Kirishima plunged the keys into the keyhole and twisted open the door.

"Meow." A grey cat appeared out of nowhere, walking slowly to the entrance as if to take a look at who came back.

"We're back, Sorata." Yokozawa looked at the grey furry little fellow on the floor brushing his small little front leg on his head and licked it after that.

Sorata's ear twitched at the voice of Yokozawa's, lifting its tiny head up to glance at him before its black eyes focused at the door as if it was waiting for someone to appear behind the door.

"Hiyo's staying over at Yuki-chan's house tonight, so she's not going to come back until tomorrow." Kirishima informed the cat, understanding that it was waiting for Hiyori at the door.

Sorata meow–ed, as if it was trying to show its disappointment. It strolled nearer to the front door and sat there, moving its tail from time to time.

"I'll go and put the beers in the fridge…" Yokozawa removed his shoes and took the plastic bag from Kirishima.

He carefully placed the cake into the drawer of the fridge and hurried to pack the beers at the shelf. He immediately closed the fridge door when the voice behind him startled him.

"Are you hungry? Wanna order some takeout?" Kirishima retrieved the soiled clothes that Hiyori changed out of just now out from his bag and removed his shirt at the same time and tossed all of it into the washing machine.

"A little. How about pizza?" Yokozawa randomly suggested, trying not to focus his eyes at Kirishima's half-naked body.

"Sounds nice," Kirishima nodded at the suggestion and fished out his phone. "I shall call now, You wanna take a bath? You can wear my shirt."

"Okay." After giving the fridge a last glimpse, Yokozawa went into Kirishima's room for a bath. He doubled confirmed that he had locked the door, to prevent someone from walking in to join him for a bath like what happened last time, before he walked to the sink.

As he stripped off his shirt, he couldn't help but to worry about the possibility that Kirishima would found out about the cakes while he was bathing. He sighed. Since when did he become like this? It wasn't his nature to do anything similar to what he is doing now…

He turned on the shower, sending streams of water onto his head, wetting his hair and body gradually. Well, he could only hope that Kirishima would not open the fridge's drawer before he finished bathing.

After he was done with showering, he took a navy blue tee-shirt and a black track pant from Kirishima's closet and walked out of Kirishima's bedroom, with a towel wiping dry his hair.

Kirishima was relaxing on the couch, watching the news on the television with a beer on his hand.

"Your turn." Yokozawa commented as he walked back from the kitchen with a can of beer in his hand.

"Okay." Kirishima got up, putting his can of beer on the table and walked into his bedroom.