Chapter Three – The Theoretical Perfect Gift
It's their special day.
Make it theirs.
Keep them smiling and let the world revolve around them for today.
In the midst of his bustling around the morning of the big day, Rei received a call from one of his senpai. Though he felt he didn't have the time to stop for it, he picked up his cellphone out of principle, cradling it between his cheek and shoulder as he spoke into the receiver.
"Hello, Makoto-senpai," he responded breathlessly.
"Hello, Rei," said the gentle, friendly voice on the other end, "Are you okay? You sound stressed."
"I'm fine," Rei assured him, "I'm just making some last-minute preparations for Nagisa-kun's birthday today."
"Oh, good! You remembered! We always do this at Haru's place, so I was worried you might have forgotten we were having the party at yours. I was supposed to call you about it yesterday just in case, but Haru and I were out late last night looking for a present for him and it slipped our—"
The phone slid out of Rei's hold and hit the ground. Makoto's muffled words of concern called up to him from the floor, but Rei was too dazed to remember to pick it up immediately. A present? Of all the things he could have forgotten, it had to be something so important that would certainly not go unnoticed. Especially as his boyfriend, Nagisa wouldn't overlook this error. He suddenly remembered Makoto on the other line and swept the phone up quickly to apologize.
"Is something wrong, Rei?" Makoto asked.
"I… was so busy putting this together I completely forgot about a present…" Rei admitted shamefully.
"Oh. Well… I think it'll be okay. Nagisa can be childish at times, but I don't think he would get upset over that. I think he'll be happy enough that you were so thoughtful in arranging his party. You put so much detail into these things, and I know he'll notice and appreciate it."
"But… this is a very important day for Nagisa-kun," Rei said carefully, "I don't want to be empty-handed if the rest of you are bringing something…"
"Well…" Makoto mused, "Rin is bringing the cake. Haru is making up some food for lunch, and the two of us are bringing small gifts. I'm not sure if Rin is bringing more than the cake… If it's really bothering you, we can say the gifts we bought last night can be from all of us."
"N-No, you put thought into your gifts," Rei said quickly, "I refuse to take credit for something like that. I'll have to think of something else…"
"I'm sure you'll figure something out. You and Nagisa get along well and think similarly, so I'm sure whatever you come up with will make him very happy."
Rei tried to take Makoto's words of optimism to heart, but couldn't quite set them in his mind. There was almost no chance of finding the perfect gift for Nagisa in such little time. Normally, he would start paying closer attention to what Nagisa was obsessing over at the moment and taking notes on whatever made him pause. There were things he eyed around the shopping area at the harbor during their date, but even that was too far to travel and make it back in time. He sighed dejectedly, already weary with anxiety.
"Oh, by the way…" Makoto's voice seemed hesitant. "There's an important task we have for you…"
Rei sat up attentively.
"Yes?"
"Remind me what we're looking for again?"
Nagisa browsed the lines of colorful produce with a disinterested gaze.
"Jicama," Rei said, "It looks like a round root or potato, has the texture of an apple, and is light in flavor."
"It sounds gross," Nagisa pouted.
"It's not gross. Besides, you don't have to eat it."
Nagisa groaned and continued to browse, though it was clear he wasn't looking. Rei lifted his phone from his pocket to check the screen for a message from Makoto. It was probably for the best, but he didn't exactly love the idea of being responsible for keeping Nagisa busy while Makoto, Haru, and Rin finished setting up his apartment for Nagisa's party. While he agreed it would be better to have the food prepared where they would eat it, having to remain so secretive around Nagisa was proving difficult. Worse, there was no way to find a gift with him around. How was he supposed to shop for something with the recipient in such close proximity? There wasn't anything he could even begin to consider as a gift from a grocery store. Even if they took this elsewhere, how would he be able to buy it in secret? Perhaps he could slip away during the party to come back to the store and buy whatever Nagisa showed the most interest in, within reason. No. If Nagisa noticed he wasn't there, it could break his heart. And worse, if he noticed him return, he would immediately know Rei had failed to buy something in the first place and it would look exactly how it was: trying to sloppily atone for an egregious error.
Or…
There was always that evening. In fact, he couldn't believe he didn't consider it before. There would be plenty to chose from then, and it would be easy to let Nagisa choose whatever he wanted, since the pretend-obliviousness would be over by that point. This way, Rei could hand over his gift privately, so that however intimate it was, the moment would be shared between the two of them alone. He couldn't have planned it better if he had tried. Perhaps there was some serendipity in this mess after all.
Just then, a short vibration tingled Rei's hand as his phone's screen lit up. He checked the text, which was the exact one he had been waiting for. Everything was ready back at his apartment, and it was time to bring the guest of honor. Finally, this agonizing task had been completed. His eyes traced the length of his phone back up to Nagisa, who yearningly gazed at a display of strawberries. Seeing this, Rei's heart sank into his stomach. The fact that he had said nothing regarding the day to him was clearly bothering Nagisa, as much as it was bothering Rei in fact. This mundane grocery trip probably wasn't helping anything. He couldn't stand watching him so upset. Though he understood why it had to be him to keep Nagisa out, he hated that he couldn't say anything to him. It wouldn't be enough to ask Nagisa back to his apartment now. There had to be something he could do to make this less terrible.
"Do you want to pick up some strawberries?" Rei asked.
Nagisa looked up at him, surprised.
"Really?" he asked.
"Sure," Rei said with a smile, "We can take them back to my apartment and keep them there so you have something you like to eat when you come visit. I keep meaning to pick them up for you, but this is my first chance to come to the store since my parents left."
"Aww! My Rei-chan's so thoughtful!" Nagisa cried, throwing his arms around Rei tightly and nuzzling him exaggeratedly, "I love you!"
Rei watched as a few housewives shuffled their carts away quickly, hiding their mouths as they exchanged what was undoubtedly gossip about Nagisa's shamelessness towards their relationship. Despite that Rei did, in fact, enjoy the contact, he gently pushed Nagisa off as playfully as he could to mind Nagisa's feelings.
"All right, all right," he chuckled, "Pick out whichever carton you want. Preferably a set of beautiful ones that contains as few blemishes as possible."
"I'll find the most beautiful strawberries they have!" Nagisa promised.
He spun around to begin examining the cartons, finally enjoying himself, and Rei let out a sigh of relief and content. Smiles certainly suited his boyfriend much better.
The trip back to the apartment was peaceful, even as Nagisa talked endlessly the entire way. Nagisa swung his arms back and forth, and Rei couldn't help but feel he'd made the right decision in insisting on carrying the bag containing three cartons of beautiful strawberries, carefully inspected by him after Nagisa picked them out. His mood had been so vastly improved and, in turn, had brightened Rei's a little as well. He really was just like the sun.
"We bought so many, we could make something really tasty and still have some leftover!" Nagisa said excitedly, "We could have strawberry milkshakes, and strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, chocolate-covered strawberries, strawberry jam, straw—"
"Just listening to that sugary list is making my stomach hurt…" Rei sighed.
"Aww, don't say that," Nagisa pouted.
He stopped suddenly and looked at Rei quickly.
"Ah! Rei-chan, we didn't find your jicama!"
"My jic-?"
The words cut short before Rei could slip up.
"O-Oh! The jicama! Y-You know, I think they might be out of season right now," he said, moving on ahead quickly, "That's probably why we couldn't find one."
"Out of season? That's very unlike Rei-chan to not research something like that beforehand…"
That was true. He was really letting this fall apart quickly, and he began to sweat.
"Well… the stores carry produce out of season all the time, it's just strange there would be a shortage."
"I guess that's true," Nagisa said, "What did you need it for, anyway?"
"Oh, just a new recipe I stumbled across online, nothing especially important…" Rei mumbled, unsure how much longer he could keep this front as they climbed the stairs of the apartment complex.
Nagisa said nothing, and though he was silent, Rei sensed he was annoyed at the notion of having been called out to the grocery store on his seemingly forgotten birthday to look for an unusual starch that was, according to Rei, intended for a whimsical recipe he wasn't really committed to. Of course, that was not the case at all, but Nagisa had to be feeling angry at this point. Maybe redirecting this would help.
"Would you be opposed to something like strawberry smoothies?" he asked.
"Are you sure it's not important?" Nagisa asked, ignoring the question, "We could always check at another store."
Was he really that stuck on the jicama?
"Really, it's no big deal," Rei insisted, pulling his key out of his pocket and unlocking the door.
"The farmer's market is open today, we could check there too," Nagisa said, "Let's drop off the strawberries and head back out!"
"I don't really need one that badly," Rei said, stepping inside the dark apartment.
"Aww, but Rei-chan, that's no fair," Nagisa moaned, following him inside, "You bought me strawberries when we were looking for something for you, so we shouldn't just give—"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NAGISA!"
Makoto, Haru, and Rin emerged from their hiding places with party poppers, successfully catching Nagisa by surprise, but also Rei with the lights flashing on and the sudden loud noises, causing him to jump and let out a short scream.
"What are you surprised for?" Rin asked, annoyed.
Haru let out a quiet, embarrassed sigh, but Makoto chuckled as Rei struggled to calm his pounding heart.
"You guys…" Nagisa choked, touched, "You remembered after all?"
"Of course we remembered," Makoto said with a smile that could only be described as motherly, "We'd never forget about your birthday, Nagisa."
"It's all we've been talking about for almost two weeks," Rin said, grinning a sharp, toothy grin.
"Rei called us up with the idea of a surprise party, and we've been busy planning it ever since," Haru said, smiling gently.
"That's why we sent him out to keep you busy while we finished up preparations here," Makoto said.
Speechless, Nagisa turned to him with his mouth agape. Rei scratched his cheek with an embarrassed smile.
"Sorry for tricking you like that, Nagisa-kun," he said, "I just thought you might like something a little different for a change, and everyone really worked hard to make this happen. I hope you aren't too upset."
Nagisa shook his head, tearing up a little as he grinned.
"No!" he laughed, "This is great! For you all to put something like this together for me…"
He faced the group as a whole.
"Haru-chan… Mako-chan… Rin-chan… Rei-chan… Thank you! I love you guys!"
Rei smiled at the others, who all chuckled at Nagisa's sweet words, looking back at Rei approvingly. He lucky to have so many supporting and loving friends who were willing to help put together a perfect party for Nagisa. After Nagisa pulled them all in for a group hug, they were ready for the celebration to commence.
The party went off without a hitch. Rei couldn't help but admire the pink and yellow decorations he had spent the morning organizing carefully, assuring there was a perfect balance of the two colors throughout the room so that the eye would not strain in any particular area. Makoto had managed to locate some penguin-themed decorations and added them into the arrangement tastefully. Nagisa didn't appear to notice the balance, but appreciated the color choice and penguins and complimented Rei and Makoto both. Haru had prepared a large bounty consisting of a squid dish, which pleased Nagisa tremendously, and several mackerel-infused foods, to Nagisa's amusement and the rest's frustration. Rin was quick to point out that was why he put himself in charge of the cake, after the wretched experience with Haru's chocolate-mackerel cake he made for Makoto's last birthday. Rin's cake was a surprisingly beautiful and delicate-looking strawberry shortcake, which Nagisa described as "adorable" and left Rin embarrassed.
After eating their fill of mackerel and shortcake, Haru and Makoto presented Nagisa with their gifts. At this point, Rei felt himself getting nervous again over his lack of present for his boyfriend. As Makoto had promised, his and Haru's gifts were small and relatively inexpensive—a strawberry-print journal and an Iwatobi-chan pen—but clearly well thought-out and made Nagisa very happy. When Rin held out a gift for Nagisa, Rei's worry turned very quickly to anxiety. But of course Rin would bring a present. He was Nagisa's friend as much as Haru, Makoto, and Rei were. Rei sat uncomfortably as Nagisa excitedly unwrapped a horror-genre DVD, starting to wonder if calling himself Nagisa's friend after this was too generous.
Nagisa suggested that the group get together again to watch the new DVD, but Makoto quickly declined, which spawned an amusing conversation about how well they could handle scary things. From there, the topics segued smoothly past the gifts and the mood was no different than how they spoke at school, directing away from the fact that Rei hadn't offered Nagisa a gift. Had he noticed? Of course, he probably had, but didn't want to show disappointment. Though as the conversation went on, he gave the others in the group a noticeably greater amount of attention during the rest of the party. Was this his way of expressing his resentment?
Nearing sunset, the party drew to a close. Everyone worked together to clean up Rei's apartment, leaving Nagisa with the entirety of the decorations in a neat pile upon request, since he wanted to keep them as a memento of the surprise party his friends all worked hard to put together for him. Haru, Makoto, and Rin set off to leave at the same time, so Nagisa made sure to thank each of them individually for their contributions to the event and for their gifts, to Rei's agony.
"Happy birthday, Nagisa," Makoto made sure to tell him again, "We're glad you liked everything."
"We should get together again like this really soon!" Nagisa said, "I had so much fun with everyone today!"
"I think that can be arranged," the olive-haired teen chuckled, "What about you, Haru? Rin?"
"Sounds good to me," Haru said.
"I'm down with that," Rin agreed, "We can meet up somewhere to eat or something next time if you want."
"Oh! We should invite Sou-chan, Ai-chan, and Momo-chan next time too!" Nagisa enthused, "I wanna see them again! What do you think, Rei-chan?"
Suddenly being addressed by Nagisa again took him by surprise. The blond wore a genuine, sunny smile, dispelling all worry that he was truly angry with Rei and allowing him to breathe again.
"I think that's an excellent idea," he said warmly.
The group briefly discussed their plans a bit until their seniors had to leave. Rei and Nagisa saw them off from the balcony, waving to them down the street. Once the three had made a fair distance from the apartment complex, Nagisa looked up at Rei with a sweet smile.
"Am I staying here with you, Rei-chan?" he asked hopefully.
Rei smiled back. Now that they were alone together, it was time to set his own plan into action.
"Actually, I sort of had something else in mind," he said, then continuing quickly out of fear that Nagisa might express disappointment, "Would you like to go out on our second date?"
"Tonight?!" Nagisa asked eagerly.
"Yes, tonight," Rei responded with a chuckle, "But on one condition: you have to meet me down there in an hour fully dressed in yukata."
The blond's smile widened as he understood.
"Really?" he asked.
When Rei nodded in response, Nagisa threw his arms around his neck.
"Rei-chan! This is the best birthday ever!" he cried, pressing a big kiss to his cheek before releasing him, "Okay, I'll go home really quick and get changed!"
He dashed back inside to retrieve the leftover party decorations and his gifts, leaving Rei stunned and tickled by the sudden act of affection. Before Rei even had time to shift position, Nagisa rushed back outside with full arms and carefully navigated himself down the stairs.
"See you at the festival, Rei-chan!" he called up.
Having bid him a temporary farewell, Rei returned inside to his bedroom to change into his yukata. He peeked inside his wallet, carefully counting out the paper notes to make sure he had enough. What he carried had to pay for anything at Nagisa's whim, be it food, games, or souvenirs. Most importantly, he had to make sure he had enough to buy Nagisa whatever he picked out as a present. As a precaution, he stuffed a few extra yen inside from his reserve funds, totaling a higher sum than what he brought on their first date. Before leaving, Rei stopped at the mirror to groom his hair a bit and clean the lenses of his glasses, assuring his appearance was perfectly in order before meeting with his date. He frowned a bit at his reflection, knowing he was being ridiculous. It was extremely unlikely that Nagisa would complain about his appearance either way. He replaced his glasses and pushed them up his nose confidently.
"All right," he told himself, "It's time."
Bright red-orange lights lit the area near the shrine, where traditional Japanese music spilled out. The most potent aroma was that of the squid that was being grilled, fried, and prepared in many other ways for the festival-goers. Rei's geta clopped against the pavement as he approached alongside many others, most of whom were dressed casually. Nearing the entrance, he caught sight of a certain fair-haired boy waiting by patiently for his date to arrive. As Rei drew nearer, he came to notice the baby blue butterfly-print yukata he wore was very unfamiliar. It was a beautiful color and design, and fit him very handsomely, enough to make Rei blush. Finally, Nagisa took notice of him and smiled happily.
"Rei-chan! " he cheered, waving as he rushed to meet him, his geta clopping all the way, "You made it!"
"Sorry, were you waiting long?" Rei asked, unable to keep himself from grinning.
"No, I just got here myself," Nagisa responded predictably, then proudly continuing, "I made it on time today! And I remembered my phone and everything, so I'm much better prepared than last time!"
"Well done!" Rei praised, then glancing up and down the garment, "Is… that yukata new? I don't believe I've seen you wear that before."
"Yep!" Nagisa said with a nod, "This was my birthday present from my sisters! They all chipped in to buy this one special for my next date with you, which ended up being today, so it was great timing!"
He struck a grandiose pose, showing off for his boyfriend without shame.
"What do you think, Rei-chan?" he asked, winking flirtatiously.
Rei beamed. Even acting so full of himself, Nagisa was nothing less than adorable.
"I think it looks very beautiful on you, Nagisa-kun," he said.
Nagisa's smile struggled and he withdrew his stance into something more timid, his face flushed.
"A-Anyway…" he stammered, trailing off.
'Anyway?' Why was he brushing off Rei's compliment again? Suddenly, he straightened and went back to his usual self as if nothing had been said at all.
"What are we waiting for?" he asked, "Come on, Rei-chan!"
Nagisa grabbed Rei's hand and dragged him along as he bounded into the festival. Rei struggled to keep up with the erratic pace in his shoes, but was still pleased to see Nagisa as enthusiastic and ready for this adventure as him. The real date had begun. Now was the time he needed to keep his eyes open.
The first half hour, Nagisa was solely drawn to the food booths. He kept Rei plenty busy ordering food from the vendors, sometimes for two, and Rei volunteered to carry most of the purchases Nagisa didn't have a free hand for, which proved rather difficult. However, Nagisa took the responsibility of offering Rei food until they found someplace to sit down. Most of Nagisa's food ended up offered to him following a bite of his own, which Rei went along with cooperatively, though making sure to keep his own bites small to leave Nagisa with plenty.
The bespectacled teen took plenty of opportunities to glance around the surrounding booths, in search of something that might catch Nagisa's eye. Since it would be his first gift as Nagisa's boyfriend, it had to be something really special that Nagisa could cherish forever. Surely, the festival would have something he could buy for him.
"Is something wrong?"
His eyes went back to Nagisa, who now appeared a bit concerned. Zoning out and ignoring his date was probably not the way to do this.
"No, I'm fine," Rei reassured him, "Just trying to decide what we should look at once we're done eating."
"You didn't order much food for yourself…" Nagisa observed, his brow furrowed, "If you're worried about the money, I brought some. I can buy you some tempura if you want."
"You shouldn't have to buy anything on your birthday, let alone something for me," Rei said stubbornly, "Besides, I ordered plenty for myself."
As if he'd said nothing at all, Nagisa held out the partially-eaten chocolate banana on a stick in his hand to the taller boy's lips.
"Here," he said, "Have some, Rei-chan."
Obediently, Rei took a small bite of the sweet. It was festival food, that was for sure.
"Tasty, right?"
His boyfriend looked so pleased, Rei couldn't help but smile.
"It is," he said, then offering some of his ikayaki. "Want to try a bite?"
Nagisa's magenta eyes lit up as his grin widened, accepting the offer enthusiastically before returning back to his chocolate banana. He seemed to be having a good time at least. That much was going well.
As soon as Nagisa finished eating the rest of his food, he was raring to go scope out the rest of the scene. Keeping close together, the two walked down the rows of booths, and Rei paid extra close attention to Nagisa's expressions for a sign of interest. The further down they went, the more he realized that Nagisa seemed to be equally interested in everything he was looking at. Perhaps it would benefit him to start making a list of points of interest while casually throwing in a few gift ideas as well.
"So, Nagisa-kun," he said, looking out at the vendors, "What would you like to do next? It can be anything you want! We could go watch a traditional dance, or I could treat you to some shaved ice, or maybe win you a goldfish if you'd like—"
As Rei faced Nagisa to gauge what sort of responses he had to the suggestions, he met the grotesque sight of a rather large horned beetle wriggling its legs in Nagisa's hand. Before he could stop himself, Rei let out a shriek that drew some attention, leaping backwards from Nagisa's new little friend.
"WH-WH-WHY ARE YOU HOLDING THAT?!" he screamed.
"I picked him off of your back," Nagisa responded like it was nothing, "He was just taking a ride. Isn't he cute?"
"You and I have very drastically differing ideas of what cute is! It's hideous! And what do you mean it was touching me?! Let go of it immediately!"
"Rei-chan, he's not a stag beetle like Pyunsuke. Horned beetles don't bite. He has cute eyes, see? Just take a closer—"
"DO NOT BRING IT CLOSER!" Rei shrieked, taking another large step back.
"Ohh, are you afraid of insects, Rei-chan?" Nagisa asked innocently.
"Absolutely not, but they are not beautiful and I don't want it touching me again! Just please release it!"
Without further delay, Nagisa stepped towards a tree and placed the beetle on the trunk, waving to it as it crawled up. He returned to Rei with a smile.
"He's gone," he said simply, "You're safe, Rei-chan."
At that point, Rei felt the embarrassment towards his response to the situation, straightening his posture quickly and readjusting his glasses.
"Good," he said calmly, "Thank you for picking it off me."
"No problem," Nagisa giggled, nuzzling his forehead against Rei's arm, "You're so cute, Rei-chan."
"Don't call me cute after calling an insect cute…" Rei grumbled, covering his face to hide the blush spreading to his cheeks.
"Aw, but butterflies are cute…"
"Are you calling me an insect?"
"You're blushing about it, though."
"I'M NOT BLUSHING!"
Nagisa giggled again and took his hand, giving it a tug.
"Come on," he said, "Let's go get you some of that shaved ice to cool you down."
The next hour passed with no luck. Even after visiting several booths, nothing caught Nagisa's interest enough that Rei deemed it an acceptable gift. The festival would come to a close before long, so he had until then to find something suitable. If only he had bought Nagisa a gift in the first place, this date wouldn't be so stressful. Through the few games Nagisa participated in and the events they watched, Rei's mind was heavy with worry. If he didn't have anything for Nagisa by the end of the night, how was he supposed to explain himself?
The lack of presence beside him became apparent, and Rei turned around in a panic, relieved to see Nagisa had only stopped a few feet away. He returned to his side, trying to catch his breath from the scare.
"Nagisa-kun, please tell me when you stop walking," he said, "I don't want us to get separated."
Nagisa didn't appear to have heard a word of what he said, gazing intently at the booth in front of them. It appeared to be a cork-shooting game, with a generous supply of prizes lined up on the four shelves, most of which would be difficult to budge due to their weight. Among those, on the very top shelf, was a very large, purple and pink stuffed penguin—exactly what had Nagisa's eye. At last!
"D-Do you like that?" Rei asked, just to be sure.
"Yeah," Nagisa said with a warm smile, still at the penguin, "He's so cute!"
He looked at Rei confidently.
"I'm gonna win him!" he announced.
"Ah! Here!" Rei said, quickly handing him some money, "Good luck, Nagisa-kun!"
Cheerily, Nagisa handed the vendor the money and received the cork gun. It was immediately obvious how this was going to end as Nagisa leaned in holding the gun with one hand while balancing on one foot. Sure enough, the cork popped out of the barrel and hit the top of the tent, falling lifelessly to the floor.
"Aww," he whined, "I missed."
Rei tilted his head, pursing his lips contemplatively as his mind went to work. Of course they had set this up so it would be near impossible to knock a plush of that size from the shelf with such small ammunition, but it had to be possible. There had to be a weak spot somewhere in its balance.
"Let me give it try," he said, holding his hand out for the cork gun.
"Rei-chan wants to try?" Nagisa asked, stunned.
"With my calculations and precision, I'll definitely be able to get it down for you," Rei said confidently as he adjusted his glasses.
Nagisa handed over the rifle excitedly, eyes wide in astonishment at what he was about to witness, to Rei's absolute delight. He handed the vendor the fee before kneeling to steady his aim at the plush toy, staring intensely into its beady eyes. It was hard to ignore Nagisa's gazing in hopes of seeing something amazing. He had almost too much faith in him. But Rei would do anything to win him that prize. He wouldn't fail him. Holding the rifle steady at eyelevel, he lined up the barrel with the penguin. He restrained from looking through only one eye, something he'd heard was a mistake in taking aim. Lastly, he made a few observations regarding the visual weight of the target, paired with the estimated weight, velocity, and impact of the pellet awaiting fire. If he was remembering correctly from the way it fired when Nagisa made his attempt, it had a fair amount of speed, but little impact. The success of this would all depend on the penguin's weight now. His eyes scanned the plush up and down, discerning where the balance would be most easily upset. Starting first at the bottom, he noticed a protruding head of a screw beneath the shelf. Perhaps…
Rei's finger curled around the trigger as he inhaled evenly, lining up with his target at an angle. With a brief prayer to the gods for the shot to succeed, he fired. A click was heard from across the tent and the cork fell to the floor.
"Aw, Rei-chan missed it, too," Nagisa sighed with disappointment.
Rei scratched his head as he stood and faced his date. He was sure he had hit the screw. If his calculations had been correct, it should have dislodged the loose screw and dropped the side of the shelf along with the penguin. What went wrong?
"That's strange," he said, "I swear I had—"
His sentence was cut off by a faint, strained whine from across the way, followed by a loud clatter and a few yelps from some of the other people around the stand. Slowly, Rei turned back to assess the damage, feeling his heart plop into his stomach at the sight of a pile of prizes from the three shelves below the penguin, which had dismounted themselves from the display and taken out the penguin's as well. The vendor stared at the mess, overwhelmed. Nagisa snorted, covering his nose and mouth quickly.
"Don't you dare laugh," Rei said through his teeth, then bowing to the vendor as Nagisa reduced to a fit of stifled giggles, "I-I am so sorry."
"I-It's fine," the vendor assured him with a broken smile, "It was my fault for not assembling it more securely. I guess you technically did knock your prize down."
He approached the pile and pushed away the fallen boards and goods, retrieving the large penguin to hand over.
"Congratulations," he said more genuinely.
"Th-Thank you," Rei said graciously, "A-Again, I'm deeply sorry."
The vendor reassured him again, sending them on their way so he could clean up. Nagisa continued to snicker the entire time they walked away.
"Will you stop?! It's not funny!" Rei hissed, his face ablaze in a deep blush.
This, of course, only escalated the stifled giggles into gut-busting laughter.
"IT TOOK OUT FOUR SHELVES!" he howled, "IT ALL CAME CRASHING DOWN! THAT WOULD ONLY HAPPEN TO YOU, REI-CHAN!"
"You're terrible," Rei pouted, hiding his burning face in the plush hide of the penguin.
"I CAN'T-! I CAN'T BREATHE! OW, MY TUMMY!"
"You're actually the worst."
Nagisa's laugh went almost silent aside from soft wheezes. Rei peeked out from behind the penguin to glare at him, but instead took notice to his smile. Even at the expense of his own dignity, he'd made Nagisa laugh so heartily. He brought a smile to his face on a special day, surely something he would always remember fondly. Despite his embarrassment, Rei smiled and laughed a bit with him, amused when Nagisa developed hiccups as a result. Once Nagisa had quieted, leaving only a wide grin and a quiet series of yelps, he held out the gift.
"Happy birthday, Nagisa-kun," he said.
Nagisa beamed from ear to ear, hiccupping once before throwing his arms around Rei tightly and nuzzling his face into his chest.
"Thank (-hic-) you, Rei-chan," he said, "I lo(-hic-)ove him!"
Rei chuckled, placing his hand to Nagisa's head to stroke his hair back affectionately. His present was undoubtedly a success.
A loud crack caught their attention as a bright red firework launched into the night sky, blooming fully and filling the air with a smoky scent.
"The firework show is starting!" Nagisa said, "C'mon, Rei-chan, let's go get a better look!"
Leading him by the hand and carrying the penguin in the other, Nagisa took off to the edge of the festival by the harbor, where the fireworks reflected in the ripples of the ocean below. Colors exploded all across the dark, some taking familiar shapes, all creating a breathtakingly beautiful sight. Yet, Rei's eyes drifted away to look at his boyfriend, who still held onto his hand as he marveled at the fireworks. His other arm wrapped tightly around his new penguin, which was about half his size. By Rei's standards, this night went very well; Nagisa was content, he had found the perfect gift, and all was well between them. He gave the small hand in his a little squeeze, looking back up at the fireworks again feeling a bit self-congratulatory.
The festival ended with the last of the fireworks, and the two began their walk to the train station together. They walked slowly, their shoes clopping in a steady rhythm with the quiet nightlife. Nagisa insisted on carrying his penguin by himself, though clearly struggling even with both arms, but looking at it so fondly along the way.
"I'm glad you like him, Nagisa-kun," Rei said, contentedly watching his boyfriend interacting with the plush.
"I love him," Nagisa cooed, nuzzling his face against the penguin's, "I'm calling him Penji-chan."
"That's a nice name," Rei said, though not entirely sure where it came from, "I know you'll take good care of him."
Nagisa finally looked over at him, adoringly.
"You're really amazing, Rei-chan," he said, "You won me a penguin from the impossible cork shooting game, you took me on an amazing date, and all after planning a surprise birthday party for me. That's incredible…"
Rei's smile faded with his feelings of celebration. Nagisa really believed all of that. He held him so high, believing everything he did was perfect. But it wasn't. Rei knew it wasn't. He'd made a terrible mistake in it all, and though he found Nagisa a gift in the end, the idea that it he hadn't put enough thought into it was sort of a cop-out. After all, their other friends carefully chose things for him they knew he would love. He let Nagisa choose his own gift. Was that really acceptable? Was it really okay to let Nagisa praise him knowing he was undeserving?
"I… have a confession to make…" he mumbled.
He struggled to make eye contact as Nagisa faced him attentively with those sweet, curious eyes. It was painfully obvious that he was underestimating the seriousness of this statement. Despite that, Rei collected himself enough to come clean.
"I, um… I'd forgotten to buy you a present for your birthday. And… I've spent tonight looking for one for you. B-But not because I don't care about you, it's just there was so much to put together for your party this afternoon and our date for tonight, it completely slipped my mind! I just… didn't want to lie to you…"
"But Rei-chan gave me a party and a fun date," Nagisa said, "And you bought me all sorts of tasty food today, like the strawberries, and the squid, and the shaved ice, and the chocolate banana, and the—"
"I know!" Rei interjected, "But—! To forget to buy you a present for your birthday when I'm your boyfriend was completely irresponsible and I can't accept that!"
"You won Penji-chan for me," said Nagisa, lifting up the sizeable plush.
"But it was a last-minute—!"
"Rei-chan."
A hand caught his gently, taking him by surprise. He looked towards Nagisa, who gazed back reassuringly.
"Today was amazing," he promised, "This was the best birthday I've ever had, and it was because of you. Thank you…"
The best he'd ever had? All because of him? Whether or not he was exaggerating was uncertain, but his happiness seemed honest. As long as Nagisa had a good birthday overall, Rei's planning hadn't completely failed. He cleared his throat, facing down while readjusting his glasses with his free hand, and tightening his grasp on Nagisa's hand with the other.
"Ah…" he murmured, "That's… good to know."
Nagisa chuckled and walked a bit closer to his side, playfully leaning against his arm.
The date drew to a close at Nagisa's front porch once more. They faced each other with shy smiles, hands reluctantly parting. Holding his penguin in both arms again, Nagisa let out a soft, contented sigh.
"Thanks again," he said, "I'm glad just the two of us got to go to the festival again. I had a lot of fun with you."
"I'm glad," Rei said.
He cupped Nagisa's face in his hands, kissing each cheek, his forehead, and his nose gently, each producing a soft giggle that sent his heart fluttering. Nagisa smiled up at him expectantly as he pulled away from the fourth kiss. Immediately, the onset of regret tightened Rei's chest, worsened as visible disappointment softened the sweet smile on the blond's face.
It was evident what he wanted, but what if it wasn't all he expected? What if he was disappointed in his first kiss because Rei hadn't studied? But maybe tonight would be for the best. It was his birthday after all, and Rei knew for certain that Nagisa wanted to be kissed by him. Leaving him disappointed after a night that should end happily wouldn't be right. Taking a deep breath, Rei closed his eyes and leaned in towards Nagisa's face. More abruptly than expected, his lips met a soft surface, and as he opened his eyes curiously, he found that they had met Nagisa's hand instead.
"Rei-chan," he whispered, "Don't kiss me unless you're ready."
Rei's eyes dropped out of contact.
"I'm sorry, Nagisa-kun," he said guiltily, "I wish I could for you tonight, but I want it—"
"To be perfect," Nagisa finished, smiling more genuinely, "Don't worry about it, Rei-chan. I want you to be ready for it, too."
He held up the penguin so that its face was level with Rei's.
"You could practice on Penji-chan," he said.
While it was usually clear whether or not Nagisa was joking, at that moment it wasn't at all. He chuckled to himself, amused by his own suggestion, but he didn't lower the plush again. It wasn't like Rei could make a terrible mistake either way. He decided to humor him. Leaning forward a little awkwardly, Rei hesitantly pressed a light, brief kiss to the penguin's soft beak. The fibers of its hide were furry against his lips, and the smell of the festival still lingered on it. It took him back to his own childhood when he used to have a plush toy that he would kiss goodnight until he had grown too old for it. At least, that's what he told himself. Once he pulled away, he caught a glimpse of Nagisa's blushing face just before he hid it in Penji's back. Was that out of line?
Nagisa lifted his face so that he could peer up at Rei shyly.
"A-Actually, Rei-chan…" he stammered, "There is one more thing I'd like…"
A request?
"What's that?" Rei asked, ready to fulfill anything.
There was a reluctant pause.
"Could you… hold me?"
The simple wish caught him by surprise. Since when were Nagisa's requests so humble? Regardless, this was something Rei could provide effortlessly, requiring no extra planning on his part. With a gentle smile, he nodded. Nagisa smiled back and placed Penji on the porch, then stepping a little closer to allow Rei to wrap his arms around him before returning the embrace. Even in the warmth of the summer's night, Rei felt so much more comfortably warm in the arms of his most cherished friend. His nose nestled more deeply into the locks of golden hair as he pressed a kiss to his head, catching the familiar aroma of strawberry twined with a savory scent from the festival's foods. Nagisa burrowed his face against his chest, his eyelashes batting against his exposed skin. In that moment, Rei felt nothing less than completely at peace.
At home, Rei sat on his bed with his open cell phone, staring into the screen anxiously. Since he had planned a surprise party, none of their friends left voicemails that morning to wish Nagisa a happy birthday, which in hindsight may have been the most damaging factor for his mood that morning. At least now that he knew why, it wouldn't hurt so badly. Still, Rei wanted to give him the message he had expected and deserved. This, of course, resulted in him stumbling over his words as everything came out wrong and the message cut off in the middle of an explanation. He couldn't even get something as simple as a voicemail right.
He replayed the day in his head, determining it went mostly well since Nagisa was happy for the majority of the time afterwards. Then again, there was still a moment he wasn't. Rei's hand lifted to his cheek, where Nagisa's lips had touched earlier. Clearly, he sought that kind of physical affection Rei wasn't sure if he was able to provide in his current state of ignorance. If he wanted that to change, he needed to start studying as soon and as much as possible.
A new message appeared in his inbox, which Rei opened quickly to reply with a profuse apology, only to find an unexpected response.
-youre adorable, Rei-chan~ (/^/^/) thanks again for today! cant wait 2 do this again! ;) goodnight! penji-chan says goodnight too! (ovo)
"Again." Rei loosened at the word, smiling slightly. Nagisa had such saint-like patience for his shortcomings. Releasing a sigh, he lay back in bed against his pillow, taking a few extra minutes to re-read the text over and absorb every word before closing his phone for the night. Laying beneath the covers, he was reminded of the warmth he felt from their embrace. The only thing he truly asked for all day was that gesture. Maybe simple gestures would be just as accepted as grandiose gestures.
Perhaps for awhile, until he was ready to kiss Nagisa, Rei needed to approach these dates even more simply. Surely, he could find things that would still mean a lot to his boyfriend that didn't require too much planning ahead. They still had to see a movie together, and he mentioned a beach trip before, both easy dates to fulfill. The less to plan, the less there would be to fail, the easier it would be to go perfectly.
Rei let his eyelids fall sleepily, wrapping up his last thoughts. Though the first two dates had their share of flaws, failure was necessary to find success. By that logic, the perfect date was not far off.
(Author's Note: I actually managed to finish this in time for Nagisa's birthday~! qwq Happy birthday, Nagisa! Eat lots of strawberries!)