Gift fic for mirai_ke


Title: A Sweet Story
Pairing: Nakamaru / Kame
Rating: PG 13
Warnings: None
Summary: He felt like his life was rather boring, just going through the motions. He didn’t know he wanted things shaken up a bit, at least until Kaamenashi came along and flipped things around.
Notes: Only that I hope you enjoy it!
-

Day in, day out.

For Nakamaru, every day was usually the same. Wake up, go to work, run any necessary errands, go home, relax, and then sleep.

It was so easy to fall into a pattern. The type of person that he was, he enjoyed the stability that his life offered him.

But it still got boring – even he craved excitement sometimes.

“Welcome,” he greeted after hearing the door open, arranging some of the sweets behind the glass to be more aesthetically pleasing. He was quite a perfectionist when it came to his pastries and how they looked.

“Is that how you’re always going to greet me?” Came the teasing response from a familiar voice. Nakamaru looked up, smiling at the sight of his good friend. Of course Masuda had come to see him – he usually did.

“Probably, it’s how I greet everyone,” he replied with a chuckle as Masuda came in to admire the glass case of sweets that were being offered today. Nakamaru enjoyed the way his eyes always lit up at the sight of them. Masuda was a type of person who loved food, especially sweets.

“What’ll it be today?”


“No rush, no rush,” Masuda stated, lifting his hand before looking at Nakamaru with a fairly cheeky grin.

“You know that I need time to decide.” And that time could vary between two minutes to twenty, depending on the day and what was out.

“Okay, okay. No rush,” Nakamaru agreed, stemming the amusement in his voice as Masuda looked at the case intently. He noticed that the latter was eyeing the Choux Cream – it was one of his most popular sweets. He glanced in the direction of the door as people passed by. It was usually pretty slow on weekdays; that’s why he was glad when Masuda came to visit him, so it wasn’t as boring.

“I’ll take the choux cream, please!” He piped up a couple of minutes later. Nakamaru smiled, retrieving one of the containers and placing a few of the cream puff type sweets into it before closing it as Masuda took out some cash.

“Keep the change,” he winked, handing it over in exchange for his sweets, eyeing them happily.

“Such a good customer. Thanks,” Nakamaru laughed, nodding as he typed in the transaction, slipping the cash into the register.

“Thank you! I’ll share these with my room-mate.” Masuda grinned, saluting before heading out the door again, leaving Nakamaru to rearrange the sweets in the case yet again, waiting for the next customer to come in.

Being a Pâtisserie could be hard sometimes.
-
Another day.

Another day that Nakamaru hit his snooze button, debated going back to sleep, but got up anyway to face the day. Going through his morning routine as he usually did, he headed to work and arrived before his shift began to prep the desserts he would sell.

As usual.

The one thing that could change about his days were the sweets. He liked having that control, that ability to change something about his days. It was part of what he loved about his job, he supposed; making beautiful desserts, displaying them, and having others buy and enjoy them. It made them happy, which made him happy in return.

That day, he decided to make Mont Blanc and a few other variety of cakes to display.

A bit later, he got everything set out perfectly, organized and looking good.

Now he just had to wait for customers to arrive; it didn’t take very long that day. Hearing the door open, Nakamaru glanced up, seeing another familiar face approach the counter.

“Uwaah, you have the Mont Blanc out today?”

“Welcome, it’s nice to see you too Tat-chan.”

“Hey Yucchi,” came the response from Ueda, who’s eyes were now glued on the small cakes in the case. “I love your Mont Blanc, I’ll take two!”

“Is one of those for your sister? Or are they both for you?” Nakamaru couldn’t help but joke with a chuckle as he reached into the back of the case, putting two Mont Blanc’s into the box as he observed Ueda taking out his money.

“We’ll see how I feel after I eat the first one.” Ueda laughed, handing the money over as Nakamaru handed the bag to his friend. “Thanks. Hey, do you want to do lunch this weekend?”

He and Ueda went way back – knowing each other since high school. It was the same with Masuda. The three of them got along pretty well, and Nakamaru found it pretty great that they were still as close as they were. He and Ueda constantly went out for lunch, and they often hung out all three of them as well.

“Sure, I’m free on Sunday. I’ll pick you up?”

Ueda handed the cash over, a bright smile on his face as Nakamaru took it and gave him back his change.

“Sounds good! See you then, if I don’t come back before then.”

Ueda gave a small salute before heading towards the door, only to nearly collide with someone else rushing in. They bumped shoulders, and Nakamaru didn’t miss the glare that Ueda sent the stranger before heading out the door. Wincing, Nakamaru gave the man a nod.

“Welcome.”

The man approached the counter, and the first thing Nakamaru noticed was that he looked quite stressed out.

“Hi, yeah,” came the greeting in response. “Can you make cakes for birthday parties?” Nakamaru’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. He hadn’t gotten a request like that in a while.

“I can,” he replied, noting the other deflate and his expression turning to one of relief.

“Thank you so much, can it be done by Saturday?”

“Sure,” Nakamaru nodded, taking out a pen and a piece of paper. “What flavor would you like?”

“Strawberry, with buttercream frosting.” The man answered, now leaning against the counter and peering at Nakamaru’s list. His first thought was does he need to be this close? But he dismissed it.

“Any theme for the party, or words you want put on it?”

“It’s a regular princess type of party. And for the words, just ‘happy birthday’ is good.” Nakamaru jotted the information down, nodding to himself as he looked up to meet the eyes of the other man. Maybe it was because of how close the other was to him, but Nakamaru could have sworn that he hadn’t seen eyes that dark or expressive before. Clearing his throat, he double checked that he had everything he needed.

“Who should I put the order down for? And if you wouldn’t mind, a contact number.”

“I haven’t had anyone ask for my number so nonchalantly before.” The tone was joking, but Nakamaru couldn’t help the surprised reaction, which caused the other to laugh. He gestured for the pen and the paper, so Nakamaru turned the paper around and handed him the pen. He definitely wasn’t used to people who were so forward.

The male wrote down his information and turned the paper back towards Nakamaru, who then gazed over it. He had impeccably neat writing.

Kamenashi Kazuya, his name was.

Kamenashi gave him a small smile, bowing his head. “I appreciate that you can do this for me. You don’t know how difficult it is to get somebody to make a cake for a young girl on such short notice.” Nakamaru gave a smile, setting the pen down and shaking his head.

“It’s no problem, it’s what I do. I mean – not that specifically, but baking is what I do.” He nodded, berating himself a little for coming off so awkwardly. He didn’t want to scare off a new potential regular by acting strange and saying weird things. “I’ll give you a call when it’s done and ready to pick up.”

“Thank you again,” Kamenashi grinned, bowing his head again. “I have to be off to work in a jiffy, so can I pay you when I pick it up?”

“Sure.”

“Thank you,” he repeated again, giving a small wave as he quickly yet gracefully scurried out the door. Nakamaru shook his head, folding up the paper and tucking it into his apron for future reference as he went back to arranging the display case.

Little did he know, his life and his schedules would be turned upside down.
-
Nakamaru had never really made a birthday cake for pay before, that’s why, even with the clear outline Kamenashi had given him, he was a bit uneasy about doing it. He didn’t know why; he was a baker, this was the kind of thing that he did for a living.

So, he began the cake on that Friday, so he’d have time to finish it, and it would still be fresh when Kamenashi came to pick it up for the birthday party. Baking the cake perfectly wasn’t a problem – making the icing (in the colour of pink, given that it was a princess party) wasn’t a problem either. But having the cake baked and iced, Nakamaru didn’t really know what else to do with it. Should he put little flowers on it, should he draw a crown in a different colour of frosting? He didn’t know – even if he thought they were nice ideas, he didn’t know what the customer would think. His eyes went down to the card the other had written his information on. For a brief moment, Nakamaru considered calling him to double check and ask again what he wanted on the cake. But he figured that would be a waste of the other man’s time.

Taking a different colour of frosting, he carefully wrote out “Happy Birthday” over the top of the cake, while leaving some room in case he decided to do something else. Nakamaru was torn out of his thoughts and what he was doing when the phone rang.

“Hello, this is Majisu Bakery. How may I help you?”

“Hey, this is Kamenashi, I ordered the princess birthday party cake.” Nakamaru’s eyes widened a little in surprise.

“Oh hello, I was actually just thinking about you.”

“Eh?”

The reply sounded completely normal until he replayed it in his mind, which followed by an internal berating of himself as his cheeks got warm.

“I-I meant the cake you ordered,” he explained, hoping the other didn’t hear the discomfort he now felt.
“Sorry about that. Did you need anything else?”

“The party got pushed back a little, is it okay if I come pick it up now?”

“Sure thing, it’s ready and waiting for you.”

“Great, I’ll be there in a bit.”

After trading farewells, Nakamaru hung up with a low exhale. He supposed that it was good enough the way it was, but he drew a princess crown in the top corner in icing anyway, before heading to the back to box it.

It didn’t take long for Kamenashi to arrive. And, much to his surprise, he had a young girl in tow.

“Is the cake ready?” He asked, and Nakamaru just looked at him in surprise for a moment before glancing down at the young girl.

“It is ready,” he replied. “Is this the princess who I made the cake for?” Kamenashi chuckled.

“She is, I was looking after her today and I mentioned picking up the cake, so she had to come with me.”

“Hold on a moment, I’ll go get it for you.” Nakamaru gave them both a smile before going to retrieve the cake, coming back to the front. “Should I show her, and ask if she approves?” Kamenashi let out a soft laugh as the young girl reacted excitedly upon his suggestion. Coming around to the front of the counter, he picked up the box and knelt down to her level and showed it to her. It warmed his heart to see how she gaped and looked at it, her eyes shining.

“It’s so pretty!”

“I’m glad you think so. You’ll be able to have it for your party, as soon as your papa pays for it.”

“My papa? He’s at home!”

At that, Nakamaru’s heart skipped a beat – he had assumed something he shouldn’t have. He slowly looked up at Kamenashi, whose expression seemed more amused than anything.

“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed.” He dipped his head in a bow after standing up, placing the cake on the counter again.

“You aren’t the first,” Kamenashi dismissed the apology with a shake of his head. “She’s my niece.”
Nakamaru felt utterly embarrassed for saying what he did.

“I’m still really sorry. Ah, I’m so embarrassed… Anyway, how would you like to pay?” Going back around to the other side of the counter, he tapped the number into the cash register.

“Credit, please.” The other then glanced over towards the display case, admiring some of the sweets there. “And throw in a Mont Blanc too.” Nodding slowly, he tapped in the price and turned the credit machine towards Kamenashi as he grabbed one of the Mont Blancs to bag, handing the bags over to the latter once the transaction was complete.

“Thanks again, you’re a lifesaver for doing this.” Kamenashi smiled towards him as he took the bag, taking the young girls hand as well.

“I’m glad to have helped. Enjoy the cake, alright?” He directed that statement to both of them as he gave a small wave with a smile. Kamenashi bowed again before leading the girl out.
-
The next day, both Ueda and Masuda came back, so they went out for lunch as the three of them. It was nice to get out of his work frame of mind for a while, he had to admit. But either way, he couldn’t stop thinking about how the birthday party went, and if they enjoyed his last minute cake. He was only half listening to the other two’s conversation about some girl they had met. He barely even heard as the conversation turned to him.

“Oh, how did your first order for a birthday cake go?” It was Ueda who asked the question that brought him out of his thoughts, and he felt his lips tug into a small smile at the remembering of how Kamenashi came in with his niece, and how she approved of the cake.

“It was good,” he stated in response. “The guy- Kamenashi, he came back earlier than I thought and he had his niece with him, I guess it was a birthday cake for her. I wonder if they enjoyed it.” Picking up his water again, he took a slow sip before taking a bite of the udon he had ordered. “I was thinking of calling him up and asking how it went over, but I don’t know if that would be a bother or not.”

“Maybe you should wait and see if he come to you. I mean, I know from experience that once a person tastes your sweets, they can’t get enough,” he stated, soon after slurping on his own noodles while Masuda nodded in agreement.

“It was fun, I’ve never made a birthday cake for someone else like that before. I’m kind of glad that he came in and asked me, he’s a pretty cool guy.”

“You don’t know much about him though, do you?” Masuda asked as Ueda snickered a little into his glass.

“You’re talking about this guy a lot, Yuichi~ He must have left a big impression on you.” Nakamaru blinked a little at the others suggestive look, eyebrows furrowing slightly. Ueda was right, usually he didn’t talk about any customers or orders this much. However, he just shrugged it off as he sipped at his water again.

“I guess he has a strong personality. Sorry, I’ll stop talking about it now. How did your guys’ day go?” Continuing to eat, he laughed and chatted with the two of them. He wanted to enjoy the time he had with them before he had to go back to work again the next day.
-

Monday.

It was probably the most dreaded day of the work week – but still, Nakamaru got up, went through his morning routine before heading off to work.

As usual, the shop was pretty empty for the first couple of hours, which allowed him to do a bit of baking and decorating of other desserts that he would put out later. But, at around midmorning, he started getting quite a few more customers – more than usual, at least. It was surprising, but he did his best to keep up with all of the orders.

The most popular item was the Mont Blanc. He greeted each new customer with a smile and positive attitude to cover up his confusion at the situation. He was happy as the desserts and pastries he mad got chosen by an influx of customers, but it seemed to be over as soon as it started. At that point, he noticed that the Mont Blanc part of the case was empty.
-
After his lunch break that day, the activity in the shop was down to the regular amount, so it left him enough time to do some more baking to add a couple more things back to the case. Around mid-way through the afternoon, another customer came in. It was a familiar face, one that Nakamaru was pretty happy to see.

“Good afternoon,” he greeted the other with a smile, looking down at the familiar young girl as well.

“Hey,” Kamenashi greeted him with a grin, seeming to be way more casual than he was. Not that Nakamaru really minded. “She insisted we come back so she could thank you for the cake.” Coming around the counter, he gave the other man a smile before crouching down to the young girls’ level.

“I’m really glad that you liked it.” He said with a kind smile before looking up. “So I’m guessing it went over well at the party?”

“Well is an understatement, everybody loved it.” Kamenashi assured him with a grin. “And the Mont Blanc was delicious too, I had to tell my friends about it.”

Suddenly, the extra customers from earlier that morning made sense.

“I appreciate it,” he expressed as he stood up straight again, looking between the two of them. “I had a lot more people than normal come in this morning, and most of them asked for Mont Blanc. So, I guess I have you to thank for that.” Kamenashi’s expression was surprised, causing Nakamaru to chuckle as he went back behind the counter.

“Really? I guess they took me seriously when I told them that they had to try it.” Grinning again, he looked into the case.

“Is there anything I can get you today?” He asked, noticing Kamenashi eyeing the Castella, as well as the daifuku.

“What do you think?” He asked to the young girl, bending down to her level. She pointed at the Mont Blanc. “That’s a good choice. Ah, I’ll have two of the Mont Blanc’s, a piece of the Castella, and a daifuku please.” Nakamaru keyed in the order to the register before going to put the items in boxes, bagging them up.

“Are you having some sort of party again?” The tone came out more teasing than anything.

“I want to try all of Nakamaru-kun’s sweets now.” Kamenashi replied, sending him a wink as he got out his wallet.

How shameless, he thought.

Regardless, that simple action caused his stomach to do a couple of flips, as he laughed it off.

“You’ll have to come back a lot, then.”

“I’ll come back every day, if I have to.” Kamenashi nodded, putting his credit card away after the payment went through.

“Then, I guess I’ll see you again soon.” He smiled, despite the fact that he really only wanted to blush and stammer out his response, not being used to such comments or compliments.

“You can bet on it,” he stated surely with a salute before taking his niece’s hand again.

“Take care,” Nakamaru waved him off as he exited with his bag in hand.

Somehow, he felt really happy.
-
Kamenashi kept his word, much to his (slight) surprise. He came back each day during that same week, taking a different sweet each time. Nakamaru thought that he was just being nice, not that he was actually completely serious about trying everything he had to offer. Over the following weeks, the amount of customers he had grew still as well, and he was making a lot more money overall while being able to get to know Kamenashi more, and letting the other get to know him better as well. It was a nice turn of events, Nakamaru thought, to have a reason to look forward to each day as opposed to just going through the motions

Ever since he met Kamenashi, in a way he felt like he was living more fully, even though not much had really changed.

“What would you say to hanging out, like outside of here?” He asked one day, sticking a dango in his mouth and humming happily. Kamenashi had taken to eating the sweets right in the shop where Nakamaru was within view. So when he came by, Nakamaru invited him into the back so he could eat, and they could chat, depending on the busyness of the day.

It was a privilege that only Kamenashi had – not even Ueda or Masuda were allowed to.

“I wouldn’t be opposed, if you can find time out of your schedule to find time for me.” The words came out in a bit of a teasing tone. Though, Nakamaru had found out that Kamenashi had a couple of different jobs to help pay his student loans off. Being a photography major seemed to be a bit tough.

“Of course I can,” the younger man grinned at him as he finished off the dango, standing up so he could head back to the front to pay. “I’m going to need your information though.”

“Right, of course.” Suddenly he felt a bit flustered as he followed the other, grabbing a pen and paper. Scrawling down his phone number and email as Kamenashi paid, he thought of what that could possibly mean.

“Here you are,” handing over the slip of paper, his head bowed which caused Kamenashi to laugh.

“No need to be so formal with me. I’ll see you around, okay?” He gave a wave, eyes bright with a smile that Nakamaru couldn’t help but return as he waved the other off.

It was just that moment that Ueda walked in.

“You look happy.” He commented, mouth opening a little as he spotted the dango. Nakamaru didn’t even need to take his order before packaging some of the sweets up for his friend.

“Do I? I guess it’s been a good day so far,” he shrugged, though his mind was still on the man who had just left moments before Ueda had entered. The latter gave him some sort of look, handing over cash to pay and taking the bag.

“You’ve been looking a lot happier for the past week or two, even. Did you meet someone?”
Nakamaru’s eyebrows knitted together as his head tilted.

“Why do you ask that?”

“Because you look like someone usually does when they’re smitten.”

Much to his own embarrassment, his mind travelled to Kamenashi.

“You totally do like someone!” Ueda accused while studying his face before leaning close. “Who is it, do I know them?” Nakamaru sputtered, trying to ward off his questions.

“It’s not like that,” he defended – though he was sure that Ueda was already locked solid on his idea.

“Alright, well I’ll be watching.” He said with a wink.

Ueda seemed really creepy in that moment.

“Shut up and go enjoy your dango.” Nakamaru huffed, giving the other his change. Ueda gave a quirky grin and saluted before heading out. Leaning against the counter, he sighed a little and shook the gathering thoughts from his mind.

He didn’t like Kamenashi like that…right? Of course not, he was a logical thinker – and it had only been two or three weeks since they met.

Maybe he did feel a bit smitten…However, he figured that it was because Kamenashi came and changed his daily routine, made it a bit more exciting. Plus he was rather physically attractive as well… Especially his eyes. He pondered this a bit longer, chin in his hand as he watched the door after Ueda left.

No, there was no way. He didn’t even know if Kamenashi swung that way.
--
They agreed to hang out the following Sunday. Nakamaru even decided to try out a new cookie recipe so he could bring them to the other man. He had second thoughts about the idea because he didn’t know how it would come off, but it won over because he knew how much Kamenashi loved sweets. Nakamaru wondered how he kept his slim figure, with his muscles so toned as well with the way he ate. But alas, he pushed the thought away and headed out as soon as he was presentable enough.

He spent a while getting ready that morning. He wanted to look good – casual, like he wasn’t trying too hard to impress, but also to impress. He didn’t want to look like he was trying too hard. He shook those thoughts off, grabbed what he might need and headed out the door. Kamenashi had suggested they meet at a nearby coffee shop. Nakamaru thought that it was ideal, since there would be other people around. He figured he might feel a bit awkward if they were alone together at this point in time, based on where his thoughts had went before.

Huh, his thoughts got a bit weird again.

The drive to the coffee place was a relatively short one. Even so, Nakamaru found himself beginning to grow nervous for what seemed like no reason. He tried to reason with himself that his feelings were reasonable, but he still couldn’t come up with any good explanation for them. He sat in his car for a bit before gathering himself again, taking the small tin of cookies and soon heading into the coffee shop, looking around for the familiar face. He soon spotted the other at a table near the window in the back. Kamenashi hadn’t noticed him yet, so Nakamaru stood there for a moment to watch him. His mannerisms were somehow peculiar – the way he held and carried himself made it seem like he was really confident with himself. Even sitting there, posture straight yet relaxed, Nakamaru got that impression from him.

He snapped out of those thoughts, figuring it would be weird if he was caught staring.

Nakamaru headed over towards the table that Kamenashi was sitting at, giving a smile and slight bow of greeting. “Good afternoon.”

“You’re still greeting me really formally,” Kamenashi noted with a chuckle, gesturing for Nakamaru to take a seat. Smiling sheepishly, he sat across from the other and placed the tin on the table. Kamenashi’s eyes seemed to be drawn to it immediately.

“I baked some cookies – it’s a new recipe, and I thought you might like to try it out, or take some for your niece.”

“That was really thoughtful.” He smiled, and the sides of his eyes crinkled a little in an endearing way. “I’ll definitely save some for her. Can I eat some now?”

“Go ahead,” Nakamaru nodded, stifling a chuckle at the other’s eagerness and enthusiasm. He must have really liked Nakamaru’s sweets.

He watched as Kamenashi opened the tin, eyes sparkling as he picked up one of the cookies and took a bite out of it, tasting it.

“Uwa, this is delicious! As expected of Nakamaru-kun’s baking.” Kamenashi grinned, finishing off the cookie rather quickly as Nakamaru ordered himself a green tea latte.

“I’m glad you like them.”

“Have you been baking for a long time? You seriously seem like an expert.” On impulse, he ruffled the back of his hair.

“Ever since I can remember,” he answered simply. “To my knowledge, I’ve always been baking.”

“Seriously?” The look on Kamenashi’s face was a bit awed. “Even when you were really young?”
Nakamaru could only nod. He didn’t really remember exactly when he started, but he had been doing it as long as he could remember, starting with his mother and grandmother in the kitchen.

“Yeah, since I was young.” Kamenashi picked up another cookie and munched on it slowly.

“It shows.”

“What about you?” Nakamaru asked, itching to get the topic of conversation off of himself already. “What are some of your hobbies?” Kamenashi chuckled, swallowing the bite.

“I told you about photography. What else is there…” His head tilted in what seemed like pretty deep thought. “I dance and I play music sometimes, too. My favorite instrument and the one I’m best at is the guitar.” Nakamaru found it hard to believe. How could somebody be that multi-talented?

“Really?” He asked instead of letting his disbelief show, thanking the waiter who brought over his latte. Kamenashi nodded. “So I guess you’re one of those people with a knack for the arts, right?” Kamenashi chuckled, taking a sip from his coffee.

“I suppose you could say that. I’ve always liked these kinds of things. I wasn’t always the best with academics during school.”

“I see,” Nakamaru took a sip from his latte. “So you were drawn to music and art, then?”

“I was. My sister took ballet when we were younger, so I’ve always had a bit of an interest in dance.”

Nakamaru was learning more about him. Somehow it felt a bit odd, even if this was something he’d do with Ueda or Masuda any day.

Maybe it was because it was Kamenashi, someone who he wasn’t all too familiar with. But, even while learning more about him, he still sparked Nakamaru’s interest.

It also began to feel really comfortable, which he considered odd as well.
“That sounds nice. Both of my sisters were into painting. I tried to get involved with it as well, but it didn’t stick with me,” he told, hands cupping his drink. “Though I was better in academics than most in my class. So I guess we’re kind of the opposite.” Kamenashi laughed, and the sound was melodious to Nakamaru’s ears.


“Maybe we are, but we get along rather well, no? They do say opposites attract after all.”

Nakamaru sputtered a little on his tea, cheeks growing warm. Why did everything sound like flirting coming from him?

Then again, maybe it was.

But then again – why would he want to flirt with Nakamaru?

He figured that it was just how Kamenashi’s personality was. The younger man was special in his opinion – it was in a weird way. Not bad, not necessarily good either, but just weird. Maybe that’s why Nakamaru found him so intriguing.

“Maybe that’s true.” He agreed after a moment, a smile curving his lips. “But it’s interesting. I like spending time with you.” Usually Nakamaru wasn’t the type to say something like that so openly, but something about Kamenashi brought it out in him. He couldn’t complain. He swore the younger’s grin got quite a bit brighter at that.

“I like spending time with you as well, Nakamaru-kun.”

His heart did a weird jump, and he felt somewhat giddy. All just from that one comment. Get yourself together, he scolded himself, though giving Kamenashi a wide smile.

Yeah, he really did enjoy the others company.
--
A few more weeks passed before Nakamaru knew it. It was as that saying went – “time goes by fast when you’re having fun” or so. And it was true; he was having a lot of fun. He felt like his life had a great balance between work and fun – and work was even more fun. He managed to hang out with Ueda and Masuda quite a lot as well, which contributed to the good balance.

But Kamenashi, he and Nakamaru had spent time together almost daily.

Of course the younger man had kept his word, and he consistently came back day after day to taste Nakamaru’s sweets. He had to begin thinking outside the box, so he could offer the other something new each time. Other than that, they hung out a lot during their private time when they could as well. Kamenashi was often busy with his two (now three) part-time jobs, but somehow he always found time to hang out with Nakamaru. They had gotten to know each other a lot better as well, he thought.

He genuinely enjoyed the company; and somehow, it made him feel quite warm inside.

One Saturday, Kamenashi had mailed him, asking Nakamaru if he could meet. He agreed, and then Kamenashi mailed him an address and told him to arrive dressed in all white. This confused Nakamaru, but he was happy regardless as he picked out some clothes (luckily he had both a white longer sleeved shirt as well as white pants) and headed towards the address that was mailed to him.

As he drove, he wondered what Kamenashi’s plan was. In the mail, he hadn’t said anything specific about what he wanted to do, so Nakamaru was a bit puzzled. He tried to brush it off until he at least got to the location, but it was itching in the back of his mind and making him feel somehow a bit uneasy. Even if it was Kamenashi. He knew it was like his nature to be nervous about weird things – being an introvert really had its downsides sometimes.

Soon enough, he pulled up to the address – it was large from the outside. Nakamaru would have thought that it wasn’t okay for him to go in if it didn’t look like a public building – which it did. He blew out a breath, feeling butterflies in his stomach as he sat in his car for a moment longer to gain composure.

How bad or potentially embarrassing could it be?

With that thought, Nakamaru stepped out of his car and locked it before heading inside. Upon looking at the text again, Kamenashi had also supplied him with where the room was where he would be waiting. Somehow he began to wonder if this was some sort of grand romantic gesture. Then, he snapped back to reality without any reasoning to why his mind had gone there.

Shaking the thoughts off, he wandered through the building and soon came to the room that Kamenashi had directed him to. Before he entered, he had come to the conclusion that it was some sort of photo studio, but walking into that room confirmed it. It was an elaborate set up, with a white sofa against a white backdrop with a few other props around. It was exceedingly simple, yet really beautiful at the same time. But what took Nakamaru’s breath away was Kamenashi working at the camera that was set up.

So Kamenashi wanted him to be his model, in so many words.

“Hey,” he decided to greet after a moment, though a bit cautious with his steps as he entered the room further. Kamenashi looked up, meeting his gaze with a bright smile.

“Hey, I’m sorry to text you so suddenly and not explain it, but I’ve been wanting to try this for a while.”

A while? How long was a while?

Nakamaru was a bit dumbfounded after hearing the words, deciding just to look around the studio again until he could find words that would come out. Kamenashi seemed to be a bit nervous – somehow seeing him standing there and fiddling with his fingers while watching Nakamaru a bit uneasily, he looked really cute.

He felt embarrassed and a bit flustered. Surely there was nothing special about his looks – he was just average. Kamenashi must have had much prettier friends, so why choose him of all people? It was a bit confusing.

“This is a beautiful set-up.” He stated finally, meeting the others gaze.

“I’m glad you think so. I tried to think of something that would complement you well. I thought something with a simple beauty would work best.”

Nakamaru wasn’t sure whether to feel flustered or offended at being called simple. Who was he kidding, he really was simple.

“So…What do you say, will you let me take some pictures of you today?” Kamenashi’s smile was one that was charming and reassuring – it sent Nakamaru’s stomach doing flips. “I still need more practice and you have great features, so I’d love to highlight them.” He felt his cheeks grow warm at the genuineness in Kamenashi’s tone and face as he considered it.

He trusted the other, so surely it couldn’t hurt.

“Sure, I’ll do it.” He agreed. Kamenashi’s grin turned even wider again as he hurried back over to the camera.

“Great, thank you! Can I ask you to start by just standing in front of the couch, and looking off to the right side?” Nakamaru complied with Kamenashi’s requests, feeling a bit giddy on the inside if he were to be honest.

Sometimes, Kamenashi was a person who was hard to read – he had a few different sides, and it always surprised Nakamaru to discover each one of them. Of course there were plenty of things he hadn’t discovered yet, but he found himself wanting to. He wanted to discover more about Kamenashi, he really wanted to spend more time with him.

Was that what being smitten felt like?

“These pictures are looking great.” Kamenashi looked a bit awed as he checked his camera, letting Nakamaru sit down on the couch after having the pictures done in a few different positions. He had to admit, the other really did seem like a professional when taking pictures. It kind of amazed him – Nakamaru liked seeing the hard-working side of Kamenashi. When someone was working hard and doing something they enjoyed; this was one of Nakamaru’s favourite expressions on someone.

“Kame, why did you pick me anyway?” The words came out after Kamenashi had perched himself next to Nakamaru on the couch, camera in hand.

“Because I wanted to.” The answer was simple. It was too simple for him, so he sent the other a questioning glance. Kamenashi met the glance, chuckling. “You have a sort of presence about you that I like. It’s calming in a way, y’know?” He paused for a moment. “Plus, you have really nice facial features and a good body. You seemed like the perfect candidate for being my model.”

Nakamaru couldn’t help but blush. Kamenashi really noticed that much about him?

“Thank you then, I suppose.” His reply came out softly as he was still feeling embarrassed. His heart was doing flips as was his stomach – it was a weird feeling, but he couldn’t say that it was necessarily unpleasant in any way. “What are you going to do with those pictures?”

“I have albums of the portraits I took, so my favorites will go in there. It helps me learn, to see what angles and lightings are the best. I put that kind of information in there too.” Kamenashi relayed his thoughts, and Nakamaru felt the formers gaze on him. “You’re really cute.”

“E-eh? Why are you saying that so suddenly?” His gaze snapped up, cheeks feeling hot as he met the others glance.

Damn, that smile.

“You have cute mannerisms.” Kamenashi explained. “The way you play with your fingers or touch your hair when you’re nervous, your facial expressions when you’re baking, and your embarrassed face when I say something like that,” the last words ended off with a laugh. “It’s just cute.”

“You’re an odd person… Saying something like that out of nowhere.” His voice came out in a murmur, rubbing the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you had a crush on me.”

“What?” Kamenashi’s eyes widened a bit as his gaze directed back to the camera on his lap, fiddling with some settings. Was he…flustered?

Nakamaru’s heart did another flip.

“I was only joking,” he offered lightly, though he felt his cheeks blazing hot. He had been too presumptuous again, he just knew it.

“Oh.” The short statement came from Kamenashi’s lips. He chanced a glance in the others direction, a bit flustered to notice that he was blushing.

Maybe he wasn’t being too presumptuous after all…
--
Despite wanting to avoid him and perhaps crawling under his covers and not coming out for a week, Nakamaru still continued going to work and facing Kamenashi. He really did like being with the other, but with their previous encounter, Nakamaru began to feel flustered and a bit weird whenever they did hang out. His heart also beat really fast, and his stomach did more of those annoying flips.

Nakamaru really should have known that Ueda wasn’t the best person to consult about this.

“You are totally smitten by him,” his friend told him, only after he was done laughing about the situations Nakamaru had told him about. The latter sat with his arms crossed, huffing a little in annoyance as he stared at the empty bowl in front of him, which just minutes ago held udon. Kitsune, his favorite type.

“Don’t even try to deny it, Yuichi. It’s written all over your face.”

“He’s the one who started it with that comment!” Nakamaru exclaimed, causing Ueda to laugh again.

“That just means that he probably feels the same way about you.”

His face was a bit heated (why was he blushing so much lately?) as he avoided Ueda’s gaze. He couldn’t have been right, could he? Nakamaru almost felt like ripping his hair out.

Maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration.

“I don’t know what to do,” he finally said, playing with his bottled water. “Why would someone like him like someone like me? We’re complete opposites.”

“I think you’re underestimating yourself, Yuichi.” Ueda finished eating his ramen before sitting back and looking at him. “You’re the type of person who seems to match well with just about anybody. You’re kind, smart, and you have a lot of consideration for others. People are naturally drawn to you, so personally I don’t find it surprising that this guy likes you.”

“I-I think it’s you who’s overestimating me,” he stammered a little, feeling a rush of warmth at hearing the way Ueda complimented him.

“I just call it how it is.” His friend shrugged. “You’re a really interesting person.”

“Can you shut up now?” Nakamaru sipped at his drink. “You’re making me feel embarrassed.” Ueda burst out laughing, shaking his head.

“Fine, fine. But I hope you’ll do something about those feelings, because based on what you told me, you two have something good going on.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all you can do for now.” Ueda lifted his own glass and took a drink, going back to eating as they once again started chatting aimlessly, while Nakamaru’s head whirled with thoughts.

How ironic it was, how fast someone could change your life.
--
It was getting closer to Christmas, so the shop was busy with people who wanted sweets to give as gifts or have for parties and gatherings. Unfortunately, that meant that he wasn’t able to see anybody as much – neither Masuda or Ueda, or Kamenashi. Unlike his friends, his job never took a break before the holidays, though he knew that Kamenashi’s didn’t either.

Still, they made time for each other.

It began to seem like their feelings were really obvious – after Nakamaru had decided that he liked Kamenashi, he noticed the flirting and the somewhat shy glances a lot more. He wondered how long it had been going on, and if he had really been that oblivious. Needless to say, he felt a bit dumb after everything.

Finally, a small lull in activity. He leaned against the counter, blowing out a soft sigh as he scanned the emptying case. Luckily he had plenty of stock prepared in the back, since this was how it went almost every year. Of course, ever since he made the birthday cake for Kamenashi’s niece, it was busier still.

He heard the door chime and he looked up again, a natural smile replacing his slightly tired expression when he saw the familiar face. Kamenashi’s hair looked darker – it looked really nice like that.

“Hey, Kazuya. What can I get you today?”

“Hey Yuichi,” he greeted back with a grin, shuffling in and blowing on his hands to warm them, looking at the variety of sweets he had out. “I’ll have half a dozen macaroons please.”

They had been on a first name basis for at least a couple weeks now, but somehow it felt like it had been a lot longer. He knew that was the effect that Kamenashi had on him, it was one of comfort and ease despite the confusion of all the feelings and neither of them admitting it, or making the first move to express it.

Nakamaru grabbed a box and arranged the macaroons in at attractively before bagging it and handing it over the Kamenashi, who handed him cash.

“Would you like to come over to my place this weekend for a Christmas party?” Nakamaru looked up from counting his change, eyebrows knitting a little at the request. Of course he wanted to say yes, but he knew it might be awkward.

“Really? I don’t know any of your friends, wouldn’t I be the odd one out?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Kamenashi dismissed, a somewhat mischievous smile tugging at his lips. This look confused Nakamaru even more. “Just bring some of your sweets and it’ll go swimmingly.” Nakamaru was hesitant to agree, but with the look that Kamenashi gave him, he couldn’t say no. His cute pleading face got the best of him.

“Fine, I’ll come. But I’m going to sneak away if I feel awkward.” The warning was a bit serious, yet Kamenashi laughed, eyes showing glee as he nodded.

“Sounds great! I’ll see you then.”
--
As he promised, Nakamaru showed up at Kamenashi’s house Friday night for the party. He had baked a Christmas cake, and styled small characters out of marzipan as well. He felt it looked rather attractive, and he hoped that it would go over well with the others guests. Speaking of the other guests, it sounded rather quiet from Kamenashi’s house. He should have been clued in at the lack of cars around. Maybe he was too early…

A check to his watch confirmed that he was there at the right time that Kamenashi had told him. Would the other really tell him to come early? Or maybe the party was a bust and nobody actually had shown up. The thought saddened him, so he shifted the cake box to one hand and knocked a pattern on the door, just like he had always done while visiting Kamenashi’s place. It wasn’t long until the other opened the door, a bright smile on his features.

“Hey, I’m glad you came.”

“Hey. But where’s everybody else? You said it was a party, and nobody else is here… Unless you told me to come really early.” Nakamaru rattled off before smiling sheepishly, bowing his head as Kamenashi ushered him in. Nakamaru slipped his shoes off and slid his feet into the pair of slippers the other had provided.

How thoughtful.

Kamenashi looked a little uneasy after Naakamaru had brought that up, which confused him. He just looked at the other and waited for him to speak.

“About that…” Kamenashi fiddled with his sleeve a little. “I meant for it just to be the two of us.”

“You tricked me!” Nakamaru sputtered out in response, eyes going a bit wide. He was quite surprised, but somehow he was sure that his expression looked quite comical – Kamenashi’s small amused grin spoke for itself.

“I sort of did, I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“I wasn’t sure if you would agree if I invited you over just the two of us.” Nakamaru’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Are you serious? I was probably more likely to agree in that case…”

“Oh,” Kamenashi’s expression went a bit blank for a moment, followed by a sheepish smile. “I suppose that’s true. I’m sorry for tricking you.”

“You should be,” his cheeks puffed out for a moment before pouting, soon handing the cake over to Kamenashi. “Well, you can have this just to yourself then I suppose.” Kamenashi lifted the lid of the box to peer in, his eyes immediately lighting up.

“It looks really delicious! It’s cute too.”

“I made the figures out of marzipan,” Nakamaru stated with a nod, suddenly not knowing what to do with his hands.

“Thank you, I’ll definitely enjoy this too. And don’t worry, I’ll share it with my family.” Kamenashi patted him on the shoulder before taking the cake to the kitchen, leaving Nakamaru alone for a moment with his thoughts. He wanted to push the confusion away and to just enjoy the time with Kamenashi, but there was something about this that felt kind of odd. He decided to look around the living room instead.

Kamenashi seemed to have been thorough and intricate with his Christmas decorations. With the lights and the garland strung up in the places most pleasing the eye, Nakamaru realized that the other must have taken a lot of thought when decorating. His thoughts were interrupted when Kamenashi came back into the room.

“The place looks really nice,” he stated slowly after a moment, glancing at the other for a moment. Was Kamenashi fidgeting?

“Thanks, I like doing a lot to decorate over Christmas,” he grinned a little. “Make yourself comfortable. Would you like anything to drink or anything?” Nakamaru shook his head, heading over to take a seat on the large couch.

“I’m fine for now, thanks.” Kamenashi nodded, padding over to join him on the couch. For a few moments, the silence weighed over them heavily – or at least that’s what it felt like to him.

“Did you know that I can play guitar?”

A sudden statement, one that sounded familiar to him – of course he remembered that Kamenashi had mentioned that before.

“I remember you mentioned that before, you’re quite multi-talented.” Kamenashi gave a small, sheepish grin and got up and left the room, leaving Nakamaru just to stare after him.

This was a man of many mysteries, he figured.

Soon enough, Kamenashi came back in holding an acoustic guitar that looked fairly worn yet still shiny, as if it was taken good care of. Nakamaru couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. He guessed that Kamenashi was wanting to play something for him. The other sat down on the couch again, fingers wrapped around the neck of the guitar as he rested it on his knee. The way his fingers glided over the strings nearly enchanted him – Nakamaru was in awe. Kamenashi suddenly seemed really focused on what he was doing as he played a soft melody that was unfamiliar to him. His gaze went between the other’s face, and the way his fingers moved so lithely and gracefully on the strings of the guitar while the soft melody filled the room.

Somehow, it made Nakamaru feel at ease. But, when Kamenashi began to hum, it was a different sort of feeling. It was very calming, but it also made Nakamaru’s heart speed up. He could tell, even just through the humming, that Kamenashi had a natural talent – a great singing voice.

This guy really was a mystery.

He found his eyes drifting shut for a moment to take in the sound of the music alone. The peaceful aura was now relaxing him, making Nakamaru forget that the other had tricked him. A bit later, the music stopped naturally and Nakamaru opened his eyes again, gazing at the other, who now had a content smile on his face.

“It relaxes me.” Kamenashi stated as he set the guitar down, letting it lean against the arm of the couch as he gazed at Nakamaru. “It’s one of the things that makes me feel really good.”

“You’re really good at it,” he replied, voice soft. “That was nice to listen to.” Kamenashi’s smile turned a bit bashful, and Nakamaru’s heart did another weird flip.

“Thank you, Yuichi.”

He always smiled when Kamenashi used his first name. It was almost by second nature at that point. It confused him, but it also felt comfortable.

Somehow, like that’s how it was supposed to be. Nakamaru couldn’t explain it, but that’s what it felt like.

“So…” Nakamaru began, looking at the other. “What did you want to do tonight, that you had to tell a fib about it being a party?”

“You’re just full of questions, aren’t you?” Nakamaru squinted – a habit that he had when he was confused.

“Maybe, but don’t you think I deserve to know?”

“I guess so,” Kamenashi’s voice was teasing, but suddenly his aura seemed a bit nervous again. “Truth is, I just wanted to spend more time with you, one on one.” Nakamaru inhaled a slow breath after hearing Kamenashi’s words, gaze turning a bit surprised.

He didn’t know why, the two of them usually enjoyed spending time together, just on their own. Why was it so different now? Somehow, Nakamaru knew but his mind hadn’t exactly come to terms with what Kamenashi was about to say.

“I like you, a lot.”

Damn, there was that stupid flipping feeling again.

“There’s something about you that’s intriguing, yet comforting at the same time. You’re really kind and really fun to hang out and spend time with. I haven’t felt this way about somebody in a long time so I knew I needed to say something,” Kamenashi rambled on, though Nakamaru barely heard him through the slight haze in his mind.

His thoughts were right. Kamenashi liked him. Even after hearing the words, somehow he still couldn’t believe it. His mind was rushing with thoughts and he barely noticed Kamenashi’s anxious gaze on him, probably waiting for some sort of response. One that Nakamaru couldn’t gather yet.

“I like you too,” the words spilled from his lips before he could stop them, and soon after, Nakamaru was internally cursing himself. “I mean… I have been for a while.” Kamenashi’s expression lit up with what looked like a mix of relief and happiness. The flipping feeling would not go away, and now it was joined by the racing of his heart. “I’m a logical person who doesn’t fall for others easily, especially those who change things because I don’t really like change,” Nakamaru continued to ramble, his gaze shyly going to Kamenashi’s.

“…But if it’s you, somehow I didn’t mind change and it felt comfortable.” He sucked in a breath as if he was starved for air, and he was after rambling on like that without taking a breath. But now it was all out there; and even if Kamenashi confessed first, he felt anxious about the others response.

“I’m really happy,” the response finally came, and Nakamaru felt himself deflate as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his chest.

How long had he even been waiting to say that, or to hear it? With how relieved he felt, somehow Nakamaru anticipated that it was a lot longer than he actually thought.

“I had something else that I wanted to do today.” Kamenashi confessed, fingers clasping together on his lap. Nakamaru’s lips tugged up into a smile as he gave the other a curious look.

“What is it?” Without a word, Kamenashi grinned and got up, disappearing into another room for a moment. Sitting back against the couch, Nakamaru relished the light happy feeling in his chest and how comfortable Kamenashi made him feel.

Soon enough, the other returned with an item held behind his back. Nakamaru looked up, confusion gracing his features.


“What’s that?”

“This might be really lame, but…” Kamenashi stated before trailing off, coming closer to sit down beside Nakamaru again.

His heart was still racing.

Then, he pulled out what looked like a small plant on a red ribbon that looked suspiciously like mistletoe. Nakamaru felt his cheeks growing warm as his eyes widened. He sputtered a little, immediately understand what the other had in mind.

“A-are you serious?”

“Only if it’s okay.” Kamenashi stated slowly with a nod. “I don’t want to force you into anything that you don’t want to do, but I’ve really wanted to do this for a while…” Nakamaru was sure that his cheeks were bright red at that point.

Kamenashi liked him and wanted to kiss him

He could only nod, though internally he was basically screaming about how okay it was.

“It’s okay,” he finally found the words, chewing on his lower lip for a moment as he turned a little to better face the younger. His heart continued to race as Kamenashi nodded, giving him a kind smile as he moved closer, holding the plant over both of their heads. Despite saying it was okay, Nakamaru froze as Kamenashi began leaning closer. The thoughts flew out of his mind as he felt the others breath tickling his skin, and before he knew it the warmth of Kamenashi’s lips were pressed against his own. Even with the smallest brush, Nakamaru’s heart raced a bit more and he felt warmth spread throughout him. Soon enough, he felt himself leaning closer as unfamiliar feelings coursed throughout him.

They were all nice, positive feelings he noticed. His head felt light in a good way.

Kamenashi pulled back a few moments later; upon opening his eyes again, Nakamaru noticed that the former was blushing too. He looked really cute.

“Let’s figure this out as we go,” Nakamaru suggested, his voice soft as he bit lightly on his lower lip. “I don’t know about you, but…I’m new to this whole thing so I don’t know what I’m doing.” Kamenashi let out a soft laugh, lowering the mistletoe and giving him another soft kiss regardless.

“We’ll figure it out together.”