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On June 2nd, Goro found himself thoroughly wooed by his boyfriend the very moment he woke up in their bed.
He tried to drill into that thick skull of Akira’s he didn’t want anyone to go all out for his birthday. While he preened under Akira’s attention, he had yet to accept it without some push back, even if sometimes he wanted to accept it wholly.
It was just … so much. Too much, sometimes, in the best of ways.
And yet Akira almost always nudged back, that sappy smile on his lips a soothing balm in most instances. This was certainly one of those instances.
“Let me treat you to a nice dinner, at least?” Akira insisted, always lowering Goro’s armor when he slipped their fingers together, a thumb brushing over one knuckle with care.
Goro had been quick to turn his nose, cheeks aflame as he declined.
But of course Akira’s pouty look always wormed its way into Goro’s heart. Ever since he began living with his rival on his own terms, he’d become increasingly easy to sway when it came to anything Akira-related. Nothing got past him after almost a year of living together.
After all the patience he’s had for me, the least I could do is humor him for a nice birthday dinner, Goro reasoned with himself, as if he ever stood a chance against Akira’s insistence.
And so they went out, dressed to the nines after thirteen outfit alterations and Goro fussing over Akira’s messy curls the whole way. Whether Akira was genuinely a lint magnet or he kept finding something to stick on him whenever Goro looked away, he wasn’t sure— but Akira seemed to be enjoying himself, a smug little look on his face whenever Goro brushed at his shoulders and back. There wasn’t much complaining when each brush always ended with his fingertips making a home along the small of Akira’s back.
As he should’ve figured, the “nice dinner” was beyond that. It was extravagant and luxurious — enough to leave Goro breathless. Once they were escorted to a table, he found himself trying to subtly hide the way his cheeks and ears turned red with each glance over his menu at Akira.
“You went through all this for me?” Goro asked after what felt like hours of poring over the menu, loosening up a little with a dainty flute of bubbly champagne in one hand. He tried not to think about how much planning must have gone into this one reservation. Or how much money.
“For you? Anything .” Akira only leaned back in his seat and swirled his own flute of champagne just to appear a little more in his element. Fancy crowds of cocktail dresses and crisp suits had never been his thing, but he played it off well. If anything, being surrounded by twinkling crystal and beaming diamonds seemed to bring out Joker a little bit, tilting Akira’s smirk and leaving a sparkle of mischief in those gunmetal eyes.
And so Goro pretended not to be incredibly smitten with each practiced sip from his glass.
Halfway through their dinner, Goro had to appreciate how attentive the servers were— always keeping his glass full, and even switching him to a red wine that supposedly paired well with his meal. He wasn’t quite sure how they determined these things, but he was enjoying himself nonetheless, feeling a little princely as he alternated sips of his drink with his dinner.
It wasn’t until dessert came that Akira whispered something in the comfortable thrum of stringed instruments and voices. His lips were a little redder and his face held a warm glow from his own wine.
“Happy birthday, Goro.”
He even reached out to brush two fingertips across Goro’s knuckles atop the table. Clearly confident from two glasses of wine, Goro interlaced their fingers with little reluctance. It was a solid minute before he pulled back, his ears soon searing hot. Public displays of affection were still a major work in progress for him, much to his own dismay.
His throat grew tight as he was reminded of all the patience Akira had shown him since his return. Despite how cold and defensive he found himself out of impulse, Akira remained so kind and understanding.
Despite everything, Akira stayed . And here he was pulling away during a crucial moment between them, afraid of something he had no name for. He wasn’t sure there was even anything to be afraid of anymore— not with Akira at his side.
Goro couldn’t speak, too nervous his voice would break with the knot in his throat. He simply nodded, mouthing a quick thank-you as an uneasy silence blanketed them.
Akira gave him a few moments of quiet before tilting his body closer, eyes and voice turning so incredibly soft. “We can leave a little early if you’d like to take the dessert to-go.”
Quick to shake his head, Goro managed a little laugh and braved his own foolish fears all to take Akira’s hand again. He ran a thumb across the soft plane of Akira’s hand, taking refuge in the warmth of both his hand and gaze alike. What was a little public affection in a romantic restaurant, after all?
“No, it’s okay. I’m just… still getting used to softness. Not always sure how to respond to it, still.” His voice almost broke at the last sentence, eyes fixed heavily on the floor. Akira’s hand was so warm in his own.
“I appreciate it, Akira.” He risked a glance up, his jaw set to keep his chin from trembling. “It means more than you know.”
Akira’s grin rivaled even the brightest diamonds.
God , he loved him so much he could barely contain it. Goro took another sip to hide his own growing smile.
Goro stumbled into their bedroom, rubbing the heel of his hand against one eye to ease the haze of sleepiness. Wine always made him drowsy— and, apparently, incredibly sappy.
“I should’ve paid attention to how much I had.” He nearly pulled the entire sleepwear drawer out of the dresser, earning an amused whoa there tiger from Akira.
A pair of plaid sleep pants were plopped into Goro’s hands when he was revoked drawer privileges. Before he could even think of looking for a sleep shirt, Akira beat him to that as well.
Slender fingers wove into his hair, gently pulling his bangs from his face so Akira could kiss his brow. “Are you gonna be okay? Do you need some water?”
Like a mature, one-year-older adult, Goro blew a raspberry at Akira’s well-placed concern. “No, I’m alright. I’m just … pleasantly wine-drunk. I’m more concerned about the price per glass. I stopped counting when they pulled out that red wine.”
Akira gave another giggle, gently bumping their foreheads together. So, clearly, Akira was giggly after a few glasses himself. Cute . Goro kept the observation to himself. “As long as you’re having a good time, then. Don’t worry about the costs— it’s always worth it when it comes to you, love.”
Another kiss— this time on the tip of Goro’s nose.
Goro couldn’t help a little tremble, bottom lip sticking up with a pout as he looked away, their foreheads still pressed together. He earned another quick peck on the cheek— then another— until he couldn’t take the affection anymore, his chest and stomach performing somersaults as he pulled Akira into an embrace.
He just wanted to hide his face for a few seconds, if only to regain his composure, and Akira felt like the best place to hide at that moment.
“...You smell nice,” he mumbled into Akira’s collar, fingers digging into his suit jacket.
“And you seem awfully snuggly like this.” He felt Akira smile into his hair. “Wanna get dressed in comfy clothes and cuddle for a little bit?”
Goro hummed into his shirt, practically purring when Akira rubbed his back with both hands. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
Drowsy and a little stumbly, Goro was quick to dress down and curl into their bed, shifting side-to-side until Akira clambered in after him. He slotted himself against and around Goro so easily, ankles hooking together as Goro’s ear pressed against Akira’s chest. Their arms wrapped around each other as they wriggled and shifted for comfort.
Physical affection was so nice for Goro in that moment, his heart lurching as he tried to grasp just how much he adored the man holding him close. He curled a finger, giving little brushes and scratches between Akira’s shoulder blades as a repetitive motion to focus on— at least until Akira slipped both hands under Goro’s shirt to rub his back.
“I’ve wanted to take you out to a nice restaurant like that for so long,” Akira murmured into the crown of his head. He shifted a little to kiss the tip of his ear. “You deserve more positive, memorable birthdays, and I wanted to be the one to give you that. I hope that’s okay.”
Goro’s chin trembled.
He tightened his hold on Akira for a moment before loosening, trying his best to take a deep breath, but his shoulders shook instead. Akira rubbed his back with a more steady rhythm, so loving and careful, and Goro pressed his brow into the other’s chest.
“Goro..?”
Instead of any real response, Goro gave a watery sniffle. He couldn’t think of a time when his eyes watered this much before, making his nose run as his sinuses burned. Amidst the butterflies in his belly, the tears started up as he tried to grasp onto the sweetness of every touch.
“Baby, why are you crying?” Akira pulled away a little, one hand leaving his back to cradle his cheek and brush at the soft skin of his face.
Oh god, the pet names… Affection swelled to a near-bursting point in his chest, equally as pleasant as it was overstimulating. Goro tried to speak, but he could only give a soft sob instead, pressing his face into Akira’s open palm.
“It just feels really nice.” Goro’s voice was watery and he hated the way his voice got a little higher with emotion. “Please keep doing that?”
Akira paused for a long moment, not seeming to anticipate such an answer. His eyes widened only for a moment before nodding, effectively pulling him close once more.
With a chuckle, he smiled against Goro’s hair, and returned his other hand to rub his back again. His palms warmed with their body heat, soft and gentle as he pulled Goro a little closer to better rub between his shoulder blades.
“Of course, baby.”
The soothing motions eased a few more sobs from Goro before he managed to wrangle in his emotions, encouraged with each slow stroke against his back to lengthen his breaths. Even if his whole face ached from the surprise crying spell, it was cathartic— allowing him a moment of calm after a flurry of overwhelming emotions he had no real outlet for.
“Sorry, sorry…” He squeezed Akira’s ribs lightly once his breaths slowed to a more normal lull. “It’s just really nice, feeling so loved, even if I don’t really know how to react to it… I’m blaming it on the wine.”
“By all means,” Akira pulled back to give a soft kiss, “never be afraid to let me know if it’s too much, okay? I aim to make you see how much I love you, but at your pace.”
Goro’s smile was wobbly with so many strong feelings. “Well, you’re not doing too bad of a job.”
They settled back into a comfortable silence after that, punctuated by only a few sniffles and deep breaths from Goro as he settled back down completely. The gentle brush of Akira’s thumbs under his eyes and across his cheeks helped soothe him further.
It wasn’t until Goro buried his nose back into Akira’s collar that he spoke once more, slipping an arm from underneath them in order to slip his fingers into messy, black curls.
“I love you a lot, Akira. I’m sorry I don’t say it as much as you. I’m just not used to… this .” He wriggled a little in Akira’s hold and gave his scalp a gentle few scritches. “Thank you for your patience, despite it all. Hopefully getting drunk off my ass isn’t the only time I really can convey it.”
Joker’s smirk pressed into Goro’s skin and he got butterflies all over again. “I understand completely. Nothing like some liquid courage sometimes, right?”
Goro snorted, taking that moment to rub any remaining tears from his eyes with his free hand. “If that’s what you want to call it, sure.”
“Also— Goro? I love you too,” Akira murmured softly. “More than even I can handle sometimes.”
Unable to help himself, Goro pulled Akira into a kiss of his own. “At least the feeling’s mutual on that front.”