Gold, Raven, & Lavender: An Erasermic Family Fanfic

Chapter 17: Garden Variety

"Is the blindfold really necessary?" Shouta grumbled, shaking his head in attempt to readjust the cloth covering half his face.

"Absolutely, yo! It ruins the whole surprise if you can see it." Mic chirped back, giving Shouta a playful swat to his right bicep with one hand while fixing the grey cloth with the other. Shouta huffed in annoyance but still allowed the energetic blonde to take the reins and continue leading him through the house. Truth be told he didn't have the heart to spoil Hizashi's fun. He'd barely taken a few steps into the foyer when Mic had come bounding up to wrap his capture weapon over his eyes, chattering about the project he'd spent his entire Saturday working on.

Shouta could hear Hitoshi's babbles and squeals coming from somewhere in the living room, no doubt pestering Mizuki for the umpteenth time that day. Gently maneuvering themselves around the couch and miscellaneous toys, Mic carefully guided Shouta down the hallway leading to theirs and Hitoshi's bedrooms. He stopped just short of the back door, his hands briefly leaving Shouta's shoulder to slide open the glass panel before pulling Shouta through it.

"Ready, Sho?"

"As I'll ever be." Came Shouta's less than enthused remark. Undeterred, Hizashi pulled the blindfold off with a trill of "ta-dah!", stepping to one side and gesturing grandly to the scene beyond. Their humble backyard, once sparsely decorated by a few scraggly trees and stones, had been transformed into a verdant paradise. Gone was the gravel and encroaching weeds; in its place were rows of summertime blooms, soft grass, and a smooth limestone path. A modest set of outdoor furniture sat in the farthest corner of the garden, shaded by both an oversized umbrella and the lush foliage overhead. Shouta's eyes widened at the sight and his mouth dropped open ever so slightly.

"Ya like it?" Hizashi asked expectantly, practically vibrating with excitement at this point. Shouta abruptly closed his mouth and gave a short nod.

"It's beautiful, Zashi." He said quietly, turning to his husband with a soft smile on his face. His own smile growing impossibly wider, Hizashi threw himself into Shouta's arms with a cheer and planted a noisy kiss on the dark-haired man's cheek for good measure.

"Man you don't know how stoked I am to hear that, babe. Got me feelin' all amped up right now!"

"I'll bet you are. You've been planning this for a while, I take it?" Shouta said with a chuckle, gently pulling out of the blonde's embrace to step further into the garden.

"Ever since we moved in! This place was dyin' for a little pizazz and I figured I'd make the most of my day off!"

"And you did this all by yourself?"

"Oh yeah, for sure!" Hizashi chirped back, "Took forever to plant all this stuff. I was on my knees for hours, yo!"

Bending over to inspect one of the nearby hydrangea bushes, Shouta caught a glimpse of something white and rectangular at the base of the stems. A small, white sign was staked into the mulch with bold letters saying, "Thank you for using, 'Green Thumb Growers' gardening services!" Smirking slightly, Shouta plucked the sign from the ground and held it up for Hizashi to see.

"Really, now? All by yourself?"

"Okay, fine. I may have found some people with plant-based quirks to help out." Hizashi said with a short huff, swiping the sign from Shouta's outstretched fingers. "But you know me: I'm a perfectionist! Can ya blame me for callin' in a special request?"

"No I suppose I can't." Shouta said with a short roll of his eyes. At least Hizashi had the decency to look a little sheepish about being caught in a lie. Walking back to the open door, Shouta planted a swift kiss to Hizashi's lips before announcing, "I'll be right back. I'm in dire need of a change of clothes."