Paper Bags

Paper Bags 01

The Sugar Town, or known as TST, had one rule that everyone followed. Not that it was a rule only for that town; the whole world followed that specific rule since the Great Nature Apocalypse. Basically, Mother Nature decided she had enough of the things hurting her and decided to bring in air that would poison anyone whose face touched it.

"No one has any idea what would protect their faces from it though, at least not until," Jason said to a group of kids sitting cross-legged in front of him, "the Paper Bags." In his hands was a brown, paper bag that was crumpled in a few places. It didn't have any eyeholes on it, but it had a thin layer of screen between the papers to indicate moods of a person in a simple emoji.

Haru leaned against the door of the community centre, crossing his arms against his chest. He couldn't help the smile on his face when the children's eyes grew wider at each word out of his best friend's mouth.

Though he stifled a laughter when Jason added, "And if you ever go out without your Paper Bag, the air that is said to poison you will turn you into a frog."

"Funny," Haru said, speaking up after ten minutes observing the scene. Jason immediately whipped his head to look at him, his green eyes sparkled in poorly concealed amusement.

The kids giggled. The blue-haired man shook his head, lips quirked upwards before he turned his attention to the children. "Alright, alright. Time's up and I'm sure your parents are waiting for you outside." A chorus of protests filled the air. "How about tomorrow I'll let y'all have the candies you guys like so much?"

Haru raised an eyebrow at that. Those were expensive and as far as he was concerned, they were low on money for this month. When the children stood up, some hugging Jason before they left, Haru took the opportunity to lessen the distance between them. Placing a hand on the other man's back, he met those eyes he thought were pretty every once in a while.

"So, about those candies," Haru said.

Jason wrinkled his nose, much to the taller man's amusement. It always made him look like a squirrel. And if he thought that was cute, well, it wasn't anyone's business. "I got paid just yesterday."

"Already?" Haru tilted his head to one side before he let his hand drag and settle on his best friend's shoulder, pulling him close to his chest. "Why?"

"I asked for it." Jason shrugged. "We're running low on groceries and the farmer's market is having a hard time planting stuff because of..." He gestured upwards towards the ceiling, no doubt referring to the mess outside that was their nature. "Bunkers are no good for planting stuff."

Haru sighed. "For the last time, I really think nothing's going to happen if we walked out there without those things." He pointed to the Paper Bag Jason was holding.

Said Bag was held closer to Jason's chest. "Haru, we've been through this."

He took a step back from his best friend, crossing his arms against his chest. "Do you really believe that walking out without that Bag, which is literally made out of paper—"

"Made out of seventy percent paper," Jason corrected.

"Seventy percent paper," Haru repeated, eyeing his friend with a judgemental stare, "really going to keep the air from touching our face?" He gestured with his both hands at the Paper Bag. "That thing has a huge opening at one end! Air is getting in anyway."

"And I'm saying that you do make sense," Jason said. "But I don't want to take the risk. What if I did turn into a frog?"

Haru pursed his bottom lip. "Then I'll give you a kiss and turn you back into the man I like."