Set The Moon on Fire (Akaza x Kyojuro Rengoku)

Chapter 4

In no time, the pair began working on their project, but very sporadically due to their conflicting schedules. Kyojuro made multiple attempts to work on it during the earlier weeks, making a draft piece at home and buying the necessary supplies but his other commitments prevented him from meeting with Akaza often. Telling him to not stress about it, the tatted boy kept the canvas in his apartment for the majority of the assignment partly of his proximity to campus and because he needed the inspiration every time he came home. Whenever he looked at it, his mind couldn't muster up a single image. Not one to place on the blank area. He hoped every time he opened the apartment door, something, anything would appear in his mind, but his head was left as vacant as ever, making him worry that he would disappoint his partner.

It was only when Kyojuro came over did he find himself gaining inspiration to work on it. The first time the yellow and red-haired boy visited, it took a while for Akaza to adjust, not used to having visitors over. "Oh, you're here..." He mumbled, scratching the back of his head and avoiding the other boy's eyes with pink cheeks as he greeted Kyojuro outside his door, stepping aside to let the older man through. Although in casual clothing, a simple cardigan and jeans, the taller man was charming, stealing the breath from Akaza's lungs right outside his own house. He was embarrassed but had to keep his composure when faced with such a handsome man.

With wide eyes Kyojuro took in the beauty of the simple but large apartment, officially getting a taste of what it means to live in the city. He admired the simple architecture of the house, the marble counters and the full-view windows that had a breathtaking view of Tokyo. "Wow, you can see the campus from here!" The older man said, his chest bubbling with excitement at the prospect of living in such a place. He loved living in his small village, close to family and friends but he always dreamed of staying somewhere more heart-racing, more intense, more thrilling. He couldn't help but geek over the cozy apartment Akaza simply exists in.

"Oh, before I forget-" he said, swiftly turning around and sticking out his hands in a perfect 90-degree bow, Akaza startled in his tracks. In his hand rested a small pink gift bag in his hands, something the pink-haired boy failed to recognize when he first entered the apartment. "Thank you for taking me in, Akaza-san!"

The younger male stared with wide golden eyes, his face getting hot and turning a bright pink from the sudden action. He was stunned and didn't know what to do or what to say, the bright smile on Kyojuro's face making his mind go blank. Although it startled him, the way he chirped in excitement was cute, a new type of fondness growing in Akaza's heart. Focus, you idiot, focus!

"Ah," he started, his voice shy and weak. "N-no need to be so...formal." As Kyojuro stood back up, Akaza avoided eye contact at all costs, too embarrassed to look at him properly. And since he wasn't making an effort to accept the gift, Kyojuro let out his hand and placed the rough strings of the gift bag in his hands, his larger tanned hands comfortably grasping Akaza's cold ones. The younger's heart skipped a beat, his brain melting with the sudden contact, Kyojuro's hand feeling so warm and comforting.

"It's green tea from my family's farm, the finest in all of the country. It has a nice, mellow flavour and it's pretty good at treating stress and colds." The yellow and red-eyed man said, willing to dive in more about the properties of his parent's green tea but realizing they have more important issues to get to. He let go of Akaza's hand and finally, the younger boy came back to reality, his hands noticeably colder than they were a few moments ago. He placed the gift on the kitchen island, determined to brew some later to calm his racing heart. There was no time for daydreaming and being weird right now. They're partners for a school assignment and Kyojuro's sole purpose of being here was to work on the said assignment, no need to complicate things. The pink-haired boy struck his cheek as punishment for his ill manners, walking to his room to retrieve the canvas.