Hearts

78~Absentee

Absentee~ Jack Campbell

(Wednesday, 6.30pm~ Endou and Kazemaru's house)

"Sorry I'm late..." The brunette muttered, trying to fix his messy hair a little.
Kazemaru cleared his throat before pointing to a sign above the front door- 'Positivity Zone' it said in bright blue chunky letters.
It looked a little tacky.
"No negativity allowed here, positive things only." Endou said, slinging his arm around his husband's neck. Kazemaru crossed his arms and nodded his head "Positive vibes only as the kids would say."
"Right..." Handa wasn't really sure what to say 'I suppose that's aimed at me then'

"They were trialling it at school you see, positive thinking, positive response- I'll be honest I didn't understand it at first, but it really does make a difference, especially in the kids. There's so much power in language you know? The way we use it, how we talk to each other, about ourselves, it has real tangible impacts on us. It's powerful stuff and we should utilise it wisely." Kazemaru said, the passion clear in his voice, he really believed what he was saying.
'I wish I could be that passionate about something...'
Endou laughed "You really sounded like a teacher then you know? That sounded amazing babe!"

"Thanks." Kazemaru replied before looking back at Handa and smiling. "So...that's means, instead of Sorry I'm late, you should say Thank you for waiting for me. Okay? How does that sound?"
Handa looked between the two of them. He looked down at the floor "Right. I think I get it." He said quietly, shuffling his feet a little.
'Hey, at least they've not got Live, Laugh, Love on their wall'
That made Handa snigger under his breath. Something he'd not experienced in a long time. Maybe positivity was contagious?
Kazemaru clapped his hands together "Well I don't know about you but I'm starving, come on in Han."

The brunette entered the house, quickly noticing how warm it was compared to his own. There was a strange smell.
Kazemaru closed the door behind him before grabbing his husband's arm, pulling him close "By the way, I saw Natsumi today."
"You did?" His husband asked, curiosity and concern both adorning his features. Kazemaru gave him a light smile "Yeah. She asked about you."
Endou rubbed the back of his neck, not sure how best to respond "Is she-"
Kazemaru beat him to it. "I think you should go and see her Mamoru. I think you two should talk."
"Is that- I mean would you..." Endou stumbled over his words 'is this some kind of test?'
Kazemaru, noticing the other's worried expression, brought his hand across the other's cheek soothingly. "Don't worry. It's just...some stuff's happened and I think it would be a good idea."

"Oh, uh here-" Handa said suddenly, stopping and turning around to face the other two before pulling a large tin from inside his rucksack. "It's peach melba cake." He said handing the baby blue tin to Kazemaru "I-I didn't make it." He added quickly, a little embarrassed- he wasn't sure how right it was to bring food someone else had made. "I just thought...well I wouldn't be able to finish it all myself anyway..."

Kazemaru accepts the tin with a polite smile, knowing better than to ask, to dig up memories. Handa smiled awkwardly, his voice going a little quieter "I may have...let slip to Afuro that I like fruit in cakes, I suppose that's where Fubuki got the idea..." Indeed that was what had drifted into the brunette's mind that morning when he first received the cake. 'I suppose it's not that strange for him to talk about me.'
'It's not malicious, he obviously only said it so that Fubuki could make you something you actually like- they're good people.'
He waved his hands in front of his face "Of course it could just be a coincidence!" He exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, Kazemaru and Endou just laughed politely before showing him into the sitting room.
'God, you're just embarrassing yourself now.'