rubber ducks are ducks made of rubber

part six

part six

the next day, suna was already outside when osamu arrived. he raised an eyebrow.

"you actually came."

osamu frowned.

"why wouldn't i come?"

"i thought i might have scared you off." suna pulled on osamu's arm. "you excited for today?"

"what are you showing me?"

"you know the christmas markets?" osamu nodded. "we're going there."

osamu stiffened.

"but it's cold."

"exactly. let's go."

yesterday, osamu hadn't had a chance to look properly at the market, so today, it was like he was seeing it for the first time. even in his stubbornness, he had to admit it was spectacular. wooden huts had been decorated in red and white stripes, with warm lighting strung on their roofs. the singing of a carol could faintly be heard deeper inside the market. what piqued osamu's interest the most, however, was the smells of different foods that wafted towards his nostrils.

"have you ever been to one of these before?" osamu shook his head and suna tutted. "you're missing out."

"missing out on standing in the cold for hours?"

"it's not that bad."

"whatever." osamu dug his hands into his pockets. "is there good food here?"

suna raised both eyebrows.

"obviously. what food do you like?"

"anything that's edible."

suna led them to a gingerbread stall, commenting that he thought osamu was 'a gingerbread kind of person.'

"what do i have in common with gingerbread?"

"you're sweet."

osamu wished that suna hadn't said that, not because he didn't want to hear it, but because it left him standing there, mouth gaping, staring at suna.

"did i say something wrong?"

"no! no." osamu gulped. "you're fine. it's fine. i was-"

"ten pieces." suna had turned away and was buying some gingerbread, bringing out his wallet. after paying. he took the packet of warm gingerbread and offered one to osamu.

"you can't buy this stuff in summer. it's a winter thing."

osamu bit into it, spraying crumbs as he spoke.

"i could just make it myself."

"doesn't taste the same."

"i'm a good cook."

"really?" suna looked at osamu out of the corner of his eye. "you'll have to show me sometime."

"i- i- of course." osamu wiped his forehead, even though he wasn't sweating. "but what else are we doing tonight?"

"a few things. let's go."

they stopped at an ornament stall, where suna bought himself another snowglobe and osamu bought a singular bauble for atsumu's christmas tree. after that, osamu's appetite had taken over and they visited as many food stands as possible. osamu noticed that suna especially liked cinnamon buns, and decided to learn how to make them.

"christmas markets," osamu said quietly as he licked his fingers. "is that one of the best parts of winter?"

"nope."

"then what?"

suna pulled his scarf closer to his neck.

"it's the atmosphere in the market. the sounds. it's better than any other season."

"summer is-"

"shut up and listen."

osamu listened, to the sound of people walking by, to the roaring of an open fire where people were roasting marshmallows, to the beat of his heart that fluttered every time suna looked his way.

"it sounds like winter," osamu remarked.

"it's a nice sound, isn't it?"

"it's not a bad sound," he eventually conceded. "but i still don't like winter."

"are you free tomorrow?" suna asked, his voice strangely hopeful. "because if you are, there's more i can show you."

"i am. i'm free tomorrow."