Two years went by quicker than Teru expected.
He kept his promise, or rather what he should have considered a deal. Despite graduating high school, he continued to work at the diner- in hopes that someday Akane would show up.
The two didn't talk at all during that time gap. Teru didn't have his number, and he thought he was absolutely stupid for not getting at least that before the boy left.
Both Suzuto and Aoi both refused to talk to him.
He knew Aoi didn't like him from the start. She only acted polite when they were around people or hung out together because of mutual friends. She admitted directly that she didn't like nor dislike him, and that her opinion on him didn't need to be further disclosed (maybe it was better that way).
He didn't even want to see Suzuto after the brunette had called him heartless without hesitation. He had a feeling he'd only be scolded- it was always those damn garden specialists. Sweet and smart on the outside, yet people filled with pent up anger. It was best to avoid him.
Mei didn't know Akane well enough to have his number, and neither did Shijima. The same went for his other friends.
So he went two years without any sort of contact. A little over two years, actually.
At some point, he began to lose hope.
He made sure to memorize any little thing about Akane from their past conversations. He still knew how much the boy loved cats, raspberry flavored candy, work, and success.
He had even asked his little brother and his boyfriend (who thought Teru was the worst and didn't really want to share their recipe. Mitsuba never seemed to like him. It wasn't like it mattered, though. Teru didn't like him either. They just learned to work together because of Kou.) to teach him how to make hot chocolate for when Akane came back.
When Akane left, he went as far as trying the hot chocolate Akane loved so much. It was good, but he wanted to make it better. No offense to Mei, of course.
But now he was left with just a mug of hot chocolate.
There were exactly three marshmallows in it.
("If this is for Aoi-senpai, make sure it's not too sweet!" Kou told him. When Teru asked how Kou knew who it was for, he only giggled.)
Though that didn't change the fact that it was just- there. It wasn't even completely filled.
("Aoi-kun doesn't like the cup filled to the brim. It needs to be just below that so it doesn't spill. He's very stubborn about how much he likes the cup filled." Shijima told him. "Don't bother asking why I know you learned for him. Akane-san told me to tell you. She knows as well.")
Most importantly, though, it was cold.
("I hate the cold," he remembered something Akane said from a random conversation of theirs. "I don't like when my food is cold, either. I drink room temperature water, even on hot days. It's just how I like it. It's how everyone should like it, actually.." and then he went on about how much he thought everyone should think the same. It was cute.)
He held onto the sides of the cup, looking down into its contents with an empty expression.
Akane wouldn't want a cold cup of hot chocolate.
Maybe he wasn't coming back, after all. It was already autumn. Maybe he had changed his mind, and what they had didn't mean a thing. Maybe Akane was the one who forgot about him, this time.
He supposed it was fair. It was his karma, wasn't it? He forgot Akane before, and so maybe Akane planned to leave- the same way he did before he got too curious.
It was ironic. Teru had always been the one to leave first- and he technically was, considering their 'first' friendship.
He let out a sigh.
He listened to the silence of the diner. Mei had stopped working there as soon as she graduated, meaning it was only him and some other people he didn't recognize. They didn't go to his university.
He shook himself out of his own thoughts, picking the mug off of his counter and planning to go into the kitchen. He decided he'd make a new one, just in case.
But before he could go in, he heard the bell to the diner ring.
He glanced at the clock. Five in the morning.
He quickly looked over at the entrance.
"Good morning, sweetheart."
"..Aoi?"
He recognized the voice almost instantly.
"Oh, you remembered?"
It was like seeing Akane for the first time again. Or rather the third time- this would be their third time 'meeting' each other, after all. He was older, slightly taller- but his hair remained a fluffy mess, and his glasses were still shattered. His freckles still stood out, but his eyes- his eyes- they would never change.
"I thought I'd say hi with those dumb little petnames you always used to use. I don't see why you like them so much.. They're kinda embarrassing to say out loud." Akane gave a small smile, the sunrise illuminating his face perfectly. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry it took a little longer than I expected- it was hard to get the money, and I need to go to university here if I plan to live here, so I needed that, too-"
"I love you."
"..Minamoto-san," he blinked, his face flustering up. "That's not something you say out of nowhere. I thought we were going to say it once we already started dating- that was, if you remembered me, but-"
"I never forgot. You don't have to say it back just yet, by the way." Teru stood in front of him, showing him the cup he held in his hands. "I made you hot chocolate, ahaha~ but it's grown to be cold. All the cups I've made turned cold.."
"You learned how to make it?" Akane let his hands rest on top of Teru's. "It's okay. I'll drink it either way."
"Ah, but I thought you don't like cold drinks."
"Well, yeah. I don't. That didn't change." he tilted his head to the side slightly. (It felt like some sort of relief. Small things about him didn't change- Akane didn't change.) "But if you went through the effort of learning something like this for me.. I have to take it."
"I wouldn't mind making you another one. You just got back, after all."
"It's fine, really." he took the cup from the blonde's hands, taking a sip from it with a smile. "See? As long as not all my cups are cold, I can take it. A few new things to my schedule wouldn't bother me too much." he paused, "After all, dating you would be something new."
"Right." Teru cleared his throat, "Akane Aoi, would you go out with me?"
"Getting all formal.." the prior giggled, "Yeah. I would."
Teru blinked.
"I'm not completely sure what I say after that. I've never asked someone out before."
"I can tell." Akane pressed a kiss onto Teru's cheek the same way he did two years ago. "But that's fine. I think we both have a lot to get used to. Has anything changed about this town while I was gone?"
"I believe so, yes," Teru smiled, "Kou started dating this boy named Mitsuba-kun, Mei-chan went to an artistic magic school, and Shijima-san.."
Akane only smiled back and listened to him talk. Usually it tended to be the other way around- but just this once, their roles seemed to swap.
And it was nice.
The day seemed to go by smoothly. Things were actually official between them. There were no arguments, nothing stopping them from being together- and most importantly, no forgetting about each other.
"I still need to settle in at my new apartment." Akane told Teru after he walked him to his new home. They had gone on a short date. "But I'll come by tomorrow? Unless you don't do your Saturday shifts anymore.."
"Ah, no- I don't.."
"Oh, then-"
"But I'll start again for you, Aoi."
Akane blinked.
"Don't be so cheesy.." he huffed, before taking out his phone. Though there was an obvious smile on his face. "Before I start unpacking, I need you to put yourself in my contacts- I forgot to get your number when I left. That's kinda on me.."
"I forgot, as well. Don't worry about it, the blame is on both of us." proper communication was quite surprising for them, but it was good that they had started. It was something necessary for a healthy relationship, after all. "Here you go."
"Thank you." he smiled. "It's around nine, now.. Tell Minamoto-kun, Tiara, and Mitsuba-kun I said hi! I'm sure they're awake by now, right?"
"Mitsuba-kun might not be. He's always staying the night, but he doesn't wake up until the afternoon.."
"Sounds a lot like someone I know. Is his sleep schedule fucked?"
"It was only in middle school. Yours is worse." Teru couldn't help but smile back. That entire day he had been smiling- he went from an empty look on his face to a bright one. "My schedule has been fixed significantly."
"I know, I know." Akane giggled, "Fuji-kun's gonna be mad at you if I stay out here any longer. We're gonna be roommates for a good while,"
"Ah, really? Sounds fun."
"Hopefully. He can be really strict with rules sometimes, so I don't know if he'll have to adjust those once I get there."
"Strict with rules, hm.. Now that sounds like someone I know."
"Tch.." he pushed up his glasses, "I'm gonna ignore that just because I have to go. See you around, Minamoto-san."
"Alright. See you around, Aoi." Teru turned around and began to walk back in the direction he came from, but was stopped when he heard Akane's voice once again.
"Oh, and one last thing- I forgot to tell you earlier."
"Hm?"
"I love you, too." Akane waved from where he stood, "I hope you have a good morning, sweetheart."
"..have a good morning, too, darling." Teru could feel his face warm up slightly.
There were still a lot of things Teru wasn't aware of.
He didn't know much about Akane's actual past other than the parts that included him. He didn't know Akane's parents, or his cat- he didn't know much in general when it came to him.
A relationship between him and someone he didn't really know well was going to be difficult. He usually thought before he acted, but when he told Akane he loved him- he spoke faster than he could think.
But Akane said it back.
Something about that assured him they'd end up fine.
Just two wizards who were still learning about each other.
While Akane knew a lot, he didn't know everything. It'd still be nice to know more, even if he thought he knew enough before.
Around nine years ago, two middle school boys met.
With their hands entwined, they laughed about stupid things- spending their months happily together.
They grew to rely on each other.
When the shorter one would cry, the other would wipe his tears and tell him to let everything out.
When the taller one would make a mistake, the other would assure him that accidents were natural.
They were always there for each other when they needed to be.
It didn't matter the situation.
Around seven years ago, a friendship was lost.
A performance was played, and a certain boy's best friend didn't show up.
It was to be expected. The two rarely talked after the more popular one gained new friends.
And they wouldn't ever talk again.
At least that's what one of them believed, promising himself those sorts of things. He didn't like popular kids, he didn't like friends.
Around three years ago, the middle school boys met up again.
They were much older.
They seemed extremely different, but in reality- they weren't. Neither of them had truly changed.
The two restarted their friendship without truly opening up on their past one.
One had forgotten, and the other was afraid of it.
It was better not to talk about it, though it had to happen eventually.
Their relationship was then blurred- it was a mixture of a romance, as well.
There was a kiss, and then an argument. It was a rush of all sorts of emotions between them.
It was too bad, though. One of them had to leave, swearing that he'd come back. They wouldn't get to figure it out until later.
Around a year ago, that boy came back.
Their feelings about each other didn't change. They remained the same.
The two boys began to date as soon as the one that had left came back.
Their relationship was confusing, at first- as they didn't know too much about each other anymore, other than the fact that they were definitely in love.
But that was okay.
Akane would fix his schedule to get used to something new. He would go beyond his own beliefs and opinions so he wasn't so stubborn.
Teru would loosen up and be a little less selfish. He'd learn how to control his curiosity- not let it get in the way of anything that could be important.
They'd change slightly for the better, even if change wasn't exactly something they were fond of.
Teru laid in bed comfortably.
He was still a diner worker, of course. He could never seem to drop that job- after all, that diner had brung him tons of good memories.
There were bad ones, too, of course. But a few bad memories wouldn't hurt if the good outweighed the bad.
He glanced to his side.
He was still dating Akane, of course. He had stayed the night because his roommate had his own partner over- it was a nice excuse to spend time together.
Teru sleepily entangled his fingers with the boy's hair.
It was soft, still the beautiful reddish-brown color it was years ago. Of course, Akane had changed personality-wise, (ever so slightly, really..) but he was still the same.
Pretty.
His lover stirred awake, his red and teal eyes staring into Teru's cold blue ones.
"Ah.. did I wake you?"
"Obviously.."
Akane no longer had horrible eye bags. He still had them, sure- but his sleeping schedule had gotten significantly better. He wasn't sacrificing his health for work anymore.
"Apologies."
"It's fine." and his eyes fluttered back closed. "Just be careful next time when you play with my hair."
"I will." Teru gave a soft smile. "Good morning, by the way."
"Good morning, sweetheart."