#not to just... make Seidou watch Snow Dogs with him. )

[musicprincess655]

“I can’t believe how excited you got,” Yuuki said. Jun growled at the smile in his voice.

“I really need groceries,” he complained. “You’re eating me out of house and home.”

“And that’s why I’m contributing to groceries,” Yuuki said. “You always have the best snacks.”

“You’re just saying that because you always forget to bring your own,” Jun said. “I need milk and eggs. Go fetch.”

He used his eyes to dare Yuuki to reply. Yuuki held his hands up, disappearing into the store. Jun picked up a bag of rice. He was nearly out.

It had been a little embarrassing how excited he’d gotten when Yuuki had asked want to go grocery shopping? Instead of saying anything like a normal person, Jun had practically tripped over himself getting to the door, yanking his shoes on, and holding Yuuki’s jacket out to him while Yuuki blinked at him in disbelief from the kitchen.

Whatever. Sue him. Food was good and Yuuki was buying, which was only right because Yuuki had eaten the last of his chips, and also Yuuki never put the dishes away, so it was only fair he pay Jun back in ways that weren’t his body.

They really needed a bigger place.

Jun blushed at the thought. They’d only been properly dating for a few months, and they tended to hang out in Jun’s apartment because they preferred his neighborhood. Summer had been busy beyond belief for Jun, but it had been good, because he didn’t have to worry about school, instead free to focus on the coven battle team. They’d won again this year, but Jun had seen some talent rising. They’d have to work harder to maintain this winning streak.

Yuuki had had a successful baseball season as well. His team hadn’t won the championship, but they hadn’t done badly either, and Yuuki was starting to attract interest from pro teams, which was good news for after he graduated, because he was gravitating towards wanting to go pro.

Jun focused back on his task. He had a list and he wanted to finish it up in a timely manner.

Yuuki came back with milk and eggs, and Jun rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek and another task. Yuuki grumbled at him, but they got the shopping done in half the time, which gave them more time to pass out on the new reading pillows and watch a movie on their day off, the only day of the week they were both free.

Jun was just debating stopping at a video rental place on their way home to find something new when he shivered in the cold wind. It was properly winter now, and Jun felt his cheeks flush with blood as a defense mechanism. He did like winter, but he wished the wind would die down while he was walking.

Yuuki turned them through the park.

“Shortcut,” he said, but Jun knew it was really because it was the scenic route, and he couldn’t say he was upset about it. There wasn’t snow, but it was cold enough that frost had formed on the dead trees, and that made the entire park look pretty magic.

“Want to stop and grab a movie?” Jun asked. “Maybe if you’re good I’ll even let you pick.”

“Are you asking me to be a good boy?” Yuuki deadpanned with a quirk to his lips. “After I did all that fetching for you?”

“Don’t you dare…”

“I mean, I thought you were supposed to be the werewolf in this relationship.”

“Fine. I’m picking the movie and we’re watching Die Hard again.” Jun was preparing his rebuttal for Yuuki’s inevitable complaint – seriously, who could get sick of watching Die Hard? – when they were interrupted.

“Excuse me.” Jun turned, ready to bow and apologize, assuming the small woman calling them out wanted them to quiet down. He didn’t think they’d been loud, but he could admit the possibility. “You shouldn’t be here.”

Jun and Yuuki glanced at each other.

“What?” Jun asked, trying to be polite.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she repeated. “There are children in this park. They deserve to be safe.”

Jun’s heart sank. Somehow, with Tokyo and Seidou and Yuuki, he’d gotten used to, well…not this. It had been a long time since someone had looked at him like this. Even Inashiro had gotten used to him. There hadn’t been a complaint this year.

But he wasn’t about to start a fight with a woman half his size in a public place.

“Sorry, we’ll just…”

“Are you being dog racist?”

Jun whipped back to Yuuki, mouth dropping open. Yuuki’s eyes were narrowed – he was pissed, he was definitely pissed – but Jun had known him long enough to know what his fucking with people face looked like.

“I…am I…what?” the woman asked, completely thrown off her rhythm.

“I asked if you were being dog racist,” Yuuki asked again, just as calmly the second time.

“I don’t…”

“Because it sounded like you were profiling my boyfriend based on his species, which he has no control over,” Yuuki said. “Plus, statistically, werewolves are much more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrators. So being dog racist doesn’t even make any sense.”

All of a sudden, Jun felt hysterical giggles bubbling up in his stomach. It wasn’t funny, none of this was funny, but something about this tiny, self-righteous woman looking absolutely flabbergasted in the face of Yuuki’s version of a shit eating grin was too much for him.

He clutched at his side, biting his tongue to clamp down on his laughter. If he laughed now, he’d ruin the entire effect.

“I’m not…” the woman tried again.

“I don’t have to sit here and listen to you insult the man I love,” Yuuki interrupted her again. “We both have every right to be here, and if you don’t like it, you can leave.”

Jun felt his jaw go slack again, even though he still felt like laughing. Yuuki didn’t even notice, just grabbing his arm and pulling him along, leaving the shocked woman behind.

“Tetsu-san,” Jun tried, because Yuuki really was pulling him too fast.

“Can you believe the nerve of some people?” Yuuki asked. Now that he was done fucking with the woman, he was properly angry. “As if we didn’t have every right to be in a public space.”

“Tetsu-san.” They were practically sprinting through Yuuki’s anger.

“And to imply that you were somehow dangerous to children?” Yuuki went on. “She didn’t even know you. What did she think was going to happen? You were just gonna make off with the first child that stumbled across your path.”

“Tetsu-san.”

“And as if…”

“Tetsuya.”

Yuuki finally came to a stop.

“What?”

“While I appreciate your defense of my honor, I’d prefer you didn’t dislocate my shoulder.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

“’S fine,” Jun told him. Did Yuuki really not realize what he’d said? “So were you ever planning on telling me you loved me, or is that just gonna be something you yell at dog racist strangers?”

“I don’t…” All at once, it was like the events had caught up to him. Yuuki’s cheeks went red in a rare blush. It was cute. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“I um. I meant it.”

“That’s good to hear.” Jun was blushing too, but a grin felt like it was permanently etching itself into his face.

“Do you…?”

“I love you too,” Jun told him. “And also, I think we should get a bigger place together. At some point. When both our leases are up. Because if you’re gonna eat my food and not do my dishes anyway you might as well pay rent.”

“Really?” Yuuki sounded breathless.

“Yeah, really,” Jun said. “I like not paying as much money for an apartment.”

“You’re just using me for financial reasons,” Yuuki accused.

“Wrong. I’m using you for your body,” Jun said. “Who else will keep me satisfied?”

“Your hand wasn’t doing it for you?”

“You take that back.”

“Make me.”

Jun grabbed Yuuki’s hand again, swinging it between them and letting the grocery bags dangle from their free hands.

“My lease is up in a year,” Jun said.

“Two years,” Yuuki said.

“Two years?”

“I like my apartment,” Yuuki said defensively. “I figured I might as well sign a lease for the rest of university.”

“Fair enough,” Jun said. “Maybe I should move in with you.”

“You’d miss the park.”

“I would.”

They walked in comfortable silence, still holding hands as they went. And everything looked bright in the winter sunlight.