“C’mere, I’ve got something for ya.” Sitting on the ground cross-legged to get on Lambo’s level, he put a heavy skull ring in his little hand. “Happy birthday little dude, keep that close, it’ll be important soon. More importantly, I haven’t taken you to see the actual amusement park yet, huh? I saved up a bit, so we can go whenever you want, just say the word.”
upon the beckon his posture had seized, tiny shoulders hunching as he let a gurgle slip―gupi―and huge eyes peered back over a shoulder, easing only after he saw gokudera cross-legged on the ground, position unassuming with no furrowed brow. he shuffled forward on ginger eggshells, a cautious animal nosing out of its cage. but what gokudera had for him was no jab, no lecture about the ten-or-so gumdrops he had just crammed into his guilty cheeks. down the hatch they go, loud gulp before he answers, “what is it, ahodera?” the bits of candy in his teeth betrayed him at once, but he didn’t have to know that. his hand accepted (and plummeted with) the ring, glittering not unlike the one he remembered stashing in his sticky hair; and like that ring, too, it better suited him as a bracelet on his twiggy wrist.
“ohh, sparkly-shiny! shiny, shiny!” which rivaled the fascination in his eyes. “so you remembered, ahodera! this is a good offering for the great lambo-san’s birthday.” he nodded sagely, admiring the metal glint for some moments longer. then it followed suit with the rest of his possessions, wedged in his curly afro as good as superglue. “lambo’s gonna keep it in his hair! no takesies-backsies, okay?” he almost asked if this ring would bring gyuudon back, but opted out of it. something in him had already determined it wouldn’t be that easy, and while it hampered his spirits if left alone with the thought―he missed his friend dearly―lambo had to be a tolerant boy. more importantly, hayato offered something with plenty of immediate novelty.
“amusement park!” he let out a blissful cry, leaping up and down before throwing himself into gokudera’s lap. “lambo-san loves the amusement park!” he had only said it about a thousand times; what would another declaration hurt? and inhibitions broken, he peered up at gokudera with his widest grin. “gokudera has to take lambo soon so we can play on aaaall the rides! lambo-san will even hold your hand so you don’t get scared like a big chicken on the roller coaster.” lambo puffed out his chest, projection evident but unwilling to be called out on it. thoughts kited through his mind, memories they had shared in their years together; and although plenty of sour ones haunted him, lambo began to understand that there were more to appreciate.
today simply marked another. he fidgeted for a moment, twiddling his thumbs before a hand beckoned hayato to bend down―enough for lambo to cup a passage between his own mouth and gokudera’s ear. “psst, lambo-san is happy. mamma said he has to say thank you when someone is nice. no telling anyone else, but lambo says grazie to gokudera!” and flimsy as the sentiment may have sounded, he wore it with earnest certainty.