the only exception
a/n: i can’t resist noiz being affectionate. it’s my weakness, actually. (the re:c dynamics of noiz and aoba are actually eerily similar to the ones of my own relationship, so it’s not very difficult for me to write.)
rating: t? i guess. yeah. i mean nothing happens besides kissing.
pairing: noiao. do i need to even say this anymore.
prompts: DAY SEVEN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!! i missed a lot of days and this fits essentially every other fucking prompt for this whole week; i’ll be damned if i don’t get one more thing posted for his birthday week.
one
morning has a pattern - noiz wakes up and normally he’d be off to get ready for work but today was his rare day off. the mentality back in germany was different, people don’t overwork or under work themselves. they work just enough. “you’re not grumpy this morning, do you have a fever?”
(for good measure, aoba put his hand to noiz’s forehead. the “are you my mother?” comment went unspoken, he was warming up to the idea of having someone care about his well being.)
“very funny, aoba.” ren didn’t stir at their feet, still in sleep mode. “i took today off to spend with you.” it’s his birthday, and his parents planned a small party for the weekend. they were coming around, slowly.
“let me clear my busy schedule and you can sweep me off my feet again.”
“the first time outside heibon wasn’t enough? i can carry you bridal-style through the threshold again if you’re feeling nostalgic.”
two
after a cup of coffee (and still in his pajamas), noiz brushed his teeth. aoba was lounging in bed and checking the weather on his coil. he was laying prone and vulnerable for tickling. “i was gonna wake you up in a much different way if you were still in bed at this time.”
“after all this time you’re exactly the same, but much more.” sweet? less of an asshole? “cute.” noiz cringed and his face contorted into something not very cute. “what’s that face for?”
“you’ve called me cute for a while, doesn’t it lose its charm?”
“fine, is ‘sweet’ better?”
“i’ll think about that one.”
“come back to bed and think about it with me,” noiz couldn’t say no to that, pushing the sheets aside and crawling between aoba’s legs. “after this we’ll shower and spend the very important day together.”
three
aoba couldn’t keep his hands off of noiz, grateful to have the day-in-day-out routine broken for a day. “i was thinking we’d go to the zoo today, it’s nice out and you haven’t seen all of the city yet.” he didn’t have to persuade aoba and use the it’s-my-birthday card.
“the zoo! granny took me to one when i was little. have you been to one before?”
“i don’t remember,” childhood related questions were still a sensitive topic. “when i go with you today, it won’t matter anyway.”
“let’s pack a lunch too, it’ll be romantic for us to do it together!” aoba was energy and affection and everything noiz needed to draw the emotion out of him. “there has to be a basket around here somewhere.” aoba stood on his toes, high enough to meet noiz’ cheek, and kissed him before taking off in search of a basket.
noiz wasn’t blushing. the chirp of one of his usagimodoki snapped him out of staring off at the wall. “what is it?”
“pi! aoba found something to use! pi!”
“thank you,”
four
there were grandiose plans to make everything themselves, but the nearby Aldi had a ready-made food section that was a suitable substitute. they left ren at home with the usagimodoki to play and recharge.
their new beginning together wasn’t as new anymore - it’d been about a year since arriving here. “i forgot to ask earlier, how do you say ‘sweet’ in german?”
“süße.” the umlaut and double-s weren’t the easiest things to say.
“i’m not even going to try and pronounce that right now.” with a hand basket filled with enough for two people, they were off. “let’s go, there’s no time to waste today.”
aoba grabbed a hold of noiz’s hand, their fingers laced together tightly, and it felt right. “there aren’t many people at register five, we’ll go to that one.”
five
the u-bahn was on time that day (“is it usually late?” “depends, the one in wien is always late to some degree.”), so there was less waiting to do. frankfurt was populated by a mix of foreigners and citizens, so train rides were never dull. aoba fit in too well with the mix of teenagers, adults, kids, and the pair of them enjoyed the easy commute to Opel Zoo.
noiz had almost no memory of going as a child, he was more familiar with every nook and cranny of his bedroom than the outside world. he was grateful to be lead around by aoba, their hands linked tightly together. “what does that sign say?” aoba gestured to an animal habitat sign reading ‘Roter oder Kleiner Panda’. “i think those are red pandas.”
“that was an easy one, you didn’t need my help with that,” keeping their picnic basket steady, there was more zoo to cover in so little time. “do you want a reward for getting the names right?”
“keep that up and you won’t get any birthday gifts,” aoba never followed through on the empty threats, his half-smile gave it away. “where are the giraffes? granny used to put me on her shoulders so i could see them!”
“i think they’re in this direction,” noiz took a zoo map when they arrived, unbeknownst to aoba’s excitement. “you’re gonna wear yourself out before we get home,”
“noiz, i’m not a kid!” aoba pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, possibly negating his last statement. “take me to see the giraffes?”
six
noiz was more infatuated with the petting zoo and smaller animals than aoba was; he firmly believed that aoba snapped a few photos of him holding a lop eared rabbit and looking at it like it was the second most important thing in his life.
“i can leave you two alone to bond some more, if you’d like.” noiz blushed and turned away, the tips of his ears definitely red. “i’m teasing you, we should eat before you decide to take one of these rabbits home with us.”
“there’s a good picnic spot nearby if you don’t mind the kids.” aoba scrunched his nose up, looking similar to the rabbit that noiz released back into the pen to eat a lettuce leaf. “or we can head out and go to the park where it’s more quiet.”
“the second one would be better, lead the way.”
seven
aoba unfolded a blanket big enough for two and their later-than-planned lunch; he took picnics very seriously and wanted this one to go off without a hitch. “the wine is after, it doesn’t taste as good when it’s warm.”
“you planned all this today?”
“i didn’t have much of a warning, dear.”
“i’m not complaining about it.” noiz was so lucky and so grateful to have someone go out of their way for him - most of his life was filled with people doing the exact opposite. “thank you, aoba. for all of this.” (for coming halfway across the world with me, waiting for me to come back, being my better half.)
the sigh that followed and aoba’s body language was comforting. he wasn’t sighing out of frustration, he even laughed a bit. “it’s because i love you, noiz, even if i need to remind you every day.”
aoba was the first one to break down whatever emotional barriers noiz had built. there wasn’t a monetary value for that. “don’t start crying on me, save that for when we’re home.”
“fine.” aoba pushed noiz flat against the blanket, laying next to him. “it’s my turn to spoil you, even if it’s only for a day.”
noiz raised aoba’s hand to his lips and kissed it, pulling another cliche out of the fairy tales he grew up believing in. instead of the brave and valiant knight saving a princess from a dragon, the knight found his prince and they lived happily ever after. (there were enough castles in germany for this to be plausible.)
eight
they lingered in the park until the sun started to set. “let’s get home before the mosquitoes come out.“ whatever they didn’t finish would be eaten later, and the blanket had grass all over it. “i’m sure ren is sleeping or keeping himself entertained.”
the u-bahn was quieter than when they rode it earlier, and so was the house. “ren, we’re home.”
“welcome home, aoba,” ren wagged his tail, getting picked up and pet like he was left alone for centuries and not hours.
noiz wasn’t much of a wine person, but aoba took to it pretty well and after one glass each they migrated to the empty couch. noiz traced the contours of aoba’s face with his thumb, the other hand on his side. leaning in close, aoba said “あいするあなたに おたんじょうび おめでとう。愛するあなたに、お誕生日おめでとう*“
“danke sehr für deine Antwort, mein Schatz**,”
a/n 2: i swear i made it on time. WHEW. that was a lot. so please enjoy it (sweats) and favorite and tell your friends about this. pls. it was a labor of love and glorious otp interaction.
* i looked this up from here and it says “Happy Birthday, my love” correct me on this if i’m wrong, i know zero japanese and i trust the internet.
** “thank you very much for your reply, my treasure/darling”
