she hadn’t thought about it — at least, not with the same precision as Takeomi. but she had spent enough time searching around for what would make him happy, not the average day happiness but sometimes that would bring that smile that endeared him to everyone. he didn’t understand how much it meant to see him with his head up and ready to take the world, but she wants to see it one day. for now Senju’s plans are simple, her arms wrap him around in a hug as she spins them around, bags included, laughing until she lets him go. “Gotcha! I bet you didn’t see it coming.” her grin widens before it turns soft, mischievous in her usual way. “I hope you’re ready for a movie marathon because that’s what we are doing today.” oh, she almost forgot! her hand opens up the bag to reveal the matching shirts, grin widening. “Come on, let’s go and wear them.” they could share the popcorn and look great at the same time. she smiles softly, reaching for his hand. “Happy birthday, Hanagaki.”
takemichi must come with a “please pick me up” sign glued on his back for all the amounts of times he’s been lifted off his feet completely unprompted, but by now he knows her by sight, by smell, by touch, by the way his heartbeat races when she smiles so wide her dimples show, and he’s only alarmed for a second before he’s laughing along with her, a little embarrassed. it’s taken a while to get used to the easiness of which they fit in each other’s spaces and her eagerness to pull him along whenever her feet felt the urge to go anywhere, everywhere, but the destination soon stopped mattering as long as they were together.
he’s a little dizzy when he’s finally put back down, though he takes a moment to find his balance to not make a fool out of himself by falling face-flat on the ground. he won’t lie and say he didn’t lose a little bit of sleep wondering what senju would give him for his birthday, but he’s long learned that the best gift, more than expensive dinners or jewelry, was more time with his most precious people. he’s admittedly, considerably, incredibly worried about what kind of movies she has in mind, but he’d face any possible terrors bravely!
( if he later hides his face on her shoulder as he hugs her arm, doing a terrible, terrible job at pretending he’s not scared…well, who else was there to see and judge? )
takemichi blinks owlishly at the shirts he hesitantly unfolds, only just then noticing the bags she had been carrying. a white pair greets him — one with a smiling cartoonish burger, the other with equally happy french fries, clearly meant to be worn as a matching pair. just below each are words printed in black cursive: “made for” and “each other”. he gapes at them, then gasps.
‘ senju! these are so cool! where did you get them!? ’ stars in his eyes, he lifts the one with the fries higher in the air to get a better look at it, alternating between its smiley face and hers. he’s often told by his friends that his fashion sense…leaves things to be desired, to put it kindly, but senju might be the first who not only hasn't insulted it, but actively partakes in it. he feels cupid's arrow piercing his heart.
he wonders if he can kiss her. they were — they were dating, weren’t they!? he could, if he wanted to! if she wanted to! did she want to!?
uncomfortably aware that his face is reddening by the second, he stumbles over his words as soon as his mouth opens to...ask, or suggest it, maybe, he doesn’t really know, but senju takes him by the hand and it's like all worries dissipated the moment their fingers slot together.
he smiles softly at her back as she pulls him along.
