Work Text:
Judal fumbled with his keys at the lock, made an abrupt entry, and roughly flopped onto the couch. The sound echoed around the empty apartment, and Judal glanced up at the clock on the wall. Hakuryuu should have been home eight minutes ago, yet he was nowhere to be seen. Judal's body began to relax into the familiar cushions, a sigh escaping his mouth as he peered down at the bag still grasped tightly in his hand. He had just returned home from a hasty walk down the street to the local ice cream parlour, Mor's Sweet Palace, to secure a pint of green tea ice cream. Although the verdant treat is not one Judal particularly favours, he is vaguely certain it is something to which his boyfriend would love to come home.
Their small city apartment is an incredibly special place for the non-sentimental two. Not only is it the first taste of true independence either of the young men have ever achieved, it is a haven they had sought out together and decided to share.
The shared apartment is their sweetest victory and, at times, their biggest difficulty. Their clashing tastes fill the space: Hakuryuu's vivid, lively plants and cookbooks occupy the kitchen and living room area, while Judal's divination and design projects clutter tables and shelves. Balance is found in the overlap in interests, small sketches of Hakuryuu's plants litter Judal's workspaces and Hakuryuu often cooks treats for Judal. They make it all work, and every single inch of it feels like home.
Judal began to grow impatient, fingers drumming on the pint of ice cream. He realized that if he waited any longer for Hakuryuu to return home, the icecream would begin to melt. He brought the pint over to the crowded kitchen, subconsciously checked on Hakuryuu's plants, and placed it on a somewhat discreet shelf in the freezer. He checked the time once more, and saw that Hakuryuu was now twelve minutes late. Judal was very particular when it came to following time, and it wasn't like Hakuryuu to be late. Of course, knowing how treacherous the streets of San Francisco can be on a bike, he prefers that if Hakuryuu is late that he take his time in returning to their apartment safely. He made himself busy, playing a rhythm game on his phone to ease his inevitable anxiety.
After several lonely minutes, Judal hears the familiar sound of keys jangling in combat with the fickle lock. Rushing to his feet, he clambers to the door, tripping over his baggy pants and carefully dodging some tarot cards scattered on the floor. Before his hands can find the doorknob, the door swings open and he is met with exhausted blue eyes. Hakuryuu briefly acknowledges Judal's presence with the glance and saunters into the apartment, hair a little messy from the ride home, though no less beautiful, Judal observes. He slouches, dropping his backpack to the floor before tiredly falling into his partner's arms.
They both felt at ease sharing this embrace. It had not been easy to reach this point in their relationship, but it was more than worth all the effort to get here. Their differences set them apart in the beginning, Hakuryuu being soft-spoken and practical while Judal being loud and confident in his fantasy-like aspirations, but in time nothing could seemingly keep them apart. By some twist of fate, Hakuryuu's spiritual, organic passions helplessly attract Judal's distant, ethereal passions, and neither of them want to exist without the soulmate they now hold. After a moment of reverie at his luck in being able to embrace the most perfect person to ever reside in this world, Judal remembers the newly purchased present in the freezer. He gives his boyfriend a gentle squeeze before running into the kitchen, removing the green tea ice cream from its frigid holding place, and set a bowl and two spoons on the counter.
"If you're willing to wait, I've got a surprise for you," sings Judal, as he reenters the living room, an all too proud grin dancing onto his features. Hakuryuu looks up from his phone at the sound of that sweet voice, a faint smile gracing his lips.
"Frankly, I'm not sure your idea of a surprise is what I need today," he replies in a teasing manner.
Pouting at the response, Judal plops himself onto the couch next to Hakuryuu, noting that in about ten minutes the treat should be thawed enough to serve. He decides that the best course of action is not to ask how his boyfriend's day had been when the answer is obvious. He knows Hakuryuu might tell him later, and he decides not to pry and pulls out his own phone as he leans against the slender frame seated beside him.
They are a couple that talks plenty and that enjoys the comfortable silences too; and anyway, he can sense that Hakuryuu needs at least a few minutes of mind-numbing distractions before reflecting on his probably stressful experiences over the past nine hours.
The young men, whether intentionally or not, eventually match their breathing, relaxed and easy, as they recline together on the couch, Hakuryuu having draped his arm over Judal's shoulders a minute or so after settling into each other. In his comfort and content, the latter had completely forgotten the ice cream left on the counter out to thaw. He scrambles from his seat, realising it has easily been twenty minutes since he nestled himself into Hakuryuu's side. When his dark, searching eyes meet the pint on the counter, he is slightly horrified to see the now-liquid dripping over the edge of the carton.
"Shit," he whispers to himself, "this was ten fucking dollars and I don't have the time or cash to grab another pint right now. I have to fix this... If only I could use mag—" He cuts his sentence short when he is startled by a hand lightly taking hold of his waist and a voice softly inquiring about his sudden departure from the couch. Peeking over Judal's shoulder, Hakuryuu spies the carton of ice cream from their neighbourhood sweet shop. It is only moments later that he notices the melted contents leaking onto the counter. He can't help sigh at first, but quickly he begins to slightly laugh, causing Judal to sharply turn and look at his face.
"What's that for, huh?! I was trying to surprise you with something nice since I know it's been a hectic week for you, you ass!" splutters Judal, embarrassment and frustration spilling from his words. Sensing his long-haired lover's tension, Hakuryuu brushes a hand across Judal's back while pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek.
"You know, I don't even like green tea ice cream that much; I prefer pistachio," Hakuryuu divulges. Judal's shoulders stiffen, clearly out of further embarrassment at having misremembered his boyfriend's favourite ice cream. Memorization was never his strong point...
"I do, however, adore our books scattered on every available surface, the withering plants we keep forgetting to water, and the pleasure I feel when I come home to you." He senses Judal soften a bit under these words. Taking a step back and extending his arm, Hakuryuu invites Judal for a leisurely walk to Mor's Sweet Palace.
"We can clean up that mess later," nodding to the kitchen counter, "so let's grab something sweet for dinner tonight. It'll be my treat," he smiles, his striking sky and sea blue eyes alight. Reluctantly, Judal takes Hakuryuu's soft, strong hand. It endlessly amazes him how it feels as though their bodies were created to exist together. Their fingers intertwine before they stroll out of the apartment with gentle talk of which candies and ice cream flavours would be the best for their night's meal.