A Burning Flame

A Brief Moment of Bliss

Aizawa woke abruptly to a pain in his arm and as he turned to see what it was, he was faced with his smiling friend, no more than a few inches from his face.
"Rise and shine!" Yamada yelled as he punched Aizawa in the arm, "We're here!"
Aizawa yawned and pushed Yamada's face away from him with an open palm, causing him to take off his shades and wipe the lenses on his shirt.
"Hey! These are expensive, y'know!" he frowned as he gestured the shades at Aizawa.
"Then don't buy them." he replied, rubbing his eye aggressively with his hand, "They're not a necessity."
"To you!!" Yamada snapped back, "Whatever, you just don't understand good looks!"
Aizawa grimaced slightly, "You saying I'm ugly?"
"So what if I am, Mr. I-Don't-Care-For-Appearances?"
Aizawa looked at Yamada with a hurt look, "Ouch. You woke me up just to make fun of me?"
"Of course not! I also need you to come with me to the jacket fixer place!"
Aizawa crossed his arms as if ready to go back to sleep, "Go on your own."
Yamada sighed, "I don't have time for your difficult antics! Just come on!"
He stepped out of the car and Aizawa rolled his eyes and did the same, falling into step slightly behind him.
———
"Thanks, man! You always do the best job!" Yamada put on his jacket as he spoke with the worker, "How do I look?"
Aizawa glanced over at him and found him posing towards him, waiting for a response.
"Obnoxious." he responds.
Yamada wipes his briefly hurt look off his face and takes off his jacket, folding it over his left arm.
"Thanks a million!" he exclaimed as he walked towards the door. He held it open for Aizawa, who slinked out and immediately headed for the car. Yamada quickly catches up and begins recalling the story of how his jacket got damaged. As he finishes the story, he states, "Also, my headphones got damaged too, my casual one's, but I needed a new pair anyway so that's where we're headed next!"
They reach the car and he holds the door open for Aizawa as he gets in. Once he gets to the other side and sits down, Aizawa claims, "Y'know, you don't have to hold doors open for me, right? I have hands, I can do it myself."
Yamada looks surprised for a second, "Well, you always have your hands in your pockets! I just assumed you liked having them there!"
Aizawa paused to think as the car started, "So, you do it so I can keep my hands in my pockets? It's not that big of a deal."
"No but it's the little things, isn't it?" he replies, not changing anything about his expression or tone.
"What do you mean by that?" Aizawa blurts out before thinking. As he tries to think of something to say afterwards, he's interrupted.
"Well, I know you hate big gestures so just making your life a little easier seemed like a better way to show my appreciation!" he stares at the road as he speaks, in a way that makes Aizawa think he's trying to avoid looking at him.
"Oh." Aizawa knows he's blushing but just hopes his hair and scarf blocks his cheeks from view, "Do you do that often?"
He smiles, "Whenever I get the chance! Like, I always get two drinks when you're with me! Oh and I make sure no one messes with your seat since I know you like sleeping in it!"
He gestures towards the passenger seat and Aizawa can't help but look shocked. He was aware of these things but never knew why he did it. He had assumed that he was just a thoughtful guy to everyone. He didn't know what to do with this information; in honesty, he wanted to kiss him but in reality, he knew there wasn't much he could do. So, he opted for a simple -
"Thank you."
Yamada turned towards him and met with Aizawa's gaze. His eyes looked sharp yet his expression was soft, he was being genuine. Although he was an honest man, there was something about this that felt real, like he had been lying all his life before this. Yamada also noticed a light dusting of pink across his cheeks and a small smile, barely visible to anyone except him.
He smiled in return and placed a hand on his shoulder, just next to his scarf, "It's no problem! You know I'd do anything for my number one!"
Aizawa's eyes widened and without thinking he repeated, "Number one?"
"Yeah, of course! What, do you think I call you my best pal for nothing? There's no one who knows me better than you!" he replied with a wide grin.
As the sun shone on Yamada's face, Aizawa couldn't help but stare as a million thoughts crossed his mind. This was a moment he'd never forget. However, something lingered at the back of his mind: the knowledge that, to Yamada, this was just an act of kindness towards a good friend and nothing more. Ignoring this thought, he asked, "Is there a way I could repay you? Just as a thank you.. for sticking around, I guess. I know there's no need but I'd like to."
Yamada thought for a moment, still resting his hand on Aizawa's shoulder, "Honestly, just stick with me for tonight!"
Aizawa threw a confused look at him.
He elaborated, "I know I said that I brought you with me because Kayama was busy but really, I just missed hanging out with you! I've been sorta down lately and honestly if you stay with me, even for a night, that's enough to thank me!"
He looked down at the floor as he said this and Aizawa watched him, following his eyes as his expression changed to match his speech,
"Of course. I'll stay as long as you want; I have no where else I'd rather be."
He smiled lightly as Yamada looked up at him, this was as nice as he could be.
"I can always count on you!" Yamada exclaimed as he returned the smile.
Turning back towards the road and taking his hand off Aizawa's shoulder, he continued the journey and Aizawa lay back and fell asleep, content with the moment they had shared.
———
"Rise and shine!!" Yamada yelled as he shook Aizawa's shoulder.
He sighs, "Do I have to come with you again?"
"Yes! I need you to help me pick a new pair!" he replies, still shaking his shoulder.
Aizawa shoots a confused look at him, "I don't know the first thing about headphones."
Still shaking his shoulder, he says, "Yeah but I value your opinion! I wanna know if they suit me too!"
"How would I know?" he asked, still looking confused.
He sighs dramatically, "You have eyes, don't you? Just tell me if I look good!"
He grabs his wrist and scowls at him, "Fine but this better be quick."
Yamada smiles and they step out of the car. As they reach the road, Aizawa puts his arm in front of Yamada's chest. He's done this since they were kids as he had a tendency to walk into the road without looking. Aizawa does it without thinking by now but Yamada always seems to appreciate the thought, even though there's not much thought behind it.
———
Yamada fidgets with a pair of headphones placed over his head, "Are you sure these look alright?"
"Nobody's gonna see them anyway. You don't wear them out." he answers, crossing his arms with an irritated expression.
"You see them! I don't want you stopping by and thinking I look bad!" he snaps back, pulling the headphones down to his shoulders.
"Why would I care?" he questions.
Yamada looks down at the headphones with an unsure look and Aizawa feels compelled to reassure him.
"They look good. They fit your face well, the colour suits you and they match your style. Also, they're not too expensive." he pauses and looks him in the eyes, "Get them."
Yamada looks surprised for a moment then stops to think. Aizawa begins to worry that he's said too much or been too nice.
"If you say so!" he exclaims as he flashes a smile at Aizawa.
He walks towards the counter and Aizawa lets out a small sigh of relief and walks to the door to wait. As he waits, he looks over at Yamada, who's chatting with the lady at the counter, and he can't help but watch as he talks. He watches the way he smiles as the woman speaks, the way he waves his hands while speaking, the way his hair lays over his shoulders even though it's tied up. He looks on in admiration for a while, just happy to be there.
———
Aizawa stares out of a window, trying not to fall asleep as he watches the clouds pass. He hears Yamada walking towards him and he starts to turn towards the door before he feels a hand grab his wrist.
"Hey, wait up a second, yo!"
He turns back around to see Yamada holding his arm, his other hand behind his back.
Yamada lets go of his wrist and puts on a playful expression, "I got you something! Close your eyes!"
Aizawa looks him dead in the face, "I'm not doing that."
"C'mon! Can't you just be nice for once!" he complains, dropping his expression to make a point.
Aizawa looks him in the eyes and stops for a long moment, "Fine."
He closes his eyes and begrudgingly puts out his left hand. He waits for a second as he listens to Yamada giggle under his breath, he can't help but find it a bit sweet. After a short intermission, he feels something soft placed gently into his hand. It's about the size of his palm and he can feel something cold laying on his fingers. He opens his eyes and finds a small pusheen keychain. He looks up at Yamada and finds him smiling widely in anticipation with his hands interlocked by his chest.
"Do you like it?" he asked, practically jumping with excitement.
Aizawa pauses, looking down at the plush for a long second then back up at Yamada. He's not sure what to say, he's not one for sincerity and he never receives gifts. He shoves it into his pocket and decides on what to say, "Sure."
Yamada's smile grows wider, "I knew you would! You may seem tough but I know you've got a soft spot for cute kitties!"
"Do not." he protests but Yamada ignores him. He grabs his headphone's box off a nearby counter and holds it under his arm. He holds the door open for Aizawa once again and they walk back to the car.
———
By now it's nearly 7pm and the sky still shines a vibrant blue as it's mid-spring. The trees have blossomed and Aizawa finds himself enjoying the scenery this time of year. They parked near a couple of blossom trees and once they reached the car, Aizawa became lost in thought whilst looking at the gaps of sunlight between the blossoms. Yamada was waiting by the passenger door, holding it open as he waited for him. He followed Aizawa's gaze and realised what he was staring at.
Yamada shuts the door and looks at the blossoms by his side, "Oh, yeah! I forgot you love blossoms! For such a scary-looking guy, you really love the sweetest things!"
He laughs and Aizawa replies, still watching the petals as they move in the breeze, "Is that meant to be a compliment? Who says I'm scary-looking?"
Yamada scoffs, "Do you own a mirror?"
He continues to laugh at his own jokes and Aizawa shrugs. A moment passes and Yamada stops laughing to grab his phone from his pocket.
"C'mon!" he exclaims as he grabs Aizawa, practically sweeping him off his feet. He spins him around and positions his phone, ready to take a selfie of them both in front of the trees. Aizawa tries to break free but he has a firm grip on him, experienced with forcing him to take pictures together. He eventually gives up and sighs, looking at the camera as Yamada tries to get the right angle.
He hasn't looked at himself properly in at least a week, he almost feels embarrassed by how bad he looks. The contrast between him and Yamada never seemed so weird, something about seeing them right next to each other made him realise how different they really were. He questioned it for a second, wondering why Yamada had become friends with him, how he put up with him, what he thought of his appearance. It somewhat saddened him; it reminded him that he was in a completely different league. He sighed to himself and shoved these thoughts to the back of his mind, focusing on the task at hand.
"Alright, looks good! Ready?" Yamada widens his smile and prepares to the take the photo. Aizawa tries his best to not look so uncomfortable but he's never liked having his picture taken. He forces an awkward closed smile, he knows it's awful but it's the best he can do.
Yamada takes the picture, "There's the smile I love!"
He lets go off Aizawa, who's been left speechless by his remark, and walks over to the tree behind them and carefully picks a bundle of blossoms. He steps in front of Aizawa and places the bundle in his tangled hair. Before Aizawa can react, he brings his phone up and takes another picture.
He laughs and walks towards the car, "What a charmer!"
Aizawa decides to leave it be and walks to the car, falling asleep in the passenger seat before remembering to remove the flowers from his hair.