Finished At Last

Yuki was eager to face the moment.
He stepped out into the beachfront residential area without a second to spare - his boyfriend could be home at any minute, and he had to get there fast if he was going to surprise him. But maybe not too fast - he wanted to enjoy the sweet taste of true freedom. The kind of freedom he could enjoy knowing that the threat of a prison cell didn't loom over his head. Nakano had been there for him the entire trial, watching him and giving him an encouraging smile every time he looked over at her. The courthouse had seemed a lot less cold; less oppressive with an ally in the audience. Not that the audience had been big - it was just a hearing. In truth the entire process was relatively painless; the threat of jail and the weight of his crimes being the only real stressors. At least the prosecutor had had the decency to not lay it on thick - after all, Yuki was a child in the law's eyes. (And yes, he did hate Angelo in hindsight.) But that was beside the point. The point was that Yuki wouldn't be going to the islets, and that he had been given a light sentence, perhaps due to the judge's understanding and kindness or perhaps due to the heartbreaking way his lawyer had woven the tale of his actions. He didn't know. But fifty hours of community service was more than reasonable, and he appreciated the structure. Had he gotten away with it (which he wouldn't have, since he insisted on pleading guilty) he knew that it would have served him no favours for his mental health. The same health that had improved significantly thanks to three people: Dr. Nakano, Euston...and Gabe.

The sun shone at his back, the summer air warmed his front and the thought of seeing his boyfriend again melted his heart even more. By the time he was stood at Gabe's door, though, a twinge of fear trickled down his spine. What if Gabe brushed him off? What if Gabe wasn't excited to see him? What if...?
He shook the thoughts away and knocked on the door. It didn't matter. This was going to go perfectly, and Yuki was sure Gabe would be overjoyed to see him.

He refused to believe otherwise.

Yuki blinked.
He'd known that Diego was Gabe's ex-crush/best friend/brother/"it's complicated," but still. This was. Wow. Seeing him in person and seeing him for real was still quite the ride. From all Gabe's descriptions of the man, Yuki had assumed Diego was some fiery hothead who broke rules and hearts both. Including Gabe's. But he was more than glad to know Gabe was over Diego. And that Diego was over Gabe, from the look of it.

Still, who'd have known that Diego was the chill-looking, goofy-grinning gangly teen who stood in front of him? And that he'd be nicknamed noodle boy for giving him his cup ramen? He noted the presence of the instant meal on the table as he entered, listening to Diego's excited ramble. It was honestly really nice to have someone seem super pleased to see him at what was basically first sight, especially after what he'd done.

"I'm love to hear it if you're interested in telling me," he said, chuckling. "And thanks. For the spread and stuff." He spoke a little awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck as he took a seat. A game controller sat in front of the TV - a new addition? Yuki couldn't tell. It had been way too long since he'd last visited.

Yuki laughed. If Diego hadn't bought most of the stuff, Yuki definitely couldn't eat it. It'd be rude for him to eat something that might belong to Catalina or Gabe, and he didn't want to make a bad first impression. Or first re-impression. First repression — oh, whatever. But the point still stood.
The part about the noodles definitely made him laugh though, seeing as Diego seemed pretty caught up on the whole thing. He muttered a quick "it's fine, really," before letting Diego continue.
Honestly, the joke about him being thrown at Gabe was pretty funny, and Yuki found the idea endearing with an appeal of its own. He admitted as such aloud.
"However, giving my boyfriend or myself brain damage wouldn't make for the best of reunions," he continued with a wry warm smile. "Any other wacky ideas? We should probably get the crazy ones out of the way now."

Yuki stared. "Diego! Oh my god, we can't just-- we can't do that!" His eyes grew to the size of saucers as his mouth hung open. That was too far. And they'd reaffirmed so many times - so many times that they weren't ready for sex. Sure, they had cuddled up and enjoyed each other's company, but intercourse...no. It was a hard line they wouldn't cross. Even as a joke, that wasn't funny. His flushed cheeks were a confirmation of that.

"Honestly, you pulling me out from under the couch does sound good. But maybe a little hard, considering the couch is pretty low. I might have been anorexic, but even I'm not that skinny." He laughed, an eyebrow quirked upwards. "The idea of a magic trick doesn't sound too bad though. Could you have me appear from behind a seemingly empty curtain? You can fly, right? Maybe you could make me levitate and then drop the curtain like Houdini or something?"

The plan began to formulate, cogs whirring in his mind as he tilted his head to the side.

"I'm glad." He smiled, the tension ebbing away a little. He'd actually been surprised to hear that Diego had become Gabe's literal brother, and thus getting along with him had become much more important. After all, if Yuki was going to be spending a lot more time around Gabe, he had to get along with Gabe's family. And...if he wanted their blessing, in future. But now was perhaps a bit too soon for thoughts like that. They hadn't even been dating for a year, and yet... his cheeks flushed again. The thought of Gabe and Yuki, wed... thoughts of paradise crossed his mind. Evenings spent cuddling up on the couch together. Days out spent picnicking and and going to restaurants, visiting heritage sites... it was dreamlike.

"Actually, I think I just came up with a good idea to surprise Gabe. Listen close for a sec..." He leaned towards Diego just as he heard the sound of a key turning in the lock.

Gabe was here.

His heart began to pound in his chest at the speed of light and his senses suddenly went into overdrive. He bolted upright. Thoughts whizzed through his mind - would Gabe be happy to see him? Would he be surprised? Would he cry? Would Yuki cry? Would they kiss? Would they make out? He didn't know. All he could do was hold a hand to his chest, praying that his fluttering heart might still.

"Gabe?" he whispered, face radiant with hope.