“Iorin, where’d you go?” Tamaki called as he walked through the bakery doors, leaning down as he got distracted by the sweets on display in the glass case.

“Right here, Yotsuba.” He replied, lightly rapping on the countertop to catch his attention. Tamaki looked up and out of his trance.

“Oh. Why’d you text me? Somethin’ happen?”

“I, uhm...figured you would like to help me out today. Mitsuki and I were decorating the cakes together until he had to go with Nagi for lunch. There are only two or three that still need to be done.”

A half truth.

Iori motioned for him to walk around to the other side as he pulled out a tray of undecorated cakes. Today was a Saturday, and surprisingly slow, but some orders still needed to be filled. With his brother and parents gone, he had the bakery to himself for a while. He figured asking Tamaki for help– and only help– would make getting the job done easier.

Definitely only for help.

“Alright. I’m ready, Iorin.” Tamaki said after he finished tying up his hair. Iori flustered slightly, at both the nickname and his alternate look, but pushed it down as he handed the other an apron.

“Put that on. And must you be so casual?”

“What? I don’t like calling you Izumi. It’s boring.”

“It’s not about what you like, Yotsuba.”

Tamaki frowned slightly as he tied the back of the apron. “You’re a s**tty liar, ya know.”

Silence.

“Wh-whatever. Here. You’re stronger than me, so I’d appreciate if you could whip the icing.” Iori replied, offering the other the bowl and watched as he grinned triumphantly.

Truth be told, Iori may or may not have garnered feelings towards his classmate. Romantic ones. Maybe. Possibly. He was not really sure. Iori figured that spending a few hours with him would prove his theory, that yes, the chances of him being genuinely attracted to Yotsuba Tamaki were very high.

But he doesn’t know for sure .

“Okay. It’s done, I think. What now?”

“Spread a thin layer over the cake, we’re going to put fondant on it– ah, Yotsuba, not that much!”

“Why not?” Tamaki looked at him while hovering the icing spatula over the cake top.

“It’ll be too sweet.”

“But I like when things are sweet.”

Typical.

“Yes, well, this one isn’t for you.”

Iori watched as the gears turned for a second in his friend’s head before he faced away from him, gently scraping off some of the excess. That was something he always admired about Tamaki; although, at times, he could be forgetful and carefree, he was always considerate. He learned a while back that Tamaki was more apt to fix his mistakes when they are explained to him, and when he wasn’t met with anger and harshness.

The fondant to be used was then dusted with flour, rolled out, and gently flipped onto the sweet. Iori explained how to properly cover a cake with the icing as Tamaki filled up a piping bag with the remaining buttercream, wiping his hand across the apron.

Tamaki looks cute when he focuses , Iori thought, before following up with wait– what?

“This is fun, Iorin. Thanks for inviting me.”

Huh? Yotsuba’s voice lost its usual playful and carefree tone.

Iori stopped smoothing the fondant to turn, and came face to face with the younger. Tamaki had stopped icing a separate piece with flowers (which Tamaki had insisted on doing) and leaned with his chin to his palm.

God, he’s really close.

“Why are you so serious, now, of all times?” His face was turning red. He could feel it, and he hoped Tamaki wouldn’t notice.

“You’re blushing.”

Ah.

“I am not!”

“Remember what I said about you being a s**tty liar, Iorin?”

He turned away instead of dignifying that with a response. Which, really, is a response in and of itself.

“Anyway, I’m jus’ saying thank you because I wasn’t real sure if you really liked hanging out with me that much. I was kinda surprised you asked but I’m glad you did.”

“Wait– you thought I didn’t like you?”

Man, if Tamaki only knew.

“Well, sometimes you deny we’re close in public, so I kinda figured you were either distant or didn’t like being around me, but today shows you’re just distant. I’m happy when we hang out, though.”

Iori wasn’t sure how to reply. He wasn’t sure how he could lay Tamaki’s worries to rest without full on confessing, being as how he had come to the conclusion he did have feelings towards Tamaki. So he concentrated really hard on staring down a bunch of sugared roses instead.

“Iorin?”

Keep staring.

“Iorin.”

Staaaring.

“Iorin!”

Iori finally swallowed his pride and looked back up, standing squarely in front of Tamaki, and gently pushed him to put down the piping bag to have his full attention.

“I am sorry I made you feel that way, Yotsuba. I genuinely do enjoy your company.”

“Eh? Why are you the serious one now?”

“I thought you were upset!”

“It’s whatever.”

Unbelievable.

After a few moments of awkward bustling and trying to ignore the overly victorious look on Tamaki’s face, the last two cakes left were done and ready to box. He folded a few boxes and instructed his friend (crush) on how to tie them with Fonte Chocolat’s signature ribbon.

“There. ‘Is done.” Tamaki finished tying the tag under the bow before sliding it on the outbound tray with the others.

“Ah, thank you Yotsuba.”

They faced each other again; a sort of gentle air between them.

“If you ever need my help again ya could just ask, Iorin.”

“Of course. I will,” Iori started, watching as Tamaki began to take off the apron and reach for his phone to leave. “W- wait, hold on. I wanted to give you something.”

He watched as the other stopped mid-phone grab before he disappeared to the back. After a few moments of shuffling and Iori trying to calm his nerves, he came back with a box tied with a blue ribbon instead of the usual brown.

Tamaki looked at him in confusion. “I don’t get it.”

“I, well, you had mentioned before you haven’t had cake from a ‘fancy place’ like a restaurant or bakery, and you kept bugging Mitsuki for one, so...here.” Iori shoved the box closer; practically directly into him.

The gears turned again. Slowly, Tamaki took the box and undid the ribbon wrapped around it, lifting the lid.

“Whoa– is that a King Pudding?” He said joyfully, setting down the package to admire the contents further. Inside was a small, 8 inch cake in blue icing with a tiny, sculpted chocolate pudding mascot. “Iorin! This is super cool! Did you make this?”

He nodded. “Yes– I mean, Mitsuki helped too, but it was with my feelings towards you in mind.”

“Huh? Feelings?”

Oh no.

“Our, uhm, friendship, Yotsuba.” Smooth cover. Good.

Tamaki narrowed his eyes at him slightly, as if suspicious, but ended up accepting the (sorry) excuse as he sat the box down.

Another beat of silence. They had a lot of awkward silences, didn’t they? Hopefully that could change if Iori would jus–

Iori’s train of thought derailed at the feeling of Tamaki hugging him. Ordinarily, on any other day, he’d push him away and chastise him but…

Well, Tamaki is rich in emotions, and maybe doing something like baking him a cake would make that spike. It would be best to just let Tamaki keep hugging him, then, right? Not because Iori wanted him to.

So Iori leaned into it, and let Tamaki hug him.

“I didn’t think you would be so happy to get a cake from me.”

Tamaki pulled away, beaming. “Of course I would be! It’s from Iorin.”

Ah …

“Anyway, I think Yama needs me back at the dorm now; he texted me earlier but I didn’t say anything ‘cause we were almost done.”

Again: typical. Tamaki tied the ribbon back around the box and headed towards the door.

Opening it at the bottom with his foot, he turned back, saying “You can call me Tamaki, by the way.”

“No.”

“C’mon, say it!”

“Yotsuba, please–”

“ Say iiit …”

Sigh.

“Fine. Bye, Tamaki. I’ll see you at the dorm later.” Iori mumbled, awkwardly looking away again. He watched the other smile at being called by his first name before completely walking out.

He’ll...just tell him later, then.