Ink between us

Ren Sakamoto

Ren adjusted the strap of his bag for the fifth time in five minutes.

It wasn't like it was the first time Yuuji had been to his mom's café. He'd taken him there once before, early in their friendship—well, rivalry—back when they barely tolerated each other. Yuuji had insulted the coffee, praised the pastries, and teased Ren the entire time.

But this? This was different.

Because this time, Ren was introducing Yuuji as his boyfriend.

His boyfriend.

The word still made him feel like a second-year with a crush and a manga stash under his bed.

"You're nervous," Yuuji said beside him, walking with practiced calm. "You've been adjusting that bag like it insulted your drawing style."

Ren shot him a glare. "If you screw this up, I'm telling your future law professors you plagiarized all your high school essays."

"Scandalous," Yuuji smirked. "But jokes aside… I'm honored, Ren."

That did something weird to his heart. It flipped, or thudded, or maybe both.

He didn't know how to handle the fact that Yuuji could be sweet without teasing. It was almost illegal.

---

The bell above the café door chimed as they stepped inside. Sakamoto Café was small, cozy, and smelled like vanilla, cinnamon, and childhood. The place hadn't changed: hand-drawn chalkboard menus, mismatched chairs, the same indie playlist his mom never updated.

His mom stood behind the counter, tying her apron.

She looked up, eyes lighting instantly. "Ren! You didn't tell me you were coming."

Ren nodded toward Yuuji, who was already waving politely. "I didn't come alone."

Her eyes darted to Yuuji and narrowed playfully. "Ah, the boy who insulted my drip coffee."

Yuuji raised both hands like he was surrendering. "To be fair, I was a brat with bad taste and unresolved feelings."

Ren choked. His mom laughed.

"Well," she said, stepping forward, "I suppose if you're back a second time, you're either braver or smarter."

Yuuji grinned. "A bit of both."

Ren exhaled. Okay. Time to stop dancing around it.

"Mom," he said slowly, deliberately. "This is Yuuji Aikawa. And… he's my boyfriend."

She paused mid-wipe of a table and looked at Ren again. Her expression softened into something warm, something knowing.

"I figured," she said, lips quirking. "You only ever brought one boy home, and that was to argue about some project."

"Debate," Yuuji corrected.

"Same thing," Ren muttered, flustered.

His mom came over and, to Ren's absolute horror, pulled Yuuji into a hug.

"Oh, thank God. I was starting to wonder if he'd ever tell me."

Yuuji blinked. "You… knew?"

"Of course," she said, waving them to a booth. "You think I missed the way he sulked for a week when you didn't text back during summer break?"

"Mom!"

"Relax, I'm your mom. It's my job to spy."

---

Yuuji Aikawa

Yuuji hadn't expected to be hugged on arrival. Honestly, he thought there'd be a quiet nod, maybe a polite "Nice to meet you again." Not this... warmth.

It caught him off guard.

Ren's mom had Ren's eyes, but none of his resting death-glare. She was pure sunshine in an apron.

As they sat in the corner booth, Yuuji watched Ren shift in his seat—uncomfortable in that unique way only someone revealing vulnerability to their parent could be.

"You don't need to be tense," Yuuji whispered, brushing Ren's pinky under the table.

"I'm not tense."

"You're squeezing the napkin like it owes you money."

Ren glared. But it was the soft kind. The "shut up, I like you" kind.

Yuuji couldn't help but smile.

---

The café slowed down as the sun dipped lower, golden light pooling on the wooden tables. Ren's mom brought them coffee—better coffee this time, Yuuji noted—and a fresh batch of strawberry scones.

"I remember you like these," she said to Yuuji.

"I… I do. Thank you."

"You better," Ren added. "She bakes like a god."

"She does," Yuuji agreed. "And it explains why you're so bitter. You were spoiled by divine pastries."

Ren kicked him under the table.

It was home. It felt like home.

---

Later, as they helped stack the chairs and lock the front door, Ren lingered by the counter.

His mom gave him a long look before leaning in. "I like him."

Ren blinked. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said, voice quieter now. "He looks at you like you're a masterpiece he doesn't feel worthy of owning."

Ren's throat tightened. "I… I love him."

"I know," she said, kissing his cheek. "He loves you, too."

---

Outside, under the soft flicker of the streetlamp, Yuuji looped his fingers into Ren's.

"I didn't know meeting a mom could be less scary than debating an ethics paper."

Ren laughed softly. "She likes you more than she likes me."

"She loves you," Yuuji corrected. "So do I."

Ren's steps slowed. "So... no more hiding?"

Yuuji shook his head. "Not a chance."

They walked in silence for a bit, hearts full, fingers intertwined.

Sometimes, the second time around wasn't about repeating the past.

It was about rewriting it—with feeling.