What U Need: second
Cool wind breezes into the cabin, making Yifan shiver and pull the blanket higher to his chin before reaching to where his sleep-clogged mind knows Yixing should be. His hand meets the soft mattress, still warm but the lack of a slim figure to pull towards him prompts him to open his eyes. The sliding door is open which explains the cool wind that touches his cheek, the curtains billow with the movement of the breeze. Outside he can see a silhouette outlined by the light of the rising sun and a smile breaks on his face just by seeing it. Reaching for his phone he sees that it's only quarter to six and even though his body tells him to stay in bed and rest some more, he pushes the blanket down and sits up to leave the bed.
"You're awake." He breaths his words to the skin of Yixing's neck, feeling the younger tremble when he pulls the slender body towards his chest.
"Yeah," the younger hums and settles into his boyfriend's hold, "in time for sunrise."
Yifan lifts his gaze to where the sun is rising on the horizon, bright yellow surrounded by the orange skies. He hums upon seeing the big star, closing his eyes after a while before taking the smaller male's scent in. Once more he whispers against the other's skin, internally cheering when he hears a small moan escape Yixing's lips, "Why are you up so early though? I didn't hear an alarm either."
Certain that he has reined his body to stop from shivering every time he feels puffs of hot air breathed to his sensitive skin, Yixing answers, "I think I just got used to waking up the same time as you do."
The taller male instinctively tightens his embrace, remembering skype calls where he'd always tease his boyfriend's bed hair or the trail of drool that has dried on the corner of his lips down to his chin. There was really no mean to hurt then, hoping his words were fond enough to make the other feel just how much he wanted to bury his fingers in the soft curly strands while he takes in Yixing's scent and kissing his forehead much like what he is doing now. Yifan pulls the younger closer until no space separates them, buries his nose in the unruly bedhead, catches the pomegranate scent before pressing a kiss to the crown of the shorter male's head.
They share no words afterwards, quietly snuggling each other as they watch the sun gradually trek up the sky, warming the air around them. They use the opportunity to take enough photos of the sunrise and of their sleepy faces. Even with the considerate rise in temperature, Yifan still urges the smaller one to come in so they can shower, have breakfast and prepare to disembark.
After trying not to do anything frisky in the shower - deciding that sharing it would both save water and time - and munching down enough food to fuel them for a full day, the couple disembark in the small and quiet island of Niijima. Some of the passengers of the ship climb down the stairs with them, some bringing surf boards and camping materials, their footsteps accompanied by quiet chatter of their plans for the day.
"I've never been here." Yixing comments once they set foot on land, the mountains that set the backdrop for the island rising high and the sound of the waves constantly crashing to the shore tell the shorter male that he will have a hard time leaving once the time comes.
"I know." Yifan smiles as he tugs on the smaller male's hand to where cabs are waiting for tourists. "Lu Han suggested the place."
"I'm sure he would," the younger hums, "I think he comes here every two weeks to surf with his friends."
"And you always turn down his offer to go with them." The grunt Yixing lets out makes the elder chuckle before the smaller male changes to speak from Chinese to Japanese, asking the driver to take them to a spa lodge where Yifan has made reservations for them.
The couple can't keep their eyes away from the window as deep blues and lush greens stretch to their sides, the best of both worlds as they take the short ride to their inn. Their pinky fingers never let go of the others as they point to certain spots they see from their ride, even when Yixing leans forward to converse with their driver about what best to do in the island that they can weave with what Yifan already has planned.
Once they reach the lodge, Yixing is instantly drawn to the shiba inu waiting with the owner of the place, barking in greeting when he sees them. He coos and makes friend with the pet while his boyfriend talks to the owner about their reservation.
"Oh, looks like those Japanese words I hammered into you are being put to use now." Yixing comments when he walks into the traditional house turned inn, still petting the dog that seems to now be stuck to his side.
Yifan huffs in response while one of the receptionists confirms their reservation, bending down to rub the shiba inu's head, "Let's see if the nails have kept them in place."
Apparently, the nails have gone rusty and unable to keep the words in place as Yixing has to step up and talk to the young lady further about their arrangements, asking the middle-aged lady about where they can rent bikes and surfboards. The owner is more than happy to aid them with their touristy needs, talking with the shorter male in a comfortable manner - even complimenting his command of the Japanese language - while she helps to guide them to their room. She points out where the onsen is and tells them about the time for breakfast and dinner. Lastly, she gives them a pair of yukatas they can use for the night before finally leaving them to their privacy.
They quickly move so as not to lose time in the island, taking out a backpack that Yifan brought with him so they can carry their wet suits, a fresh change of clothes and important items like their camera, wallets and smartphones. The two are in and out, each petting the shiba inu before leaving to walk to the bike rental shop the owner directed them to earlier.
There are a few places that the elder had planned for them to visit but when they finally there and ready to set out, they decide to scratch the original plan and have only three certain goals by sunset seeing as they only have eleven hours to enjoy the island in the day. They share the same sentiments and conclude that it's best to just bike around the island and stop only in certain attractions. Their second goal is to surf before sunset at Habushiura beach. The last goal is to spend a leisurely evening at the onsen.
Once they have acquired bikes, they start their day travel down south first, following the cemented roads where it will take them, conversing while pedaling without hurry. From afar they see a building, the structure standing out of the greens even from the spa lodge.
The glass art center seems to have a few tourists as a few vans are parked outside the building. They alight their bicycles, leaving them by the entrance where other two-wheeled vehicles are parked. They peek into the center where a few experts are imparting to tourists their art. Instead of joining the group and creating their own glass art to bring home, the two move to the museum. Inside they see different installments and exhibits of glass manipulated to form different shapes and sizes, some are coloured as designs litter the surface of the glass but most are left with the natural green hue produced when creating the art work.
After taking a few pictures and talking to the lovely lady about the upcoming International Glass Art Festival that they sadly won't be able to witness, the two thank the woman for the short tour and for the little trinket she gave Yixing - because Yifan slipped about it being the shorter male's birthday - and walk out of the museum to travel to their next destination, wherever it is.
They bike further south and stop by a few more tourist attractions, making sure they document every destination with both their camera and their phones to post later onto Instagram and Weibo, before traveling north to start sampling the beaches.
After a quick dip and trying the sand bath at Mamashita Beach, they cycle up and stop by Yunohama Onsen. The Greco-Roman architecture that one can hardly miss houses an outdoor hot spring that, according to a lot of people they've come across with, is great for some sunset dip. They only stay for a couple of pictures even if there is still a lot of space for them in the hot spring, preferring the cold waters of the beach to help ease the heat of their body from riding. The two say goodbye to a few foreigners they've met there before pedaling further north for a good lunch.
The two can't help but hum with every piece of sushi they munch on, tasting its freshness in every bite. While enjoying their well-deserved meal, the couple rest their legs from all the pedaling and walking while having a chat with the people inside the fairly quiet restaurant, considering the fact that there is only one group aside from them.
The elder watches with amusement as his boyfriend freely speaks to the chef and the group of college students who are there to camp through the weekend. Japanese words roll smoothly on his tongue and flow out of Yixing's mouth and the taller one can't help but smile at how cute his boyfriend sounds without even trying. When the younger catches him staring and asks him what he's looking at, Yifan just shrugs and smiles, earning him an eye roll and a squeeze on his knee cap before the shorter male's attention is back to one of the female students who is inquiring about his internship.
The scenery changes as they travel north, lands flattening to give way to villages with only the sea as the constant on their side. They bike the stretch of the western face of the island, the breeze chilly on their faces and keeping their body cool despite the sun high in the sky.
"That looks fun!" Yixing slows down, talking above the strong winds coming from the sea while looking to their left.
Windsurfers glide across the waters of the Maehama beach, maneuvering their boards through the sail with the help of the wind. A variety of sails give more colour to the azure blue and catch the shorter male's attention, enough to make the younger halt his bicycle and just watch them move on the water.
Yifan stops and reverses to be beside his boyfriend, not surprised at how fascinated the smaller male looks at the water sport. With an amused smile and a fond look on his face, the elder softly asks, "Want to try it?"
"Hmmm." There's a moment of pause where Yixing seems to be in deep thought as if the question is a matter of life and death. Finally, the younger lightly shakes his head then faces Yifan, "Nah, I doubt I can learn it that quickly."
"Next time, then?" Yifan asks helpfully, patting himself on the back when his boyfriend beams at him.
"Mm," the shorter male nods fervently in agreement, eyes shimmering as the smile on his lips threaten to break his face, "Next time."
The taller male squints, eyes directed towards Tokyo, "Is that Mount Fuji?"
Yixing follows his boyfriend's line of sight, nodding once when he sees the snow-capped mountain through the heavy clouds that covers it.
"Want to go there tomorrow?" The smaller male is the one to ask this time, mind already mapping out plans for when they land in Tokyo the next day.
"I think," Yifan elongates the word, calculating in his head if they will have enough rest to travel to the famed attraction, "I will just want to snuggle with you in bed the whole day tomorrow."
The shimmer in Yixing's eyes from earlier returns but more subtle as he reaches out a hand to entwine his pinky finger with the elder's, keeping it there for not more than five seconds. A soft smile blooms on his lips when the taller male leans down, much like he did the night before, planting his sweaty forehead against the younger's equally sweaty one.
"Good plan?" Yifan quietly asks before pushing his lips forward to steal a kiss from the shorter male. Yixing pouts only for a while because of the quick kiss but instantly agrees, jutted out lips stretching to a smile. After a split second, the elder recognizes the playful glint in his boyfriend's eyes but not the hand that pulls the front of his shirt. His free hand that is still on the handle of his bicycle tightens its grip when he feels the soft lips on his own once more but unlike the kiss he stole earlier Yixing's press hard enough for their mouths to slot into each other's. It's just as quick, however, and before Yifan knows it, the younger is back on his feet, smiling up at him mischievously, giggling and leaving him behind blinking at how quick things happened.
"Come on, Fanfan," Yixing shouts as he pedals away from his boyfriend, the mischievous smile still hanging on his lips, "we still have half of the island to cover." The elder has no choice but to follow, shaking his head once before catching up with his boyfriend.
"This looks familiar," Yifan comments when he stops where the younger is waiting for him.
"The statue at the train station." The younger hints, looking towards the hill behind the statue that serves to welcome tourists.
"Ah!" The taller male snaps his fingers in recognition, recalling the head statue at the Shibuya train station.
"I can't believe you didn't notice when we passed by it on the way into the station."
Yifan just sticks his tongue out before urging the younger to hike up the hill where more statues are supposed to be waiting for them.
The hill gives them a good view of the west side of the island, the Greek-inspired ruins of the Yunohama Onsen visible from where they are standing. They walk around the area, taking photos of the stone works, mostly of stylized heads and animals with some statues stacked or grouped together.
"What does moyai mean?" The taller of the two ask while stroking one of the head statues nearest to him.
The younger hums while thinking of an answer, trying to recall what he read during the short break they had earlier.
"If I remember it correctly, it's from the Niijima dialect and it means to work together in effort." Yixing himself reaches for a statue, feeling its smooth surface against his palm, as the elder answers him with an appreciative hum.
They agree to have a little break before continuing their journey through the island, sitting close to the edge of the hill facing the beach so they can try to spot the moyai statues that litter the island. Since there aren't that many people coming up the hill to check the collection of stone sculptures, the two sit close together on the ground, whispering to each other while they go through some of the photos they have already taken. They sneak in kisses from time to time when they are sure that no one is around, always keeping one eye open to watch out for any possible onlookers. It isn't as if they care about what people who they will probably never see again will say, it's just that sometimes the two get carried away easily that they have to remind themselves all the time that they are in public whether they have an audience or none.
After parting from a kiss, Yixing places his head on the taller male's shoulder, sliding even closer to his boyfriend who reaches for his hand to intertwine their fingers. They let moments pass by in comfortable silence, watching the seconds go in the quiet and welcoming island. A hum here and there and a few laughs are the only sounds that they share - Yifan can't even make a proper sound when Yixing pulled some of the grass beside him to throw at the taller male - before they decide that they've rested their legs enough to go further on their trip.
"Are you enjoying your birthday so far?" The elder asks when he helps Yixing up from where he sat himself on the ground, squeezing the birthday boy's hand within his much larger one. There's a slight furrow on Yifan's eyebrows when he purses his lips, "I'm not just tiring you out, am I?"
The shorter one shakes his head vigorously then takes both of his boyfriend's hands, answering while looking into the other's eyes, "I'm having the best day ever and it's because you're here with me. I promise," Yixing gives the elder a blinding smile, "so stop worrying, okay?" Pushing himself up with his toes, the brunet reassures Yifan with a kiss before tugging his hand towards the path they took earlier to go back to where their bikes are. They only let go of each other's hands when they arrive beside their bicycles, drinking from their bottles before mounting.
After crossing a few kilometers, they reach the base of the cliffs of Mount Miyatsuka where a shrine and a temple awaits them. They've never been all too religious but Yixing can never deny the pull of old architecture, no matter how small a structure is. So they venture into the area, walking with their bikes beside them, until they come to the entrance of Jūsansha Jinja. It doesn't take long for them to cover the ground, the space seemingly not famous to tourists as they only see a few scattered all over the place.
Before leaving the shrine to move to Chōei Temple, Yifan calls for the younger's attention, hooking his thumb over his shoulder to point towards where they just came from.
"Shouldn't you pray for something? Fortune? Luck? You know, since it's your birthday?" The elder shrugs, knowing himself that the idea is superfluous, especially since they are in a Shinto shrine.
Yixing waits for the taller male to fall in step with him before reaching for his boyfriend's hand and holding onto it tightly. One word, firm and final, falls from his smiling lips when he meets Yifan's eyes, "Nope."