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“We’re home!” Mitsuki called out as he entered the dorm. He sets the two pumpkins in his arms down to remove his boots.
Iori followed behind him, carrying two more pumpkins.
They hear a couple of responses as they walk to the kitchen. Yamato is on the couch when they pass by.
“Care to join us?” Mitsuki asked.
Yamato shook his head. “I’ll pass but you kids have fun.”
“Your loss!”
With a shrug, Yamato took a sip of his beer and continued flipping through the magazine in his lap.
While Mitsuki gathered the needed supplies, Iori covered the table with a plastic sheet before setting the pumpkins down on it. He studied them for a moment, trying to decide which one he wanted for himself.
By the time Mitsuki joined him, Iori pulled the most round one towards him.
“Alright, if you take that one, then I’ll take…” Mitsuki said as he placed the supplies on the table. “This one.” It was a little misshapen, but he thought it gave it character.
Mitsuki sat in the chair across from Iori. “I brought over different knives for us to use and a bowl to scoop all the insides into for us to sort later.” He looked forward to toasting them.
Iori nodded as he picked up a knife and started cutting into the top of his pumpkin.
“There’s still a chance for you to join us,” Mitsuki called out, glancing over at Yamato.
Yamato turned to him and smiled. “Mitsu, I don’t think you want to see what kind of design I’d do.”
Mitsuki glared at him. “I don’t know why I bothered asking.”
Sometime later, Tamaki entered the common area on his way to the kitchen, ready for his King Pudding when he saw the Izumis sitting at the table with pumpkins.
He came to a stop by the table and asked, “What are you two doing?”
Mitsuki looked up from his pumpkin. “We’re making jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. Would you like to join us? We have extras.”
Tamaki didn’t like Halloween. He didn’t see why people enjoyed celebrating a night that was all about getting scared. “Pass,” he said as he started walking again.
Mitsuki continued to gaze at Tamaki. He really wanted the others to join in with them and liked including Tamaki whenever possible. The kid deserved some fun. “You can do whatever you want with it. It doesn’t have to be scary,” he offered.
Tamaki closed the fridge door with his elbow, already opening the pudding jar, and looked back at the pumpkins on the table. He’d never carved a pumpkin before. But if Iori was doing it, he had to give it a try and make a better one.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. It sounded better than having to finish his homework.
And so, Tamaki slid into the seat by Iori. “What do I do?” he asked, looking over the cutting tools on the table.
“All you have to do is trace out a design you want to do and then cut it out. All the seeds are already scooped out, so you don’t have to worry about them,” Mitsuki explained. “Iori can help show you the best way to cut.”
It started pretty well, it wasn’t too hard once Tamaki got the hang of it. He sketched out his design and started on the initial cuts.
Curiously, Tamaki looked over at Iori’s pumpkin to compare how theirs were coming along. It was a stereotypical design with its perfect, classic jack-o-lantern face.
He sighed, slumping his shoulders. “ Iorin , that’s boring.”
“For someone who doesn’t like Halloween, you’re one to judge,” Iori huffed.
Tamaki shrugged. He still thought he made a fair judgment on it. “Why not do something cute with it instead? Like a cat's face?”
Iori bristled at the thought, causing Tamaki to imagine him as a feisty cat. “No, thank you.”
Tamaki leaned back into his chair. “Uh-huh.”
Iori glanced over at his pumpkin. “You are just doing a King Pudding design! That’s not related to Halloween.”
“Mikki said I could do whatever I wanted with my pumpkin!”
Mitsuki laughed at their exchange. Tamaki always brought out a different side of Iori and he appreciated that. They may be opposites in many ways, but Mitsuki was glad they had each other.
“It’s your pumpkin, Tamaki-kun, so you can make whatever you want with it. Iori, there’s nothing wrong with your design,” Mitsuki said, putting an end to the argument. “Remember, this is supposed to be fun!”
Iori and Tamaki exchange looks before looking back at Mitsuki and nod.
Once they’re all finished, Mitsuki stood up and declared it was time to take photos of them. With some quick rearranging, Mitsuki took a couple of steps back from the table to get them all in the frame.
“Okay, now you two get behind the pumpkins so I can take another photo.”
“We don’t have to -” Iori said but was interrupted by Tamaki taking a hold of his wrist.
Tamaki pulled Iori around the side of the table to stand behind the pumpkins. “Oh, come on, Iorin.” Tamaki let go of him but remained standing close to him.
The touch of pink to Iori’s cheeks didn’t go unnoticed by Mitsuki, but he was a good brother that wasn’t going to tease him for it now.
“Iorin, we should send photos of our pumpkins to Isumin!” Tamaki said once Mitsuki was done with taking their group photos.
Mitsuki laughed softly to himself as he watched Tamaki make Iori be in the photo with their pumpkins. He took a quick photo of them since it was too cute to pass up. This little activity went better than he imagined.