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You Make Me Feel Like a Real Rockstar

Title: You Make Me Feel Like a Real Rockstar

Ship: Nana/Zakkuri

Fandom: You and Idol Pretty Cure

Word Count: 7,236

Rating: M

Warnings: None

Tags: Alternate Universe - Career, Alternate Universe – College/University, Age Difference, Meet Cute, First Date, Kissing, Literal Sleeping Together, Sharing Clothes

As with most ideas involving music, Uta was the brilliant mind who came up with the suggestion of swinging by a bar which was host to a live band on Saturday night. The flyer was legitimate enough to make it seem like they were a little known outfit on the up and up. Or so Nana recalled.

From the crisp photography to the luscious printing of the said flyers, the outfits worn by the band members: they had it all going on. They called themselves Team Chokkiri and they were a bit out there, truth be told. Hardcore, metal, and grunge: that kind of thing, a bunch of punks with a woman as a vocalist and a pretty boy in black leather pants and a white trench coat who played the lead bass. Then two jobbers on keyboard and drums. They weren’t exactly lookers and only appeared as back-up to the main duo.

Still, Nana wanted to give them a chance. It’s not like they had anything else to do on a young and beautiful Saturday night. Well, they had assignments due the week after but who wants to worry about homework before the due date? It’s literally in the name, the due date is the do date.

At least according to Uta. She was the classic and reckless communications student whose major was ambiguous to say the least. Something to do with social media, maybe? Nana, meanwhile, was done and dusted. She was a studious young woman who was pre-med. Then Kokoro only had in-person exams and projects by virtue of being a performing arts student centred on dance and movement.

Regardless, the three of them were quite free on the night of and besides. It cost nothing to get in and there was nothing more enticing than the word “free” to a bunch of barely afloat on their own means university students. So, fuck it. Let’s cut a rug in a dive bar for a change. It couldn’t be worse than any of the other bars they found themselves at.

That’s how the night started anyway.

They put on their gladrags and caught an Uber. Though as soon as they arrived, they could tell they were a little overdressed. A bit too bright and cheery with a touch too much glitter.

Located on the edge of the district that they, and many of their fellow dormies and other university students partied, the bar had plaguesome rumours about being unsavoury. Not necessarily unsafe but just a bummer to be around: bad atmosphere, unpleasant regulars, the drinks didn’t taste good. That kind of thing and they felt that as soon as they came through the doors.

There were a lot of people wearing black and red, with rips in their jeans or their fishnets. They weren’t exactly here to dance, maybe nod their heads at most. Not like Kokoro, Nana, and Uta were here, anyway, with their party dresses and high heeled shoes.

The venue itself was a repurposed old theatre as such there was an eccentricity to the architecture with detailing that would have been immaculate in its prime. Now, the detailing had been chipped or scratched away, flaws covered up with posters of all kinds of surly faced bands far more famous than tonight’s headliner. The carpet was worn thin and a faded red. The walls were made of dark wood.

The bar was to be expected. It wasn’t super busy and the regulars all had their spots scattered throughout. The tender gave them a look and waited in the central position of the bar. Behind them, were countless bottles and a stained glass or tile feature wall. In front of them was a sleek countertop with a rag to be pushed around. The three ordered some drinks and then perched themselves at a wine barrel with bar stools surrounding it.

The wine barrel was positioned in about the middle of the main floor so they had a good view of the stage all hidden and mysterious behind its torn, velvet curtains. They got comfortable and made light conversation about grades or whatever. The show had to start soon, right? They could hear things happening over that. Sometimes they could even see things through the gaps in fabric or how the curtain fluttered.

Excitement brewed over the next ten to fifteen minutes. More people came in and the vibe of the building grew bustling but not overly so. Cosy wouldn’t be quite the right word but having an audience of twenty odd must feel good for a small band.

That was definitely the impression Nana got when they came out the gate swinging. The curtains were pulled back. The lights were dimmed further until it was all but black. The band played. Anticipation turned on a dime to quite the opening. Big vocals, big guitar, big drums: everything was big and powerful. It began at a top speed and all of a sudden, Uta, Nana, and Kokoro were sharing quite some smiles amongst each other.

Maybe this was a hidden gem after all.

If only the momentum could keep up after such a start.

The music was… Fine. At least on a technical skill level, not so much on any other level. Their skills weren’t bad and they weren’t basic either, it was clear that they knew individually what they were doing and there was an overall synchrosity. Which made sense given that three quarters of the band were in matching leather outfits but it wasn’t great either.

The music was a mix of covers and some originals. The covers got a little bit of bopping amongst the crowd. Even tried and true pop girlies like Uta and Kokoro didn’t mind one bit their takes on some pretty popular songs. Their originals, however, were quite rough around the edges.

It was all but pure noise. Every stereotypical line and jab in every lyric. When the lyrics could be heard. To the untrained ear, the singer’s screamo was quite garbled. Though, at least she could kick it out with quite a bit of stage presence in her cut-out leather pants.

Her set up was also fine. The drummer was a heavy set man who could crank it out non-stop. The lead bassist was all the things magazine covers dreamed of, swoopy hair and lightning fast fingers. Finally there was the keyboardist and he was just fine. He added what elements that needed to be added to the music but with such big personalities around him, he was decked.

They played for an hour and a half and by the time the show was over, Uta and Kokoro were under no illusions as to why this band hadn’t seen any success yet. The two leads got on like cats and dogs – and it didn’t seem to be rehearsed banter. The drummer was good though, kept his head down and was steady to the beat. He seemed to like craft beer quite a bit from the looks of things based on how the venue had so kindly plied them.

But then there was the keyboardist again…

Nana had no words. It had to be love at first sight.

Uta and Kokoro were also under no illusions with Nana and how lovestruck she was. Girl… Get some better taste. They had been polite to stick it out since they didn’t want to make the band lose about a third of their audience but for Nana, she was unraptured. She was on the edge of the seat with her eyes transfixed to the keyboardist. Or maybe just his keyboard.

Unfortunately for Uta and Kokoro, who were ready to leave now that the show was well and truly over, Nana had one drop too many of the so-called liquid courage: her flavour of choice being a bottle of Midori no less.

“I want to go and say hi to the band.” Nana announced.

“Er, why?” Kokoro asked.

“Because I liked them?” Nana blinked, indignant. “I want to support them.”

Uta and Kokoro cringed but it's her money, they guessed. The band did have a little booth set up where they were selling merch, CDs, and even autographs.

“Five minutes.” Nana pleaded. “Then we can go home.”

Well, five minutes didn’t sound too torturesome, the other two girls decided. So, they all got up from their table and went as a herd to go say hi. Nana in the lead of the formation since she was the only one who meant it as it was her initiative.

The booth was set up in the corner of the theatre. They had a single table’s worth of stuff and the drummer was the one manning the register which was just a tackle box of change. He gave them a hand’s up salute to acknowledge them and then gestured over the merchandise for sale.

“Please, take a look.” he offered gruffly.

“Will do.” Nana smiled.

Uta and Kokoro remained unconvinced. They crowded around the table and pretended to have a browse of the miniscule, and expensive, selection. Though, the drummer speaking up got the attention of the singer in the back. She had been attending to her nails and now, she looked up and smiled.

“Ah, hello.” she said. “Enjoy the show?”

“I did.” Nana said.

“It’s our first time listening to that kind of music live.” Uta said. “We wanted a change and I saw your flyer so I suggested to the girls that we take a look.”

“Yeah, nothing I could dance to… But you know. It’s good to support small artists.” Kokoro added. The latter of which was transparently Kokoro lying through her teeth.

But the singer mustn’t have gotten the memo. She smiled adoringly, hands clasped together.

“Our flyer worked?! No way, I’m glad you three could make it then.” she said. “So, I’m Chokkirine, or well that’s what you can call me. Then we’ve got dumb and dumber, our drummer Cutty and our keyboardist Zakkuri. And who’s left? Oh yes, Jogi.”

“Good to meet you all.” Nana said. “I’m Nana, these are my friends Uta and Kokoro.” She made the appropriate gestures as she introduced them. “And I used to play piano so I really liked Zakkuri’s work the best.”

Chokkirine made a shocking face. Offended, at first, and then she immediately saw the teasing potential. She twisted around.

“Oh, yoohoo, Zakkuri, get over here, you’ll wanna see this.” Chokkirine called out.

She cupped her mouth and angled herself to the far side of the bar, where the restrooms were. It was good timing because here came the keyboardist: he was wiping his wet hands on his leather pants. He prickled at being called at by Chokkirine and he made a reflexive move to flip her the bird only to stop when he saw that she was in company of three, very nice young ladies.

He trudged over and regarded them all warily. Especially his bandmates. Even the drummer looked on the verge of snickering as Chokkirine smiled like a shark from ear to ear. She gestured to Nana.

“Aww, look at this, boys,” Chokkirine jeered, “Zakkuri’s got his first fangirl.”

“Eh?! Zakkuri exclaimed.

“Yes, I loved your keyboard work.” Nana professed. “Do you play piano, too?”

“Kind of?” Zakkuri replied. “Been a while…”

“Yes, it's a bit like that, isn’t it?” Nana agreed.

She batted her eyes, clasped her hands together. It was very sweet and inadvertently flirtatious. She meant it genuinely but everyone else around her was picking up quite the vibration.

Zakkuri especially.

Chokkirine cleared her throat, “We should have drinks together.” she suggested.

“Oh, uh, we were just about to leave-” Uta attempted to create a hole to escape but Nana interrupted.

“We’d love to. I think we’ve all got one drink in us. It’ll be nice.” Nana said.

“So long as we leave straight after.” Kokoro said. “We’ve got, uh, stuff in the morning, you know.”

“Oh, I’m sure.” Chokkirine sarcastically replied as she scrutinised Kokoro.

Still, they were locked into one more drink if only to be polite. They pulled up some chairs, a table, too, and the atmosphere was weird. Nana and Zakkuri were paired up and in bliss. Everyone else was a bit grouchy to be drinking with either kids or weirdos depending on perspective. Worse still, no one had offered to shout drinks and they weren’t on the house, either.

Nana ordered her second Midori of the night and settled in with Zakkuri on one side and Uta on the other. They were pretty tribal about their sitting arrangements around a wooden table as music played and attempts at socialisation were made. Though only Nana was gungho as she had question after question for Zakkuri.

“So is Zakkuri a stage name?” Nana asked.

“Funnily enough, it is.” Zakkuri smirked.

“So… what’s your real name then?” Nana asked.

“Zakkurin.”

“Eh?”

Nana had to blink. She thought she must have misheard but no. There was only a tiny difference between Zakkuri’s stage name and his given name. Zakkuri smiled, teasing. He appeared to relish Nana’s reaction but it also seemed like a game he got to play quite often.

“My parents must’ve known that I was destined for stardom to give a janky name like this.” he joked.

Though he was immediately dogged on by his bandmates given that all of them had some strange choices for stage names. It made Nana laugh. It did seem like Zakkuri, Cutty, and Chokkirine were all good friends with plenty of banter and inside jokes between them. Jogi was the most antisocial of the band by far, he sat at the far end and observed with a dry martini in hand. He ignored everyone whilst the others had a good crack at getting along.

Uta, ever a social butterfly, did the heavy lifting and led it mostly on her end. Nana was too enamoured, too busy making googoo eyes at Zakkuri to do little more than weird poor Kokoro out. Cutty was a tried and true wallflower, however, completely silent whilst he listened to Nana and Zakkuri jabber. Chokkirine, meanwhile, seemed to be of the opinion that any attention was good attention, even if she wasn’t the centre of it.

Regardless, she happily conducted the conversation, too.

“I take it you brats are college kids, what’re you studying?” Chokkirine asked. “At the local university? Not to brag but I’ve got my certificates, too. Better than these high school drop outs.”

“I’m studying to be a pediatrician.” Nana piped up first. “I’m taking my chemistry and biology courses here and then will transfer upwards to complete my degree and do placements.”

“That’s wonderful, good luck.” Zakkuri replied warmly.

“Hehe, thank you.” Nana beamed.

“And what about you guys? Do you have day jobs or something?” Uta asked. “In addition to studying, I work at a cafe here in town since I had plenty of work experience back home where my parents run their own cafe.”

“It's not much but I stack shelves at the supermarket.” Cutty told her. “Chokkirine is a hair stylist at a salon at the mall and Zakkuri sorts mail in some firm. Not very exciting stuff.”

“It pays the rent.” Chokkirine complained.

It also completely dismantled any magic there was in hanging out with a rock band in the bar they played but that was neither here nor there given the actual quality of their music. Still, one drink turned into an hour but glasses and bottles were drained very slowly over the course of it.

Whenever either Uta or Kokoro thought they found an exit where they could politely remove themselves from the conversation, and the bar, Nana roped them in. There was a lot to talk about and she was passionate about the mechanics of music. Especially whenever it was coming out of Zakkuri’s mouth. She was smitten and it was the weirdest thing that either Uta or Kokoro had ever seen from her.

And they had seen her do weird things.

Given how little their majors had in common with each other, it seemed unlikely at all that the trio would become friends. Even Chokkirine had pointed that out but the three of them went way back. She could be a little eccentric from time to time given her space cadet tendencies coupled with excellent book smarts. Which was why she needed Uta and Kokoro as the angels on her shoulders with some semblance of street smarts. Not that they were much better either but come on.

Zakkuri was obviously bad news.

He was quite a bit older than her and they had a problematic face card difference and that was probably just scraping the surface given that this was their first time meeting.

Yet when Uta and Kokoro had finally been able to reef Nana from her seat, she tried her best to go back one more time. To at least get his phone number but he had one better for her. He was feeling it too, that massive crush that Nana had acquired.

“Do you want to come back to my hotel room to hang…?” Zakkuri asked.

He had left Chokkirine and Cutty back at the table. They were making plans on where they would visit next for a drink since this venue had gotten stale. Jogi had disappeared ages ago. And Uta and Kokoro basically had one foot out the front door. It was just Nana lagging the chain and that kept them perfectly in the middle of the bar.

“I’d love to but…” Nana’s voice trailed off as she looked over her shoulders.

Her concerned look met the exasperation of her friends. Uta and Kokoro swiftly snatched her up and hoped to talk some sense into her. They clustered tightly around each other and whispered. Zakkuri pursed his lips, whistled a tune, and tapped his foot, all in an effort to pretend that he wasn’t eavesdropping on them.

“I can’t help it,” Nana strained, “I just… genuinely like him.”

“What would your parents think?” Uta asked.

Nana paled. They would go ballistic.

But that kind of appealed to her.

She loved her parents and her parents loved her. They wanted her to pursue what she liked, what she loved but they wouldn’t get it. They were so stuffy and hoity-toity. They wouldn’t get it. Especially since even her friends didn’t get it.

“I’ll be careful.” Nana insisted.

“But the golden rule is to never leave a friend behind…” Kokoro whispered.

“I’ll be fine, I promise.” Nana said.

Uta and Kokoro sized up Zakkuri. He walked closer to them and awkwardly put his arm over Nana’s shoulders. She kept herself prim and proper underneath, her hands to herself and smiled.

“Text us when you get to the hotel, okay?” Uta said. “And if you need a lift in the morning, let us know.”

“And don’t forget, we’ve got our eye on you. If anything happens, oh, you better watch it, buster.” Kokoro added as menacingly as she could.

“I promise,” Zakkuri said and he squeezed Nana’s bicep, “I’ll take good care of her. I’ll even take her to get ice cream and everythin’. Any topping she wants. On me, of course, and as many scoops as she likes.”

Nana giggled. That sounded like a bit much. She wasn’t a big sweet tooth but it got Zakkuri’s point across. He was harmless and had only the best intentions with her.

“Alright then, see you tomorrow, Nana, back at the dorms, okay?” Uta said.

“Okay.” Nana replied.

She got a hug and a kiss from her friends. Zakkuri got the stink eye but he couldn’t blame them. Everyone went their different ways. The two university girls back home via an Uber; Zakkuri’s bandmates were going to go on foot to the closest pub. Their cab was on its way and Zakkuri looked down at Nana.

“So, uh, do you want ice cream?” he asked. “I was just spitballing…”

Nana hummed in thought, “You know what? Why not? It’ll be a special treat.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Zakkuri replied. “All dairy gets banned prior to a performance and I don’t even sing. Or eat that much to start, anyway…”

“Oh, really, why’s that?” Nana asked.

“Messes with your vocal chords.” Zakkuri replied.

“Makes sense, I think Uta or Kokoro has mentioned that to me actually.” Nana nodded.

They waited a little more and their ride came around the bend. The car was spotlessly clean on the outside with a sleek build. It pulled up and Zakkuri checked his phone. Right person driving, right number plates on the vehicle. With that confirmed, he did the gentlemanly thing and opened up the door.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

Nana swung inside and she waited for Zakkuri. He placed himself over the front door.

“Hey man, do you mind if we take a detour? Me and my girl here want to get ice cream before we head back. You good with that? I can give you a cash tip.”

“Totally fine.”

Nana smiled and began to think about what she wanted to get. She jostled about as Zakkuri entered the back of the car with her. She flashed him a smile and cuddled in.

“So I’m your girl now, am I?” she asked, cheeky.

“Well, er…” Zakkuri replied, stammering.

Nana giggled. Zakkuri was cute. They sat together in the back, playing footsies and let the driver pick where they had a stop over on the way to the hotel. They drove through traffic, slowed only down by red lights and they saw the city blur. It was a beautiful summer haze, well past midnight and full of neon lights.

The driver pulled into the parking lot of some chain takeaway shop. He let them get out and they passed by a gaggle of other clubbers fanging a sweet treat all the same as them, as though it were the middle of the day instead of the middle of the night. The automatic doors slid open for them and the scent of greasy food hit them.

They stood in the blinding lights in the middle of the shop. People ate burgers and fries around them as they studied the menu for something to choose. There were all the basic sundaes and sugar cones but something else advertised for a summery treat.

Nana whispered in Zakkuri’s ear what she wanted and he went to order for them. He got a number on his receipt and a few minutes later, he had a cardboard tray with two waffle cones inside of it.

They sat outside on the veranda. There were some fake plants hung up to separate the shop’s outskirts from the asphalt of the parking lot. They sat on wire chairs at a metal table underneath fairy lights and in the shadow of sconces.

“Thanks, Zakkuri.” Nana said.

She had ordered the special: a vanilla soft serve with caramel sauce and pieces of candied banana sprinkled over it. Zakkuri had gone for something far less impressive: the humble vanilla soft serve with sprinkles and a swirl of strawberry syrup.

“I don’t wanna keep the driver waiting so eat quickly.” Zakkuri said.

“Okay.” Nana replied.

They ate together and the ice cream hit them as pure sugar but it was the tasty kind of pure sugar. Though barely a few spoonfuls later, Nana’s phone buzzed. She got a text message from Uta in the group chat with her and Kokoro. She smiled. It was good to know that they had gotten home safely. Her stomach squirmed. She should probably give them the update on what she and Zakkuri were up to.

She glanced around. There was litter in the carpark, the building behind them was salty and ugly. Their ice creams weren’t faring much better either. Bitten into, licked up: they slanted to the side as well, looking like a far cry for the advertisements on television. It wasn’t the most aesthetic place to take a photo but the urge welled up in Nana.

“Um, excuse me, Zakkuri-san.” Nana piped up.

“Mm?” He looked up from his ice cream. He had a little bit smeared on his lips. “Also, you don’t need to call me so respectfully… What’ve I done to earn that?”

“Ah, but I like it.” Nana replied. “But, I was wondering if I could make a request of you.”

“Sure?” He tilted his ice cream away from him, confused. She had already wormed her way into his wallet and his hotel bedroom, what more could she possibly want?

“Can we take a photo?”

“I’d love to.”

Nana smiled and got up. She posed behind him and extended out her phone. Zakkuri hastily wiped his face and Nana snapped a few pictures. Their ice creams wobbled and their smiles were wonky at best. Most of pictures taken were candid to put it nicely but the final one was the most posed between them: they almost looked natural together.

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” Nana said.

“No worries.” Zakkuri replied.

“I’m going to send it to Uta-chan and Kokoro-chan.” Nana added. “I want them to know I’m having fun.”

Zakkuri offered a fond smile in reply. He was glad to hear it. Maybe a little relieved too.

They continued to enjoy their ice cream in peace. The outdoor area was quiet but they could hear the subtle humdrum of various ongoings from inside the shop. The cars waited in the carpark. The ice cream made for a pleasant sweet treat to share between them as they made a little bit more conversation.

This probably counted as a first date, right? That’s how Nana felt as she admired Zakkuri from across the table.

“Thanks for treating me. I really appreciate it.” Nana said. She had gotten down to the last few licks of her ice cream, most of the cone eaten.

“Eh, it's my pleasure.” Zakkuri replied. “It’s not every day I get to go on a date with someone as cute as you.”

Nana shuddered, she blushed, “You are so sweet.”

It was a shame it had to come with a side of self deprecation with their sprinkles and waffle cones.

“No, I mean it.” Zakkuri insisted. “Like look at me. I’m on the wrong side of thirty in a shitty rock band and got a dead end job. But you? You're on the up and up, just gettin’ started… I’m thankful you even looked twice at me. Let alone go the whole nine yards. Letting me take you for ice cream, to my hotel room.”

Nana reached across the table and she placed her hand over Zakkuri’s. They were both sticky, the ice cream was almost all eaten but what wasn’t had begun to melt. She smiled sympathetically.

“Please don’t talk about yourself like that. We’re all on different paths. You'll end up where you need to be eventually.” Nana assured him.

He gave her a look. He appreciated the platitude but that’s all it was. A platitude. Born from young, naive optimism. It didn’t matter how pure and innocent Nana’s big blue eyes were, it was obvious that she had a lot more privilege and upward mobility than him. He’d know.

Nana grimaced. She could tell Zakkuri wasn’t buying what she was selling.

“Truth be told… I didn’t know you could play piano like that.” Nana confessed. “I lost interest in playing the piano or keyboard when I was around fourteen. It was just something I had been pushed into but I grew uncertain if it was what I loved.”

Zakkuri listened. He wasn’t entirely sure where it was going. Especially because there was more to it that Nana was about to divulge.

“I just wanted to be like my mother. Aokaze Mutsumi…”

Zakkuri’s eyes widened, “Hang on, wait a minute, I know that name-”

“I’m not surprised, she’s a famous concert pianist.” Nana replied a little shyly.

Zakkuri was dazzled. Most people who played either piano or the keyboard in the area typically knew Nana’s mother. She was kind of a big deal to those who knew.

“I wanted to make her happy but after a while, I questioned whether it made me happy. I asked myself what I wanted to do and I decided I wanted to help people.”

“Ah, so that’s why you're studying to be a doctor I take it?” Zakkuri asked.

“Mm, I wanted something that would challenge me but bring smiles to people. It’ll be a long hard path but I think it’ll be worth it.” Nana said. Her brows furrowed and her expression turned serious.

“I think your parents would be proud of you either way.” Zakkuri assured her.

The future was a strange, unknowable place to tread. Especially sitting around in a parking lot with a stranger eating ice cream on a serendipitous first date after meeting but Nana found solace in it regardless.

“Science is very varied, exciting. I’m always learning something new. Music can be too but when I played, it was monotonous, stuffy… Boring. But funnily enough, when I heard you're playing...” Nana giggled. “It's rough around the edges but very new to me. I want to try playing again, like you.”

Zakkuri smiled shyly, “Well, if you ever wanna learn Smoke on the Water or something, I can show you.”

“I’d be so rusty I don’t even know if I remember Twinkle Twinkle Little Star so… I’d like that very much, Zakkuri-san.” Nana replied.

“Then if all goes well, we can try.” Zakkuri shrugged.

It didn’t sound concrete but it still sounded like a plan. They finished eating up their ice cream and then made it back to the car. The driver had been waiting for them without even turning off the engine. Nana entered the backseat and Zakkuri took care of the gratuity.

“Thanks for giving us that detour. Here ya go.” Zakkuri said.

He fed some bills through the window of the ride that they were taking. The driver didn’t seem to mind, especially with the cash compensation. The passengers loaded into the back and it was straight to the hotel room after that.

Two sharp right turns later and one left turn later, through an intersection and voila. They arrived. The hotel was a tall, multistorey building with graffiti on one side and an intentional mural on the other, it was titled by a vertical sign which split it down the middle. All in all, it was very brutalist looking with an elevated inside.

Zakkuri slapped his key card to the hotel’s front door and they helped themselves in. There was an elevator to the right of the reception desk which was lit but not manned due to the hour. They went up to the third floor and Zakkuri escorted Nana through the rabbit warren of the building’s plan.

She was a little dizzied by the situation. It felt like she was moving too fast but it was also the kind of thrill that she thought all university girls craved. Rebellion, independence, adventure. It certainly felt like one as she took it all in and looked around. The hotel that Zakkuri, and his bandmates, were staying at was youthful. It was situated close to some of the regular bars and nightclubs that Nana had visited with her friend so its vague familiarity of the area was comforting.

Zakkuri’s room in particular reminded her of the dorms back on the university’s campus, too. In size and style. White walls, vomit proof carpet. That kind of thing. It also looked like a bomb had gone off in here which was also very typical of some of the male living spaces that Nana was neighbours too back at the dorm.

“So, uh, these are my digs.” Zakkuri said. “I promise my flat back home isn’t like this. Mostly ‘cause I share with Cutty.”

“It’s fine. You weren’t expecting visitors.” Nana replied.

“Heh, yeah, true.” Zakkuri said and he raked his fingers through the back of his head. “Anyways, what’s mine is yours, get comfy. Do what you like.”

“Ah, good, good…” Nana mumbled.

She nodded her head and she let her eyes wander. There wasn’t much in the way of entertainment in the room. There was a television but it was late, they would be lucky if there was anything interesting aside from infomercials. It was a small room and that made the bed seem a lot bigger. She held onto her handbag a little tighter. She tongued along her teeth where she could taste the last remnants of her drinks and ice cream.

“Do you have anything I can borrow as pyjamas…?” Nana asked. “I wasn’t expecting to stay over anywhere tonight. I don’t even have a spare toothbrush in my purse.”

“Well, if you don’t complain about my morning breath, I won’t say a word about yours.” Zakkuri told her.

Nana nodded and she watched as he got busy in his suitcase. He pulled out a couple of things and she blushed as some of his unmentionables fell to the wayside. There was no order or organisation to his suitcase, everything was jammed in and hoped for the best.

Then tada.

He found what he was looking for. He turned around and grinned. He produced a t-shirt from the depths of his suitcase. It unfurled like a flag to proudly display the band’s promotional materials. He shook it a couple times in a vain attempt to shake out the wrinkles.

“Here, you can borrow this for the night if you like.” Zakkuri suggested. “Or you can keep it, I think it’ll look good on you.”

Nana swallowed. The shirt was a dark grey in colour with the band’s logo on the breast. It looked long and wide, probably a medium if she had to guess. Zakkuri turned it around and on the back was the names of the bandmembers and another iteration of their logo.

“Well?” he prompted her again.

“Looks comfy, I-I’ll get changed, if you don’t mind.” Nana replied. “In the bathroom… So don’t look.”

“W-Wouldn’t dream of it.” Zakkuri replied.

Heartened by his reply, Nana came closer and she took his shirt off him. Her heart skipped a beat and she held it tight to her chest. She scurried off and Zakkuri turned his back on her again. He busied himself by cramming all his clothes back into his suitcase.

Nana, meanwhile, hid in his hotel room’s ensuite. She slid the door across and took a breath. She didn’t know why but her heart was racing. To distract herself, she got to business. She shimmied out of her dress and undid her bra. She got changed and Zakkuri’s t-shirt was surprisingly comfortable. It was soft. It smelt like him, too.

Out of curiosity, Nana pulled back the collar and tilted her head down. She put her nose under the rim of the fabric and inhaled deep. Zakkuri’s shirt smelt like whiskey and rye with a touch of woody aftershave. It was intoxicating and mature.

She let go and the shirt crumpled back over place on her body. She took a few more seconds to check herself out in the bathroom mirror. She liked what she saw, especially Zakkuri's name emblazoned between her shoulders. She thought she looked good.

She hoped Zakkuri would think that too.

Nana picked up her clothing and bundled it up. With her other hand, she reached out and slid the door open again. She had only been a couple of seconds. Zakkuri could have jumped out of his skin as he turned around again. His suitcase was still in disarray on his bed behind him.

“Already?” he exclaimed. “Chokkirine takes forever is all so I just, uh, wasn’t expecting you to be quick.” He was mid-gettumg changed as well.

Zakkuri stood awkwardly in his flannelette pants and had a singlet stuck over his arms. He hastily finished getting changed and Nana giggled at his expense.

“I was only getting changed…” Nana pointed out, mumbling.

She stepped away from the ensuite’s threshold and into the main thoroughfare of the hotel room. She was illuminated by the trashy fluorescent light over head and gave a half-hearted sway to her hips so she could make the shirt flare like a dress.

“So, uh… How do I look?” Nana asked as she coyly tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Zakkuri looked up and his eyes could have bulged out of his sockets. “I, uh, I really like it.”

Nana smiled. She looked down at herself and there was something very overfamiliar about wearing Zakkuri’s clothing, getting his smell all over her, too. Especially without a bra on. She wasn’t the bustiest or perkiest gal around but she wasn’t ignorant either to the fact that there was a bit of lift and her pebbled nipples were just peeking through the cottony fabric, too.

And it's not like Zakkuri was all that subtle either. His eyes lingered, a strained expression and then it was like a switch flipped. He got moving, anything to make it oh so obvious that he hadn’t been staring when it was abundantly clear that he had been.

Zakkuri gave up and he pushed his suitcase off the bed. It landed with a thunk and its contents spilled. He sat down on the crumpled doona cover and patted the patch next to him as a means of beckoning Nana closer. She obliged.

Zakkuri watched with bated breath as Nana sauntered up to him. There was a sway to her hips. His shirt barely covered her thighs. It excited him. She stood in front of him for a moment: close enough that they both felt how the other’s knees knocked.

Out of curiosity, to test the boundary, Zakkuri reached up. He cupped Nana’s thigh. He groped it. Nana shuddered. She got wet. She felt the splash of arousal only moisten as Zakkuri touched more of her supple skin. His hand ended up underneath the fabric which barely covered her.

“Ah.” Nana gasped. “That feels nice.”

“Heh, tell me about it.” Zakkuri replied.

He could look, he could touch, Nana didn’t mind but she still got cold feet from his gentle hands. He treated her like she was ivory, it was near worshipful. It turned her on but that was a concept which daunted her, even as she did really like it. Her expression was awkward and yet, demure. She put her hand over his. That’s enough. She wordlessly pushed him off and he complied, his hands returned to his lap.

She sat down on the bed next to him. They brushed up against one another. Leg to leg, shoulder to shoulder. It was intimate. The room felt small for one person, the space mostly taken up by the double bed but now it felt even tinier with them both sharing it.

“So, um… What now?” Nana asked.

“Oh, er… I don’t know.” Zakkuri confessed.

There didn’t seem like much to do. They had chatted most the night away, gotten lost in an atmosphere of their very own. Inadvisable to the others looking in and now there wasn’t anything left to do.

Except that.

It was getting late. They crawled up further into the bed, putting their heads on the pillows provided. Of which there were four which was quite generous. The bed itself was firm. It didn’t squeak much. Or even move for that matter as they both were comfortable and stared into one another’s eyes. They were both thinking it but Nana didn’t seem ready. Or Zakkuri for that matter.

He reached out, he tucked more strands of Nana’s hair behind her ear. She didn’t flinch. Up close, she saw how gnarly Zakkuri’s hands were, they weren’t pianist hands. Still, she liked the affection from them, he was gentle, it was soothing. She scrunched up, made herself small and unassuming. Innocent. She put her hands in front of her, her breasts squeezed together, her legs were perfectly lined up. Especially next to Zakkuri who had one leg up and the other down, one hand which played with Nana’s hand the other flat to the bed.

“We don’t have to do anything by the way…” Zakkuri flirted. “I’m just happy with this.”

“Mm, thanks Zakkuri-san.” Nana murmured. “I’m… I’m content like this if you are.”

Zakkuri scoffed, “Content? I’m out of my mind. I’ve never felt this way before… You make me feel like a real rockstar.”

“I’m glad.”

They paused. It seemed they had come to a mutual understanding without saying it. They were tired, it was late, it was time to go to bed. Strange as it may be to be bedfellows as strangers. Zakkuri rolled off the bed and turned off the lights. The room went pitch black. Nana got under the covers first, she felt the bed bounce and wriggle as Zakkuri rejoined her in its depths.

She couldn’t see him but she felt him. He was close. Zakkuri helped the sheets up to her shoulders. Then he did the same. He also let Nana return the favour, she pulled the covers up to his shoulders, too.

“Thanks.” Zakkuri mumbled. “G’night.”

“Good night, Zakkuri.” Nana replied softly. “Sweet dreams.”

“Thanks.”

Zakkuri got comfortable. He closed his eyes. Nana stared. He was difficult to make out in the dark and she felt her heart race. She wriggled closer and she stole a kiss from Zakkuri.

His eyes opened, alarmed. Nana kissed harder. On the exhale, she added, “I hope all your dreams come true. By the way.” she murmured. She kissed him again. “I don’t want you to just feel like a rockstar, I hope you get to be one.”

Zakkuri smiled, he closed his eyes again. He let Nana kiss him all slow and soft. They shared the taste of vanilla ice cream mixed with the muskmelon of the Midori that Nana had been drinking earlier and just a hint of banana, too. It probably would have been a gross combination on anyone else but Nana.

“I hope your dreams come true, too. I bet you’ll be a great doctor one day.” Zakkuri murmured.

“Thank you, Zakkuri-san.” Nana replied. “Let’s get some sleep.”

Zakkuri hummed in acknowledgement and closed his eyes again. He snuggled into the pillow and Nana thought he looked cute doing it. They laid on their sides, face to face but not quite touching. Nana watched him just a little longer. He must have known that she was staring, he snorted and his nose scrunched. She smiled.

She reached out. She caressed his face, her hand trailed down and found his own. She held it. His eyebrows flickered with the urge to open his eyes and likely scold her for being annoying but he didn’t. Nana’s heart thumped in her chest, the bed was warm and firm. She wasn’t sure what the morning would bring.

Tonight kind of felt like some kind of modern fairy tale and tomorrow, she would step back into her ordinary world. Sobered up and bound for studying. But it was exciting. She meant it. She knew that Zakkuri meant it too. They both wanted the best for the other, for sweet dreams to become lived realities. She just hoped the in between would involve more kissing, more drinks and sundae splurges.

With these thoughts on her mind, and their hands intertwined, both Nana and Zakkuri drifted off to sleep.

#self reblog

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