#❛ 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒 . shindo ainosuke . ic .

[aerael-a]

"Hey, welcome to Do--" The words died on his tongue as he stared at their newest customer. Tall. Strong. Gorgeous in a... professional sort of way. Crap! Reki suddenly found himself at a loss... and wishing Langa were there with him that day to speak for the shop until he could find his voice again.

Physically shaking himself out of it, he cleared his throat, trying to ignore the way his face warmed at the sight of the man that had just walked in.

"Sorry, I... totally forgot what I was saying. You ever have those moments?" An embarrassed shake of his head later, and he glanced to the counter in front of himself, spotting a sticker that reminded him of what he was supposed to be saying. "Oh, yeah! Welcome to Dope Sketch! I'm Reki and I'm--" not supposed to be flirting. "Here if you have any questions." . @mcwscollective .

          𝐇𝐄  𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐍'𝐓  𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃  𝐁𝐘  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐏  𝐈𝐍  𝐀  𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆  𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄    ;        Oka  hardly  ever  needed  his  help,  and  only  really  reached  out  when  he  had  any  financial  decisions  he  needed  to  consult  with  him    ━━━━    so,  once  the  opportunity  presented  itself,  Ainosuke  had  Tadashi  drive  him  to  the  familiar  little  store.  Dope  Sketch  was  a  beacon,  calling  attention  to  itself  for  the  colourful  design  of  the  sign.  It  gave  Ainosuke  a  sense  of  home  is  own  house  hadn't  brought  him  since  his  mother's  passing.

            Ainosuke  had  foregone  the  usual  royal  blue  suit  he  used  for  work,  instead  opting  for  a  more  casual,  but  no  less  professional  outfit.  Sporting  a  part  of  fitted  pleated  trousers,  a  black  turtle  neck  and  black  shoes,  he  looked  nothing  like  the  image  he  painted  of  himself  to  the  public.  Raising  an  eyebrow  at  the  familiar  red-head,  Ainosuke  waited  until  the  younger  male  gathered  himself.  He  wasn't  sure  if  Reki's  hesitation  had  been  because  he  had  somehow  recognised  him,  or  something  else.

            There  was  no  stopping  the  chuckle  that  left  his  lips,  turning  his  head  to  the  side,  hand  delicately  raised  to  his  lips  in  order  to  try  and  hide  it.  ❛        I  suppose  it  does  happen  to  the  best  of  us.        ❜    Crimson  eyes  glittered  in  amusement,  it  was  oddly  endearing  to  see  the  younger  skater  acting  so  shy?  Should  he  call  it  that?  Ainosuke  vaguely  remembered  Reki  before  Langa  walked  into  their  lives,  didn't  the  red-haired  boy  used  to  be  a  fan  of  Adam?  

            ❛        Well,  Reki-kun,  I  happen  to  need  your  help  today,        ❜  Ainosuke  began,  eyes  scanning  the  shelves,  joy  filling  him  up  at  being  surrounded  by  a  plethora  of  skateboard  paraphernalia.  ❛        I  am  looking  for  a  birthday  present,  a  gift  for  a  rather  adventurous  child.  I  think  a  skateboard  would  be  the  prefect  gift,  but  I  am  afraid  I  don't  know  much  about  the  topic.        ❜  Ainosuke  feigned  embarrassment,  averting  his  eyes  from  the  younger  male,  silken  voice  unbearably  soft.  ❛        They  have  only  made  one  request:  the  present  has  to  be  pink.      ❜  

            The  daughter  of  this  particular  diet  member  was  a  firecracker,  a  troublemaker  and  Ainosuke  enjoyed  her  presence  very  much,  as  the  youngest  member  of  their  diet,  he  was  often  left  with  the  children  during  dinners  and  festivities.  And  he  might  have  hinted,  that  perhaps  skateboarding  would  be  the  way  to  make  her  father  a  little  more  stressed  than  usual.

            ❛        Do  you  think  you  could  help  me  with  that,  Reki-kun?        ❜

[aerael-a]

          𝐑𝐄𝐊𝐈’𝐒  𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒  𝐆𝐎  𝐇𝐈𝐌  𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄  𝐀𝐒  𝐂𝐔𝐓𝐄  𝐀𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘  𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄  𝐀𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆  ;    and  while  that  did  make  Ainosuke  a  bit  confused,  he  wouldn’t  be  objecting  to  seeing  the  pretty  little  redhead  flustered  and  bumbling  about  in  his  presence.  It  was  endearing,  and  definitely  something  that  he’d  be  thinking  about  for  the  days  leading  up  to  when  he  had  to  pick  up  his  order.    ❛      That’s  wonderful,  I  would  have  hated  to  have  made  this  request  difficult  for  you.        ❜    Ainosuke’s  said,  velvety  voice  sounding  relieved.  

          Perhaps  giving  him  his  personal  number  was  a  bit  too  forward,  but  this  was  something  Ainosuke  was  doing  on  his  own.  He’d  hate  for  Tadashi  to  intercept  it  and  ruin  Ainosuke’s  plan  to  make  Yueda’s  live  a  living  hell.  ❛      Hm?      ❜  He  responded  softly  as  his  name  was  called,  face  softening  into  a  gentle  smile  as  Reki  mumbled  that  his  phone  number  was  more  than  enough  payment.  He  didn’t  respond  to  that,  it  would  make  him  feel  awful  to  not  properly  compensate  the  hard  work  of  Oka’s  employee.  

              ❛      That’s  quite  alright.  We  all  have  days  in  which  we  can’t  help  but  to  focus  elsewhere…      ❜    he  purred,  crimson  eyes  trailing  after  Reki  as  the  boy  scrambled  behind  the  counter.  He  was  having  fun  flirting  with  him  and  watching  his  very  honest  reactions.  It  was  adorable.  

              Soon  it  was  his  turn  to  be  surprised,  eyes  widening  as  Reki  boldly  asked  him  out.  Well,  that  was  certainly  something  he  hadn’t  expected.  But  what  would  be  the  worst  that  could  happen?  He  chuckled,  eyes  fluttering  downwards,  oddly  feeling  his  cheeks  heat  up.  Ainosuke  pulled  out  his  black  card  and  quickly  paid  for  his  order.  He  then  glanced  up  at  Reki,  an  innocent  but  sultry  look  on  his  crimson  eyes.  

            ❛      Well,  in  that  case,  I  trust  that  you’ll  be  free  after  work  when  I  come  to  pick  up  this  order,  yes?        ❜    He  decided  to  be  a  bit  daring,  a  hand  slowly  reaching  over  the  counter  to  brush  against  Reki’s  flushed  cheek.  ❛      Is  there  anywhere  special  you’d  like  to  go,  Reki-kun?  You  have  my  number,  so  please  do  let  me  know.        ❜  Ainosuke  with  another  wink,  bid  Reki  goodbye,  and  walked  back  to  his  car.  Now  that  he  was  away  from  the  store,  he  allowed  himself  to  dance  a  bit,  feet  tapping  against  the  concrete.

            ❛      Take  me  home,  Tadashi.  I  have  a  dinner  date  to  plan.        ❜    

There were no words to describe how he felt in that moment. With fingers tracing the board in his hands, Reki could barely contain himself; his breath catching in his chest while his heart began to race. With the stranger's step forward, he finally let out the breath he'd been holding. It took everything within him to not let his knees give out then and there.

"Me too," Reki mumbled without thinking, and licked his lips. It wasn't until then that he noticed how dry his mouth and throat had become -- and yet, his palms had become quite sweaty. He made a mental note to wipe them off on his jeans once he was behind the counter again. "I... mean... I like Sanrio characters too! That shouldn't be any problem." He'd have to make some minor creative changes to claim it as his own, but extra thought was a small price to pay.

"--!" He faked a cough into the collar of his hoodie to cover the noise that had escaped him at seeing something being written down for him. Let him know when -- he was giving him his phone number?! He felt like his heart would pound its way out of his chest at the idea of receiving a personal, private way to contact him. What followed would tint the rest of his day in a brilliant rose tint; daydreams and fantasies filling his head from that sweet wink he'd been given.

"Ainosuke," he read the name as amber eyes finally had the chance to take in the beautiful penmanship and the most incredible phone number he'd ever had the opportunity to read. Impulsively, he ignored every shred of common sense he had in favor of blurting out "This is more than enough," with a small wave of the scrap of paper. He scrambled to put the board down against the counter (he wasn't putting away the one this gorgeous man had touched!)

"Ughhh," Reki groaned, shaking his head a bit more forcefully. "Sorry. I'm... having a little trouble concentrating I think. That won't still be a problem when I'm working on your board, though! Don't worry!" He stuffed the phone number into his pocket and rubbed his hands against his jeans to rid himself of the warm slickness of his palms. "Uh... lemme get you the total." A fresh wave of nervous laughter later, he'd finally managed to figure out the key patterns he'd memorized long ago.

"You think I'd know how to do my job after I've been here for I don't even know how long anymore," he said more to himself than the strang-- Ainosuke. He knew his name now, and it was just as appealing as the rest of him. At least... compared to what he could see of him in that moment. As the total popped up on the screen, he decided it was now or never. He'd missed so many chances before -- and he was probably forever stuck in the friend zone with Langa.

What was the worst that could happen if he asked a simple question?

"Actually... It'll cost you one dinner--" and then, to quickly correct himself and brush it off as a joke. "Is what I would have said if I wasn't taking this seriously.... Shut up, Reki." He printed up a breakdown of all the charges and set it on the counter (of course he'd made sure to mark the customization as his treat, as promised.) "How's that look to you? If it seems right, go ahead and use your card."

[aerael-a]

It was his first time staying at the Shindo estate. Adam had invited him over the night prior and one thing had lead to another which lead to Langa waking up in the older man's bed. He feels warm, morning sun gently hitting his face from the curtains as he's roused from his sleep.

He whines just slightly turning away from the light and into Adam, one arm sliding around his waist and pulling himself in closer against the man. He takes a moment to admire the other's sleeping features, free hand carefully coming up to trace over Adam's lips. Langa couldn't believe how lucky he felt in that moment, to be with someone as beautiful as Adam.

Unable to help himself, the younger male leans in and presses a gentle kiss to Adam's lips. Followed by another. Then one to his cheek. Then to his jaw before he moves to pressing kisses along Adam's chest and neck. Surely he'd appreciate being woken up in this manner? At least Langa hoped. @ghoulsmuses

          𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌  𝐇𝐀𝐃  𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐍  𝐀  𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄,    risking  the  integrity  of  his  heart  as  he  invited  Langa  to  spend  the  night  at  the  estate.  It  had  been  delightful  to  hear  the  younger  man  accepting  his  request,  even  more  so  to  spend  the  night  with  Langa  by  his  side.  And  after  a  passionate  night  of  sweet  and  tender  lovemaking  that  he’d  remember  with  his  heart,  body  and  soul,  Ainosuke  fell  asleep  holding  onto  his  angel    ━━━━    his  Eve.  

            His  dreams  painted  in  soft  shades  of  blue,  splashes  of  sky  blue  hues,  as  he  slept  better  than  he  had  ever  done  before.  Unperturbed  by  nightmares,  unbothered  by  lingering  stress  from  long  hours  at  work,  subconscious  full  of  his  love,  his  dear  Langa.  

            Ainosuke  had  never  been  a  deep  sleeper,  but  he  was  a  slow  riser  ━━  waking  up  very  slowly  on  the  rare  occasions  he  was  allowed  to.  Which  was  why  he  woke  up  at  the  first  sign  of  movement,  feeling  an  arm  wrapping  around  his  waist  and  a  warm  body  pressing  up  against  him.  That  wasn’t  enough  to  pull  him  away  from  sleep  completely,  mind  still  floating  around  that  strange  place  between  wakefulness  and  dreams.  He  feels  as  someone  traces  his  lips,  sighs  and  melts  further  into  the  bed  as  a  kiss  is  placed  against  his  mouth.

            Ruby  red  eyes  only  open  as  kisses  began  to  be  peppered  all  over  his  face.  A  slight  and  sleepy  hum  escaping  him  as  he  tries  to  make  sense  of  the  situation.  ❛        Mhm,  Langa…kun?        ❜    he  mumbles,  voice  coated  with  sleep  and  pure  love  as  he  uttered  his  lover’s  name.  

            It  takes  Ainosuke  a  couple  of  seconds  to  wake  up  a  little  more,  and  when  he  does,  his  arms  wrap  themselves  around  the  younger  male,  pulling  him  closer  to  him  ━  making  it  so  Langa  was  practically  lying  on  top  of  him.  ❛      What  a  way  to  wake  up…        ❜  he  whispered  in  awe  as  ruby  red  eyes  gazed  upon  Langa,  taking  in  his  ethereal  beauty.  

            ❛      I  am  the  luckiest  man  alive.        ❜  He  smiled,  still  a  bit  groggy  and  sleepy,  but  so  ridiculously  happy  he  could  cry.    ❛      Good  morning,  my  love.  Have  you  slept  well?        ❜  Ainosuke  asked,  leaning  up  to  properly  kiss  the  younger  male.  What  a  wonderful  start  to  his  day  off.  He  could  not  wait  to  see  how  else  Langa  would  surprise  him  that  day.  

[aerael-a]

Ainosuke what are your thoughts on langa, reki, joe, and cherry? Weve heard from adam but what about you?

          𝐈𝐅  𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘  𝐈𝐓  𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄  𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄  ━━━━  to  answer  such  question,  to  share  such  thoughts,  it  was  like  exposing  his  underbelly  to  a  world  of  ravenous  wolves.  Should  he  really  share  what  he  thought  about  them?  

            ❛        I  have  many  thoughts  about  them.        ❜    He  began,  silken  voice  soft  and  warm  as  he  spoke.  Kinder,  less  sultry  and  raw  as  Adam’s  was.    ❛        Langa  and  Reki  seem  to  be  good  boys,  dedicated  to  their  families.  They  also  have  a  very  strong  friendship.  I  am  very  fond  of  both  of  them.        ❜  That  was  unfortunately,  all  he  could  say  about  the  teenagers.  He  didn’t  know  much  more  than  that.  

            As  for  Kaoru  and  Kojiro,  well,  those  two  he  knew  much  more  and  yet  it  was  so  much  harder  to  talk  about  them.  ❛        Joe  and  Cherry,  they  are…complicated.        ❜  The  blue  haired  male  sighed,  a  delicate  hand  running  through  his  hair.  ❛        I  truly  believe  that  we  were  meant  to  be  together,  the  three  of  us.        ❜  Sadness  and  resentment  began  to  seep  into  his  voice.  ❛        I  was  forced  to  leave  them,  and  that  broken  bridge  can’t  ever  be  mended  I  am  afraid.        ❜

            Kaoru  and  Kojiro  were  his  soulmates.  A  red  thread  used  to  connect  them  all,  but  Adam’s  leaving  had  severed  it  and  now  he  had  been  left  utterly  and  completely  alone.  He  is  glad  they  are  as  close  as  ever,  glad  to  see  that  his  parting  hadn’t  affected  them  as  it  affected  him.  Because  seeing  them  still  made  him  very  happy.  

[aerael-a]

Adam what do you really think of Reki?

          𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐒𝐎𝐍  𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒  𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐃  𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇  𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊.  Honesty  was  rare  for  a  man  like  him,  for  a  man  in  his  profession.  So  to  be  asked  so  bluntly  for  honesty  was  refreshing  and  slightly  disconcerting.  ❛      Ah,  yes,  our  little  red…        ❜  he  mused,  because  at  the  end  of  the  day,  he  hadn’t  truly  allowed  himself  to  think  about  Reki.  

            Perhaps  because  Reki  reminded  him  of  himself  ━━━━  his  younger  self,  the  one  not  yet  betrayed  by  the  person  he  had  loved  the  most,  the  one  who  saw  fun  and  happiness  by  skating  with  his  friend,  his  one  and  only  friend.  Reki  reminded  him  of  times  long  gone,  of  an  Ainosuke  that  had  been  killed  by  betrayal  and  fire.

            ❛      Little  red  is,  all  things  considered,  a  decent  skater  and  addition  to  S.        ❜    Adam  began,  voice  softer  as  he  spoke.    ❛      I  would  say  he  lacks  a  little  more  personality  in  his  style,  to  be  a  little  more  daring  as  he  skates  wouldn’t  be  a  bad  thing.        ❜  But  that  wasn’t  what  they  had  asked  of  him  was  it,  they  wanted  his  true  thoughts  on  Reki.  But  Adam  couldn’t  expose  that.

            ❛      He  seems  like  a  good  boy.  That  is  as  much  as  I  can  say,  after  all,  we  do  not  talk  much.      ❜  

[aerael-a]

          𝐀𝐒  𝐀  𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃  𝐇𝐄  𝐇𝐀𝐃  𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒  𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐃  𝐎𝐅  𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓  ;    falling  in  love  with  someone  and  waking  up  with  them  in  his  arms,  getting  to  bask  in  his  lovers  affections  in  the  quiet  hours  of  the  morning  light.  And  now  he  had  that,  he  had  found  his  soulmate,  his  Langa  and  to  wake  up  to  him  was  more  ━━━━  better  than  anything  he  could  have  ever  imagined.  Ainosuke  sighs  into  the  kiss,  mouth  opening  to  allow  Langa  to  explode  him  with  his  tongue.  A  deeper  kiss,  but  no  less  gentle  and  devoted.  

            The  older  man  leans  into  the  gentle  touch  like  a  cat,  a  sleepy  smile  gracing  his  face  as  Langa  spoke.  ❛      I  am  glad  you’ve  slept  well,  darling.        ❜    Crimson  eyes  blinked  slowly  down  at  sky  blue  ones,  smile  growing  wider  as  the  younger  continued.  ❛      It  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  have  been  any  more  comfortable.  Having  you  here  has  made  me  sleep  better  than  I  have  ever  done  before.        ❜    He  confesses,  arms  tightening  around  Langa’s  waist.  ❛      No,  you  haven’t  snored  at  all,  though  I  would  have  loved  to  hear  your  cute  little  snores~        ❜  Ainosuke  traded  Langa.  

            He  tilts  his  head  slightly,  giving  Langa’s  nimble  fingers  more  space  to  touch.  His  own  hands  trailing  up  and  down  Langa’s  strong  back,  rubbing  circles  down  from  his  shoulders  to  his  lower  back.  He  can’t  help  a  small  moan  from  escaping  him  as  Langa  attacks  his  neck and jaw  with  kisses  and  nibbles,  eyes  fluttering  shut  for  a  moment.  ❛      I  am  all  yours  today,  my  love.  We  can  stay  in  bed  all  day  if  that’s  what  you  want  to  do.        ❜    Ainosuke  shivers,  Langa’s  touches  stirring  heat  in  his  stomach.  

            Ainosuke’s  feels  Langa  pressing  closer  to  him,  hears  the  need  in  the  younger  male’s  voice  and  feels  his  heart  bursting  with  love  for  this  precious  Angel.  Swiftly,  Ainosuke  held  onto  Langa  and  turned  them  so  he  now  hovered  over  the  younger  man,  supporting  himself  with  one  of  his  hands.  ❛      I’m  here,  angel.  I’m  all  yours  today,  and  tonight  and  forever,  for  as  long  as  you  want  me.        ❜  He  says,  leaning  down  to  press  a  reverent  kiss  to  Langa’s  forehead  before  letting  his  free  hand  trail  down  his  lover’s  body  ━━━━  caressing  his  chest,  brushing  against  nipples,  his  tummy  that  Ainosuke  loved  to  kiss  all  over,  before  stopping  at  the  hem  of  his  boxers.  

            ❛      Tell  me  what  you  need,  cariño....        ❜

Langa hums happily as he hears Ainosuke begin to rouse from his sleep, blue eyes sparkling as they look into sleepy crimson eyes. "Good morning," He says quietly, moving up to gently nudge his nose against the older man's before he's leaning in and kissing Ainosuke again. Quick pecks turn into longer kisses, Langa's tongue teasing along the seam of Ainosuke's lips. He had to admit that maybe the events of last night were starting to play in his mind the more he wakes and the longer he lays in bed next to the older man.

"I slept wonderfully," Langa says as he pulls away, one hand coming up to cup Ainosuke's cheek. "How about you? Were you comfortable? Did I snore at all?"

He allows his hand to gently trail down Ainosuke's neck, moving his fingertips along the other man's skin as he sighs and moves his lips to Ainosuke's jaw and neck. "You don't have anywhere to be today, right? We can spend some more time together?" He asks softly, teeth grazing over a light mark he'd left behind Ainosuke's ear during their lovemaking. His hands trail lower, gently running his fingernails along the blue haired man's side.

"I just can't help but feel like I need you again this morning," Langa mumbles shyly, pressing closer to the older man. "If you're busy, we can always come back to this later? I don't want to keep you from anything..."

[aerael-a]

❛ you look like you were jealous. ❜ Haruki to Adam ━━ @multianime

   𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐎𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏 𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐒𝐔𝐋𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆. Having all those eyes looking at his Haruki made his heart tremble but not in a pleasant way. He had wanted to climb onstage and take Haruki away, hide him within his arms. But he controlled himself, at least until the end of the concert. 

   ❛  I was — I am jealous….  ❜  The blue haired male pouted, hands pulling Haruki against his body by the other’s waist. Crimson eyes pleading and glittering dangerously with signs of moisture. ❛  I can’t stand that they were all looking at you, dreaming that you’d pay attention to them.  ❜

   Leaning closer, Ainosuke fully hugged the younger male, hiding his face in the space where Haruki’s shoulder met his neck. Finding solace in his partner’s scent and warmth. ❛  You’re mine, Haruki. Mine. I don’t want people to look at you with those eyes…  ❜

[aerael-a]

ainosuke, do you have thoughts on adam? any tips on how to handle him?

            𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌,  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓  𝐌𝐀𝐍  𝐎𝐍  𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇.  Adam,  fated  to  live  alone  in  paradise.  Adam  whose  loneliness  prompted  god  to  create  him  a  mate  ━━━━  someone  perfect  for  him,  someone  whose  soul  called  out  to  his.  Adam,  who  had  lost  his  Eve.  Adam,  who  was  part  of  him,  who  could  deal  with  all  the  things  Ainosuke  couldn’t.  

            ❛        I  don’t  have  much  to  say  on  him,      ❜    he  began,  crimson  eyes  glittered  softly,  face  gentle  as  he  spoke.  ❛        He  hasn’t  always  been  here,  I  haven’t  always  heard  his  voice  in  my  head.      ❜    Adam  had  been  with  him  for  what  felt  like  a  lifetime,  but  realistically  he  hadn’t  always  been  plagued  by  the  Matador’s  voice  in  his  head.

            When  his  mother  was  alive,  there  was  no  need  for  Adam.  She  was  his  light,  his  safe  harbour  ━━━━  her  voice,  her  bible,  her  arms  around  him  all  he  needed  to  deal  with  what  it  meant  to  be  a  Shindo.  After  her  passing,  he  had  no  one  else,  that  was  when  Adam  took  hold  of  him.  He  had  only  grown  from  that  moment  on,  and  whereas  before  Ainosuke  was  afraid,  terrified  of  what  it  meant.  Now  he  embraced  this  side  of  himself,  because  he  knew  Adam  loved  him  the  most.

            ❛        I  suppose  the  best  way  to  deal  with  Adam  is  to  stay  out  of  his  way.  Let  him  do  what  he  wants  to  do,  otherwise,  the  consequences  might  be  rather  unpleasant.      ❜

[aerael-a]

adam, why langa? what do you get out of paying such close attention to him?

            𝐖𝐇𝐘  𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐀....?    Why,  indeed,  Adam  wasn’t  really  sure,  but  perhaps  the  answer  was:  Why  not  Langa?    ❛        Ah~      ❜    he  practically  moaned,  devilish  look  taking  hold  of  his  rather  delicate  features.  ❛        There  are  so  many  answers  I  could  give  for  that,  and  yet,  none  of  them  seem  enough.      ❜  

            Langa  and  him  were  beyond  opposites,  like  fire  and  ice,  and  yet  there  were  so  many  similarities  between  them.  Adam  saw  so  much  of  his  younger  self  in  Langa,  perhaps  his  obsession  came  from  wondering  if  he’d  have  turned  out  like  Langa  had  he  not  been  betrayed.  Either  way,  explaining  all  of  that  to  a  stranger  did  not  sit  right  with  him  and  so  he  simply  opted  for  the  easy  way  out.

            ❛        Now,  how  could  I  not  pay  close  attention  to  my  one  true  love?  My  Eve?  It  was  love  at  first  sight,  after  all.      ❜

[aerael-a]

          𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄  𝐄𝐗𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓  𝐈𝐍  𝐑𝐄𝐊𝐈'𝐒  𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄  𝐖𝐀𝐒  𝐔𝐍𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐘  𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆  ;      Ainosuke  wondered  if  he'd  feel  the  same  if  he  knew  who  he  truly  was  ━━━━━━  it  was  not  a  secret  that  the  redhead  hated  his  S  persona,  though  not  long  ago  he  was  a  face  among  the  crowd,  cheering  for  him.  Still,  that  excitement  made  butterflies  flutter  in  Ainosuke's  stomach,  and  he  could  not  really  stop  himself  from  chuckling  again.  A  delicate  sound,  head  once  more  turning  to  the  side  as  to  politely  hide  his  amusement.  ❛      Oh,  I  am  most  certainly  lucky  indeed...        ❜    He  agreed,  crimson  eyes  glittering  with  mirth  as  they  followed  Reki.

            Pretending  not  to  know  a  thing  about  skateboarding  was  interesting,  and  proving  to  be  much  more  amusing  than  he  had  accounted  for.    Ainosuke  paid  attention  as  Reki  explained  their  options,  he  could  see  the  practicality  of  the  bundled  sets  ━━━━  children  tended  to  grow  fast  and  outgrow  interests  even  faster  from  what  he  had  been  told,  so  it  would  be  a  smart  decision  to  opt  for  something  cheaper  at  first.  Money,  however,  was  not  an  issue  for  him,  and  so  he  was  thinking  of  something  more  personable,  custom  made  perhaps.  He  was  glad  Reki  seemed  to  agree,  and  he  smiled  softly  at  the  younger  male,  face  softening.

            ❛        I  see,  well  I  think  I'll  take  you  up  on  that  offer,  Reki-kun,        ❜    Ainosuke  began,  fingers  delicately  tracing  the  board  the  young  man  had  offered  him,  holding  back  the  urge  to  tap  dance  at  the  excitement  of  buying  someone's  first  ever  deck.  ❛      I  came  in  to  see  if  you  guys  worked  with  custom  requests,  so  this  makes  me  very  happy!      ❜    Ainosuke  practically  purred,  he  took  a  single  step  closer  to  the  shorter  male,  lashes  fluttering  down  at  him.

            ❛        I  hear  this  young  lady  is  very  fond  of  sanrio  characters,  so  if  you  could  design  something  keeping  that  theme  in  mind,  I  would  be  eternally  grateful.      ❜  So,  he  might  have  been  flirting  a  little  bit,  but  as  Tadashi  liked  to  point  out,  that  was  his  natural  state  of  mind.  Surely,  there  was  no  harm  in  it.  A  warm  chuckle  left  his  throat  as  Reki's  next  words,  he  was  too  cute  and  Ainosuke  was  definitely  endeared.

            Ainosuke  reached  into  his  pocket,  pulling  a  small  piece  of  paper  and  a  pen.  He  walked  to  the  counter  and  wrote  down  his  phone  number,  penmanship  perfect  as  he  spelled  his  given  name.    ❛        Well,  Reki,  please  let  me  know  when  everything's  ready.  And  I'll  let  you  upsell  me  helmets  and  pads,  and  who  knows,  perhaps  even  a  skateboard  for  myself?      ❜  He  winked,  delicately  offering  the  piece  of  paper  to  the  younger  man.

              ❛        Oh,  goodness,  I  almost  forgot.  Should  I  pay  upfront?  And  how  much  will  it  be?      ❜

"You do?" The excitement in his voice was impossible to hide -- not that he'd tried to. "I mean... I guess you've come to the right place then." Reki mentally scolded himself, trying to get his act together before he'd have to start assessing the stock they had available for the time being. If there was nothing that suited a small pink-loving child, he wouldn't have had any trouble making a custom board and... seeing the man another time when he came back to pick it up.

"Lucky for you," he tried to be smooth, but nearly stumbled over the very stool he'd been sitting on before standing to walk around the counter to join the stranger on the other side. He brushed a hand through his hair as he stood straighter, choking out another bout of laughter before covering his face to hide the furious blush that had taken to his cheeks and crossed the bridge of his nose.

"As I was saying." Reki cleared his throat for the second time in such a short period, feeling a bit more foolish than he had before getting to his feet. "Lucky for you, I happen to be somewhat of a pro when it comes to skateboarding." Amber eyes scanned the boards that were specifically designed for children -- plastic trucks, overly cartoony designs, even a few that came bundled with helmets and pads.

"If you're looking to save some money, I would suggest one of these," he gestured toward the packaged pieces. They weren't the nicest to look at, but for a beginner that didn't have any idea what they were doing, it wasn't such a bad gift. "But I'd be lying if I said it was worth the savings." He stole another glance in the man's direction and felt his stomach flip -- he was even more attractive up close.

"I'm not trying to upsell you, but if you're looking for something that'll last, you're better off getting of these bad boys instead." He turned to a board that was a bit more plain, and not as pink, and lifted it off the shelf. Despite the color being a little off, it was perfect for the kind of beating a beginner would put on it, and then some.

"I'll even give it a fresh paint job, no extra charge. It'll take a bit longer if you want a design on the bottom of the deck, though. I make those up off the top of my head when someone wants it custom, and they take a few days to put together." He mentally crossed his fingers that there would be a second chance for them to interact -- that the sale wouldn't end with the pre-packaged bundle and then lose track of the guy that had taken his breath away.

"When ya come back to pick up it, then I'll try to upsell you for the helmet and pads." He laughed, nervous and humored. "Whataya say?"

[aerael-a]

          𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 ��𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐃  𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑  𝐀𝐓  𝐃𝐎𝐏𝐄  𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐓𝐂𝐇    ;        went  by  in  such  a  blur    ━━━━    Ainosuke  found  himself  distracted,  mind  always  thinking  back  to  the  nervous  little  redhead.  His  heart  would  flutter  oddly  as  he  remembered  Reki’s  reactions  to  him,  his  bold  flirting  despite  his  nerves.  Ainosuke  wouldn’t  ever  had  expected  the  boy  to  act  like  that.  He  hadn’t  been  to  S  at  all  that  week,  busy  with  work  and  trips  all  over  Japan.  He  barely  got  any  time  at  all  to  plan  their  dinner  date.  Oh,  how  excited  he  was  for  it.  To  watch  Reki  fumble  with  words  again  in  that  unbearably  endearing  way.  Ainosuke  was  a  beacon  throughout  that  week,  countless  diet  members  asking  him  what  had  him  so  happy  and  he’d  simply  say  he  had  a  date  planned.  

            Because  he  did.  He  had  planned  a  cozy  but  rather  fancy  little  dinner  date,  at  a  small  but  very  intimate  restaurant.  It  had  been  very  hard  to  get  reservations  without  an  actual  date  set,  but  he  was  persistent.  Now  all  he  needed  was  for  Reki  to  text  him  that  his  order  was  ready.    It  happened  in  an  inconspicuous  afternoon,  Ainosuke  still  drowning  in  paperwork  despite  it  being  almost  nightfall,  bored  out  of  his  mind  when  his  phone  alerted  him  of  a  message.  

            ❛        It’s  here!        ❜  He  exclaimed,  practically  bouncing  with  excitement,  feet  tapping  on  the  floor  to  a  rhythm  only  he  could  hear.    ❛        Unfortunately  all  this  paperwork  will  have  to  wait.  I  have  a  day  to  attend.        ❜    The  blue  haired  male  sighed  dreamily.  His  personal  assistant  already  at  the  door,  waiting  for  him.

            The  practiced  motions  of  getting  ready  soothed  the  odd  nerves  that  had  rather  taken  hold  of  him.  Ainosuke’s  showered,  moisturized  his  skin,  did  his  hair,  applied  some  perfume.  And  picked  an  outfit  that  wouldn’t  be  too  flamboyantly  himself.  He  opted  for  a  softer  look,  white  tailored  pants  ━━━━  loose  fitted  not  skintight  as  the  previous  outfit  he  had  worn.  And  a  blue  dress  shirt,  tucked  into  the  high - waisted  pants.

            Once  he  deemed  himself  presentable,  Ainosuke  had  Tadashi  drive  him  to  Dope  Sketch.  It  was  very  odd  to  be  that  nervous,  it  was  just  dinner  and  yet  Ainosuke  felt  like  a  teenager  with  a  crush  again.  How  exciting!  As  he  walked  inside,  crimson  eyes  immediately  found  the  object  of  his  growing  affections.  Reki  looked  different,  his  outfit  more  fitted  to  his  body,  making  him  look  positively  stunning.  

            Ainosuke  had  never  really  stopped  to  look  at  Reki,  always  blinded  by  Langa  and  his  icy  looks  to  notice  Reki.  But  perhaps  he  should  have,  the  younger  male  cleaned  up  nicely.  ❛        Good  evening,  Reki-kun.        ❜    Ainosuke  greeted  warmly,  stopping  in  front  of  the  younger.  ❛        Are  you  ready  for  out  date?        ❜  He  smiled,  practically  feeling  his  cheeks  blushing  and  eyes  glitter.  He  was  so  excited  for  that  night.  

He had almost convinced himself that nothing would come of his slip up when Ainosuke chose to speak up again. Reki's heart raced; pounding so hard against his chest that he could have sworn the other man would hear it. As simple as the gesture was, he'd never experienced something so hot in his life. He could only nod and stare as he accepted the terms of the date: be ready when the order was. That was easy enough, right?

He decided not to tell Langa that night. Honestly, he didn't know how to tell him. 'Some guy came into the shop and wants to take me to dinner,' just felt like it was missing something. Instead, he waited through a restless, sleepless night to tell him the next morning on their way to school. It hadn't gone as smoothly as he'd hoped, but he'd figured his best friend would be concerned over going out with some guy he'd just met.

Oh well. As long as he kept Langa updated on where he was, and what they were doing, there was nothing else either of them could really do. He wasn't about to cancel it when he had such a breathtaking experience with the man already.

'I don't have anywhere special in mind, but your order's ready if you wanna stop by and pick it up.' The text was sent as he finished the board; sealing the paint outside before gathering up his mess to clean where he'd been working on it. He'd cleared his schedule for the evening -- not without a handful of questions from his manager, and ended up promising to update him on his whereabouts throughout the night as well -- and waited anxiously for his ride.

With the rest of the night off, he'd brought an extra set of clothes to wear to dinner in his bag. Quickly changing out of his work shirt and jeans for something a little less baggy than his usual attire. His mom had picked it out upon hearing that he was going on a date with a handsome stranger... while giving him a nice long talk about his right to say no, and that he didn't have to do anything just because the other person bought him dinner.

Reki waited inside the door to the shop, leaning against the counter as he helped empty a few boxes of stickers and put them into place (he didn't care if he was off the clock, and it helped pass the time.) He hadn't expected the questions to stop after giving Oka a name and description of the man taking him out to dinner, but he'd been left alone awful quickly once the information had been coaxed out of him.

What a weirdo.