#had to pause while eating my breakfast because this glorious image was staring at me

[ka-19]

mr evrart is helping me find my pacifier

This is my oc Harry Goo Gaa Gaa Bois. He solves cases with his best friend Kim.

I regret this creation of mine. Sorry for making it

[hoodwinkd1]

Your Eyes Whispered Ch 16

Ch 15 here.

Here it is! The final chapter!! So much love to all of you that have followed along with this story <3

Chapter 16: you are in love. true love.

Reality hit Eris in the face, harder than any bitch slap.

They hadn’t left his chambers for almost an entire day, legs tangled and words whispered over breakfast, lunch, dinner, and tea. Eris was ready to hand over his title and power for the opportunity to spend the rest of life like that, with no interruptions and no one around except for her.

Unfortunately, leaving the Court in the hands of someone random seemed ethically dubious and potentially problematic. Equally unfortunately, his stubborn mate loved her job and actually cared about her students. For both of these reasons, Eris found himself kissing Rhia goodbye on her doorstep just before midnight.

“Two whole days apart,” she teased, drawing patterns on his tunic with her finger. “How will we ever survive.”

Eris ducked to kiss her head. “You shouldn’t joke. I might die.”

He watched her lean against the door frame, remembering that neither of them had gotten enough sleep last night. “I’d really rather you didn’t.”

“I’d feel much better if you simply moved in,” Eris grumbled. They both froze. “Joking. That was definitely a joke.”

“You shouldn’t joke,” Rhia teased. “I might die. Leave, before I drag you upstairs and lock you in my room.”

Eris pouted. “Don’t threaten me with a good time. Good night.”

They exchanged one last kiss, so sweet and gentle that Eris’ heart broke and mended itself as their lips parted.

Although her absence ached, Eris had to admit that a full night of sleep called to him as soon as he winnowed back into his chambers. Rhia brought out so many wonderful qualities in him, but falling asleep during one of the countless meetings tomorrow might not reflect well on his leadership potential.

----

Water dripped from her hair, sliding down between her shoulder blades. Rhia knew she should grab her hair oils, knew she should comb out some of the remaining tangles, or she would regret it in a few hours. But his scent teased her, pulling her from the bathroom and into her bedroom.

Strange how she thought the days apart would drag on forever. She felt like it had only been a moment as her eyes scanned his body, hands behind his head and long legs draped across her bed.

“Take your time, love,” Eris smirked.

Rhia snapped her gaze back to his face. “What?”

Eris moved in a way that heated her blood. He sat up, arms coming down to cross his chest. His eyes flashed in a way that screamed predator, but for once, she was completely fine with being prey. “Stare at me for as a long as you want. I’ll wait patiently for you to finish.”

“Cheeky,” Rhia replied, a flush blooming from her cheeks and down her neck. She had never been more grateful for her dark skin, hiding the pink tinge that would have jumped out on a face as pale as her beloved’s. “You speak of patience; I’ll just have to test that out.”

She loosened her grip on the towel, letting it fall to the floor.

His reaction did not disappoint. She watched his pupils dilate as his eyes narrowed. Rhia bit her lip at how his pulse raced, one vein in his neck standing out in the most tempting manner.

“Stare as long as you wish.” Rhia took two steps backward, leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. “I’ll wait.”

She turned around, making sure he wasn’t deprived of any view, before stepping fully into the bathroom and reaching above the sink for her favorite, lavender scented oil. As her body stretched, she counted to five in her head.

Rhia didn’t even get to three. Eris launched himself from the bed, appearing behind her so quickly she let out a giggle. He caught her eye in the mirror and raised an eyebrow. She took it for the question it was, giving him a quick nod and leaning back into his warmth. There was something so infuriatingly dirty about the feel of his soft pajamas against her naked skin.

Eris raised his hands slowly, letting them drift up and down her sides, raising goosebumps and her heartbeat. At the same time, he dropped his head to press light kisses to her neck, her shoulder, her spine, a million small points on her body.

Rhia set down the bottle of oil preemptively, knowing she was about one kiss from smashing it on the ground in a fit of passion.

“Hold on,” he murmured against her skin. “We can’t have your hair drying out tomorrow, can we?” He snatched it from her, pouring a small amount into his palm.

She groaned at the feeling of his hands in her hair. While his talented fingers felt like heaven, she really would prefer to feel them somewhere else.

“Oh? And where would that be?” Eris asked. She flushed again, realizing she’d spoken out loud. “Tell me what you want.”

Of course Eris was a talker in bed. He never managed to shut up normally, so Rhia should have seen this coming.

She turned in his arms, running her hands up his chest. Letting her lower back rest against the sink, she looked at him and tilted her head to the side in a silent challenge. “Touch me.”

Eris leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss on her lips. “I am touching you.” His left hand drifted from her side to her stomach, tracing circles that never landed where she wanted him. “You’re going to have to be a bit more specific.”

She sighed against his mouth, savoring the warmth and safety of this moment. There was no fear, no bad memories, nothing dragging her from pleasure. “Lower.”

He complied, circling down to her hips, running his knuckles against them. “Good?”

She was good. Surprisingly good.

Suspiciously good.

“Yes.” She kissed his shoulder, right below his neck. His shirt would have to go soon. “Keep going.”

He moved his hand and ---

Rhia shot up, clutching the sheets around her. No longer in the bathroom, but back in her bed where she’d fallen asleep.

A fucking wet dream. Cauldron, Eris found new ways to make her feel like an adolescent even when he wasn’t around. And now she had to go through the next day and a half thinking about him, missing him even more than before.

-----

“Fuck,” Eris cursed, jumping out of bed and running into his closet. “Fuckity, fucking fuck.”

He was running late. So late that he would have no time to plan out his outfit, brush his hair, eat some damn breakfast, or shower. And as much as he wanted to do all those things, he actually needed that shower right now.

Preferably a cold one.

While he usually prided himself on his body’s exceptionally accurate clock, rarely relying on alarms or servants to wake up on time, his stupid brain had kept him unconscious this morning. All because of a stupid dream.

“You’re a dirty pervert,” Eris growled to himself, grabbing a boring black suit that felt like something Rhysand would wear. Thinking of the Night Court calmed down his burning desire, at least for the moment.

His imagination had played a glorious scene for him, ending with him taking Rhia on the large countertop in his bathroom. Eris shoved the image of her out of his head, head back against the mirror as her back arched towards him, scrambling for some semblance of control as he stalked to his first meeting.

He’d dealt with frustration before, but nothing comparable to this. Eris hadn’t wanted to think about her in that way since their night together. She had set a clear boundary, one that he would never dream of crossing, even in his own head.

Except he literally did dream of crossing it. Eris snarled under his breath as he strode into the chamber, covering up his shame and anger with a mask of disdain. The group of merchants waiting for his arrival had done nothing to earn his ire yet, but the elitist males certainly deserved it.

“My Lord.” One of the eldest Fae at the table, Cephalus, greeted him as the rest of the guests stood and bowed quickly. “I hope you can forgive us for beginning the meal without you.”

Eris couldn’t have cared less about breakfast. “Fine. What business?”

Cephalus waited until Eris sat at the head of the table. “We’ve completed an inventory of the remaining, undamaged farmlands across the territory. While the designated areas for livestock and wheat can produce sufficient levels of product, we have sustained heavy losses in the Eastern regions by the coast.” He paused for a moment.

“Must I sit through an agricultural lesson?” Eris snarked, summoning a mug of coffee. “Get to the point.”

The old Fae held his tongue, although irritation danced across his face. Cephalus nodded to the male sitting directly on his right, someone Eris had never had the displeasure of meeting.

“We’ve created a list of produce that will be affected,” the stranger continued, his voice pitchy with nerves. “As well as other areas that might work as replacements while farmers heal the land.” He held up a long roll of parchment, eyes downcast.

Eris snatched it from him. His eyes scanned the list quickly, groaning internally. Based on the mention of grapes and barley, most of his favorite alcohols were in danger of becoming rare commodities.  “Have you spoken with anyone from these towns? Or my Treasury?”

Cephalus leaned forward. “The Treasury has sent over some preliminary budgets that you may review, but I believe are reasonable.” He paused then, tilting his head. “What would we need to speak to the towns about?”

“Taking over their land.” Eris sipped his coffee. Lukewarm. He sent a shiver of flame across the ceramic. “Have you even checked if the land is available?”

The male from earlier finally looked Eris in the eye. “We already checked for any buildings or development. The land is clear.”

He’d heard enough. These merchants were either stupid or simply had their heads shoved up their asses. “Let me rephrase. Until you have explicit permission from the members of the town to use their land and a fair agreement that reinvests profits into whatever they desire, you may not move forward with agricultural efforts.”

Cephalus cleared his throat. “If I may, that process might take too long. The land is currently serving no purpose and--”

Eris held a hand up. “I didn’t ask. Nothing on this list is essential enough to warrant stealing. If you’re worried about timing, make the agreements extremely favorable to the people living there.”

He grabbed the second list, the one with the list of towns, and held it up to the group. “Surely between the seven of you, someone must have travelled to each of these places before. Go back, or invite a representative to meet here.”

The male from before failed to hide his displeasure at Eris’ command, likely anticipating the additional work these negotiations would require. Eris really didn’t care. The merchant class had flourished under Beron’s rule at the expense of the other Autumn citizens, taking what they pleased and enforcing bullshit agreements that stole resources from small villages.

He finished the meeting after addressing some of the others’ concerns, working on a plan to upgrade the Navy’s presence on the Eastern Coast to protect continental traders from various threats.

Gerwin waited for him in the hall outside. He fell in step as Eris took off towards the training rooms, eager to work off the tension that had been building since the moment he woke up.

“Who was that dark-haired male with Cephalus?” Eris asked.

Gerwin glanced over his shoulder. “Jarod something. He claims his father worked with Beron before dying during Am--, during her reign, as the head of several Royal vineyards. Jyn looked into him and a couple other new faces when they claimed leadership roles.”

“So he’s clean?”

Gerwin snorted. “Would you care either way?”

Eris scowled. “He just pisses me off with his elitism. Probably overly pretentious about wine. too.”

“You’re pretentious about wine,” Gerwin remarked. They’d reached the training ring and began to arm themselves for a proper spar.

Eris chuckled, remembering his conversation with Sofi and Rhia a few weeks ago. “Maybe I’ll test his knowledge.”

“Try him for treason if his wines aren’t up to standard.” Gerwin tossed him a practice blade. “Let’s see how that pretentiousness holds up in battle, huh?”

---

Somehow, Rhia survived another night of scandalous dreams and waking up to a frustratingly empty bed. Her mind and body seemed to be at war with one another, pushing her on a nauseating pendulum between wanting Eris and despising physical touch.

Not all physical touch, though. Really, Rhia just wanted to have him in her arms again. She had called herself all sorts of names, a sap, a clinger, a cliché mate. Sofi had laughed, asking if Rhia would let her cynicism get in the way of her heart.

So although it felt fast and Rhia felt pathetic, she resolved to have a conversation with Eris the moment he arrived in her kitchen that night. The conversation. The moment he arrived.

“I’m moving in.”

She probably should’ve started with “hello”. At her words, Eris’ eyes widened and he coughed on air.

Rhia smiled sheepishly, holding her hand out to take his coat. “Sorry. Hello, how was your day?”

“No, no let’s go back a second,” Eris insisted. “What did you say?”

“Give me your coat and let’s sit like civilized Fae.” Rhia held her hand out further, waiting until he complied.

He watched her hang it up as he sat himself at the table. “Is this a tea or a wine conversation?”

“Wine. Definitely wine.”

Eris magicked a bottle onto the table. “I’ve been told I’m a bit pretentious, but I do believe that tonight deserves an especially good bottle. Now please, put me out of my misery and repeat what you said.”

Rhia scrunched her nose. “I think I’d like to move into the palace. Part time, at first.” She waited for those words to sink in, focusing her gaze on the two glasses filled with red liquid.

“And?” Eris prompted.

“And what? Do you approve?”

He laughed. “Of course I approve. I thought I made it very clear that I’d prefer to never leave your side ever again.” They both took a sip, and he continued. “What changed your mind? Are you sure you want to leave this place?”

“It wouldn’t be permanent, not at first.” Rhia swirled the wine, once, twice. “I wouldn’t do that to my students. But I thought about my life, and I want to do something risky for the first time in awhile.” She looked at him, smiling at how much better she felt simply looking at him. “I want to build a life with you, with your people, in the capital.”

“As much as I love to hear that, the burden shouldn’t be entirely on you,” Eris replied. “Just because I’m High Lord--”

Rhia interrupted. “Yes, it should be. But not because you’re High Lord. Eris, you’ve fought and bled for your role, and I see how hard you work now to make this Court a safer place. I want to do that with you.” Her hands shook with emotion as she reached out to take his. “Whatever reason the Cauldron had, I’d like to believe that it made me your mate to help you. I love this town and these people, but it’s not enough for me, not when I know how much good I can do for thousands of others.”

“This Court doesn’t deserve you.” He squeezed her fingers. “I obviously do not deserve you.”

“Eris--”

He held one finger up. “I’m not stupid. I’ll take all the help I can get, especially if it keeps you in my life. I just- I never imagined we could get here.”

She steadfastly ignored the tears that threatened to show. “And where is here?”

“I have a partner.” The wine lay forgotten as he gripped both her hands. “I never thought you would even consider speaking to me, and now you wish to live with me, work with me.”

“And love you,” she added. “Don’t forget that.”

Tears began to fall on both of their faces, but neither moved to wipe them away, unwilling to let go. The moment seemed to echo, across time and space, putting together all the pieces of their relationship that they had spent so long building. All of the truths, all of the sacrifices, all of the pain lined up to form a picture Rhia could now see, like a painting that only made sense once you took a step backwards.

“I accept the bond. I accept you .”

There was no exchanging of food. There was no shift into primal protectiveness. And there was certainly no lust-driven madness.

But there was a bridge. There were golden strings of light and music and joy that pulled her towards him, a stronger pull than gravity.

Eris let out a sigh and a shudder and a wave of warm emotions that Rhia could taste. “I’m going to kiss you now. And possibly never stop.”

As he shoved his chair out of the way, Rhia stood to meet him. As their lips touched, she opened for him completely.

As the bond permanently snapped into place, she let go of her fears that they would never progress physically and she would always remain broken. None of it mattered, not when the cruelest prince of Autumn found a way to love her so fully.

------

thank you for reading!

tag list: @moonbeamfenrys @qamariana

[cerberosthehellguard]

Panic! at the hook-up (part 2)

Rating: M

Pairing: AkaFuri. MuraHimu. MidoTaka.

Characters: Akashi. Furihata. Himuro. Takao. Murasakibara. Mibuchi.

Word Count: 8900+ words (yikes!) 

Tags: Aged-Up Characters. One Night Stand AU. Fluff. Misunderstandings. Awkward dorks are awkward. Introspection. NebuMibu if you squint.

Parts: Part 1/Part 2(here)/Part 3

Summary: Akashi woke up after a drunk one night stand feeling at peace with the world. Unfortunately the brunet in his arms doesn’t seem to think the same way. (or an AU where Furi and Akashi have been scarred by terrible relationships in the past that one never wants to get into them and one waits in vain for someone to love him back)

Author’s notes : This chapter is not edited because I wanted to post it while I still got a handle on my writing drive. So, any mistakes, I will get to it when I find time. I went for a longer update because this has been pending for too long. Hope I am not dumping too much to take. Also, changed the title since I deemed that a cliché fic needed a cliché title. I sound like a mom leaving her kid in daycare bYE.

AO3 Link right here!

 "Downtown, as fast as you can!! Hurry!"

Banging open the door, Kouki jumped in and promptly slumped against the back seat of the taxi after yelling instructions to the driver.

Well, that hadn't been awkward and scarring at all.

Shutting his eyes and tipping his head back, he waited for his heartbeat to slow down from its rapid pace. He was still panting from all the panicked running and his ass hurt from him slamming down on the uncomfortable material of the seat. Despite the.....delicate position his ass was in, he had been able to run this fast, he thought wryly. He pressed the heel of his hands to his eyes, evening out his breathing with every passing second.

Oh god oh god oh god-

Deciding this was the best opportunity, his mind conjured up images of the stunning redhead and put it on a continuous annoying loop. Some were blurred and hazy and had too much of red but some were far too clear for him not to wince over. Those wide, gorgeous eyes, that glorious body he had come to appreciate so much last night, that velvety voice moaning wordlessly in his ear - sending shivers down his spine even now (pleasant shivers, good shivers, really good) - and ultimately, the words exchanged scant few minutes earlier that had sent him careening towards the door.

Oh. My. GOD.

 He cringed visibly, recalling what he had said. Done. Both. Oh god, both.

For most part of his life spent on never being rude to anyone, whether an acquaintance or a lover, Furihata Kouki had broken that humble record rather spectacularly this morning.

Gods, just take me now.

Kouki groaned, rubbing his hands over his eyes in a vain attempt to block the shocked - and hurt - expression of the redhead out of his mind. Blearily looking out the window as the traffic blurred by, he pushed down those guilty, gut-churning, foul-tasting thoughts to the deepest corners of his mind. Never to be dredged up again.

It wasn't the first time.

He could forget about this and move on with his work. He had done that before and he could do it again. It would take some time, he knew that by experience but its not like he would see the guy again. Kouki nodded to himself, he could do this. He could. He could. He definitely could. He would work until he could forget again. Drowning himself in his work kept his personal demons from plaguing him.

But somewhere deep down, a part not dripping with guilt and shame, Kouki wished he could crawl back into that bed and into those warm, gentle arms.

*

Akashi gaped at the closed door for a long moment before he threw the blankets off and sat at the edge of the bed, his bare feet firmly planted on the old Persian carpet. A part of him - the part that realised that he had been shunned - wanted to bury itself in the cocoon of blankets and never resurface.

He shuffled to the window and parted the drapes slightly to see the ground below. From his vantage point, he could see the tiny mop of mousy brown hair scurrying along the sidewalk before hailing a taxi and jumping in. The taxi zoomed, nearly running a light, as if a thousand demons were after it.

Ignoring the sinking feeling clawing at his insides, he stared after the rapidly receding sign of the taxi as it rounded the bend and disappeared from his view altogether. He heaved a deep sigh and let the drapes fall back. The room lights suddenly seemed too harsh to be in, focusing on him and silently judging. Rubbing his face with his hands to rid himself of the fatigue he felt, he mentally sifted through the events that happened to see where he had gone wrong. Recapping was his asset, recalling every moment and zoning in on any loopholes. He was famous for that, an attribute applauded by everyone and acknowledged even by his father. But at this moment, he considered it a serious flaw.

Last night had been great. Wonderful, even.

He had never had a partner that was so responsive to him. He could hardly remember throwing cash on the counter before they had rushed off to the room. He himself had never been that passionate before. Images of soft lips and curious hands and flushed body flooded his memory, and if he just thought about it a bit harder, he could almost relive the heated pressure of their frenzied kiss. They hadn't even gone past the entrance for the first round.

And, no matter how mind-blowing the sex was, it had lost the charm to the cuddling that came after. Frankly, that kind of elated, sated feeling he had felt whilst spooning the brunet, was completely new to him. Much more important, so much more than he had ever felt in any of his past flings.

He wanted to know. He wanted to know everything about him. His favourite food, favourite colour, whether he liked cats, his allergies, what movies he liked, whether he liked to eat spicy or sweet food, and so many more tiny significant details.

But he was shot down before he could get a chance.

Akashi dismissed the excuses that came flying to his head.

I wasn't looking for anything serious.

I had just gotten out of a long term relationship.

Etcetera, etcetera.

After a brief final look around the shambled, expensive suite, he exited. His things had also been scattered across its expanse, witness to their tryst. Shrugging on his trench coat, he briefly considered whether the price of the room had been the cause for his stand to flee. He didn't mind paying for both, if that was the ca- he stopped that train of thought.

This was nothing more than a one-time thing. For him. And when Akashi offered to make it not a one-night stand, he had been rejected. Rather firmly.

How many times has it been now?

Relationships weren't his forte. Never have been. Reo had always said that and it was true. They were the only con to all of his pros. It didn't matter how much of a successful strategist he was when he clearly - fundamentally - lacked what it took to be in a stable and committed relationship. He was tired of waiting for someone to storm into his life and sweep him off his feet and just.....be with him. He should do what he did until now. Forget and move on. Throw himself into work, body and mind, until he couldn't feel anything.

Hailing a taxi to his apartment, a tiny voice inside Akashi persisted, that the brunet from last night had succeeded in sweeping him off.

*

"Welcome home, Kouchin~" drawled Atsushi from the kitchen, deftly flipping the pancakes over on the stove, not bothering to turn around.

Kouki shut the door behind him, exhaling a weary sigh as he plonked himself onto one of the high chairs in the kitchen island. He slumped on the table, his arms stretched out in front of him and face planting itself onto the wood.

Atsushi's eyes slid toward him, "Want some pancakes?"

Kouki gave a weak thumbs up, his forehead still caressing the table top enough that he was sure it would leave marks. It didn't matter; with or without his answer, Atsushi would give him a mountain of sugar-loaded items for breakfast. Supposedly one of the benefits of having a resident pastry chef for a roommate, though the thought of diabetes kept knocking at frequent intervals. Nobody would forget the time when they had the stove for repairs and had to eat the pastries from the bakery for all three meals. For a whole week. He could still feel his stomach shrink when he remembered that. Those were some difficult times.

Kouki drummed his fingers, gathering enough energy to lift his head and rest his chin on the table. "Where's Tatsuya?"

Atsushi hummed, attention solely on putting the hot pancakes onto some plates and doling out the next batch. "Murochin is in the shower, Kazuchin is still sleeping." He turned, setting the plates on the table's vast surface, along with jars of nutella and maple syrup and paused to re-tie his hair into a pony tail. It seemed to be getting longer, making him look like a purple-haired pirate. All that was missing was an eye patch and a toothy grin. Kazunari had volunteered to cut it for him, but Atsushi had refused since he felt Tatsuya liked it better this way.

Kouki smiled at that memory. "You know Atsushi, if it gets any longer you can just plait it so you won't have to cut it. And it won't bother you. I know you hate it when it sticks to your nape. Especially in summer."

Atsushi looked at him, considering. "Mm....Murochin knows how to braid hair. I will ask him~" Pushing the dish towards Kouki, he smiled, "Here you go, Kouchin."

Straightening up, as if the effort took every bit of his life strength, Kouki internally grimaced at the gigantic portion on his plate. Delicious as it may be but a man can only eat so much. How did Tatsuya survive this? Smearing the nutella on top of one, he took a bite.

The headache from his hangover was still marching around some part of his brain but his stomach started growling like a raving beast, surprising him. Then it hit. He had not eaten anything since lunch yesterday and that had been just a measly sandwich. With renewed vigour, he wolfed down his breakfast, relishing the taste of chocolate on his tongue. Atsushi sent him a pleased smile from the counter. Pleasant silence filled the air, broken only by the chewing noises and clanking of utensils and sizzling sounds from the pan every now and then.

It didn't last long.

"Hello hello~ What do we have here?" Himuro Tatsuya sauntered into the kitchen, smelling of the lavender soap and fabric softener. He gently towelled his hair dry as he padded to where Atsushi was and leaned up to kiss him. Atsushi tipped his chin down, meeting him halfway. They smiled into the kiss before parting.  "Shower's free now, Atsushi."

Kouki knew what that meant, chewing off a piece of his pancake.

Code: I love you.

"Mhm~ I am almost done." Atsushi nodded, already back at cooking.

Code: I love you too.

To be honest, the coded meanings were true for literally every sentence they said to each other. It had taken a few months for Kouki to be in the same room as them and not flee to give them a private moment every time they made eye-contact and adjust to the fact that they always look at each other that way. And there was no helping it.

The soft smile Tatsuya sported turned to a smirk when he faced Kouki. He put the towel around his shoulders and cocked his hip to the side, crossing his arms across his chest. "Well? When did the little kitten wash up on our door?"

Kouki squirmed in his chair, breaking eye contact. Atsushi answered for him. "About half hour ago."

Tatsuya's eyes glinted like a predator that had found its prey. His smile stretched, sending a cold shiver down Kouki's back, and moved almost fluidly to seat himself opposite him. Placing his elbow on the table and resting his chin on his hand, predatory smile still in place, he raised a delicate brow. "So."

Loaded statement. Kouki knew it was coming. Ignoring him and swallowing down the rest of his meal, Kouki frowned. "Nope. Not telling. You get nothing out of me." Tatsuya was famous for wheedling answers out of anybody and Kouki knew he would crack sooner or later but he wasn't going down without a fight.

It didn't faze him the least. Tatsuya chuckled and straightened to let Atsushi set his breakfast before him, tilting his head to chastely peck his cheek in thanks. I love you. Atsushi went back to the stove, but not before placing a soft kiss to Tatsuya's forehead. I love you too.

Something broke inside him.

Why?

This wasn't strange. This happened everyday. It was a sight he was used to seeing. These two had been like this since they had met each other all those years ago and it hadn't changed. Tatsuya was the same intimidating man he had met and Atsushi was the softest person on the planet. But Kouki felt a short pang at the domesticity in front of him.  It shouldn't bother him, after all this time. But it did.

Especially today.

Tatsuya hummed a nameless tune as he sliced his meal into perfect triangles and drowning them in maple syrup. He didn't look up from his plate, smiling to himself the entire time as if he was thinking of an inside joke. Kouki bristled.

It seemed strange that he hadn't been harangued for answers yet, it was as if Tatsuya had let the issue go. ......Which was improbable. Or..... he seemed to be waiting for something else, Kouki wasn't sure.

"Oh ho ho, look what the gods of shamewalking graced us with."

Kouki groaned. Tatsuya threw his head back and laughed. Even Atsushi cracked a smile.

Of course.

They were just waiting for the ganging up to be complete.

Takao Kazunari leaned on the doorjamb, sporting a ridiculous bedhead and grinning like a Cheshire cat. Kouki could practically see the imaginary whiskers twitch as if a new juicy snack was dangling in front of him. He very nearly pounced on the chair next to Kouki, swivelling in place to size him up head to toe, scanning every detail he could absorb.

Kouki resisted the urge to facepalm. Kazunari was still grinning. "Well, for someone who looks like he has been ravished thoroughly, you are sitting down pretty well~ So, tell us, Kou-chan. How, who, when and how many times." As if checking them off a list, Kazunari motioned with his fingers.

"Kazu, that's not right." Tatsuya chided. Both Kouki and Kazunari snapped to him, slightly shocked. Himuro Tatsuya rarely displayed his weird sense of morality and almost never when it came to gossip. He would always be at the forefront of gossip mongers, staking his claim on knowing everybody's closet skeletons. Pushing his empty plate aside, Tatsuya kept his elbows on the island and crossed his fingers to pillow his chin on them. Grey eye glinting wickedly, he sneered. "Start with where."

Kazunari whooshed out a breath. "You had me scared there a second."

Kouki felt cornered when three pairs of eyes focused on him, trapping him with their intensity. Atsushi had finished cooking, taking the towel off of Tatsuya's shoulders to wipe his hands clean, looming from behind Tatsuya to stare down at Kouki. Kazunari hadn't given a glance to Kouki's plate - something he usually steals from. Tatsuya didn't blink once. He fidgeted in place - didn't they know how unnerving their stare was? Who was he kidding. Of course they knew. Those little shits. "Oh lay off, would you? Come on, it was just one night. It doesn't mean anything."

He lazily trailed his finger on his clean plate, tracing the dainty flower patterns and refusing to meet their eyes. He thought back to the redhead, beautiful and mysterious. Guilt made its presence known, snaking its arms around his gut and giving it a twist. He swallowed audibly.

It didn't go unnoticed by the other three.

Kazunari raised his eyebrows, "Just? One? Night? Kou-chan, you haven't gone out once in six years. And yesterday, you straight up vanish for the whole night. Without even a message! I wouldn't call that nothing." He placed a hand on Kouki's shoulder and rubbed in reassurance. Then he reached forward to steal the jar of nutella, swiping in a spoon. His eyes closed in bliss when the hazelnut-chocolate mix hit his taste buds. Nobody judged him, they were all guilty of doing the same thing.

"Even the studio wasn't locked." Tatsuya added. "Which never happens. Atsushi was ready to file a complaint."

"But, hey you know what, by the looks of it, you seem to have had a good time." Kazunari shrugged his shoulder and sent him a small smile. He was about to put the spoon back in for a second helping when Tatsuya lightly smacked his hand, scowling at him. Grumbling something along the lines of shared bodily fluids and unfairness that kitchen counters can be christened more often than it wanted to be but he can't put his saliva in nutella, he picked up another spoon.

 Kouki exhaled loudly. He looked at each of them, meeting their eyes individually and noting the soft, slightly concerned looks on their faces. "Sorry for making you guys worry. I just....... I heard he was getting married and I.....snapped." He looked down at his plate again, finding the twining flower patterns infinitely more interesting. "I know I shouldn't feel this way. I know I should have moved on a long time ago. I know I shouldn't let him get to me. Not after everything that happened. Not after six full years. I know I know I know. But." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The memories of the text message received yesterday from an unknown number still fresh, still haunting. Opening them, he tipped his head up. "But, I couldn't. And I wanted to get away from there. I didn't want to stay put. I didn't know where to go or what to do. I just. I ran." He finished lamely.

He peered at Kazunari, whose face was gaping in shock. Atsushi and Tatsuya were doing no better. "I know I should have called you. If I was getting trashed, I wouldn't want it to be with anyone else but you guys. But yeah. Um." He cleared his throat. "I didn't think at all. No, that's not right. More like, I didn't want to think. All I knew was I didn't want to talk about it and go someplace no one would recognise me. So." He gestured to the whole of himself in explanation. "I went and got done." He laughed weakly at his own statement, the sound faltering in the tense atmosphere of the kitchen.

Silence reigned for a grand total of three seconds before the room thudded with movement.

"Oh my god, Kou-chan!" Kazunari lunged, burying his face in Kouki's shoulder. Atsushi stalked forward to hug them both, his hulking mass enveloping them fully in his arms as he placed his chin on top of Kouki's head and rubbed it comfortingly. Tatsuya squeezed Kouki's hands resting on the table separating them. "I am just so glad you are safe."

Kouki blushed, his eyes tearing up at the corners at all the affection directed at him. "You guys." He sighed, squeezing Tatsuya's hands in his and resting his head against Kazunari's. "It was fine really. Well hoooookay, ha ha, not fine if you knew how much I drank but you know, I slept with this great guy, and. See? Still in one piece and feeling bett-" Wait.

The air stilled. Kazunari slowly shifted to share a loaded look with Tatsuya before they turned to Kouki and quirked their eyebrows in unison. "Great Guy?"

He froze.

Shit.

Shit shit shit.

Atsushi's arms were no longer warm and welcoming but were holding him there, confining him to the chair as his three roommates and long time friends since high school rounded on him. If he had thought the intensity in their stare before was intimidating, this beat that by a hundred. Tatsuya squeezed his hands tighter, his sharp eye gleaming, mouth pulling up at the corners. "Spill. Now."

Kazunari echoed, securing his hold around Kouki. "Leave out nothing."

Kouki wriggled. It was futile. Atsushi chuckled above him. "Kouchin actually thinks he can escape. It's cute~"

"Why. Why do I have such assholes for friends?" He lamented, shooting a pleading glance at the ceiling, wishing he could be struck by lightning right about now. "I thought you guys cared about me more than my one-night stand."

Tatsuya dismissed it with a flick of his bangs. "Oh we do. But, you know. Sometimes priorities change."

"Sure, we can drown you in chocolates and watch Mean Girls with you tonight Kou-chan." Kazunari seconded, nodding. "That comes after. This, though." His voice got higher, grin getting impossibly wider, excitement pouring in, "The guy, Kou-chan, the guyyyyy! You stay out an entire night and that's like - Tatsuya, how many hours?" "Eight, nearly." "Eight?! Wooow!! Now I really need to meet this great guy of yours who could keep you ah, occupied for eight hours on a week night."

"How do you even know it was eight?!" Kouki balked, staring incredulously at Tatsuya. Howww did he work that out?

Tatsuya shrugged, "Well I am guessing you started getting trashed around 7-8ish? And yeah, since you can hold out for a while, I assumed you jumped Mr.Great Guy around 11. Am I close?" Kouki didn't know if he was impressed by the deduction or ashamed of his own predictability. One thing for sure. Tatsuya was still as scary as he had been since high school.   

"That's not important! Tatsuya, don't get side-tracked! Focus here, will you? Kou-chan, you better cave in right now before I go online and hunt down that bar and ask aroun-"

"OK OK! Jeez Kazu. Fine. It was......Um...unbelievable, okay?" Kouki choked out, the back of his neck feeling warm. Kazunari whistled lowly as Tatsuya's eyebrows shot up further into his hair. "I wasn't getting as drunk as I wanted to be  - believe me, I wanted to shitface so bad - and this guy sits down next to me and I dunno?? We talked? We danced? I am not.....sure. I think we danced." He squinted at the kitchen wall, trying to piece things back from his hazy memories of last night. He missed the meaningful looks his roommates were sending each other, surreptitiously silent.  "And then, um, sometime before midnight," Kouki angled his head towards Tatsuya, begrudgingly acknowledging the accuracy of his assumption. A smug smile lit up Tatsuya's face. Blushing from the root tips of his hair to the thin column of his neck, Kouki continued, "We took a cab and well. Um."

He didn't want to add any details, it was so damn embarrassing. His friends would understand. Surely, they wou-

"Well what?!" Kazunari yelled, unwinding one of his arms to thump on the table, rattling the plates. "You fucked like dogs in heat? Ripped clothes off each other with your teeth and rutted up against the door, then the mattress, then the sofa before even thinking of moving to the bed?! What, Kouki, what?? Don't leave me hanging!" Kazunari pounding his hand on the table repeatedly, enunciating his demand. Tatsuya fervently nodded in assent. Atsushi yawned above him, his arms still around Kouki, bored of being there but at the same time, curious.

Kouki shrieked, "Kazuuuu!! You have been reading too many shitty fanfictions it's showing!" He knew his embarrassment taking over and making him trip over his own words, "Well.....yeah. Pretty much." He rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "I mean. Oh god, it was so freaking hot! Holy shit! I didn't even know I could go on like that!! Ahhhh I think my knees are still burnt from the rug, ha ha." Shaking his head, he felt his face calm down bit by bit. "But, its just a one time thing. I couldn't even talk to him when I tried to sneak out this morning. He even went so far as to ask me to sleep for a while and go for a coffee later and all I wanted to do was get away. As far as I could, as fast as I could." He looked at his plate again, a wry smile taking over his features. A strange kind of acceptance prevailing over him.

Again. Silence.

Five seconds this time.

That's almost a record.

Tatsuya cleared his throat. "Kouki." It was a command and a request in one. He didn't continue until Kouki met his eyes. "Let me get this straight. You got ploughed hard by a supposed sex god and he asked to stay for like what? An hour? For a cup of coffee, a bit of breakfast and you just bailed?" He leaned in to whisper, "To his face?"

Kouki scowled, lips pulling down at the sides. "You make it sound like it was my fault."

"It is your fault." All three chorused.

"How??! He is literally what I used to get out of my reality! I cant just date him! I mean, every time I look at him its like a throwback to all the mistakes I made! Every time I think about him, it will constantly remind me that 'oh yeah I fucked him to get over someone else.'" Kouki rounded on them, irritation bubbling up from inside him, guilt biting into his stomach, "And that is not fair to either of us. You know its not. He does not deserve my emotional baggage." He waited for them to retort, sighing when there was none.

Kouki threw his hands up in the air, rolling his eyes. "Loooook! it doesn't matter anymore. He is still getting married. My life is going on juuuuust fine and I don't need attractive redheads godlike in bed to fuck me up more than I already am." He wiggled again, but this time Atsushi and Kazunari let him go. He stood up, picking up the empty plates and walking towards the sink, his shoulders stiff and back rigid.

"Kou-chan, it's been six years since then and this is the first time you did something like this." Kazunari spoke up, his voice levelled, "You know how hard we tried to get you out. Sure you cried and moped for weeks but, but, you never did anything stupid to get over it! Something impulsive like getting shitfaced! Or calling him and leaving a scathing voicemail or something. Last time we tried to get you drunk, you ended up driving us home. And this is totally, completely, all on your own that I am so glad you did lose your shit over a message. You always hole up at work-" Kouki glared, his eyes blazing, letting the dishes clank in the sink, the shrill sound making Kazunari backtrack rapidly, "-not that it isn't an excellent thing to do but. Still."

"Come on, Kouki." Tatsuya placated. "It's just coffee. You guys would what? Share numbers? Talk about work? It's not much, is it?"

Kouki whirled, cocking his hip against the counter and facing the three. "Look I get it. But, I am not.... interested. So, what if he is a nice guy? How do we even know that this guy would be any different from the sludge I have been through?" He wrung his hands, crossing them across his chest and looking out the kitchen window. His closed expression giving no room for rebuttal.

The stripes of sunlight streaming into the tiny kitchen was warm, given the chilly climate. Swirling, almost invisible specs of dust got caught in the light, making them glitter like powdered diamonds. Kouki sighed, calming down from his tirade. His roommates were silent, though he concluded they were just giving him the time he needed to think. Letting him push it out of his system. He didn't think he had so much bottled inside, up until now.

He said softly, "You know what, I am done. With the whole flirting, dating, mind-gaming business. I am too tired for this. I don't think I can do it again." He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, shoulders lifting and falling freely in the process. He pushed the hair off his forehead and cupped the back of his neck. Blearily looking at the floor, his voice not above a whisper, "I don't remember what it feels like to love someone without fearing they will leave me one day."

And there it was, again. The glazing over his eyes, the blurring of his vision and the clogging in his throat. This time too, he didn't want company in his pity party. Too soon. He wanted to get out, go to his studio and start something, channel his emotions into some productive use.

Atsushi ambled over to Kouki, putting his large palm on top of Kouki's head and patting it in silent reassurance before taking off his apron and walking to the bedroom. Tatsuya stood up, his chair squeaking on the hardwood floor and touched Kouki's shoulder lightly before he followed suit. He stopped on the doorway and said in a quiet voice. "You should give yourself a chance, Kouki. You just might be surprised."

Kouki didn't move, not even to retort. Tatsuya sighed, his shoulders sagging and he left, throwing a look in Kazunari's direction. The kitchen was quiet until they heard the distinctive click of their bedroom door.

He should have known his friends would understand his craving for time alone right now. Alone time to distract himself was different than alone time to curl into himself. If the shoe was on the other foot then he would have done the same thing. Kouki drew a ragged breath, placing his hands behind on the counter, his eyes closed. Thank you, you two.

Kazunari watched him from his chair. "He isn't wrong, you know."

Kouki snapped to him, ready to retaliate. He didn't get a chance. "We get what you are saying, Kou-chan. But, did you think we got our partners without suffering our share of personal angst?" Kazunari was scary when he was calm. He was calm now. His light grey eyes pierced straight through Kouki, picking at his soul. Kouki was reminded of ruby red eyes with elongated pupils. More intense than the stare he was being subjected to. Much much more.

Strange.

"You know how many years it took for Atsushi and Tatsuya to get together. You saw how broken Atsushi was when Tatsuya moved to the US for uni. You were there! Hell, even after being with him as a boyfriend for two years, I cant figure out if Shin-chan is into me like I am into him!" His voice rose, exasperation written all over his features, dripping into his tone. "God, Kou-chan. It doesn't matter if its this guy or any other guy. You don't really know what you have until you give it a shot."

He blinked, backing off. "Sure, it goes the other way around too. You never know how wrong you are about a person until its too late. I will give you that. I get your fears. I really do. We all do. But, think about it." Raising his hands, palms facing forward, he acquiesced, "A little dating did no one any harm. You could just go on a few cutesy dates, see for yourself whether you want to take the plunge and then decide. Just......test the waters, okay? No one is going to kill you if you were to say, hm, you want to stay friends. Simple, isn't it?"

Kouki contemplated, his voice careful, "And if he doesn't back off after that?"

The smile that spread on Kazunari's face showed everything. He had won. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that." He rubbed his hands together in glee, "We have Atsushi on our side. And with Tatsuya standing next to him, the intimidation factor is pretty much guaranteed to make any creep run for his life."

In spite of himself, Kouki snorted. "You are one. Sly. Bastard." Kazunari just snickered. "Thank you though. I will keep that offer in mind."

 Starting to unbutton his crusty and wrinkled shirt, wincing at the smell, Kouki changed topics. "Those two are getting ready to leave for the bakery. I am gonna take a badly needed shower. What are you going to do?"

Kazunari gripped the table with both hands and leaned back as far as he could - chair tilting under his weight - savouring the danger of falling over. Going over the agenda for today, he mused, "I finished a shift at 2AM, and my call starts later in the afternoon. But I might sneak in during lunch to see Shin-chan. Hmmmm. I guess I will take a nap until then."

"You do that." Kouki nodded. He was about to strip himself off his shirt and go into their common bathroom when he remembered. "Oh yeah, how's the moving in coming?"

Kazunari chuckled darkly, "Aww Kou-chan, missing me already? Ok ok, stop looking at me like that. Its going....as planned. I am just - hmmm - maybe a day away from getting my blankets stored in his room? My toothbrush will soon have a permanent place in his cup too. I am actually shocked; I took out almost all my things from here and shelved it there and he still hasn't noticed it? I am terribly disappointed in Shin-chan. One time I caught him using my deodorant, Kou-chan, mine! He just used it like it was his own. I don't think he even knew how it got there."

Kouki pulled a face. "I pity the day Midorima-san asks you to move in with him and you tell him, in that obnoxiously cheery voice of yours, you have already been living with him for over half a year."

Kazunari cackled, rattling his chair, practically flailing his arms to grab the table and keep himself upright. "Oh maaan! That is going to be sooo epic! I will definitely have my camera ready for that. I cannot. Wait." Tears peeked out from the corner of his eyes as he continued to laugh helplessly. Kouki couldn't help but join in. A tiny part of him wanted to see that sight too.

"Ahhhh, but Shin-chan is like a squirrel you see; he scares easy." Wiping off the stray tears, Kazunari heaved to regain his breath. "When he eventually asks me to move in with him and finds that I don't have much stuff besides a small stack of clothes, he wouldn't be, you know, all shook up about it." He shrugged his shoulders, impish grin still in place. "Hence, I gotta store all my stuff at his before it happens and appear like 'the perfect boyfriend who doesn't crowd his boyfriend's place'." The air quotes did not help his argument. He continued, thumbing his chin thoughtfully, "I am guessing, and this is purely based on how astonishingly oblivious he is - oh Kou-chan, you have no idea how much I suffered to get him to go out with me - it would take him about a year to see that three quarters of his closet is all me." He finished with a triumphant 'HA!', extremely pleased with the ingenuity of his plan.

Poor Midorima-san.

"You are such an asshole. And you used 'hence'. God, what is it with today." Kouki smirked at him, no spite in his words. "Alright, sleep well Kazu."

He received a thumbs up in response, Kazunari already occupying himself with the nutella jar again. He stumbled on his way to the bathroom, his sweaty, sticky pants making him sluggish. He pulled off his shirt and tore himself free of his pants and paused. He mulled on whether to put them in the hamper or hand wash them; he shrugged and balled them up and threw it in the basket - he can listen to Tatsuya's complaints about the questionable stains later.

*

Kouki closed his eyes and let the warm drizzle of the shower calm his mind. His shoulders relaxed, the tensions leaving the tendons as he loosened them, making him emit a blissful groan. Supporting his body by placing his palms on the tiles in front of him he lifted his head to face the soft attack of the steamy shower. The water cascaded down his body, traversing every inch of his skin, licking all the marks that had been made last night.

Exhaling an audible moan at the numbing relief he felt, he let his mind wander. Unsurprisingly to the conversation in the kitchen. He would be lying to himself if he denied feeling a tinge of jealousy every time Atsushi lazily wound his extra long arms around Tatsuya's waist to tuck his head under his chin or the way Midorima would sneak glances at Kazunari, whenever he thought no one was looking, each glance lingering a moment longer than the previous before blushing and looking away.

The gestures, so loving, casual, so seeped in their familiarity left him aching.

He felt happy for his friends to have found partners whom they loved and who loved them back. But, it was always happiness flavoured with a touch of envy. He felt terribly guilty about it, he should only be happy and not think of himself all the time. But he couldn't help it. It was selfish of him and he knew it.

It had taken him six years to piece himself back together after the toxicity of his past relationships. Those that never meant anything, never amounted to anything, but scarring all the same. Like a freshly opened wound. He had staved off of dating, completely cutting off contact, just to bring himself to the state where he couldn't feel anything but apathy.

The ones of his past would be shocked if the saw him now, someone they had broken with their cold words and harsh actions. They were the ones that left him, yelling and turning the blame over to him, making him shrink further into himself. Confirming his belief that his share of happiness would never come. His presence would never be someone's priority. His laugh over the phone would never make someone smile into their pillow. Someone whom he could think of as significant and who regarded him as significant in return. Days were spent crying and blankly staring at the wall and nights spent hugging and curling into himself, willing desperately for sleep that evaded him. His friends had swooped in then, forcing him to live with them for a while until he could get back on his own.

Work had distracted him beautifully, his art major paying him off. He spent innumerable hours pouring out his feelings and frustrations to create whatever caught his fancy on any medium he chose. Be it kneading the paper-mache or chipping away wood with a razor blade or beating the hot metal iron to form the image he had in his mind, it became a let out for all his unrequited, discarded feelings. His works became more passionate and fiery and outspoken and more soulfully resonant as he began to channel his unshed tears and unheard screams into them. Suffering inspired him like nothing else had.

It turned out for the best; he could be happy for his friends now without thinking of himself. Acceptance was truly a blessing. He wore it like an armour, a shield, a wall around himself. Forming those walls was one of the best decisions he had ever made, concluded Kouki as he furiously scrubbed himself off with the lavender scented liquid soap. He winced audibly when the soap seeped into the scratches on his skin. The faintly visible nail marks and hickeys glowed red, making him flush with embarrassment.

One single text announcing his ex's marriage had driven him over the edge. Shattering down his walls with a single hit.

Then those weren't walls, you fool. You built a pyramid of playing cards all these years.   

He didn't know how long he sat there on his work table with the phone in hand, looking at the same message listlessly. He didn't remember running, or ordering shots like his life depended on it or grinding against a guy on the dance floor. The next thing he knew was he was luring a drunk guy with red hair into a taxi and pulling up in front of the nearest love hotel. He knew for a fact that they didn't even make it past the room entrance for their first time. Oh jeez. He had been royally fucked alright. He softly jammed his head against the wall a couple times at his own stupidity.

Turning off the shower, he searched for a towel. Shivering a little without the heat, he wrapped himself up. He had woken up earlier than the redhead, and had tried to slink away without waking him up, terribly ashamed of what he had done and knowing he couldn't give any kind of proper apology without dying every few words. Ha ha.

He should have known.

The Universe loved to fuck with him.

He had hurt the poor guy. He had used him and hurt him. He was the lowest among the lowest. Effectively giving his insecurities and guilt-tripping conscious a wonderful field day today in his brain.

Nope. No no no no.

Stop it.

Enough.

Feeling colder, he tightened his hold on the towel, hugging it around him as he wandered back to his room. The house was quiet, which meant Kazu was sleeping and the other two had left for work already. A quick check revealed that yup, the kitchen had been cleaned and there were two flasks placed on the island - coffee, he knew, for him and Kazunari. He tip-toed to their shared closet, toeing it open and rummaging through it. He unearthed a long sleeved white tee, striped sweatpants before something else caught his eye. Pulling it out, he found it Atsushi's old - dreadfully old, was it from high school? - soft purple sweater. It wouldn't fit him now, so he wont mind - Kouki shrugged as he put them on. He sniffed the calming honeydew and jasmine smell of the fabric softener that wafted, rolling up the sleeves so his hands weren't buried by the large sweater.

He caught himself in the mirror and promptly decided that he wouldn't waste good gel on his hair today. It will have to remain the unfixable mess it is, irrespective of whether he was meeting his prospective sponsor or not. He already looked ten years younger than his actual age, with his sunken cheeks and huge eyes and small irises and slouching like a sulky teenager in clothes big enough for two people.

Way to create an impression, Kouki. Score.

He picked up the flask, the one marked - Kouchin - and stepped out into the nippy morning air. Locking up behind him, he left for the studio, wondering what he could work on to kill the time until his sponsor showed up.

*

"So....I gather last night went well..?"

Reo stood next to his desk - one hip daintily perched on the table - rambling about how Eikichi had cooked pot roast for dinner and how it was the world's most wonderful date night before he cautiously broached the topic. Reo knew something was up; his usually 'fashionably late' boss had arrived earlier than literally anyone in the building today.

Akashi threw him a dull glare before scrutinising the data showing up on the screens. Two other laptops apart from the desktop computer were open for him, constantly notifying him of changes and shifts in the graphs. The stocks were looking good today. The negotiations of the Board resulting in a potential alliance was creating a remarkable buzz in the markets and prices of the shares were inching higher and higher. Of course, there was the talk of the gallery making rounds as well. Soon, an official press conference would take place, hiking the prices even more with all the added publicity.

He kept a careful watch on all of them as he listened with half a ear to Reo. He was unsure of what to think since he had seen Eikichi eat and the absolute last thing he would think of was the word 'wonderful'.

For a formal position as head of the Due Diligence Department of Akashi Group, directly reportable to Akashi, Reo hadn't stopped acting the same way as he was in high school. Sure, he had blown away the competition at the interviews and tests and was practically clairvoyant when it came to investigating the credit worthiness of their projects, ventures and clients and proved time and again that he was a valuable asset to the organisation, but still. He continued to treat Akashi the same way as before - teasing and prodding and making him spill his secrets and dragging him out of the office for tea and cakes. And for some reason, Akashi didn't mind at all. He knew Reo had best intentions, and that was not to say that his glares - that usually sent his other subordinates fleeing out the door - didn't faze him the least.  

Reo sighed dramatically, Akashi was being difficult today. Well, more than usual. The desk was littered with documents and reports with countless, colourful post-it notes sticking to the glass top and edges of the systems that occupied Akashi's attention.

"Sei-chaaaaan," he pouted, placing his palms on the cluttered table and leaning forward so he could loom over the computer screen at Akashi. "I am just interested to know what happened. You don't go out much and you walk in here today wearing the same coat you wore yesterday - which, by the way, stinks, oh dear god, please let me take it to the dry cleaners - and a turtleneck! You have never worn a turtleneck before!" He straightened, his turquoise eyes shining as they stare at Akashi, "I am betting my entire week's pay that you have it on to hide the hickeys left by your date and you want me, Me," - pointing to himself and raising his eyebrows delicately as if the whole situation was incredulous - "to not ask you about it?"

Akashi twitched in his seat, fingers itching to hitch the shirt higher up his neck to escape the penetrating gaze it was subjected to.

Reo noticed the action, his eyes glittered with silent laughter. A chuckle broke out. And another one. He slapped his hand over his mouth. "Oh my god, Sei-chan! You squirmed! You actually squirmed! Are you feeling guilty, Sei-chan? Wait. Does that mean you walk-of-shamed here today?"

"There is no hickey, I checked." Akashi narrowed his eyes when he heard Reo's muffled giggles, refusing to answer him. He hadn't bothered going back to his apartment. His emails were waiting and his father had called and one thing led to another, he had decided coming to the office would be more productive. The clothing store nearby took care to give him the dark blue turtleneck and a pair of pants, but unfortunately he hadn't bothered with another coat. A mistake he was repenting for, right now.  

He didn't bother with his poor muffling anymore. Reo's musical laughter filled the room, echoing like a peal of bells. "Oh my god, it's true! You walk-of-shamed here! Oh god, - wheeze - I need to sit down. Please. My heart," - he panted, clutching his sides - "can take only so much." That was the most uncomfortable he had seen Akashi and he was getting more flustered by the minute as he desperately tried to regain the original frigid composure. Who gets shy over casual sex these days? He hadn't pegged Akashi to be one. And yet, there was a distinctive light pink dusting on his cheeks and Reo couldn't think of any sight more cuter than that.

He heaved, waiting for his laughter to subside. He swept his hands in his hair, retying his ponytail and redoing the side clips to keep his fringe from falling and obscuring his eyes. Walking towards the glass wall overlooking the street below, he crossed his arms and observed. They were on one of the top levels of the skyscraper, the traffic below making the cars look like pieces in a board game, stacked and waiting for their turn. The light changed and they rushed out, like frenzied bulls unleashed from the pen. Smiling wryly, his eyes slid towards Akashi, form facing the window. "So, it was that good, huh?"

Akashi sighed. Reo didn't look like he would stop anytime soon. He commented, "Reo, don't you have better things to do?"

"Oh, we do, Sei-chan." Reo tucked his hands in his pockets and leaned against the window, facing Akashi. He waved his hand dismissively, lips curving into a smug smile. "But this is so much more interesting!"

Akashi shook his head, not taking off his eyes from the screens. He frowned at one of the them - he should make a call to one of the northern branches today. He made a note of it and stuck it to the edge with the others. Reo waited for his reply, exhaling loudly when there was none.

"Argh, Sei-chan. Fine, I will lay off." He shoved himself off the glass wall and started walking towards the doors. "Sei-chan, the client should be waiting for us. You want to go see them before or after lunch?"

"Before." Akashi glanced at the clock. "About 11. At least one thing should go without a hitch before noon."

Reo contemplated, there was still something he could try. He placed his hand on the door but stopped as if he remembered something. Spinning around to Akashi, he exclaimed, lightly clapping his hands, "Oh, its my turn to cook tonight and Eikichi has been hinting about pork cutlets for a while, would you like to have dinner with us? We can paint each other's nails after and binge on Korean drama!" His voice took on an higher note, his eyes shining with excitement.

Akashi didn't say anything in response, he knew it would lead to more badgering on 'last night'. Reo huffed, his shoulders sagging tellingly. "Sei-chan, you are going to grow an old balding man with wrinkles if you keep up that attitude."

Nope, even that didn't evoke anything. Only clicking and keyboard clacking sounds were heard in the silent room, with the occasional shuffling of papers. "Ugh, Sei-chan, what is with you these days? I thought you were more fun in high school. Adulthood does not suit you." Reo didn't move from the door, and was starting to get slightly worried. If Akashi didn't snap either in irritation or with a quip, then there had to be a problem. Deeper than a casual sex night.

To his relief, Akashi leaned back in his chair and rubbed the heel of his hands over his eyes. "Reo. For the last time. I am 28, not old by any measure." His voice was exasperated, but not cold. That was a good sign. Reo breathed. "And no, I don't need pink nail polish on my fingernails, we have a meeting with the Board tomorrow. I would rather not have my father see me like that."

"Its not pink! It's bambi. There is a huge difference!" Reo retorted, pulling himself to his full height, his hands on his hips. Akashi deadpanned, making Reo visibly deflate. "Ok Ok, I was just checking my options." He put his hands up in the air and turned to open the heavy door.

"Your only option to close the door behind you when you leave and not come in until 11AM to accompany me to see the client." Akashi murmured, cracking his knuckles and stretching his arms above him, his focus already back onto the screens. He waved a hand dismissively, rolling a shoulder to work out the kinks, "That is all I am allowing you. Now, shoo."

Reo snickered, only he would be privy to see Akashi use cute words. "Wow, looks like someone exercised a little too much and is feeling it now." He stuck his tongue out when Akashi glowered, before closing the door as instructed.

 Akashi groaned. Pushing back the chair and getting up, he stretched. The knots in his shoulders were giving out one by one, sound echoing in the room, each uncurling movement prompting a relieved moan. He walked around the huge office, rubbing his neck and closing his eyes from the strain they were subjected to. Wave upon wave of data was streaming in from all directions, he had to keep a watch on the performance of all the segments and ventures covered under the huge umbrella of the Akashi Corporation. He didn't mind the workload usually, but tomorrow he had to present this, along with the projections for the near future, to the Board.

Which meant, his father would be there and there was bound to be some snark, regardless of his stellar presentation. And of course, he would ask about his pet project - the new gallery - and its progress. Not only does he have to overlook the structure being built, the administration, financial operations and the potential profitability of the gallery but Masaomi had ordered Akashi to see a few artists personally and commission work from them, exclusively.

As if he had nothing better to do with what limited free time he had.  

I want to go home.

Just to go home and sleep.

He sighed, letting out his frustrations. He has to power through, no matter what. Rolling up his sleeves, he moved back to the desk, resigned. He glanced at the coat hung on the hook near his door. The long trench coat he had worn last night to the bar - and recalled hurried purposeful hands ripping it off his shoulders and throwing it near the suite entrance. He wondered if the smell still lingered, the heady smell of alcohol and sex. Reo had said so, enough to offer to have it laundered. He perked up, almost getting up to retrieve it when he stopped.

He shook his head.

No need to mull over something that was out of his reach.   

 End notes: So......the TakaFuriHimu Brot3 stemmed from this amazing comic on the Scorpio Squad by Breedafool, I just am guilty for adding the candy titan to that mix.