"Tio! Fuck… Um, I can totally explain this!"
Sly snorted from where he lay under him, bartenders glare doing nothing to stop his obvious amusement, hands still in his shirt scratching along his chest in the way he knew made him shiver.
"This is, um, it's nothing! It's totally not a thing, I just, um…" he was trying to concentrate on explaining his actions to his best friend, but Sly had no intention of making it easy for him, lips trailing up his neck teasingly, seemingly unaffected by their unwilling audience. "Sly would you please… Fucking stop it, asshole!"
"Or what?" He asked, apparently not at all bothered at having been caught in the act. Or the warm up to the act, anyway.
"I'll ban you from the bar," he threatened, pulling Sly's roaming hands out of his shirt and glaring at him.
"No you won't," he replied, confidence in his tone utterly exasperating.
"Don't test me," he hissed, trying to act like his face wasn't bright red with embarrassment and a little fear at having been caught.
Sly's voice changed into something almost threatening and his grip on Mizuki's hip turned vice-like. "You know, it would be such a shame if somebody let slip that Dry Juice's esteemed leader had been fucking Sly Blue, disastrous actually." His smirk was cold and Mizuki knew he wouldn't even hesitate to destroy his reputation the minute the tattooist did anything not to his liking.
His cheeks were red and he felt nervous sweat break out on his forehead as he watched Tio's eyes grow wide at Sly's words and oh Mizuki was so going to murder him later.
"We're not fucking!" He exclaimed, horribly aware he was still straddling Sly and the erection in his jeans was probably painfully obvious, not able to bring himself to look down and check.
"We are," Sly nodded calmly from under him, picking at his dirty nails absently and just smiling with false sweetness as Mizuki turned an expression of equal parts horror and belief onto him.
He raised himself up, deliberately elbowing Sly in the chin as he did, ignoring his curses as he turned towards Tio, who still lingered in the doorway as if uncertain of what to do.
"It's not what it sounds like," he tried, but the situation was getting worse and he refused to acknowledge the disbelieving raised eyebrow of his friend.
"Oh no, it's exactly what it sounds like. Your buddy here fucks me at least once a week and has for like… Six months now, it's great, I highly recommend it."
Mizuki's face twisted into a glare as he turned to stare at Sly incredulously, because really, could he be more unhelpful? "I will fucking strangle you."
Sly raised one blue eyebrow, and it was then Mizuki knew he was well and truly, and depressingly metaphorically, fucked. "Ooh, kinky, you haven't done that in a while."
"I… I'll just go… I… Sorry," Tio stammered, finally finding his tongue, having lost it the moment he saw Sly's in Mizuki's mouth.
"No, Tio! Wait!" Mizuki yelled after him as he turned on his heel and promptly fled the room, progress after him hampered as Sly deliberately entangled their legs, causing him to almost smash his face into the floor. "Get off, asshole! This is your fucking fault, I need to explain before he tells anyone."
Sly just shrugged, his fun was mostly over now, certain he wouldn't get the sex he came here for, yelling a smug, "nice meeting you!" After the bartender who ran behind his friend.
He'd never been able to run fast, and his still healing sprained ankle from their last turf war didn't help him, Mizuki catching up to him before he even reached the back door, using a hand on his arm to spin him round.
"Tio! Please, I know how bad it looks, just let me explain!"
"No need, I get it, Mizuki," the way his name was spoken was hard, and the bartender took a step back, not fighting as Tio shrugged his arm off, expression almost disappointed as blue eyes fixed on him. "You're just like the others, do you pay him too?"
"I… What? No!" He was taken aback, offended almost, did Tio really think he would be paying Sly for sex? The idea was one he had never even considered, "Fucking hell Tio, I wouldn't do that!"
"Then what? Are you two… Together or something? Because if you were I really would have you expected to tell your best friend." His face was hard but his words were small and hurt, thinking Mizuki had been lying to him, having realized he'd been hiding this for so long and feeling betrayed.
Mizuki paused, because what were him and Sly? Not a couple, that was for sure, but he knew that Sly didn't go with other people as often anymore, so they may as well have been exclusive. But together? No, not the way Tio meant. "No, we… I don't know, it's like an arrangement? Friends with benefits, kind of thing?"
"Fuck buddies."
"I… Yeah, something like that." He sighed long and deep, running a hand through his mussed up hair and cringing, he must look a fucking mess, he felt almost ashamed as he tried to smooth it into some sort of order. "Look, I didn't mean for it to happen. It just kinda… Did. And then it just didn't stop, I never thought about it. I… I didn't mean for anyone to find out."
Tio scoffed, and it was an ugly sound, turning to look away from Mizuki like the mere sight of him made him feel sick, and for all he knew, it well might. "Sly Blue, of all people, why him? You could get anyone, Mizuki!"
He couldn't look at him, couldn't meet his intense stare, see the hurt and disgust and misunderstanding there, addressing his words to his chest. They'd had a thing, once, got too drunk and woken up the next day a tangle of naked limbs and sweat, tried to make a go of it and failed miserably after less than a month. They'd managed to keep their friendship, but sometimes Mizuki thought he saw a flicker of something more in Tio's stare, but it sure as hell wasn't there now. The worst thing was, he knew, he was aware he was attractive, knew a handful of people he could have sex with at the click of his fingers, but no, he had gone for Sly.
"He's not what you think he is."
"I don't think anything, I know what he is! Everyone knows, Mizuki!" His words were so judgmental, passing sentence on Sly when they had probably never even spoken, believing rumors and not trying to understand the reasons behind the actions. "You do realize what this could do, right? This could destroy you. The bar, your parlor, you could lose everything. Even Dry Juice, how many do you think would stick around if they found out about this?"
His breath was caught somewhere in his lungs and he felt lightheaded, because he knew, he knew what he was risking, knew how incredibly fucking stupid this was. But he wouldn't stop, and that was the most fucked up thing of all.
"I know, Tio. But nobody gives him a chance, he's a teenager not a fucking Yakuza boss."
"How old is he? Hm, seventeen, eighteen?" Mizuki knew what he was trying to say, he was breaking the law just by being with Sly, the age difference between them vast when he considered it was a fourth of Sly's life time.
"Sixteen," he almost whispered, because it was true, technically he was a pedophile, that was how the law would see it anyway, consent didn't matter in cases like this, neither would Sly's promiscuity.
"Jesus fucking Christ, Mizuki," Tio's noise of disgust hit Mizuki wrong and he bristled with anger because he wasn't even letting him explain himself, just focusing on his hatred for Sly and not on his friendship with Mizuki.
"I know! I know, alright!"
"Then stop! Break off whatever this fucked up deal you have is! Find somebody else to fuck if you really have to!" It sounded easy enough, but a lump rose in Mizuki's throat at the thought of leaving Sly to go back to his old ways. Couldn't picture how empty his life would seem without the blue haired boy's visits to the bar and their snappy banter, knew, as fucked up as it was, that he would miss more than just the fucking.
"I…" and his words were barely audible, just reluctant breaths leaving his hollow lungs. "I can't do that."
"Why not? He can look after himself, everyone knows that!"
But no, he was wrong, so wrong. Sly couldn't look after himself, he was too young, too hardened, too easy to exploit, to lure in with the promise of cigarettes and alcohol. He didn't know the meaning of looking after himself, let alone how to carry it out.
He was about to reply, anger bubbling in his veins, when he saw Tio's face harden, turning to look down the narrow corridor and glare at the footsteps that approached. It had to be Sly, and Mizuki cursed internally, because he had the worst timing and would no doubt only be here to make things worse to get kicks.
His breath hitched and his stupid, unruly heart did some kind of messy back flip in his chest as warmth covered his back and lips pressed against his cheek almost tenderly, eyes flickering to the right where Sly beamed, not quite able to hide the malice behind his actions.
"I gotta get going, sweetie." He turned a smug smirk towards Tio as he spoke the endearment, sounding wrong and biting on his tongue, obviously used just to piss him off. "I'll be back tomorrow, and you had better fuck me this time."
He was stalking off and shoving the door open before either of them had time to speak, Mizuki still feeling star struck, because, act or not, that was the first time Sly had kissed him like that, and something inside him clicked into place and fuck.
Tio's glare faded as the unwelcome presence disappeared, door slamming shut behind him, turning his gaze back onto Mizuki, confusion clear in the way his brow furrowed and his mouth turned down at the corners.
There was silence, and Mizuki couldn't breathe, because he knew, Tio knew, and he wasn't sure what he would do if he was questioned about it, because honestly? He didn't know what to do now realization had sunk in, feeling sick to his stomach.
"Mizuki…" His voice was questioning, but the tattooist refused to look at him, eyes clouded with shame, because of all people, destiny had chosen Sly, it was like fate was fucking with him. An unsure chuckle accompanied his words, but it was more uncomfortable than genuinely amused, "you don't… Surely not…"
He couldn't help but feel relief that he hadn't said it, to put those words out there in the world would make it too real, and Mizuki's hands were already shaking because this wasn't fucking fair, why did this have to happen.
"I'm sorry. I should have told you." He changed the subject instead, trying to hide the nervous twitch of his lip because Tio's expression had softened into something more like understanding.
"No," he shook his head, and his small smile was finally genuine. "I understand why you didn't. I won't tell anyone. But, Sly? You're in for a tough time."
"Yeah, I know."
And he did, because loving Sly might just be the stupidest thing he'd ever done, but he wasn't sure he regretted it one bit.