Inspired by the SouKisuMonthly theme Summer.
"Trust me, dear, you will be very satisfied."
Leaning back on the plush couch, Kisumi hummed thoughtfully. His manicured fingers held a sleek phone to his ear, while his other hand idly swirled a fruity drink in a glass cup. "I certainly hope so since you've been hyping up this mystery man. The only thing you've told me is that he's your friend's son. Though if he has your seal of approval…maybe I should fluff up my hair a bit more."
"I don't think you need to worry. You got your looks from me, after all." Her lighthearted voice paused, as if she was listening to someone out of the phone's hearing range. Kisumi raised his drink to his lips and took a small sip of the sweet and vibrant multicolored liquid.
"I'm afraid I have to go now," she eventually said. "Tell me how your day goes!"
After exchanging goodbyes with his mother, Kisumi tucked his phone back into his pocket. He glanced outside through the window. The bright green grass had not been mowed in nearly two weeks, causing it to grow to an unsightly height. Usually the yard was kept in impeccable shape, but his previous groundskeeper had been having back troubles lately and was unable to do the work. Unfortunately, it was beginning to sound like the groundskeeper may have to quit this job.
Naturally, Kisumi couldn't do it himself—his manager would have a fit if she found out her best model was risking his flawless skin. It would have been simple to find another person to do the work, but he had held off with the unlikely hope that his groundskeeper would recover.
When explaining his troubles to his mother a few days ago she had insisted on having her friend's son do it. Apparently the man was looking for a little extra money. For some reason, she wouldn't give him any more details about him, making Kisumi more and more curious.
Today was the day he was supposed to arrive. Since he still had a couple more hours, Kisumi made a light breakfast and ate while browsing a few social media sites. He also checked on the scores of his former high school's basketball team. While he loved his modeling job, he had to admit that he missed being able to compete in sports, especially basketball.
The doorbell rang. He put his phone away and headed out of the kitchen. He stopped briefly in the hallway to look at a mirror hanging on the wall. After quickly smoothing down a few stray pink hairs, he smiled confidently at his reflection and walked to the door.
"So, what fine person is on my doorstep today?" He greeted as he opened the door.
"Your gardener." A deep, deadpan voice responded.
As Kisumi glanced over the person in front of him, his first thought was my mother really does know me well
A young man around Kisumi's age stood on the step, looking at him with indifferent turquoise eyes. The simple black tank he wore revealed the defined muscles of his tanned arms and chest. His neutral expression seemed to be bordering on a scowl, as if that were his default face.
My my. You're the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. Kisumi mentally noted approvingly.
The man waited several seconds, waiting to see if the other was going to talk, before speaking. "Are you Kisumi Shigino?"
Kisumi blinked before letting out a small, melodic laugh. "Yes, I am. How rude of me not to introduce myself sooner." It was unusual to find someone who didn't recognize him. This was an interesting change. "More importantly, what's your name?"
"Sousuke."
"Sousuke, hm?" He deliberately rolled out each syllable slowly, as if tasting the name on his tongue. "Well, Sousuke, would you like to come in?"
"I'd rather get to work." He curtly responded.
Unfazed by the blunt refusal, Kisumi nodded. "Of course, you're right. I'm sure a fetching man like yourself has places to be. I'll show you to the shed."
He stepped outside, his arm brushing against Sousuke's as he walked past him. To Kisumi's delight, Sousuke didn't pull away from the short contact. The shorter male lead the way to a well-kept shed in the backyard. He unlocked the door with a key, opened it, and moved back to allow the other to see inside.
Sousuke glanced around at the expensive equipment, all used but in great shape.
"I rarely come in here myself, so I can't tell you where anything is," Kisumi said apologetically.
"That's fine." He inspected the riding lawnmower, to which Kisumi then handed a key to him for.
"I'll leave you to it then. If you need me, I'll be on the porch. Don't be shy to ask for anything."
Sousuke let out an amused breath, as if that was a silly thing to worry about. Glad to have earned some sort of emotion from him, Kisumi left and returned to his house. After retrieving the latest gossip magazine and a drink, he sat down in a lawn chair on the porch. He sat back in the reclined seat, enjoying the shade of the awning above him. From a little ways off he heard the rumble of the lawnmower starting.
Flipping open the magazine, he read over the flashy articles and observed the scandalous pictures. As he caught sight of a couple familiar faces, he clicked his tongue. "I warned Makoto that he and Haru were simply too obvious. It's a wonder the press didn't find out sooner."
Once finished he set the publication aside. Though he had already known most of the information in it, it was always interesting to see if there were any juicy tidbits he had missed. He reached over to the small table next to him and picked up his glass. He finished off the drink and looked over at the yard.
Nearly half of the grass had been cut in neat rows. As Sousuke continued to trim, Kisumi noticed him rubbing his hand across his forehead to wipe off sweat. The summer heat was beginning to grow uncomfortable even in the shade, so it was no surprise that the other was sweltering under the harsh sun.
They both needed drinks, Kisumi decided. He walked inside, sighed at the wonderful air condition cooling his skin, and then headed into the kitchen. He debated a few moments on what Sousuke would like and ended up choosing lemonade. Water would have been another good choice, but lemonade sounded more appealing.
Pouring in ice and the premade liquid, he filled up two glasses. He grabbed one in each hand and returned outside.
When he arrived he noticed that Sousuke seemed to be taking a break. The taller male had parked the lawnmower and was removing his shirt, revealing even more glistening skin. Kisumi watched appreciatively as he walked up to the edge of the porch. He couldn't help but wonder if Sousuke had purposefully faced the doorway to give him a view.
"Sousuke!" He called out. When the other turned to look at him, Kisumi held up the cups in answer. Sousuke wasted no time in turning off the machine and going over to him.
"Thanks." He grabbed the offered drink and took a few generous gulps.
"You're welcome. You were doing such a fantastic job that I figured you deserved a break." Kisumi explained.
He shrugged. "It's not hard, just time consuming."
"Why don't you sit in the shade for a while?"
"Nah. I'm fine."
"All work and no play isn't good for anyone, you know." Kisumi insisted. "You'll build up a lot of stress that way."
"Maybe. I'm sure you know that from experience." He replied.
"What do you mean?"
"You're a model, right? That's what my mom said you were. You have to look perfect no matter where you go. Even here you look like you should be on the cover of 'Ten Hottest Guys' or something."
Kisumi positively beamed at the compliment. "You flatter me. But yes, you are right. When I first got into the business it was very difficult for me to adjust to all the work. At one point I went weeks getting only four hours of sleep a night. I simply couldn't keep going like that, so I talked to my manager and we worked out a less eventful schedule. I get a lot more days off now, like today."
"Sounds like a lot of trouble." Sousuke commented. "I wouldn't be able to put up with that."
"It has its disadvantages, but I love the work. Besides, I've learned a few ways to unwind after long days that help. I can teach them to you if you want." His voice lowered as he gave a sultry grin.
Sousuke rolled his eyes even though the corner of his mouth had lifted into a small smile. "Laying it on thick, huh? Do you always talk to people this way?"
"It's hard for me to control myself around beautiful people. But only rarely do I say it with the intentions of getting anything out of it."
"Is now one of those rare times?" He questioned.
Kisumi tapped his chin in an imitation of a thinking pose, though the playful sparkle in his eyes easily relayed his true answer. "What do you think?
"Hm." Sousuke drank the last of his lemonade, swiped his hand across his mouth, and set the empty glass down on the table. "I think I should be getting back to work."
"Aw, that was cold Sousuke." He pouted.
"You asked." He pointed out. "Besides, I do actually have somewhere to be soon. I promised a friend I'd hang out with him today."
Kisumi drew out a long sigh. "Ah, it figures that I wouldn't be able to hang on to such a good catch for long. Go on then. I better not keep you from your job."
Instead of leaving, Sousuke crossed his arms and looked expectantly at Kisumi.
"What?" Kisumi asked.
"I was waiting for some sort of flirty joke about me 'riding' that mower."
"What do you take me for? That would have been far too obvious." He shook his head, smiling once more.
"Right." He sarcastically responded before returning to the lawnmower. As he went back to his work, Kisumi sat down and pulled out his phone. It was time to gossip with some friends about his new gardener.
Once Sousuke completely finished and had placed the mower back in the shed, the brunette locked the building and tossed the keys at Kisumi. The shorter male caught them easily with one hand.
"Done." Sousuke announced.
Kisumi rose and stretched, his designer shirt riding up to reveal a sliver of skin. He noticed with satisfaction that the other's eyes briefly darted to the exposed stomach.
"The yard looks great." He complimented. "Come inside and cool down a bit while I get your money."
Sousuke followed him and waited by the front door. Kisumi joined him after grabbing his wallet from his room.
"Let's see…" His tongue poked out of his mouth as he looked through the money in his wallet. After finding the correct amount he took it out and held it out to the other. "Here you are."
Sousuke's eyes widened a fraction as he accepted the pay. "Damn, that's a lot."
"It's what I usually pay my groundskeeper." Kisumi said with a shrug.
"I'm not complaining," he said, stuffing the cash into his pocket. He started to turn toward the door. "Bye."
"Hold on a moment. I need to give you a tip." He insisted.
Sousuke paused, looking at him in confusion.
Kisumi leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek. Satisfied, he began to move back when long fingers grasping his chin stopped him. Surprised, Kisumi looked at the other.
"I know you're rich, so don't be a cheapskate on my tip." With that, Sousuke briefly pressed his lips against Kisumi's. Before Kisumi could react, the brunette had already pulled away.
"Look at that. I finally got you to shut up." He noted with a smirk.
The model's shock melted into a pleased realization. "So you did."
"I'll keep that trick in mind. See you next week."
"Bye bye! I'll look forward to your services again." He waved at Sousuke's leaving form before closing the door behind him. Grinning, Kisumi pulled out his phone. He had to thank his mother for setting him up with a new gardener.