Twenty One
Kisa blinked twice. He was aware that something was gravely amiss, yet he could not quite figure out what exactly it was. He stretched his left palm and checked for the writers' callus on his ring finger. The skin on his pale wrist appeared to be a lot smoother. The lines were not as apparent too.
My ring, is not on the finger.
He ran his fingers through his hair and paused. His hairstyle was not the same as he had remembered it to be. It was a lot shorter. The ends of his hair stopped at the nape. The fringe was neatly trimmed.
What on earth is going on...!?
He was wearing his usual grey hoodie, and was decked in ribbed denim. His viridian pair of Vans looked slightly familiar. Kisa remembered clearly, that he threw away a similar pair 9 years ago.
Kisa studied his surroundings as he followed the brick corridor. He could hear the incessant chatters of young adults, and figured that he might be at a university campus. University students had the liberty to dress in whatever fashion they want to, after all. A female student just fangirl-ed about some live concert footage over the smartphone. She was using abbreviated words that Kisa was a complete stranger to. Either she was very loud, or she was standing directly behind Kisa.
"Yeah, it was lit! I mean, how was that even possible?!"
Kisa decided to ask the female university student some questions.
His left hand was partially raised, as if volunteering with much reluctance to answer questions in a stern Differentiation class.
"Ex...Excuse...me," he breathed out words that would take him by surprise.
This...!
This is not my voice!?
"Yeah? What's up, kid?" The girl looked up impatiently, slightly annoyed by the sudden disturbance.
"Where... am I?" Kisa rubbed his fingers against his Adam's apple. The voice that was coming out from his throat sounded clearer and brighter.
"Uh... Are you lost? This is the Touto University for Arts."
Touto University!
Yukina should be here!
"Do you know... where the oil painting majors are?" Kisa fumbled a little with his words, choosing it with caution. He was not used to the voice that he was hearing.
The university student pointed hastily into the distance. "Turn left at that big tree over there."
"Than...Thank you," Kisa replied, his tone a little shaky. The girl went back to her fangirl session on her smartphone, rambling away what Kisa calls "gibberish", or words that were not appropriate for publication.
Touto University for Arts. Kisa recalled a big oak tree next to the building where Yukina frequents. While he was probably too busy to visit the school due to the insane pending work piling up at Marukawa Publishing, Yukina often talked about the huge tree that stood like a guardian, how he would sit by the trunk and think up of possible sketches for his assignments.
"That tree is magical, Kisa-san! I go to it when I need inspiration!" Yukina exclaimed, his bright brown eyes twinkling.
"That sounds so childish. There is no such thing as magic in this world," Kisa brushed those words off abruptly.
Kisa found himself walking towards the oak tree with the companion of the cold autumn wind. He hears the birds chirping on his way to it. He looked up and caught sight of a buzzing red dragonfly. The white streaks of cloud, and the cerulean sky. The whole place felt like a painting itself.
"It is really magical," Kisa bent down and ran his fingers along the moist blades of grass. Little did Kisa know, magic had already taken place. Kisa sat down by the trunk of the oak tree, in the same manner Yukina did.
Kisa reminisced the time he woke up lazily on Yukina's bed after the cyclical peak at the publishing house. It was absolutely surreal for Kisa, to wake up in the arms of Yukina – Yukina always wakes up first. It was such a beautiful sight to behold.
Right, Yukina ALWAYS wakes up first.
"Stop pretending to sleep, Yukina. I know you are awake," Kisa brushed through his fingers across Yukina's perfectly curved brows. Yukina breaks into wide grin, his eyes still firmly closed.
"Oh, Kisa-san. I love this part of you waking up, when you seem to be so lost in your own thoughts. I love it when your weary eyes struggle to locate my face. Try not to ruin this romantic morning moment," Yukina paced his words lyrically, as if dancing on the keys of a keyboard.
"How do you even tell, your eyes are not open," Kisa doubted Yukina's honeyed words.
"Your eyes do not see everything, Kisa-san," Yukina mused. If Yukina chose not to be a painter, Kisa was almost sure he would excel as a novelist, or a screenwriter. Yukina often knew what to say at the right moment. He always sounded a lot older than his age. Sometimes, Kisa wondered if he was the kid in the relationship instead.
Kisa ran his fingers down to Yukina's cheekbones. The lines were so well-chiseled. If Kisa were to draw his ideal character on a piece of blank canvas, that person would look exactly like Yukina.
"Kisa-san, it tickles," Yukina let out a giggle and approached Kisa, his eyes still shut. Kisa's right thumb glid across the cheekbone horizontally. He does not intend to stop. There is too much to love about this face. Kisa found his way to a cute tiny bump under the cheekbone, which would only appear when Yukina pulled back-to-back all-nighters. He rubbed the bump in tiny circles and glanced up.
"Yukina, you need to rest more," Kisa brushed the falling strands of Yukina's light chestnut hair to the back of his ear.
"Yeah, I am resting right now, am I not?" Yukina replied. Kisa could sense something amiss. There is no way Yukina would be this docile. That smile on his face looked far more sinister than it appeared to be.
Kisa knew the counterattack would begin the moment Yukina opens those eyes. After all, the same thing has happened before, and Kisa remembered having spent the entire morning in bed. Yukina was still exhaling softly, his right hand moved stealthily to the back of Kisa's head. He leaned in even closer, smiling a little wider now. Yukina's nose brushed against Kisa's cheek. Taken aback by the sudden advance, Kisa quivered.
"Kisa-san,"
Kisa trembled at that tone. Soon. Yukina was about to 'wake up', for real. Kisa could feel Yukina's large right hand sliding down his back in a slow cascade. His fingers tingled with every electrifying caress and Kisa's back arched in reflex, as if his body already knew what to do next. Yukina stopped his fingers, leaving them dangling by the tailbone. He then trails around the cheeks – Kisa let out a gasp. Kisa was not afraid of what was about to hit him, he was actually anticipating the onslaught with compelled exhilaration. He does not reveal this part of him to Yukina, of course.
"Yukina!" Kisa let out a soft cry.
"Kisa-san, I am sleeping. I am in the middle of dreaming," Yukina whispered. His lips nibbed at Kisa's philtrum and tugged it gently. He was fully aware that Kisa wanted a peck and he was not letting him have it. Kisa bit Yukina's chin in retaliation. Yukina keeps his eyes closed.
"Just…! " Kisa blurted out in frustration.
Wake up, damn Yukina!
Just finish what you want to do with me already!
"Just…what, Shouta-san?" Yukina was taunting mischievously. He moved his lips closer to Kisa's cupid's bow and stroked it. When Kisa tried to move in to kiss those lips, Yukina placed his thumb near the crease, his index finger almost slipping in. Kisa jolted and moved his lips away. Yukina's breathing was still very steady. Kisa's first name will only come up when Yukina is about do something much explicit.
"Ah…! It's… It's nothing," Kisa's eyes were shaking. That always happens when Yukina sends him to an ecstatic oblivion. Kisa has never had a lover he had no control over, for he was always the more experienced one. He always led in the relationship, and he was always the one to give. When it came to matters in bed, Kisa knew exactly what to do, springing spontaneously to action like a programmed device. Despite claiming to have no experiences with dating guys, Yukina rarely succumbs to Kisa's advance. Quite contrary to that, he seemed to get even more riled up. There was no giving in at all. Yukina's left hand crept up in between Kisa's thighs at an alarming speed, throwing Kisa in a complete aroused disarray.
Kisa decided he wants to take charge for once.
He knew exactly which button to push.
"Kou," Kisa studied the reaction of his boyfriend carefully. Yukina paused, and then he waited. Kisa articulated the name slowly, and in the most controlled way he could ever feign, especially when his wavering breath had climbed to a certain peak with all that teasing. Yukina usually wakes up immediately when he hears Kisa calling out his first name. That word symbolised the moment Yukina had gone overboard with teasing Kisa. It was Kisa's only way of telling Yukina to stop. He had to say it at the right moment, and with the right tone, or Yukina might pass it off as a challenge.
Yukina's hazel-colored irises followed the movement of Kisa's eyes closely, as if treading on thin ice. Kisa would usually look away when he is not being honest, or when he is unable to anticipate what is going to come next. He dislikes it most when Yukina throws surprises because his emotions get flung all over the place. This time, there was none of it. Kisa was dead serious. He looked up and stared straight at Yukina, with piercing eyes. It is not very common to see Kisa turning tables like this, and Yukina was slightly caught off guard.
Yukina knew all along, that Kisa holds back a lot in their relationship. As if it was an occupational hazard of an editor, Kisa can be very cautious. He might curse and swear, but whenever it comes to the matters of the heart, Kisa was always up front, prudent and considerate. Kisa never beats about the bush. He flusters a lot but he was always very firm when it comes to his own feelings. Kisa was never inept at expressing himself emotionally – the part where he struggles and fumbles, drives Yukina crazy. It was Kisa's own way of showing Yukina affection, that he was being cherished dearly. That if it was for Yukina, Kisa would do even the most unimaginable. This could be probably why Yukina finds Kisa's assertive aura so alluring, and it becomes significantly magnified when he wants to dominate the conversation.
Yukina swallowed, not knowing what to expect next.
"Ki…Kisa-san?"
Kisa placed his palm on Yukina's collar bone, and his index finger on the lips.
"Don't…," He leaned in and tickled Yukina's lower lip with a flick of his tongue. Kisa could feel Yukina flinching, his lips arched a little in silent victory.
I am going to win this, Yukina.
"for a second think that we are going to stay in bed all day. Not today, "
Kisa can be frighteningly compelling when he has to be, and Yukina would obey unconditionally. He ended his game with a smooch on Kisa's nape.
"Come, Yukina, " Kisa sat up on bed. Yukina looked at his lover for a while and then buried his head with the pillow, refusing to get up.
"You promised. We were supposed to go out for a drive today. Come on, we need to date like normal people, Yukina," Kisa walked to the chair and grabbed his clothes. He turned around and watched a blanketed body wiggle lazily onto the parquet like a fat white caterpillar. It was absolutely adorable for Kisa to be able to witness Yukina acting like a little kid.
Kisa chuckled at the memory. He always loved it when Yukina ceased trying to be a grown-up, his childlike self revealed. Quite like Kisa's hidden assertive persona, Yukina dislikes being treated like he was young and vulnerable.
"Is that you, Kisa-san?" A familiar voice rang in the background.
It was Yukina with his huge sketchbook. As usual, Yukina had paint stuck in his hair.
"Ah! Yukina!" Kisa stood up and ran towards Yukina energetically.
"I have…missed you so…," he tiptoes to reach out for the paint but Yukina stops him.
"Really? Are you Kisa-san?" Yukina asked in a puzzled tone.
Kisa was getting the vibe that something was definitely amiss. He was hoping that Yukina would tell him exactly what it was.
"You do look and sound….very different today. Is this a prank?"
"Yukina, I do not know either. I woke up and I found myself here. I just asked someone for directions to your faculty. I am still trying to get used to this voice. It does not feel like mine,"
"Well, that's because you don't really look like you. I have never seen you like this, Kisa-san. I know for sure, you are Kisa-san. Come, I will take a picture of you, and you will know what I mean," Yukina pulled out his smartphone and snapped a picture of Kisa.
Kisa almost dropped the phone when he saw what he had become.
He looked exactly the same as he was 9 years ago. Kisa Shouta has reverted into a 21-year old university student. The days of his promiscuous past washed over his memories like a huge tsunami.
"Is this a prank, Kisa-san?" Yukina walked closer. He bent over and rubbed his chin, observing every single part of Kisa's face. Kisa looked a lot younger. The weary wrinkles under his dark eyes were gone. His facial features were sharper, and his pale milky skin glowed. There were no creases near his furrowed brows, nor were there any crow's feet. His height was the same, but his frame was a lot skinnier. What Kisa said was true, he does resemble a lot like a girl when he was younger.
Kisa frowned. It did not take Yukina too long to figure out that internally, Kisa Shouta is still the same established editor of Marukawa Publishing.
"Yukina, I do not even know how I ended up like this! How is this a prank to you!?"
Without a doubt, Kisa Shouta was ravishingly hot at 21 years of age.
His petite proportions make his legs look longer than they were. Yukina realized that the rumours about him getting hit on constantly by perverse men could very much be the truth.
Kisa grabbed Yukina by the sleeve. He was desperate.
"Help me, Yukina. I do not want to relive my younger days all over again. It was a complete nightmare. I was a complete wreck,"
"Well, this time I am here for you," Yukina smiled.
"…Yukina. It is not THAT simple. What do you think you can achieve? Will everything be solved just by you being next to me?" Kisa muttered. Yukina pushed Kisa's nose gently, and landed a deep kiss.
"Well, yes. Everything IS going to get solved. In fact, I am thinking of achieving a couple of things right now," Yukina said with a hearty laugh.
Kisa knows that laughter too well.
"Yukina, let's be serious about this," Kisa tries to switch to his assertive mode. Alas, his younger self fails to convince Yukina.
"We are of the same age now, Shouta. You have no idea how excited this makes me feel. Think about all the possibilities. I believe it's an upcoming magic carpet ride," Yukina flashed a smile so bright, it could almost pass off as a beam of sunshine.
God, if you are behind all of this,
Stop playing games with me.
Writer's Note:
Thank you for reading!
I have also made some edits, as the first draft was completed at 4.30am.
Twenty One is my first BL shot at one of my favourite pairings (Yukina and Kisa)
I love Yukina, haha. There is this childlike side of him that really attracts me.
The only thing is that I do not know what rating to give this fic - I will leave it at M, for the moment.
I always wondered what would happen if Kisa and Yukina were of the same age. The thing is, while Kisa looks younger, he is still 30-years old inside of him.
The age difference is still there, when it comes to mentality.
I guess it will be fun to play with the possibilities.
