Weekend mornings usually consisted of sleeping in an extra 10 minutes and a quick jog around the block. In high school and college, the cabinet member wouldn't have even considered sleeping in, even on weekends. But time spent furthering his political career taught him that taking a little extra time for oneself can really lower the stress in one's life.
He lived alone in a nice sized house on the outskirts of Tokyo. Ishimaru often found himself lonely, but he felt that his career and the needs of his country were more important than fulfilling selfish needs such as finding companionship. Not to mention his country wasn't too keen on letting him openly be with who would have wanted to, but he tried not to think about it too much.
The mid-April weather was unseasonably cold and required a pair of sweatpants instead of the usual jogging shorts. The cabinet member didn't mind it, though. He was never one to complain about things he couldn't control such as the weather, he felt it more productive to improve things he could control.
The woman his parents were trying to set him up with met him at the front door as he returned home. "Good morning, Kiyotaka. Enjoy your run?"
It was a surprise, but he didn't want to be rude. "Yes, although it was cold. How are you feeling?" He opened the door and let them both inside.
"Oh, a slight headache. I thought I drank more water last night but I guess not." The two headed into the kitchen and she down next to him, extending her hand on the table as if asking him to place her hand on his.
"It's alright. I'm sure half of the people who were at the social last night are twice as hung over as you are." He reached his hand out to stroke hers, though he almost immediately brought it back and picked up the newspaper on the table. It wasn't his intention to seem distant, but while he didn't want to shun her he could never be excited by her touch.
She let out a nervous laugh. "You're probably right. Are you going in to work today?"
He hesitated, knowing she would be unhappy with the answer. "Yes. I have a lot of documents I need to read."
Her reaction was no different than expected. "Do you really have to go?"
"Yes, I apologize but I have a lot to do before the week starts." He did feel bad for her, having come out to see him, but his job was very demanding and he was never one to slack off on work. Since she had just gotten there, she convinced him to stay with her for a couple hours. They talked about an array of things, mostly other politicians and their families, laughing at the events of the previous night. Once the time came, she was happy to let him go since he had agreed to stay with her, and he decided to pick up something quick for lunch on the way to his office.
As the cabinet member was out, he noticed a billboard that hadn't been there before. It was for a new line of men's underwear, though he wasn't concerned with the brand. The model, he noticed, was very toned and well-built, more than most male underwear models were. The pose the model was in was almost hypnotic, and it drew his crimson eyes in like a sailor to the song of the sirens.
Just as he caught himself staring at the model on the billboard, his phone rang. It was her again. He took a couple of deep breaths to ensure that his mind was completely calm and clear before speaking to her.
"Yes, what can I do for you?" He always asked what he could when someone called. It was mostly something out of habit, though he couldn't tell anyone how it started if he had been asked.
"Kiyotaka, remember that gorgeous table I wanted but was too expensive?" The sound of hope in her voice made it all too easy to predict what she was about to follow that statement with.
"Yes, I remember. What about it?"
"Well, I found someone who would be able to build the most beautiful table for our living room at a price we can afford." He could tell she was smiling, even if he could not see her.
"That's wonderful. Arrange a meeting and we will see." He wouldn't normally buy a person he barely knew something like a table, but he knew that his parents would be disappointed if they heard that he turned her down. It was her birthday soon, after all.
"Well, I already called, and he said he had an opening for today at 3:00 P.M. so you have time to get some work done." She sounded as if she knew the answer would be 'no.'
The cabinet member sighed. "I'm not sure. I already told you I have quite a bit of paperwork to do."
"But it's Saturday, Kiyotaka. Nobody expects you to do any work. Three hours is plenty of time to get work done, right?" He could tell at this point it was either argue or give in. He decided arguing was too tiresome, and agreed to meet, though not before letting out a sigh of disapproval.
"Very well. Give me the address and I will meet you there."
As she proceeded to give him the information necessary to find the building, one word stuck out in his mind: Diamond. There was no particular reason for it to bring about an episode of déjà vu; he came across the word 'diamond,' plenty of times in his daily life. It was a fairly common word. But 'Diamond Carpentry' just seemed too… familiar? Nostalgic? It was best not to get too hung up on it. The owner probably just wanted to sound more upscale than they really were.
3:10 P.M. He was late. It was very disconcerting to him. He was never late, but traffic had been worse than anticipated and he had the slowest taxi driver in all of Tokyo and that group of foreigners should not have tried crossing the road right before the walk light turned off. He tried calming himself, but it was no use. He hated being late for anything.
He walked at a brisk pace inside the building, and upon entering the elevator and looking for the right floor he only became even more nervous. There was a reason the word "diamond" had jumped out at him earlier. The button she had pressed to reach the correct floor and the button he needed to press to meet her there was labeled with something he never in his wildest dreams imagined he would be reading: 3rd Floor. Diamond Carpentry. Oowada and Company.
Shit. It had to be a coincidence. The entire way up he kept telling himself that over and over. As the elevator passed the second floor he told himself it was a coincidence. As the elevator doors opened he told himself it was a coincidence. As he exited the elevator to see a front desk with a lovely young lady on the phone he told himself it was a coincidence.
The cabinet member looked around nervously, noticing three possible rooms to enter. The receptionist hung up the phone and asked how she could assist. Upon revealing his name, she pointed to the proper room. Fear and dread swirled in the cabinet member's stomach as he thought of the woman his parents wanted him to marry alone with his ex-boyfriend, then himself alone with his ex-boyfriend, then everyone in the country finding out he had an ex-boyfriend.
He calmed himself by saying that everyone has past lovers, and his time with Mondo… with Oowada was fun but it was not what he wanted now. They hadn't seen each other in six years. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. Nobody wants to rekindle a relationship with someone they haven't been with in six years.
The woman's familiar voice got louder as he neared the door, and he lightly tapped on it before opening it and slowly entering the room. Relief came over his face as a young man he did not recognize sat across the table from his wife, and he took a seat next to her.
"Sorry I'm late," the cabinet member apologized, "Traffic was just terrible, though. I am Kiyotaka Ishimaru."
The young man waved his hand around, signaling that it was alright. "Oh, don't worry about it, I know what you mean. I was actually just about to go get my boss, though, it seems like he would be better suited for something like what your fiancée here is looking for."
Ishimaru cringed as he called her his 'fiancée,' and the knot in the cabinet member's stomach came back twice as tight. Thankfully years of debate team practice had given him a solid poker face, but he just knew eventually it would become clear how nervous he was.
The woman was certainly not making things any easier. She exuded an aura of happiness, so thankful to Ishimaru for agreeing to buy her such a wonderful gift. She was talking about the legs and the top and how it would be stained the exact hue she wanted it, but the cabinet member could only pick up bits and pieces and then-
"Hello, sorry to keep you waiting. My name is Mondo Oowada." The cabinet member spun around to see exactly the person he did not want to see, heart pounding nearly out of his chest. He let the woman introduce the two of them before sitting back down, in awe of how much the man he had once considered spending the rest of his life with had changed.
Oowada's hair had grown out to its natural color, though it was still more or less the same cut as the cabinet member remembered, albeit a little shorter. His facial features were much more defined and mature, and Ishimaru realized his worst fear had come true. He still considered Oowada to be extremely attractive. Perhaps even more so now than when he had seen him last.
His trail of thought was interrupted by the carpenter's deep, alluring voice. "My associate tells me that you are going for a baroque feel with a hint of traditional Japanese in your coffee table. Is that correct?"
She was all too happy to confirm this. "Yes! Do you think you can do that?"
As the two conversed the cabinet member couldn't believe how polite Oowada's speech was. Even in their last few months together, the former biker was never this formal with anyone. A sense of sadness washed over him as he reflected on the past few years and how absent Oowada had been. It was almost as if this person who had brought him so much joy had grown up without him.
Oowada was just about to go over the pricing when the woman looked at the clock, letting out a gasp of urgency. "Oh no! I'm terribly sorry, but I need to leave. I promised my father I would meet him at 4:30. Kiyotaka, dear, you can handle the rest, right?"
The cabinet member did not want her to leave. "No, please, it will only be a couple of minutes, I'm sure…"
His words meant nothing as she grabbed her jacket and proceeded out the door. "I'm so sorry, you know how my father gets!"
She shut the door, and just like that, the two were alone. The cabinet member didn't know what to do. Oowada had treated him like a stranger this whole time, but it was probably to be expected. The last time they saw each other, Ishimaru had told him that they could never speak again, and that was it. Until this moment, they had stuck to those words, and would probably continue to do so had they not been ill-fated to meet.
"So," Oowada said, breaking the silence. "About pricing."
The cabinet member was slightly shocked. "Oh, yes. We were thinking that our top price would be fifty thousand yen."
Oowada typed something into his computer before taking a deep sigh and turning to look straight into the cabinet member's ruby red eyes. "Are we really going to do this?"
The cabinet member tensed up, a lump forming in the back of his throat. "Do what?"
Anger surfaced on the carpenter's face, and he adjusted the volume of his voice, as if he was trying to keep anyone else from hearing what he had to say. "Don't play fuckin' dumb with me, Kiyo. I know you better than anyone."
Ishimaru didn't know what to do. He scrambled to think of words to respond to the carpenter with, though nothing his mind could muster made sense. An enormous pressure built up in his head that he hadn't felt in years, and he felt as though he would start to perspire.
"Fine. If you won't say it, I will." Panic arose in the cabinet member as he felt the sudden urge to dash out of the office building and into the street, though he sat perfectly still like a statue unable to move paralyzed in fear, when suddenly the carpenter spoke again. "I'm sorry."
"What?" The word involuntarily drifted from the cabinet member's lips, and he couldn't recall if he had actually said it out loud or if it was all in his head. The carpenter confirmed the former.
"I said I'm sorry. I was really hard on you when you told me you couldn't see me anymore, and I should've been more understanding." His face scrunched up before he turned his head and cleared his throat, looking as though he was holding back tears. "I've just felt like if I had been better about it, maybe you wouldn't have cut me out of your life and I could've seen you."
The cabinet member turned his gaze to the ground, struggling to say what he could no longer deny, words he knew needed to be said. "No, Mondo. I'm sorry. There is no way I could have been around you these past few years."
A minute of tense silence passed by before the carpenter spoke again. "You don't love her, do you?"
The cabinet member quickly shot up, irked by the audacity of the man across from him. "What!? Of course I don't! I just met her two months ago!" His defensiveness soon faded, knowing he couldn't hide the truth. "I mean, she's very nice, and my parents really want me to take a wife. What is it to you, anyway?"
The carpenter leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I just hate to see you unhappy."
"And who is to say that I am unhappy?" The cabinet member furrowed his brow, shifting his gaze toward a random object, choosing a book by chance.
"Well, I guess if you say you're happy then you are. I won't bother you about it. Now, about the pricing on this table."
"Oh, yes!" The cabinet member snapped to attention. In the heat of the moment, he had nearly forgotten about the table altogether.
"Alright, the wood she wanted will be about 20,000, and the delivery fee is 5,000, so with labor I can do…" The carpenter paused to do some calculations, fingers tapping at number keys diligently. He let out a sigh before giving his final answer. "26,000 yen."
The price seemed way too low, and the cabinet member protested. "Are you sure? That seems way lower than what I was expecting. You can't possibly be making a profit on that."
The carpenter just smiled. "Don't worry about it, Kiyo. You and I go back. Just think of it as an apology gift."
The cabinet member was overrun with confusion. "Apology for what? Mondo, anything that happened between us is in the past, we can't-"
"Stop." The carpenter sighed heavily, leaning forward onto his desk. "For any pain I've caused and for grilling you on your personal life now." The cabinet member tried to speak up, but the carpenter wouldn't let him. "Kiyo, just accept it. I'm not gonna charge you any more than that."
The cabinet member nodded in agreement, and they completed the necessary paperwork and scheduled a delivery time. Mondo sat in his seat as the cabinet member left the room, the two sharing a momentary stare before he made his exit. Neither said a word, but it was clear to both of them what the other was thinking. 'I miss you.'
Ishimaru had chosen a weekday to have the table delivered, although unfortunately she was away visiting her sister in the countryside. She protested the delivery falling during the week that she would be away, but Mondo couldn't fit it into his schedule any sooner and she decided she would rather have it waiting for her than have it be delivered once she returned home.
The original plan for delivery involved Mondo and an assistant of his driving the table to the cabinet member's house and dropping it off. That was what Mondo had said the usual procedure was, so it only made sense for that to be the plan. Of course, sometimes things happen that people do not expect. For example, Mondo did not expect for his assistant to get the stomach flu on the day that he was supposed to deliver the table to the cabinet member's house, and Ishimaru did not expect to get a phone call asking him to help so that Mondo wouldn't have to close the store or ask another employee to come in on his day off.
The cabinet member had taken a taxi to the warehouse that Mondo built and stored his assorted works in. They had ridden together in Mondo's delivery truck, though they didn't talk much for the duration of the trip. The cabinet member had avoided eye contact with the carpenter for the most part, Mondo just keeping his eyes on the road.
Moving the table into the house didn't prove to be much of an issue, as it wasn't very heavy and both men were quite capable of moving cumbersome furniture. They finally had the table exactly where Ishimaru's wife said she wanted it, and as the carpenter was about to leave the cabinet member decided that this couldn't be how they parted ways.
"Say, Mondo… do you want to sit for a minute before you go?"
"Are you sure?"
Mondo seemed apprehensive, but the cabinet member pressed on. He hadn't seen this man that he cared so much about in years, and it seemed kind of silly to let him leave without catching up. "Yes. We're adults, Mondo. I didn't handle myself well when I saw you last, and I don't know… I'd like to hear how you've been."
The carpenter let out a quiet laugh, shrugging. "Yeah, I guess I've got a few minutes."
Ishimaru got a beer for his old friend to drink, not wanting anything for himself. The two spent time talking about how their lives had been since they had last seen each other, about the stress of being in politics, about flames that the carpenter has had. Ishimaru felt a tiny bit of jealousy well up as Mondo spoke of the two women and one man he had been with, but he was able to let it go.
They shared a few laughs over fond memories of high school, reminiscing about the days they spent in the library with Ishimaru trying to get Mondo to study and having to find someone to help Ishimaru spot Mondo when they would lift weights together. The cabinet member didn't want it to stop, but he knew the longer their conversation went on, the more difficult it would be to see it come to an end.
An overwhelming sense of sadness came over Ishimaru as he walked his old friend to door, searching for something, any excuse to get him to stay longer, but nothing could be done as they reached the foreboding exit. Just as the carpenter was about to leave, he stuck out his hand to beckon the cabinet member for a handshake.
"It was really great seeing you again." The corners of the carpenter's mouth were turned upward in a warm smile.
"Yes! It was good to see you too!" The cabinet member reached out to return the gesture, their palms locking and bare skin touched on bare skin for the first time in six years. A spark instantly ignited as their hands met, and as innocent as the touch was, a wave of heat rose over the two men and less innocent memories consumed them, the spark instantly turning to fire out of control.
They stood in front of the doorway, silently staring at each other and trying to shake the overwhelming sense of desire that had come over them. It soon became clear how useless their attempts were, as Ishimaru took a step forward, Mondo taking one in turn, and as the cabinet member titled his head up the carpenter met him to share a kiss, the two men acting as though they were simply picking up where they left off, as if they had never said goodbye, as if no time had passed between their last kiss and this one.
As their lips touched, their muscles moved with such precise memory as to where they should go, the carpenter's hand on the cabinet member's hip, the cabinet member's fingers lacing through the carpenters hair. Ishimaru thought of how Mondo felt the same, tasted the same, sounded the same, and he thought of how much he missed it. Their embrace started out tame enough, though years of separation quickly caught up to them.
Mondo broke free from Ishimaru's kiss for only a moment to take the next step. "Where's your room?" The cabinet member wasted no time in showing him. Clothing trailed behind as they made their way to the bedroom, the two nearly tripping more than once as they rushed to the neatly made bed, letting themselves fall into each other as they dropped onto it.
"Oh, Kiyo…" The larger male embraced Ishimaru from above, nearly smothering him with a passionate kiss. He let out heavy moans as he peppered the cabinet member's neck with kisses and bites, lapping at the plaint flesh and driving his former boyfriend into a frenzy.
"Mmm, Mondo! Don't stop!" The cabinet member called out Mondo's name with lustful desperation, his heart racing as he felt the carpenter nibbling at his pulse. Ishimaru's arms wrapped around Mondo's back, pulling him close, but no matter how tightly he held his lover it would never be close enough.
The carpenter's hand made its way up the cabinet member's undershirt, running his fingers over Ishimaru's toned chest before stopping at a peaked nipple, tracing the outline with small circles. He rubbed it faster the more Ishimaru panted in delight, now breathing heavily onto the cabinet member's neck.
Once the cabinet member could no longer take it, he shrugged Mondo's hand off of him but wasted no time in moving on to the next stage that they had been through so many times before, his hand darting down to larger male's crotch, palming his cock through the fabric of his underwear.
Mondo let out a deep moan, swearing under his breath and rocking his hips into Ishimaru's hand as he was fondled. The two shared another wet kiss, tongues intertwining and exploring every inch of the other's mouth.
Ishimaru's blood nearly boiled over as the other man devoured him, and all he could think of was this moment right now, his hand cupping Mondo's length, Mondo's teeth scraping his lips, their clothing bunched up and barely separating them. He briefly let go of Mondo's throbbing erection to remove the carpenter's last remaining clothes. Mondo followed suit and removed the cabinet member's in turn, returning to the same position they had been in once they were completely naked.
"Lube," the carpenter demanded into the cabinet member's mouth, growling as they refused to separate.
The cabinet member reached his free hand down to the bottom drawer of his bedside table, groping around aimlessly in attempt to find the small bottle he had for himself. He didn't use it very often, but was so thankful that he had it now, and once he found it he placed it on the carpenter's hand.
Mondo grabbed at the bottle, releasing Ishimaru from his kiss and sitting up to cover his length in the slick liquid as the cabinet member felt his thighs and hips. They were as toned and strong as they had been, and Ishimaru found them simply irresistible.
After completely coating himself, the carpenter laid back down on top of the cabinet member, positioning his cock at Ishimaru's long untouched entrance. The cabinet member was slightly nervous since it had been so long, but his need to feel the larger male inside of him outweighed any uneasy feelings. He took Mondo's length in his hand and slowly began pushing himself onto it.
A slight pain ran through the cabinet member as the tip of Mondo's cock made its way inside of him, letting out a short gasp. The two men paused to let Ishimaru take a deep breath before pushing in any further.
"Should I have stretched you out first?" Mondo had always been so patient and gentle, it was no surprise he was being so now.
The cabinet member, however, did not want to waste another minute in getting the larger man all the way inside of him. "No, I'm fine… just follow my lead."
Ishimaru slowly pushed himself onto Mondo's head, and the carpenter agreed to move in pace with the cabinet member, tenderly kissing his flushed red face. After deep breaths, shallow moans, and tiny whimpers, Mondo was completely inside the smaller man, and they began rocking their hips into each other.
They started slow, allowing time for Ishimaru to adjust the feel of Mondo's cock. The two men stared at each other, their eyes filled with longing for each other, euphoria rushing throughout their bodies as they rocked their hips harder into each other.
Loud, heavy moans could be heard with each breath the two men took as their hips bucked forward and back, and Mondo buried his face in the crook of Ishimaru's neck. The cabinet member was finally completely at ease, and he increased the speed of his thrusting.
Mondo thrust more quickly in turn, and in a matter of seconds the two men were fucking each other as hard as they could. They cried out as pure bliss overtook them, curling their fingers into now unkempt bed sheets and rocking the bed so hard it could be heard slamming into the wall.
As they ground into each other, Ishimaru shifted his hips to try and get Mondo to find his sweet spot, the carpenter easily picking up in the cabinet member's efforts and reciprocating the action. It took a minute or two, but Ishimaru let out a sharp yell of ecstasy once Mondo finally hit it, crying out. "There, there! Fuck me there!"
Mondo did as Ishimaru pleaded, pounding into him vigorously. The two men were inseparable at this point, panting heavily and making noise loud enough to be heard through the entire house. It was divine, and Ishimaru's vision grew hazy as he felt himself on the brink of orgasm.
"Oh, Mondo… I'm gonna come!" The cabinet member cried out as he scraped his nails along the carpenter's back, his cock already covered in sweat and pre-cum.
"Do it for me, Kiyo! I wanna hear you scream!" Mondo found a way to exert even more effort in slamming into Ishimaru, quickly wriggling a hand between them to stroke the cabinet member's length as he came.
"Oh, God!" Strings of semen poured out from Ishimaru's cock as he released, covering Mondo's hand and both of their stomachs. It was only a matter of time before Mondo came as well, swearing loudly as he rode the waves of warmth out to completion, staying inside the cabinet member once completely finished.
"Kiyo… I love you so damn much." The two men were both completely spent, and laid perfectly still in effort to catch their breath.
"I love you too." Ishimaru raised a shaky hand to Mondo's head, weaving his fingers through the soft, long hair.
They laid still for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company before the realization of what they had done caught up to Ishimaru, and he pushed Mondo off of him in a panic.
"Whoa, what's wrong?" Mondo was frustratingly confused. How could he not know what was wrong?
"I can't be with you, that's what's wrong!" Ishimaru grabbed his underwear and threw it on; picking up Mondo's clothing from the floor and throwing them at him.
Mondo grunted, scrunching his face and marching over to the cabinet member, grabbing him by the wrist. "I know that was what we said way back, but can you really look me in the eye and say that now?"
"Let go!" Ishimaru struggled a bit before finally meeting the carpenter's gaze, tears welling up in his eyes.
Mondo wrapped his arms around the distraught cabinet member, holding him close and stroking his hair. "Things have changed, Kiyo. They're changing all the time. I don't want to hurt you, but I can't go back to never seeing you again."
Ishimaru hugged Mondo back, holding onto him as his life depended on it. "I just don't want to lose what I've worked so hard for… But I don't want to lose you again, either."
"We don't have to tell anyone just yet. Just promise me we can try and I'll promise to let you go if it gets to be too much."
It would be difficult, but Mondo was right, things were changing and their relationship would be better accepted now than it would have been six years ago. They were also more mature and able to handle ant criticism they would face. Plus, with Mondo at his side, Ishimaru felt he could face anything.
"Okay, let's try it."
Mondo laughed, still holding on tightly to the cabinet member. "I never forgot you, y'know."
Ishimaru smiled. "I never forgot either."