3 years ago
Umeda pushed his spectacles up irritably and pinched the bridge of his nose in weariness and cursed theslight(an understatement of the century. Just what did Kijima put in his drink last night?!) hang-over from last night's excesses. The headache had put him in a fine mood today. At his last count, he had scared (and possibly permanently scarred) at least five boys from any thoughts of slacking in his workplace by claiming to be suffering from one illness or another.
Pushing away from the table, he stood up and walked to the window, lighting a cigarette along the way. He stood there for a several moments, inhaling his cigarette and letting his thoughts run free. Unconsciously, his mind wandered to last night, and inevitably, to Kijima.
---
"Click." The shutter made a soft noise as it captured another perfect picture. Hiding behind the tree (and checking every once in awhile to make sure that he has not been discovered), Akiha quickly snapped more shots in quick succession. The sun's rays filtering through the leaves of the tree outside the clinic had created a soft halo around Umeda. The result was a mirage-like vision, ironically symbolic of the subject's presence in Akiha's life - an image that would disappear if Akiha came too close.
Akiha sighed to himself as he finished up yet another roll of film.
Listening to the whir of the camera rolling up the finished film, Akiha stopped for awhile to take in the picturesque scene before him; Umeda standing absolutely motionless by the window except for the hand which was absentmindedly bringing the cigarette to his mouth. His stance was pensive and his eyes seemed vaguely vacant.
Akiha was so captivated that he could almost smell the smoke of his senpai's cigarette and knowing Umeda as well as he did, he could also correctly identify its brand. Judging from the time on his watch, it had to be Umeda's 10th cigarette for the day.
Packing up his stuff, Akiha chuckled, "Time for me to lighten his day by paying him a visit."
---
"A penny, or should I say a cigarette, for your thoughts?" a voice whispered silkily at Umeda's left ear as he was engulfed in a strong hug from the back.
Umeda struggled futilely in an effort to disentangle himself from the arms of his unwelcome visitor. Failing to do so, he simply turned to face his kouhai and said with slow emphasis, "Let… Me… Go. I'm not in the mood for games today."
The arms tightened for a millisecond before loosening their grip. "But Senpai~! I missed you so much~!" Akiha pouted deliberately.
Akiha knew that sometimes his girlish antics were the fastest way to pull Umeda's out of his self-inflicted grouchiness simply because having a target for Umeda to vent his frustration upon managed to make Umeda forget HIM… even if only for awhile. Akiha noticed the pinched look in Umeda's eyes and correctly deduced the cause for Umeda's grouchiness was another night of bar-crawling with Kijima.
"Out partying last night again? And you didn't even have the courtesy to invite me."
"The bar didn't serve chocolate shakes from what I recall. And I didn't think that you would go to a bar just to sip sugar syrup. If they even serve it," Umeda replied sarcastically. Unwittingly revealing, that he was unconsciously aware of Akiha's habits; the fact that Akiha does not drink, and the slight preference (more like an obsession) Akiha has for all things sweet.
"How do you know that I can't hold my own at a bar? Why don't you bring me along the next time round?" Akiha taunts, "I might just drink you under the table." A 'couple' date, albeit a little forced, was a progress.
Umeda just looked at him with annoyance. "If I agree to bring you along the next time will you finally leave me alone?" Sometimes the path of least resistance was so much easier to take. And he didn't really want to continue this conversation with a sledgehammer banging on his skull. After all, misery loves company and tonight, solitude did not look to be welcoming at all.
"Humph, if you put it that way… I'm not really forcing my hand down your throat or anywhere you know…" Akiha retorts half-cheekily.
Seeing Umeda's weariness and realizing that it was best not to look too closely at the gift-horse in the mouth, Akiha makes an audible sigh and says self-mockingly, "Sometimes a guy just has to know when to take what he can get."
All in all, Akiha was grateful that his ploy worked and the unexpected invitation was a testament to the good fortune he has had today, ON TOP OF the rolls of film in his bag. "I'll accept your sincere invitation, seeing that my date book is empty for today. How about a good-bye kiss before I leave senpai?"
Before Umeda could even react, Akiha swooped down a planted a firm kiss on Umeda's lips. "Ja ne~!" Akiha gave a backward wave to Umeda and skipped jauntily out of the door, a wide smile plastered on his face.
Unwilling to dwell on the contract he made with the devil and the consequences which he would eventually pay for dearly, Umeda simply dropped his head on his hands on the table. For now, all he wanted was to take an aspirin and sleep his day away.
----
Umeda swirled his drink absently in his hand, noting the time ticking away on the clock with every round that the second hand made. Soon it would be 10 o'clcok. Blocking out nightmarish thoughts of the 'date' with Akiha, Umeda downed the drink in his hands in a single swallow.He groaned inwardly and cursed himself for the thousandth time that night for having a weak moment this morning and giving in to Akiha's demands. Perhaps being drunk before Akiha arrives will make the evening more endurable, Umeda thought to himself as he signaled to the bartender for a refill.
In the background, the house band jazz music was singing a rendition of Diana Krall's version of "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps". Refusing to entertain any other thoughts of other possible outcomes of this date, Umeda resolutely embarked on the course of making himself drunk, if that was remotely possible in the remaining five minutes he has left before Akiha arrives.
Better to get it over and done with than prolonging the misery. After all, it wasn't like this would happen every day. Umeda consoled himself. The idea of getting himself dead drunk before the 'date'was looking to be more and more attractive as the countdown to 10 was left with a mere 5 minutes. Umeda couldn't understand his kouhei's persistence in trying to convince him that there was a chance of furthering this relationship (to put it loosely) to more than being just friends. Despite his 'subtle as a sledgehammer' hints of the impossibility of anything more between them, Akiha had still not given up and his actions became even more overt if that was even possible. It has now become a daily ritual for him to show up at odd hours in Umeda's office, sometimes even more than once if Akiha was particularly bored and "missed his senpai too much".
The door jingled as Akiha stepped into Rink. He was familiar with the place as it is Kijima's favourite bar and hence Umeda's as well. This was one of the many examples of the convoluted three way(?) relationship between Kijima, Umeda and himself. And it was fast becoming stale. He was always the one looking at Umeda pining for Kijima. And as for Kijima, who knew who that bastard was staring at. It just wasn't fair but Akiha had come to realize that it had become the name of the game and the rules had invisibly, but irrevocably, been set. Well, it's time someone put an end to this dog-cat-and mouse game.
Umeda sensed rather then heard Akiha approach. Well, it was hard not to notice the latter when Akiha's arm found its way around his waist and under his shirt and caressed him gently.
"Have you been waiting long?" Akiha blew gently in Umeda's left ear as he spoke.
"Actually, you not turning up would still be considered early." Umeda gritted his response as he tried to dislodge his kouhei's arm as unobtrusively as possible within the narrow confines of the bar seat which he was on.
"Are you drunk already?"
With narrowed eyes indicating his displeasure at the extra appendage appearing on his body, Umeda said, "You shouldn't be the one to complain since you look better when I'm drunk." Akiha grinned to himself. It was always fun to know that he could push Umeda's buttons.
"Did you ever think that would happen? I will never stand my beloved senpai up." Unlike the asshole Kijima. The unspoken words hung heavily in the air between them.
Umeda took a long drag of his cigarette. "Have you finished molesting me enough in public to order your drink?" Umeda said as he made eye contact with the bartender, Toshi to signal him over.
"Another of the same for me and…." Umeda turned and arched an eyebrow in Akiha's direction.
Refusing to back down from the challenge, Akiha placed his order, "and a Baileys on the rocks with sugar syrup on the side," He ignored the Toshi's questioningly amused expression and turned to face his senpai.
"You should have just ordered sugar syrup on the rocks instead since I doubt you will even touch the Baileys."
"Well, someone's got to stay clearheaded to send you home." Akiha hurriedly explained. "I'm not going to leave my car here, you know." He rushed on to say as Umeda's smile continued to grow wider.
"And this was someone who bragged about drinking me under the table. It's your choice. Just that you should know, I consider this date paid in full once your drink is finished." Umeda had the cat-swallowed-the-canary look at the sudden, brilliant solution he had come up with to end his torture early. Looking at the clock again, he mourned the fact that it had been 45 minutes too late.
Without waiting for Akiha to respond, he picked up the drink which had just been placed before him. He held it up in a mock salute, "Cheers to our fantastic date," drowned his bourbon shot on the rocks in one swallow, and signaled for another.
As Akiha's disbelief at his senpai's duplicity wore off, he replied, "Well, it isn't over till I finish this drink right?" Two can play this game. It ain't over till the fat lady sings; or in this case till I finish my drink.
Akiha coolly signaled for the bartender. "I'll have one of what he is having. And keep it coming." After placing his order, he threw his senpai a challenging glance, "As long as my Baileys is untouched, I guess our date is still on?" Akiha picked up his new drink and imitated Umeda's actions, including the salutation.
"Well, in that case, let's try to make the night interesting. I believe we both have our drinking reputations to live up to."
-----
Waking up with another of his infamous headaches, Umeda reached absently for his glasses which he habitually placed by his bedside no matter how drunk he became. Unable to find it at its usual place, he groggily rubbed his eyes open. Disorientation had put him in a fouler mood than usual, given his existing hang-over (which was fast becoming a regular morning greeting), his irritation at the sunlight streaming in unforgivingly (he must have forgotten to pull the shades closed before leaving for the pub) and the lack of coffee in his system.
"Damn you, Akiha." It came out as a whimper rather than the curse that it was supposed to be.
Umeda suddenly felt an arm drape itself across his inner thigh; the warmth of the arm seeping slowly into the coolness of his BARE skin.
This can't be happening to me.
It was though as Akiha had unconsciously heard his name though the haze of alcohol clouding his brain and he moved his body in response to voice.
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