Tamakin and Udou
"So, whaddya do for a living?"
The black-haired man shrugged and toyed with a strand of the brown hair of the woman who was seated next to him on the plum-colored couch. "I work at a bar."
"What's it called?" The woman gently took the man's hand in hers, stopping its caressing of her hair.
Udou, watching from the doorway of his room, clenched his fist in victory. Yes! Kenta isn't playing with her hair anymore. Then, he noticed that brown-haired Tamakin was still clutching Kenta's hand. Damn. She didn't let it go.
Kenta paused. "The Outskirts," he mumbled.
Tamakin laughed."That's a funny name!"
Udou winced at her happy tone, but Kenta relaxed slightly. He patted Tamakin's hand lightly, and she leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. Kenta blushed.
Udou had had enough. Shutting his bedroom door silently, he lay back on his bed and glared at the ceiling.
"Stupid bastard. Coming here and stealing both my whores. What does he think he's doing?"
He heard the front door open, and then the voice of his other housemate. "Oh, hey, Tamachan. Hi, Kenta! Where's Udou?"
"I think he's in his room," Tamakin said, glancing over and noting that the door was closed. "He was watching us a while ago, but I guess he stopped."
Udou grimaced. Damn it, she noticed.
Aichii's footsteps neared Udou's door, and he hurriedly picked up a random book from the floor and pretended to be immersed in it. He didn't look up when the door opened.
"Udou-san, your book's upside down."
Udou paused, glanced at the book, and then glared peevishly up at Aichii. "I'm practicing reading upside down, if you must know. Now go away. Can't I have any peace?"
"And that's Tamakin's art book." Aichii swiftly snatched it out of Udou's relenting hands and hid it behind her back. "Why's it in your room?"
"I wanted to read it! What's wrong with that?"
"Liar." Tamakin's voice floated through the doorway. "I threw it onto your floor when we were arguing last night."
"You were arguing?" Aichii sounded surprised.
"While you were at Kenta's," Udou said, nodding briskly.
"Maybe I should stay here tonight," Aichii said worriedly.
"No! No, it's fine," Udou assured her quickly. "You go ahead. We'll be okay."
Tamakin gave Udou a shrewd look, but said nothing.
Kenta stood up from the sofa, looking uncomfortable. He ran a hand through his black hair, sighing as he realized what a mess it was. Oh, well.
He walked to Aichii's side and awkwardly tapped her shoulder.
Aichii didn't remove her eyes from Udou. Continuing to fix the blond man with the scrutinizing gaze he knew and would never love, she addressed the raven-haired man behind her. "Ready to go?"
"Yes," Kenta said softly.
"Cool," Aichii smiled, looking away from Udou at last to kiss Kenta's forehead—a feat that was easy for her, being a full two inches taller than her boyfriend. Kenta scowled, but blushed a bit when he was kissed.
"Bye, Tamachan," she said, ruffling the woman's brown hair affectionately. Tamakin smiled. "Bye, Aichii. Are you spending the night?"
"We'll see," Aichii said evasively. "Don't wait up for me, though."
"Okay."
Kenta didn't look pleased, but he let Aichii take his hand.
Aichii turned to bid goodbye to her other housemate. "Bye, Udou. Don't murder Tamachan," the redhead said sternly.
Udou stuck out his tongue at her, but she and Kenta had already waltzed out the door.
It shut behind them.
A few seconds elapsed.
Udou rose from the bed, crossed the common room and took a seat beside Tamakin, filling up the spot that Kenta had vacated. He paused, and then rested his arm on the back of the sofa behind Tamakin. The woman's eyebrows rose up into her hair, but she said nothing.
A pause, then—
"Tama…"
Tamakin looked over at him. "What?"
Udou's cheeks were pink, something Tamakin had only seen a few times.
"Do you like Kenta better than me?"
Tamakin burst out laughing. "I don't like either of you! Kenta's my friend, and so are you. It's just that he needs more comfort than you do most of the time, whenever Aichii-chan's not around to kiss him and stuff. So that's what I'm there for. I'd do the same for you, should the need arise."
She paused, and then added, "Perhaps I'd rather I be there for you."
Udou stared. "What?"
"I'm saying that if…if something happened to you, I'd be there for you…more than if something happened to Kenta. He has Aichii, and you…you have me."
Udou cleared his throat, blushing. "D-does that mean you like me?"
Tamakin blushed and nodded.
Udou jumped up and celebrated this triumph with a few exclamations of victory. Tamakin watched him, smirking embarrassedly.
"Kiss me, then," Udou demanded, sitting back down.
"No," said Tamakin immediately.
"Aww, why not?" Udou whined.
"Because I'm not ready for this. I want to just be friends."
"Well, I don't. I'm ready for—"
"There's two of us, you know. Not just you. I want a say in this relationship."
"Hehe, you called it a relationship!"
Tamakin elbowed him angrily, and Udou sighed.
"Please kiss me? Just once?"
Tamakin scowled. "No way."
"Pleeeeeease?"
"I said no!"
Udou sulked for a moment, and then his sluggish brain formed a plan. "Hey, Tamakin?"
"What?" She turned to face him.
Udou sprang forward.
Their lips crashed together.
Udou slipped his hand behind her head and strengthened the kiss.
Tamakin fought against him for a moment, realized her attempts were in vain, and kissed him back.
They kissed for about fifteen seconds, and then Udou was forced to let her go. He had not quite learned how to breathe through his nose while kissing yet.
Tamakin, who was smart enough to figure it out during her first kiss, smirked as the blond man gulped in air.
"Feel better?" she asked condescendingly as he fell back against the sofa, grinning.
"Yes," he sighed. "I'm on top of the world."
"And why am I different from all ten thousand of your other whores?"
"Because I like you. All the other whores, they like me. I don't like them."
"But you let them fuck you…"
"For their happiness. And I like being fucked." He reddened. "But normally I sort of just imagine it's you fucking me…"
Tamakin blushed and slapped him.
"Ouch!" Udou yelped, clutching his face. "What the hell was that for?"
"For embarrassing me," Tamakin mumbled.
Udou sighed.
"Wanna help me grade papers?" he asked suddenly.
"What?"
"'Cause…I need your help. To get me through all that…and I want to do it together. So…will you?"
It sounds like he's proposing to me! Tamakin thought breathlessly.
"I…I will."
Udou grinned.
Tamakin rolled her eyes, but found that she was blushing again.
Udou stood up and walked into his room. He returned with two piles of paper, two red pens, and his grades book. "Kajimura's been like hell," he grumbled. "Says I don't have enough to do at home. I think he's onto us."
"Us?" Tamakin asked with an amused expression. Udou shrugged and thrust a sheaf of papers at her.
Tamakin pursed her lips angrily. "That's not the way to do it! Tell me to get one; don't stick it in my face."
"Fine," Udou snapped. "Take this one." He brandished the pile in her face once more.
Tamakin grabbed the papers, threw them onto the floor, and slapped Udou again. "WOULD YOU PLEASE LEARN TO RESPECT ME? IT'S NOT THAT HARD, I ASSURE YOU!"
"Jesus, Tamakin!" Udou was bright red. "I'm sorry, okay?"
Tamakin just scowled.
Udou turned around, picked up a pillow from the sofa, and threw it at Tamakin.
It missed, and she picked it up and tossed it back.
It hit its mark. Glaring, Udou threw it back at her, harder than before.
Tamakin caught it and sat on it.
"NOT FAIR!" Udou yelped.
"TOUGH," Tamakin responded.
Udou smiled.
Tamakin reluctantly followed suit.
The blond man sighed and picked up the papers that Tamakin had thrown to the floor. He then placed it next to the other pile. "Er…please take a pen and a pile of papers, and proceed."
"That's better," said Tamakin softly, and as she walked over to get the items, she gave Udou a kiss on the cheek.
Udou smiled.
The two set to work grading, and the room was silent for a few measures.
"Let's put on music," said Tamakin suddenly, standing up and pacing restlessly over to the stereo.
A sweet, harmonious melody gushed from the speaker as Tamakin turned on the music.
Udou frowned. "What the hell is this?"
"The soundtrack for The Lion King," Tamakin said, shrugging.
A minute passed.
"Can you feel the love tonight? The peace the evening brings. The world, for once, in perfect harmony with all its living things."
Tamakin and Udou blushed in unison.
"L-let's change it, shall we?" Tamakin stammered, jumping up and changing the CD.
Udou started rocking out.
"What is this?" Tamakin asked, embarrassed that for once, she didn't know what the music was.
"It's The Killers," Udou answered, smirking. "My favorite band."
"That explains why I don't know it," Tamakin muttered.
"Are you insulting my taste in music?"
"Maybe," Tamakin grinned.
Udou rolled his eyes. "Thanks."
"Anytime, Udou, anytime."