Chapter 12: The Midnight Adventure

Takahiro was getting cold wandering around, but for once he had absolutely no desire to go home yet, and the chilly walk had sobered him up a little. He saw the flickering neon sign for a small bar to the right, so he ducked inside. His eyes didn't take long to adjust, and he unsteadily made his way to the nearly empty bar and sat down. He unbuttoned his coat and settled it over the back of his chair, then leaned his elbows on the counter and propped his chin on the heel of his hand, sighing heavily.

"Oi, wench," he heard a gruff voice belonging the bar's only other patron saying, "this glass is looking dangerously empty."

Takahiro's head snapped around. For a second, he had thought it was Hiroki's voice, but a quick glance was enough to ascertain that this guy looked nothing like Hiroki—he was much taller, with broad shoulders, shaggy black hair, and stormy gray eyes that were peering forlornly into the bottom of his empty sake glass.

"I'm coming, baby," the bartender answered. "But don't you think you've had enough? Look, you're tie's all crooked." She reached across the counter to straighten the amazingly ugly striped tie that was indeed a little askew.

"Spare me the alcoholics anonymous meeting," the man grumbled, knocking her hand away. "That was only my second drink, and I need to occupy myself somehow until you get off work."

"Oh, are you two together?" Takahiro interrupted cheerfully. He needed a good conversation to get his mind off everything.

The man and the bartender turned to stare at him, expressions dumbfounded. The bartender was first to recover, and she laughed.

"Believe me, I've tried," she said dejectedly, hanging her head, "but it's impossible." She leaned closer and cupped a hand. "He's gay!" she stage whispered.

"I'm NOT GAY, WOMAN!" the man protested hotly, glaring at her.

"Right, right," she retorted. "Just hopelessly in love with a MAN!"

The man blushed crimson. "Just because I'm in love with a man doesn't make me gay. It makes me...it makes me in love with a man. I've had girlfriends, you know. Girls love me, for your information. I'm just not in the mood right now."

The arguing non-couple had forgotten about the other man at the bar, but turned to stare at him again when they heard him gasp.

"Do you really believe that?" Takahiro asked, kicking his chair out from behind him and moving to sit in the seat directly next to the man with the unsightly tie. His eyes grew big and pleading and he stared at the man eagerly. The prolific amount of alcohol he had consumed, compounded with his naturally friendly personality, had created a monster.

The man in the suit and the bartender took one look at the desperate, hopeful expression on the bar guest's face and both sighed simultaneously. They caught each other's eye, and the woman wordlessly reached into the freezer and pulled out a Sapporo, uncapping it and setting it down on a coaster in front of Takahiro.

"This round's on me, baby," she said.

"Thanks! I'm Takahashi Takahiro, by the way," Takahiro introduced.

"I'm Aikawa Eri, and this is Yokozawa Takafumi," she answered, indicating the man Takahiro was seated next to. She winked at him. "Hey, Takahashi-san, you're pretty cute."

The man named Yokozawa barked a laugh. "Don't let her fool you!" he said. "She's a devil in women's clothing. She's just pumping you up for a tip!"

"When have I ever done that?" Aikawa protested, pretending to sound offended.

"Like, every night."

"I need the money," she said unapologetically. "I won't be here for much longer anyways! I just sent my resume to Marukawa. The job market is improving every day, you know."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure a controlling, heartless bitch is just what they're looking for," Yokozawa said sarcastically.

"Oh, hush," Aikawa scolded. "You never know. And when I get the job, you know I'll pull the strings to get your sorry ass an unpaid internship or something. Maybe they're in need of a pissy, tsundere cat lady!"

Yokozawa snorted at that. "Some repayment for all the money I give you."

Takahiro chose not to comment on their banter, which he found both highly amusing and a little horrifying at the same time.

"So, what's the deal with this man you're in love with?" he asked Yokozawa, turning back to their previous conversation.

Yokozawa looked unwilling to answer (to put it mildly), but Aikawa hit him on the shoulder.

"If you don't help him, I'm cutting you off for real," she hissed under her breath.

"Fine," he growled in acquiescence, "to make a long story short, I'm in love with someone who doesn't love me back. Cue sad violin music." In truth, he was a few glasses of sake in, otherwise he wouldn't have even confessed this much to a total stranger. Yokozawa vowed to not make a habit of it.

"How awful!" Takahiro exclaimed, sloshing his beer a bit as he lowered it from his mouth. "Does he know how you feel?"

"I should hope he got the message when I was fucking him."

"Oh!" Takahiro said. "If you had sex, it sounds like he likes you, then?"

"...No, I think not," Yokozawa said, and even though Takahiro was drunk, and not particularly perceptive, the tone of the other man's voice was enough for him to realize that was the final word on this issue.

"Ok sweetie, your turn," Aikawa said.

"Eh? Me?" Takahiro asked in surprise, pointing to himself. "Is it that obvious?"

Aikawa and Yokozawa both face-palmed this time.

"Well, there's this guy," Takahiro launched into his story, "I've known him for years...friend of a friend... and for some reason, I've always been attracted to him." He took another gulp of beer. "But he's in love with someone else, I think," he explained.

"A girl?" Aikawa asked.

"No, another man."

"You might have a chance then," Aikawa offered, "does he know you like him?"

"I tried to tell him tonight, but he didn't believe me," Takahiro said sadly.

"You should have kissed him!" she squealed.

"Fangirl pervert," Yokozawa muttered.

"Oh, no," Takahiro's eyes had grown wide. "I've never kissed a man before."

"Have you ever kissed anyone?" Yokozawa asked pointedly.

"Sure I have," Takahiro answered. "Lots of girls. That's why I think I don't mind both, see? That's ok, right?"

"It's ok to be however you want," Aikawa said kindly. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't drunkenly hook up with my college roommate one night, and to tell the whole truth, I actually enjoyed it. But it was a one-time thing for me. I just love cock too much."

Takahiro and Yokozawa had both just taken of a sip of their drinks, and simultaneously started choking.

Aikawa looked off in the distance, lost in fond memories. She shook herself out of it and glanced at the clock behind her.

"Ok boys, I've got to close up shop," she said. Takahiro immediately rose from his chair and nearly keeled over on his unsteady legs, but Yokozawa grabbed him by the elbow.

"I'll walk you to the taxi stand," he said gruffly, shrugging on his coat.

"Oh, that's not necessary," Takahiro protested, not wanting to be an inconvenience.

"It's ok," Yokozawa answered wryly. "I'm used to babysitting drunk idiots." He opened his wallet and left enough cash on the counter to cover both of their drinks, and then some. "Eri, I'll be right back."

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The two stepped out into the cold night air, hugging their jackets around them and glad that the blooming warmth of alcohol in their stomachs helped stave off the chill. They walked in silence down the block, in the direction of the late night taxi stand. Takahiro was a little glad for the company, to be honest, as he was weaving a bit. Yokozawa didn't insult his dignity by manhandling him, but instead waited patiently for Takahiro to steady himself and catch up.

They were just around the corner from the stand when Yokozawa suddenly grabbed his elbow again, though this time he hadn't tripped.

"Wait," Yokozawa said, then unexpectedly reached out and grasped Takahiro's chin, his fingers curled up under it. Takahiro stopped in place obediently. Yokozawa slid the pad of his thumb, tracing the outline of the man's jaw, stopping to rest it gently on the point just below where his jawbone ended, wrapping his long fingers around the back of Takahiro's neck.

"Close your eyes," Yokozawa said, "and just for a moment, pretend I'm the one you love."

Takahiro closed his eyes and felt the other man lean in and ghost his lips against his own, only a light touch, waiting. Takahiro swallowed hard and pressed forward until they were properly kissing. He felt a gentle tongue petition his mouth and opened slightly to let it inside, relishing the feeling when it finally met his own.

After a few moments, Yokozawa pulled back. "Now you can decide for yourself what you prefer," he said, then turned and rounded the corner to hail a taxi.

xxxxxxx

Apparently it's canon that Yokozawa and Aikawa are drinking buddies (I think Aikawa posted this on the Marukawa twitter?) I really loved this idea, so I decided to run with it. I bartended my way through college and some of my bar guests ended up being my best friends.

A lot of people compare Yokozawa and Hiroki, as they both portray the tsundere archetypes, but take a closer look at their reactions to drunk Takahiro in these chapters, and I think it should tell you something about the real difference between them.