The middle(ish) of the previous night...
A bleary-eyed Sho returned to the land of the living due to a sudden almost tingling sensation that ran through his body like an internal alarm bell.
Something was wrong. But I'm at Kuon's place, what could be wrong? Other than that I seriously needed to take a piss.
That's when he remembered how they'd all had drink, after drink, after drink –including Kyoko.
Need for relief forgotten, the youth briskly hopped out of bed, urged on by that niggling sixth sense and made his way to Kuon's room. The door opened with the barest whisper. It was empty.
No, don't tell me…Pain bloomed in his chest like he'd received a physical blow and he hunched over, one hand clutching at the shirt, at the skin over his wounded heart. It vanished a moment later, leaving more anxiety in its wake. Apprehension spurring him on, Sho straightened and began his descent down the stairs.
Around the same time Kyoko awoke...
Kuon groaned as he rolled into a sitting position on the edge of his bed and rested his throbbing head in his hands. Why the hell did I drink so much last night? But he knew–without that liquid courage, coward that he was, he would likely never have made that first move.
Wait, did I even make the first move? All he could remember was how they were staring at each other before he pounced, though she'd moved with equal, if not greater, fervor, thrusting her lovely pink tongue into his mouth. He'd been flabbergasted, still was actually, just thinking about her newly discovered talent. The thought brought forth the dream he'd had last night in which Kyoko was expertly using her tantalizing tongue on another part of his anatomy. Now both heads were throbbing. So much for my focus.
They'd both still had enough sense to refrain from that point of no return, though with how glorious she felt on the outside, and her taste, Kuon already felt like an addict jonesing for his next fix. Which, was part of the reason he was hesitant to see Kyoko this morning. He needed to be able to talk to her where they could be alone, without Sho lurking about because they couldn't afford to be careless. Last night they were nearly caught. Neither of them were ready to throw Sho into the mix.
Thank the gods he tromped down the stairs like a crazed elephant. With that warning, Kuon had sprung from their shared bed and made it to the bathroom down the hall just as Sho rounded the corner from the stairs. All Sho witnessed was Kuon rummaging through the bathroom cupboards, grumbling about an upset stomach. His disheveled comrade had merely narrowed his eyes, thrown a comment of, "Dude, next time don't drink so much," and gone back upstairs. Kuon followed suit after pretending to down some meds, and regrettably climbed into his own lonely bed.
Now...
The heavy glass door opened, revealing a tall sinewy figure clad in a slim-fitting midnight blue R Mandy suit. Kuon Hizuri in the flesh, tailored to perfection. He looked positively mouthwatering.
The moment Kanae saw Kuon Hizuri enter the coffeehouse, she began an audio recording. Hehehe, she crowed internally.
Kuon stopped dead, recognizing Kyoko's back profile. Shit! This was not how or when he wanted to see her next, but here she was, regardless, clad adorably casual in those tight jeans he loved and a black tee that read: Choose Your Weapon with various chef's utensils shown underneath. Curiously, none of them were a knife.
"Hello, Kyoko." He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, a faint blush staining his cheeks. Hello? How lame can I be? He mentally punched himself.
"Um, thank you!" Kyoko blurted. She clapped a hand over her mouth, her face turning crimson. Why does my brain stop working whenever he's around now? If only I were an ostrich...Kyoko sank down in her seat. "I mean, it's nice to see you again," she finished meekly.
"I would say the pleasure was all mine, but..." he let the silence speak the rest, eyes glimmering with carnal promise. "It's nice to see you as well."
Kanae snorted and rolled her eyes. I wish I had video for this too. "Hello, Kuon." Her smile and greeting were as bland as cardboard. "Would you care to join us?" she gestured toward the empty seat next to Kyoko.
He shifted his focus to encompass both of them. "I'm afraid I'm only here to retrieve my order," he pointed to the mobile pick-up area. "But," he leaned down to whisper in Kyoko's ear, "I would like to speak with you, alone, whenever you are free." The heat of his breath on her skin sent a current through her, manifesting as gooseflesh.
"Y-yes," she squeaked. "I get off-," she stopped, turning tomato red. "I'm done with work at eleven tonight."
Kuon chuckled softly. Too adorable. "Good, I'll be free around a similar time. I'll call you so we can meet without intrusion." With that, he walked over to the counter to grab his nitro cold brew. He assumed it would be sitting there, labeled with his name like always, but instead he was met by a slender, bosomy barista with an awful blonde dye job. Sigh.
"Hi!" an excessively cheerful voice welcomed. "I just thought you'd appreciate a little special attention as an elite Gold Star Member." The emphasis on the word member made it quite clear she was referring to something else entirely. Her finger stroked his hand slowly as she handed him his cup. He wordlessly accepted his drink, pointedly ignoring her advances.
It wasn't until he was halfway across the room, parallel to Kanae and Kyoko, that he noticed a smudged phone number on the side of the cup, facing exactly in the small party's direction. Kyoko was wearing that same shadowed look she had last night after he'd impulsively left her briefly. Damn. Once again, he found himself cursing his own face.
Being labeled "gorgeous"was a double-edged sword. Possessing the appearance and connections he did, girls had been prostrating themselves at his feet for years, which he knew made him appear like some kind of hedonistic playboy. Admittedly, he was no saint- he had indulged with a few–to a point, but there'd been nothing there with those girls, just emptiness. Kyoko was in a whole other realm, a distinctive dimension, filled with beauty; one that felt right. All this time he'd been waiting just for her and right now, Kyoko needed reassurance.
He altered course, stopping alongside the young woman he loved, gazing tenderly into her vibrant golden eyes. "I'll see you tonight," he said, gently tracing her jawline. He planted a soft kiss on her shocked lips before departing.
As soon as the door closed, Kyoko flung herself forward in an attempt to face plant against the table, but an arm shot to her forehead, blocking her.
"We're in public, remember," Kanae chided. "And don't worry, I recorded the whole encounter for posterity."
"You what!? That's mean!" Kyoko wailed.
Kanae met Kyoko squarely in the eyes. "No, it's hilarious- and a little hot- and someday you'll look back at it fondly; the both of you." A glance at her phone made her grimace as she stood and walked towards the exit. "You can save the thank you for later, I suppose. I've got to run." She tossed Kyoko a goodbye wave and was gone.