The morning sky was painted in bright yellow. It was a perfect day for everyone to enjoy its glorious light. Someone even went as far as to set up a picnic table near the banks of the Seine river while others just chose to bask in the daylight with their toddlers. Watching the scene makes you want to join them, but not so much for the sunlight hater like Ugetsu Murata. In his case, he was driving around the park, fully armored and dressed in a simple black trench coat over his comfy blue pullover and tight black jeans. He was wearing a plain black cap and a "Cucci" sunglass to protect him from the sun. Only the heels of his foot were exposed, thanks to the "Cucci" loafers he got from his sponsors.
Researchers say basking in the sunlight can increase your serotonin, he scoffed while taking a sip from his iced Americano. No wonder I'm always moody. But isn't it the people who irks me the most and not because of my "lacking in serotonin?" Who's the expert now? He mused with a wry smile while taking a detour to some nearby wine depot.
Shortly after his detour, Ugetsu passed by a few commercial roads, thinking that maybe Adam was also living in a lively street just like him. When he made a left turn, he came across a matte black-colored twelve-story building with overgrown wisterias on its walls. The architecture design of every building in this town was still in an old Parisian style, even the lane was perfectly symmetrical. Yet, Adam's apartment was the only building that stood out the most. The street he was living in was quiet and very Provence-like. This must be it. It looks cartoonish though, he thought and turned to the corner to park his car next to Adam's apartment.
Ugetsu arrived at his place faster than he thought. He took off his cap and his sunglass, and then he rang the bell. Feeling jittery, he cracks his knuckles while he waits. What's taking him so long? He rang again. This time, he heard a loud, cheerful voice from inside.
"Coming!" Adam called from his apartment. He opened the door and greeted him all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. He was clad in gray workout pants and white t-shirt, too small for his own size.
He's doing it on purpose, It's too obvious. Can he even breathe? Or feel? Ugetsu wondered curiously while eyeing him from top to bottom. His light brown eyes lingers on his crotch. There's no difference whether it was resting or semi-erected. I wonder what kind of monstrous weapon he's hiding over there, he unconsciously licked his plump lips.
Adam made a throat-clearing sound. "Like what you see?" He flexed his arms and chest while giving him a playful wink.
Ugetsu's face turned bright red. "No!" He pursed his lips. "In your dreams," he muttered shyly.
Adam grinned as he ushered him inside, taking his coat from him. "I was halfway done, so it won't take long." He led him to the living room where everything was green, from the Persian green walls down to the color olive tiled floors. "I was just about to call you," he called from the kitchen while making an iced cold royal milk tea.
Ugetsu took the couch and settled in. "Why?"
Adam came back with a glass of royal milk tea and a slice of key lime cheesecake. "I was worried you got lost in the middle since all the buildings here looks very much the same." He sat down across the table and offered him the cake.
Ugetsu gladly accepted the cake without second thoughts while looking like a kid who got his first toy. "This apartment looks obviously weird," he said after taking a bite from his cheesecake. "So I had no trouble finding your place, thanks to whoever painted it." He reveled into the sweet and sour taste of the cake. Fork after fork, he digs into the smooth texture of the cheesecake with a conspicuous smile on his face.
A look of affection crossed Adam's face. So he likes sweet, he thought fondly. "Me too, I sometimes wonder who in the world decided to disrupt the uniformity in this lane," he chuckled. "Even now, they still don't know who painted it."
"Really?" Ugetsu said, eyes wide and looking naïve.
That expression is so adorable! Adam quickly shoved his hands in his pockets and curled his fingers to stop himself from making a disgraceful crime right there and then. So he just sat still and nodded. "Nobody knows whether he's dead or alive. Someone even said maybe it was the owner, or that maybe it was out of revenge. Well, people are weird sometimes."
"Yeah," Ugetsu agreed. "You and your people are really strange." He jests, looking smug. "No wonder you live here," he said with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Hey, I'm not weird! I'm perfectly normal!" Adam pouted. His weak claims only made Ugetsu laugh that he, too, started to laugh with him.
"Sorry," Ugetsu wheezed, "I-I'll stop now." He heaved a few deep breaths to regain his composure. Once he's calm, he said, "do you need help? Like plating or something?"
"No, I'm good," Adam gave him a gentle smile. "Just wait here, I'll call you once I'm done." He stood up and went back in the kitchen to continue his business.
The "clacking" sound of plates and pans could be heard in the living room where Ugetsu was patiently waiting, scanning his eyes around the room while sipping casually on his royal milk tea.
Other than being a great cook, he's also tidy and neat, unlike myself. There's not even a speck of dust in the room, as if he vacuums the floor every day. Everything in here is painfully bright, looks like the sunny weather has come and visited him without me knowing. Nothing can be compared here to my place. If this was a meadow, then mine was a cave. Really… he surprised me every single time. I even thought of him as annoying and immature. Guess I was wrong.
Curiosity got the best of him, so he snooped around in the kitchen without Adam's knowledge. He watched from behind, peering over his colossal shoulder. "Is that a salad?"
"Whoa!" Adam flinched and spun his head after he felt a sudden breath on his neck. "Jesus Christ!" He freaked out. "You almost gave me a heart attack."
"It wasn't even that loud," Ugetsu said in his defense. "I whispered, you know," he made a half-suppressed laugh.
"And that's the scary part," Adam said, still frightened and shock, "I thought you were a ghost."
Ugetsu cackled in a loud, throaty voice while clutching onto his stomach. "Really? It doesn't suit you! You're too big to be a scaredy cat, and ghosts aren't even real!"
"How can you be sure?" Adam said, "you never even saw one." He pulled out his phone and showed him the photo. "See? That's Mary, I saw her almost every day in every corner of this house," he claimed, still frightened.
Ugetsu roared with laughter upon seeing the photo. "That's not a ghost, It's just the flash from your camera, you fool!" He giggled, "you even gave it a name."
Adam looked closely at the photo. So it's just a light? He placed his hand over his left chest, and said dramatically, "thank god!"
"So, Mary, who's she?" Ugetsu started to laugh again, uttering small giggles.
"I didn't name her," Adam pouted. "The tenants below me said it was a 'she' since they saw a veil-like hair, and Mary was the first name they'd come up with."
"Nobody died in here?" Ugetsu said, now in a calm voice.
Adam shook his head. "No, not that I know of."
"So why are you scared?" Ugetsu chuckled, "when it's not even a stigmatized property."
"I can't help it," Adam muttered, "I was born like this."
"Well, I'm a skeptic," Ugetsu claimed as he moved closer to the prep table. "So what are you making?"
"It's a salad," Adam said, and explained, "I'm planning to put a healthy option for my menu since most of my customers are elders and vegan."
"I see," Ugetsu said. "What's this?" He grabbed the small ramekin, smelling its contents.
Adam moved closer to him. "That's the sauce, try it."
The smell of citrus wafted through Ugetsu's nose. Feeling hungry again, he took a spoon and dipped it into the sauce, spooning just a little for a taste. "That's good. What sauce is this?" He took another of it, savoring the smoky orange flavor.
"It's orange vinaigrette," Adam said. "I put a little bit of smoked paprika in it," he added. "Did I put too much?"
"No," Ugetsu licked the spoon, "but it has a little bit of heat in it." He continued to devour the sauce, unaware of the salivating beast beside him. "It's so good!"
"That good?" Adam smirked.
"Oops, sorry," Ugetsu blushed once he realized he has been licking the back of the spoon, shamelessly. "I got lost in there," he explained shyly.
"No problem," Adam reassured him while thinking, Damn! That spoon is so lucky! He swallowed hard as he tried to compose himself by calculating the cost of his new recipe in his head like a mantra. Right after that, he's back to being lively again, showing his sunny grin as he dragged the bowl of salad in front of him. "It tastes even better with this. Try it."
"Alright," Ugetsu obliged eagerly. Using the fork, he mixed the salad and stabbed a few greens, adding the fresh orange pulps and the toasted sunflower nuts on top of it. He unconsciously elicited a moan once the unique, smoky flavors hit his tongue. " So good… can I finish it?"
"Of course," Adam chuckled, "help yourself." He smiled tightly while grabbing the edge of the table to support his feeble knees and to stop himself from constantly having impure thoughts. I want to kiss him so bad! I wish I was the spoon!
Ugetsu happily obliged and poured more dressing on the salad. "What's this?" He picked up the small reddish-ringed stuff with his fingers.
"It's a red radish," Adam said while standing in an awkward position as he tries to hide his growing arousal. "I sliced it thinly. Aside from that, I also added cherry tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts," he explained. "Have some more."
"Oh, I will!" Ugetsu filled his mouth with a handful of greens, tasting the subtle sweetness and heat from the salad, but he stopped abruptly when he tasted the strange bitter flavor of the black olives in his mouth.
"What is it?" Adam asked after seeing the look of disgust on his face.
"It's olives," Ugetsu replied, making a wry face.
"Don't like it?" Adam said worriedly.
Ugetsu made a small nod without moving his mouth.
That's a cute nod, Adam thought with hazy eyes.
Ugetsu was about to spit out the olives in his hands when Adam moved swiftly and caught his lips, taking the black olives out of his mouth using his tongue.
"Done," Adam said with a dreamy expression while chewing the olives he snatched out from his mouth.
"You…" Ugetsu breathed as he covers his mouth with the back of his hand whilemaking a lewd face.
This time, Adam lost his composure. The sight of his bashful, yet sexy face only excites him more. So he inched closer and kissed him again, snaking his hands around his slim waist.
"Mmn! A-Adam…!" Ugetsu trembles in his arms. "Hngh! Stop-mmph!" His legs gave out, so he clung to his neck. "Adam-stop, haa…" he panted, "c-can't."
Adam grunted and said "okay" but he never left his mouth. More! I want to kiss him more! He pulled him closer, sucking his bottom lip. His rough hands moved inside his pullover shirt.
"Stop!" Ugetsu snapped back to his senses and pushed him away. He glared at him, breathless. "You swore to me!"
"I'm so sorry," Adam said quickly, looking guilty and ashamed. Shit! I've done it again! What do I do now? He panicked. He apologized profusely and tried to move closer to explain what just happened, but Ugetsu stopped him from doing so.
"Don't, don't come any closer," Ugetsu stepped back, frightened by his closeness. "You couldn't even hold out for an hour," he gave him a withering look.
"I'm so sorry," Adam repeated. "My body just moved on its own," he explained. "I-I just," he faltered, "I couldn't hold back, not when I saw you licking the spoon so happily in front of me, and you're just… too sexy, blushing like that." He took another step, eyes filled with remorse. "I'm so sorry, please don't hate me."
"Don't-step back! I'm not gonna fall for that again." Ugetsu backed away, extending his arms forward to make enough space between them. He stepped back again until his back hits the wall. Agitated, he felt cornered all of a sudden, even more so when Adam's intimidating height towers over him. Now, he's like a mouse who's trapped in the hungry fox's lair.
Aside from being huge, Adam seemed to be good at winning people's heart, just like now, he was shooting Ugetsu with his usual puppy-eyed look that he almost got swayed again. "I'm so sorry…"
"Enough, please move." Ugetsu pushed him harder without meeting his eyes, for he knows what will happen if he did.
Dejected, Adam moved back. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely.
Ugetsu ignored his plea. He turned around and walked out of the kitchen, grabbing his coat and his bag as he began to make his way to the doorway. "I'll see myself out, thank you."
"Wait, please," Adam caught his hand and blocked his way from leaving the room. "Let me explain," he begged in a trembling voice.
"Move! Hadn't you explained enough?" Ugetsu snapped. "Let go of me! Seriously, Adam-"
"I love you," Adam said in an outburst, his face constricted of pain and worry. "I do… ever since I met you," he whispered, and added, "I know it doesn't make sense, but it's the truth, that's why I-"
"Love at first sight?" Ugetsu scoffed. "Don't take me for a fool!" He said intensely, thrashing his arm and hitting him on the chest. "I wasn't born yesterday! Do you think I'll believe that? Just let me through!" He threw a fit, but Adam still didn't budge from the entryway.
"Believe me, please," Adam begged profusely. He even dropped to his knees just to prove his declaration of love. "I've never been so obsessed with someone before, but things started to change when I met you. It's the truth, I fell in love with you at first sight-"
"You're just confused," Ugetsu shunned him with curt responses. He paused, "and you're not even gay in the first place, you just wanted to have a taste, an experiment, but after that you'll soon turn to women. It's not love, Adam, it's your curiosity. I wouldn't be surprised if you disappear off the face of the earth once you're satisfied. So stop playing games with me and let me through, please."
Saying nothing, Adam stood up with a dismal look on his face. He hung his head low, balling his fists to suppress the emotions building up inside him. "Your right, I'm not gay and this was all new to me, but who knows? Maybe I am gay after all since you're the one I fell for. And If that wasn't enough, then I'm willing to answer all your questions. Because I love you." He lifted his head, his green eyes stained with sorrowful tears. "Out of all the women in this town, you're the first one who made my heart flutter to the point where I thought I am sick. Nobody in this town can excite me the way you do. No one." He let his tears fall as he moved his hand slowly to caress his troubled face. "Believe me, It's only you."
Every word Adam spoke echoed deep within Ugetsu's heart, filling all the gaps, putting an end to all of his "what ifs." The walls he had built so far were long gone now, yet somehow his fear of abandonment remained still. He brushed his hand away. "It's pointless, Adam," he whispered, "I'm sorry." His voice trembles with hesitation and fear.
"It's not pointless," Adam disagreed. "Look at me," he raised his chin softly, "you have no idea how crazy I am for you. I crave for you. God! If only time could stop right now, I'll spend every second of my time with you." He looked at him with so much warmth. "So please don't take my feeling so lightly." He leaned in for a kiss, but Ugetsu turned away.
"No," Ugetsu pushed him away, his downcast eyes were brimming with tears. "I can't," he whimpered, "I cannot do it."
"Then tell me," Adam pressed, "how can I convince you?" He stood his ground, letting him know he's not willing to give him up. "What do you want me to do? Please, talk to me…"
Ugetsu remained silent. Only his head was moving, shaking with refusal. The sound of his muffled cries only spurred Adam to close the space between them. He embraced his small body, but his stubborn self still refuses to be touched. "Let go of me! I said I can't do it!" He thrashed and squirmed in his arms.
Adam didn't budge, he only tightened his grip. "You can reject me all you want, but I'm not planning to see you go, not in this lifetime, never. I can't stand seeing you like this. So please, stop crying, stop hurting yourself. Just give me all your pain, I'll take all of it." He gave him a kiss on the forehead.
Exactly that moment, Ugetsu broke down on the floor, collapsing in his arms. He released all his emotions he had bottled up for years and just sobbed like a child while gasping convulsively the same time.
Being in the midst of a highly emotional situation, Adam didn't let him go. His tight embrace became the sole haven for Ugetsu, and just like his claims, the dread in him was now of lesser problem. Bit by bit, his denial ceased to exist along with his insecurities, as if relieved to finally have his own fill, the missing puzzle, that is.
Soon after his tears have subsided, Ugetsu raised his head, now looking refreshed and serene. He gave Adam a gentle peck on the lips, then he said, "I'm not confident, I have lots of insecurities and shortcomings, and I'm emotionally wrecked. Still, I cannot afford to lose you. So please… promise me you'll stay, that you will never leave me."
The sweetness in his confession must have been a great feeling for Adam. "You have so much effect on me. In fact, you made it impossible for me to leave you. And whether you like it or not, I'll stick with you like a stubborn dirty little booger." He smiled with tears of joy.
"That's disgusting," Ugetsu sighed a little chuckle.
"Don't be surprised, we'll do more gross things in the future from now on," Adam jested while caressing his cheek lovingly. "So prepare yourself, we're gonna be slick and sticky." He moved his hand to tuck his hair behind his ear, grinning widely than ever.
Ugetsu wriggled his nose, making a wry face and gave Adam a playful smack on the chest. "Is that what you're always thinking?"
"I told you," He caught his hand, giving it a kiss, "you affected me so much." He lowered his lips and nuzzled the soft skin of his wrist. "Every single part of you excites me. Your seductive eyes, your plump heart-shaped lips," he stroked his chin. "The sound you make when you laugh. The way you wriggle your nose when you don't like things," he chuckled softly. "Heck, even your small frown can make me weak in the knees. So maybe I am weird after all."
The fondness Adam's voice as he teases him brought upon great joy, prompting him to laugh at his jokes. Both their foreheads were touching, enjoying the warmth of each other as the tension between them came to an end.
"I will spoil you even when you're old and frail." Adam hugged him tightly, whispering loving words and encouragement to his ears. "I will take care of you. I will feed you to the brim, so we will both grow old together." He pulled away to catch his tears. "That's why you don't have to be worried about me replacing you with some other chick because the likeness of you getting jealous is far from mine. My possessiveness is hundred times stronger than yours."
"No way," Ugetsu sniffled.
"Yes way," Adam shot him a serious look. He added, "I will lock you away where nobody can see your lovely face." He stroked his face, eyes glued to his. "I won't allow you to look at someone else, whether it's a guy or a woman. These eyes only belong to me."
Ugetsu's face grew warm, his tears stopped altogether. "S-shut up, you're scaring me."
Adam chuckled and moved to hug him again. "This just proves how much I love you." He nuzzled his face on his chest.
"I got it," Ugetsu blushed, "now please, let me go." He furrowed his brows, pursing his lips. "I swear, you're going to give me back problems someday."
"Now that's the last thing I wanted to do." Adam hoisted him off the floor, wrapping his arms around his back to support him as he carried him all the way to his bedroom.
"What are you doing?" Ugetsu yelped with surprise. "Put me down!"
"No can do," Adam smiled mockingly. "I cannot let you sit there forever, that is why couches are made for us humans to sit." He flumped down into a single, mint-colored couch with Ugetsu on top of him, locking him in his strong arms. "Now this is what I called…" he trailed off, "…cozy." He wiggled his brows, grinning from ear to ear.
"It doesn't suit you," Ugetsu said, making soft giggles. He surveyed the room, moving his head from left to right. "So you're a green collector?" He met his eyes, pointing out the vast amount of the color green in his room, from the painted walls, to the furniture, and even the ceilings. It's like a jungle, but without trees, only a collection of strange prickly succulents.
"I'm not going to deny that," Adam smiled. "It calms me."
"Let me guess," Ugetsu paused, furrowing his brows, as if lost in thought. "You're also into nature, am I right?"
Adorable, Adam thought, his hand moved to tuck his unkempt hair behind his ear, turning it into a habit. "I am," he whispered gently, "I grew up in the countryside. My grandparents owned a cattle farm, and I used to be grandpa Lou's right-hand man."
"Me too," Ugetsu claimed, "but I'm not there to help. I only played around the fields once or twice a week. They forbid me from doing laborious tasks because of my health conditions," he explained, and added, "I used to have a weak immune system."
"Even now?" Adam looked at him, his eyes popped from worry and shock over the news.
Ugetsu shook his head, "I'm fine now."
Adam let out a sigh of relief. "I'll feed you with healthy foods from now on. I'll be monitoring your intakes of calories, I will make sure this thin wrists will gain enough muscle."
"Does it really have to be in the wrist? Can I gain somewhere else? Like my butt?" Ugetsu suggested, scrunching up his nose and purposely making his eyes smaller. "This wrist plays an important role in my career."
"Your butt it is," Adam said, delighted. "Don't come crying to me if your pants started to become snug."
"I'm not gonna cry, I never gained weight that fast," Ugetsu said, "and speaking of crying, aren't you turned off? I mean, I cried like a baby even though I'm a grown man." His light brown eyes zeroed in on his face, lips pressed together, forming a small pout.
"It's frickin' adorable-I mean cute, no, wait," Adam waved his hands in defense. "I mean, no, I am not disgusted, not at all." He gave him a sincere smile. "Crying is good, and everyone's allowed to cry. No gender bias. In fact, being able to express yourself doesn't make you a lesser man, instead it's the opposite."
"I didn't know that," Ugetsu muttered, "I'm just worried about what people may think of me."
"Who cares about their opinions?" Adam said. "Don't mind them, they can eat their own words. They are just jealous of your success in life," he hooked his fingers with his. "Now that I'm here, I won't tolerate anyone who will mess with you. I'll choke slam them like the Undertaker."
Ugetsu giggled at his last words. "Who's the Undertaker? Don't tell me it's a ghost again."
"No," Adam chuckled. "He's a famous wrestler," he said while kissing the back of his hand. He showered him with more kisses, giving him a small peck on the neck.
"S-stop it," Ugetsu squirmed in his arms.
"Why not?" Adam teased him, stroking his cheeks, giving them a kiss.
"I sweat buckets earlier," Ugetsu explained, extremely self-conscious about his smell.
"What are you talking about? You're not that sweaty," Adam chuckled in between the smooth skin of his neck and shoulder. "But you do smell like my 3 year old niece when he's playing hide and seek under the sun." He stifled a laugh while pretending to wriggle his nose.
"What?" Ugetsu's eyes went wide, his cheeks were burning red. A small distinct frown formed on his face. He raised his hands to strike him right in his bulky chest, only to be caught by Adam's swift hands. "Let go! Let me just smack the life out of you!"
Adam watched him with such tenderness and enjoyment while grinning without restrain. "I'm just joking," he chortled. He pulled him close and kissed him on the cheek once more. "Don't worry, you smell good, like orange and vanilla."
"This is why I hate virgins," Ugetsu grumbled, still a bit miffed about his playful remarks. "Y-you think with your dicks, not with your head."
Adam let out a hoarse laugh. "Don't blame us. You're just too erotic-I mean sexy, that's why I kept losing control," he teased, thinking, And now my never-ending wet dreams will finally come to life! He breathed into his neck, sniffing him right there and then.
"Ngnh! D-don't… sniff me," Ugetsu writhed in his arms as he tried to get away from his tight grip.
His plea fell on deaf ears as Adam carried on kissing the side of his neck. "How about we shower together?" He smiled suggestively.
"N-no thanks," Ugetsu declined.
Adam pouted and gave him a sad-puppy face. "Then can you stay the night here? Please?"
"Fine," Ugetsu sighed, too enervated to even resist. "You wouldn't even let me leave if I say no. Would you?"
Adam perked up when he didn't decline his request. He jumped at him and puckered up to give him a big smooch. "Thank you-oof!"
Ugetsu blocked his lips with his hand. "But I still won't join you in the shower, just so you know," he said, face reddened.
"Alright," Adam beamed with delight. "Then I'll draw the bath for you." He hummed as he did a little dance, hopping his way to the bathroom on one foot to the other.
He's skipping, Ugetsu thought, watching him in horror. Not good…
