"You're really good at it though!" Kojiro almost whined, causing Kaoru to give him a raised eyebrow and almost disgusted look.
"Good God, Koji! You sound just like them!" Kaoru huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, leaning against the concrete wall. They had once again snuck out, Kaoru currently grounded for walking out on yet another violin lesson. The green haired teen watched his friend angrily grab his board and take off to the half ramp again. Under the limited light, he looked almost ethereal, his soft light pink hair almost looked white, ear rings glistening, eyes shiny with tears.
He often did this, skated or played through frustration so it all but physically hurt him. He didn't want to play violin. He didn't want to follow in his homophobic fathers footsteps. He didn't want to be held up so high on a golden pedestal. If he so much as let his grade slip from A+ to A, he would have to endure an afternoon long lecture from his father, and ultimately that led to Kaoru losing privileges and privacy.
Kaoru was panting now, trying to catch his breath. Kojiro knew he had to just let his friend burn himself out, it was the only way.
The first time Kaoru had popped off into a teenage rage, Kojiro had tried to calm him down and they ended up in a physical fight. Both had black eyes the following day, and Kojiro never wanted to go through that again. It was so painfully awkward the following week, Kaoru not wanting to even look at him. The guilt tore the pair apart, and neither really wanted to be without the other. It hadn't been until Kojiro poked Kaoru in the back during class, Kojiro sat behind him in almost every class they had together, which was all but two of their classes anyway, and asked if they were good. Kaoru had sighed, a bit surprised that Kojiro had left his hand on his back, and he squeezed it lightly.
"Yeah. We're good."
So, Kojiro watched his friend tire himself out skateboarding, trying to slap the top of the bridge when he'd jump.
"I just. Fuck, Koji! I don't want to be perfect! I don't want to be some prodigy child! I didn't ask for any of this!" Kaoru took off on his skateboard once more, adrenaline starting to kick in. Kojiro again, held himself back and watched his friend skate. Kaoru pushed off hard with his foot, gaining speed and taking off towards the ramps. He knew he wasn't going to feel any better about the violin situation, but skating was all he had. And Kojiro. And yet once again his father took both away from him. Well, tried to.
He pushed off again, just as hard, all but yearning for that familiar physical pain of pushing himself to the absolute limit of his strength. It was a horrible habit, but it was almost like a high for him, wearing himself down so he could at least feel something, other than rage.
It took Kaoru almost half an hour to finally calm down, Kojiro now sitting on the ground, scrolling through his phone.
"Kojiro." Kaoru panted, completely and entirely out of breath. His lungs felt like they were on fire, his sides cramping in pain. He outstretched his arm towards the water bottle beside his friend, Kojiro already nodding in response and grabbing it for him.
Kaoru took a deep gulp, finishing the rest of the water quickly before handing him back the empty bottle. Kojiro casually tossed it over his shoulder, landing it in the trash can behind them.
"They want me to play at their grand opening of the new shop in Sesoko Island in two weeks. They keep stressing I memorize their stupid set list and it's nothing but fucking classic boring shit. I'm so over it!"
Kojiro nodded, scratching the back of his neck.
"I know, Ru. But it's not like you can get out of it, you said so yourself. Too bad you just can't play like crap and piss them off so they never ask you again. Or if you had a clone or something, I don't know." Kojiro shrugged off this comment, not expecting Kaoru to really even listen to him, he was more speaking his thoughts out loud than offering any advice.
Kaoru sighed, then his eyes lit up, and Kojiro watched him curiously, knowing his friend must've have just thought up an idea.
"Oh God, Ru. What are you thinking?"
Kaoru flashed him a wicked smile, his eyes bright with intensity.
"It's exactly as you said. What if I just play like shit?"
Kojiro chewed on the inside of his cheek before shaking his head.
"It sounds funny but honestly I think your Dad would beat the crap outta you if you blew this for him."
Kaorus eyebrows furrowed, lips scrunching into a pout.
"What if I played beautifully? Absolutely fucking perfectly. Just like they want. Just... you know what? I'm inviting you. Consider yourself invited to the grand opening, Nanjo Kojiro. Hell, bring your entire family! I'll need your help, but I have an idea."
Kojiro's eyes widened, blinking slowly, wracking his brain trying to think of what his friend could possibly be thinking.
Kojiro watched, mesmerized, as his friend typed furiously on his laptop. Kaoru's glasses sat loosely on his nose, causing him to squint every single often instead of pushing them back on the bridge of his nose. Kojiro glanced at the clock as he collected their plates from Kaoru's desk, it read 1:48am. This had become quite a common occuranxe the last two weeks, and Kojiro didn't know how much his body could take of only running on a few hours of sleep each night.
"Kaoru, we should probably get some sleep soon."
Kaoru clicked his tongue at him, waving a wave quickly behind him, as if you discard what he said.
"Almost done, you can stay if you want."
Kojiro didn't really have much choice, he didn't feel like skating home this late at night anyway. If he stayed, he was able to make sure Kaoru at least slept a little bit, right?
He chuckled to himself, thinking of how easy it was for him to sneak in through the window, avoiding both Kaoru's parents and the butler, Jin. Kaoru was still grounded after all, Kojiro and skating were off limits. Kojiro placed the collection of dishes on the dresser in a neat pile before making his way back to the bed. He stripped out of his school uniform until he just wore his boxers, and climbed into bed. He scrolled on his phone for a bit, texting his mom that he would stay at Kaoru's tonight, but then begged Kaoru to sleep. He set an alarm to go off at 7:30, hoping that would give him enough time to wake up and skate home so he could get ready for the event. Kojiro didn't fully understand everything his friend had tried explaining to him about how his AI program would help him, but Kojiro trusted him. He knew that Kaoru was hands down the most incredible, smart, talented person he had ever met. If he set his mind to it, he knew Kaoru would get it to work. Kojiro couldn't even remember when Kaoru had started working on the AI, was it in middle school? It was at least 5 years ago, Kojiro remembered Kaoru had won the science fair every year since, and they were both almost 18 now. Their last year of school before they were sucked up into the real adult world. It was nerve wracking, exciting, terrifying. He still hadn't even mustered up the courage to tell Kaoru he had made up his mind about college, wanting to study culinary arts abroad. He couldn't, not right now. Not when Kaoru seemed to be on a downward spiral and his family was slowly cracking and breaking apart. Things between Kaoru and his father had always been prickly, but since Kaoru vocalized that he wasn't interested in continuing the family business, well, it had gotten worse.
Kojiro woke up to his alarm blaring, blinking his eyes to focus on the room around him. He probably would've panicked, realizing he wasn't in his own bedroom, but nowadays he seemed to sleep over more at Kaoru's house anyway. He reached over, the other side of the bed sat untouched, cold, empty. His bright eyes shot around the room, eyes finally locking on the back of Kaoru's head. Kaoru was asleep, face down in folded arms on his desk, uniform shirt still partially unbuttoned and tie tossed off to the side, barely hanging on around the boy's neck. Kojiro sighed, grabbing his pants and shuffling them on quickly before gently shaking Kaoru's shoulder.
"Ru, hey. I gotta go." He whispered in his ear, but the pink haired boy didn't budge.
The computer screen was dimmed, but Kojiro saw a familiar green bar flashing at the top.
"Completed."
Kojiro smirked, ruffling Kaoru's hair lovingly.
"You fucking genius." He whispered, slinging one arm over his shoulder and picking Kaoru up. Kaoru groaned softly, golden eyes fluttering open.
"Koji?"
"Shh. I'm gonna head home but you gotta rest. Let's get you in bed." Kaoru slumped into Kojiro, but made his legs work the best they could in his sleepy state. Kojiro carefully laid him down in bed, undoing his tie and setting it on the chair, pulling his legs under the covers. He plugged in Kaoru's phone, setting an alarm for noon. Kaoru stirred, but eventually snuggled into his pillow and fell back asleep.
Kojiro quietly climbed back out the window, shirtless, trying his best to sneak away when he saw Jim collecting the mail out front. They made eye contact, Kojiro sucking in a breath as he held up a hand in an awkward half wave. Jin simply smiled at him, nodding his head towards the back, as if telling him that the Sakurayashiki's were back in the garden, before sinking at him and focusing back on the mail. Kojiro exhaled sharply before pushing off on his skateboard, taking the chance to escape.
Kojiro was able to get home quickly and safely, his mother was heading out to work as he approached the door.
"Oh, hi sweetie! I'll see you later tonight, I left money for you guys for dinner if you'd like to order out! Love you!"
Kojiro waved at her, thanking her and saying he loved her too before heading inside and taking a shower.
It was about noon before Kojiro heard from Kaoru, he assumed his alarm had done it's job. Kaoru called him, still sounding as groggy as he did when Kojiro left.
"Thanks for the alarm, I completed my programming. Finally."
Kojiro nodded into his cellphone, grabbing a water bottle from the refrigerator.
"I'm sure it'll be great, Ru. When do you need me to get there?"
He heard Kaoru scoff on the other side of the phone.
"I'll need you there at 7, I wired you money for a cab to get there, I know Moms out working today, right?"
It didn't surprise Kojiro that Kaoru knew his moms schedule, they'd been inseparable since they were 5.
"Yeah, but you didn't have to send me money, I have it."
Kaoru clicked his tongue, Kojiro heard more typing.
"It's the least I can do, since if we get caught together, I'll be more grounded."
Kojiro remembered seeing Jin, wondering if he should bring it up.
"Hey, Kaoru?"
"Hmm?"
"Jin saw me, I don't think he cares I was there. Just giving you a heads up though."
Kaoru chuckled, almost snorting.
"Oh, yeah. No. Jin doesn't give a shit about my Dad, so we're good. He knows I sneak out, too. He's a good guy."
'Sometimes I would wish that he was my father instead.'
The thought stayed shut behind his lips, but Kojiro knew.
Kaoru continued to type for a few more minutes, the silence was nothing new between the two of them. Finally it was Kaoru who spoke up.
"Thanks again, I won't be able to do this without you."
Kojiro wore his best black button down, tucked neatly into his black slacks and shiny black dress shoes. He even threw on his silver vest, Kaoru had mentioned that he'd be wearing something with silver on it, after all. His cropped shirt green hair was slicked back, just a couple of curled locks refused to cooperate and still fell in his face. Even with two rounds of gel, he couldn't fight them, so there they stayed.
He knew this was a formal grand opening, and he knew the Sakurayashiki's never played around when it came to showing off and being extravagant. Unfortunately for the Nanjo family, they didn't have much money. They never went without, but Kojiro grew up the polar opposite of Kaoru. It never seemed to bother either of them, or if it did, neither boy had said anything. But when Kojiro stepped inside to see everyone dressed in suits, he felt the painful difference smack him in the face.
He sent a quick text to Kaoru, letting him know he was there. His phone vibrated almost instantly in reply, Kaoru telling him to meet him in the storage closet.
It took him a few minutes, but he did eventually make his way to the back of the building, Kaoru grabbing him by the arm and yanking him out of the hallway.
"Yo whoa what the hell?!" Kojiro barked, startled.
"It's me, dimwit."
Kojiro relaxed, but rolled his eyes at his friend. It was so dark he couldn't really see anything except what he assumed was Kaoru's silhouette just shook yard right so away from him. His face glowed from the soft pink hue of his AI's light, blinking from Kaoru's violin amp.
"Ok so what do you need from me?" Kojiro asked, squinting. He still couldn't see much, but now his eyes had adjusted enough to make out the boxes in the corner, the desk off to the side and the rows of metal shelves they were almost pinned between.
Kaoru pressed the button on the amp, his violin lighting up in his hand. Kojiro didn't even see it, but now the once beautiful pearly white electric violin was glowing the same familiar pinkish purple hue that Kaoru's AI program did.
Kojiro couldn't help but notice how absolutely gorgeous Kaoru looked in that moment, his pink hair that was usually down and in his face, now neatly braided and tied off into a high ponytail. Kaoru's face looked softer than usual, the light bouncing off his cheek bones and jaw line, all but entrancing Kojiro under a spell. That's when he noticed.
"Ru, is that a lip piercing?!" He tried to whisper, he really did. But it came out almost as a harsh bark. Kaoru smirked, nodding once as he plugged his amp cord in.
"Did it earlier. Won't Daddy be surprised!" Kojiro could see Kaoru's face light up with joy and sarcasm, and he gulped. Had Kaoru always looked this beautiful? Was it the lighting? The new piercing? Was it that Kaoru was mouthy and sarcastic and acting out like Kojiro wished he could, but wasn't brave enough? Kaoru eyed him curiously from narrowed eyes, Kojiro felt heat creep up his face and prick the tops of his ears. He prayed Kaoru didn't notice.
Kaoru ran his tongue over the lip ring, still familiarizing himself with it subconsciously as he finished the last bit of set up for his violin. Kojiro couldn't stop his thoughts of his own tongue running over the lip ring, teeth grazing Kaoru's bottom lip as he sucked gently on the ring, fingers tangling in Kaoru's kimono as he shoved him against the wall...
"Koji?" Kaoru's voice brought Kojiro back to reality, quickly shaking his head again. He would deal with those thoughts later.
"Yeah yeah, Princess." He hoped the blush wasn't noticeable, it didn't seem to want to leave his face.
"You're just going to press this button when I nod at you, and then toss this remote in my bag that's back behind the bushes out front. If my parents see you, just run for it. I'll meet you back at the bridge around midnight if all goes well." Kaoru pressed the small remote into Kojiro's palm.
"You look hot by the way, Kojiro."
Kojiro nodded, trying not to look at Kaoru's face. Or lips.
"Thanks." He muttered. Kaoru gave him a look, like he wanted complete acknowledgement.
"Press the button, bag in the bushes. Skate at midnight. Got it." He reiterated, following Kaoru out of the storage closet.
"Wish me luck." Kaoru winked, stepping out into the hallway and dashing behind the curtain that Kojiro assumed was the stage.
By the time Kojiro made his way back to the lobby, he could hear voices announcing things from the stage. He glanced up in time to see Mr. Sakurayashiki, his ashy blonde hair combed over to one side, beautiful black kimono with koi embroidery up either side. Off to the left, Kojiro spotted Mrs. Sakurayashiki, soft pink hair that matched Kaoru's twisted and tightened up into some sort of elaborate updo. Her kimono was also black, but hers had silver and white cherry blossom embellishments along the bottom hem and sleeves. He once again felt painfully out of place, but he had a job to do. Kojiro gripped the remote tightly, listening as Mr. Sakurayashiki finished up his speech.
"Now please, enjoy the food and drinks, and thank you for coming to our grand opening!" The crowd clapped, and Kaoru walked on the stage from the right side as his father walked off from the left. Kaoru smiled sweetly out to the crowd, nodding once before getting into a comfortable stance and started playing. Kojiro knew the song, he had heard Kaoru play it so many times. Plus, it was on the set list Kaoru's parents gave him to memorize, so naturally Kaoru had drilled it into Kojiro's mind as well. He waited for the signal, but Kaoru still just played as beautifully as ever. Kojiro glanced over to Kaoru's mother, his father not in sight, to see if she noticed Kaoru's face. If she had noticed, she didn't seem to care, quickly finding other people to chat with, probably business related of course.
Kojiro focused back on Kaoru, waiting for the discussed signal. Kaoru was still performing, looking gorgeous and damn near perfect on stage. Kojiro could really see him now, in the light, instead of in the glow of his AI in the dark storage closet. Kaoru's hair was still braided beautifully, a sharp thick black winged eyeliner perfectly drawn on his eyes. His kimono was white and silver. It was similar to his mother's, cherry blossoms sparkling off the light from the stage, except Kojiro noticed Kaoru was wearing some sort of black heel underneath. His kimono was so long, he almost didn't notice, but then as Kaoru's arm swayed, the bow dancing gracefully over the strings of his precious white electric violin, Kojiro spotted a peep of black fabric under the folds of the kimono on his chest.
But Kojiro didn't even have time to wonder what exactly his best friend was up to before Kaoru gave him a very intense stare, a nod. The signal. Kojiro pressed the button without breaking eye contact with Kaoru, and within an instant, the stage lights changed from bright and white to pinks and purples. The lights swirled around him, and Kojiro noticed the change in the song. It was no longer The River Flows In You, now it was a more upbeat song that Kojiro had heard Kaoru play before on their sound system, but never on his violin. Some American singer, what was her name? The name escaped him, but it didn't matter. He knew he should've ran, that was the plan. Run and toss the remote in Kaoru's bag and take off back to his house. Don't get caught. But Kojiro was soaking in every fiber, every second of Kaoru on stage.
Somehow between the shifts in songs, Kaoru had shimmied himself out of his beautiful light and bright kimono, now in a sleek black sleeveless turtle neck, cropped off right above his belly button. Skin tight black leather pants cling to every curve of Kaoru's long slender legs, encased in knee high black leather boots with a killer heel on them. Kojiro felt his face flush, his mouth suddenly dry. Kaoru played another song, somehow an upbeat drum and electronic sound playing from the amp now, too. The vocals were the same as the previous, Lady Gaga? That had to have been it.
Kojiro realized that somehow Kaoru's mastermind brain must have somehow set up his own new set list, and somehow programmed the back track to play and match with his songs. And Kojiro assumed Kaoru had also been able to take control of the lights, that now spun around in a rainbow colored effect.
Everything about Kaoru had Kojiro entranced, his feet feeling like stone, too heavy to move even if he wanted to. Kaoru spun, he leaned back, never breaking his songs. The hairs on Kaoru's bow were getting frayed, Kaoru sank his hips low, not minding the frayed mess. Kojiro couldn't help his wandering eyes as they watched kaoru's hips, swaying and swirling as he dipped down towards the stage again before circling them back up and continued to cat walk his way across the stage once more. If there was someone in a chair on stage with him, that would've been the best lap dance Kojiro could think of.
The swirls of the lights, Kaoru's delicious hips tantalizing him from the stage, he felt overwhelmed and overstimulate, but so hungry for more. He couldn't take his eyes off his best friend. The music change aain, this time a very aggressive sounded rock song played off the AI connected amp, Kaoru seemlessly changing up his playing once again with his violin.
A large hand gripped Kojiro's shoulder, and he jerked his head around to meet Jin's eyes.
"Best get out of here, Nanjo. Mr. Sakurayashiki is going to have a fit in a moment." Kojiro nodded once, appreciating the gesture before ducking between the crowds of people and finally making his way outside. He turned around once, praying Kaoru was alright, but saw Kaoru getting dragged off the stage by his father and two other men Kojiro didn't recognize.
Kojiro found the familiar black bag in the bushes, quickly tossing the remote inside and zipping it shut again before running to the sidewalk. Once he felt it was safe, he flagged down a cab and sent a text to Kaoru letting him know he got out and found a cab. He texted Kaoru again once he arrived back home.
It was only a couple of hours before Kojiro grabbed his board and headed to the bridge, waiting for Kaoru.
He was nervous, pacing back and forth instead of skating, praying to whatever would listen that Kaoru was alright. His mind rushed back to being in the storage closet, then Kaoru on stage, then Kojiro daydreaming about Kaoru's lip ring. It brought the familiar blush creeping up his neck and cheeks once more, pressing his forehead against the cool brick of the under side of the bridge.
'What the hell was that, anyway?'
He sighed, trying to shake the thoughts away. He was probably just tired and caught off guard, nothing to worry about.
But he was worried. He didn't usually think those thoughts or have those feelings, not when it came to Kaoru. But it would've been easy enough, to kiss Kaoru. Everything was easy enough when it came to Kaoru, except maybe his temper. Kojiro always tried to stay cool, calm and collected, but Kaoru would go out of his way to cause a scene or make a fuss out of something. Kojiro's mom had so much going on, so much on her plate, he never wanted to add to that. But Kaoru's family dynamic was night and day compared to his. They had more money than they knew what to possibly do with, yet no one in that household never seemed truly happy. If Kojiro didn't know any better, he'd say Kaoru's mother was afraid of his father. He knew his father was very... precise about certain things. It was his way or no way, and Kaoru usually liked to flip that boundary upside down and see how far he could push it and get away with it. Kojiro never pried and Kaoru opened up about it when he wanted to. Talking, venting, it was all just easy. As easy as life could be for two teenagers, anyway.
Kojiro slumped down against the brick wall, ripped blue jeans tearing open even more in his knees as he slid, his solid black short sleeve shirt catching and bunching, his back getting slightly scratched by the wall. He let his head lean back against the wall, eyes closed, waiting.
He didn't even realize that he had fallen asleep until he felt the tension in his neck, he kinked it up good, sleeping against the wall and the head of pink hair on his shoulder. At some point, Kaoru made his way back to Kojiro, laying next to him, still in his black cropped sleeveless shirt from his performance. Eyeliner smeared every which way, obvious tear streaks stained his porcelain face, mascara clumped from crying. Kaoru must've swapped his leather pants for more simple black jeans, and heels were now his usual favorite black Vans. Kojiro hummed, trying to get up, but a firm grip pulled his shirt back down, causing Kojiro to simply wrap his arm around Kaoru's shoulder and pull him closer.
"Wanna talk 'bout it, Ru?" He murmured softly, cheek now resting on the top of Kaoru's messy hair. The braid has mostly fallen out, but it was still secured half up in a sad attempt at a quick messy bun, pieces of his bangs back to framing Kaoru's face.
Kaoru simply shook his head against Kojiro's chest, sighing.
"Not really. I got my point across. I doubt Daddy dearest will ask me to perform anymore. He's beyond fucking livid. But going home isn't an option currently. Sorry I took so long, but thanks for waiting for me, Koji."
His voice was softer and more sincere than he had heard in quite a while, causing Kojiro to pull him in even tighter. He felt Kaoru exhale, loosening up the tension in his shoulders.
It was always so easy with him.
The last thing he wanted to do was replay those thoughts again, especially now, having Kaoru so close. But he couldn't help his wandering eyes, curiously searching Kaoru lips. The ring was still there, shining under the light of the moon, matching the rest of the silver hoops and studs in Kaoru's ears.
"I'll always be here, Ru." He said softly, comfortably nuzzling his face back into the top of Kaoru's head. And in that moment, Kojiro meant it. He silently promised himself that he would always be there for Kaoru, no matter what. Skate with him, vent and yell and plot and scream with him. Protect him. He pushed down the feelings stirring in his heart as he tightened his grip around Kaoru once more, resting his cheek once more against Kauro's soft, messy hair.
'Always.'
"You're really good at it though!" Kojiro almost whined, causing Kaoru to give him a raised eyebrow and almost disgusted look.
"Good God, Koji! You sound just like them!" Kaoru huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, leaning against the concrete wall. They had once again snuck out, Kaoru currently grounded for walking out on yet another violin lesson. The green haired teen watched his friend angrily grab his board and take off to the half ramp again. Under the limited light, he looked almost ethereal, his soft light pink hair almost looked white, ear rings glistening, eyes shiny with tears.
He often did this, skated or played through frustration so it all but physically hurt him. He didn't want to play violin. He didn't want to follow in his homophobic fathers footsteps. He didn't want to be held up so high on a golden pedestal. If he so much as let his grade slip from A+ to A, he would have to endure an afternoon long lecture from his father, and ultimately that led to Kaoru losing privileges and privacy.
Kaoru was panting now, trying to catch his breath. Kojiro knew he had to just let his friend burn himself out, it was the only way.
The first time Kaoru had popped off into a teenage rage, Kojiro had tried to calm him down and they ended up in a physical fight. Both had black eyes the following day, and Kojiro never wanted to go through that again. It was so painfully awkward the following week, Kaoru not wanting to even look at him. The guilt tore the pair apart, and neither really wanted to be without the other. It hadn't been until Kojiro poked Kaoru in the back during class, Kojiro sat behind him in almost every class they had together, which was all but two of their classes anyway, and asked if they were good. Kaoru had sighed, a bit surprised that Kojiro had left his hand on his back, and he squeezed it lightly.
"Yeah. We're good."
So, Kojiro watched his friend tire himself out skateboarding, trying to slap the top of the bridge when he'd jump.
"I just. Fuck, Koji! I don't want to be perfect! I don't want to be some prodigy child! I didn't ask for any of this!" Kaoru took off on his skateboard once more, adrenaline starting to kick in. Kojiro again, held himself back and watched his friend skate. Kaoru pushed off hard with his foot, gaining speed and taking off towards the ramps. He knew he wasn't going to feel any better about the violin situation, but skating was all he had. And Kojiro. And yet once again his father took both away from him. Well, tried to.
He pushed off again, just as hard, all but yearning for that familiar physical pain of pushing himself to the absolute limit of his strength. It was a horrible habit, but it was almost like a high for him, wearing himself down so he could at least feel something, other than rage.
It took Kaoru almost half an hour to finally calm down, Kojiro now sitting on the ground, scrolling through his phone.
"Kojiro." Kaoru panted, completely and entirely out of breath. His lungs felt like they were on fire, his sides cramping in pain. He outstretched his arm towards the water bottle beside his friend, Kojiro already nodding in response and grabbing it for him.
Kaoru took a deep gulp, finishing the rest of the water quickly before handing him back the empty bottle. Kojiro casually tossed it over his shoulder, landing it in the trash can behind them.
"They want me to play at their grand opening of the new shop in Sesoko Island in two weeks. They keep stressing I memorize their stupid set list and it's nothing but fucking classic boring shit. I'm so over it!"
Kojiro nodded, scratching the back of his neck.
"I know, Ru. But it's not like you can get out of it, you said so yourself. Too bad you just can't play like crap and piss them off so they never ask you again. Or if you had a clone or something, I don't know." Kojiro shrugged off this comment, not expecting Kaoru to really even listen to him, he was more speaking his thoughts out loud than offering any advice.
Kaoru sighed, then his eyes lit up, and Kojiro watched him curiously, knowing his friend must've have just thought up an idea.
"Oh God, Ru. What are you thinking?"
Kaoru flashed him a wicked smile, his eyes bright with intensity.
"It's exactly as you said. What if I just play like shit?"
Kojiro chewed on the inside of his cheek before shaking his head.
"It sounds funny but honestly I think your Dad would beat the crap outta you if you blew this for him."
Kaorus eyebrows furrowed, lips scrunching into a pout.
"What if I played beautifully? Absolutely fucking perfectly. Just like they want. Just... you know what? I'm inviting you. Consider yourself invited to the grand opening, Nanjo Kojiro. Hell, bring your entire family! I'll need your help, but I have an idea."
Kojiro's eyes widened, blinking slowly, wracking his brain trying to think of what his friend could possibly be thinking.
Kojiro watched, mesmerized, as his friend typed furiously on his laptop. Kaoru's glasses sat loosely on his nose, causing him to squint every single often instead of pushing them back on the bridge of his nose. Kojiro glanced at the clock as he collected their plates from Kaoru's desk, it read 1:48am. This had become quite a common occuranxe the last two weeks, and Kojiro didn't know how much his body could take of only running on a few hours of sleep each night.
"Kaoru, we should probably get some sleep soon."
Kaoru clicked his tongue at him, waving a wave quickly behind him, as if you discard what he said.
"Almost done, you can stay if you want."
Kojiro didn't really have much choice, he didn't feel like skating home this late at night anyway. If he stayed, he was able to make sure Kaoru at least slept a little bit, right?
He chuckled to himself, thinking of how easy it was for him to sneak in through the window, avoiding both Kaoru's parents and the butler, Jin. Kaoru was still grounded after all, Kojiro and skating were off limits. Kojiro placed the collection of dishes on the dresser in a neat pile before making his way back to the bed. He stripped out of his school uniform until he just wore his boxers, and climbed into bed. He scrolled on his phone for a bit, texting his mom that he would stay at Kaoru's tonight, but then begged Kaoru to sleep. He set an alarm to go off at 7:30, hoping that would give him enough time to wake up and skate home so he could get ready for the event. Kojiro didn't fully understand everything his friend had tried explaining to him about how his AI program would help him, but Kojiro trusted him. He knew that Kaoru was hands down the most incredible, smart, talented person he had ever met. If he set his mind to it, he knew Kaoru would get it to work. Kojiro couldn't even remember when Kaoru had started working on the AI, was it in middle school? It was at least 5 years ago, Kojiro remembered Kaoru had won the science fair every year since, and they were both almost 18 now. Their last year of school before they were sucked up into the real adult world. It was nerve wracking, exciting, terrifying. He still hadn't even mustered up the courage to tell Kaoru he had made up his mind about college, wanting to study culinary arts abroad. He couldn't, not right now. Not when Kaoru seemed to be on a downward spiral and his family was slowly cracking and breaking apart. Things between Kaoru and his father had always been prickly, but since Kaoru vocalized that he wasn't interested in continuing the family business, well, it had gotten worse.
Kojiro woke up to his alarm blaring, blinking his eyes to focus on the room around him. He probably would've panicked, realizing he wasn't in his own bedroom, but nowadays he seemed to sleep over more at Kaoru's house anyway. He reached over, the other side of the bed sat untouched, cold, empty. His bright eyes shot around the room, eyes finally locking on the back of Kaoru's head. Kaoru was asleep, face down in folded arms on his desk, uniform shirt still partially unbuttoned and tie tossed off to the side, barely hanging on around the boy's neck. Kojiro sighed, grabbing his pants and shuffling them on quickly before gently shaking Kaoru's shoulder.
"Ru, hey. I gotta go." He whispered in his ear, but the pink haired boy didn't budge.
The computer screen was dimmed, but Kojiro saw a familiar green bar flashing at the top.
"Completed."
Kojiro smirked, ruffling Kaoru's hair lovingly.
"You fucking genius." He whispered, slinging one arm over his shoulder and picking Kaoru up. Kaoru groaned softly, golden eyes fluttering open.
"Koji?"
"Shh. I'm gonna head home but you gotta rest. Let's get you in bed." Kaoru slumped into Kojiro, but made his legs work the best they could in his sleepy state. Kojiro carefully laid him down in bed, undoing his tie and setting it on the chair, pulling his legs under the covers. He plugged in Kaoru's phone, setting an alarm for noon. Kaoru stirred, but eventually snuggled into his pillow and fell back asleep.
Kojiro quietly climbed back out the window, shirtless, trying his best to sneak away when he saw Jim collecting the mail out front. They made eye contact, Kojiro sucking in a breath as he held up a hand in an awkward half wave. Jin simply smiled at him, nodding his head towards the back, as if telling him that the Sakurayashiki's were back in the garden, before sinking at him and focusing back on the mail. Kojiro exhaled sharply before pushing off on his skateboard, taking the chance to escape.
Kojiro was able to get home quickly and safely, his mother was heading out to work as he approached the door.
"Oh, hi sweetie! I'll see you later tonight, I left money for you guys for dinner if you'd like to order out! Love you!"
Kojiro waved at her, thanking her and saying he loved her too before heading inside and taking a shower.
It was about noon before Kojiro heard from Kaoru, he assumed his alarm had done it's job. Kaoru called him, still sounding as groggy as he did when Kojiro left.
"Thanks for the alarm, I completed my programming. Finally."
Kojiro nodded into his cellphone, grabbing a water bottle from the refrigerator.
"I'm sure it'll be great, Ru. When do you need me to get there?"
He heard Kaoru scoff on the other side of the phone.
"I'll need you there at 7, I wired you money for a cab to get there, I know Moms out working today, right?"
It didn't surprise Kojiro that Kaoru knew his moms schedule, they'd been inseparable since they were 5.
"Yeah, but you didn't have to send me money, I have it."
Kaoru clicked his tongue, Kojiro heard more typing.
"It's the least I can do, since if we get caught together, I'll be more grounded."
Kojiro remembered seeing Jin, wondering if he should bring it up.
"Hey, Kaoru?"
"Hmm?"
"Jin saw me, I don't think he cares I was there. Just giving you a heads up though."
Kaoru chuckled, almost snorting.
"Oh, yeah. No. Jin doesn't give a shit about my Dad, so we're good. He knows I sneak out, too. He's a good guy."
'Sometimes I would wish that he was my father instead.'
The thought stayed shut behind his lips, but Kojiro knew.
Kaoru continued to type for a few more minutes, the silence was nothing new between the two of them. Finally it was Kaoru who spoke up.
"Thanks again, I won't be able to do this without you."
Kojiro wore his best black button down, tucked neatly into his black slacks and shiny black dress shoes. He even threw on his silver vest, Kaoru had mentioned that he'd be wearing something with silver on it, after all. His cropped shirt green hair was slicked back, just a couple of curled locks refused to cooperate and still fell in his face. Even with two rounds of gel, he couldn't fight them, so there they stayed.
He knew this was a formal grand opening, and he knew the Sakurayashiki's never played around when it came to showing off and being extravagant. Unfortunately for the Nanjo family, they didn't have much money. They never went without, but Kojiro grew up the polar opposite of Kaoru. It never seemed to bother either of them, or if it did, neither boy had said anything. But when Kojiro stepped inside to see everyone dressed in suits, he felt the painful difference smack him in the face.
He sent a quick text to Kaoru, letting him know he was there. His phone vibrated almost instantly in reply, Kaoru telling him to meet him in the storage closet.
It took him a few minutes, but he did eventually make his way to the back of the building, Kaoru grabbing him by the arm and yanking him out of the hallway.
"Yo whoa what the hell?!" Kojiro barked, startled.
"It's me, dimwit."
Kojiro relaxed, but rolled his eyes at his friend. It was so dark he couldn't really see anything except what he assumed was Kaoru's silhouette just shook yard right so away from him. His face glowed from the soft pink hue of his AI's light, blinking from Kaoru's violin amp.
"Ok so what do you need from me?" Kojiro asked, squinting. He still couldn't see much, but now his eyes had adjusted enough to make out the boxes in the corner, the desk off to the side and the rows of metal shelves they were almost pinned between.
Kaoru pressed the button on the amp, his violin lighting up in his hand. Kojiro didn't even see it, but now the once beautiful pearly white electric violin was glowing the same familiar pinkish purple hue that Kaoru's AI program did.
Kojiro couldn't help but notice how absolutely gorgeous Kaoru looked in that moment, his pink hair that was usually down and in his face, now neatly braided and tied off into a high ponytail. Kaoru's face looked softer than usual, the light bouncing off his cheek bones and jaw line, all but entrancing Kojiro under a spell. That's when he noticed.
"Ru, is that a lip piercing?!" He tried to whisper, he really did. But it came out almost as a harsh bark. Kaoru smirked, nodding once as he plugged his amp cord in.
"Did it earlier. Won't Daddy be surprised!" Kojiro could see Kaoru's face light up with joy and sarcasm, and he gulped. Had Kaoru always looked this beautiful? Was it the lighting? The new piercing? Was it that Kaoru was mouthy and sarcastic and acting out like Kojiro wished he could, but wasn't brave enough? Kaoru eyed him curiously from narrowed eyes, Kojiro felt heat creep up his face and prick the tops of his ears. He prayed Kaoru didn't notice.
Kaoru ran his tongue over the lip ring, still familiarizing himself with it subconsciously as he finished the last bit of set up for his violin. Kojiro couldn't stop his thoughts of his own tongue running over the lip ring, teeth grazing Kaoru's bottom lip as he sucked gently on the ring, fingers tangling in Kaoru's kimono as he shoved him against the wall...
"Koji?" Kaoru's voice brought Kojiro back to reality, quickly shaking his head again. He would deal with those thoughts later.
"Yeah yeah, Princess." He hoped the blush wasn't noticeable, it didn't seem to want to leave his face.
"You're just going to press this button when I nod at you, and then toss this remote in my bag that's back behind the bushes out front. If my parents see you, just run for it. I'll meet you back at the bridge around midnight if all goes well." Kaoru pressed the small remote into Kojiro's palm.
"You look hot by the way, Kojiro."
Kojiro nodded, trying not to look at Kaoru's face. Or lips.
"Thanks." He muttered. Kaoru gave him a look, like he wanted complete acknowledgement.
"Press the button, bag in the bushes. Skate at midnight. Got it." He reiterated, following Kaoru out of the storage closet.
"Wish me luck." Kaoru winked, stepping out into the hallway and dashing behind the curtain that Kojiro assumed was the stage.
By the time Kojiro made his way back to the lobby, he could hear voices announcing things from the stage. He glanced up in time to see Mr. Sakurayashiki, his ashy blonde hair combed over to one side, beautiful black kimono with koi embroidery up either side. Off to the left, Kojiro spotted Mrs. Sakurayashiki, soft pink hair that matched Kaoru's twisted and tightened up into some sort of elaborate updo. Her kimono was also black, but hers had silver and white cherry blossom embellishments along the bottom hem and sleeves. He once again felt painfully out of place, but he had a job to do. Kojiro gripped the remote tightly, listening as Mr. Sakurayashiki finished up his speech.
"Now please, enjoy the food and drinks, and thank you for coming to our grand opening!" The crowd clapped, and Kaoru walked on the stage from the right side as his father walked off from the left. Kaoru smiled sweetly out to the crowd, nodding once before getting into a comfortable stance and started playing. Kojiro knew the song, he had heard Kaoru play it so many times. Plus, it was on the set list Kaoru's parents gave him to memorize, so naturally Kaoru had drilled it into Kojiro's mind as well. He waited for the signal, but Kaoru still just played as beautifully as ever. Kojiro glanced over to Kaoru's mother, his father not in sight, to see if she noticed Kaoru's face. If she had noticed, she didn't seem to care, quickly finding other people to chat with, probably business related of course.
Kojiro focused back on Kaoru, waiting for the discussed signal. Kaoru was still performing, looking gorgeous and damn near perfect on stage. Kojiro could really see him now, in the light, instead of in the glow of his AI in the dark storage closet. Kaoru's hair was still braided beautifully, a sharp thick black winged eyeliner perfectly drawn on his eyes. His kimono was white and silver. It was similar to his mother's, cherry blossoms sparkling off the light from the stage, except Kojiro noticed Kaoru was wearing some sort of black heel underneath. His kimono was so long, he almost didn't notice, but then as Kaoru's arm swayed, the bow dancing gracefully over the strings of his precious white electric violin, Kojiro spotted a peep of black fabric under the folds of the kimono on his chest.
But Kojiro didn't even have time to wonder what exactly his best friend was up to before Kaoru gave him a very intense stare, a nod. The signal. Kojiro pressed the button without breaking eye contact with Kaoru, and within an instant, the stage lights changed from bright and white to pinks and purples. The lights swirled around him, and Kojiro noticed the change in the song. It was no longer The River Flows In You, now it was a more upbeat song that Kojiro had heard Kaoru play before on their sound system, but never on his violin. Some American singer, what was her name? The name escaped him, but it didn't matter. He knew he should've ran, that was the plan. Run and toss the remote in Kaoru's bag and take off back to his house. Don't get caught. But Kojiro was soaking in every fiber, every second of Kaoru on stage.
Somehow between the shifts in songs, Kaoru had shimmied himself out of his beautiful light and bright kimono, now in a sleek black sleeveless turtle neck, cropped off right above his belly button. Skin tight black leather pants cling to every curve of Kaoru's long slender legs, encased in knee high black leather boots with a killer heel on them. Kojiro felt his face flush, his mouth suddenly dry. Kaoru played another song, somehow an upbeat drum and electronic sound playing from the amp now, too. The vocals were the same as the previous, Lady Gaga? That had to have been it.
Kojiro realized that somehow Kaoru's mastermind brain must have somehow set up his own new set list, and somehow programmed the back track to play and match with his songs. And Kojiro assumed Kaoru had also been able to take control of the lights, that now spun around in a rainbow colored effect.
Everything about Kaoru had Kojiro entranced, his feet feeling like stone, too heavy to move even if he wanted to. Kaoru spun, he leaned back, never breaking his songs. The hairs on Kaoru's bow were getting frayed, Kaoru sank his hips low, not minding the frayed mess. Kojiro couldn't help his wandering eyes as they watched kaoru's hips, swaying and swirling as he dipped down towards the stage again before circling them back up and continued to cat walk his way across the stage once more. If there was someone in a chair on stage with him, that would've been the best lap dance Kojiro could think of.
The swirls of the lights, Kaoru's delicious hips tantalizing him from the stage, he felt overwhelmed and overstimulate, but so hungry for more. He couldn't take his eyes off his best friend. The music change aain, this time a very aggressive sounded rock song played off the AI connected amp, Kaoru seemlessly changing up his playing once again with his violin.
A large hand gripped Kojiro's shoulder, and he jerked his head around to meet Jin's eyes.
"Best get out of here, Nanjo. Mr. Sakurayashiki is going to have a fit in a moment." Kojiro nodded once, appreciating the gesture before ducking between the crowds of people and finally making his way outside. He turned around once, praying Kaoru was alright, but saw Kaoru getting dragged off the stage by his father and two other men Kojiro didn't recognize.
Kojiro found the familiar black bag in the bushes, quickly tossing the remote inside and zipping it shut again before running to the sidewalk. Once he felt it was safe, he flagged down a cab and sent a text to Kaoru letting him know he got out and found a cab. He texted Kaoru again once he arrived back home.
It was only a couple of hours before Kojiro grabbed his board and headed to the bridge, waiting for Kaoru.
He was nervous, pacing back and forth instead of skating, praying to whatever would listen that Kaoru was alright. His mind rushed back to being in the storage closet, then Kaoru on stage, then Kojiro daydreaming about Kaoru's lip ring. It brought the familiar blush creeping up his neck and cheeks once more, pressing his forehead against the cool brick of the under side of the bridge.
'What the hell was that, anyway?'
He sighed, trying to shake the thoughts away. He was probably just tired and caught off guard, nothing to worry about.
But he was worried. He didn't usually think those thoughts or have those feelings, not when it came to Kaoru. But it would've been easy enough, to kiss Kaoru. Everything was easy enough when it came to Kaoru, except maybe his temper. Kojiro always tried to stay cool, calm and collected, but Kaoru would go out of his way to cause a scene or make a fuss out of something. Kojiro's mom had so much going on, so much on her plate, he never wanted to add to that. But Kaoru's family dynamic was night and day compared to his. They had more money than they knew what to possibly do with, yet no one in that household never seemed truly happy. If Kojiro didn't know any better, he'd say Kaoru's mother was afraid of his father. He knew his father was very... precise about certain things. It was his way or no way, and Kaoru usually liked to flip that boundary upside down and see how far he could push it and get away with it. Kojiro never pried and Kaoru opened up about it when he wanted to. Talking, venting, it was all just easy. As easy as life could be for two teenagers, anyway.
Kojiro slumped down against the brick wall, ripped blue jeans tearing open even more in his knees as he slid, his solid black short sleeve shirt catching and bunching, his back getting slightly scratched by the wall. He let his head lean back against the wall, eyes closed, waiting.
He didn't even realize that he had fallen asleep until he felt the tension in his neck, he kinked it up good, sleeping against the wall and the head of pink hair on his shoulder. At some point, Kaoru made his way back to Kojiro, laying next to him, still in his black cropped sleeveless shirt from his performance. Eyeliner smeared every which way, obvious tear streaks stained his porcelain face, mascara clumped from crying. Kaoru must've swapped his leather pants for more simple black jeans, and heels were now his usual favorite black Vans. Kojiro hummed, trying to get up, but a firm grip pulled his shirt back down, causing Kojiro to simply wrap his arm around Kaoru's shoulder and pull him closer.
"Wanna talk 'bout it, Ru?" He murmured softly, cheek now resting on the top of Kaoru's messy hair. The braid has mostly fallen out, but it was still secured half up in a sad attempt at a quick messy bun, pieces of his bangs back to framing Kaoru's face.
Kaoru simply shook his head against Kojiro's chest, sighing.
"Not really. I got my point across. I doubt Daddy dearest will ask me to perform anymore. He's beyond fucking livid. But going home isn't an option currently. Sorry I took so long, but thanks for waiting for me, Koji."
His voice was softer and more sincere than he had heard in quite a while, causing Kojiro to pull him in even tighter. He felt Kaoru exhale, loosening up the tension in his shoulders.
It was always so easy with him.
The last thing he wanted to do was replay those thoughts again, especially now, having Kaoru so close. But he couldn't help his wandering eyes, curiously searching Kaoru lips. The ring was still there, shining under the light of the moon, matching the rest of the silver hoops and studs in Kaoru's ears.
"I'll always be here, Ru." He said softly, comfortably nuzzling his face back into the top of Kaoru's head. And in that moment, Kojiro meant it. He silently promised himself that he would always be there for Kaoru, no matter what. Skate with him, vent and yell and plot and scream with him. Protect him. He pushed down the feelings stirring in his heart as he tightened his grip around Kaoru once more, resting his cheek once more against Kauro's soft, messy hair.
'Always.'
AUTHOR'S NOTES :
I'm finally back! Life has been crazy, so I apologize for the late updates. I have always loved the idea of adding to Punk Teen Cherry's back story, so here's my take on some of it.
Songs I pictured while writing this were River Flows In You - Yiruma
Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
Crystallize - Lindsey Stirling
Breaking the Habit - Linkin Park
I actually thought about putting together a Spotify playlist, if I do, I'll add that here.
Thanks for reading!
