Chapter Five: Syrah
"I feel like Cinderella: Fast & Furious edition," Nagisa griped, his tone entirely astounded as Hana sped through a second red light, already having raced under four yellows and one stop sign at a dramatic speed. The blond wasn't even aware Priuses could accelerate so quickly - it was a fact he ought to keep in mind when in the neighborhood for his own car. He was splayed straight across the backseat in a desperate attempt not to wrinkle the fine silk the dress was made of. Unconsciously, he protected the clip in hair with his little hands every now and then, especially when they came to any unexpected stops.
"Appreciate the shit I go through," Hana warned simply in reply over the sounds of horns blaring at her from various directions. He could practically see the affronted looks of their high-class occupants as Hana sliced them off between lanes, certainly doing her damnedest to get him to Amber Alley in a fashionably late manner. The entire neighborhood was stiflingly high-class, from the modernist bars to the closed brunch bistros. Above many of the restaurants were swanky apartments and rather than alleys, well-lit gardens, trees, and fountains were tucked in its corners. All around, ladies and gentlemen of the highest fashion permeated from the towers, each one a shade in tight cocktail dresses or fancy cars, each bar emitting a firework of light in its own signature color that sent him reeling. Many had themes that nodded towards post-modernism and art-deco styles of architecture, but when they arrived at Amber Alley, it was clearly distinguishable from the rest. The face of the building was entirely baroque with a grandly golden lighting scheme to highlight the impressive carvings. In immaculate rows on either side of the flagstone walkway were faultless trimmed roses, illuminated by the glow from the curtained windows right above: in front of them, the path split and diffused into the darkness, no doubt leading to outdoor seating areas. A fountain rested languidly in the center of the path, creating a pleasant roundabout out in the front of the restaurant. In the cold blue chill of the night, it was a rippling oasis of citrine warmth, music in the silence of the stars, glittering with so much more promise than the infinite sky.
Hana eased her vehicle into a leisurely speed as she pulled up in front of the fountain. The blond had leaned up and timidly scooted to the edge of his seat beside the window, peering out into the bright, unknown mirage. He daubed chapstick over his naked lips and readjusted his hairpiece, hesitant to leave the sanctuary of the dark car and his friendship. This was a world unfathomable to him in none but his dreams: to be arriving here was nothing short of a miracle. He gripped his black and gold clutch purse tightly, swallowing deeply as he slipped the chapstick away. Hana regarded him kindly through the rearview mirror.
"Well?" she prompted, tapping her fingernails on the steering wheel. "Go on. Text me when you need to be picked up. You're gorgeous." Nagisa gave her an affirmative nod, more to ease his knotted stomach than anything else, and opened the door to step out. As soon as Hana pulled away, he found himself rooted to the spot, swallowed by the emerging sea of people that had progressed through their entrance much more efficiently than he. To them, he was of little interest, but several people around him waved artificially to a group of reporters. Once or twice, he felt a shoulder dig into his own and he further withdrew, lowering his head and crossing one arm defensively in front of his body. The other brushed stray hairs behind his ear and, heart fluttering like a bird in a cage, he wondered if the date was truly a wise idea - his impulsive agreement certainly hadn't helped his nerves. He ought to have rescheduled. He ought to have done something to stop it, but 'should have's were of little consequence now: for here he was, leaving a perfectly respectable man waiting inside for nearly 20 minutes now.
And so, flittering heart approaching his throat, he rolled his shoulders away to expose his collarbone, dropped his arms by his side, and dug his nails deeply into the silk of his borrowed clutch in determination. With his chin tilted elegantly upward, he advanced towards the doors with dignity, the crests in the folds of the fabric around his waist illustrating an undeniable allure. When he at last reached the door, the attendants at either side used their gloved hands to allow him into this golden palace.
The interior was as fantastic as the exterior, each shadow that the light cast as still as though it were carved of amber. The ceiling in the foyer was low, but just beyond, Nagisa could see that it stood twice as tall as what here he was under. His ascension into the room caused a few waiting heads to turn and, utterly intoxicated, observe this pauper in a prince's world. He was timeless, like an exquisite wine dusted by the summer sun, bathed in royal violet under the starry sky. Before he had the chance to continue on his way, a host appeared confidently at his elbow.
"Might you be Mr. Nagisa Hazuki?" he inquired formally, speaking to the blond as one would a lord.
"Yes," he nodded, twiddling his purse in his fingers. The man graciously passed it on to another employee who stored it in a far off coat closet somewhere. His arms were left to hang awkwardly at his side, occasionally coming to trail along the folds of the skirt.
"Your table is ready," the man continued politely, "and the other member of your party is here." Tactfully, he took the lead, Nagisa falling lithely in step behind him. They entered the dining area beside a low stage, where an ensemble played a low, Latin hum. In front of them was a ballroom floor, surrounded in a horseshoe of tables gloved in refined white linens. The ceiling was high and despite the crystalline chandelier, the entire area was dimmed intimately, the main light source coming from candles. The blond and his escort wove through the occupied tables until, in the back, they reached a platform, semi-blocked from view due to a half-wall and curtaining organza fabric drifting down. They ascended a small flight of stairs and turned to face the far corner nearest to the hanging cloth. There Rei sat, arms on the table, absently gazing off to the side, his brows furrowed at funny angles, like hands on a clock. As they began to approach the table, the petite man worried that he'd angered his date and abashedly patted down his dress. When the brunet had the sense to look up, however, his face was for a moment stunned before transitioning to thrilled. He rose in an automatic gesture of chivalry but awkwardly hit the table on the way and caused a musical clatter. Consequently, he colored himself as red as wine, fixed his gaze off to the side and bit his lip a little. He peeked at the blond as the host seated him and reclaimed his own post across from Nagisa, who smiled with pretty charm.
"I'm so sorry I'm late," he apologized sweetly, smoothing down the napkin that was laid upon his lap. His companion shook his head in reply.
"Please, don't be," he insisted. "It was such a last minute plan, I'm usually not so... spontaneous." He chuckled nervously, peering at Nagisa through his red glasses. "I just - I wanted to see you again. I mean, of course, that much is obvious. I'm extremely pleased that you could make it on such short notice. And you're so..." He paused, analytically swept his star-struck midnight eyes over the blond, and deliberately chose his next words. "Gorgeful - I mean beaugeous." He shut his eyes as though it would erase the color on his face. Nagisa chewed on the edge of his lips, all at once flattered and amused. Rei took a deep breath, giving up on the previous compliment and proceeded, "You're lovely."
"Thank you," he responded, voice both tender and meek. He rather fancied how the brunet had said that he was lovely, as opposed to his dress or his looks. He sipped daintily at his water and asked of the other man: "So, why did you want to see me so soon?" Rei composed himself, straightening his core even more so than it had already been and, as though he'd thought over the answer before Nagisa had even spoken, methodically asserted,
"I thought of what you had said to me earlier. I wanted to inform you that I couldn't reach a satisfactory solution." The blond tilted his head in question, leaning comfortably over the table toward his date. Shyly, the brunet confessed, "I wanted to say something that would please you, but I realized if I reached a conclusion based off of that, it would have the opposite effect. Simply because you asked me what I would do proved that you a have a lot more depth than I believe others - including myself - first are able to see." The blond nodded, well aware that he came off as positively shallow, and wondered briefly where the man was going with his blatant honesty. Of course, Nagisa admired that about him, but all the same, it added to his awkwardness - though this, he was beginning to adore slightly. "To put it more simply," he stated, "you intrigue me and I very much like that. I want to know more about you." They both drank some water and when the blond did not immediately reply, Rei stammered, "I don't mean to put you off or to sound rude, but I just - I mean, I simply am curious. But more than curious, I mean - it's just, well... You're just - " The smaller man's giggle cut him off, and he waved an apology with a gentle hand.
"I get it," Nagisa soothed. Below the table, he crossed his legs, fingers teasing the edge of his frosty glass. Rei bowed forward, mirroring the blond's earlier actions and waited for him to proceed, dark blue eyes drawn to wherever there was a mild movement in his composition. A waiter suspended the intimate moment, and asked what drinks they would like to be served. Rei's eyes swept over Nagisa.
"A full-bodied red, please. What do you have?" he requested, hardly glancing away from his date. The waiter listed off several brands, but the blond colored with embarrassment, thinking perhaps that he ought to stick with water - those certainly weren't anything he could afford. Rei, however, thought otherwise.
"I think I'm rather fond of the idea of that Syrah you mentioned," he informed the waiter. Rei glanced at his date for approval and Nagisa gave his affirmation, giving the waiter his cue to vanish off towards the kitchens. Neatly the blond picked up the previously abandoned sense of affinity by sending his gaze over to Rei. The man was entirely pink, but he liked that. "So, um - get to know you. Right, uh... How old are you?" the lawyer began lamely, running a palm over his pants. It was considerably safe ground, but the blond himself was curious.
"I just turned twenty-five a couple months ago," he informed the brunet. "What about you?" Rei gave a sigh and admitted, "I'm thirty, going on thirty-one." Nagisa giggled, but shrugged off its significance.
"Passing thirty can't be that big a deal." But Rei shook his head.
"Just you wait. Well, anyhow it's impressive that you're only twenty-five and already a professional writer. The magazine you work for is well-known, too, isn't it? You must be quite dedicated." He blushed and puffed out his chest in pride.
"Thanks! But I really just got it 'cause I was an intern there in uni. They hired me right after I graduated, so I mean, it's not so big a deal. I didn't go to school after that or anything. You, you're like, a pretty successful lawyer right? That's cool too - you probably worked way harder than me to get there."
"It wasn't easy," he acknowledged, "but I couldn't do anything creative like clothes and whatnot." Their wine arrived at that moment and Nagisa took care to inspect it as the waiter served the bottle. He swirled the alcohol around until it painted the edges of his glass, and deeply inhaled the aroma - it smelled faintly of cloves and blackberry, and carried the musky, distinct scent of age. He hummed in pleasure as the powerful liquid stroked his lips.
"This is perfect," he informed the waiter, who proceeded to fill both of their glasses before leaving the bottle at the table.
"Are you a wine enthusiast?" Rei questioned, a smile growing across his face.
"Absolutely," Nagisa confirmed passionately.
"Common ground at last," he replied, raising his glass to the blond, who met him halfway. The crystal gave off a high, resonant sound as they met at the center. The smaller man then uncrossed his legs, allowing one delicate foot to tease the edge of Rei's trousers.
"But opposites do attract," he declared flirtatiously. The brunet choked on the drink and gave a couple coughs, face as red as the wine he was served.
"They do indeed," he stuttered out eventually, his smile shy and embarrassed. Nagisa laughed coyly, raising his glass to his lips and delicately taking a sip of the full-bodied wine. "Do you have any siblings?" Rei asked, fumbling around with his words. The blond's foot was still playing around with his, but he withdrew, not wanting to render his date completely incoherent.
"I do," Nagisa confirmed. "Three older sisters."
"I have an older brother," he added, his voice no longer wavering with every brush of the leg, but eyes heightened with a sense of disappointment, like the last wind of night as the grey dawn approached. "More in common," he murmured, lifting his glass and swirling the wine around inside. He opened his mouth to perhaps ask another question, most likely crossing another one off the mental list of information he wanted, but Nagisa cut in before he had the chance.
"Why'd you go into law?" he inquired curiously. The attorney seemed calculating and shrewd, but his quiet demeanor didn't seem to appeal to the fast lane of trials and courts. Certainly, he'd have done better in a science and medicine track, he thought to himself, so the blond was interested in how he'd been inspired to take a path of justice. Rei regarded his answer thoughtfully and replied,
"I believed in making the world better. There are many people who go through injustices - the murder or assault of a loved one specifically in my track - who cannot speak with their own voice. There are many things they don't understand, particularly when in emotional turmoil, and I wanted to disentangle the facts of such situations in a way to make the world run more smoothly and prevent such occurrences from happening in the future." Rei regarded him softly. "No one's ever really asked me that before," he informed Nagisa. "Why did you go into fashion, then? It's never been an industry I really understood." His brows furrowed in a way familiar to the blond - it seemed he too found the fashion world judgmental.
"Well," he commenced, attentive to both his words and his date's reactions, "it can be a tough place for a lot of people, but I really think how people present themselves is important. If you, for example, came into court wearing like, a tracksuit and trainers, you'd be completely out of place. It wouldn't really matter what you said - it'd come off as unprofessional. I mean, that's obviously a really exaggerated situation, but it presents itself in subtler forms that are hard for people to understand sometimes. I want to make it easier for them." He hesitated a moment, his shoulders tensing up a little, but relaxed them and explained, "That, and I understand what it's like not be comfortable with how to express yourself through your dress and still find yourself flattering. A lot of women and men nowadays are uncomfortable with their looks - whether it's because they're overweight, think they're fat when they're perfectly normal, they're transgender, they're too tall, too short - it's just something I understand, y'know? And I want to help everyone be as beautiful as they want to be. Because really, everyone is - it took me a long time to realize how I could be happy with myself." The brunet raised his eyebrows and remarked,
"That's a rather incredible thing to say. I admire your conviction. But, you must admit, there are many flaws in that industry - I would daresay that many think it's working against them, not for them." Nagisa nodded, conceding to his point, but continued somewhat provocatively,
"Yeah, but there are flaws in law too - I mean, you could put away someone innocent." Rei flushed, chuckled at the reference to their earlier conversation, and murmured his acknowledgement of the fact. For a while more, they were silent - the older man would gingerly observe the other when he thought he wasn't looking, but Nagisa would claim his eye and refuse to look away. They would both smile flirtatiously, but after a moment proceeded to read over their menus. The blond almost felt like he was in high-school again, all at once sexually frustrated, shy, and innocently flirtatious - he thanked God for his matured sense of how to combine the three subtly like the echo of pepper in his wine. They played their little game with such focus that neither noticed the approach of their server, who had been sent to take their orders. They jumped at his presence and both grinned somewhat humbly. The men rapidly scanned their menus, far too entranced with one another to be romanced with food.
"You know, I think the calamari with those sauces sounds like a really good appetizer. What do you think?" Nagisa beamed at Rei, who murmured a confirmation. The waiter nodded. "And to start, let's see... I think I'll have the pear and blue cheese salad first and then... Well, what do you recommend to go with that? I'm kind of torn between the cabbage with miso and the pork stew." The server briefly considered the options and smoothly replied,
"I think the pork compliments the salad nicely - the meat is very tender and sweet. It's redone from a Filipino dish and one of my personal favorites." He nodded, replied with his consent, and they both glanced to Rei.
"I think I'd like the seafood amuse bouche to begin and the cabbage miso second," he responded concisely as the woman collected their menus and gracefully started towards the kitchens. As she left, Nagisa eagerly leaned towards the brunet.
"You should let me have a bite of that cabbage miso, it sounds delicious. Plus, miso soup is my favorite." Rei smiled indulgently at his date but said,
"Only if I can have some of the pork." He paused considerately and then proceeded, "Your name - Nagisa Hazuki. That's Japanese. Are you from there?" Nagisa, who had taken a sip of his wine, flipped his hand around as a temporary answer.
"I'm only a half - my dad was born there, but my mum is English," he disclosed. "Dad wanted me to learn Japanese in school and I lived there with him for a while, though, so I'm actually fluent. But I was born in Yorkshire." Rei gave an inclination of his head, and much to Nagisa's surprise, continued in Japanese,
"I was born in Japan, but we moved here when I was about seven. I've got dual citizenship, along with my parents and brother - though only my brother lives in Japan still." The blond's face grew delighted with this new development and he said,
"Really? That's so funny, how this turns out. But I wonder... Your brother - he isn't that basketball star called Ryuugazaki, is he?" Rei laughed and, somewhat exasperated, gave his assent.
"He is. He's about as insufferable as he looks, as well," he informed Nagisa, having switched back to English. The blond chuckled and joked,
"Tell me about it - I have to deal with three older siblings, but at least none of them are famous. Must be awful." The brunet chuckled, hair trembling with blues and violets in the low, diverse light, and the candle reflecting pleasantly in his eyes.
"He tried so hard to get me into basketball when we little. I ran track, though - he kept telling me it was for sissies and that I'd never get a girlfriend - turned out I never wanted one." He rolled his eyes at the faraway memories and Nagisa giggled as well.
"My sisters used to dress me up and put makeup on me - Mum was always furious with them! See, for me, when I grew up, they realized that I had better style than they ever did," he bragged triumphantly. Both laughed so richly that they had to wipe tears from their mirthful eyes. When they calmed themselves, Nagisa questioned, "So, where did you live when you moved here?"
"Essex," Rei replied, finishing off his wine. Elegantly, he took the bottle and refilled Nagisa's glass before topping off his own. "I guessed you were from up north," he commented inconsequentially as his date thanked him and drank. "You have a lovely way of speaking. I like listening to you." The blond thanked him just as their calamari dish arrived. It was artfully arranged on a rectangular platter, a smaller one with three varying sauces accompanying it. He gave his hands a delighted little clap and scooted forward to examine it.
"Ah, it smells so good!" he enthused. "I'm really hungry, too - I haven't really eaten since my coffee this afternoon. Let's see... I'll try the yellowish sauce and how about you go for the green one in the middle? Then we can both try the red one." He plucked a little calamari up and dipped it in the gold relish, tenderly bringing it up to his mouth for a bite. He sighed pleasantly. It held a tropical mango flavor that was entirely incredible with the warm, fresh seafood, seasoned with the sharp bite of an unidentifiable spice. Rei looked vaguely surprised by his and he asked of the brunet: "What's that? Is it good? Mine was mango - super tasty." Rei swallowed and replied,
"Lime. It's very good - you should try it."
"I will, but red one first, okay?" He snatched up another calamari and coated it in the red paste, and proceeded to munch at it. Unfortunately, he had to suppress a shudder at the taste - a hot taste was the first to register, followed by a sharp, leafy echo. He looked down at it - and as he suspected, it was made with peppers and onions.
"Oh, this is wonderful," Rei commented offhandedly before noticing the sour look upon his date's sweet face. "Is there something wrong?" he asked, voice rather taken aback.
"It has peppers and onions - two of my least favorites ever ," he explained, rinsing his mouth out with a gulp of water and another bite of the mango sauce to erase the aftertaste. "Okay, I need to try the green one now. No onions in that one, right?"
"No onions," Rei confirmed with amusement as Nagisa swept up another, this time with the lime sauce.
They finished their appetizer in good time, Rei having to eat all of the peppery one on his own, while the blond took the edge off of his hunger. They maintained pleasant conversation throughout, discovering more of the basics: the brunet was a fan of seafood, he worked in a large building about a ten minute's walk from the coffee shop they often visited, and he owned an apartment in the city. His neighbors had a toddler and a new baby that were rather cute, he supposed, but could be incredibly loud, given the chance - which was quite often. Nagisa, on the other hand, spoke of the people he saw on his bus route and the driver, who he found rather endearing. He spoke briefly of his friends and described the charming house he was renting that was just big enough to throw a party he'd been planning for the end of the month.
Before either had really realized, their meals had come and gone, and their server, had handed them the dessert menus. Rei protested that he was full, but Nagisa was insistent upon a dessert - at least to share. The brunet indulged him and they ordered a dark chocolate cake, drizzled in strawberry sauce with fresh fruit - likely the last of the season. Upon its arrival, the blond clapped exuberantly, eyes shining with complete and youthful delight so bright, that his date couldn't help but smile in return.
"Oh, this looks so good," he said, his mouth watering deliciously. His fork sunk into the cake softly, sliding along the moisturized surface with ease. When the first hint of a taste hit his tongue, he moaned passionately. "This is the best ever," he gushed with gusto.
"Let me have a bite," Rei requested. Thinking quickly, however, Nagisa didn't give him the other fork: he instead slipped his own in once more and held it out tantalizingly over the light of the candle for the brunet. His eyes, previously containing the glee of a child, now reflected a question that on the surface was innocence, but held strong undertones of an amorous air.
"Go ahead," he invited teasingly, reaching his foot over to the edge of Rei's pants again, repeating his earlier actions. Rei's face was a canvas for the florid color of embarrassment, not unlike a dozen roses for love. His eyebrows tucked in and with a tame tremble of the lips he clumsily leaned in, his eyes cast on the bite. He took it in his mouth and gave a firm tug to get it off of the utensil, awkwardly chewing and swallowing.
"'s quite good," he mumbled, face so warm that Nagisa could practically feel it from where he sat. The blond took another bite and hummed in satisfaction, both at the fact that Rei had taken the bait and that it was a delicious cake. He was uncharacteristically caught off guard however when, tentatively, the brunet raised his abashed head and muttered, "So sorry to bother... Um, might I have another bite?" He squirmed like a schoolboy in his chair and the blond used the situation to his advantage by enticingly laughing, drifting forward in his chair like the flutter of chiffon in the wind, and soundlessly holding another forkful of the chocolate cake. His foot now brushed the elder man's calf. His eyes daringly met Rei's and he nibbled at his plush lips. As Rei reached for it, the blond let his mouth part gingerly, with promise of a sweet intimation to stay cradled between the two of them. And though the brunet seemed rather daft when it came to romance, his date's radiant sensuality did not escape his notice.
These last few minutes in Amber Alley passed languidly, luxuriously behind the violet shade of the fabric, illuminated dimly by the rich gold of the candlelight. The blond was surprised that a small majority of the dessert was consumed by Rei, but being so close to him in and of itself was more enchanting than the meal. The brunet graciously paid for the meal when the time came, but neither one was quite ready to leave the other. And so, ever the cordial and proper gentleman, he allowed Nagisa to take his arm as they collected their belongings from the host and exited the restaurant for a stroll.
The chill of the night stung the blond's bare shoulders and he attempted to suppress a shiver as the water in the fountain before him glittered coldly, drops soaring to slap against his skin like translucent freckles.
"Haven't you got a coat?" Rei inquired incredulously, examining the state of his date. Nagisa shook his head, rolling his eyes at himself for not thinking to bring a shrug of some sort with him. "No matter," the brunet hummed, slipping his overcoat off, "this will do." And he took the large, woolen coat, and gently placed it upon the blond's shoulders, hands lingering there for quite some time. He grinning thankfully and wrapped his arms around Rei's.
"Should we take a walk?" he asked playfully, clinging to the older man's side. The man nodded affably and started off away from the fountain and towards the dark of the night. Stars spangled the sky, strung across like shimmering pearls. Even in this neighborhood, they seemed more elegant and distant than elsewhere: yet they remained beautiful. "Don't you think they're just gorgeous?" he sighed lovingly, gaze lost in the depths of the glistening light.
"They are," Rei settled softly. He swallowed and took a moment to collect himself and complimented stiffly, "But not so much as you." Nagisa dug his teeth into his lips to keep from laughing at the absurd formality, though his heart was absolutely tickled pink. He wouldn't have been surprised if the man had prepared that comment beforehand.
"Thank you," he replied, snuggling closer to him as a wind passed by. He lost a bit of his composure and allowed a wobbly, awkward smile. When his eyes, blue as the night, met Nagisa's, colored like the dawn, he found he could not look away. "You look really beautiful too," he reciprocated, placing a hand over his hot heart. His face grew colored like the sun kissing a cloud as it left, promising to return the next morn.
"Oh, well - I didn't make nearly as much as an effort as you," he deflected modestly. "I'm just another fellow in a three-piece suit, but you..." The blond followed his eyes as they caressed the curve of his hip, the soft ridge of his collarbone, and at last came to ponder his feathery, pink lips. "You truly are a wonder," he finished breathlessly, sounding endlessly more authentic than when he'd previously admired him. This time he was rendered quite speechless by the sincerity he revealed and his only response was to rest his head against his arm sweetly, simply for the sake of being close. Their conversation reached a lull, but Nagisa fathomed he'd never felt more comfortable with silence than he did at this point. They strolled pleasantly along the streets, the blushing red maples decorated in pretty lights along the way. He wasn't quite sure he knew where they were headed, but he was perfectly content to watch the path unfold before them. Under the dazzling stars and among the warm strings of lights, they were content and snug, despite the persisting chill of autumn.
They had walked a fair distance when Rei stopped and murmured, "My car's parked here. Do you need a ride home?"
"No, my friend said she'd come get me," he responded. Yet still, Nagisa didn't want to move away.
"I do have one last request, however," he proceeded formally, though timidity tainted his tone. The blond loosened his grip, but his hands only drifted downward and teased at Rei's fingers through the sleeve of the borrowed, woolly coat. The brunet, seizing his own opportunity in a rare show of confidence in his actions, firmly clasped his hand. Nagisa, like an easygoing wave, faced him, a delicate smile beginning to rise as he caught his date's eye. "I've been terribly selfish, whisking you to dinner so last minute," he reported, "but I hope you'll indulge my last whim - um, might it be all right - or rather... May I kiss you?"
"Okay," Nagisa consented, his creamy cheeks brushed by roses. Rei used his free arm to pull the little blond in close, but the younger man dropped his hand and caressed his neck, standing on the tip of his toes to reach him. With both hands free, the brunet was able to hold him in a tight embrace around the waist.
Their two lips met so tenderly halfway, but their bodies were locked in an electric shock as sharp as every star in the ink sky. They were chaste, but the kiss lasted so long, their faces hotter than any cup of coffee and Nagisa was convinced he could feel the rise of the heat on Rei's neck, but the other man could see his partner's pinkening ears, and they were delightful, under a blushing maple tree in the chill of an autumn night.