Chapter Nine

It didn't look much from the outside. Though it was more reassuring to Makoto than some of the places they walked by. Makoto felt wide eyed and naïve as they walked past the various billboards and establishments, keeping close to Sousuke as they went through the busy bustling night. There was loud music everywhere and Makoto knew he was staring but he just wasn't used to this kind of place. He wondered if Sousuke had realised quite how naïve he was, how much of a small town boy he'd been and how this was an eye opening experience for him.

The place they went into had a large heavy set guy outside it who simply nodded to Sousuke and let him walk down a set of stairs into what appeared to a basement. There were shops above, a store that seemed to sell fake designer knock offs but as they walked down a thin staircase, Makoto heard the sound of a live band and it became clearer where they were going to as they descended. The walls were covered in posters, flyers and stickers as though year's worth of them had been pasted on, over and over again. Makoto ran his fingers over them, feeling the roughness until he got to the bottom of the stairs.

There Makoto saw that the actual place was a small bar with a stage prominent. More posters and flyers covered the walls here for bands and movies from years ago and the floor felt sticky under Makoto's feet. Sousuke walked towards the bar, the guy behind it with flame red giving him a small salute as he bent down to get a drink, obviously knowing Sousuke's preferred brand of beer as one was placed on the surface of the bar before Sousuke had even arrived at it.

"Another," Sousuke said, his head indicating Makoto and the guy placed another down on the bar.

Sousuke turned to lean against the wooden old surface and took a sip and Makoto followed suit looking up to see even the ceiling was covered by those stickers and posters and flyers too. It seemed like the place had history and he wondered why Sousuke had brought him here. He took a sip of his beer and unzipped Sousuke's hoodie as despite the temperature outside, the bar felt warm and he removed it, placing it on a stool.

Makoto let his eyes drift towards the stage where the band was playing. He couldn't tell if it was original music or covers as Makoto wasn't really into music – he didn't have time and all he seemed to hear in his day to day life was bad karaoke versions of current popular songs but it sounded good to even his untrained ear. He wondered what Rei's analysis would say and snorted under his breath.

"Something funny?" Sousuke asked and Makoto hadn't realised how loud his snort had been.

"No," he answered, taking a swig of beer to hide his embarrassment.

The song finished and one of the guys in the band was talking, thanking the crowd. There weren't that many people in the bar but enough for some to be standing close and some to be clapping and cheering as he spoke. He guessed whoever they were, they had a small following and a few "fans" who enjoyed their music. Makoto was barely listening to the guy when suddenly he felt Sousuke stiffen beside him.

"… and it seems like our old friend has decided to grace us with his presence so let's get him up here… Sousuke…"

Sousuke held up his hands in a way that said "no" and Makoto glanced wide eyed between Sousuke and the guy on the stage. The guy smiled and shook his head.

"No… we want him up here, right?" he said and the crowd confirmed that with some cheers.

It seemed that Sousuke felt awkward as the crowd turned towards him, a sense of heightened anticipation in the room.

"Sousuke… for one song… please?"

The crowd started a chant of "Sousuke" and Makoto watched as he downed his beer in a gulp that made his throat move in a way that Makoto found oddly erotic or maybe it was the way his lips wrapped around the bottle. Whichever it was, it didn't matter as he slammed the bottle down on the bar and walked towards the stage with a determined walk that almost had a hint of swagger as the crowd chanted his name. It was like Sousuke was the conquering hero – returning from a long battle or absence and the crowd were celebrating that as best as they could – with loud cheers to make him feel welcomed and special again.

Makoto watched as Sousuke hopped up onto the stage and then he seemed to whisper some instruction to the lead singer who had teased him to come up. It couldn't be heard and then the other guy nodded, his arm gesturing to the band and soon everyone else left the stage as Sousuke was handed an acoustic guitar.

He took a moment, the crowd no longer chanting his name and his hand strummed gently against the strings, his fingers delicately testing out the instrument and he then moved his hand to the mic stand, positioning it up so it was at his mouth height. Makoto could feel an anticipation in the whole place, a hushed reverent silence that was only broken by the hammering of Makoto's own heart in his chest. He turned when he saw the red haired guy behind the bar lean over as though the get a better look and he whispered in a hushed tone to Makoto.

"It's been a long time since anyone persuaded him to play."

Makoto knitted his brows and wanted to ask why but Sousuke coughed into the microphone as though testing it and ran a hand through his hair, it sticking up in response at angles.

"This is an old favourite…" he said, his voice low and smooth and he started strumming the strings of the guitar, the melody dramatic and… beautiful.

He knew Sousuke had a great voice – he'd heard it in the karaoke club but when he was stood alone, stripped bare on a simple stage it was something entirely different. Makoto watched the way his eyes closed slightly, the way his fingers seemed to know instinctively what he was doing and when he finally opened his mouth to sing, Makoto felt something in his gut twitch that was hard to explain. It was a connection of some kind and he couldn't place that feeling, only watch the way Sousuke looked as he sang.

The song was mostly in English and Makoto had always been a little bad at it as much as he tried so he didn't understand the words but he understood the tone, the meaning, the feelings. It didn't matter about language when he heard Sousuke's voice raw and pure, the gentle acoustic guitar complimenting the slight rough tone to his voice. He wondered what Rei would think – what he would critique as Sousuke sang but while it was perhaps not technically "beautiful" there was a unique quality to Sousuke's song that made Makoto shiver when he hit certain notes.

There was a hushed tone to the club and Makoto saw a few people had cell phones out, recording the show or they had their torches lit up as they swayed their arms to the time of the song. And despite the gritty location, the sticky floors and the walls covered in flyers, posters and old stickers, it seemed oddly ethereal. Out of step with the red light district outside.

Makoto kept his eye on Sousuke for most of the song, seeing his rolled sleeves exposing some of his ink, green eyes narrowing to try and figure out what he wore around his neck as he simply stood and sung, his fingers gently strumming the strings. Staring at the way Sousuke performed, Makoto couldn't help wondering what those fingers would feel like on his skin, the way their lips would feel crushed together rather than in a gentle press and he dampened down his libido as best as he could, finishing his beer to distract.

When Sousuke finished, he was awarded by a loud cheer and claps, the band coming back onto the stage and slapping him on the back and Makoto saw him wince which he guessed was from the tattoos still healing on his skin.

"Sure you won't stay for one more?"

Sousuke shook his head and said a quiet "thank you" into the mic before he hopped down from the stage, walking towards the bar and Makoto.

"Water," he asked for and the guy behind the bar provided one after a moment of gawping.

"Never thought we'd see you back, Sousuke," he said as he handed it over.

"One and only, Momo."

Makoto watched him drink the water, noticing the light sheen of sweat on his face and the way it made his hair cling to his forehead. "That was…" Makoto began and Sousuke finished drinking and gave a smile, cocking his head.

"I'm a little rough. Long time since I played."

"No… it was incredible."

Instead of meeting Makoto's eye, Sousuke looked down to the floor and then back up to where Makoto had placed his hoodie, grabbing it and Makoto refused it this time – more concerned about Sousuke getting cold due to the sweat.

"It wasn't anything," Sousuke said finally and though Makoto wanted to dispute that as the hairs on the back of his neck had stood up due to the power of Sousuke's voice, he didn't get time as a few people were wanting to talk to him and soon Makoto was stood on the side lines as Sousuke attempted to leave.

A few people wanted selfies with him and Makoto really did wonder what Sousuke's past was to make this one little performance be such a big deal. They managed to get away, Sousuke extracting himself from an enthusiastic girl hugging him tightly, Sousuke showing a grimace of pain as she must've hurt the barely finished tattoos.

Once they were outside, Makoto regretted opting for Sousuke to have back his hoodie as he shivered but he tried to hide that and Sousuke seemed somewhat preoccupied as they walked back towards the station.

"It's not just a red light district," Sousuke said after a while and though Makoto could see all the sex related industries he understood that the area was also used as a place for alternative and underground talent. Like Sousuke.

"Why don't you sing… like that all the time?" Makoto asked and Sousuke's usually open posture suddenly appeared defensive.

"I just… don't."

The way he spoke, harsh and bitter said something more and Makoto wanted to draw it out of him but they were at the station, going underground and the rest of the journey was quiet.

"I'll take you home," Sousuke had said and Makoto felt like protesting as he was more than capable, a big boy and he could look after himself but there was an intensity to Sousuke's eyes that made Makoto nod and agree.

Instead of standing on the train, they sat together and Makoto was conscious of the press of their legs together, the feel of Sousuke's hoodie and he was tempted to lean and burying his face in the warmth of the material but didn't. When they arrived at Makoto's stop, they left the empty carriage, walking side by side slowly as the ascended the stairs and Makoto had so much he wanted to ask and so much he wanted to say but all the words jumbled in his head.

He was tired and it had been an intense day as they walked to the building that Makoto lived in, Sousuke walking him all the way to the apartment door. Makoto wondered if he expected to be invited in and he wondered what Haru's policy would be on bringing "company" back to their shared space but it seemed like Sousuke wasn't going to press that.

"It really was incredible," Makoto said as he stood against the door to his apartment, feeling the cool surface against his back. "I don't understand - "

His words were cut off and suddenly, Sousuke's arm was on his bicep, his eyes level with Makoto's as if asking him to stop with this line of questioning. The move had been a little aggressive but it jolted Makoto more than shocked him.

"I just… can't, okay?"

The look in those eyes was conflicted and that close, Makoto could smell cologne and beer and hints of cigarettes and he licked at his own bottom lip, suddenly impossibly dry. And a second later Sousuke's lips were on his, his tongue licking over where his own had trailed and then thrusting into Makoto's mouth. Moaning, grounding himself to Sousuke by grabbing for the thick hoodie, Makoto kissed back with the same fierceness, his tongue twining and swirling with Sousuke's. It felt hot and tasted of bad beer but Makoto didn't care as he let a hand caress at Sousuke's hair and his hand gripped tighter on his shoulder.

But Makoto had to push back otherwise he was going to fuck some guy against his apartment door and as much as a part of him wanted Sousuke – wanted him badly, it was too damn soon and too damn much and Makoto pushed against Sousuke's chest hearing him grunt in pain. He'd pushed on the newly inked tattoos and it hurt.

"I'll go," Sousuke said, stepping back and brushing a hand through his hair that seemed an awkward habit. "I'll call… it's just…too soon…"

Sousuke didn't finish what he was saying as he turned, walking away at a pace that became a jog and Makoto leaned back against the door, wiping the back of his hand against his mouth to remove the traces of the kiss.

"What…?" Makoto said out loud and banged the back of his head against the door, the move loud enough so that he heard movement from inside the apartment.

He unlocked the door and went inside, unsurprised to see Haru there on the couch drinking steaming tea. Haru looked in his direction but Makoto didn't know what to say and he walked towards his own room, slamming his door a little harder than necessary as he didn't want to talk about it, only wanted to remember the high of the kiss and the sound of Sousuke's voice.