Chapter Twenty Five

Work was a haze. It was haze of mixing drinks and Nagisa's questions and the sound of good and bad singers ringing in Makoto's ears. Nagisa was his usual self and Makoto suggested at one point that his career path should change so that he could become a detective and interrogate criminals. He was so persistent it seemed a good option for the blond but that statement was deflected with another question and Makoto instead ignored Nagisa.

He had told his friend enough – that he and Sousuke had met again and they had talked. He wasn't going to break Sousuke's trust again by sharing his story with Nagisa. Nor was he going to reveal who Sousuke was. He was sure Nagisa would do no harm, he was a generally good-natured guy and Makoto couldn't see him doing anything to hurt Sousuke anymore. But then Nagisa talked a lot and did so with a carefree attitude that even Makoto, who was pretty much an open book, thought was too free and easy. So he didn't say much.

Haru hadn't said much either in their brief "bump" into each other in the apartment. He was going out as Makoto was leaving and their conversation had amounted to "left-overs in the fridge" from Haru and a "thanks" from Makoto. As he'd found some fried rice and vegetables with squid, Makoto had smiled as now that things seemed more resolved with Sousuke, he might actually start eating normally again and start to look after himself like he'd not been doing. Least Haru had done some of the looking after him that Makoto apparently needed.

He needed to talk to Haru, Makoto thought, as at least Haru wouldn't talk and he could talk through everything and how he felt without judgement. Or perhaps some judgement but at least without fear of it being broadcast to the world. And to lose Sousuke's trust.

Makoto was glad that it was nearly the end of his shift as he made a Jack Daniels and coke, as he was tired and distracted spilling some liquor on the bar and missing the glass entirely. He mumbled a "sorry" to the customer and poured another, cleaning down the bar with a rag once they'd disappeared, seemingly muttering under their breath some annoyance at Makoto's seeming incompetence. He was tempted to say something – as despite the fact Makoto usually went with the "customer is always right" motto and was a generally good-natured guy, he felt annoyed at the petty mumbled comments. As Makoto had rectified it. He had poured another drink without question.

"Want me to beat him up?"

Makoto looked up then from where he'd been cleaning down the bar and he saw Sousuke leaning against the polished surface, a small smile on his face. The shock Makoto felt was probably easily read on his face as Sousuke raised one eyebrow in question to which Makoto's answer was muttered under his breath.

"We said… tomorrow."

"It'll be tomorrow in less than ten minutes," Sousuke responded with a hint of sarcasm and Makoto could only agree as yes, it was nearly tomorrow.

"I finish at 12:30am," Makoto said and he could almost feel Nagisa's excited bobbing up and down on the balls of his feet at seeing their potential romance turn out somewhat successfully. And Sousuke seemed to be glancing over Makoto's shoulder at whatever Nagisa was doing. But he ignored that.

"I'll sing. And get me a beer."

Makoto nodded and then smiled broadly, finding a beer like he'd seen Sousuke drink before, opening it and passing it over. He watched as Sousuke handed over money, the way their hands touched, brief but perfect and Makoto's eyes narrowed as Sousuke wrapped his lips around the beer bottle, the sight making Makoto flush, hot and flustered remembering how those lips had felt on his body, the memories on his skin. Maybe Sousuke saw Makoto's blush as he shot a cocky glance over his shoulder as he walked towards the machine, preparing to pick his song.

"Are you… together?" asked a voice, suddenly directly at Makoto's ear.

Which was an impressive feat for Nagisa as Makoto was considerably taller than his blond friend but it appeared Nagisa was stood on a box to whisper.

"I'm not sure…" Makoto said, his voice far off as he watched Sousuke.

Watched him joking with the DJ who helped run the karaoke night and the main stage as he picked his song. As he did so Makoto's eyes scanned Sousuke's body and the way his muscles seemed to flex in the thin vintage material and he felt a thrill of anticipation he'd not felt since the misguided night with Kisumi. But it was different. Kisumi was about familiarity, about it being easy and Sousuke… was something else entirely.

When the girl prior to Sousuke finished, a long note held and her voice finally trailing off, Sousuke hopped onto the stage and Makoto leaned against the bar, his elbow on the shined surface and his chin in his open palm. Nagisa flashed a smile his way at his inattention and served the only waiting customer as Makoto listened.

The song Sousuke had chosen was still in the same rocky vibe he always seemed to prefer. Or maybe it was what suited him. The deep timbre of his voice, the resonance and pitch but whatever the reason, it was a rock song with a slight melancholy edge and Sousuke seemed to be singing it from somewhere deep inside. Makoto didn't want to be clichéd but if he'd ever heard someone singing from their heart, Sousuke was right now and while Sousuke wasn't really looking at him often, Makoto still felt it was somehow for him.

As much as Makoto wanted to leave as soon as Sousuke was done, he needed to complete his shift and Sousuke finished his beer, sitting at a table near the stage and watching the other singers, occasionally offering a wave and a wink in Makoto's direction. It was only half an hour longer that Makoto had to work but it was a torturous half an hour where he seemed to pick all the wrong bottles and spend his time apologising. It seemed he'd become a flustered mess and even Nagisa had noticed, checking he was okay to which Makoto confirmed he was. If he'd not missed so much work, Makoto would've left early but he knew he was being scrutinised and he more than deserved that after the amount of missed shifts.

When it finally did draw to a close, he waved at Sousuke who downed whatever was left in his beer bottle and Makoto went to grab his hoodie from the lockers, throwing it over the vest and white shirt combo and when he returned Sousuke was actually talking to Nagisa and Makoto was worried about the conversation. Very worried.

"Nagisa tells me we have fans."

Makoto blinked in confusion before remembering the fact people had been debating their relationship on social media and he nodded. "Yeah…so I hear…"

Nagisa was about to explain when Sousuke interrupted him, saying that he needed to walk Makoto home and Makoto didn't dispute that as they left the Penguin Club and started walking together. It wasn't too far away to Makoto and Haru's apartment but it was far quicker to take the metro. However, it seemed that Sousuke wanted to walk and Makoto could perhaps figure out why. It was a cold night but there was no bitter wind and even through the bright city lights of Tokyo there were some stars visible. It wasn't like Iwatobi where an evening stroll would reveal the beauty of the night sky, the stars shining and twinkling in constellations but it was still peaceful as their strides matched and they walked comfortably alongside one another.

"I…" Sousuke started and Makoto glanced over. Once they'd stepped outside, Sousuke had put a black and grey slouchy beanie hat on and he had a thick chunky scarf, the two keeping him warm and looking effortlessly stylish and Makoto smiled, burying his nose into his hoodie. "You over this… ex?"

"Kisumi," Makoto said so Sousuke knew his name. "Yeah… me and Kisumi are friends. We grew up together, our siblings play together and it… it was with him I understood that I liked boys. That it was okay to. That first time we kissed… well, it made me feel normal."

Makoto laughed softly and grabbed for the hood of his sweater pulling it over his head to alleviate some of the chill from his ears. He remembered that first kiss, they must've been twelve or thirteen and while other boys had started noticing girls, Makoto had started noticing how he appreciated the dip of the "V" of other guy's hipbones and the way his classmates muscles rippled when they ran. It would've been scary if not for Kisumi, if not for that first kiss, hurried and sloppy and very very bad but Makoto had to be grateful for his open, honest friend and he still was.

"He's important to me and when I went back… after us… he was there like he's always been," Makoto continued and then mumbled, "like he always is… but I don't love him as anything more than a friend."

The end of his sentence hurried out and he heard Sousuke grunt softly in answer.

"What about you and Rin? You seem… close."

"We're like brothers… but yeah, things happened once or twice."

Makoto looked at Sousuke then, seeing his face in profile in the gleam of the streetlights they passed by.

Sousuke shook his head and met Makoto's eye. "It was a long time ago, Makoto. It was around the time I was getting back at my dad and we knew Rin's dead was dying… It never went very far and it never felt right, you know? But sometimes it stopped things hurting for a while."

"And you're still friends?"

"Always will be… and nothing more… we just forget the whole jacking each other off thing."

There was a smile on Sousuke's face and Makoto decided he liked it, liked it enough to grab for Sousuke's arm and drag him forward, their lips meeting and sliding together, their kiss slick and open mouthed with tongues and nips of teeth. The memories of Kisumi needed putting to bed, as did any recollections of times with Rin or with the mysterious guy who'd betrayed Sousuke so Makoto kissed with a heat and fervour and lust he'd not known himself capable of. He didn't care that it was cold, the move of their mouths was hot enough as they pressed their bodies together, hands grabbing clothes and holding on for dear life.

When Makoto pulled back, he felt the glassiness of his own eyes, the way his mouth was wet from both of their saliva and he saw Sousuke's eyes droopy and content, the twinkle of lust as they looked at each other.

"Am I seriously a better kisser than Kisumi?" Sousuke asked.

Makoto nodded and pecked at Sousuke's wet lips, licking at them before he backed off again.

"Maybe I need to find out if I'm better at hand jobs -"

Sousuke's hand covered Makoto's mouth then, stopping him from completing the sentence. He responded by licking his tongue across the palm, twirling the tip teasingly and he heard Sousuke groan at the sensation. The hand was then removed and fierce lips were back on Makoto's, the kiss making Makoto moan helplessly and hold on tight to Sousuke's shoulders.

The cold of the night was gone there was only the heat of lust, thrumming through Makoto's skin and it was not like the poolside with Kisumi – it was deeper, a need that Makoto couldn't control as he kissed back with the same ferocity.

"Stay the night… with me," Makoto whispered when their kiss stalled and a breath was needed.

A hand went to Makoto's cheek, the touch gentle and Makoto leaned into it, his eyes closing at the sensation.

"Yeah… I want us to forget everyone else… tonight it's just us."

Makoto opened his eyes and nodded. There would be no more talk of pasts and histories, no exes or betrayals and with lust filled impatience, they made their way back to Makoto's apartment, Makoto sincerely hoping that Haru wasn't home.