Sorry it's been a while since I updated, but I started a new job so I'm a little packed. But we are in the homestretch for this story! yay! :D I'm thinking about three or four more chaps ish.
On another note, this story has officially become my most popular! We are just shy of 3,000 hits just for this month! 8D
*bows * thank you all so much for your reading, reviews, and support of Yuuism. I am deeply grateful! ^_^
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TBF101
Always
Chapter Sixteen: Cutie Pie
"Welcome back Araki-kun!" The four female assistants cheered as a familiar blonde walked quietly into the workroom. The girls smiled brightly at Hisashi, and to their utter shock, he smiled back.
"Thank you," He replied, his wide blue eyes like the lapping waves of a beach. The blonde took his seat and leaned down to pull his tools out of his bag. While his gaze was averted, Yuka gave a look to the other three girls that said, "OH MY GOD! What the hell?" To which Ritsuka replied with a shrug that said, "Dude I don't care. He's fucking adorable! Let's take full advantage of this!"
Or something along those lines.
The other assistants shifted back in their seats and whistled innocently as Hisashi sat back up, but their sharp eyes swept over the specialist several dozen times, and the more they saw, the more they were amazed.
The "normal" every day Hisashi was an anorexic, stone faced, anti social, coffee chugger who barely ate and wore the same exact baggy clothes every day. He never made small talk, and when he was asked a question, he answered succinctly and perfunctorily.
The Hisashi that entered today was significantly different. His face was still calm and reserved, but fuller and brighter, his mouth shifting into a wider range of expressions. But what the girl mainly noticed was that he wasn't wearing that tent of an old hoodie today, but a fitted military green jacket that cut just above his trim jeans and brown belt.
Underneath the table, the assistants quickly checked the pulses in their wrists, convinced that they had somehow died and gone to cute half-German heaven. After confirming they were indeed still alive, they again exchanged glances and tried to conjure up logical explanations (gossip) for the visible change.
Hisashi had been gone all week since he was acting as Rurouri Renaka's chaperone, and seeing as how they were acquainted, they reasoned that it was plausible the time spent with her had been beneficial to his vapid demeanor.
But they were only half right.
"Morning," A cool voice called from the ajar door. Yuu Yanase sauntered in a little more slickly than usual, a whisper of a smirk at his lips.
"Good morning," The females echoed automatically. Yuu nodded in their direction, then stopped right in front of the blonde's chair.
"Good morning Araki-kun," Yuu purred subtly. Hisashi's blue eyes darted up and met Yuu's crimson orbs, both gazes softening.
"Good morning Yanase-kun," Hisashi murmured back, his eyes circling as Yuu walked around the table to his own seat. Yuu sat down, but his eyes flickered back to the blue orbs that had followed him.
"Araki-kun?"
Hisashi flinched, looking and realizing that all the girls were staring at him.
"Uh..yeah?" He replied slowly.
"Are you okay?" Yuka asked. "Your face is turning red."
Hisashi's eyes widened and the pinkish hue of his cheeks bumped a notch towards scarlet.
"Must—Must just be the weather. It's pretty cold today." He murmured, hurriedly leaning down to get something imaginary out of his bag.
A slight smirk ghosted across Yuu's lips as he saw his blonde boy toy stutter for an entirely different reason than uncomfortable events from his past. The reddish brunette felt a rush of heat too, but in an entirely different region, and it was he could do not to chuckle at the situation.
The day past quite quickly for some, but painfully slow for others. While a certain someone had been more than a little amused, Hisashi had been subtly touching his face all day to assure himself that he wasn't blushing at Yuu's (numerous) naughty winks. After being dismissed by Ijuiin, Hisashi had briskly gone out of the room, claiming he was going to grab a cold coffee before he left for the day. As soon as he had fled, the girls' heads had gathered in a circle of conspiracy, where they proceeded to squee about the assisting cutie pie.
"Mitsuki," Yuka said after a few minutes of heated whispering. "You should just ASK. Just do it!"
"I don't know," the girl replied, puckering up her lips in a pouty face.
"Ask him what?"
All the girls immediately turned to Yuu, who was leaning casually against the table with his coat in hand. The girls flushed, but Ritsuka finally spilled the beans.
"Yanase-kun, do you know if Araki-kun is seeing anyone? Like…romantically?"
Garnet eyes stared impassively at the four, but it was all Yuu could do not to grin.
"Why would you want to date him?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because he's CUTE." Yuka replied indignantly.
Yuu raised the other eyebrow.
"He's bad tempered, anti social, coffee drinking bag of issues. So what if he's cute?"
"What exactly are you saying Yanase?" Mitsuki growled, lifting her nose.
Yanase threw his coat over his shoulder, shrugging his bag on.
"I'm saying: you couldn't handle him."
Four mouths dropped simultaneously and stared at Yuu as he headed for the door. But right before he shut it behind him, he turned back one last time.
"And by the way, you don't need to ask. He's taken."
After making the most epic exit of the century (just another week in the life of Yuu Yanase), the brunette walked/strutted over to the coffee machines hidden around the corner at the end of the hall, where he found Hisashi staring blankly at the buttons on the machine with a somewhat flustered gaze.
Not one to pass up a golden opportunity, Yuu crept up behind the blonde and blew lightly on his neck.
"Ah!" Hisashi yelped and whirled around, only to blush brighter than a cherry tootsie pop as he saw who it was.
But his face quickly hardened at Yuu's smirk.
"Yuu!" He hissed angrily, his lips tightening. But the glare of such an irresistible uke only made Yuu smile wider. But even still, he wasn't an ass.
"Sorry," He murmured, giving Hisashi a quick peck on his temple. The blonde let out an exasperated sigh and turned back around to the vending machine, his pointer finger tracing along the panel of buttons as he tried to decide what drink he wanted. But as Yuu waited for him to make his selection, his eyes wandered musingly.
Hisashi slid a hundred yen into the slot and was about to punch the button, when a strikingly familiar body pressed him against the glass. He froze, completely petrified as he felt a warm hand slide tantalizingly down his shoulders, lower back, and all the way down to his backside.
"You know," Yuu murmured into his ear. "Atsushi was a great man. And I greatly admire his self restraint."
Hisashi swallowed, his pointer finger frozen in midair.
"What…do you mean?"
Yuu planted another kiss on the blonde's thin neck.
"I don't know how he kept himself from topping you. You have the cutest ass I've ever seen." The brunette cooed, squeezing Hisashi's butt for emphasis. An even thicker flush fell on Hisashi's pale skin as his boyfriend shamelessly groped him in the building where they both worked down the hall from their fellow employees and incredibly well known boss.
The blonde (once he had regained his senses), darted around, completely taken aback by the raw advances of the suave brunette. He stared into Yuu's striking, predatory eyes, and found that no rebuke was at his call.
Still smiling with the greatest of ease, Yuu reached past the blonde and punched the button on the machine before kneeling down and grabbing the dispensed drink out of the container. He then snaked an arm around Hisashi's waist and started tugging him towards the elevator.
"Come on cutie," Yuu chuckled. "Let's go over to my place and fuck on the couch."
The blonde followed, far too stunned to disagree.
"Sensei, I have those references you requested," The golden haired Kirishima announced as he stepped into Ijuiin's office. The raven-haired mangaka was sitting rather miserably in his desk chair, slumped like a piece of cooked spaghetti.
"Thanks…" He muttered.
Kirishima glanced at him, leaning against the desk.
"Rough day?"
Ijuiin moaned.
"You have no idea."
Kirishima picked up the mangaka's edited storyboard and began to scan it with knowing eyes.
"What's the matter? The deadline bothering you?"
"Doesn't it always?"
The golden-haired editor smiled.
"Don't worry. You'll make it. You always do."
The mangaka rolled his eyes.
"Whatever."
Kirishima narrowed his eyes.
"Is something else bothering you Sensei?"
Ijuiin snorted so hard the stapler almost shot up his nose.
"Ya' reallllly wanna know? Two of my assistants are sleeping together."
The editor's eyebrows shot up.
"Which ones? Is it Yanase and one of the girls?"
The mangaka rested his chin on his propped elbows, almost finding the situation funny.
"Nope. It's Yanase and Araki."
Kirishima's eyebrows hit the ceiling, but he had a wide grin on his face.
"Really? Oh my god." He laughed.
Ijuiin smiled musingly.
"Yep."
Kirishima laughed harder.
"Wow, I didn't think Araki had it in him." But the editor glanced oddly at his charge. "So why is this bothering you?"
"Oh no reason," The mangaka sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Seeing those two together just made this single guy a little wistful."
Kirishima smiled thoughtfully.
"I can understand that. Feelings and people can be tricky sometimes."
Knock Knock.
"Come in." Ijuiin muttered.
"Umm, pardon the intrusion Ijuiin-sensei, but I have some fan mail for you."
Kirishima nearly laughed again as Ijuiin's eyes lit up at the sight of a sheepish brunette with large green eyes padding into the office.
"Oh Takahashi-kun, thank you very much." The mangaka smiled, his handsome face lighting up. The part timer smiled eagerly back and exited the office with a spring in his step. Kirishima snorted under his breath as he noticed Ijuiin leaned casually back in his seat, a musing smile at his lips. The editor was about to comment when he heard a somewhat familiar sound thumping down the hall.
A second later the door flew open, revealing a large, angry man with black hair and a scowl worthy of the sales department. But a brief look of shock passed over Yokozawa's face as he saw Kirishima as well as Ijuiin.
The editor just smiled, knowing exactly how the mangaka was feeling.
Next chapter's gonna be citrusy so stick around ;)
A lot of you are really taking to my OC's and it makes me happy to know that they are well loved. Before I write, I develop a mindset in my head of what the character is like, and to help me with that I usually listen (obsessively) to music.
So here is a playlist of the songs I had on repeat while I was coming up with the concept and history of Hisashi Araki. Enjoy :)
(and yes, I am aware that I listen to fucking weird music. that's just the way I roll)
Hisashi's Playlist
Your Ghost- Kristin Hersh
Jar of Hearts- Christina Perri
Promise- CocoRosie
Ashes on your eyes- Deb Talan
Trouble- Cat Stevens
Heartbreak- M'Black
Possession- Sarah McLachlan
Never Alone- Barlow Girl
I need some sleep- The Eels
Beautiful Boyz- CocoRosie
Behind Blue eyes- The Who
Angels Fall First- Nightwish
Tears from the moon- Conjure One
Brothers Under the Sun- Bryan Adams
By your side- CocoRosie