A Cup of Lust, Beauty and Affairs
Summary:Taichi, a photographer and artist fascinated by the beauty of the world, becomes captivated by the beauty of a customer at his parent's coffee shop. Innocent desires soon blaze into an unforgettable, insatiable affair. (Taito)
D-Angel:Hi guys :) Hope I didn't leave you hanging for too long on the cliffs. As always, here are my responses/shout outs to the lovely reviewers;
Krad- Here it is :D
Roman -I am mean, luckily you didn't have to wait too long!
Dragon77- No problem, hope you enjoy this chappy too :)
Angelfish369- Hehe, can't clarify about Takumi's interest yet, well, not until you've read this chapter, lol. Can't spoil it for others, hoho. I'm sure everyone has guessed by now to be honest. I've decided not to get too graphic with the naughty scenes in this story, but that still doesn't mean I can't make them hawt. And yeah, Yama in glasses and a hoody! Cuteness extreme :D
Dark Sorcerer of Fire- Thanks for the get well soon message :) I'm sorry to hear you're grounded, but good on you for sneaking out to an internet cafe! That's dedication and I appreciate it. Bwah, I know, I wonder what Yamato's reaction will be too, hehe.
PinkBrideGoneBad - -Hands you Chapter 12-
VK Tatsuya - Aww, thanks :) I do write as best I can for my fans / readers. Definitely stick around, plenty of drama is to follow, hehe.
Big thanks as well to everyone else who read the last chapter, and to those who have sent me PMs :D I literally sqwee out loud everytime I receive one, lol. There's one or two I haven't got around to replying to yet, but I will get back to you today hopefully :)
Read on and enjoy people.
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Chapter 12 - Soul Shattering Truths
'I'm a suspect, I'm a traitor, I'm only here in body visiting.'
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My finger nails scratched against the underside of the counter as Makoto clambered onto one of the stools, his eyes burning with detestation. It was blatant that he had followed Yamato here, and it was easy to label someone who obsessively stalked others. This conversation was not going to be fun.
"It's simple really," Makoto began, resting his arms against the counter, "you listen to what I'm about to say, and I'll let you walk out of here without any trouble; with the simple conclusion that you stay the fuck away from Yamato."
This guy sure had some nerve, barging into my parents' coffee shop at this time of night to try and intimidate me.
"Pardon?" I tilted my head to the side.
"Did I stutter?" Makoto replied, agitated.
"No, but you're being a tad rude," I said, pushing myself away from the counter, deciding I should just turn off the lights and leave, locking him in here for my parents to deal with tomorrow morning.
"Tokyo's a pretty huge place filled with a lot of single men- so why did you pick Yamato?"
I spun around just as my finger was about to press against the light switch, my eyebrows knitted together as I held back a chuckle of disbelief. Slowly, I started to walk back towards the counter.
"You think I…"
"You must have saw his engagement ring?" Makoto intercepted, looking down at his own ring finger. His head shot back up to stare at me, accusingly, as if I was to blame for every worldwide natural disaster.
"I didn't expect anything to happen," I stated, rubbing my hand against the back of my neck. Makoto snorted loudly in disbelief as he shook his head from side to side.
I frowned once more. I was so desperate to protest that I was being truthful, despite I knew I would be fighting a losing battle. Sure, I may have wanted something to happen with Yamato, but I knew things would be taboo from the start if I started an affair with him, and that was the truth. I'd waited until Yamato had made the first move; that night when he kissed me on the beach.
Perhaps I should have told him then and there that it would be a bad idea, but I guess I was just too enthralled by his beauty and mystic aura to care what the consequences would be.
"Do you make a habit of this?" Makoto asked, continuing his onslaught of verbal assault.
"Of what?"
"Fucking guys who aren't yours?" The venom in his voice suggested that his vendetta went way beyond his apparent dislike for me sleeping with Yamato behind Sora's back. There were several more layers of reasoning behind his resentment, however I knew he was the kind of guy who wouldn't reveal them so easily- at least, not without the right amount of persuasion.
"What's your problem?" I snapped, slamming my hand against the counter and startling him somewhat. I don't think he had anticipated I wouldn't go down without a fight.
He scratched the crown of his head then peered at me demeaningly through his glasses. "Isn't it obvious? Why can't you just stay away from Yamato? You have no idea what damage you're causing…"
"Damage?" I echoed in disbelief. How hypocritical coming from him. Surely through his continuing persistence of telling Yamato to stop seeing me, he was overlooking the obvious fact that Yamato was unhappy with Sora? By doing this he too was causing damage to their welfare.
"What damage am I doing exactly? Yamato's already told me that his relationship with Sora isn't exactly peachy…"
Makoto cut me off, again.
"Oh sorry, I wasn't aware that made it ok for you to sleep with him." The sarcasm rolled off his tongue so naturally. He placed the palms of his hands against the marbled surface of the counter and adopted a more serious tone. "Why won't you back off and let them work it out?"
My defensive stance almost collapsed, I leant against the side of the counter for support. Despite knowing it was the morally correct thing to do, I couldn't force myself to stop seeing Yamato.
"It's not that easy," I said through gritted teeth, "you can't expect me to…"
"Stop pretending that you've fallen for him." Makoto harshly interrupted me, delivering his words with a dose of patronisation. "It's just lust- an illusion- and it'll fade soon enough, just like a rainbow."
"You're full of crap, you know that?" I growled; he knew all too well he was striking a nerve.
"Oh, am I? Ever looked at yourself? You're sleeping with a man who's to be married, yet you try and justify yourself. It's pathetic."
Makoto's words stabbed straight through my chest. I placed my hand against my abdomen, as if to stop the bleeding leaking out from the metaphorical wound.
"That's the guilt," Makoto announced as he monitored my motions. "Your conscience is screaming that you're doing something wrong - listen to it and stop seeing Yamato." A simple sly smirk appeared on his face. "You'll have to someday."
Removing my hand from my stomach, firmly shook my head and narrowed my eyes.
"No, not now, I can't, and I don't care how 'pathetic' it makes me look by admitting it." I was shaking from head to toe with rage. Leaning across the barrier between us, I gazed directly into his angry eyes, seeing my own irate expression within the reflection of his glasses. "I'll refuse to let Yamato go, until he tells me that he wants to end it."
I anticipated a fist in my face or even his hands to wrap around my neck, and I was more than ready to fight back. For Makoto though, words spoke louder than actions.
"Irrational and stubborn- Matt was right, you're just like him…" He muttered in a thoughtful tone as he broke our eye contact and hopped off his stool, his shoes clacking crisply against the laminated floor.
"Who?" I quickly asked, my eyes narrowed in suspicion. I knew he wasn't referring to Yamato.
Ignoring my question, Makoto started to glide towards the door. Adrenalin still racing through my body, I hoisted myself up and over the counter then caught up to him just as he was reaching out for the door handle.
"Think about what I've said," he informed, without turning around, "I'm not asking you to find the Loch Ness Monster; just delete Yamato from your phone, from your life. You'd be doing yourself a huge favour as well, not just me."
"Thanks for your concern," I declared, stretching my arm across Makoto's shoulder before I shoved open the door and ushered him outside, "but none of this is actually any of your business."
"I beg to differ," Makoto said as he stepped out onto the pavement, keeping the door propped open with his hand. "You know so little about Matt; he would never leave Sora for you."
Once the door had closed I leant across it's glass panelling for a few minutes, soaking in Makoto's final words. He was so possessive over Yamato, it was terrifying; but he had now drawn my attention towards the things I'd overlooked.
They were circling through my mind over and over again throughout the wedding the following morning as I took snap after snap of the beaming bride and groom. This is what Sora and Yamato would eventually do, I realised. They would settle, start a family, eventually abandon their own dreams and needs in favour of their children.
People constantly grinned and bared through their unhappiness, their regrets, just to appease others. I was doing the same, clicking away at my camera, pretending to feel joy for the happy couple, their friends and family.
It wasn't easy, not in the slightest.
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The music blared loudly, the thumping of the bass pounded in time to my heartbeat as I momentarily closed my eyes. Breathing in the scent of sweat and stale alcohol, I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. I belonged here, and that was a natural fact.
Club ArcH was a popular gay and lesbian venue in the Shinjuku district. It'd been a while since I'd last been. The atmosphere was still as buzzing as ever; drag queens putting on outrageous shows, whilst the bartenders professionally juggled their cocktail shakers about as they made some of the best drinks ever known to mankind. The men swaying on the dance floor were mostly hot and adorable too, much to my delight.
Sliding my way through the crowds, I spied a slim boy sitting at the bar with his hand wrapped tightly around his drink. An older guy – probably in his late twenties or early thirties – was besides him with a hand resting on his back. The boy turned his head to the side momentarily and his dark brown eyes caught mine.
He was rather youthful, I noted, and likely to be in his late teens. There was an apparent look of discomfort on his face; his nose was slightly scrunched up and he was nibbling on his lower lip every time the older man brushed his hand across his back. I decided to go rescue him when he locked eyes with me once again.
"Otooto," I said warmly as I appeared from behind him, draping both arms around his neck, "is this man troubling you?"
"Uhh..."
The older man looked over at me and glared. I was somewhat relieved when he only snatched his drink for the bar and disappeared off onto the crowded dance floor, as opposed to smacking me in the face for ruining his chances with the rather innocent looking teenager.
"Thank you, nii-chan," he spoke in a soft and playful voice as I hopped onto the empty stool besides him.
"Call me Taichi," I said whilst trying to catch the bartender's eye.
"I'm Naoko," he introduced his wide eyes twinkling in flashing the neon lights, "but you can call me Ko-chan."
Damn, he was a prison sentence waiting to happen.
Once I had gained the bartender's attention, I ordered us both a Flirtini- a martini consisting of champagne, vodka, peach schnapps, pineapple juice, and sweet, sweet love juice, according to the cocktail menu. Naoko quickly swallowed the remains of his current drink before our drinks were handed over to us. I watched as he slurped away happily on his cocktail. The adorable innocent kind weren't usually my type, but on this occasion I was horny enough to make an exception.
I was about to start making my moves on Naoko, when a hand landed heavily on my shoulder, instantly causing me to wince. I readied myself for a brutal confrontation.
"I leave my date alone for one moment and you make a move in on him… shame on you, Taichi-kun." Upon recognising his deep, soothing voice, I quickly turned my head around to face him. Seiji- the guy I had screwed on the Ferris Wheel when I was sixteen- my first love. I hadn't seen him in a few years, although we'd still exchanged the occasional text.
"Actually, I saved him from being molested by a perverted business man," I explained, wrapping my fingers around the stem of my martini glass. "You're mad for leaving him alone."
"It's a little game we like to play," Seiji chuckled as he watched me bring my glass up to my lips. Games, of course, Seiji had loved his bloody games. Seeing how many times he could ask the same person for directions, before they got annoyed, or making cat sounds behind people's backs, driving them to insanity as they tried to figure out where the noises were coming from. Yeah, those kinds of games. Now it seemed he had upgraded them to a more adult level.
"Works every time," Seiji laughed, rubbing his hand against my thigh, "as you can tell."
I raised an eyebrow stealing a glance at Naoko who was still sucking away at his drink through his straw, seemingly oblivious that his date- my ex- was flirting with me. Seiji and I hadn't exactly split on bad terms, but I never anticipated I would ever see him again.
After another drink and a dance or five, I took them back to mine. Seiji had said he was eager to see how my art had evolved over the years. A few glasses of wine later, we rolled into my bed.
They say three's usually a crowd, but I used to disagree when sex was involved. The more the merrier, I'd always thought.
Exhaustion eventually consumed us all. When Seiji rolled over, his back facing me, with his arms wrapped tightly around Naoko, I felt more alone than ever. I managed to get a few hours of dreamless sleep before I awoke at 07.30am. Sliding out of bed, I slipped on my dressing gown and ventured into the kitchen to brew some coffee.
As the kettle boiled I scratched my hand against the stubble on my chin and debated whether I should head down to the coffee shop to see if, by miracle, Yamato would be there. Actually, he probably wouldn't be there, but my parents would be happy to see me at least.
"G'morning, Taichi-kun." Seiji stepped into the kitchen wearing his jeans and shirt from last night, his eyes were dull and sullen from obviously having one too many drinks last night.
"Coffee?" I gestured towards the kettle with my thumb.
"You betcha."
"Where's Naoko?"
"Still in bed, the lazy sod."
The kettle switch flicked off. I poured the water into my coffee press pot along with the coffee grounds my parents constantly supplied me with, giving the mixture a quick stir before I waited for it to brew.
"I forgot, your parents own a coffee shop, don't they?" Seiji said, his face brightening up with a sleep-deprived smile.
"That's right." I pressed down the plunger on the coffee press, then poured the delicious dark brown mixture into two separate mugs.
"Ne, has Naoko got school today?" I queried after glancing over at the clock, readying to volunteer to drive him there so he wouldn't be late for his first class.
Seiji chuckled softly as he poured the milk into his coffee. "Naoko's twenty-one, sweetie."
I was very close to spilling my coffee all down myself. "What? Seriously? My nineteen-year-old sister looks way older than him!"
"Hikari, right?"
I nodded, before taking a small cautious sip of my piping hot coffee.
"Best not tell her that," Seiji joked as we left the kitchen.
As we settled on the sofa I noticed that my sketch book was flipped over on the coffee table in front of the sofa. I smiled vaguely when I recalled showing a few of the pictures to Seiji and Naoko before we had all ended up in bed together.
"Ne, do you still have your sketch of me?" Seiji asked, as he placed down his coffee mug and started to thumb through the various drawings.
"Somewhere," I answered vaguely, unsure whether I'd kept my old sketch books at my parents' place, or if they were buried in a box under my bed with various art and photography supplies.
"Oh, who's this guy?" Seiji nudged his elbow into my arm as he pointed at the sketch of Yamato I had done several weeks ago.
"Just someone I'm sorta seeing," I decided to admit, knowing all to well that Seiji would just pry until he found out.
"Taichi-san, he's stunning," Seiji gasped, before placing a hand over his mouth. He continued to glance at the sketch before he peered back up at me. "Why sleep with others when you've got him?"
"Because," I said gripping my hands tightly around my coffee mug, "he isn't mine."
"Oh?"
And so, I told Seiji about Sora and the engagement ring, knowing that he wouldn't be one to judge.
"Tch, naughty Taichi," Seiji teased as he ran his finger across the photograph of Yamato I had shown him, sliding his finger across Yamato's succulent pouty lips. "Hmm, he does look familiar."
A groan coming from the other side of the room diverted our attention away from Yamato's sexy face. Naoko, who had appeared from the bedroom, dragged his feet as he ventured over to the sofa, stifling a yawn as he went. He dropped his backside besides Seiji and rested his head on the older man's arm, mumbling something about wine and having a headache. I tried to hide my jealously as Seiji placed an arm around him and planted a kiss on his forehead.
"Do you want a coffee?" I asked, standing up with my empty mug held in my hand. Naoko wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"Yuck. Got any orange juice?
"I think so…"
There was no way he could be twenty-one, I mused as I headed into the kitchen. By shunning coffee in general- particularly at this hour of the morning- he even had the mentality of most individuals in their mid-teens to match his youthful complexion.
"Taichi-kun?" Naoko called out to me, "Why do you have a photograph of Mato-kun?"
"Sorry, who?" I then hazarded a guess as I approached the fridge, "Yamato?"
"Yeah, I used to be in a band with him, The Teenage Wolves," Naoko proudly announced. My ears instantly perked up as I opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange juice. "I was the drummer."
"Ah yeah, that's why I recognised him," Seiji's voice joined in with the intriguing conversation. I poured the juice into a clean glass. It was indeed a small world. "Can't believe I forgot how handsome he was."
There was a pause of silent as I tossed the orange juice back into the fridge. I assumed Naoko must have been pulling a face of disapproval or something because Seiji shortly stated that Naoko was, of course, cuter.
"Ne, what's the name of that other guy who was in the band?" Seiji asked, "the one who had long hair who's all famous now, Tsumi or whatever?"
"Takumi-kun," Naoko promptly corrected Seiji just as I had trudged back into the living room. "Man, I can't believe how huge Vertical Illusion are becoming…. "
The glass slipped out from my hand shattering into jagged shards as it hit the floor, splashing orange juice all up my legs. Seiji jumped up from the sofa, carefully avoiding stepping on the sharp shards on the ground, and I quickly snapped out of my state of shock, swiftly following him into the kitchen.
Seiji and Naoko helped me sweep up the glass and mop up the mess whilst my head swirled in disbelief. Yamato knew Takumi, one of the hottest celebrities in Japan. It explained how Takumi had known Yamato's name, yet I still didn't understand why neither of them had told me that they knew each other…
Makoto was right; I didn't know Yamato as well as I thought.
"You ok?" Seiji asked. I was still loitering in the kitchen, whilst they had fallen back onto the sofa.
"I'm still feeling a bit nauseous from last night , I-I'm just going to lay down for a bit," I lied, staggering past them as I hurried into my bedroom.
As soon I had closed the door, I snatched my phone from the bedside table and tapped out and sent off a text. Seconds later my phone rang, I crashed down onto my mattress and answered the call.
"Meems, you wouldn't believe…"
"Yagami-san, it's Sora." I quickly checked the screen on my phone, realising that the number I'd answered to was one I didn't have saved in my contact list. She had obviously got my number from Yamato.
"Takenouchi-san," my voice sounded strained so I cleared my throat, "how are you?"
My heart skipped a beat when there was a small pause of quietness. Why had she called me?
"I need to talk to you about Yamato," Sora started, hesitating lingering in her voice to begin with. She took a small breath in before she continued. "I go on lunch today at 1pm, can we meet up then?"
The phone almost fell from my hand, just like the glass of orange juice had done. For a moment, I couldn't breathe; it felt like all of the air had been sucked out from my lungs. There was only one conclusion I could come to;
Makoto must have told Sora about me, and now she was hoping for answers…
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Song lyrics (At the beginning of the chapter)
Jimmy Eat World - "Chase This Light"
D-Angel:Arrrggh! Oh God, so much is happening, I'm quite surprise the Taichi in this story hasn't had a stroke yet (Ref: A Bed Full of Memories, Ch 13). Lol. So yeah, who had already sussed out that Takumi and Yamato were fricking band mates back in the day? (Or at least knew each other?). It was rather obvious I suppose, ha.
Apologies for not going into detail with Taichi's little threesome, but since it didn't involve Yamato or Takumi, I thought it wasn't entirely important to dish the dirt. Would have sort of broken the flow of the story as well, heh. Oh, and Makoto... Ok, I made him look like a dick; I honestly tried not too... but the dialogue just kinda came out that way. Maybe I'll redeem him at some point.
Right, just letting you guys also know that my cast was taken off yesterday (hooray!), and I've been told that I can put weight on my foot again, so will be eventually able to walk again (may take 4 or so weeks). Sadly means I'm likely to return to work next week, which means my regular updating streak will come to an end. I'll still try and update once a week / fornight though, until I can go Kickboxing again (in 6-8 weeks, dammit).
So yeah, I've blabbed enough. Love you guys, reviews are welcome.
See ya next chapter!
D-Angel
20/06/12