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: Hello my beauties :) It's been a while I know, but here I am! Reasons behind my lack of updating consist of; starting a new job in December, working on a Sims Legacy blog, being generally busy with life and people and most recently (as of two days ago) coming down with an awful cold (which has delayed me getting this chapter posted up). Hopefully, from this point onward, I'll be able to get back to updating more regularly... -cough-
Now, as always, responses to recent reviews!
Aleena- Alright! Keep your wig on ;) Here it is!
Cloe Lockless- Updated! :)
Shala Rambler - It's only been almost eight months, and it was actually only five months at the time you left your review -rolls eyes- That's hardly almost a year! ;)
Caliboy- Yey Cali! Totally agree with you :) Hope you're doing well btw and will be visiting England at some point ;)
PinkBrideGoneBad- Hope you haven't died yet, else you won't be able to enjoy this chapter :(
Khauzy - Aw bless! Thanks for your review! Hope you find this chapter just as engaging :D
Dark Sorcerer of Fire- Glad you're enjoying all the drama! There's lots more to follow!
ran-sky- Perhaps, although that would probably be too cliché :P
Arsinen- Sorry to leave you hanging so long! This chapter should be worth the wait.
Krad- Hey Kraddy - sorry to you too! Thanks for wishing me luck with my interviews.
Russian Prince Kai Hitwatari- Thank you so much for your feedback :) I do try my hardest to maintain a sense of reality in my stories. Apologies for taking a while with writing up this chapter, but hopefully it was worth the wait!
Roman- Enjoy!
Black-Luna- Thanks :)
Angelfish369- Hehe. Things are definitely on the verge of collapsing, and this chapter will certainly be evidence of that ;)
Dragon77- Hmm, interesting theory... ;)
Koumi-Locc- Hehe, keep reading... you may get to see how things pan out between them :)
Well, that was quite a few people to respond to, but it has been an age since the last update, heh. Anyways, enough rambling... please read ahead and enjoy!
Chapter 16 Fatal Reunion
'Your lips say that you love, your eyes say that you hate'
Yamato's hand gripped onto the sleeve of my coat as he dragged me back into the lift with him. As soon as the doors had closed, he spun me around to face him, eyes wide and bubbling with an assortment of fury and accusation.
"Why's Takumi outside your flat?"
"I don't know!" My response came instantly. To me, it was obvious enough. If I had known, I wouldn't have invited Yamato back to my flat.
Fixing my gaze on the lift's control panel, I managed to escape from Yamato's acidic stare before I blurted out anything that would only worsen the situation. My mind was swirling with memories of Takumi- all that had occurred back at his hotel, the steamy texts he'd sent me since then.
"How does he know your address?"
Good question. Luckily, the lift pinged and the doors reopened, saving me the trouble of digging up the answer to Yamato's question. Stepping out of the lift shaft, my eyes were greeted with the sight I had secretly hoped for. Takumi was stood in the middle of the lobby wearing a sexy grin across his handsome face. I fought the urge to smile back despite feeling impressed that he had made it down all those stairs without breaking into so much as a sweat.
Turning back to Yamato, my chest tightened when I saw his crinkled brow and down-turned lips. I realised then just how horrible this must have been for him. My eyes momentarily darted between both men as they analysed one another. Ex-band mates, ex-lovers, here they were standing together in the same room, both looking gorgeous with minimal effort. Despite what I had heard about their history, they still looked so perfect together. I could not help but feel self-conscious and somewhat out of place.
"Why are you here?" Yamato spoke, shattering the dreamlike serenity of the situation. For a moment it felt like he was directing the question at me, that was until I saw that the scornful glare fixed across his face was actually aimed at Takumi.
"To see Taichi," Takumi responded before he glanced over at me, eyes shining bright. "Hey, Tai."
The way he playfully pronounced my name almost reduced every bone in my body to liquid. My attention now his, he lifted up the blue metallic gift bag in his hand, which he was holding by its thick stringed handle. The material of the bag caught the artificial rays shining from the lobby's ceiling lights, causing it to glimmer like little hypnotising disco lights. Curiosity evoked me as I placed both my shopping bags into one hand so I could accept his present.
"As promised, gig tickets and a copy of our new album thrown in for good measure," Takumi revealed as he handed me the bag, his skin deliberately brushing against my own. "There's a few other goodies in there too."
A tingle eased its way down my spine, as if his body was pressed against mine and his fingers were running across my back.
"Thanks," I said, finally finding my voice, "but, how did you know my address?"
"You gave it to me," Takumi reminded, tapping his index finger playfully against the tip of my nose. My cheeks burnt bright red; I felt like such an idiot for not remembering that I'd given him my address. Then again, I'd expected him to post me the tickets, not turn up randomly to my flat to hand deliver them…
"I did try phoning you, and I left you a message."
Automatically I reached into my pocket to tug out my phone. As I held my finger against the power button the screen remained blank. I quickly apologised, mumbling about how useless technology could be at times, only truthfully I'd just forgotten to charge my phone fully.
"Don't worry about it," Takumi mentioned, his hand squeezing my arm lightly as he flashed those perfect white teeth of his at me. "I'm glad I got to see you again."
A sucker for sweet talk, I was falling for his charms. Desperate to invite him into my flat for a drink, I was faced with the reality that doing so would only have been a recipe for disaster.
"Finished?" Yamato asked impatiently, the awkwardness of the situation finally getting to him; reinforcing my concern that things were about to rapidly decline.
"Almost." Takumi said, before tilting his head to the side. "Ne, how's Sora these days?"
His green eyes flickered with a knowing look.
"Don't do this, Takumi," Yamato growled, voice stern, the frown lines on his forehead deepening. Discomfort crawled across my skin. I willed Takumi to back off- my eyes darting between him and the door- yet, to my frustration, he stayed rooted to the spot, fixed on provoking Yamato even further.
"It's a fair question, don't you think?"
Reacting to the red flag Takumi was waving in his face, Yamato's arms dropped to his sides and his hands curled up tightly into fists as his body started to tremble. Just as he went to take his first step towards Takumi, I intervened, placing my arm around his waist and pulling his shaking body towards me in hope I could calm him down.
Unease settled within. I could feel the warmth of Yamato's disdain radiating against my skin. Whether it was for me as well as Takumi, I couldn't tell. Still, I ignored the burn of Takumi's stare penetrating the back of my neck as he observed us, particularly when Yamato dug his palms firmly into my chest; a not so subtle hint for me to let go.
With reluctance, I moved away. Yamato's brow was still wrinkled and his body tense as he directed one final word at Takumi, in a cold and flat tone.
"Leave."
I didn't want to see Takumi go, but as I glanced over at Yamato - who had his arms folded tightly up against his stomach - I knew he meant business.
For a moment I was certain Takumi was going to refuse to budge, but then he turned around stiffly and headed for the door, his pace slow but steady. Preparing to release a sigh of relief, my muscles seized when Takumi suddenly stopped, his hand hovering over the door release button, hesitating. Then he spoke, not even bothering to turn around as he made one last stab at Yamato.
"You should tie Taichi up once in a while. He really likes it."
Then, the door behind him shut, and away he strolled. Instantly, I glanced over at Yamato; his eyes wide with surprise as he watched Takumi disappear from view. It was obvious now that their feud ran deeper than I had imagined, and I didn't appreciate being dragged into it.
Trying hard to ignore the tightening sensation in my stomach, I turned and hurried up the stairs- my heart pounding faster when I heard the patter of Yamato's footsteps echoing behind me, following me up until the moment we reached the door of my apartment.
"Did you… with him?" Yamato questioned. My throat felt raw- I really didn't want to answer, but I knew it would only complicate matters further if I kept quiet.
"Does it really matter?" I asked as I tried my hardest to dig my key out from my pocket whilst juggling the bags in my hands. Takumi's earthly scent still fresh in my memory, my ability to function was failing.
"Yes, yes it does!" Yamato exclaimed, his voice breathless.
Finally managing to unlock my apartment door, I pushed it open and swiftly stepped inside. Yamato closed the door behind us as I placed my bags down and removed my shoes and coat, all the while conscious that his eyes were analysing my every movement. Cementing the fact he was not going to let this slide.
Why did it matter to him? Our relationship had been unhinged since the very beginning, and, in my defence, I hadn't known at the time that Yamato had history with Takumi. If I had though, I pondered if I would have actually thought twice about ending up in his hotel room and allowing him to have his wicked way with me...
Biting down on the inside of my mouth, I turned away sharply, only for Yamato to grab onto the tail of my t-shirt, preventing me from making my planned escape to the bathroom.
"Let go," I warned.
"Not until you tell me," Yamato stubbornly replied, eyes burning bright. Damn his persistence annoyed me. Fortunately, I knew how to discourage him from digging any deeper.
"You want details?" I asked, a wry smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. "Like how he tied me to the bed with his tie? Or the way his fingers explored me as he traced his tongue against my…"
The raw crack of skin hitting skin prevented me from saying anything else. Yamato's hand remained suspended in the air, his eyes as wide as my own. As my cheek began to sting, I knew I had deserved it. Still, I couldn't stop the anger bubbling through my veins, or prevent the red tinge from clouding my vision.
Stepping forwards, I extended an arm out and pushed him as hard as I could. Losing his footing, he staggered backwards into the wall, grunting like a wounded animal as his body shuddered against the plasterboard.
I took a sharp breath in as he regained his stance and slid his guitar case off from his shoulder before placing the instrument carefully onto the ground, all the while maintaining eye contact with me. His lips remained down-turned as a noxious glint appeared in his eyes.
Then he came at me.
We wrestled for what seemed like forever; his hands gripping onto my forearms and mine with his, trying to drag each other down. I wasn't sure what we were trying to achieve, but when we ended up on the floor we were kissing and tugging at each other's clothes, it didn't matter. Time became irrelevant. Our legs locked together, nails dug into skin, urgent sighs and moans overlapped as the room span and electrifying pleasure engulfed all my senses for a fleeting moment of eternity.
Breathing heavily, bodies clammy, limbs tangled; Yamato's fingers wrapped around strands of my overgrown hair, nuzzling his stubbly cheek against mine whilst I almost drowned in his delicious scent. I could not comprehend what had just happened. I didn't want to.
"The shopping," Yamato suddenly reminded, his voice hot against my earlobe, sending an instant tremble down my spine. God he could even make the most mundane of things sound so sensual.
"Oh, yeah," I finally responded, although, for a few moments, I made no effort to move away from his body, until he attempted to sit up, his hand stretching across towards his crumpled up underwear besides the sofa.
As he stood up and dressed in front of me, I was unable to prevent myself from admiring his slender body and the perfect curve of his backside. Frustration coiled its way around my veins knowing that he would end up returning home to Sora, have a shower to wash away his guilt, then crawl into bed with her.
"Don't go," I said, as he tugged his t-shirt over his head.
"I wasn't going to… but…" His voice trailed off and his lips remained parted as he studied my expression before following my gaze over to the bags of shopping. "Are you hungry?"
"Yes," I lied. Quite honestly, food was the last thing on my mind (which made a change), but I was willing to say anything to keep him at my side for a little longer.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Cooking dinner together, I tried my best to pretend that things were as normal, although we struggled to make conversation. By the time we had eaten, we had managed to progress towards making small talk, but it wasn't the same. It was apparent we both had too much on our minds and that we were unwilling to talk about the Takumi incident.
When he offered to lend a hand with the washing up, I told him not to worry, hoping we could sit together instead and attempt to discuss matters, like how adults were meant to.
Instead, I expected Yamato to tug on his shoes and mutter his goodbyes, so, when he settled down on my sofa instead, before gazing over at me in expectation, eyes lambent, I was confounded.
"Can we talk about things now?" I asked as I stood over him, peering down at his sculpted features. My chest tightened as he ran his fingers down through his hair from his parting, his fingers tucking a few stray strands of his fringe away behind his ear, before he sighed and leant back against the leather.
"Yes," Yamato said, briefly closing his eyelids. "Get the wine."
Finally…
Anticipation bubbled through me, until my home phone decided it was the perfect time to start ringing. Glaring at the object in annoyance, I hoped I could make the conversation quick as I reached across the coffee table and snatched the phone up from its cradle.
"Hello, Yagami residence?" I answered, making a beeline for the fridge.
"Tai, it's Hikari. I just tried calling your mobile."
"It's run out of juice," I explained, balancing the phone between my shoulder and ear as I grabbed the wineglasses from the cabinet by the sink. "What's the matter, sis?"
"Was just wondering when you were coming to visit?"
Rolling my eyes, I unscrewed the wine cap.
"Soon, I promise! Listen, sorry to cut this short, but I have company, so..."
"Oh, who is he?" Hikari asked, curiosity wrapped around her gentle voice.
"Never you mind," I said, doing my best to pour the wine out evenly into both glasses without spilling it everywhere.
"Aw, come on!"
"Another time. Listen, I'll call you tomorrow..."
"..Aw, but..."
"...Love you!"
Ending the call, before Hikari would probe me any further, I left the phone perched on the kitchen counter, I hurried back into the living room, balancing the wineglasses as best I could in each hand. A frown fell across my brow when I noticed the spot where Yamato had been perching was now empty.
Immediately, I looked over at the bathroom door. It was ajar, but the light was off. For the next few seconds, I listened closely for any tell-tale signs of Yamato's whereabouts, but all I could hear was the rapid lapping of the waves and the howling of the wind coming from outside, as well as the therapeutic splashing of droplets hitting against my balcony doors. Shuffling over to them, I managed to support both glasses of wine in the same hand as I briefly peered through the venetian blinds to make sure he hadn't gone out onto the balcony (although I doubted he wouldn't have had any reasons to go out there in the pouring rain).
Turning my attention back to the main hub of my flat, I quickly realised that I still hadn't checked the bedroom.
Filthy thoughts fluttering through my mind, I hurried over to the door and nudged it open with my foot. Within a matter of seconds the hopeful smile pinned on my face had faded. Moonlight seeped through the open curtains, just enough to reveal that my partly made bed was very much empty.
I set the wineglasses down on my bedside cabinet and scratched my fingers against the crown of my head as I peered around the dimly lit room, hoping to spot him hiding somewhere amongst the canvases and photography equipment.
No such luck.
The only other possible option that was left was the bathroom, although I couldn't think why he would be hiding in there within the darkness. Still, I called out his name before I stepped into the room and flicked on the light, double-blinking as the brightness of the bulb dazzled me for just a moment.
Taking in the usual white and grey ceramic surroundings of my bathroom, panic raced through me as it finally became crystal clear. Yamato had definitely left.
Twisting around, I tugged my mobile out from my pocket, only to swear under my breath moments later when I was reminded that it wasn't charged. Throwing the useless device onto the sofa, I rushed back into the kitchen, heart pounding against my ribs as I picked up the landline phone and quickly tapped out his number. Pressing the phone against my ear, my breathing hitched between each ring, until it finally clicked through to his husky sounding voicemail message.
I tried twice more before my legs automatically led me back into the living room. Snatching my keys from the coffee table, I left my flat and bolted along the corridor and raced down the stairs, skipping four steps at a time, until I'd reached the lobby.
Staggering towards the main door, almost losing my footing along the way, I hit my palm hard against the door release button and stepped outside, ignoring the icy rain soaking me as my sock-covered feet pounded against the concrete path, heading towards the car park.
Finally stopping, I gazed around at the rows of cars, my heart sank deeper into its abyss when I slowly came to terms that he was no longer there..
Once back in my flat, I collapsed onto the sofa, head buried in my hands, my fingertips massaged my temples as I tried to soothe the barrage of thoughts flooding through my mind. Although I may have not known Yamato as well as others, it seemed strange for him to leave without even saying goodbye, particularly after he'd initially been willing to stay and discuss things.
Listening to the hollow ticking emitting from the clock in the kitchen, I dreaded to think what time it was. No matter how much the situation sucked, I had to force myself to get some sleep. I still had two photo shoots lined up the next day, and a lifestyle I was struggling to pay for.
Shit. I needed a flat mate.
Having Yamato move in with me; it was a prospect I would have warmed to, if I'd been given the time to think about it. Now it was something he would be clearly reconsidering thanks to my lack of self-control.
Of course, I was as much to blame as Takumi was, no matter how angry I was at him for stirring things up. The blue gift bag he'd given me still sat on the coffee table, although it didn't seem to shine as brightly as before. I mused for a few moments about returning it to Takumi, although I knew it wouldn't be fair on Hikari who had wanted to see Vertical Illusion live since the day they had debuted. I couldn't bear to shatter her dreams.
Raising slowly to my feet, a yawn escaping me, that's when I finally noticed it out of the corner of my eye. Yamato's guitar case still resting on the floor, exactly where he had left it earlier. My stomach churned. Something had felt strangely rushed about Yamato's departure, and this was the ticket that proved it.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Song lyrics (At the beginning of the chapter)
Linkin Park - "In Pieces"
D-Angel: Lengthy, but I anticipate this chapter was worth a wait? It's reassuring to know that I know where I'm going with this story (can't say the same for A Bed Full of Memories, lol), so hopefully it'll help with writing the next few chapters.
In regards to my novel; it's still going through the planning process... I'm too skeptical to start on it just yet, but hope I can make a start on writing it sometime this year (lol). If you want to keep track of me and my creative stuff, just start following me on Twitter (username is on my profile). I'll follow you back too if you let me know you're one of my fanfic fans ;)
That's all for now. Expect A Bed Full of Memories to be updated next month... I need time to plan out the next chapter, and re-draft the previous two chapters a little bit (was not happy with those, particularly the latest one). Yeah.
Anyways, see you all next chapter :)
D-Angel
4/6/13