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.
D-Angel: Hey. I am so sorry for the two year delay. I experienced the worst case of writer's block for this story, and I pretty much had to redo Chapters 21 -24 (about three or four times!), as you may have already noticed (if you remember how different chapters 21 and 22 were originally), and I made some minor edits to earlier chapters so future events make more sense.
My life has also been pretty crazy these past couple of years (certain aspects fell apart for me last year, and I'm still trying to get myself together, ha). Also, some of you may already know that I'm now super into fitness (Crossfit), so I spend about eight or nine hours a week working out, haha.
Anyways, I'm glad to finally have this story back in my life! Writing it is such a pleasure.
As always, direct replies to the lovely reviewers:
Ichi Yagami - Thank you so much for your patience!
Hibashi - Ok, so, as you may have noticed now, nothing bad has happened to Yamato now. I suppose I can reveal that he was going to be hospitalised (Thanks to Takumi's bodyguards), but after writing several drafts of chapter 23, I realised I didn't really know where to take things from there! :S Now things are back on track, hopefully, lol.
Caliboy - My 12th year of working on this story now, haha. Not sure I'll have it done before I turn 30, but I'll do my best. Also, I rewrote most of chapter 22 (which you may have already noticed)... I didn't like the direction I was taking things :( I feel the approach I have planned out now is a lot better. Hope you're doing well these days anyway :)
Krad - Lol, I don't think I even really knew where things were heading. Hopefully you'll like the change of direction I've now made :)
AnotherStar - I will finish this story, no matter what!
Right, without any further delay, here is Chapter 23 :)
Chapter 23 - A Written Disclosure
'Cause there's nobody else who can hurt like you hurt me. I don't want to be lonely.'
Takumi was gone again by the time I woke up. I grabbed a quick shower to wash some dry flecks of paint off my skin then brewed myself some coffee whilst I prepped a simple breakfast; Greek style yoghurt and banana.
My day was fairly set in stone; finish the final touches on the Meiji Shrine painting and also edit some pictures from a recent wedding.
After devouring my breakfast I placed the empty bowl onto the coffee table, next to my laptop. The clunky device had become a little bit redundant since Takumi had given me my new phone, but I still preferred to use it to edit my photos. I reached over to retrieve it, only to freeze when I saw a familiar black notebook sitting behind it. Frowning, I picked up the hand-sized object instead and sunk back onto the sofa.
Flipping through the first couple of pages, my mouth widened when I recognised the neat, elegant handwriting within- Yamato's. Had he left his notebook here before heading off to visit his family?
As I continued flicking through the pages, noticing that some lines and words had been scribbled out with a red pen and replaced with others. The red writing was scruffy, barely legible, much like my own.
Resting the object on my lap, I picked up my phone and tapped out a text to Yamato to let him know he had left his notebook here. He replied barley within seconds of me placing my phone back down.
No I haven't.
I clicked on the attachment he had sent with his text. A picture popped up on my screen; a selfie of him holding up, what appeared to be, the exact same notebook with a deadpan expression on his face. Comparing the notebook in Yamato's photo with the one sitting on my lap, they were seemingly identical, and the writing inside was undoubtedly his.
Pointing my phone's camera down at the notebook resting on my lap, my finger hovered over the capture button before I moved it away. Quickly peering around the room in case someone, somehow, happened to be watching me, I lifted my phone up in front of me, angling it as best I could in one hand. With the other hand, I held the notebook up near my face and quickly took the photo.
"Eugh." I cringed when I reviewed the result. Despite my profession, I hated having my photograph taken; I had never been comfortable with being in front of the camera. I seemed to just end up looking awkward no matter how I posed. There weren't a lot of photos of me for that reason, beside the few my family had collated into their photo albums.
Several seconds after sending him the picture and a message asking him if he recognised this particular notebook, his name flashed up on my phone screen as the speakers sung out Vertical Illusion's first ever hit, Sexy Vibes.
"I'm in the city," Yamato explained, "I'll come to yours."
That was news to me. I hadn't expected him to outright ask me to meet up with him either. Scratching the crown of my head, I knew meeting at the flat would be a bad idea, even with Takumi being at rehearsals.
"No, let's meet at the coffee shop. I'll be there in about an hour."
"Why not your flat?"
"It's Takumi's flat now."
I knew he was still there, his gentle breathing gave things away.
"Are you seeing him?"
"Yes," I replied. Holding my breath, I waited for the inevitable monotone bleep to replace Yamato's deep voice. Instead, he remained silent for a few more seconds before he spoke again.
"See you at the shop. Bring that notebook with you."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
I reached the coffee shop just before 2pm. Yamato was perched at our usual table by the window, one hand curled around his coffee cup. He was wearing a simple chequered shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. How he always managed to look effortlessly cool, I would never know.
The bells jingled cheerfully as I entered the shop. Yamato looked over and forced a small smile, although his eyes remained glassed over, clouded with thought. On the other side of the shop I spotted my mum scribbling down an elderly couple's order. She glanced over in my direction and smiled brightly. I waved at her before I sat down opposite Yamato.
"Hey." Yamato's soothing voice seemed to ease its way down my spine, and through my sensory receptors, washing away the ball of anxiety that had been building in the pit of my stomach since I had left the flat. One month. It was the longest I had gone without seeing him.
"Here's the notebook," I announced as I tugged the item out from the pocket of my dufflecoat. Yamato tilted his head to the side, gazing at the object as if it were a severed foot.
"Here's mine," Yamato revealed, retrieving his notebook from his coat pocket and waving it in the air for me to see. I set the other notebook down onto the table and nudged it over in his direction. He immediately snatched it up and skimmed through the pages, then an amused laugh escaped his lips.
"What's so funny?"
Yamato dropped both notebooks down onto the table before taking another sip of his drink. My brow furrowing, I analysed both items. They were identical in size, but looking between the two I could see that the notebook I'd found was slightly older- the cover slightly bent and worn from overuse, the pages a faint yellow.
"That's one of the lyric notebooks Takumi stole from me."
My lips parted. Of course, the red pen that was scribbled through Yamato's tidy handwriting; Takumi clearly wasn't foolish enough to steal Yamato's lyrics word to word. He had amended and adapted them into his own style. Regardless, it was theft, and now the vital evidence was sitting right in front of us.
"Why would he be so careless?" I asked, without allowing myself the time to reflect on the reasoning.
"Surely it's obvious?" Yamato said, leaning back against his chair. "He's testing your loyalty."
I double blinked. Yamato sighed softly as he brushed his fingers through his shaggy fringe.
"What would you like, Taichi-san?" I turned to look at the unfamiliar serving girl who had snuck up and was stood at our table. She looked no older than sixteen. My mum must have sent he over (and told her my name).
"Oh, nothing, I'm fine thanks." The girl nodded, snatching a not so subtle glance at Yamato before she blushed and hurried off to another customer at a nearby table.
"Testing my loyalty?" I echoed. Yamato nodded.
"How exactly? And why?"
Yamato peered down at his coffee cup and scrunched his lips together. His fingernails tapped gently against the table's surface as he fought with the notion of revealing the thoughts that were drifting around in his mind. With a sigh, he looked up and started to explain.
"A couple of years ago, I started sleeping with Takumi again. I hoped I could get the notebooks back. It was a really stupid plan, I know."
Despite he knew how ridiculous he'd been, I couldn't blame him. Takumi had stolen what was rightly his, and sometimes desperate times did call for desperate measures.
"I would search for them whenever I could. I soon realised it was like searching for a needle in a haystack."
"I guess he wouldn't have left them out on display anywhere," I said, running my hand against the back of my neck. Yamato chuckled softy.
"That's exactly what happened. One day there it was, just laying on there on the table." He gestured to the tattered notebook still resting between us.
"And you didn't take it?" I guessed, assuming that was the reason why the notebook had still been in Takumi's possession. Yamato nodded as he reached across for his coffee.
"It was too obvious." An edge of resentment clung to his voice. "He'd left it there on purpose. He knew I'd been looking for them. He was toying with me."
I pictured Takumi chuckling as he dangled the notebook in front of Yamato's eyes, like a child tormenting a hungry animal with a bit of food. I knew from experience that Takumi was very capable of toying with people. It was almost like a second nature to him.
"I refused to take the bait. It surprised him, but no more than it did when I chose to cut off all ties with him and decided to just focus on rebuilding things with Sora."
"Why didn't you just take the notebook?" I asked, leaning forward in my seat. "You could have stopped him from stealing your songs..."
"...There was no point, he still had the other notebook," Yamato said bluntly, clearly anticipating my question. "Even with just one, he had more than enough song-writing material."
"But he stole your career," I reminded. Yamato winced. Lowering his cup, he stared me straight in the eye.
"You're seeing him." He didn't try to hide the resentment in his voice. "You know how exhausting he is, as a person... and how he is in bed."
My cheeks burnt red. Takumi was demanding... draining.
"Just return the notebook before he finds out you've taken it," Yamato advised. He wanted to add something else; his lips partly moved, but no sound came out. I could only guess that he wanted to warn me to stay away from Takumi, but he'd already anticipated my reaction. It would have been an awkward dispute to have with my mum being in same room.
The serving girl handed us the bill in the usual a little silver tray, shaped like a coffee cup (my suggestion shortly after my parents had opened up the shop). Yamato peeked at the bill before he dug around in his wallet for the correct change. Then he rose to his feet, his hand lingered on the table's edge. Those dark blue eyes caught my gaze. I knew he was willing me to say something, anything to stop him from leaving.
I had questions, so many questions, but I didn't know which one to fire at him first. I watched hopelessly as he pulled on his coat and picked up his notebook, sliding it into the safety of his pocket.
"See you around."
He turned and started to walk away. It was now or never. I jumped out of my seat, and caught hold of his arm just before he reached the door. I could sense the eyes staring at us, but I didn't care.
"What happened on New Year's Yama?"
I knew it was the question he had wanted me to ask him. Still, his shoulders stiffened. In the reflection of the glass door I could see the unease on his face. We were stood there for what felt like an eternity. For a moment, I thought he had frozen in place, like the most perfect photograph, until he exhaled deeply.
"I read Sora's letter."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Song lyrics (At the beginning of the chapter)
Darren Hayes - "Black Out the Sun"
D-Angel: Arrgh, ok, a slight cliff hanger, but Chapter 24 is actually almost complete, so you won't have to wait too long for that! :) Thanks once again for being so patient. It's not easy to find the time to write, and I've got to be in the right kind of mood for it as well. Fortunately, I've been feeling pretty creative these last few months, so hopefully these juices will keep flowing ;)
Much love to you guys. See you next chapter.
D-Angel
31/05/17