Twirling the brilliant blue nail polish in the light of his room, Junpei smiles for the millionth time that evening. After walking him home, you'd kissed him goodbye and given him an extra long embrace that left him feeling lighter than air.
He cracks the seal, swirling the tiny brush around in circles to test the viscosity of the paint inside. Maybe he can test the color on just his thumb? He's aching to see how it looks.
"Junpei?" His mother knocks at his door. "Are you busy?"
"Uh," Shit!
Capping the lid, he chucks the tiny glass bottle into his backpack. Hopefully the slight chemical smell won't linger.
He clears his throat. "Nope, c-come on in!"
When Nagi opens his door, Junpei sees she has her hair wrapped up under a scarf, the bumps of her plastic rollers peek through. She hasn't curled her hair in years.
"Hi, honey. I hope I'm not interrupting your homework?"
"Umm, no. It's coming along fine," he fibs.
He's supposed to be working on her portrait. It's due tomorrow and he'd been putting it off all week knowing he'd have to scramble like mad to finish the final product.
"You look nice, mom. Are you going out?" he asks.
With a hand on her cheek, she blushes a tiny bit and nods. "It's silly, but I asked Toji if he might want to get a drink tomorrow night."
Of course. Who else would she be getting ready for?
"That's…really great, Mom."
"Yeah? Do youthink so?"
"Sure. You deserve to have fun. I'm…I'm happy seeing you happy, Mom." he says genuinely.
Her cheeks redden and she puts a hand over her heart. "Thank you, honey. I was nervous that it might make you uncomfortable, with Toji-san being your friend's father and all," she trails off, testing his reaction of course.
He's gotten good at lying to her. "It's fine. You go out and have a great time, ok?"
"Well…I was thinking, Toji-san could bring Fushiguro over so you could have company too. I can even leave you boys money for pizza. How does that sound?"
Junpei's heart skips. Another movie date with you is all he's been wanting. Even if it was still unofficial.
"Sure. That sounds really nice."
As she's closing the door, he stops her.
"Hey, Mom? I wanted to ask you, uh, can you help me with my art project?"
Nagi looks at the notebook opened up on his bed, and sees where he started a sketch from an old photograph of her. He's been working on improving his style since taking your advice and his progress is really beginning to show.
Beaming with pride, she smiles and nods, "Of course, love! Let me just get my hair ready. Okay?"
"Thanks, mom."
Meanwhile at your place, you're busy putting the finishing touches on your own assignment. Toji didn't have the patience to sit still for you tonight, but you didn't need him to. Junpei lent you enough of his spare art supplies for you to get the job done as well. Blending your colors together with an odd little tool you'd never used before, you cock an eyebrow as you realize this…is actually turning out really well. Like, it could even possibly be your best drawing yet.
From the paper, Toji's green eyes stared off into the distance, his jaw set in a stern pronounced angle. You used light blues and purples to create the shadow effect, then alternated with yellow and even a touch of green for highlight as well. The blending tool made Miyuki's wispy white fur seem to feather up off of the page itself. Her permanent feline grin and half closed blue eyes offer an interesting contrast with Toji's natural fierceness. It's sure to get you an A, you're positive. Satisfied with the piece, you take your new phone out. Might as well show Junpei. You weren't exactly sure what your first text to him should be, but he'll at least know this is your number. Thankfully you'd written his information down earlier after walking him home. You press send with a short message to accompany the photo:
"Not too bad, right?"
Only a few moments pass before he responds.
"Wow! Great job :) My boyfriend is so talented!"
Rolling over in bed, you sigh happily and hug your phone to your chest. It feels amazing to see those words on a tiny screen. There's no way you'll ever get tired of that title.
Deciding to let your model take a look himself, you take the portrait to the living room, and find Toji washing rice for dinner.
"Wanna see?" you wave the paper out for him.
Toji knits his brow as he studies the page. He's seen you draw before, but he wasn't really aware of how good you are. He was always more interested in your fighting skills.
"It's really good," he admits. "Don't let your teacher keep that one like the last one you turned in."
"Why? Do you want it or something?" you ask.
He nods. "Yeah…After it's graded I'll buy it."
That gets a huge smile out of you. You've never sold your art before. "Deal!"
As you're heading back to your room, he calls you back.
"Hey, Nagi and I are going out tomorrow."
"What?!"
"I'm dropping you off at her place with Junpei. We'll be gone for a few hours." he finishes, quickly disarming your initial reaction.
You huff through your nose, but fume silently. A night alone with your boyfriend is impossible for you to be upset over, but it also means Toji has alone time with Junpei's mom. Not ideal.
"Is there going to be a problem?" he quirks an eyebrow at your troubled expression.
"I don't know….is there?" you ask with an assumptive tone to your voice.
"No problem with me," he grunts as he turns on the rice cooker, ignoring your stare.
What exactly does he mean by that?
..
To say Junpei was anxious would be a severe understatement. The way he heard his mother singing to herself as she held various pairs of earrings up against her hair to check how they looked was making him want to hide away in his room. The only thing keeping him glued to the couch is anticipating your arrival. He doesn't want to think about what his mom and Toji-sensei have planned tonight. That can remain a mystery to him. However, he does have something planned for you though.
He'd ordered a few great movies he thought you two could enjoy together. Mostly, he's anxious about being alone with you. What are you going to want to do? He's had plenty of fantasies about what might happen, and even if only one of them comes true, he'll be satisfied. That thought warms him all over and keeps a secret smile on his face.
Nagi comes out of her bedroom holding a different high heeled shoe in each hand.
"Which do you think would go better with this dress? I lost my old ones that I used to pair with it."
She bites her bottom lip with indecision, raising a silver strappy heel first then a dark blue pump afterwards.
Junpei appears thoughtful as he pauses. The silver one was definitely cuter, so he points to the plain shoe instead.
"Thank you, love!" she chirps as she disappears back into her room. "I'm almost ready! I want to make an entrance too, so you let them in when they get here, alright?"
He sighs and rubs his face with a hand. "Yeah, sure. I can do that, Mom."
In the meantime, he calls in a pizza for the two of you. Hopefully you're okay with the toppings he chose. Minutes later, there's a knock on the door.
"Mom? They're here," he announces.
"Be right ooout!" she sings back.
He cringes as he opens the door, greeted by the sight of you standing in front of Toji-sensei
"Hi, Junpei!" throwing your arms around his neck, you hug him so suddenly he nearly topples over.
Toji tsks aloud and tries his best to side-step around you in the doorway as he enters. "Down, boys," he barks at the two of you.
Junpei shyly peels himself away from you, his face already flushing at the surprise of your affectionate attack. He glances over his shoulder to see if his mom had seen, but she's barely making her grand entrance into the room now. Junpei notices immediately that she didn't go with his suggestion on her shoes.
"Hi, handsome," Nagi purrs as she twists a delicate silver chain around her wrist.
Toji smiles broadly. Very few things light a man up like seeing a gorgeous woman all dolled up for him.
"You sure make that dress look pretty," he remarks.
You and Junpei exchange similar expressions of revulsion. Hearing adults flirting is pure nightmare fuel.
"Are you ready?" Toji asks her.
Nagi nods, taking her purse off the counter. "There's a fun place downtown. Good drinks and food, the crowd is usually pretty fun too."
"Sounds perfect. Let's go." He reopens the door for her.
"Bye, Junpei! Have fun boys. There's money for take out on the counter." With a swish of the blue hem of her dress and another peal of giggling you can hear down the hallway, they leave.
"Ugh, and not a moment too soon!" you exalt.
"Yeah, it's too weird seeing them together. I hope Toji-sensei mentions something to her tonight so I don't have to."
"Yeah, maybe." you agree half heartedly. Though you seriously doubted it. Clapping your hands together in a begging motion, you bow your head.
"Please say that you have something to distract us from the thoughts of them getting drunk and hanging all over each other tonight."
With a chuckle, Junpei takes your hands in his. "I sure do. Have you ever heard of the Cabin Fever series?"
"Maybe? What's it about?" It sounds like another kitschy horror flick, which are all fun in their own way.
His eyes light up excitedly.
"It's about a group of friends on vacation who encounter a highly contagious flesh eating virus. The series follows the virus as it spreads to different places. You thought Final Destination was funny, you'll get a good laugh out of these."
He really loves movies. It's adorable how he gushes over such a truly disgusting plot with absolute childlike enthusiasm. And it sounds like he picked them specifically for your taste, which is sweet.
You lean in and kiss his cheek, staying close as you rub your nose into the side of his face softly. "Sounds perfect. Want to get the movie started?"
"Sure," he smiles, giving you another quick embrace, before scooping up the remote.
You plop onto the couch, spreading your arms open wide and motioning for him to join you.
"Now, come here and cuddle me. I've been looking forward to this all day."
His toes nervously twist in his socks.
Right away, you give him the opportunity to say no.
"What's the matter? Not in the mood? Because we don't have to–"
"I want to!" he interrupts.
Shyly, he eases himself down with you, careful of where he's lying his head. You bring him to the center of your chest, wrapping your arms securely around his shoulders.
"How's this?" you murmur against his forehead.
It takes a while for him to reply. The physical contact with you has sent him into a wonderfully comfortable trance.
"So…perfect," he sighs as you brush his dark bangs from his eyes so he can see.
He picks up the remote from where it had fallen to the floor and clicks play, then re-settles on top of you. The warmth of his cheek on your chest through your shirt is too distracting for you to focus on the title introduction or the setup showing the main characters setting out for their summer vacation. How are you supposed to learn their names when Junpei's hip is pressing between your legs? He's probably not even aware of the subtle contact, but it's all you can think of. That and the mantra repeating in your head telling yourself not to raise up.
There were a few scenes in the movie Junpei had totally forgotten about. Like that there were two characters banging each other's brains out in the first ten minutes. That gave you a laugh when he got obviously embarrassed and awkwardly hid his face in your shoulder. He squirmed a bit more later on when one of the female characters made a comment about masturbating with a massaging showerhead too. There were a lot of those kinds of jokes that he spaced on actually. Soon he found himself fighting a rising problem.
"Junpei…You're pressing into my leg a bit," you comment evenly.
It was easy to ignore the pressure at first. Hell, the poor boy had been rock hard since lying down with you. What you can't ignore is the way he's squirming on your leg, grinding into you with every pulse of his heart.
"S-sorry!" He shifts, trying to reposition himself, but the movement doesn't do him any favors.
"I don't mind. Not one bit," you whisper into his ear.
With a devilish smile, you slip your hands under the back of his shirt, caressing his smooth skin. Junpei moans softly and his hips press forward without his permission.
His eyes snap open and his mouth follows suit, completing his mask of shock.
"Mmm. That's such a cute look on you, Junpei." You capture his cheek in your palm, tipping his head back to gain access to those sweetly parted lips. He doesn't resist you at all, immediately allowing you to brush your tongue over his while his eyes flutter closed. You can't help but praise his obedience.
"Good boy," you croon feather light over his lips. Another shockwave rolls through him, forcing him to press into you once more. His whimpers rise, sending vibrations through your chest. His palms slide up afterward, trembling with eagerness. It's only then he registers that you aren't wearing a binder.
He shakily whispers your name, stuttering terribly.
"Y-you…you feel–."
"How do I feel, Junpei?" you ask with a smirk.
You arch upwards into his hands, loving the way his expression glazes over, slack with absolute desire.
His eyes are dreamy and half-closed. Unable to keep his head upright, it falls to your shoulder with a soft thunk.
"So fucking soft."
"My good boy."
You drag your thumb over his lower lip before claiming his mouth once more.
The bar is already crowded by the time Toji and Nagi arrive. She said it was a popular spot, and she was certainly right. Drunk patrons sat elbow to elbow at the bar's edge, shouting drink orders, laughing raucously, and shoving at one another all in good fun.
The kitchen is still open, forcing waitstaff to weave and stagger between the masses to reach their tables. The smell of grease and salt paired with clouds perfume, alcohol and stale cigarette smoke to create the signature Dive Bar aroma.
Nagi takes her date by his arm. Leading him to where two people are getting up to leave.
"Lucky us!" She gives his firm bicep an appreciative squeeze before letting go and sitting down beside him. "I know the bartender, so we should get served soon. I never have to wait very long here."
Within a few minutes, exactly as she predicted, the barkeep came over to take their orders. A kamikaze for Nagi while Toji sticks with a simple highball. He isn't in the mood to get drunk.
Plenty of other people are wasted. There's karaoke loudly belting from the speakers as a man on stage finishes up his offkey rendition of "Danger Zone." For a song with so few lyrics, he's seemingly forgotten most of them.
"So, do you sing?" Toji asks Nagi, taking a sip of the whisky and club soda in his glass.
"Oh, every now and then. If I'm feeling brave enough," she tucks her hair behind her ear and fidgets with the spiral of lime rind decorating her glass.
Toji smirks. "Can't imagine someone like you being shy."
He's unabashedly calling her bluff.
She giggles. "Well they don't call alcohol 'liquid courage' for nothing!" She brings her glass to her lips again.
Toji takes note that her lipstick doesn't stain the rim. She's so perfectly put together. Not one curl out of place. He likes the dress she chose too, and those shoes that she perfectly matched are probably killing her feet already, though she doesn't show it.
He should have put more effort into himself. He'd shaved that evening, found a clean pair of jeans and declared himself ready. Toji is out of practice with women, but remembers they like it when a man puts effort into his appearance. Truthfully Toji didn't see much point in trying to work on himself. No matter how he dressed, most people still kept their distance from him. Except Nagi.
She keeps tapping the tip of her shoe against his as she casually flexes her ankle every few minutes. Each time he looks up at the light jostle, he finds her mischievous eyes transfixed on his.
She makes him feel both lucky and unworthy at the same time. A pretty face can do that.
Everyone else looks like they at least put some thought into their image. The drunks with loosened ties leaning in their booths at least had the flair to wear socks with the matching patterns.
Slob, Toji curses himself. For fuck's sake, why didn't he at least wear a long sleeved shirt? He had one. Somewhere.
Nagi places her hand over his, pulling him from his regret. "I'm going to sign up for a song."
His thumb traces over her fingertips. "You should. I'd love to hear you."
With a blush, she makes her way over to the KJ table. It looks like she's friends with the guy running the music too. They share a few words and she laughs loudly as she stuffs a few bills into his tip cup. Looks like she's greasing him up to get moved up in the queue. Smart move.
There's a woman in red on stage finishing up her last verse of Sukiyaki. When she's done, a few people applaud her performance before the Karaoke DJ pics up his own mic.
"Ladies and gentlemen, keep it going for our lovely Haruka on stage! Thank you so much, Haruka! That was beautiful."
As the other girl departs the stage shyly, Nagi pats her arm with a smile as she takes the mic next. Toji can see her silently mouth 'great job' enthusiastically.
The KJ pipes up again, "Now please give a very warm welcome to a good friend of mine, soon to be yours too: the lovely Mrs. Nagi Yoshino!"
Her music starts to play, it sounds American, though Toji isn't an expert by any means. It is vaguely familiar.
Most singers would feel nervous performing for such a crowded space of strangers. Nagi doesn't care what they think of her. She knows how good she is.
"There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch, it's bringing me out the dark
Finally I can see you crystal clear
Go 'head and sell me out and I'll lay your ship bare
See how I'll leave with every piece of you
Don't underestimate the things that I will do
There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark
The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling
We could have had it all
Rollin' in the deep
You had my heart inside of your hands
And you played it to the beat…"
She's better than she led on. The bar is already responding to her, a few who know the lyrics joining in at their seats.
Her energy is contagious. He can't help the grin spreading across his face.
Nagi reminds him of her.
Even if they didn't look alike, they shared the same wild spirit.
…flashback….
No one was ever supposed to see where Toji worked. The street where the warehouse resided and rotted was nothing but a series of dead ends and roundabouts leading back to the main road.
The only cars that ended up winding through the alleys were lost drivers. One night when Toji spied the distinct pattern of a city cab pulling up outside of the locked gate of the warehouse entrance, apprehension settled in quickly. He has a feeling there's going to be a commotion.
The driver door of the cab opens, and an angry man in a pressed polo shirt stomps around to the back of the vehicle. He swings the side door open and jerks out what appears to be a very indignant passenger fighting him every second.
"Out! Out now, you miserable wretch!" he demands.
"Up yours! Don't you dare ditch me here, you rat fucker!" she screeches.
She's belligerently drunk, and Toji watches as one of her shoes pops off onto the sidewalk. The cab driver gives it a kick into the weeds, sending her stumbling after it. As she's distracted, he hops back in the front seat and speeds off. The ex-passenger then decides to chuck her shoe after him, smartly cracking the back glass. The driver chooses not to stop.
Nice arm, Toji muses. He snuffs out his cigarette and walks up to the gate. Might as well deal with this while he still has the time. The delivery will be here shortly. Witnesses aren't ideal for drop offs either.
"Rough night?" he calls through the twisted wire of the fence. know
Wobbling in her single shoe, the girl turns around. Her eyes are red and her makeup is running. She's been crying, but her expression is pure annoyance.
"What the hell 'you looking at?"
He chuckles in amusement. She looks like a college student who got a bit carried away partying. She can't be older than 23 or 24. Her skirt is short, and her neon blouse is cut low revealing her cleavage. She doesn't cross her arms to hide it when she catches him staring.
"You lost?" he asks unnecessarily.
"No! I asked the cabbie to drive me to buttfuck nowhere specifically! And I asked him to park in front of the ugliest prick he could find!" she snarls.
Toji glances around once again to make sure no one is within earshot of her tirade.
"I see why he kicked you out. That acidic attitude probably ruined his upholstery. Or was it your puke in the back seat?"
"For your information, I already puked before I left home. He was mad 'cause I got turned around and gave him the wrong address. It was H457-45…Or maybe G378-55?" She rubs her temple in concentration. "Ugh, I know Hiro is at the G address and Gyou is at the H address, but the numbers might have gotten mixed up…"
"The perils of juggling boyfriends. Maybe this is a sign to slow it down?" Toji suggests.
She naturally doesn't appreciate a stranger butting in. "Whatever! Get bent, you ass. This is just a sign that I need to start writing things down."
"I can call you a cab if you have an address to give them. Don't really care if it's the right address, but you can't stick around here."
"Why not? Because I'm trespassing? I'm outside of your stupid gate." She opens her arms and spins in a small twirl.
"This entire area is restricted," he explains as he checks his watch. He's only got about twenty minutes until the delivery gets here. He needs to get her off the grounds pronto.
"There's a phone inside. I'll call the cab service for you. What's your address?"
"I'm not telling you. You're strangers." Despite her words, she cracks a smile, meandering closer up the sidewalk. She stands in front of Toji, slipping her fingers through the wires of the fence to steady herself as she slumps forward. She's obviously seeing double.
Goddammit… She's cute, but she's an inconvenience nonetheless.
"Fine. You can come in and make the call. But you're gonna wait for your ride out here. Got it?"
He fumbles with a keyring from his pocket and removes the heavy chain around the gate. Regretfully he lets her in. It would be worse if the delivery showed up early and saw her. Toji doesn't want something to happen just because the poor girl wandered into the wrong cul-de-sac on the wrong night.
Luckily there actually is a phone in a back office away from Toji's workspace. Not that it looked unpresentable yet before his "shift." Still, anyone else being there is a bad idea.
"Make it quick," he directs.
She doesn't budge. She's hanging into the door frame to steady herself, sizing him up and studying his features carefully. He's much sexier than Hiro. Gyou too. The scar at the corner of his mouth made him look dangerous. And his eyes had an unexpected intensity to their gaze. He's definitely someone her parents wouldn't approve of.
"What's your name?" she asks.
He shakes his head. "No names. Make your call so you can leave, miss."
"Pfftt! I'm not a 'Miss.' Fuck you! Besides, what if I don't wanna leave now?" she teases. "It's kinda cool here. All run down and dead inside. It's a big time vibe."
"What? Why would you want to hang around here? Go home."
She shakes her head, her tousled black bangs fluttering around her glazed eyes. "I went out tonight to do three things. Get trashed, have fun, and get off. I've only done one so far."
"That's a shame. I'm not fucking you though. You're drunk."
He knows better.
"Oh? A man with morals? What's the occasion?"
She reaches out to touch Toji's upper arm, feeling the tension of his muscle rippling beneath his shirt. "You won't have to do much. I can get there all by myself if you'll let me."
She had such a wicked little smile that struck him deeply. He shouldn't have let her in here. Hell, even unlocking the gate was a breach of security. So why did he do it? Has it been that long since his last bar fling? He lost track of time whenever there was money to be made.
She's harmless, he reasons. She isn't interested in what happens here. He could give her what she wants…
If only he didn't have a delivery on the way.
At the behest of his prayer, a force greater than himself aligns the planets in his favor. There's a buzz at his pager. Checking the code, it reads all 6's. The sign of a delay. Probably traffic related. Or engine trouble. Or an extra messy cleanup.
It didn't matter.
The delivery is going to be late.
He grabs the phone off the desk, punching in a number to connect to an operator. He requests a taxi service, then provides the warehouse address. Before the operator can reply to confirm, he's already hung up.
"Get on the desk," Toji instructs, pointing to the space behind the girl. He notes the time, taking care to keep track in his head.
With a triumphant grin, she hops up, letting her remaining single shoe fall to the floor. He drops to his knees in front of her, sliding his hands up over her colorful ripped tights. The asphalt had done a number on her knee. There was a small rivulet of dried blood stuck beneath the fabric. She didn't seem to be aware of her injury, so he ignores it. She raises her ass enough for him to roll up her skirt. He rips the center of her tights open. She isn't wearing anything beneath them,
"Such a gentleman," she giggles.
"Call me old fashioned, I guess," he chuckles against her newly bared thigh. He could comment on her lack of underwear, but chooses not to.
His tongue draws circles on sensitive skin, testing her reaction.
She locks her fingers into his dark hair, pulling him in.
It then strikes him that maybe he doesn't know better after all.
The heat of his mouth seals over her, cueing her breathy sighs of approval goading him on. He lets her pull his hair, and even dig her nails into his shoulder. It only tells him he's doing the job well. He allows his voice to slip, just a bit, hypnotized with her clouding all of his senses.
She's reactive to the sound and sensations, and her teeth sink into her lower lip. "Ohh, fuck," she moans, sending the telephone crashing to the floor.
The dial tone of the discarded telephone is barely audible, setting a tempo for his tongue on her clitoris. Toji knows she must be getting close, but he isn't trusting his mouth alone to finish her. His hands had been gripping her thighs, playfully popping the seams of her tights even more just a few at a time. Steadily he increases the pressure of each fingertip until he has to consciously keep himself at bay. If he started to stroke his dick now, getting rid of her in a timely fashion would be out of the question. Her voice is bold, stirring the silence of the empty factory. Nothing made sounds like these here. She's so full of life.
And he shouldn't have let her in.
He slips a finger inside her.
"Fuck!" she swears again as her hips screw in tight little circles.
It's startling to hear her sweet voice saying those dirty words. Pretty girls shouldn't swear.
He adds a second finger.
She screams her profanities louder, her hips grind harder into his face.
His lips curl into a wet smile against her skin and he stares into her eyes. She doesn't look away.
He increases his speed with his fingers but moves his tongue in slow, sweeping motions. Her sounds are deepening and he follows them down, spiraling to his doom within her. There's a spasm around his dripping fingers. He presses in as far as he can, practically growling as he devours her. She brings his free hand up to grip her breast, which he obliges. He'd only been holding back from groping the rest of her body for time's sake.
He wishes he had so much longer.
Tracing delicate patterns across his shoulders with her nails, she sighs and falls limply back onto the desk. Her legs still haven't let go of him.
He breathes in her scent deeply, savoring it for as long as possible. When he finally withdraws his hand, he can't resist giving her one last lick from bottom to top. She squeaks loudly then giggles again.
It buzzes his brain like a cattle prod.
He can't stand up.
There's a honk of a car horn outside. Her ride is here. Fuck, that was fast.
As she readjusts her skirt and assesses the damage to her stockings, Toji runs his palm over her skinned knee. He looks back up at her, but she's too busy finger-combing her hair to notice.
Toji kisses her knee.
"Hand me my shoe, will you?" she points to the floor.
He slips it on for her like the gentleman he's pretending to be, smirking at her other bare foot and wondering what her driver is going to think of that along with her bare thighs showing through ripped fabric.
He's still in a daze when he realizes he's staring at the back of her head as she's leaving.
"Wait!" he calls, stumbling clumsily to his feet after her. He's still hard but much too stupefied to notice.
"What?" she snaps, sounding exactly as annoyed with him as she was before he brought her in.
My God, that scowl is something else.
He wants to ask her so much but his mind is his enemy, lacking its vital blood.
"What's your name?"
She laughs cruelly as the door closes behind her, forcing him to give chase. He can hear the single repeated click of her shoe on the pavement in the dark as she races to the taxi, madly giggling the whole way.
She's ditching him. What a bitch.
He's smiling so hard it hurts as he holds himself back from being seen by the driver. His reason is sluggishly making its return.
She hops inside the cab and the door slams.
So does Toji's heart.
The car pulls away from the curb. From the barest light of the streetlamps, he watches the window roll down and she pops her head out again.
She shouts a name over the roar of the engine.
He hopes to God it's hers and rolls it over his tongue, still tasting her.
The tail lights are gone. So is she. Toji is frozen in place, struck with disbelief and much more frightening emotions he didn't think he could feel.
Then the headlights of the delivery truck roll into view, slamming reality back into his face.
It's time to clock in.
..end of flashback
Nagi's song ends, sending the room into thunderous cheers and whistles. With a bow, she replaces the microphone to its stand and returns to her seat at the bar. Her grin says it all. She knows she ate the room up and whoever has to follow her isn't going to have their attention the way she did.
Toji is proud to be seen with her. He slips her drink back into her hand.
"Why thank you, my good sir," she dips her head.
"How is anyone else supposed to perform when you stole all of their applause?"
"Hmm. They can go home? That way I get more stage time." Nagi finishes her drink in a single sip, then shrugs a shoulder carelessly. The blue silk ripples from the movement, threatening to send the thin strap sliding over.
He would reach out to fix it for her if he weren't such a coward.
There's a jostling to his left that jerks him from his softer thoughts. Some guy in a faded leather jacket who'd made his way over to give his own useless congratulations to Nagi for her song.
"Stellar performance, love! Simply wonderful," he gushed.
"Why thank you! It's been a while, but it seems I've still got it." She smiles goodnaturedly, already turning back around to end the interaction.
The stranger doesn't take the hint, slipping his arm around the back of her chair invasively and coming in close again.
"You are seriously so talented! Much better than the guy who went before you. He really embarrassed himself in that dress. Haha!"
Toji's fist closes around his glass.
Nagi has infinitely more patience with this asshole.
"I think you're confused. Haruka is a lady. She actually sings here often, and lots of people here know her."
She's quick to correct his error, giving him the opportunity to shut his stupid fucking mouth.
Unfortunately alcohol has another quality aside from just being liquid courage. It's also a filter remover. The asshole rolls his eyes. "Look, you're nice for humoring him, but let's be serious. There's no comparing someone like that with a real woman like you–"
WHUMP!
Suddenly the man found his ass having a surprise meeting with the wooden floor. Toji had given the back of his wobbly knees a sturdy kick when he couldn't stomach anymore of his stupidity.
"Hey! You got a problem, asshole?!" He demands from his lowered station.
"I do, in fact," Toji says simply. "There's gum on my shoe. Get it for me, will ya?"
His heel shoots out, connecting into the man's face.
Before security can make their way over, Toji and Nagi are already heading to the side exit, seeing that it was probably best to leave now before risking any other altercations.
He's still fuming, walking angrily with his fists shoved into his pockets for several blocks.
Then he stops when he realizes he can barely hear the clicks of high heeled shoes trailing behind him. Turning around, he sees Nagi trying her best to keep up with him, but her feet are tired. She wasn't expecting to have to run after him.
Asshole, he berates himself again, walking back to meet her.
"I'm sorry," he bows his head. "This is a terrible date. I've gone and ruined it."
She clutches her purse strap up on her shoulder, catching her breath leaning against a lamp post. "It's okay…I didn't really have any expectations out of tonight if we're being honest."
"I see…" So he did blow it.
"Not that I didn't expect to have fun," she bites her lip. "I wasn't sure this sort of place would be exciting enough for you."
Exciting?
"What do you mean?" he asks. Was she worried about being boring?
She puts a hand on her hip. "As cool as I may come off, it's been a long time since I felt like I was any fun. It's hard being a parent and feeling like you're still lost in this big world yourself."
He swallows hard.
"You don't have to try so hard for me, Nagi. And you definitely are fun. Much more fun than I am."
She bursts into a fit of laughter. "You're so sweet, Toji-san, but that's not true anymore because my feet hurt and we've only been out for an hour."
"You should have worn more sensible shoes," he smiles.
"Yeah, well, where did being sensible get anyone?" She reaches down to loosen a strap.
Toji scuffs his own ragged shoe on the pavement. They were sensible, and comfortable. And not much to look at.
"So…What should we do now?" she asks, checking the time. "The boys are going to make fun of us if we come back this early."
Shit, that's right. You're still on your date with Junpei. Toji doesn't want to cut your time short either. God forbid they walk in on something Nagi may not be prepared to see. Outing her son and your relationship isn't something he wants.
"Let's go back to my place," Toji suggests. "I'll cook for us."
"That sounds perfect," she sighs happily.
Toji silently hopes that your night is turning out much better.
Toji opens the door to his apartment, turning on the lights on his way to the kitchen as Nagi collapses in a heap into the shabby armchair next to the couch. She kicks off her silver high heels and lets them hit the floor loudly.
"Sorry," she mutters, remembering the downstairs neighbors much too late.
"It's okay. I'm pretty sure we're above an old man who can't hear very well," Toji reassures her. If he could hear, he'd have plenty to say about the ruckus you and Toji cause when he's knocking you around for training.
There's a ribeye in the fridge Toji had been saving for himself. Every now and then, he'd secretly cook a steak while you were away at school. Nothing too fancy, but it was nice to enjoy something decent alone. There's some asparagus he can pair with it too.
"How do you like your steak?" he asks.
There's a delighted hum from the living room before she responds. "Medium rare?"
"Then I'll have dinner ready in only a few minutes," he announces. "Want to see if there's anything decent on TV? Remote should be on the couch."
She flicks through the channels before finding something she recognizes, but it's nowhere near the beginning. Within seconds she's confused by the characters on the screen, and turns her attention to the man in the kitchen.
He'd gotten so upset tonight over what that other guy had said in the bar. Nagi was shocked to see how quickly Toji was willing to resort to violence. It unsettled her, but she had her theories. It would be polite to keep them to herself, yet she found that she couldn't help circling back to the same thought.
"Toji-san? May I ask you a personal question?"
"Depends on what it is."
He's already building his guard up subconsciously, hating himself for it at the same time.
Nagi chews her lip, choosing her words carefully. Her head is still a bit swimmy.
"Fushiguro-kun. He's…a special boy. Isn't he? Like how Haruka is a special girl, I mean."
Toji pauses, easing the salt shaker from his hand back to the counter with barely a sound. What is he supposed to say to that? He knows what Nagi is asking, but it's not up to him to tell her. Or anyone else for that matter.
"It's alright. You don't have to say anything. I just guessed it, right? I figured that's what made you so upset tonight when that man was saying those terrible things about Haruka." She raises herself upright to stare at the back of his head. "You're scared for Fushiguro-kun, aren't you? That's why you got so mad."
He sighs, utterly caught. "It's hard enough being young. The world looks down on you, treats you like a burden, then hangs you out to dry while it's still raining."
He takes a shallot and a few cloves of garlic, slicing them and setting them aside. His eyes sting.
"His life is going to be much harder than most boys," Toji finishes. "So yeah, I am scared for him."
The steak has to rest, but he can't make himself turn around yet. The fucking shallots made him cry.
He decides to start cooking while it's still cold, even though it'll toughen the meat.
Nagi rests her chin on her hand thoughtfully. She's aware of what his worst fears are. How could she not? Her job doesn't soften the blows of what happens to trangender people. She's seen the worst of what humankind can do.
"There are people who care alot about boys like Fushiguro-kun, and girls like Haruka. So when he does leave home, he'll never be alone. Even tonight, you stood up for Haruka when you've never met her, didn't you?"
That's true, however Nagi spoke up for her acquaintance first. She was more tactful with her response too. Toji always lacked in that department. He doesn't see a need to empathize with scum.
"You aren't the only parent of a trans child. The world is full of them, and I'm sure many of them feel just as strongly as you do. I bet they'd gladly protect Fushiguro if they saw something happen to him, because they would want someone to do the same for their family. Like you did, Toji-san."
Nagi was clearly a bigger person than he was, but he could live with that. She had the patience to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. And Toji–
Well…..
"Dinner's ready," he announces, bringing two plates into the living room. He did his best making everything look as appetizing as possible.
He eats in silence. She compliments his cooking with every bite. She doesn't say it's dry or tough at all. Modestly he accepts her praise. Her smile and her advice ease his worries. Mentally he makes a note to bring two steaks home next time.
"So what's this movie about?" he asks her.
"It's three hours long. Are you sure you want to hear the plot?"
After taking their plates to the sink, Toji seats himself on the couch and pats the cushion beside him. "How about you come over here and tell me about it? Maybe bring those sore feet with you too. I can help with that."
Enticed by the invitation, she slides over. The light touch of her hand on his ignites his entire being. She swings her feet up and reclines herself comfortably, fairly swooning at the warmth of his touch as he begins to massage over her tired soles. It's been an eternity since someone did something like this for her. Her late husband adored her feet.
"Don't fall asleep on me. I need you to explain this plot, remember?" Toji chuckles.
She nods, a satisfied smile seeping across her face. It's hard to remember all of the details of the story. There's so many characters and developments. Plus her kamikaze from earlier was extra strong.
"See that guy?" She points to the screen. "That's Jean Valjean. He used to be a criminal, but he isn't anymore. He promised to become a better man to redeem his soul after he was caught stealing."
"Interesting, everyone loves a redemption story, I guess."
"Anyways–He's taking care of a little girl who isn't his. She had no one else," she continues. "He's worried about her life and future too."
"Sounds…like a nice guy." Toji mutters.
The similarities are beginning to send a tingle up his spine. He slides his hands up Nagi's smooth calves, partially to distract himself, and also testing to see what she'd do.
Her eyes flutter closed.
He smiles. "What happens next?"
"Hmm?" She's getting lost in her own world now, letting Toji's hands daringly encourage her ankles to part little by little.
"In the movie. What happens to Jean Valjean and the kid?"
"Oh, I've forgotten. It's been so long since I heard the story. It was Minato's favorite book. He loved Victor Hugo."
Toji's hands cease their mission.
"What?"
"He tried reading it to me once. But it was so long and took months…I don't think he ever finished it. When they made the movie a few years back, I wanted to finish it to see the ending, but they made it so long. I never made it all the way through."
His heart is pounding. He has to excuse himself with a hasty, "Sorry."
Vanishing into your empty room, he accidentally slammed the door a bit too loud. He closes the door to your bathroom more carefully as he sinks to the floor on his knees. It's the farthest away he can possibly get from the woman on his couch.
"Minato" she had said. He knew from her story that it had to be her husband's name. Her voice softened around the syllables just enough for him to notice.
He can't do this.
Harder than ever his tears return. Laughter replayed from his memory cruelly, as if this joke the universe was playing on him was somehow all going according to plan.
It's the same name. The name he'd caught on the wind as a taxi sped away into the night, whispered to himself while lying in bed awake at night after he'd met her, and given every bartender in the city when he spent months trying to find her again.
His Minato.
He hears the familiar wild laughter in his head again and cries harder than the two closed doors can contain.
The credits from the first Cabin Fever are playing in the background. They've been rolling for the last few minutes, along with a few other things.
You haven't been paying attention to the movie at all. Either of you. From the moment you were left alone, with one exception being the pizza delivery left cold and untouched on the kitchen counter, you've been locked together. One kiss quickly became two, then there was no separation from where one ended and the next began. The slight phantom thrusts of your hips seeking out his have long since tempted Junpei to relent and give into you. He has his knee pushed up between your legs, and his fingers are shakily beginning to ease their way beneath your shirt.
He's learning the different pressures to use in order to draw out your sounds. Not a single one has escaped his attention. Feeling you grinding against him, bouncing in place on his leg and vocalizing your pleasure deep in your throat for him to hear, it brought him to full arousal shamelessly. Disregarding his natural shyness, he allows his erection to mercifully throb against your thigh. It takes only a little coaxing, a mere tugging of his belt loops to adjust his aim, and you pull him between your legs.
You reach your hand down, cupping over his bulge to feel how hard he is. When he groans heavily, you reward him with a gentle tug through his dark hair, making his sweet little hips buck forward. His eyes peek open, daring to meet yours. He smiles shakily, brows knitting together with apprehensive embarrassment. Only for a moment though. He quickly finds that he feels more secure with his eyes closed, too overwhelmed by the reality of what's happening to him. He wants you so badly, but he isn't sure what to do. His hands slide up your stomach, caressing your skin with rising need. You don't stop him when his fingertips graze your chest. He moans loudly when your own hand disappears into his pants. There's a slickness of his precum on your palm. Your eyes roll back as he strokes one of your nipples with the pad of his thumb.
"Ohh, fuck, Junpei," you breathe against his lips. Your fingers wrap around him more securely, stroking down his shaft appreciatively. His pulse races beneath your thumb.
Subconsciously his grip beneath your shirt tightens. His hand moves with the same rhythm you're using to stroke him, squeezing and massaging your breast appreciatively. As the tips of his fingers close around your nipples, your entire body arches up towards his touch. What you're doing to him feels so good. There's a growing worry that he's going to finish if you keep going. Surely that has to be clear to you? Should he tell you? But then what if you stop? He could do it and say nothing then risk the aftermath. It's so tempting. You have to know what you're building up, your touch feels so experienced. So much better than his own. His vision blurs and a simmering heat creeps up his neck. His hips lock into place, slammed against you with your hand in between.
Don't…don't…
With an almost innocent tone to your voice, you kiss into the softness of his cheek.
"Are you going to cum for me, my pretty boy?"
Your tongue licks slowly against his damp skin in a slow swipe.
Ohh, fuck!
Junpei doesn't stand a chance in Hell.
Warmth fills your hand, overspilling into the fabric of his underwear as he wraps his arms around you, holding you close and hiding his lewd expression in the crook of his arm.
"I've got you," you reassure him, rubbing your other hand up his back.
"You're such a good boy, Junpei."
A sheepish grin plays across his lips. God, he feels like he could melt into you. Shit, he practically did.
Awkwardly he apologizes and wipes your hand with his shirt, which had stayed on and luckily caught the overspray of his climax. The stickiness of his own skin won't let him relax for long with you. He pardons himself to disappear into his bedroom to change clothes, promising to be right back. Fortunately the majority of the mess had stayed with him, though he'd have to make sure to start the laundry tonight and not leave anything lying around. He checks the time, it's been roughly two hours since Toji and his mother left. How long do dates normally last? How much time does he have left with you?
He isn't done with you. You haven't finished yet.
Junpei turns around to find you hanging onto his doorframe. The hungry look on your face tells him that he took too long.
"Hello there," you greet him.
Junpei smiles. Good. This is where he wants you.
He takes your hand and closes the door, surprising you a bit as he pulls you to his bed. Your usually sweet and bashful boyfriend takes on an oddly commanding role as he tells you to lie on your back. You lie there, waiting for his next move.
Leaning down to kiss you again, he parts your lips with his tongue. You moan when his hands grip your hips, easing you to grind up into him once more. Then his knee comes up, resuming its place between your legs. This time your voice crescendos with each of his movements.
Junpei eats up all of your sounds, entirely lost in pleasuring you. Knowing you like riding on his leg like this gives him plenty of ideas for later, and kissing you this way has already made him hard and ready to go again. You made the cutest little sounds when he was tugging and twisting your nipples earlier. He should definitely do that some more so he can hear you again. Your chest is especially sensitive, so maybe kissing you there would feel nice? God, he wants to try.
The slight tickle of Junpei's fingertips flipping up the hem of your shirt again makes you squirm in anticipation.
Then the material of your shirt keeps rising.
Oh…
A strange sensation of uncertainty grips you. All at once this feels like too much. Your hands stop him before he can remove your shirt.
"What's wrong?" he asks, confused. His leg stops its rhythm, pulling back from you.
Your words are frozen in your throat so that only a small sound escapes. Your grip tightens around his fingers. Both of you are still breathing hard but lying motionless as Junpei hovers above you. He releases your shirt and reaches up to hold your face on either side. Pressing his lips to yours in soft butterfly kisses, he apologizes quietly.
"We don't have to keep going. We can stop."
Your eyes sting unexpectedly. Turning so he doesn't see, you bury your face into his neck.
"Sorry…"
"It's okay. I promise," he reassures you, rolling to your side so he can keep holding you. Your head tucks beneath his chin. His hand finds yours, giving you a comforting squeeze.
"We can do something else. Do you…want to help me paint my nails?" he offers.
Sniffling, you nod your head, still tucked in the safe darkness of his shoulder.
"Okay."
"You're a good boy, Fushiguro," he reassures you, kissing your cheek.
Only then does the knot in the pit of your stomach begin to relax.
…
There's a jingle of keys at the front door. You and Junpei are still in his room, lying on his bed together with his arms around you mindfully as his nails finish drying.
"Hi, boys!" Nagi calls cheerfully. "Where are you?"
With a dejected sigh, Junpei squeezes you as tight as he can one last time before answering her. "We're in my room. Be right out."
You both have matching expressions of disappointment that the evening has to come to an end.
Next time, Junpei promises himself as he kisses the back of your hand.
It's going to be all about you, Fushiguro.
Leaving his room, you let go of his hand only at the last possible second.
"Hi, mom. How was your night? Did you have fun?" he inquires politely.
You can't help smiling at the back of his head. He's such a sweetheart.
"It was great! Thank you for asking, sweetie!" Nagi hugs her son enthusiastically, rumpling his hair in her drunken enthusiasm. She'd had one more drink at Toji's before they called it a night.
"Ooh! What's this?" She spies her son's sparkling nails and grasps his hands to see closer.
Both you and Junpei hold your breath. He'd forgotten to hide his nails after letting go of you. His secrets were spilling out. From over Nagi's shoulder, even Toji shifts
"Uhh…F-fushiguro painted them," he says meekly. It sounded like he was trying to reach out to you for support, so you prepare yourself for what her response might be. Alot of parents have stupidly strong feelings about something as minor as a little makeup.
"How pretty!" she gushes. "You did a great job, Fushiguro-kun. Much neater than when I try to do mine." Her eyes light up with inspiration and she pulls you in for a hug too. Her perfume is slightly too sweet for your liking. "Hey! Could you do mine sometime too?"
"Uh, s-sure. Sounds fun?" It did not sound fun to you, but if it takes the focus off your friend, you'll agree.
Boyfriend, you silently correct yourself, casting a meaningful side glance over to him. He stares ruefully back at you.
From the entryway where he hung back, Toji grits his teeth, unable to bring himself to enter the apartment. He meets your gaze and jerks his head to indicate it's time to leave, conveying his apology with a grimace.
Sorry, kiddo.
You relay the same message to Junpei with a similarly forlorn expression and awkwardly remove yourself from under Nagi's arm. She'd been using the two of you to help hold herself upright, but now rubs the side of her face against Junpei's like she used to do when he was little. "My babyyy," she hums.
"Stop that! C-cut it out," Junpei is mortified and tries to worm his way out of her clutches unsuccessfully. She's strong when she's buzzed.
You crack a smile at his embarrassment, and wave your farewell after putting your shoes on.
"See you, Junpei. Wanna hang out tomorrow?"
"Yep!" he chirps at once, not about to turn down any chance to spend more time with you.
"Cool. I'll text you," you promise, and shut the door behind you, noticing that Toji didn't say a word to his date while picking you up. Meaning they must've already said their goodbyes before they opened the door.
You shudder at that mental image.
As the two of you ride the elevator down to the bottom floor, he asks,
"How was your night?"
You keep your eyes trained straight ahead, not looking one way or another.
"Fine…How was yours?"
He follows your lead, his voice level and giving you nothing.
"It was fine."
.
.
.
To Be Continued….