Gift Fic for 64907
A piece of rainbow for 64907
Title: Jun and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Pairing:Sakumoto
Rating/Warnings:PG-13, Sexual situations implied
Summary: Fashion Writer Matsumoto Jun agrees to do a favor for his editor. After a series of unfortunate events, will it result in the worst or best day of his life?
Notes: Title is a play on the book title Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. It is not based on that book. Dear 64907, I hope you like how this fic turned out. I had a great time writing it.:D This is a work of fiction.
“Satoshi, I told you NO!” Jun said slamming his hand down on his editor’s desk. “I’m going to New York to cover Fashion Week, not to review some low budget bus company that caters to Japanese tourists.”
“Listen, it won’t be that bad. We need to find out why this one company-Sakurai Sho’s Supernova Tours-has had an increased ridership of 400% since May. You will need to give this project a scant four hours of your time, write a three-column review, and the Travel department will fund your entire trip-including meals. I know how you like to dine at those expensive Manhattan restaurants.”
Jun considered this for a minute, because the offer was tempting. He did like to dine at four and five star restaurants, but would Satoshi really deny him that luxury if he said no? Probably not. Jun’s column was too valuable to magazines across Japan. So he continued to defend his original position: “I’ll be working sixteen-hour days as it is,” he said exasperated. “I don’t have any spare time.”
“Lucky for you, I’ve checked the schedule, and the afternoon that you land, September 9th, seems pretty open to me. You land in the morning and everyone knows you sleep soundly on planes. You’ll land in New York refreshed, check into the hotel, take this tour and crash, before you have to do any reporting for your own column.”
“Lucky me indeed, that sounds like the worst travel plan ever,” Jun retorted. “Wait a minute, this doesn’t have to do with a certain deal you made with Kazunari.” He watched as his editor could barely suppress a grin at the mention of his lover, who happened to be the head of the Travel department. “It does!” Jun said. “He’s down a couple of reporters, doesn’t want to travel overseas himself, and you don’t want him to. Fine. For you, because of your screwed up love life, I will do this. But you owe me, Satoshi. You owe me big! And I want a bonus-at least 20,000 yen.” Because Jun knew how to negotiate and he really wanted to get himself something nice from Tiffany’s or Bergdorf’s this time around.
“Okay, okay, but these stories better be worth it.” Satoshi winked. He knew Jun would deliver the goods.
Three weeks later, Jun boarded the plane to New York. What Satoshi said was true. Jun normally did sleep well on long flights, and he anticipated this time to be no different. He had his eye mask, earplugs, and his designer memory foam travel pillow. He was all set, until he glanced over at the seat next to him. Usually, he booked two seats so he could spread out and not be disturbed, but the Travel department had booked this flight for him. While he was still in business class, so was a young woman traveling alone with a baby, who looked to be about ten months old. Normally Jun loved children, but babies and sleep and planes generally didn’t go together in his opinion. So he started to panic.
Six hours into the flight and Jun still had yet to sleep a wink. Every time he tried, a tiny fist would bump into his shoulder or worse, hit his face. When that wasn’t happening, the child was wailing in his ear. The young mother kept apologizing but Jun soon resigned himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to get any rest on this plane. So far, Satoshi’s plan was not working. He tried to think about the runway shows he would be seeing soon-Givenchy, Oscar De La Renta, Vera Wan-and only hoped that when he got to New York, he would have better luck and wouldn’t be too tired and grumpy.
Once they landed at JFK, Jun cleared border patrol and then went to look for his bags. They were taking forever! Jun waited patiently to one side when bag after bag fell onto the carousel. When it was clear that all of the luggage had been taken off the plane, and no other bags would be coming out, a very disgruntled Jun made his way to baggage claim.
“Hawaii? Are you sure?” Jun gritted out in the most polite tone he could muster.
“Yes, sir. It seems your bags are on their way, without you, to Hawaii. I don’t really know how this could have happened. I’ve never seen anything like this occur in all my twenty years with this airline. Do you have any contingency clothes with you in your carry-on? This may take a couple of days to resolve.”
“Yes,” Jun sighed. “I have a few things I can wear. I’ll be staying at the Kitano. Please inform me when you make any progress.” Jun stumbled out of the airport and into a cab. When he arrived at the front desk of the Kitano, he was greeted with more unpleasant news. They had apparently oversold the hotel because of fashion week and Jun would be relocated to the Library Hotel on Madison Avenue instead. When he got to the Library Hotel all he wanted was a shower and a change of clothes before he had to go on that idiotic tour bus. Damn his promise to Ohno!
“I’m sorry, sir, but your room will not be ready for another three hours at the very least.”
“Three hours! But…but look at me. I need my room. Are you sure that none are available?”
“Quite sure. But if you need to freshen up, the men’s bathroom is one level above this one and we can certainly hold onto your bag at the bell hop station until your room is ready.”
When Jun got to the bathroom, he opened his bag and surveyed his options. The only items he had packed in his carryon were a tuxedo, a Dior suit, a white shirt, extra underwear and sleep pants. He had taken the suits on board with him because they were the most expensive and he hadn’t wanted to replace them if his luggage had gotten lost. Apparently Jun could have doubled as a fortune-teller, because that was exactly what had happened. He begrudgingly took out the expensive Dior suit and put it on. He grabbed an unsatisfactory bite to eat at a non-descript restaurant around the corner and was now prepared to spend the most boring four hours of his life on a bus in Manhattan.
He walked a few blocks to the Empire State Building and almost got on the wrong bus before he spotted the giant red monstrosity that was Sakurai Sho’s Supernova’s Bus Tours. Jun spied Sakurai almost immediately; it was hard not to due to his outfit. The tour operator was wearing a red and white pinstriped shirt, bright red pants, a red sweater vest and a red baseball cap completing the ensemble. He also had a giant travel pack attached to his waist. He looked completely ridiculous. He was standing in front of a group of around ten to twelve people.
“Hi, Matsumoto Jun here with Nippon Travel Magazine. I’m here to do a story about your tours, though I regularly write exclusively for many of Japan’s leading fashion magazines. I believe you are expecting me.”
“Hello!” Sakurai said full of enthusiasm. “Welcome aboard! Please call me Sho. Always happy to meet a member of the press, especially one from Tokyo!”
“Yes, well the growth of your. . .” he pointed to the bus, “enterprise. . .has made us curious about your tours. So I’m here to do a small piece about that. Are you sure we should even go? You don’t have a large group gathered here.”
“We may pick up a few more people along the way,” Sho said cheerfully. “Great, now everyone put on your complimentary Supernova poncho and you will be all set.”
“Excuse me?” Jun said, looking at the plastic package as if it were trash.
“Your poncho,” Sho said brightly, “because the forecast says rain and at Sakurai Sho’s Supernova Bus Tours we strive to make sure our customers are as comfortable as possible.”
“But we will be inside the bus.”
“Not for all of it. There are some stops where we get off, and there are two levels. To get the full experience you need to sit on the top in the open air. Please put it on. It would really help if a stylish man such as yourself set the example.”
“Four hours,” Jun grumbled. But he put the poncho on and climbed to a seat on the top level of the bus. Never let it be said that he wasn’t a good sport.
The bus traveled up Madison Avenue so it could start at the top of Manhattan and travel down Fifth, as the most popular sites where on Fifth Avenue. Sakurai Sho was full of information, boring, blustery information just like Jun had expected. Soon Jun found himself falling asleep. He was having an uncomfortable dream about vacationing in the winter in Hokkaido, while wearing nothing but a short sleeve shirt and shorts. A very kind looking woman dressed in Lanvin circa 1926 was saying, “If you had boarded that plane to Hawaii that swallowed up your luggage, you wouldn’t be freezing right now!”
Suddenly, he felt an arm grab his shoulder, shaking him awake. His head had been resting on the cool metal rail, which Jun had apparently been drooling upon in his stupor. None of it had fallen onto his very expensive suit, and for the first and probably last time Jun was grateful for the poncho. However, this realization paled in comparison to the sudden round face in close proximity to his and the sharp reprimand he was getting, short stabbing words in his ear.
“Sir, Sir! Sleeping is not permitted on the Sakurai Sho Supernova Bus Tour. You will miss all the best parts! We have not been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art or Central Park or even the Library! You don’t want to miss those and they are coming right up!” Sho exclaimed.
The tour bus pulled up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Jun watched in amazement as Sho unpacked a giant red flag with the company’s logo on it.
“Are we taking that into the museum?”
“Yes, how else will you be able to follow me? The museum is immense. I don’t want anyone to get lost.”
“Our group has less than fifteen people in it. I doubt anyone will get lost.”
“I lost five customers here the other day and on that tour we only had ten people.”
Jun doubted that this was due to the size of the flag. He trudged up the many steps leading to the entrance of the museum. Once inside, they declined to check their ponchos and simply followed their fearless leader inside. Unfortunately, Sho knew as many boring facts about the items inside the museum as he knew about the city in general. They spent twenty minutes alone admiring a 6th century Greek vase. Jun began to wander towards a hallway filled with sculptures. He sat down on a nearby bench, once again reeling from the strain of travel. He only meant to rest his eyes for a minute. But when he opened them again, his group was gone. He walked around for a while, asking this guard and that if they had seen a man dressed in red carrying an enormous flag. Jun exited the museum half an hour later close to despair and was ready to head back to his hotel when he spotted the red bus pulling away from the curb.
“Wait!” he cried out, but the bus left without him. He signaled for a cab and managed to catch one right away. And it was a good thing he did, because the next tour stop was Central Park.
Sho seemed quite relieved that Jun had caught up to them.
“We waited for you as long as we could,” Sho said apologetically. “I may need to get a bigger flag. We lose more people at that location than any other.”
Jun wanted to argue with him. But Sho was so upbeat and cheerful and seemed so genuinely pleased that Jun had rejoined the group, that Jun didn’t have the heart to dampen his mood.
It was unseasonably warm this second week of September, and as Sho droned on, Jun was beginning to overheat because of the poncho. The sky looked clear enough so he decided to take the damn thing off. No sooner had he removed the annoying item then he felt---Splot! And Splat! Jun looked at his Dior suit in horror. No it was not possible-a bird, maybe two birds-had defecated on his perfect expensive designer suit! Jun felt unsteady on his feet. Two strong hands grabbed him out of nowhere, those hands felt nice on his body, but Jun was too distraught to dwell on that at the moment.
“Steady there!”
Sho spoke to him in a calming voice, all the while reaching into the travel pack attached to his waist to retrieve some disposable wipes. He cleaned the mess off of Jun as best he could and gave him a drink from a bottle of water he had nearby.
“Ruined,” Jun mumbled. “Dior-not even last season. This season. Brand new. First time wearing it.”
“I’m sure you can get it dry cleaned,” Sho said hopefully. “They can work such miracles these days.”
“Birds-why did we stop here? Why are we out of the bus? Why did I have to go on this tour?”
“Now, now, you have had quite a shock. How about we all go back on the bus everyone! Much more to see of New York!” Sho guided Jun to a place up front on the top level where he could keep an eye on him. Because of the suit incident, Jun was in a sullen mood. Sho kept glancing at him nervously, as he continued the tour.
“And now we proceed down Fifth Avenue, soon we will pass by many of the most iconic jewelry and clothing stores located in this the heart of the city.”
Jun perked up, and indeed, they were passing by some of his favorites-Bergdorf’s Men, Tiffany’s, Armani, Valentino, Cartier, and Harry Winston. He grew excited remembering his bonus.
“Stop! Stop the bus!” he shouted.
Sho came over to him immediately. “Why are you shouting? Sit down! I know you have been through a traumatic event but we cannot simply stop the bus anywhere.”
“You said we could get on and get off any place we like?”
“Yes, but this is a shopping area. There is nothing interesting around here but expensive clothes and jewelry, like I said. Now Rockefeller Center is about ten blocks away-there are many historical events I could tell you that took place there and the Library is at Forty-Second Street with the Lions Patience and Fortitude standing guard.”
Jun was a tangle of emotions within. Should he be offended that Sho did not find shopping interesting or should he be aghast at the thought the citizens of New York needed to have wild animals guard their books? Curiosity won out.
“They have actual lions guarding the library?” Jun asked warily. His heart sank as they passed store after familiar store.
“No, they’re not real. They are made of stone-marble actually. They have been there since the library was dedicated May 23, 1911. Are you feeling okay? Because that was one of the weirdest questions I have ever been asked. ” Sho placed his hand on Jun’s forehead. “You don’t seem to have a fever.”
Sho’s hand felt warm on Jun’s forehead and the tour operator’s eyes held genuine concern. Jun started to get lost in them, and since when had that become the plan? He had to break the spell and get a hold of himself.
“I’m fine,” Jun snapped. “You should be more specific. I mean you’ve been specific-too specific-giving us too much information. Oh I don’t know!” Jun huffed as he crossed his arms. A woman occupying the seat next to him gave him a glare.
Sho shrank back, looking as if he was about to cry and spoke in a hushed tone, “It’s alright. The tour is almost over. I know what you will write in your magazine, that I am an incompetent, overzealous fool.” Jun felt bad for a minute because Sho’s head was down, like an admonished school child. Then Sho seemed to remember something and instantly brightened. “Don’t leave, please stay until the end. The view from the observation deck of the Empire State building is worth it!”
By the time they reached the Empire State Building (“once the tallest building in the world, a title which it held for forty years” Sho informed them), Jun was ready not only to go back to his hotel, but to get on a plane to Tokyo and forego fashion week altogether. But even he had to admit that the view from the eighty-sixth floor was incredible, even if the skies were now overcast. That’s when he felt the first drop of rain hit his cheek. He saw the rest of the tour group flee for the elevators. Suddenly he was alone, standing in the rain. Jun was too tired and defeated to care-New York City had officially beaten him and won. He leaned against the railing while the clouds unleashed a true downpour, the one they had been promised all day. He felt someone touch him gently on the shoulder; unsurprisingly it was Sho. He handed Jun another poncho and an umbrella, and stepped a bit closer. Jun stared straight into Sho’s beautiful brown eyes and instantly got lost again. Sho in his protection of Jun had left himself completely unprotected. There were drops of water on his lashes and sliding across his round tempting lips.
“You know they say that some couples who kiss on this observation deck see sparks due to all the static electricity here. Of course I don’t know if that would hold true now because it’s raining. But, I’d really like to find out. Jun… I-“
“Shut up,” Jun said. “Please stop talking.” He surged forward and kissed Sho on his soft plush mouth, and letting his hands wander down to cup Sho’s ass. There were some advantages to them being in New York right at that moment, the sight of two men kissing under one umbrella wouldn’t give anyone pause.
“I think we lost the rest of them,” Jun said.
“Tour was over anyway. You were my only real concern. You seemed to have a rough time of it. I only ever wanted to take care of you and make it better.”
They made their way down to the street level, the water squelching in between their toes, teeth chattering, both eager to be inside somewhere they could change and get something to eat.
“I feel that I ought to get you up to your hotel room at the very least, after all you have been through on my account,” Sho said.
“No, No! I’ll be fine. All I need is a shower, a warm bed and ten to fourteen hours of rest and all will be right again.”
“Alright,” Sho murmured a little sadly. He turned to go, his shoulders slumped a more than usual. Jun felt a pang of sympathy for the man who had only tried to show him around the city, however disastrous his attempts had been.
“Wait, come up to my room for a drink? Just let me get my carry-on and check in. I’ll only be a few minutes.”
Sho crossed the hotel lobby in a few seconds. “I know this hotel; they have amazing themed rooms. I bet I can get you a great one!”
“No, you don’t have to do that! I’m sure they will accommodate me. All I want is a nice quiet room. It doesn’t even have to be that big.”
Sho moved to the counter. And while Jun made arrangements to pick up his carry on from the bellhop, he caught phrases like, “been through a lot” and “we humbly request your most popular room.” Soon they were whisked through the lobby, and into a very tiny elevator. They stopped on the eighth floor, made a quick left and the bellhop stopped immediately. “Here we are, the most popular room in the hotel!” he smirked.
“What was that about?” Jun wondered aloud.
“I have no idea. Try your key,” Sho prompted.
Jun swiped his key through the lock. The door swung open and as the light came on, the two men took in their surroundings, from the furniture, to the décor on the walls, to the books on the bedside table.
Jun let out a gasp, “This is like. . .” He could not finish his statement.
“A love hotel.” Sho finished it for him.
The whole room was decorated in shades of garish red and violet, except for the black satin sheets that graced the bed. The paintings on the walls were all nudes in various sexual positions and partners-male/female, female/female and finally male/male. There was a book about Kama Sutra on the nightstand and another titled the Art of Arousal.
Sho finally recovered enough to look at a little plaque on the wall. “Well this explains a lot. We are in the Erotic Literature Room. I guess this would be the most popular room. I had no idea, you have to believe me.”
“This whole trip has been a disaster, why should my room be any different? I’ll hang my unsullied suit in the closet and be done with it.”
Jun unzipped his carry-on and pulled out the tuxedo, hoping that this one act would yield no surprises. But when he opened the closet he was shocked to the core. There, in addition to a terry-cloth robe and slippers, were several lengths of rope, a set of paddles, a soft whip and a chest, that upon closer examination was filled with an array of sex toys-dildos and the like. Jun took several steps back hoping that Sho wouldn’t notice.
“What’s in the closet?” Sho asked.
“Nothing.” Jun blushed.
“It can’t be that bad,” Sho said pushing Jun out of the way. “Oh well, I guess that fits with the whole theme. Listen, take that shower, and I’ll decide what we should use first.” Sho chuckled. Jun assumed he was joking.
Jun let the hot comforting water run down his body; it was the first time all day he felt almost human. He swiped at the condensation on the mirror as he prepared to view his haggard appearance. He was surprised that he looked better that he felt. His brown eyes sparkled back at him and his complexion was not half as wan as he had expected. He reminded himself that Sho was just on the other side of the door. He was amazed to find that in the last few hours, he had found the tour operator to be an attractive and kind person, one that he wouldn’t mind knowing a lot better. Jun resolved to start with drinks, and let Sho determine the next step. He felt a little jolt in his stomach at the thought but he was not sure whether it was from not eating enough during the day or his developing feelings for Sho. Jun put a towel around himself; a billow of steam preceded his entrance into the main part of the hotel room. When Jun rounded the corner to face the bed, Sho was already on it-naked-with a length of rope in his hand.
Jun stared at the exquisite man on the bed in his hotel room, everything on display like a loaded platter before a feast. Sho’s tousled rain-soaked hair, the definition in his arms, his abs, all the way down to his muscular thighs and the perfect, perfect cock that lay between them. Jun was stunned and his own cock twitched, reacting to Sho’s beauty.
“You were in there a long time. I thought I was going to have to tie myself up or…” Sho cleared his throat. “I hope I haven’t misread things. Oh God, I have.”
“I thought you were kidding about the stuff in the closet,” Jun said smirking a little. He turned his back to Sho, to get some semblance of control and turned his attentions to the mini-bar.
“I was trying to lighten the mood,” Sho said hesitantly. “I thought you were interested in me, but I guess drinks really are just drinks to you.”
Jun poured himself a shot of whiskey. The Kitano had sake on hand in all of its mini bars but he would have to make do. He had no idea that Sho was hiding that body under his travel operator’s uniform; he had wanted him purely on the merits of his own special brand of kindness and dorkiness, and of course that handsome face. But now, the tension in the room was sky high. Jun felt like he was on the top of the Empire State Building again, staring into Sho’s hypnotic eyes. And Sho was asking Jun to tie him up-to let Jun be in control. Jun yearned for it. He hadn’t been in control of anything since he left Tokyo.
He turned around and saw that a dejected Sho was reaching for his clothes. When Jun had turned his back, he must have sent the wrong message.
“No, no, don’t put those on! I like you this way!”
“Naked?”
“Yes, naked. You . . you’re beautiful like. . .”
“Like. . .” Sho waited expectantly, still clutching his shirt.
“Like a cross between a red ball-gown Yves Saint Laurent designed for Christian Dior in 1959 and something edgier like Look 53 from the Supercalifralisticexpialidocious collection by Alexander McQueen Autumn/winter 2002,” Jun said breathlessly.
“That’s really specific. I’m going to have to look those references up before we have any kind of sex.” Sho grinned, tossing his shirt to the floor.
“I’m not experienced with this sort of thing. I mean, I don’t know any good knots,” Jun admitted, until he remembered Jimmy Choo’s Spring/Summer 2014 rope-themed shoe and handbag collection. It was all the inspiration he needed.
“I can help you with the knots,” Sho said seductively.
“I knew it couldn’t be just your knowledge of New York City that wows the tourists every time. Do you have sex with a fair amount of them too? I still have to write that article and I would like to get to the bottom of this.”
“I’m not a prostitute,” Sho exclaimed pretending to be offended. “You don’t think I’m a hooker, do you?”
“No, but it’s not your sexy red uniform or your gigantic flag, so I am wondering how you manage to get people coming back time and time again.”
“Oh, I have been known to give away free ice cream vouchers on a hot summer day.” Sho winked. “Now come to bed. You have to get up early for that runway show in the morning.”
The End
Title: Jun and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Pairing:Sakumoto
Rating/Warnings:PG-13, Sexual situations implied
Summary: Fashion Writer Matsumoto Jun agrees to do a favor for his editor. After a series of unfortunate events, will it result in the worst or best day of his life?
Notes: Title is a play on the book title Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. It is not based on that book. Dear 64907, I hope you like how this fic turned out. I had a great time writing it.:D This is a work of fiction.
“Satoshi, I told you NO!” Jun said slamming his hand down on his editor’s desk. “I’m going to New York to cover Fashion Week, not to review some low budget bus company that caters to Japanese tourists.”
“Listen, it won’t be that bad. We need to find out why this one company-Sakurai Sho’s Supernova Tours-has had an increased ridership of 400% since May. You will need to give this project a scant four hours of your time, write a three-column review, and the Travel department will fund your entire trip-including meals. I know how you like to dine at those expensive Manhattan restaurants.”
Jun considered this for a minute, because the offer was tempting. He did like to dine at four and five star restaurants, but would Satoshi really deny him that luxury if he said no? Probably not. Jun’s column was too valuable to magazines across Japan. So he continued to defend his original position: “I’ll be working sixteen-hour days as it is,” he said exasperated. “I don’t have any spare time.”
“Lucky for you, I’ve checked the schedule, and the afternoon that you land, September 9th, seems pretty open to me. You land in the morning and everyone knows you sleep soundly on planes. You’ll land in New York refreshed, check into the hotel, take this tour and crash, before you have to do any reporting for your own column.”
“Lucky me indeed, that sounds like the worst travel plan ever,” Jun retorted. “Wait a minute, this doesn’t have to do with a certain deal you made with Kazunari.” He watched as his editor could barely suppress a grin at the mention of his lover, who happened to be the head of the Travel department. “It does!” Jun said. “He’s down a couple of reporters, doesn’t want to travel overseas himself, and you don’t want him to. Fine. For you, because of your screwed up love life, I will do this. But you owe me, Satoshi. You owe me big! And I want a bonus-at least 20,000 yen.” Because Jun knew how to negotiate and he really wanted to get himself something nice from Tiffany’s or Bergdorf’s this time around.
“Okay, okay, but these stories better be worth it.” Satoshi winked. He knew Jun would deliver the goods.
Three weeks later, Jun boarded the plane to New York. What Satoshi said was true. Jun normally did sleep well on long flights, and he anticipated this time to be no different. He had his eye mask, earplugs, and his designer memory foam travel pillow. He was all set, until he glanced over at the seat next to him. Usually, he booked two seats so he could spread out and not be disturbed, but the Travel department had booked this flight for him. While he was still in business class, so was a young woman traveling alone with a baby, who looked to be about ten months old. Normally Jun loved children, but babies and sleep and planes generally didn’t go together in his opinion. So he started to panic.
Six hours into the flight and Jun still had yet to sleep a wink. Every time he tried, a tiny fist would bump into his shoulder or worse, hit his face. When that wasn’t happening, the child was wailing in his ear. The young mother kept apologizing but Jun soon resigned himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to get any rest on this plane. So far, Satoshi’s plan was not working. He tried to think about the runway shows he would be seeing soon-Givenchy, Oscar De La Renta, Vera Wan-and only hoped that when he got to New York, he would have better luck and wouldn’t be too tired and grumpy.
Once they landed at JFK, Jun cleared border patrol and then went to look for his bags. They were taking forever! Jun waited patiently to one side when bag after bag fell onto the carousel. When it was clear that all of the luggage had been taken off the plane, and no other bags would be coming out, a very disgruntled Jun made his way to baggage claim.
“Hawaii? Are you sure?” Jun gritted out in the most polite tone he could muster.
“Yes, sir. It seems your bags are on their way, without you, to Hawaii. I don’t really know how this could have happened. I’ve never seen anything like this occur in all my twenty years with this airline. Do you have any contingency clothes with you in your carry-on? This may take a couple of days to resolve.”
“Yes,” Jun sighed. “I have a few things I can wear. I’ll be staying at the Kitano. Please inform me when you make any progress.” Jun stumbled out of the airport and into a cab. When he arrived at the front desk of the Kitano, he was greeted with more unpleasant news. They had apparently oversold the hotel because of fashion week and Jun would be relocated to the Library Hotel on Madison Avenue instead. When he got to the Library Hotel all he wanted was a shower and a change of clothes before he had to go on that idiotic tour bus. Damn his promise to Ohno!
“I’m sorry, sir, but your room will not be ready for another three hours at the very least.”
“Three hours! But…but look at me. I need my room. Are you sure that none are available?”
“Quite sure. But if you need to freshen up, the men’s bathroom is one level above this one and we can certainly hold onto your bag at the bell hop station until your room is ready.”
When Jun got to the bathroom, he opened his bag and surveyed his options. The only items he had packed in his carryon were a tuxedo, a Dior suit, a white shirt, extra underwear and sleep pants. He had taken the suits on board with him because they were the most expensive and he hadn’t wanted to replace them if his luggage had gotten lost. Apparently Jun could have doubled as a fortune-teller, because that was exactly what had happened. He begrudgingly took out the expensive Dior suit and put it on. He grabbed an unsatisfactory bite to eat at a non-descript restaurant around the corner and was now prepared to spend the most boring four hours of his life on a bus in Manhattan.
He walked a few blocks to the Empire State Building and almost got on the wrong bus before he spotted the giant red monstrosity that was Sakurai Sho’s Supernova’s Bus Tours. Jun spied Sakurai almost immediately; it was hard not to due to his outfit. The tour operator was wearing a red and white pinstriped shirt, bright red pants, a red sweater vest and a red baseball cap completing the ensemble. He also had a giant travel pack attached to his waist. He looked completely ridiculous. He was standing in front of a group of around ten to twelve people.
“Hi, Matsumoto Jun here with Nippon Travel Magazine. I’m here to do a story about your tours, though I regularly write exclusively for many of Japan’s leading fashion magazines. I believe you are expecting me.”
“Hello!” Sakurai said full of enthusiasm. “Welcome aboard! Please call me Sho. Always happy to meet a member of the press, especially one from Tokyo!”
“Yes, well the growth of your. . .” he pointed to the bus, “enterprise. . .has made us curious about your tours. So I’m here to do a small piece about that. Are you sure we should even go? You don’t have a large group gathered here.”
“We may pick up a few more people along the way,” Sho said cheerfully. “Great, now everyone put on your complimentary Supernova poncho and you will be all set.”
“Excuse me?” Jun said, looking at the plastic package as if it were trash.
“Your poncho,” Sho said brightly, “because the forecast says rain and at Sakurai Sho’s Supernova Bus Tours we strive to make sure our customers are as comfortable as possible.”
“But we will be inside the bus.”
“Not for all of it. There are some stops where we get off, and there are two levels. To get the full experience you need to sit on the top in the open air. Please put it on. It would really help if a stylish man such as yourself set the example.”
“Four hours,” Jun grumbled. But he put the poncho on and climbed to a seat on the top level of the bus. Never let it be said that he wasn’t a good sport.
The bus traveled up Madison Avenue so it could start at the top of Manhattan and travel down Fifth, as the most popular sites where on Fifth Avenue. Sakurai Sho was full of information, boring, blustery information just like Jun had expected. Soon Jun found himself falling asleep. He was having an uncomfortable dream about vacationing in the winter in Hokkaido, while wearing nothing but a short sleeve shirt and shorts. A very kind looking woman dressed in Lanvin circa 1926 was saying, “If you had boarded that plane to Hawaii that swallowed up your luggage, you wouldn’t be freezing right now!”
Suddenly, he felt an arm grab his shoulder, shaking him awake. His head had been resting on the cool metal rail, which Jun had apparently been drooling upon in his stupor. None of it had fallen onto his very expensive suit, and for the first and probably last time Jun was grateful for the poncho. However, this realization paled in comparison to the sudden round face in close proximity to his and the sharp reprimand he was getting, short stabbing words in his ear.
“Sir, Sir! Sleeping is not permitted on the Sakurai Sho Supernova Bus Tour. You will miss all the best parts! We have not been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art or Central Park or even the Library! You don’t want to miss those and they are coming right up!” Sho exclaimed.
The tour bus pulled up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Jun watched in amazement as Sho unpacked a giant red flag with the company’s logo on it.
“Are we taking that into the museum?”
“Yes, how else will you be able to follow me? The museum is immense. I don’t want anyone to get lost.”
“Our group has less than fifteen people in it. I doubt anyone will get lost.”
“I lost five customers here the other day and on that tour we only had ten people.”
Jun doubted that this was due to the size of the flag. He trudged up the many steps leading to the entrance of the museum. Once inside, they declined to check their ponchos and simply followed their fearless leader inside. Unfortunately, Sho knew as many boring facts about the items inside the museum as he knew about the city in general. They spent twenty minutes alone admiring a 6th century Greek vase. Jun began to wander towards a hallway filled with sculptures. He sat down on a nearby bench, once again reeling from the strain of travel. He only meant to rest his eyes for a minute. But when he opened them again, his group was gone. He walked around for a while, asking this guard and that if they had seen a man dressed in red carrying an enormous flag. Jun exited the museum half an hour later close to despair and was ready to head back to his hotel when he spotted the red bus pulling away from the curb.
“Wait!” he cried out, but the bus left without him. He signaled for a cab and managed to catch one right away. And it was a good thing he did, because the next tour stop was Central Park.
Sho seemed quite relieved that Jun had caught up to them.
“We waited for you as long as we could,” Sho said apologetically. “I may need to get a bigger flag. We lose more people at that location than any other.”
Jun wanted to argue with him. But Sho was so upbeat and cheerful and seemed so genuinely pleased that Jun had rejoined the group, that Jun didn’t have the heart to dampen his mood.
It was unseasonably warm this second week of September, and as Sho droned on, Jun was beginning to overheat because of the poncho. The sky looked clear enough so he decided to take the damn thing off. No sooner had he removed the annoying item then he felt---Splot! And Splat! Jun looked at his Dior suit in horror. No it was not possible-a bird, maybe two birds-had defecated on his perfect expensive designer suit! Jun felt unsteady on his feet. Two strong hands grabbed him out of nowhere, those hands felt nice on his body, but Jun was too distraught to dwell on that at the moment.
“Steady there!”
Sho spoke to him in a calming voice, all the while reaching into the travel pack attached to his waist to retrieve some disposable wipes. He cleaned the mess off of Jun as best he could and gave him a drink from a bottle of water he had nearby.
“Ruined,” Jun mumbled. “Dior-not even last season. This season. Brand new. First time wearing it.”
“I’m sure you can get it dry cleaned,” Sho said hopefully. “They can work such miracles these days.”
“Birds-why did we stop here? Why are we out of the bus? Why did I have to go on this tour?”
“Now, now, you have had quite a shock. How about we all go back on the bus everyone! Much more to see of New York!” Sho guided Jun to a place up front on the top level where he could keep an eye on him. Because of the suit incident, Jun was in a sullen mood. Sho kept glancing at him nervously, as he continued the tour.
“And now we proceed down Fifth Avenue, soon we will pass by many of the most iconic jewelry and clothing stores located in this the heart of the city.”
Jun perked up, and indeed, they were passing by some of his favorites-Bergdorf’s Men, Tiffany’s, Armani, Valentino, Cartier, and Harry Winston. He grew excited remembering his bonus.
“Stop! Stop the bus!” he shouted.
Sho came over to him immediately. “Why are you shouting? Sit down! I know you have been through a traumatic event but we cannot simply stop the bus anywhere.”
“You said we could get on and get off any place we like?”
“Yes, but this is a shopping area. There is nothing interesting around here but expensive clothes and jewelry, like I said. Now Rockefeller Center is about ten blocks away-there are many historical events I could tell you that took place there and the Library is at Forty-Second Street with the Lions Patience and Fortitude standing guard.”
Jun was a tangle of emotions within. Should he be offended that Sho did not find shopping interesting or should he be aghast at the thought the citizens of New York needed to have wild animals guard their books? Curiosity won out.
“They have actual lions guarding the library?” Jun asked warily. His heart sank as they passed store after familiar store.
“No, they’re not real. They are made of stone-marble actually. They have been there since the library was dedicated May 23, 1911. Are you feeling okay? Because that was one of the weirdest questions I have ever been asked. ” Sho placed his hand on Jun’s forehead. “You don’t seem to have a fever.”
Sho’s hand felt warm on Jun’s forehead and the tour operator’s eyes held genuine concern. Jun started to get lost in them, and since when had that become the plan? He had to break the spell and get a hold of himself.
“I’m fine,” Jun snapped. “You should be more specific. I mean you’ve been specific-too specific-giving us too much information. Oh I don’t know!” Jun huffed as he crossed his arms. A woman occupying the seat next to him gave him a glare.
Sho shrank back, looking as if he was about to cry and spoke in a hushed tone, “It’s alright. The tour is almost over. I know what you will write in your magazine, that I am an incompetent, overzealous fool.” Jun felt bad for a minute because Sho’s head was down, like an admonished school child. Then Sho seemed to remember something and instantly brightened. “Don’t leave, please stay until the end. The view from the observation deck of the Empire State building is worth it!”
By the time they reached the Empire State Building (“once the tallest building in the world, a title which it held for forty years” Sho informed them), Jun was ready not only to go back to his hotel, but to get on a plane to Tokyo and forego fashion week altogether. But even he had to admit that the view from the eighty-sixth floor was incredible, even if the skies were now overcast. That’s when he felt the first drop of rain hit his cheek. He saw the rest of the tour group flee for the elevators. Suddenly he was alone, standing in the rain. Jun was too tired and defeated to care-New York City had officially beaten him and won. He leaned against the railing while the clouds unleashed a true downpour, the one they had been promised all day. He felt someone touch him gently on the shoulder; unsurprisingly it was Sho. He handed Jun another poncho and an umbrella, and stepped a bit closer. Jun stared straight into Sho’s beautiful brown eyes and instantly got lost again. Sho in his protection of Jun had left himself completely unprotected. There were drops of water on his lashes and sliding across his round tempting lips.
“You know they say that some couples who kiss on this observation deck see sparks due to all the static electricity here. Of course I don’t know if that would hold true now because it’s raining. But, I’d really like to find out. Jun… I-“
“Shut up,” Jun said. “Please stop talking.” He surged forward and kissed Sho on his soft plush mouth, and letting his hands wander down to cup Sho’s ass. There were some advantages to them being in New York right at that moment, the sight of two men kissing under one umbrella wouldn’t give anyone pause.
“I think we lost the rest of them,” Jun said.
“Tour was over anyway. You were my only real concern. You seemed to have a rough time of it. I only ever wanted to take care of you and make it better.”
They made their way down to the street level, the water squelching in between their toes, teeth chattering, both eager to be inside somewhere they could change and get something to eat.
“I feel that I ought to get you up to your hotel room at the very least, after all you have been through on my account,” Sho said.
“No, No! I’ll be fine. All I need is a shower, a warm bed and ten to fourteen hours of rest and all will be right again.”
“Alright,” Sho murmured a little sadly. He turned to go, his shoulders slumped a more than usual. Jun felt a pang of sympathy for the man who had only tried to show him around the city, however disastrous his attempts had been.
“Wait, come up to my room for a drink? Just let me get my carry-on and check in. I’ll only be a few minutes.”
Sho crossed the hotel lobby in a few seconds. “I know this hotel; they have amazing themed rooms. I bet I can get you a great one!”
“No, you don’t have to do that! I’m sure they will accommodate me. All I want is a nice quiet room. It doesn’t even have to be that big.”
Sho moved to the counter. And while Jun made arrangements to pick up his carry on from the bellhop, he caught phrases like, “been through a lot” and “we humbly request your most popular room.” Soon they were whisked through the lobby, and into a very tiny elevator. They stopped on the eighth floor, made a quick left and the bellhop stopped immediately. “Here we are, the most popular room in the hotel!” he smirked.
“What was that about?” Jun wondered aloud.
“I have no idea. Try your key,” Sho prompted.
Jun swiped his key through the lock. The door swung open and as the light came on, the two men took in their surroundings, from the furniture, to the décor on the walls, to the books on the bedside table.
Jun let out a gasp, “This is like. . .” He could not finish his statement.
“A love hotel.” Sho finished it for him.
The whole room was decorated in shades of garish red and violet, except for the black satin sheets that graced the bed. The paintings on the walls were all nudes in various sexual positions and partners-male/female, female/female and finally male/male. There was a book about Kama Sutra on the nightstand and another titled the Art of Arousal.
Sho finally recovered enough to look at a little plaque on the wall. “Well this explains a lot. We are in the Erotic Literature Room. I guess this would be the most popular room. I had no idea, you have to believe me.”
“This whole trip has been a disaster, why should my room be any different? I’ll hang my unsullied suit in the closet and be done with it.”
Jun unzipped his carry-on and pulled out the tuxedo, hoping that this one act would yield no surprises. But when he opened the closet he was shocked to the core. There, in addition to a terry-cloth robe and slippers, were several lengths of rope, a set of paddles, a soft whip and a chest, that upon closer examination was filled with an array of sex toys-dildos and the like. Jun took several steps back hoping that Sho wouldn’t notice.
“What’s in the closet?” Sho asked.
“Nothing.” Jun blushed.
“It can’t be that bad,” Sho said pushing Jun out of the way. “Oh well, I guess that fits with the whole theme. Listen, take that shower, and I’ll decide what we should use first.” Sho chuckled. Jun assumed he was joking.
Jun let the hot comforting water run down his body; it was the first time all day he felt almost human. He swiped at the condensation on the mirror as he prepared to view his haggard appearance. He was surprised that he looked better that he felt. His brown eyes sparkled back at him and his complexion was not half as wan as he had expected. He reminded himself that Sho was just on the other side of the door. He was amazed to find that in the last few hours, he had found the tour operator to be an attractive and kind person, one that he wouldn’t mind knowing a lot better. Jun resolved to start with drinks, and let Sho determine the next step. He felt a little jolt in his stomach at the thought but he was not sure whether it was from not eating enough during the day or his developing feelings for Sho. Jun put a towel around himself; a billow of steam preceded his entrance into the main part of the hotel room. When Jun rounded the corner to face the bed, Sho was already on it-naked-with a length of rope in his hand.
Jun stared at the exquisite man on the bed in his hotel room, everything on display like a loaded platter before a feast. Sho’s tousled rain-soaked hair, the definition in his arms, his abs, all the way down to his muscular thighs and the perfect, perfect cock that lay between them. Jun was stunned and his own cock twitched, reacting to Sho’s beauty.
“You were in there a long time. I thought I was going to have to tie myself up or…” Sho cleared his throat. “I hope I haven’t misread things. Oh God, I have.”
“I thought you were kidding about the stuff in the closet,” Jun said smirking a little. He turned his back to Sho, to get some semblance of control and turned his attentions to the mini-bar.
“I was trying to lighten the mood,” Sho said hesitantly. “I thought you were interested in me, but I guess drinks really are just drinks to you.”
Jun poured himself a shot of whiskey. The Kitano had sake on hand in all of its mini bars but he would have to make do. He had no idea that Sho was hiding that body under his travel operator’s uniform; he had wanted him purely on the merits of his own special brand of kindness and dorkiness, and of course that handsome face. But now, the tension in the room was sky high. Jun felt like he was on the top of the Empire State Building again, staring into Sho’s hypnotic eyes. And Sho was asking Jun to tie him up-to let Jun be in control. Jun yearned for it. He hadn’t been in control of anything since he left Tokyo.
He turned around and saw that a dejected Sho was reaching for his clothes. When Jun had turned his back, he must have sent the wrong message.
“No, no, don’t put those on! I like you this way!”
“Naked?”
“Yes, naked. You . . you’re beautiful like. . .”
“Like. . .” Sho waited expectantly, still clutching his shirt.
“Like a cross between a red ball-gown Yves Saint Laurent designed for Christian Dior in 1959 and something edgier like Look 53 from the Supercalifralisticexpialidocious collection by Alexander McQueen Autumn/winter 2002,” Jun said breathlessly.
“That’s really specific. I’m going to have to look those references up before we have any kind of sex.” Sho grinned, tossing his shirt to the floor.
“I’m not experienced with this sort of thing. I mean, I don’t know any good knots,” Jun admitted, until he remembered Jimmy Choo’s Spring/Summer 2014 rope-themed shoe and handbag collection. It was all the inspiration he needed.
“I can help you with the knots,” Sho said seductively.
“I knew it couldn’t be just your knowledge of New York City that wows the tourists every time. Do you have sex with a fair amount of them too? I still have to write that article and I would like to get to the bottom of this.”
“I’m not a prostitute,” Sho exclaimed pretending to be offended. “You don’t think I’m a hooker, do you?”
“No, but it’s not your sexy red uniform or your gigantic flag, so I am wondering how you manage to get people coming back time and time again.”
“Oh, I have been known to give away free ice cream vouchers on a hot summer day.” Sho winked. “Now come to bed. You have to get up early for that runway show in the morning.”
The End