Prompt 8: You've Been Friday'd! (please go have your eyes examined) - Team AU
Title: Ordinary
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Nakanishi as friends, one-sided Akame
Summary: Ordinary Fridays could turn out to be so hectic yet soothing sometimes…
Prompt: You’ve been Friday’d! (please go have your eyes examined)
Warnings: none.
Notes: I guess when I signed to write this prompt I first wanted to produce something similar to the image it gives; clouded with smoke night clubs, sweaty bodies moving to the music and, of course, some obligatory drunken fight. But, in the very end, I chose a completely opposite path.
The tiny metallic wind chime at the heavy oak door merrily jingled, shaken by a strong draught from the suddenly opened door, and quieted down just as fast, as if offended that no one paid real attention to it. Drawn by the sound, the bartender continued to polish the shiny enough wine glass lazily, but sent a single look at the entrance anyways, nodding slightly to the only waiter, who walked past him, bent down by the weight of the boxes with alcohol he was carrying. The young man smiled at him from under the box and uselessly commented on the hot weather, blossoming behind the door, and how he simply hated working on Fridays in such a heat, having to bathe in his own sweat. The bartender only hemmed, uninterested, listening with half an ear, though the guy seemed not affected by the lack of real response at all, continuing to chatter chirpily, as if having an urge to fill in the blank space between them.
- I’m not really into snow and stuff, but, hell, look at the weather; you take a shower and feel all refreshed, but just step out of the bathroom and you’re again all sweaty and disgusting… That makes you wish you lived somewhere in Siberia, right? - The guy laughed heartedly at his own words, and small wrinkles hurriedly gathered at the corners of his eyes, making them look narrow as slits. - I’d love to get into a small but warm tepee now, with a cute and tiny Chukchi woman inside, to try eating raw fish, hunting down white bears…
The bartender’s brow arched as he put another shiny glass down onto the board, peering at the oblivious waiter who was animatedly ranting on about how he would love to see the real seal’s pups live. At the same time the guy was accurately setting unopened bottles of expensive whiskey and cognac on the glass shelves, not noticing the small smile that appeared on the barman’s face; so when the latter glanced at his side and spoke up, the waiter shot him a startled look, used to talking to silence by now, almost dropping a bottle of Hennessy in his surprise.
- If I’m not mistaken, Indians are the ones who live in tepees, not people in Siberia. Moreover, Chukchi live in igloos and… - The bartender was seemingly flattered by the mesmerized look the poor waiter had on his face as the guy listened to him with a genuine interest shining in his eyes, but the moments of his rejoicing weren’t long, as the wind chime broke its merry way into his explanation, way wilder this time and the sound of door slamming open broke his trail of thought.
- Taguchi, go unload the boxes of toilet paper in the back; Yasuda’s again yapping about working alone, - in a hoarse, ailing voice said the entering person and quickly closed the door with the ball of his foot, silencing the metallic bell, which was clanking like crazy due to the forceful draft. The oak door still shook a little, forced by the outward gust of wind, and the intruder shuddered, smacking his wet clothes loudly, trying to dry them off, as a few curses escaped his mouth. The barman kept his piercing eyes on the new figure packed in fitting soggy shirt and leisurely took another glass to clean, while his orbs scanned the other’s silhouette, his lips pursed. - Did you go deaf, Taguchi? Go and help Yasuda, I’ll finish the placing for you.
The cheerful waiter he placed his last bottle of amber liquid onto the shelf hurriedly, and after sending one more curious peek at the soaked person, bowed slightly to the man busy wiping the glasses and ran to the backdoor for the rescue of his counterpart. A complete silence, then, settled inside the spacious, richly decorated room and the erratic, unsteady breathing of the other arrested the bartender‘s attention as he peeked at the other’s face curiously, slightly amused by the sight of water drops quickly running down the crook of his nose.
- Don’t even ask, - the man rudely grumbled in annoyed tone, coming over to him and grabbing the towel from the bartender’s hands, not questioning or even caring to thank. He hurriedly wiped his face and hair, preliminarily shaking his head like a dog would, hating the ticklish feeling cold drops left while sliding down his neck’s heated skin. As he finished drying off his locks, he then tried patting the towel over the drenched spots on his shirt and jeans, but dropped the action, considering it useless. Heaving a tired sigh, he threw the now wet dishcloth onto the wooden bar stand and only then managed to notice the pout and glare on the other man’s face. - What? I’m sorry for the towel! - The barman just snorted and looked at him pointedly, knowing that, in reality, the boy was in a no possible way sorry.
- At least, tell me the reason why you’re so soaked and I’ll consider if it’s worth ruining my half an hour work on these glasses because now they’re all wet. Again, - was gritted through teeth and the guy looked at a few rows of wine goblets, lined up neatly at the table in front of the bartender, looking like they had just been bought. Few watery blobs were splashed over the shiny crystal pure surfaces here and there, but otherwise they still sparkled under the bright lighting of the room. The wet boy arched a brow at him and pulled him away from the table by his elbow, not noticing the gasp the other gave away at the sudden move.
- Let me handle this, Akanishi. Go and put the damn alcohol on the shelves, we’ve got no time for this.
The bartender gulped at the proximity their bodies had shared for mere seconds, his nervous eyes desperately looking at the exposed skin of the other’s shoulder, but he quickly grasped back the control over his mind and sullenly paid his attention to a few left curvy bottles which glittered with their richness inside the cardboard box. Akanishi only feigned nonchalance then, as he couldn’t help but steal glances at his still wet counterpart, watching the other move in the narrow space between the shelves; his motions were carried to perfection, as the boy was quickly and accurately placing the glasses on the vitreous stand at his side, at the same time popping open all the multicolored syrup bottles on the front.
- God, it’s pouring cats and dogs out there, - he suddenly whispered and smiled at his own words, knowing that Akanishi was watching him and, probably, feeling uncomfortable about it. The barman gave out a half smirk, nodding in comprehension, and silently dived into the darkness of the spacious room in order to get everything ready for the future customers of the private bar.
*
The rainwater was unceasingly streaming down the roofs, frequent food booths’ sheds and the uncountable number of umbrellas inside the town’s packed center, successfully managing to get under the collar of his flannel shirt. The young man cursed loudly when his flip-flops drowned in another deep puddle on the soaked through pavement and his feet got completely wet; he would lie if he said the feeling wasn’t refreshing during that especially hot day as he ran past the streets without anything to cover himself from the chirpy and suddenly pleasing summer rain.
As a small group of giggling high school girls quickly passed by him, narrowly crowding under a single lacy pink and drenched umbrella which clearly wasn’t adapted for such a rainy weather, the boy only made a sharp turn and disappeared into an inconspicuous alley; making small rushes from under the already closed shops’ sheds, he quickly divided into the only brightly illuminated wooden house, a western fraction squeezed tightly in between sternly looking Japanese buildings.
He pushed the heavy oak door open, a friendly and familiar wind chime greeting him hurriedly as he stepped inside the warm space, his mind and body at once settling into an utter peace and his thoughts - into an accurate order; this place was his favourite in the minutes when he was in need of comfort and relaxation. He had long time ago become a patron here, his visiting days being Fridays - having the busiest schedule set for them. So, mentally getting ready for a good evening, he tried drying off his clothes at least a little bit, his cold and wet shirt clinging to his body. Some unobtrusive jazz music and buzz of hundred voices filled his ears as he loudly sneezed, twice, and a heavy odor of cigarettes mixed with cooked food hit his delicate nostrils. Still, the scent in the poorly ventilated spacious room and his clingy clothes didn’t affect his lightened up mood much as he made his way towards the bar stand in resolute step.
Not in a hurry, he slowly chose a high stool covered in paunchy ruby red leather right in front of the barman, glancing over his sides with a nonchalant look; people were engrossed in their talks, sitting narrowly at the small round tables, having their late dinner or simply sipping on their beer. The evening was only at its own beginning and most of the visitors were business men or women whose shifts ended early or the aged who simply felt lonely at their own homes and wished for a nice company to talk to for a night. This place was especially good for that kind of people; a private jazz bar managed by two brothers could create a really cozy atmosphere, revealed only to that amount of men who were called established people, meaning there was no way this place could handle some loud club hitters or crazy drug doers. This site was simply too classy for them all.
As a long tall guy, named Jun if he remembered clearly, gave him a bright smile upon catching the sight of him leaning tiredly over the wooden stand and poured him a pint of beer, still managing to give out a sunny attitude towards everything five metres away from his personality, he completely missed the shadow falling over his shoulder, as an owner of which hovered over him menacingly, almost deafening him as the person behind shouted trying to outvoice all the noise inside the hall.
- Taguchi, get me a black coffee for the table two. Oh, and a small glass of vodka too. And don’t forget some soda! You can even… Yuichi! What the hell are you doing here?! God, I haven't seen you for ages! Where have you been missing, dude?!
The boy in question jumped in his seat, choking on his beer a little as the loud-voiced person rubbed on his back soothingly, feeling sorry for scaring him. Yuichi turned around, blinking at the intruder and then shook hands with the smiling happily young man; he was dressed in the bar’s uniform, the simple fittingly looking black trousers and no less simple yet silken black shirt that advantageously accentuated his naturally tanned skin while not arresting anyone’s attention for too long. The boys greeted each other and Yuichi told the young man how he had been completely busy with his university and work lately; in passing asking the waiter if he knew where the owner himself was missing. Grinning from ear to ear, the young man nodded in understanding and went to pick up the tray, the barman, always happy Taguchi Jun, had set for him.
- I’ll tell Akanishi-san that you came, - the waiter winked at him, skipping away while expertly rounding the tables, shouting and cheering to the people ahead of him. Yuichi just shook his head at the other, an amused smile adorning his features as he sipped on his beer, and almost immediately plunged in deep thought while his eyes got fixed on the quick and expert motions of the smiley bartender. He absentmindedly stretched his hand towards a small saucer with salty peanuts, looking how the man mixed some extraordinary drink, humming distractedly to the sax which torn its way into another bland jazz melody, when a familiar hoarse voice broke his trail of thought, mocking.
- Yasuda’s uncharacteristically happy today, don’t you think so? What’s happened to that guy? Maybe, he got laid and we still know nothing about it?
Yuichi turned his head towards the voice, smirking at his old friend, Kamenashi Kazuya, who had no less “given him the honour” of meeting him in person; two previous times the guy had been too busy with dealing with the bar’s supplier, a man of perpetual problems, and some minor repairs here and there to actually come out and greet his childhood friend, Nakamaru Yuichi. But now, habitually leaning over to hug the sitting man, Kazuya squeezed him a little too tightly in his hands on purpose, feeling how Yuichi remained completely stiff in his embrace; the boy was never one into getting physical with surrounding him people, friends or family alike. Kamenashi chuckled at the slightly flushed embarrassed face of the other and poked him in the ribs, making the usual frown settle over the coarse features.
- Maru, you look nicer. Just like Akanishi has said; you really resemble a toadstool now, - Yuichi huffed in annoyance and smacked his sarcastic friend on the shoulder, resulting only in amusing the guy. Kamenashi comfortably plopped down onto the stool beside him, letting himself rest for a couple of spare minutes, and asked him animatedly what he had been up to lately and if he had made any progress in creating his own photo gallery. Not exactly passionate about replying, Nakamaru examined him from head to foot, involuntarily feeling envious of the sight just like any other male human being would. Kazuya had always been assumed as a handsome young man, but in his “today’s” look he actually managed to suppress himself; wearing a plain black uniform could never make anyone look expensive, anyone but him. His long hair were pulled up into a neatly done ponytail and the first few buttons of his silken shirt were left unbuttoned, feigning carelessness, his exposed skin attracting females’ attention as a magnet; no wonder, the boy was changing his girlfriends like gloves.
- Hey, Nakamaru! I thought I told you never to darken my door again! What is your big-nosed self doing here again? - Though insulting, the exclamation sounded so telltally cheerful, interrupting their small talk and Yuichi turned his head to peer at the calling out person with a not amused expression on his face. Akanishi Jin stood right in the middle of the tables, the usual smug smirk adorning his features, and involuntarily attracted attention by not wearing the uniform the waiters of his bar did, sparing a rather homey look inside the private place’s walls with his khaki breeches, some plain grey hoodie and a messy ponytail dangling high on his head. He lazily straddled across the hall towards them; out of the corner of his eye, Yuichi noticed how Kazuya’s smile faded and the boy frowned, not even trying to put on an act, - he so unmistakably hated his boss. The realization made Yuichi wince.
- Hey, fatso, how have you been doing? - He grinned at the just joined man, delighted to see the smirk turning into a grimace of annoyance and the huge smile reappearing on Kazuya’s face; the boy laughed heartedly at the nickname and the handsome features loosened up, softening by an exaggerated smile. There was a second when Akanishi tried sending a glare at the giggling boy but then his eyes turned glassy as he involuntarily continued staring at him, his lips parted as he gave out an amazed sigh at the beautiful look of the other’s laughing face. Seeing the change, Yuichi coughed, feeling awkward between the two and jumped in surprise when Kazuya abruptly stood up, as if in a rush and excused himself, quickly running back into the sea of wooden tables and laughing people, purposely not noticing the intensity in Akanishi’s eyes.
*
- So, Ueda seriously decided to become a pro boxer? - Jin laughed loudly in amusement, the sonorous sounds making a few heads turn to their side as Nakamaru nodded vigorously, smiling and chewing on some salty nuts. Akanishi had asked Taguchi to go and help the waiters as he himself could now overtake the bartender’s duties; a lot more expertly than his subordinate did Jin quickly twirled different multicolored bottles in his hands, managing to handle at least three orders at once without even making that much of a mess. At the same time, he kept up their heart-to-heart conversation while incessantly adding in beer into Yuichi’s glass; it had already been his fourth one and though Yuichi was never one to booze up for too long due to his complete unacceptance of alcohol, Jin still had been steadily pouring in more and more. Maru doubted Akanishi had even noticed what he was doing, but stayed silent, judging from the other’s shifty eyes that he was only faking his nonchalance. - It makes me happy to know that this moneyed brat at last found something he's willing to do.
Yuichi forced a smile and followed the way Jin’s gaze once again drifted to the side and his eyes stopped on one certain up-tight person, who was constantly moving around the place, bringing in the orders, dealing with bills and simply managing the whole place. Kamenashi had a serious and fixed look on his face and that small frown when something was going out of his order made him look even more handsome than he already was. Nakamaru sighed, shaking his head; if the straight he thought that way, no doubt his childhood friend Jin, who he had always known to date boys and boys only, was falling head over heels for him.
- And tell me about that friend of yours… that rock climber… What was his name? Something starting with ‘T’, - Jin mused, his attention back on his interlocutor, and frowned as he poured the ingredients for another cocktail into a high glass and carefully stirred them there, while trying to remember the person’s name. Yuichi only waved at him, frowning in annoyance.
- Oh, you mean Tanaka Koki? That guy hasn’t gotten in touch with me for a month already. I’m so not talking to him when he’s back from Korea, - Akanishi sent him a surprised look over the ice cream glass where he was accurately putting in some suspiciously looking pink and sticky substance, asking if he had heard him right. Yuichi gulped down another portion of his cooling beer and nodded, now feeling tipsier than ever; he doubted he could stand still without his knees going all wobbly like crazy. - Yes, this time he went climbing Jirisan. Said something about wanting to see the sun rise. Dammit, how does Korean sun differ from our Japanese one? Gimmie a million yen and I still won’t find out…
Jin chuckled at the other’s annoyed tone and peered at Yuichi, actually wondering if the simple beer could do this to an abstainer; his friend had quite a disheveled look, his dried out clothes all crumpled from the rain and his short hair in a mess, as the boy lowered his heavy head onto the wooden counter, giving out an exasperate sigh. Everything was spinning in circles in front of Maru’s eyes and so he tried squeezing them shut tightly, and then blinked rapidly just to open his eyes a moment later and discover that this trick didn’t work out, - the light bulbs were still resembling yellow smudged blobs of paint on the ceiling and the wooden design of the room blended into one huge brown spot. The constant buzz people in the bar were making, merged with the jazz music, became seemingly louder now, mercilessly pressing onto his tympanic membranes. Yuichi shuddered, wiping away the drool from his lips and groaned.
- Hey, drunkard, are you okay? We’re losing you! Talk to me, Maru, - Jin poked him in the shoulder and the boy only snorted sleepily, smacking his annoying hand away, turning his head to the other side, making himself comfortable as much as it was possible while lying on the wooden “pillow”. Jin shook his head at him, frowning and bending over to shout some gibberish into his ear knowing that it would be the best to just call a cab for his completely drunk friend, when the lean and familiar figure came abreast with him making Jin’s breath hitch; Kamenashi stopped to tinker with a coffee machine at his side, seemingly engrossed in his own thoughts while Jin slowly stepped closer and imperceptibly inhaled his scent, his eyes closing upon the delicate smell of sandalwood struggling through the curtain of smoke and food that hang over Kame’s clothes. He moved forward slightly, his eyes clouded yet determinate, and on purpose bumped into the smaller boy, whispering his words of sorry into the other’s nape. Everything around them stilled then, with Jin not moving away and Kame’s back visibly trembling in anger as their shoulders tightly pressed against each other; then, Kazuya turned and walked away, not sparing Jin a glance and leaving the uncooked coffee and cream spilled over the table just like that, in a mess. Jin gulped down what he had to say and after a short pause when he came to consciousness, took over making the coffee himself in complete silence, not affected outwardly. Acting like it was supposed to be like that.
On his own part Maru watched attentively his friends act around each other. They kept on moving, constantly changing their ways and tactics; they never stopped this strange dance the pas of which were only known to them. Just when Akanishi tried advancing on Kazuya, the sneaky boy each time managed to draw back, never ever falling into the other’s traps. And when, on the opposite side, Kamenashi hurried to run as fast as he could, Jin could always catch up with him, no less passionate and patient about the other’s actions, ready to give and take. That all was strange yet beautiful to see, as no other men could supplement each other that well; not in Yuichi’s vision, to be precise.
- Penny for your thoughts? - Jin mumbled out under his breath, sounding surprisingly calm when he turned around to throw Maru a quick smile and then continued making some twisty tracery with cinnamon over the creamy foam on the ordered coffee. The other boy just stared at his friend’s back dully, his chin still resting on the wooden surface, so his next uttered words sounded quite incomprehensibly; everything still continued to spin under him and his head was starting to throb. Nakamaru cursed his lack of experience in drinking before.
- When will you ask him out again? How many times have you tried yet? Is he always refusing? - Yuichi spouted questions at him as his eyes followed Akanishi’s dirtied in cinnamon fingers accurately placing two tiny leaves of mint on the saucer under the coffee cup; the boy slowly shifted his gaze to the man’s face, actually astonished to see how his expression darkened immediately, being bombarded with such questions. Akanishi frowned, not amused, in a no hurry to answer any of them, and wiped his hands with a dishcloth, sending a long look at just arrived smiley Yasuda who chirpily complemented him on doing another great job on arranging the coffee with cream and babbling about Kamenashi asking him to come pick it up for the lady at the fifth table. Akanishi just gave a curt nod, only feigning calmness and as Yasuda had disappeared from his sight, he started feverously whispering his complains out.
- Twice and, yes, this tight-assed jerk doesn’t even want to give me a single chance. He’s been really cold to me since I started paying obvious attention to him; like, accidently touching him, or leaning over to smell him, or grabbing his fingers if I take something from his soft hands… - Jin sighed exasperatedly, plopping onto the stool at his side and burying his face in his still brown hands; when he looked up again Maru noticed a faint cinnamon smudge on his left cheek and smiled groggily at his friend’s cute and lost look. - I’m just saying, why is he so mean to me? Clearly, I haven’t done anything for him to be so cold and angry and stuff, and throw tantrums if I cross his so-called bordered line… - The man threw his arms around like windmills, expressing his emotions by acting loud; that he considered as the best way of doing things. Maru just listened to him, silently gulping down another big portion of beer, already not sensing any taste, as only the completing feeling of drinking filled out the blank space in his mind. - I’d love it if he, at least, let me take him only on one date. A single date, am I asking for too much? I’m sure he’d fall in love with me too, given a chance. And I am simply raining with these chances on him! Why isn’t he compelling, darn it? - Jin loudly slammed his clenched fist down on the counter, actually stirring to life some drunkard who had fallen asleep at the gloomiest side of the bar, and poured some nice dose of whiskey for himself; quickly draining this glass down, he filled in the glassy cup once again, though this time just leaving the amber liquid untouched, sparkling under the soft lighting in the room.
- Maybe, you two just aren’t meant to be? - Nakamaru shrugged and looked over at him, trying to find some words that wouldn’t sound too ugly or not exactly soothing when he saw Jin pull a grimace at him; the man resolutely shook his head, not wishing to listen to such bad wording of the situation. He couldn’t and didn’t want to believe that his long-termed crush actually hated him, as he twisted on his stool and dropped a small metallic box with spoons in his angry reverie, feeling desperate and pathetic about the whole situation. As he bent over to pick the utensils up, though, he was rendered with a snort from his friend and lifted his eyes to see his drunk friend trying to stand up with an annoyed look on his face. Somehow, Jin’s childish and uncaring behavior only got drunk Yuichi pissed off as the young man frowned at him, flipping the saucer with salty nuts over in his clumsy drunken motions as he supported his body weight on the wooden counter, secretly finding out that his knees indeed felt incredibly wobbly.
- Oh, come on, Jin, you know the truth better than anyone does; there is no need for me to voice it out for you to actually understand the meaning of these words, - Nakamaru took a step back, gripping the leather stool in the process, peering into Jin’s disbelieving eyes as the guy just sat there, wide-eyed, afraid of what he might hear next. - Kamenashi has always been straight, is now straight and will always stay straight as an arrow. I’ve never seen him showing any interest in you and I bet that you’ve being lacking the same either. So, stop already with this awfully long crush of yours and find yourself someone better; someone who will be able to answer your feelings properly!
They both had yet to react on the so harshly voiced out words when suddenly, Yuichi was rudely turned around, his forearm squeezed painfully in someone’s steel-like grip and the whole place swam before his eyes, colors blending and sounds turning off. Nakamaru felt as if he was floating in the water and only blinked at the intruder but could distinguish only the huge man’s red from anger or either drunk alcohol face hovering over his own one. He involuntarily winced when the other’s foul breath hit his delicate nostrils and a distinct urge to puke rose from the pit of his stomach. His mind refused to grasp the whole meaning of the situation, so when the grip on his hand loosened, his knees gave away. The last thing his blurred eyes were able to catch was a clenched hairy fist coming in a rushed contact with some strangely familiar smudge of yellow paint.
*
It felt like coming to yourself after almost drowning in the warm and very deep river where you kept on sinking lower and lower, hopelessly diving into the very depths of the dark water. And just when you thought that it was the very end and you were fated to be buried in this cooling silence forever, someone from the surface grabbed you, pulling, and jerked you out of the water into the compressive air, hitting you on the head repeatedly, screaming, and trying to wake you up. And just like that you understood that it was no water that you were drowning in, but your unconscious suffocating state during which the cold sticky sweat covered your paled skin; that a saving hand that had pulled you out along with the screams and hits over the head were nothing else but your friend’s attempts to wake you up by gently shaking your arm. And you groaned when the screams turned out to be not much than hushed whispers and hits - your throbbing headache from the alcohol and a hurried contact with the wooden floor.
The whispers soon turned into some distinguishable mess of sounds, from which Yuichi could comprehend that his “savior” wasn’t alone, but there were two of them; two voices were heatedly talking with high words, rarely silencing to continue whatever they were doing. During another one of such short pauses, one of them hissed and snapped quietly at the other, complaining, and there was a dull sound of some obtuse objects hitting on the wood covering the floor. The loud clatter of heels stepping closer to him made Nakamaru cringe and then a warm hand was plastered over his forehead, soothing.
- Sorry, Maru, continue sleeping, - the tips of fingers brushed over his closed eyelids before the person once again stepped away, hissing something at some other man they were sharing the room with. Without being noticed Yuichi opened his eyes, frowning, trying to look over his surroundings without turning his head much; the tiny closet resembled some kind of a very small dressing room with a single sofa, as one of the walls painted in dirty yellow had a huge looking-glass and a table where some cotton wool balls and phials with antiseptic were stuffed in a disastrous mess. The only lighting source of the room was barefacedly dangling from the ceiling; a single bulb poorly managed to provide a little light right into the center of the room where, as Maru guessed, someone was treating the other person’s wound as he sat on the single chair, whimpering pitifully once in awhile. The sitting person involuntarily grabbed the other’s wrist, pushing it away as the bending over him man pressed the cotton ball a little too hard on his eyebrow’s small cut.
- Can’t you be gentler? I’m not a fucking doll; that’s a real blood for you, - the man complained, pouting while the other just huffed in annoyance, shaking his grasp away and grabbing him by the chin to let the tiny bulb light up his face and a wound better. He continued tapping the cut, cleaning it from the subtle blood and then, not turning his head away, tried groping for a plaster on the table, dropping some tubes of ointments in his frenzy move. He tried hard not to prevent the other’s sneaky hands from entwining his waist, his expression as cold and dry as it had been; he stood still while removing the safety paper from the plaster when the other leaned forward, his eyes following every curve and dimple of the standing boy’s exposed skin, knowing that it might be his only chance to scrutinize the pale features so closely. But when the oblivious guy actually bent lower to put the healing plaster on the cut, the sitting man moved towards him and their lips met; too quickly and faintly for him to feel anything but enough to wake up the desire within as the scandalized man pushed him hard in the chest, shrinking back.
- What are you fucking doing, Akanishi? Have you gone mad or something?! - Kazuya pressed his hand to his lips, rubbing Jin’s scent away, not feeling particularly happy about the situation at all, as he angrily grabbed the edge of the table hard. Silence settled between them then, during which Nakamaru watched Jin with bated breath; feeling nervous, the man bit on his lip as he cautiously approached Kamenashi; he paused, thinking if he was doing right but then touched his shoulder anyways, encouraged when Kame didn’t try backing away. The boy lifted his eyes to stare at Jin through the mirror upon the delicate touch and the other male did the same, openly conveying his feeling with only this one glance where all of his hope and expectation for the other to reach towards him shone. Kazuya blinked, frowning and quickly turned away, not feeling encouraged in the slightest by the way Jin smiled so warmly at him. He gulped, visibly fighting with himself and then decided that it would be better just to laugh it off bitterly. - Jin, what do you expect from me exactly? That I will jump you only if you tell me how much you love me? Or that if you harass me all the time, in the end I’ll give in and fall for you? We’ve already discussed that, haven’t we? I don’t see you the way you see me. You’re not a possible partner for me, how many times do I have to repeat that? I don’t.. Jin!
The taller man roughly grabbed him in his embrace, startling the boy who didn’t even have time to struggle, and pressed him into the chest, messing his ponytail and squeezing the air out of his lungs. After standing just like that for several long frozen seconds, Kazuya persistently tried moving away but resulted only in the grip over his bosom tightening as Jin clung to him like a lost baby would to his mother. Kazuya coughed into Jin’s neck, having problems with his breathing and Akanishi shuddered as the gust of warm breath hit his collarbone. Not distinguishable first, soon Kazuya understood that Jin was whispering something into his hair and pricked his ears, astonished to hear Akanishi asking pitifully why he hated him so much. That made Kame sigh exasperatedly and the boy relaxed a bit, smacking Jin on his arm and rolling his eyes. Sensing the change, Jin cautiously took a peek at Kame’s face to be met by a small comforting smile on the thin lips.
- Is it a rhetorical question? - Kame mocked him and the other pouted and pinched him painfully, making him hiss, as the smaller boy stepped away rubbing on the pinched spot and glaring at him. Jin hesitated if he should let go but he wasn’t yet ready to meet annoyed Kame just after seeing him smile; he really wasn’t sure if the boy wouldn’t get pissed if he touched him again. - I don’t hate you, idiot. But I love you only as a friend, not a lover. You are a friend for me, a special one too. I really do think you’re a wonderful guy, Jin, you just haven’t found someone good enough for you yet, - Kazuya patted him on the shoulder like he was some kind of dog and, after giving him another wide smile, started packing the medicals back into the first-aid kit, hurriedly, his frenzy moves making Jin frown. This Kamenashi talked like some psychotherapist who had him on the appointment at the doctor’s; Jin leaned on the table, drily glancing at how Kazuya dropped the cotton balls and paper bags with pills and feeling amused by how desperately Kame wanted to flee from the room. So, if he really still wasn’t ready to accept Jin, why was he so nervous then? Did he think Jin would try to rape him or what? Maybe, he wanted Jin to rape him? Akanishi snorted as he imagined tying naked and unconscious Kazuya to the table and having his way with him, right in the same room with Maru snoring somewhere at the background. Jin arched his brow at his own thoughts, not finding that picture that much disturbing. - And, so, I urgently advise you to go and search now, Jin. Right now, even! Oh, oh, look at the time - I must go now. Tell Nakamaru my words of comfort and remind him he mustn’t drink that much if he can’t stand it. And treat your cut when your get home! So, I’ll be going, then, Jin, goodbye, see you tomorrow, sleep tight!
Kamenashi nervously licked his lips and flashed him the last blinding smile as he almost flew out of the room, hurrying to leave him behind, stumbling over the threshold. The door slammed shut then and as the quick clatter of heels moving away died down, the suffocating silence fell over Jin’s shoulders, making the man slowly lower onto the ground and bury his face in his hands. He hissed slightly when his fingers came into unintentional contact with his cut eyebrow and gave out an exasperate sigh; everything went completely wrenched since the very day when it had started raining and Kamenashi entered the room in that wet shirt and he started… Jin’s trail of thought went missing somewhere when he suddenly got startled by the noise of all strings being pulled at once when Nakamaru had enough confidence to turn on the eaten through sofa. The poor boy groaned loudly, all his limbs having gone numb from lying completely unmoving for the past twenty minutes as he tried lifting his head up; his neck cracked, the sound echoing dully inside the tiny boxroom, and the guy decided not to make any additional motions rather than lifting his hand up to try and comb his messed hair, feeling like he needed to do it. Jin laughed at him, disbelieving.
- Why are you doing this - it won’t help you look better anyways! - Nakamaru snorted, rolling his eyes at him and trying to seem sleepy as Jin crept up closer to the sofa, now leaning over him, waiting for a reply with an amused expression on his face. Yuichi sent him a long stare then, frowning at the sight of Jin’s cut brow; a small yet deep wound was drown through the trace of short black hair right over his left almond-shaped eye. He tried to imagine the way how the owner of the bar could manage to get one during that little span of time when he was unconscious, but failed.
- You don't make the grade as Miss Universe either, I must admit. What happened to your face? Went to the toilet and forgot how to open the door? - He replied matter-of-factly, and now it was Jin’s turn to snort. The man plopped down onto the floor near him, while smiling wickedly, his eyes shining with mischief, and animatedly told him a story of how one drunk scaredy-cat Nakamaru Yuichi fainted, and he, Akanishi Jin, the man of his own pride, heroically offered his own face to the flying fist of fury; in reality, that turbulent drunkard turned out to be just a hale old man who had one drink too many, and not only managed to make a fool of himself in front of the whole bar, but break his finger for the record, at the very moment when his clenched fist collided with the thick skull of the owner who had rushed to the rescue of his friend. So, in the end, the only injury Jin had got from that little so-called scuffle was a little cut left by the wedding ring the drunk man had on his finger. By the end of the laboured story Akanishi managed to make Yuichi laugh like crazy, to the point where the guy was hitting with his palm on the sofa’s cover and beating the dust out of it. Jin chuckled remembering the evening’s happening too while savouring his first for the night cigarette. A small pause settled between them then, each engrossed in his thoughts, when Yuichi suddenly wondered about the time.
Twenty minutes past two. His hectic Friday was over. Yuichi smiled.
- You heard everything, didn’t you? God, was he sounding fake! Stupid jerk… Can’t he understand that I won’t back away? - Jin mumbled out under his breath I annoyed tone of voice, his eyes looking into the distance inside the looking-glass, as his fingers unconsciously squeezed the cigarette too hard, making the ash fall onto the dusty crossed out floor. Maru only blinked at him, frowning at the sweaty curls that clang to Jin’s nape as his ponytail dangled back and force in the air, set right in the middle on the crown of his head. They both felt sweaty in their clothes, as the sun had the whole day to heat up the room and even the cooling rain and wind couldn’t fight against the scorching bricks. Yuichi huffed, already tired of their talk.
- So, you won’t leave it like that? Kamenashi is stubborn, don’t you know it? - Maru stretched his hand and poked Jin on the shoulder, the other male silently passing him a pack of cigarettes without even sparing him a single glance; the light smoke from both cigarette sticks merged into one and eddied in the air, slowly flying up to the very ceiling in its attempts to escape the suffocating room but having no real strength to do so as it disappeared into nothing right in a span of one minute. They both puffed for a couple of minutes more, having no real wish to continue the useless talk when suddenly Jin chuckled ingenuously and smiled so wide Yuichi winced at the sight.
- In my universe I call it shy not stubborn. It’s in reality me who is stubborn, isn’t it? - Jin smacked his lips in amusement, happy at such a brightening thought and gave the boy a lopsided smile when Nakamaru only turned his back on him, sleepily grumbling some unintelligible words about Jin’s universe and wondering if it would rain there tomorrow.
Poll Team AU
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Nakanishi as friends, one-sided Akame
Summary: Ordinary Fridays could turn out to be so hectic yet soothing sometimes…
Prompt: You’ve been Friday’d! (please go have your eyes examined)
Warnings: none.
Notes: I guess when I signed to write this prompt I first wanted to produce something similar to the image it gives; clouded with smoke night clubs, sweaty bodies moving to the music and, of course, some obligatory drunken fight. But, in the very end, I chose a completely opposite path.
The tiny metallic wind chime at the heavy oak door merrily jingled, shaken by a strong draught from the suddenly opened door, and quieted down just as fast, as if offended that no one paid real attention to it. Drawn by the sound, the bartender continued to polish the shiny enough wine glass lazily, but sent a single look at the entrance anyways, nodding slightly to the only waiter, who walked past him, bent down by the weight of the boxes with alcohol he was carrying. The young man smiled at him from under the box and uselessly commented on the hot weather, blossoming behind the door, and how he simply hated working on Fridays in such a heat, having to bathe in his own sweat. The bartender only hemmed, uninterested, listening with half an ear, though the guy seemed not affected by the lack of real response at all, continuing to chatter chirpily, as if having an urge to fill in the blank space between them.
- I’m not really into snow and stuff, but, hell, look at the weather; you take a shower and feel all refreshed, but just step out of the bathroom and you’re again all sweaty and disgusting… That makes you wish you lived somewhere in Siberia, right? - The guy laughed heartedly at his own words, and small wrinkles hurriedly gathered at the corners of his eyes, making them look narrow as slits. - I’d love to get into a small but warm tepee now, with a cute and tiny Chukchi woman inside, to try eating raw fish, hunting down white bears…
The bartender’s brow arched as he put another shiny glass down onto the board, peering at the oblivious waiter who was animatedly ranting on about how he would love to see the real seal’s pups live. At the same time the guy was accurately setting unopened bottles of expensive whiskey and cognac on the glass shelves, not noticing the small smile that appeared on the barman’s face; so when the latter glanced at his side and spoke up, the waiter shot him a startled look, used to talking to silence by now, almost dropping a bottle of Hennessy in his surprise.
- If I’m not mistaken, Indians are the ones who live in tepees, not people in Siberia. Moreover, Chukchi live in igloos and… - The bartender was seemingly flattered by the mesmerized look the poor waiter had on his face as the guy listened to him with a genuine interest shining in his eyes, but the moments of his rejoicing weren’t long, as the wind chime broke its merry way into his explanation, way wilder this time and the sound of door slamming open broke his trail of thought.
- Taguchi, go unload the boxes of toilet paper in the back; Yasuda’s again yapping about working alone, - in a hoarse, ailing voice said the entering person and quickly closed the door with the ball of his foot, silencing the metallic bell, which was clanking like crazy due to the forceful draft. The oak door still shook a little, forced by the outward gust of wind, and the intruder shuddered, smacking his wet clothes loudly, trying to dry them off, as a few curses escaped his mouth. The barman kept his piercing eyes on the new figure packed in fitting soggy shirt and leisurely took another glass to clean, while his orbs scanned the other’s silhouette, his lips pursed. - Did you go deaf, Taguchi? Go and help Yasuda, I’ll finish the placing for you.
The cheerful waiter he placed his last bottle of amber liquid onto the shelf hurriedly, and after sending one more curious peek at the soaked person, bowed slightly to the man busy wiping the glasses and ran to the backdoor for the rescue of his counterpart. A complete silence, then, settled inside the spacious, richly decorated room and the erratic, unsteady breathing of the other arrested the bartender‘s attention as he peeked at the other’s face curiously, slightly amused by the sight of water drops quickly running down the crook of his nose.
- Don’t even ask, - the man rudely grumbled in annoyed tone, coming over to him and grabbing the towel from the bartender’s hands, not questioning or even caring to thank. He hurriedly wiped his face and hair, preliminarily shaking his head like a dog would, hating the ticklish feeling cold drops left while sliding down his neck’s heated skin. As he finished drying off his locks, he then tried patting the towel over the drenched spots on his shirt and jeans, but dropped the action, considering it useless. Heaving a tired sigh, he threw the now wet dishcloth onto the wooden bar stand and only then managed to notice the pout and glare on the other man’s face. - What? I’m sorry for the towel! - The barman just snorted and looked at him pointedly, knowing that, in reality, the boy was in a no possible way sorry.
- At least, tell me the reason why you’re so soaked and I’ll consider if it’s worth ruining my half an hour work on these glasses because now they’re all wet. Again, - was gritted through teeth and the guy looked at a few rows of wine goblets, lined up neatly at the table in front of the bartender, looking like they had just been bought. Few watery blobs were splashed over the shiny crystal pure surfaces here and there, but otherwise they still sparkled under the bright lighting of the room. The wet boy arched a brow at him and pulled him away from the table by his elbow, not noticing the gasp the other gave away at the sudden move.
- Let me handle this, Akanishi. Go and put the damn alcohol on the shelves, we’ve got no time for this.
The bartender gulped at the proximity their bodies had shared for mere seconds, his nervous eyes desperately looking at the exposed skin of the other’s shoulder, but he quickly grasped back the control over his mind and sullenly paid his attention to a few left curvy bottles which glittered with their richness inside the cardboard box. Akanishi only feigned nonchalance then, as he couldn’t help but steal glances at his still wet counterpart, watching the other move in the narrow space between the shelves; his motions were carried to perfection, as the boy was quickly and accurately placing the glasses on the vitreous stand at his side, at the same time popping open all the multicolored syrup bottles on the front.
- God, it’s pouring cats and dogs out there, - he suddenly whispered and smiled at his own words, knowing that Akanishi was watching him and, probably, feeling uncomfortable about it. The barman gave out a half smirk, nodding in comprehension, and silently dived into the darkness of the spacious room in order to get everything ready for the future customers of the private bar.
*
The rainwater was unceasingly streaming down the roofs, frequent food booths’ sheds and the uncountable number of umbrellas inside the town’s packed center, successfully managing to get under the collar of his flannel shirt. The young man cursed loudly when his flip-flops drowned in another deep puddle on the soaked through pavement and his feet got completely wet; he would lie if he said the feeling wasn’t refreshing during that especially hot day as he ran past the streets without anything to cover himself from the chirpy and suddenly pleasing summer rain.
As a small group of giggling high school girls quickly passed by him, narrowly crowding under a single lacy pink and drenched umbrella which clearly wasn’t adapted for such a rainy weather, the boy only made a sharp turn and disappeared into an inconspicuous alley; making small rushes from under the already closed shops’ sheds, he quickly divided into the only brightly illuminated wooden house, a western fraction squeezed tightly in between sternly looking Japanese buildings.
He pushed the heavy oak door open, a friendly and familiar wind chime greeting him hurriedly as he stepped inside the warm space, his mind and body at once settling into an utter peace and his thoughts - into an accurate order; this place was his favourite in the minutes when he was in need of comfort and relaxation. He had long time ago become a patron here, his visiting days being Fridays - having the busiest schedule set for them. So, mentally getting ready for a good evening, he tried drying off his clothes at least a little bit, his cold and wet shirt clinging to his body. Some unobtrusive jazz music and buzz of hundred voices filled his ears as he loudly sneezed, twice, and a heavy odor of cigarettes mixed with cooked food hit his delicate nostrils. Still, the scent in the poorly ventilated spacious room and his clingy clothes didn’t affect his lightened up mood much as he made his way towards the bar stand in resolute step.
Not in a hurry, he slowly chose a high stool covered in paunchy ruby red leather right in front of the barman, glancing over his sides with a nonchalant look; people were engrossed in their talks, sitting narrowly at the small round tables, having their late dinner or simply sipping on their beer. The evening was only at its own beginning and most of the visitors were business men or women whose shifts ended early or the aged who simply felt lonely at their own homes and wished for a nice company to talk to for a night. This place was especially good for that kind of people; a private jazz bar managed by two brothers could create a really cozy atmosphere, revealed only to that amount of men who were called established people, meaning there was no way this place could handle some loud club hitters or crazy drug doers. This site was simply too classy for them all.
As a long tall guy, named Jun if he remembered clearly, gave him a bright smile upon catching the sight of him leaning tiredly over the wooden stand and poured him a pint of beer, still managing to give out a sunny attitude towards everything five metres away from his personality, he completely missed the shadow falling over his shoulder, as an owner of which hovered over him menacingly, almost deafening him as the person behind shouted trying to outvoice all the noise inside the hall.
- Taguchi, get me a black coffee for the table two. Oh, and a small glass of vodka too. And don’t forget some soda! You can even… Yuichi! What the hell are you doing here?! God, I haven't seen you for ages! Where have you been missing, dude?!
The boy in question jumped in his seat, choking on his beer a little as the loud-voiced person rubbed on his back soothingly, feeling sorry for scaring him. Yuichi turned around, blinking at the intruder and then shook hands with the smiling happily young man; he was dressed in the bar’s uniform, the simple fittingly looking black trousers and no less simple yet silken black shirt that advantageously accentuated his naturally tanned skin while not arresting anyone’s attention for too long. The boys greeted each other and Yuichi told the young man how he had been completely busy with his university and work lately; in passing asking the waiter if he knew where the owner himself was missing. Grinning from ear to ear, the young man nodded in understanding and went to pick up the tray, the barman, always happy Taguchi Jun, had set for him.
- I’ll tell Akanishi-san that you came, - the waiter winked at him, skipping away while expertly rounding the tables, shouting and cheering to the people ahead of him. Yuichi just shook his head at the other, an amused smile adorning his features as he sipped on his beer, and almost immediately plunged in deep thought while his eyes got fixed on the quick and expert motions of the smiley bartender. He absentmindedly stretched his hand towards a small saucer with salty peanuts, looking how the man mixed some extraordinary drink, humming distractedly to the sax which torn its way into another bland jazz melody, when a familiar hoarse voice broke his trail of thought, mocking.
- Yasuda’s uncharacteristically happy today, don’t you think so? What’s happened to that guy? Maybe, he got laid and we still know nothing about it?
Yuichi turned his head towards the voice, smirking at his old friend, Kamenashi Kazuya, who had no less “given him the honour” of meeting him in person; two previous times the guy had been too busy with dealing with the bar’s supplier, a man of perpetual problems, and some minor repairs here and there to actually come out and greet his childhood friend, Nakamaru Yuichi. But now, habitually leaning over to hug the sitting man, Kazuya squeezed him a little too tightly in his hands on purpose, feeling how Yuichi remained completely stiff in his embrace; the boy was never one into getting physical with surrounding him people, friends or family alike. Kamenashi chuckled at the slightly flushed embarrassed face of the other and poked him in the ribs, making the usual frown settle over the coarse features.
- Maru, you look nicer. Just like Akanishi has said; you really resemble a toadstool now, - Yuichi huffed in annoyance and smacked his sarcastic friend on the shoulder, resulting only in amusing the guy. Kamenashi comfortably plopped down onto the stool beside him, letting himself rest for a couple of spare minutes, and asked him animatedly what he had been up to lately and if he had made any progress in creating his own photo gallery. Not exactly passionate about replying, Nakamaru examined him from head to foot, involuntarily feeling envious of the sight just like any other male human being would. Kazuya had always been assumed as a handsome young man, but in his “today’s” look he actually managed to suppress himself; wearing a plain black uniform could never make anyone look expensive, anyone but him. His long hair were pulled up into a neatly done ponytail and the first few buttons of his silken shirt were left unbuttoned, feigning carelessness, his exposed skin attracting females’ attention as a magnet; no wonder, the boy was changing his girlfriends like gloves.
- Hey, Nakamaru! I thought I told you never to darken my door again! What is your big-nosed self doing here again? - Though insulting, the exclamation sounded so telltally cheerful, interrupting their small talk and Yuichi turned his head to peer at the calling out person with a not amused expression on his face. Akanishi Jin stood right in the middle of the tables, the usual smug smirk adorning his features, and involuntarily attracted attention by not wearing the uniform the waiters of his bar did, sparing a rather homey look inside the private place’s walls with his khaki breeches, some plain grey hoodie and a messy ponytail dangling high on his head. He lazily straddled across the hall towards them; out of the corner of his eye, Yuichi noticed how Kazuya’s smile faded and the boy frowned, not even trying to put on an act, - he so unmistakably hated his boss. The realization made Yuichi wince.
- Hey, fatso, how have you been doing? - He grinned at the just joined man, delighted to see the smirk turning into a grimace of annoyance and the huge smile reappearing on Kazuya’s face; the boy laughed heartedly at the nickname and the handsome features loosened up, softening by an exaggerated smile. There was a second when Akanishi tried sending a glare at the giggling boy but then his eyes turned glassy as he involuntarily continued staring at him, his lips parted as he gave out an amazed sigh at the beautiful look of the other’s laughing face. Seeing the change, Yuichi coughed, feeling awkward between the two and jumped in surprise when Kazuya abruptly stood up, as if in a rush and excused himself, quickly running back into the sea of wooden tables and laughing people, purposely not noticing the intensity in Akanishi’s eyes.
*
- So, Ueda seriously decided to become a pro boxer? - Jin laughed loudly in amusement, the sonorous sounds making a few heads turn to their side as Nakamaru nodded vigorously, smiling and chewing on some salty nuts. Akanishi had asked Taguchi to go and help the waiters as he himself could now overtake the bartender’s duties; a lot more expertly than his subordinate did Jin quickly twirled different multicolored bottles in his hands, managing to handle at least three orders at once without even making that much of a mess. At the same time, he kept up their heart-to-heart conversation while incessantly adding in beer into Yuichi’s glass; it had already been his fourth one and though Yuichi was never one to booze up for too long due to his complete unacceptance of alcohol, Jin still had been steadily pouring in more and more. Maru doubted Akanishi had even noticed what he was doing, but stayed silent, judging from the other’s shifty eyes that he was only faking his nonchalance. - It makes me happy to know that this moneyed brat at last found something he's willing to do.
Yuichi forced a smile and followed the way Jin’s gaze once again drifted to the side and his eyes stopped on one certain up-tight person, who was constantly moving around the place, bringing in the orders, dealing with bills and simply managing the whole place. Kamenashi had a serious and fixed look on his face and that small frown when something was going out of his order made him look even more handsome than he already was. Nakamaru sighed, shaking his head; if the straight he thought that way, no doubt his childhood friend Jin, who he had always known to date boys and boys only, was falling head over heels for him.
- And tell me about that friend of yours… that rock climber… What was his name? Something starting with ‘T’, - Jin mused, his attention back on his interlocutor, and frowned as he poured the ingredients for another cocktail into a high glass and carefully stirred them there, while trying to remember the person’s name. Yuichi only waved at him, frowning in annoyance.
- Oh, you mean Tanaka Koki? That guy hasn’t gotten in touch with me for a month already. I’m so not talking to him when he’s back from Korea, - Akanishi sent him a surprised look over the ice cream glass where he was accurately putting in some suspiciously looking pink and sticky substance, asking if he had heard him right. Yuichi gulped down another portion of his cooling beer and nodded, now feeling tipsier than ever; he doubted he could stand still without his knees going all wobbly like crazy. - Yes, this time he went climbing Jirisan. Said something about wanting to see the sun rise. Dammit, how does Korean sun differ from our Japanese one? Gimmie a million yen and I still won’t find out…
Jin chuckled at the other’s annoyed tone and peered at Yuichi, actually wondering if the simple beer could do this to an abstainer; his friend had quite a disheveled look, his dried out clothes all crumpled from the rain and his short hair in a mess, as the boy lowered his heavy head onto the wooden counter, giving out an exasperate sigh. Everything was spinning in circles in front of Maru’s eyes and so he tried squeezing them shut tightly, and then blinked rapidly just to open his eyes a moment later and discover that this trick didn’t work out, - the light bulbs were still resembling yellow smudged blobs of paint on the ceiling and the wooden design of the room blended into one huge brown spot. The constant buzz people in the bar were making, merged with the jazz music, became seemingly louder now, mercilessly pressing onto his tympanic membranes. Yuichi shuddered, wiping away the drool from his lips and groaned.
- Hey, drunkard, are you okay? We’re losing you! Talk to me, Maru, - Jin poked him in the shoulder and the boy only snorted sleepily, smacking his annoying hand away, turning his head to the other side, making himself comfortable as much as it was possible while lying on the wooden “pillow”. Jin shook his head at him, frowning and bending over to shout some gibberish into his ear knowing that it would be the best to just call a cab for his completely drunk friend, when the lean and familiar figure came abreast with him making Jin’s breath hitch; Kamenashi stopped to tinker with a coffee machine at his side, seemingly engrossed in his own thoughts while Jin slowly stepped closer and imperceptibly inhaled his scent, his eyes closing upon the delicate smell of sandalwood struggling through the curtain of smoke and food that hang over Kame’s clothes. He moved forward slightly, his eyes clouded yet determinate, and on purpose bumped into the smaller boy, whispering his words of sorry into the other’s nape. Everything around them stilled then, with Jin not moving away and Kame’s back visibly trembling in anger as their shoulders tightly pressed against each other; then, Kazuya turned and walked away, not sparing Jin a glance and leaving the uncooked coffee and cream spilled over the table just like that, in a mess. Jin gulped down what he had to say and after a short pause when he came to consciousness, took over making the coffee himself in complete silence, not affected outwardly. Acting like it was supposed to be like that.
On his own part Maru watched attentively his friends act around each other. They kept on moving, constantly changing their ways and tactics; they never stopped this strange dance the pas of which were only known to them. Just when Akanishi tried advancing on Kazuya, the sneaky boy each time managed to draw back, never ever falling into the other’s traps. And when, on the opposite side, Kamenashi hurried to run as fast as he could, Jin could always catch up with him, no less passionate and patient about the other’s actions, ready to give and take. That all was strange yet beautiful to see, as no other men could supplement each other that well; not in Yuichi’s vision, to be precise.
- Penny for your thoughts? - Jin mumbled out under his breath, sounding surprisingly calm when he turned around to throw Maru a quick smile and then continued making some twisty tracery with cinnamon over the creamy foam on the ordered coffee. The other boy just stared at his friend’s back dully, his chin still resting on the wooden surface, so his next uttered words sounded quite incomprehensibly; everything still continued to spin under him and his head was starting to throb. Nakamaru cursed his lack of experience in drinking before.
- When will you ask him out again? How many times have you tried yet? Is he always refusing? - Yuichi spouted questions at him as his eyes followed Akanishi’s dirtied in cinnamon fingers accurately placing two tiny leaves of mint on the saucer under the coffee cup; the boy slowly shifted his gaze to the man’s face, actually astonished to see how his expression darkened immediately, being bombarded with such questions. Akanishi frowned, not amused, in a no hurry to answer any of them, and wiped his hands with a dishcloth, sending a long look at just arrived smiley Yasuda who chirpily complemented him on doing another great job on arranging the coffee with cream and babbling about Kamenashi asking him to come pick it up for the lady at the fifth table. Akanishi just gave a curt nod, only feigning calmness and as Yasuda had disappeared from his sight, he started feverously whispering his complains out.
- Twice and, yes, this tight-assed jerk doesn’t even want to give me a single chance. He’s been really cold to me since I started paying obvious attention to him; like, accidently touching him, or leaning over to smell him, or grabbing his fingers if I take something from his soft hands… - Jin sighed exasperatedly, plopping onto the stool at his side and burying his face in his still brown hands; when he looked up again Maru noticed a faint cinnamon smudge on his left cheek and smiled groggily at his friend’s cute and lost look. - I’m just saying, why is he so mean to me? Clearly, I haven’t done anything for him to be so cold and angry and stuff, and throw tantrums if I cross his so-called bordered line… - The man threw his arms around like windmills, expressing his emotions by acting loud; that he considered as the best way of doing things. Maru just listened to him, silently gulping down another big portion of beer, already not sensing any taste, as only the completing feeling of drinking filled out the blank space in his mind. - I’d love it if he, at least, let me take him only on one date. A single date, am I asking for too much? I’m sure he’d fall in love with me too, given a chance. And I am simply raining with these chances on him! Why isn’t he compelling, darn it? - Jin loudly slammed his clenched fist down on the counter, actually stirring to life some drunkard who had fallen asleep at the gloomiest side of the bar, and poured some nice dose of whiskey for himself; quickly draining this glass down, he filled in the glassy cup once again, though this time just leaving the amber liquid untouched, sparkling under the soft lighting in the room.
- Maybe, you two just aren’t meant to be? - Nakamaru shrugged and looked over at him, trying to find some words that wouldn’t sound too ugly or not exactly soothing when he saw Jin pull a grimace at him; the man resolutely shook his head, not wishing to listen to such bad wording of the situation. He couldn’t and didn’t want to believe that his long-termed crush actually hated him, as he twisted on his stool and dropped a small metallic box with spoons in his angry reverie, feeling desperate and pathetic about the whole situation. As he bent over to pick the utensils up, though, he was rendered with a snort from his friend and lifted his eyes to see his drunk friend trying to stand up with an annoyed look on his face. Somehow, Jin’s childish and uncaring behavior only got drunk Yuichi pissed off as the young man frowned at him, flipping the saucer with salty nuts over in his clumsy drunken motions as he supported his body weight on the wooden counter, secretly finding out that his knees indeed felt incredibly wobbly.
- Oh, come on, Jin, you know the truth better than anyone does; there is no need for me to voice it out for you to actually understand the meaning of these words, - Nakamaru took a step back, gripping the leather stool in the process, peering into Jin’s disbelieving eyes as the guy just sat there, wide-eyed, afraid of what he might hear next. - Kamenashi has always been straight, is now straight and will always stay straight as an arrow. I’ve never seen him showing any interest in you and I bet that you’ve being lacking the same either. So, stop already with this awfully long crush of yours and find yourself someone better; someone who will be able to answer your feelings properly!
They both had yet to react on the so harshly voiced out words when suddenly, Yuichi was rudely turned around, his forearm squeezed painfully in someone’s steel-like grip and the whole place swam before his eyes, colors blending and sounds turning off. Nakamaru felt as if he was floating in the water and only blinked at the intruder but could distinguish only the huge man’s red from anger or either drunk alcohol face hovering over his own one. He involuntarily winced when the other’s foul breath hit his delicate nostrils and a distinct urge to puke rose from the pit of his stomach. His mind refused to grasp the whole meaning of the situation, so when the grip on his hand loosened, his knees gave away. The last thing his blurred eyes were able to catch was a clenched hairy fist coming in a rushed contact with some strangely familiar smudge of yellow paint.
*
It felt like coming to yourself after almost drowning in the warm and very deep river where you kept on sinking lower and lower, hopelessly diving into the very depths of the dark water. And just when you thought that it was the very end and you were fated to be buried in this cooling silence forever, someone from the surface grabbed you, pulling, and jerked you out of the water into the compressive air, hitting you on the head repeatedly, screaming, and trying to wake you up. And just like that you understood that it was no water that you were drowning in, but your unconscious suffocating state during which the cold sticky sweat covered your paled skin; that a saving hand that had pulled you out along with the screams and hits over the head were nothing else but your friend’s attempts to wake you up by gently shaking your arm. And you groaned when the screams turned out to be not much than hushed whispers and hits - your throbbing headache from the alcohol and a hurried contact with the wooden floor.
The whispers soon turned into some distinguishable mess of sounds, from which Yuichi could comprehend that his “savior” wasn’t alone, but there were two of them; two voices were heatedly talking with high words, rarely silencing to continue whatever they were doing. During another one of such short pauses, one of them hissed and snapped quietly at the other, complaining, and there was a dull sound of some obtuse objects hitting on the wood covering the floor. The loud clatter of heels stepping closer to him made Nakamaru cringe and then a warm hand was plastered over his forehead, soothing.
- Sorry, Maru, continue sleeping, - the tips of fingers brushed over his closed eyelids before the person once again stepped away, hissing something at some other man they were sharing the room with. Without being noticed Yuichi opened his eyes, frowning, trying to look over his surroundings without turning his head much; the tiny closet resembled some kind of a very small dressing room with a single sofa, as one of the walls painted in dirty yellow had a huge looking-glass and a table where some cotton wool balls and phials with antiseptic were stuffed in a disastrous mess. The only lighting source of the room was barefacedly dangling from the ceiling; a single bulb poorly managed to provide a little light right into the center of the room where, as Maru guessed, someone was treating the other person’s wound as he sat on the single chair, whimpering pitifully once in awhile. The sitting person involuntarily grabbed the other’s wrist, pushing it away as the bending over him man pressed the cotton ball a little too hard on his eyebrow’s small cut.
- Can’t you be gentler? I’m not a fucking doll; that’s a real blood for you, - the man complained, pouting while the other just huffed in annoyance, shaking his grasp away and grabbing him by the chin to let the tiny bulb light up his face and a wound better. He continued tapping the cut, cleaning it from the subtle blood and then, not turning his head away, tried groping for a plaster on the table, dropping some tubes of ointments in his frenzy move. He tried hard not to prevent the other’s sneaky hands from entwining his waist, his expression as cold and dry as it had been; he stood still while removing the safety paper from the plaster when the other leaned forward, his eyes following every curve and dimple of the standing boy’s exposed skin, knowing that it might be his only chance to scrutinize the pale features so closely. But when the oblivious guy actually bent lower to put the healing plaster on the cut, the sitting man moved towards him and their lips met; too quickly and faintly for him to feel anything but enough to wake up the desire within as the scandalized man pushed him hard in the chest, shrinking back.
- What are you fucking doing, Akanishi? Have you gone mad or something?! - Kazuya pressed his hand to his lips, rubbing Jin’s scent away, not feeling particularly happy about the situation at all, as he angrily grabbed the edge of the table hard. Silence settled between them then, during which Nakamaru watched Jin with bated breath; feeling nervous, the man bit on his lip as he cautiously approached Kamenashi; he paused, thinking if he was doing right but then touched his shoulder anyways, encouraged when Kame didn’t try backing away. The boy lifted his eyes to stare at Jin through the mirror upon the delicate touch and the other male did the same, openly conveying his feeling with only this one glance where all of his hope and expectation for the other to reach towards him shone. Kazuya blinked, frowning and quickly turned away, not feeling encouraged in the slightest by the way Jin smiled so warmly at him. He gulped, visibly fighting with himself and then decided that it would be better just to laugh it off bitterly. - Jin, what do you expect from me exactly? That I will jump you only if you tell me how much you love me? Or that if you harass me all the time, in the end I’ll give in and fall for you? We’ve already discussed that, haven’t we? I don’t see you the way you see me. You’re not a possible partner for me, how many times do I have to repeat that? I don’t.. Jin!
The taller man roughly grabbed him in his embrace, startling the boy who didn’t even have time to struggle, and pressed him into the chest, messing his ponytail and squeezing the air out of his lungs. After standing just like that for several long frozen seconds, Kazuya persistently tried moving away but resulted only in the grip over his bosom tightening as Jin clung to him like a lost baby would to his mother. Kazuya coughed into Jin’s neck, having problems with his breathing and Akanishi shuddered as the gust of warm breath hit his collarbone. Not distinguishable first, soon Kazuya understood that Jin was whispering something into his hair and pricked his ears, astonished to hear Akanishi asking pitifully why he hated him so much. That made Kame sigh exasperatedly and the boy relaxed a bit, smacking Jin on his arm and rolling his eyes. Sensing the change, Jin cautiously took a peek at Kame’s face to be met by a small comforting smile on the thin lips.
- Is it a rhetorical question? - Kame mocked him and the other pouted and pinched him painfully, making him hiss, as the smaller boy stepped away rubbing on the pinched spot and glaring at him. Jin hesitated if he should let go but he wasn’t yet ready to meet annoyed Kame just after seeing him smile; he really wasn’t sure if the boy wouldn’t get pissed if he touched him again. - I don’t hate you, idiot. But I love you only as a friend, not a lover. You are a friend for me, a special one too. I really do think you’re a wonderful guy, Jin, you just haven’t found someone good enough for you yet, - Kazuya patted him on the shoulder like he was some kind of dog and, after giving him another wide smile, started packing the medicals back into the first-aid kit, hurriedly, his frenzy moves making Jin frown. This Kamenashi talked like some psychotherapist who had him on the appointment at the doctor’s; Jin leaned on the table, drily glancing at how Kazuya dropped the cotton balls and paper bags with pills and feeling amused by how desperately Kame wanted to flee from the room. So, if he really still wasn’t ready to accept Jin, why was he so nervous then? Did he think Jin would try to rape him or what? Maybe, he wanted Jin to rape him? Akanishi snorted as he imagined tying naked and unconscious Kazuya to the table and having his way with him, right in the same room with Maru snoring somewhere at the background. Jin arched his brow at his own thoughts, not finding that picture that much disturbing. - And, so, I urgently advise you to go and search now, Jin. Right now, even! Oh, oh, look at the time - I must go now. Tell Nakamaru my words of comfort and remind him he mustn’t drink that much if he can’t stand it. And treat your cut when your get home! So, I’ll be going, then, Jin, goodbye, see you tomorrow, sleep tight!
Kamenashi nervously licked his lips and flashed him the last blinding smile as he almost flew out of the room, hurrying to leave him behind, stumbling over the threshold. The door slammed shut then and as the quick clatter of heels moving away died down, the suffocating silence fell over Jin’s shoulders, making the man slowly lower onto the ground and bury his face in his hands. He hissed slightly when his fingers came into unintentional contact with his cut eyebrow and gave out an exasperate sigh; everything went completely wrenched since the very day when it had started raining and Kamenashi entered the room in that wet shirt and he started… Jin’s trail of thought went missing somewhere when he suddenly got startled by the noise of all strings being pulled at once when Nakamaru had enough confidence to turn on the eaten through sofa. The poor boy groaned loudly, all his limbs having gone numb from lying completely unmoving for the past twenty minutes as he tried lifting his head up; his neck cracked, the sound echoing dully inside the tiny boxroom, and the guy decided not to make any additional motions rather than lifting his hand up to try and comb his messed hair, feeling like he needed to do it. Jin laughed at him, disbelieving.
- Why are you doing this - it won’t help you look better anyways! - Nakamaru snorted, rolling his eyes at him and trying to seem sleepy as Jin crept up closer to the sofa, now leaning over him, waiting for a reply with an amused expression on his face. Yuichi sent him a long stare then, frowning at the sight of Jin’s cut brow; a small yet deep wound was drown through the trace of short black hair right over his left almond-shaped eye. He tried to imagine the way how the owner of the bar could manage to get one during that little span of time when he was unconscious, but failed.
- You don't make the grade as Miss Universe either, I must admit. What happened to your face? Went to the toilet and forgot how to open the door? - He replied matter-of-factly, and now it was Jin’s turn to snort. The man plopped down onto the floor near him, while smiling wickedly, his eyes shining with mischief, and animatedly told him a story of how one drunk scaredy-cat Nakamaru Yuichi fainted, and he, Akanishi Jin, the man of his own pride, heroically offered his own face to the flying fist of fury; in reality, that turbulent drunkard turned out to be just a hale old man who had one drink too many, and not only managed to make a fool of himself in front of the whole bar, but break his finger for the record, at the very moment when his clenched fist collided with the thick skull of the owner who had rushed to the rescue of his friend. So, in the end, the only injury Jin had got from that little so-called scuffle was a little cut left by the wedding ring the drunk man had on his finger. By the end of the laboured story Akanishi managed to make Yuichi laugh like crazy, to the point where the guy was hitting with his palm on the sofa’s cover and beating the dust out of it. Jin chuckled remembering the evening’s happening too while savouring his first for the night cigarette. A small pause settled between them then, each engrossed in his thoughts, when Yuichi suddenly wondered about the time.
Twenty minutes past two. His hectic Friday was over. Yuichi smiled.
- You heard everything, didn’t you? God, was he sounding fake! Stupid jerk… Can’t he understand that I won’t back away? - Jin mumbled out under his breath I annoyed tone of voice, his eyes looking into the distance inside the looking-glass, as his fingers unconsciously squeezed the cigarette too hard, making the ash fall onto the dusty crossed out floor. Maru only blinked at him, frowning at the sweaty curls that clang to Jin’s nape as his ponytail dangled back and force in the air, set right in the middle on the crown of his head. They both felt sweaty in their clothes, as the sun had the whole day to heat up the room and even the cooling rain and wind couldn’t fight against the scorching bricks. Yuichi huffed, already tired of their talk.
- So, you won’t leave it like that? Kamenashi is stubborn, don’t you know it? - Maru stretched his hand and poked Jin on the shoulder, the other male silently passing him a pack of cigarettes without even sparing him a single glance; the light smoke from both cigarette sticks merged into one and eddied in the air, slowly flying up to the very ceiling in its attempts to escape the suffocating room but having no real strength to do so as it disappeared into nothing right in a span of one minute. They both puffed for a couple of minutes more, having no real wish to continue the useless talk when suddenly Jin chuckled ingenuously and smiled so wide Yuichi winced at the sight.
- In my universe I call it shy not stubborn. It’s in reality me who is stubborn, isn’t it? - Jin smacked his lips in amusement, happy at such a brightening thought and gave the boy a lopsided smile when Nakamaru only turned his back on him, sleepily grumbling some unintelligible words about Jin’s universe and wondering if it would rain there tomorrow.
Poll Team AU