Fic: Swing Shift - Bus Gamer - Kazuo
Title: Swing Shift
Fandom: Bus Gamer
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairing: Kazuo, implied Nobuto/Toki
Author's notes: For
xcerpted (hugs to you!) and the prompt: Kazuo and Nobuto drop by the gay bar while Toki's on shift.
As usual,
whymzycal did a super fast beta and gave me a pat on my head for my needy, needy emo side. Thank you, bebeh! (But as always, I touched it last. And good grief,I hope I spelled everyone's name right this time.)
Swing Shift
"Are we going to a gay bar?" Kazuo said as he looked over his shoulder, almost tripping over his own feet.
Nobuto took a drag of his cigarette. "What do you think? We're in Ni-chōme."
"We are, but --" Kazuo didn't finish. Instead, he watched as two guys holding hands walked by.
Nobuto patted Kazuo's cheek, maybe a little harder than necessary. "Don't stare, okay?"
Kazuo nodded. "Yeah, okay. I've never been here at night and I just didn't think it would be so --"
Grinning at Kazuo, Nobuto said, "So -- what?"
"Open. You know, like that." Kazuo pointed at two guys hugging each other in a dark, shallow alleyway.
Nobuto swatted Kazuo's pointing hand and started walking again. "Yeah, I suppose for a virgin like you, this would be quite an eye opener."
Kazuo would've argued if Nobuto hadn't been right. He changed the subject. "How do you know about this part of town?"
"You're kidding, right? Everyone knows about Ni-chōme. Besides, I thought you said you'd been here before."
"Well, yeah, during the day, but that's not what I meant." Kazuo looked over at Nobuto. "You seem to know your way around."
As if to emphasize Kazuo's comment, Nobuto steered them down a tiny street with little lighting. "It's over here."
Nobuto hadn't answered Kazuo's question, so he tried a different one. "Okay, why would Toki work in a gay bar?"
"Why not?" Nobuto shrugged. "A job's a job. Maybe he makes a lot of money with his pretty face. I can think of worse jobs to have."
Kazuo couldn't argue with that, either. But something was still bothering him and he said, "Maybe he works here because he's gay."
"Maybe." Nobuto tipped his head toward a dark doorway. "This is it."
Kazuo picked his next words carefully as he asked, "So, you wouldn't care if he's gay?"
Nobuto stopped and faced Kazuo. "Why would I? I don't care that you're gay, do I?"
"Me?" Kazuo's voice cracked. "But I -"
Nobuto laughed and slapped Kazuo on the back. "Relax, would ya?"
Kazuo exhaled. He wasn't sure if Nobuto was just teasing him.
"Ready?" Nobuto tossed his cigarette into an ashtray.
"I think so."
They walked through the simple doorway and into a different world. It wasn't overly loud or brightly lit, but it was different. They place was full of men, all very much there to meet other men. Some were even dancing together to the quiet background music.
"Oi, Kaz!" Nobuto grabbed his arm. "This way."
Kazuo followed, his eyes scanning the room, trying to take everything in while trying not to be obvious about it. He was so intent on walking, he didn’t notice when Nobuto stopped. Running into Nobuto was like running into a brick wall -- the guy was crazy ripped.
As Kazuo rubbed his head, he heard Toki's flat, emotionless voice ask, "What's wrong with him?"
Nobuto pushed Kazuo onto a bar seat and answered, "He's all right. It's just a little sexual identity crisis."
Toki gave Kazuo a rare smile. "Right."
"Give me a beer, would ya, Toki?" Nobuto said as he fished his cigarettes out of his pocket.
They were sitting at one end of the bar, away from the milling crowd. Nobuto sat next to the wall, and Kazuo next to him. As he casually looked around, Toki set a drink in front of him.
"But I --"
"It's weak." Toki gave him a slow, knowing blink.
"Um, okay." Kazuo took a sip as Toki moved down the bar to help someone else. He was happy he didn't taste any alcohol.
Nobuto lit a cigarette and said, "He looks pretty good dressed like that."
Kazuo watched Toki in his white shirt, slacks, and vest. "Yeah, he looks really good."
Nobuto muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "He looks better naked." But Kazuo didn't ask him to repeat it; he wasn't sure he wanted to know.
A salaryman sat down next to Kazuo. He had a nice iPad and was looking up Gundam models.
Kazuo leaned closer and said, "I have that one. It's really awesome."
The guy looked up at him. "Yeah? Was it hard to put together?"
"Not really, but I'm kind of, um --" Kazuo's mouth was dry. The guy was staring at him. He had large black eyes, high cheekbones, and a straight nose.
"You've been working with models long?"
Kazuo took a deep drink. "Um, yeah."
"I'm Sato." Sato handed Kazuo a card.
"Oh. I'm, uh, Kazuo. And I don't have --"
Sato was smiling. "Well, Kazuo-kun, would you like to sit at a table with me? I have the latest issue of Hobby Japan we could look at. And we'd have a bit more privacy."
Kazuo looked at Nobuto, who was watching them with open amusement.
Nobuto made a dismissive motion. "Go, ya geek."
"You won't leave without me?" Kazuo asked. He grimaced, realizing how pathetic he sounded.
Nobuto opened his mouth just as Toki joined them and said, "Sato-san, please remember that Kazuo is a friend of mine."
"Of course, Toki-kun. I'll remember."
Somehow, Kazuo was certain that Sato and Toki had already had this discussion. He was aware that he'd been set up. Even so, it wasn't every day that Kazuo found another person he could talk models with, and he didn't think there'd be any harm in it.
Hours later, when he left the club with Toki and Nobuto, he felt pretty good. A little drunk, but mostly, just happy.
"So," Nobuto said as he grinned at Kazuo. "Did ya get lucky?"
"What?" Kazuo sputtered as he fell into step with them. "No!"
Toki raised an eyebrow. "I thought I saw you dancing."
"Well, yeah, but that's not getting lucky. Is it?"
Nobuto laughed. "No, it's not. But you kissed, right?"
"Maybe." Kazuo could feel his face heat. "Did you pick him out for me, Toki?"
"I wouldn't say I picked him out, but I suspected you might get along."
"Um, thanks." Kazuo exhaled. "I'm supposed to come back next Saturday and meet up with him."
"Next Saturday?" Nobuto shook his head. "You should've gone home with him tonight."
"Why?"
"Saturday's the day after our next game, you know," Toki said.
"So?"
"Unbelievable!" Nobuto tossed down his cigarette and stomped on it. "What if you die next Friday? You'll die a virgin, you dumbass!"
"That's not going to happen." Kazuo smiled. "We'll win it, just like always."
Toki rolled his eyes skyward and said, "Optimistic as always, I see."
"Yeah, but still a virgin."
"Shut up," Kazuo said. "Now, are we going to talk about the next job or not?"
And with that, the three of them headed toward Nobuto's apartment.
Fin
This entry was originally posted at http://despina-moon.dreamwidth.org/109727.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Fandom: Bus Gamer
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairing: Kazuo, implied Nobuto/Toki
Author's notes: For
xcerpted (hugs to you!) and the prompt: Kazuo and Nobuto drop by the gay bar while Toki's on shift.
As usual,
whymzycal did a super fast beta and gave me a pat on my head for my needy, needy emo side. Thank you, bebeh! (But as always, I touched it last. And good grief,I hope I spelled everyone's name right this time.)
Swing Shift
"Are we going to a gay bar?" Kazuo said as he looked over his shoulder, almost tripping over his own feet.
Nobuto took a drag of his cigarette. "What do you think? We're in Ni-chōme."
"We are, but --" Kazuo didn't finish. Instead, he watched as two guys holding hands walked by.
Nobuto patted Kazuo's cheek, maybe a little harder than necessary. "Don't stare, okay?"
Kazuo nodded. "Yeah, okay. I've never been here at night and I just didn't think it would be so --"
Grinning at Kazuo, Nobuto said, "So -- what?"
"Open. You know, like that." Kazuo pointed at two guys hugging each other in a dark, shallow alleyway.
Nobuto swatted Kazuo's pointing hand and started walking again. "Yeah, I suppose for a virgin like you, this would be quite an eye opener."
Kazuo would've argued if Nobuto hadn't been right. He changed the subject. "How do you know about this part of town?"
"You're kidding, right? Everyone knows about Ni-chōme. Besides, I thought you said you'd been here before."
"Well, yeah, during the day, but that's not what I meant." Kazuo looked over at Nobuto. "You seem to know your way around."
As if to emphasize Kazuo's comment, Nobuto steered them down a tiny street with little lighting. "It's over here."
Nobuto hadn't answered Kazuo's question, so he tried a different one. "Okay, why would Toki work in a gay bar?"
"Why not?" Nobuto shrugged. "A job's a job. Maybe he makes a lot of money with his pretty face. I can think of worse jobs to have."
Kazuo couldn't argue with that, either. But something was still bothering him and he said, "Maybe he works here because he's gay."
"Maybe." Nobuto tipped his head toward a dark doorway. "This is it."
Kazuo picked his next words carefully as he asked, "So, you wouldn't care if he's gay?"
Nobuto stopped and faced Kazuo. "Why would I? I don't care that you're gay, do I?"
"Me?" Kazuo's voice cracked. "But I -"
Nobuto laughed and slapped Kazuo on the back. "Relax, would ya?"
Kazuo exhaled. He wasn't sure if Nobuto was just teasing him.
"Ready?" Nobuto tossed his cigarette into an ashtray.
"I think so."
They walked through the simple doorway and into a different world. It wasn't overly loud or brightly lit, but it was different. They place was full of men, all very much there to meet other men. Some were even dancing together to the quiet background music.
"Oi, Kaz!" Nobuto grabbed his arm. "This way."
Kazuo followed, his eyes scanning the room, trying to take everything in while trying not to be obvious about it. He was so intent on walking, he didn’t notice when Nobuto stopped. Running into Nobuto was like running into a brick wall -- the guy was crazy ripped.
As Kazuo rubbed his head, he heard Toki's flat, emotionless voice ask, "What's wrong with him?"
Nobuto pushed Kazuo onto a bar seat and answered, "He's all right. It's just a little sexual identity crisis."
Toki gave Kazuo a rare smile. "Right."
"Give me a beer, would ya, Toki?" Nobuto said as he fished his cigarettes out of his pocket.
They were sitting at one end of the bar, away from the milling crowd. Nobuto sat next to the wall, and Kazuo next to him. As he casually looked around, Toki set a drink in front of him.
"But I --"
"It's weak." Toki gave him a slow, knowing blink.
"Um, okay." Kazuo took a sip as Toki moved down the bar to help someone else. He was happy he didn't taste any alcohol.
Nobuto lit a cigarette and said, "He looks pretty good dressed like that."
Kazuo watched Toki in his white shirt, slacks, and vest. "Yeah, he looks really good."
Nobuto muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "He looks better naked." But Kazuo didn't ask him to repeat it; he wasn't sure he wanted to know.
A salaryman sat down next to Kazuo. He had a nice iPad and was looking up Gundam models.
Kazuo leaned closer and said, "I have that one. It's really awesome."
The guy looked up at him. "Yeah? Was it hard to put together?"
"Not really, but I'm kind of, um --" Kazuo's mouth was dry. The guy was staring at him. He had large black eyes, high cheekbones, and a straight nose.
"You've been working with models long?"
Kazuo took a deep drink. "Um, yeah."
"I'm Sato." Sato handed Kazuo a card.
"Oh. I'm, uh, Kazuo. And I don't have --"
Sato was smiling. "Well, Kazuo-kun, would you like to sit at a table with me? I have the latest issue of Hobby Japan we could look at. And we'd have a bit more privacy."
Kazuo looked at Nobuto, who was watching them with open amusement.
Nobuto made a dismissive motion. "Go, ya geek."
"You won't leave without me?" Kazuo asked. He grimaced, realizing how pathetic he sounded.
Nobuto opened his mouth just as Toki joined them and said, "Sato-san, please remember that Kazuo is a friend of mine."
"Of course, Toki-kun. I'll remember."
Somehow, Kazuo was certain that Sato and Toki had already had this discussion. He was aware that he'd been set up. Even so, it wasn't every day that Kazuo found another person he could talk models with, and he didn't think there'd be any harm in it.
Hours later, when he left the club with Toki and Nobuto, he felt pretty good. A little drunk, but mostly, just happy.
"So," Nobuto said as he grinned at Kazuo. "Did ya get lucky?"
"What?" Kazuo sputtered as he fell into step with them. "No!"
Toki raised an eyebrow. "I thought I saw you dancing."
"Well, yeah, but that's not getting lucky. Is it?"
Nobuto laughed. "No, it's not. But you kissed, right?"
"Maybe." Kazuo could feel his face heat. "Did you pick him out for me, Toki?"
"I wouldn't say I picked him out, but I suspected you might get along."
"Um, thanks." Kazuo exhaled. "I'm supposed to come back next Saturday and meet up with him."
"Next Saturday?" Nobuto shook his head. "You should've gone home with him tonight."
"Why?"
"Saturday's the day after our next game, you know," Toki said.
"So?"
"Unbelievable!" Nobuto tossed down his cigarette and stomped on it. "What if you die next Friday? You'll die a virgin, you dumbass!"
"That's not going to happen." Kazuo smiled. "We'll win it, just like always."
Toki rolled his eyes skyward and said, "Optimistic as always, I see."
"Yeah, but still a virgin."
"Shut up," Kazuo said. "Now, are we going to talk about the next job or not?"
And with that, the three of them headed toward Nobuto's apartment.
Fin
This entry was originally posted at http://despina-moon.dreamwidth.org/109727.html. Please comment there using OpenID.