To Bear the Brunt or the Beast / Chapter 4
"Sh-Shizuo-san?"
He couldn't move. He tried - his limbs were frozen in spot, caging Mikado in, the boy looking up at him with a perplexed face. He kept staring down, trying to figure out the emotion that was moving through him like a lightning strike.
"Kid?" Why was his voice hoarse? He'd yelled a lot louder than that, for longer than that. He cleared his throat, his hands sliding down the weathered wood to rest just above Mikado's shoulders, framing the boy's face. He tried again. "Kid?"
"Y-yes?"
"Do you like Izaya?"
Those blue eyes widened, then turned to the side. "He's interesting."
Shizuo slammed his hands against the wood, startling Mikado. "What do you mean, 'interesting?'"
"He's not a good person, but I don't hate him, so he's just...interesting."
That's what he meant? He felt sorry for scaring him. He told him as much. And as usual, the teenager forgave him, without even thinking about it.
Because he was a good kid
And what was he? A twenty-four year old superhuman, capable of launching hundreds upon hundreds of pounds miles into the air, if he wanted to? A temperamental social screw up?
Or was he, as the kid seemed to think, just 'Shizuo-san?'
"Shizuo-san?"
He shook his head, the tips of his dyed hair slapping Mikado in the face. He just scrunched his nose at the feeling.
"Are you going to move? Orihara-san is gone already."
He should move, he knew, but he didn't want to. For whatever reason, his heart was beating faster and his face was getting flushed, and he felt like if he backed off, he would regret it for the rest of his life. Such was the way of being impulsive, he figured.
So impulsive, that he dipped his head down the couple of inches that separated him from Mikado, and kissed him.
Shizuo had kissed one person before, but that sloppy, misplaced kiss couldn't begin to compare. Not when Mikado tentatively started to respond, gripping onto Shizuo's shoulders like a lifeline, and he stood on tiptoe to ease Shizuo's back. Not when Mikado parted his lips, and let Shizuo take control. Not when Shizuo pulled back and Mikado whispered, "Please?" in that quiet voice that still cracked from puberty.
His impulses hadn't always lead him down the right roads, but sometimes they lead him to the right destination.
Which just so happened to be Mikado's floor. God, the kid needed a bigger apartment. One that wasn't as ugly as one of his fights with Izaya.
He hovered over the dark haired male. Mikado's sweater had, once again, flown up to reveal his stomach. Curious, Shizuo prodded the material, ignoring Mikado's prude cries, and let his fingers brush against the newly revealed skin. Huh. He never knew skin could be so...so soft! Enthralled with his discovery, he unzipped the sweater and flung it further open, not even thinking about why he wasn't wearing a shirt underneath. He teased the skin with light caresses. Even Kasuka's skin wasn't this nice!
"Shizuo...san?"
He retracted his hand. Dammnit, he could feel the heat rise in his face - and other places too. What kind of hold did Mikado have on him? "S-sorry. Was that-that too much?"
He should have known better. Everyone he'd ever liked had turned away from him, or been hurt by him. And they hadn't been underaged boys leading online gangs either. To think it would happen any differently...?
"No."
What was that?
Beneath him, Mikado stretched his neck, planting his own feather-light kiss upon Shizuo's lips. It was so brief, he almost thought he imagined it, save for the telltale blush and the warmth fading from him. "I want more."
"More?"
The kid smiled. Cheeky. "More."
Shizuo dipped his head and kissed Mikado again.
He never thought he would kiss a male - never mind Heiwajima Shizuo! But here he was, Shizuo's tongue in his mouth, and his own hands dragging the bartender-suited man closer, closer, closer. Anri never elicited such responses from him, but in between puffs of breath he moaned, and was well area of the growing hard on he was sporting, the same predicament the blonde was facing. Weeks ago, Mikado would have never gotten hard for him, but now, he found that thinking of anyone else touching him, trapping him, kissing him, was a turn-off.
The blonde was a bit awkward, like he was - Mikado guessed the temper had never endeared him to anyone else enough to have sex. That was okay though - he clutched harder to Shizuo. That just meant that the man was all his.
They pulled back again, and Mikado smiled shyly, his chest falling in tandem with Shizuo's. There was something erotic about the way Shizuo was looking at him, like he wanted to consume him or something. Mikado shivered. At least he knew that if he had to fall for someone, at least Shizuo was a much safer choice than the other men that had taken an interest in him. And much gentler than he had thought possible, discounting the few nips and brushes of teeth every now and then. He was also controlling his impulses better than Mikado had thought imaginable.
He lit up with the thought of, I found what cures his temper.
Mikado waited for Shizuo to go further, but the older man was content to just kiss him. Until, with a bolt of surprise, Mikado felt a tongue lap against his neck, while finger tips danced up from his navel, to settle on his chest. He let a little groan out, scrunching his legs together, praying he wouldn't come too soon because oh god, the tongue was swirling and hitting every last nerve on his neck, and was that finger getting closer to his nipple, oh god.
"Is this okay?"
He had the self control to nod, and that was enough. Shizuo continued to pepper his neck with kisses, while he tweaked one nipple, letting out a hoarse laugh when Mikado bucked up. Was pinching supposed to feel so good? Because another pinch of his nipple and the simultaneous crunch of his neck being bitten made him almost come right then and there.
"Shizuo."
The blonde looked at him.
"I want...I want..." Crap, he sounded like a drunk. He felt the familiar tinge of heat sear his cheeks as he worked to articulate what he wanted. Why was this so hard?
"I think I may get it."
Mikado blinked, feeling uncertainty crawl up through him as Shizuo stood up. For a second, he thought Shizuo was going to leave him, hard and lonely on his floor, but with a rush of relief he saw the blonde reach for the futon. He spread it out, taking care to avoid hitting the darker haired male, and then Mikado joined the blonde on it.
"Mikado. Mikado."
"Y-yes?" He couldn't keep the slight squeak from his voice.
"Are you sure - are you absolutely positive - that I'm - I'm the one you want?"
It was too embarrassing for him to just say yes, despite saying it not even twenty seconds ago. He nodded, teasing his lip with his teeth. Shizuo smiled, that bright smile that he had come to see only a few times since the anger management had started, that bright smile that instantly lit up his face, that bright smile that made Mikado want him to kiss him again and again and again.
"I think I like you a lot more than I had planned on, kid."
"Same."
They shared a brief laugh, then Shizuo did the unexpected once again.
"You're really light."
Mikado just blushed and made himself as comfortable as possible on top of Shizuo's lap.
Mikado hid his face in Shizuo's neck, just breathing in and out. Shizuo held his back, rubbing circles with his fingers every now and then. Mikado took in a long breath - Shizuo smelled like cigarette smoke and the faint tinge that he had come to associate with Ikebukuro. He nuzzled Shizuo's neck, surprised when the blonde fidgeted. With his ear so close, he could hear everything, from the way his breath caught sometimes, to the beating of his heart. He smiled - repeating the action, he couldn't contain his own laughter as Shizuo burst out laughing, clutching onto Mikado for dear life.
"Brat."
Mikado offered up a sheepish smile. Shizuo was far from angry, but he stopped anyways.
Shizuo leaned down and kissed him again. Mikado let him lead, let him force his tongue into his mouth, let him grip his bare skin as Shizuo completely stripped him of his jacket. The room was cold, but Shizuo was radiating a steady heat. Particularly in one spot. He bit back a groan as he fidgeted and come in direct contact with that heat.
He was the one to stop the kiss. "Shizuo-san?"
"Just Shizuo."
"Shizuo." Had he ever been happier at dropping an honorific? He didn't think so. "You're a virgin...right?"
The blonde froze. Without his sunglasses on, Mikado could take in the widening of his brown eyes, the way his mouth subtly dropped a bit lower than was normal. And of course, the way his jaw clenched as he said, "Of course I am. Stupid kid."
Mikado leaned up and with a forwardness he hadn't thought he was capable of, kissed Shizuo. The older man didn't have time to respond because soon after, Mikado enveloped him in the biggest hug he could muster, what with his arms not entirely wrapping around the man's chest. But it was comfortable. It was warm, and comfortable, and he wasn't going to let go because he was a "brat" and a "kid." And because Shizuo, Heiwajima Shizuo, one of the most feared men in Ikebukuro was his.
"Uh, Mikado...?"
"Yeah?"
"You do know how, well, sex works...right?"
"Uh..."
What was he supposed to say? He'd seen a few images scattered on the internet that had been sex-related, but none had included two males. He shifted, trying not to think of that stupid growing need inside him to just let Shizuo have his way with him and be done with it all. Shizuo seemed to know something, at least...but how embarrassing! He'd been outed as a total prude/virgin. (He silently thanked the gods for Masaomi not hearing that thought. The blonde would never let him live it down.)
He scoured his mind for anything, anything sex related at all. "I know about blowjobs...handjobs..." Dammit, he was blushing again. It wasn't supposed to be this embarrassing! He fidgeted, turning his face to the side so Shizuo couldn't read his expression. "That's about it though."
He expected some sort of sarcastic remark, or a rebuke.
He didn't expect Shizuo to erupt into laughter - again.
"I like you kid."
"I like you kid." "I like you kid." "I like you kid."
Was that considered a confession? Because it really sounded like one. More so than their earlier exchanges. Mikado hid his smile as he said, "I like you too Shizuo." A lot. So much so, that he let his neck be littered with hickies his uniform wouldn't cover, and his hips be abused as Shizuo latched onto them, dragging them closer as his mouth descended over every inch of skin he could reach.
Mikado jerked as the hands cradling his hip moved further backwards, settling to rest against the pockets of his jeans. What was Shizuo doing? Through the haze of lust, he detached his mouth from Shizuo's, then quickly hid his face again as those hands started fondling his butt. He bit his lip to stifle a moan. Was this supposed to feel good? He'd never thought about it before. Shizuo seemed to know that it did, because he kept at it, only stopping occasionally to adjust Mikado in his lap when he tilted too much to the side. Mikado could tell the man was getting more worked up by the second - his breathing was more erratic, his hands grasping harder and harder, so much so that Mikado gripped Shizuo's shoulders, his nails digging into the skin. Shizuo let go.
"Sorry 'bout that."
"It's okay." Mikado offered a timid smile, slightly disappointed that Shizuo had withdrawn from touching him. They were both still horny, damnnit, why didn't he do something else? Then he thought guiltily about how he hadn't done a single thing for Shizuo since they...started. He'd kissed him, that was about it. He squirmed, missing the sharp intake of breath from Shizuo. The thought of trying to fondle the man was too much for him. And he didn't think he could strip him that easily, especially not with that vest. What was left?
"Shizuo?"
"Yeah?"
He steeled himself. He reached up, and tilted Shizuo's neck, dragging the collar of the man's uniform down, out of the way. He hesitated for a second, just long enough for Shizuo to say, "Wh-"
His tongue darted out.
He was surprised to find that Shizuo didn't taste like sweets. He didn't really have much of a flavor at all, to be honest. He twirled his tongue, all to aware of the heat that had taken over his entire body. He felt Shizuo stiffen, felt his breath against his naked back. Was he enjoying it? Worried, he started lapping faster, his tongue working over time to compensate for all the pleasure Shizuo had shown him. Then he detached from his neck with a pop, leaning back to take in Shizuo's face.
His breath caught.
"How'd you get so good at that, brat?"
So he was brat now? He laughed. "You showed me how."
Shizuo scratched at his reddening face. "Huh."
Mikado felt a surge of accomplishment rush through him. He had done something! He had been useful! He let himself relax a bit more, more comfortable in Shizuo's lap now. He was still heated and emotional and wanted to come so badly it hurt, but he was okay with their pace, okay with everything.
It was perfect.
"Hey...kid...?
He perked up.
"What...how - how far do you want to go?"
He froze.
What?
Shizuo cursed inwardly. He just had to blurt out exactly what he'd been thinking. And exactly when the teenager had really gotten into it. His neck was proof of that. Bullets? He couldn't feel. Mikado's tongue, sensually rolling against his skin? It'd felt like heaven had taken a liking to him, it was that good. But now the boy was tense again, the muscles of his legs clamping down tightly on Shizuo's, ready to bolt if he needed to. Why did he ask that?
Because he was afraid.
It was nonsense, really. Why would he be afraid of Mikado, quiet, adorable, helpful Mikado? He wasn't even afraid of being shot. Mikado was much more harmless than a bullet - Dollars leader point notwithstanding. So why did it feel like his heart was clenching with fear?
He looked at the walls of the apartment. They were still as disgusting as the first day he'd walked in, a stranger to Ryuugamine Mikado. What would he be called now? He certainly wasn't a stranger, or even a casual acquaintance anymore. Friends wasn't exactly right either.
Boyfriend?
He twitched slightly. That was the only possible choice that made sense. The title was just...weird. Foreign. He'd never dated - but then, he thought, he'd never thought he could be attracted to men either. Or teenage boys with wide blue eyes and a squeaky laugh and soft skin and the most beautiful smile ever.
But he was still afraid. Maybe even more so. Mikado had a power those men he fought with didn't - he had the power to bruise his heart, his ego, all those emotions he felt, like any other person. Mikado had wormed himself beyond the shell that the world saw, and had entered directly into the core of what he really was. Of what made him Shizuo, and not "Ikebukuro's Strongest Man."
He meant more to him than he ever thought someone could.
He startled a bit. Mikado's legs had unclamped, loosening. And his hands had latched around Shizuo's neck, something right out of one of those romance movies Celty sometimes had on in the apartment. He couldn't see his face, but he heard what he said with stunning clarity.
"I'll go as far as Shizuo wants to."
He brushed Mikado's hair gently, laying a kiss upon the top of his head. How cute. How pure.
He was glad that he was the only one that was ever going to see such a sight. If he could have one wish, he would wish to relive the moment over and over again, for as long as he lived and forever after that.
Shizuo tilted Mikado's chin up, setting a kiss against his jaw. Mikado's eyes were closed. He whispered, "Look at me," his normally gruff voice taking on a softer edge he'd used with Kasuka all those years ago. Mikado complied, those blue eyes boring into his. "Keep them open."
He realized he was being selfish and bossy, but Mikado wasn't complaining. It certainly wasn't a turn off either - he inwardly smiled at the thought. Shizuo reached for the boy's belt, never looking away from those eyes. They widened, but Mikado didn't fight, not when the belt slipped from the last loop, or when Shizuo unspapped his jeans. Not when Shizuo brushed aside his blue boxers either, just enough for him to tentaively slip a hand in and grab hold of Mikado's erection.
"Hnn!"
Shizuo felt more heat gather in the pit of his stomach. Mikado's face was crumpling with emotion, but he kept his eyes open as Shizuo pumped him, first slowly, getting a rhythm set up, then faster as Mikado's moans egged him on. He barely registered Mikado's nails biting into his skin, just felt the skin under his palm twitch slightly as he continued to feel and memorize Mikado's erection. He twirled one finger around the tip, just like how he did to himself, and was pleased to find that the method worked just as well with Mikado as it did himself. The boy thrust his hips forward, his erection sliding further up in Shizuo's grip. He smiled at Mikado, who just pouted, eyes slightly narrowed.
"Sh-Shizuo?"
He kept pumping him. "Y-yes?" Why was his voice catching too? Was he that far gone?
"I want - I want -" The boy shivered as Shizuo slid his palm down again. "-I want to touch you too."
His hand stilled. Images of Mikado touching him flooded his mind. Mikado, blushing and on his knees, pumping him. Mikado, his mouth at work between Shizuo's legs. Mikado, body bouncing up and down as he thrust into him.
"Shizuo? Your nose is bleeding."
He used his free hand to wipe his nose. "Ah, so it is."
Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why was his nose bleeding anyways? He hadn't gotten hit or anything. He mopped the blood aside with his wrist. "I'm fine," he assured Mikado. "Just a little blood, nothing new."
"That's good." The boy sighed in relief.
That didn't solve the little predicament Shizuo had gotten himself in though.
Should I let him touch me? But I'm older, it's supposed to be my job...right? Fuck, he's still a minor too...but we're dating, so it's fine, I guess. And he doesn't seem to be complaining...shit, I don't know what to do.
"S-Shizuo?"
He snapped back to reality, realizing that he had unconsciously been sliding his hand up and down while he was trapped in his thoughts. He gulped - who thought it was a good idea to make Mikado so god damn hot? And why was he making those erotic faces, like he was about to come at any moment? A handjob wasn't that different from masturbation, right? Curious, he jerked his hand harder - Mikado whimpered, slamming his hips against Shizuo.
Fuck. He felt his own erection ache. To be honest, he wanted nothing more than to strip Mikado completely naked and take him right there on the futon. Then he remembered two very, very important things.
Number one: Mikado was a virgin. Well, he was too, but the virginity thing seemed like a bigger deal to the teenager than to him. And Mikado's futon was even more unromantic and unsexy than Izaya being the catalyst to them getting together.
Number two: He finally remembered that he had no lube or condoms, and he wasn't going to kill his boyfriend by being reckless. Not when Tom had explained to him all those years ago that anal hurt. A lot.
He swore under his breath. For once, he was going to have to use self-control. Thank god Mikado inspired him to do just that.
He suckled along Mikado's neck, smoothing the already-bruising skin with his tongue. As his teeth gripped onto flesh, he quickly fumbled for his belt. The clink of metal assured him he found it. He slipped it through the beltloops, casting it aside. Before Mikado could protest, he had undone his pants, thanking goodness that he hadn't come yet.
He kissed Mikado. How the hell was he going to get the boy to touch him? He wasn't good at this, dammit! Was it normal to ask? Or was he just supposed to do it himself? Asking seemed weird, but what if Mikado didn't like it? What if he hated Shizuo for going too fast?
He nearly chocked on his own spit when he felt his boxers being pushed aside.
"What does Shizuo want?"
He was going to hell. No one was allowed to be that, that adorable!
"W-what do you mean?"
Mikado was still holding onto his boxers, playing with the elastic at the top. "Like, a blowjob or a handjob? Or something?"
He was definitely going to hell. But not before he took Mikado's virginity. He started jerking Mikado off again, delighting in the way the boy leaned his head against his chest. "Let me finish you off first," he grunted, more turned on then ever. Masturbation had never been half as enjoyable, he decided. That had just been jerk-finish-sleep-repeat.
This, this was more than that. He smiled as Mikado whimpered, "S-Shizuo!" and then came. Shizuo caught most of it in his hand, some of it trickling out to land on his pants. Mikado whined softly, then said, "S-sorry," hiding his face.
Shizuo debated on whether to break him of the habit - he wanted to see his face, but it was still all kinds of cute. He decided he'd bring it up later.
"It's fine." Shizuo brought his hand to his mouth. Just as Mikado finally worked up the courage to look at him, his tongue darted out. He licked his lips, savoring it. It was salty, not sweet, but he cleaned it all up. "You taste good."
He laughed as the boy hid his face again.
"I'm going to move you a bit, okay?"
Mikado nodded, tufts of his hair brushing against Shizuo's chin. He twitched slightly, then lifted Mikado up gently, placing him besides him on the futon. Without a word, he tugged off Mikado's pants and boxers, leaving him completely naked, open. He flushed for a moment, taking it all in. Mikado was so scrawny, especially without any clothes. His skin was so pale, unmarred by sun or scars.
He got on his knees, leaning forward. Mikado was waiting for him to make a move. He bent his back, knowing he probably looked ridiculous, and not caring. He gripped the futon beside one of Mikado's hips for support and then brushed his mouth against Mikado. The teenager would have jumped in surprise if Shizuo hadn't pushed him down beforehand. Lapping up the last of the fluids, he swirled his tongue around in his mouth, straightening up. Mikado tasted even better than milk.
"You didn't have to do that, you know," Mikado whispered.
Shizuo tilted his head. What was the kid on about now? "I know. But I wanted to."
"Oh."
They sat there a moment, Shizuo replaying the last few minutes in his mind. He'd gone from a nose-bleed, to making Mikado orgasm, to cleaning up said orgasm. He ran his clean hand through his hair, smiling to himself. How lucky could he get? He'd scored a gentle, helpful boyfriend who tasted amazing and was handsome beyond compare. Something was finally going right.
He felt more than saw Mikado tug on his vest. He obliged Mikado's silent request, kissing him chastely.
"Does Shizuo want me to do the same?"
His first thought was, Why does he keep saying my name?
The second was more of an image assault. He liked what his mind produced. He fidgeted a bit, cursing how hard he had gotten since they had started. "If that's what you want," he said. He'd never make Mikado do it if he didn't want to, but damn, did he want him to want it.
Mikado firmly nodded. "Then that's what I'll do."
Easier said then done.
Mikado fidgeted. It was cold inside his apartment, especially with all of his clothes scattered across his apartment. Nerves weren't helping either. How was he supposed to match Shizuo's skill, never-mind confidence? The blonde had made him orgasm harder than any attempt at masturbating, and then he'd even done something so embarrassing as cleaning him up with his tongue and telling him he tasted good.
What the hell did that stuff even taste like anyways?
He got to his knees, placing himself in front of Shizuo, who was staring up at the ceiling in thought. The light was making his eyes look lighter, more youthful. Mikado waved at him, catching his attention easily.
"Sorry 'bout that."
"No, no it's fine." He kneeled, his feet sticking out to either side of him. He saw Shizuo's eyes widen just barely - was something the matter? He hadn't even started! He felt a fresh wave of embarrassment rock his fragile nerves. What if he couldn't make Shizuo orgasm? What if the blonde didn't like it? He figured he'd probably curl up in a ball and never look at him again.
He steeled himself, clutching at his palm. He was the Dollars leader - he had the courage to start the online gang, lead it. He had the courage to stand up to the Yellow Scarves and Izaya. He had the courage to help Heiwajima Shizuo - and then confess to him. He had done all of that - he could do this. Nerves sated, he finally tugged Shizuo's boxers and reached out to grip the older man's hard-on, determined.
He tried to copy what Shizuo had done to him. He started out gently stroking the skin, then gradually the pumps got harder, faster. He swirled a thumb over the tip, hearing a shaky breath escape from the other man. He was doing good! His heart did a giddy flip-flop inside his chest. He edged closer, almost into Shizuo's lap, and gripped the base. Then he leaned over.
"M-Mikado."
He almost stilled at the sound. Shizuo had a naturally husky voice, but...he shivered, wondering what kind of face he was making. He grew hard again.
He felt Shizuo grip at his hair, pulling at the short strands with all the restraint in the world possible for him. He groaned, but didn't budge, even when Shizuo pulled a bit too hard. He licked his lips, staring. He didn't know if he could take it all in...He flushed, scolding himself. What kind of thought was that? Sure, Shizuo was a bit bigger than him, but he was still growing...
Shizuo was getting impatient - he could feel it in the tugs. Mikado smiled, knowing that his boyfriend would never make him do something he didn't want to, despite his impatience. And people called him a beast! What kind of beast made sure that his boyfriend was comfortable and content first?
He popped the tip into his mouth.
Shizuo groaned, rocking his hips up. Mikado had to slide his mouth away, just in case because his mouth really didn't seem that big. He smoothed his tongue along the skin, all too aware of the salty aftertaste invading his mouth, the way Shizuo was clinging to him, breathing in deeply, the taste of salt again. It wasn't unpleasant, but he tried to ignore it, focusing on Shizuo's pleasure. He moved a bit faster, sunk his mouth a bit farther. He started moving his hands again, loving the way Shizuo bucked up. He felt his face burn, his ears alight with flame, but he continued sucking off his boyfriend.
"Mikado."
Ah-!
He blinked back tears, trying to swallow every droplet. He wanted to groan - Shizuo had made it look so easy, but he was nearly chocking. He had to pull away, a strand dribbling down his chin. He wiped it with the back of his hand, looking at anything, but avoiding those brown eyes.
How embarrassing.
Shizuo deserved better than that.
He tensed as he felt a thumb wipe the residue off his face. He could feel the tears threaten to spill over at any moment - he had been so sure he could do it, and he'd failed at the last minute! What kind of leader was he? What kind of boyfriend was he? He coughed, trying to clear the lump out of the back of his throat. He let himself be pulled and tucked against Shizuo's chest, and he let himself be pepepered with kisses, but all he wanted to do was hide and curl up into the shell of the boy he'd been before.
"You - you really are good...for a virgin, you know."
He winced.
"No, no that's not what I meant!" Shizuo suddenly grabbed his shoulders, pushing him so he could look him in the face. The blonde was just as red as he was, and the look in his eyes - Mikado had never seen it before, not from anyone. "I just mean, you know, you're good. Damnit, I hate saying stuff like this..."
He wiped at his eyes, leaning against Shizuo. He was wrapped up in a hug, a chin falling to rest against his head. He smiled into the fabric of his boyfriend's vest, clawing at it.
Maybe, just once...he could protect something, someone, and keep them with him forever.
He closed his eyes.
"What are you doing now?"
"Namie-san, don't you have any faith in me?"
"None whatsoever."
He ignored her deadpan response, focusing his attention on the board in front of him. So many options, so many different choices. He licked his lips, settling upon a chess piece he'd been favoring lately. He moved it along the board, snickering. He knew Namie was watching him, always was, so he didn't dare to whisper what he was thinking. One misstep and the game would be lost.
He smirked. "Namie-san, do you happen to know where my yearbooks are?"