I Just Want You - Chapter 6/7
Title: I Just Want You
Status: 6/7
Fandom: Sexy Zone
Pairing: Fuma/Kento
Overall rating: NC-17
Warnings: Follows Welcome to the Good Life because I wanted to write more. Some cheesy shit, some angst but mostly fluff and a slice of porn at the end
Wordcount: 4311
Summary: Often Fuma wishes Kento was less responsible so they could hang out more, but at the same time, it makes it special when they can actually meet up.
Fuma looks at his own reflection in the dark train window and nervously corrects his hair. It's pretty much perfect already, and he knows the wind will fuck it up the second he leaves the train, but it gives him something to do.
He rarely rides the train anymore, but he promised Kento to meet him at the station, and so train it was. He'd lie if he said it isn't kind of exciting, in the way that things you almost never do is. Like flying abroad and stuff like that.
There's a group of teenage girls in the center of the train, a lot of sleeping salarymen and a couple school kids, and the odd fashionable woman and old man. None of them are particularly interesting to watch, but Fuma's already texted everyone he can think of and it doesn't help, so watching people on the train is the second best option. A woman with long curly hair looks up and they accidentally lock eyes, which makes Fuma quickly look away despite feeling her appreciative look at him.
Normally, he's so much cooler than this, and he's over being this freaking nervous about everything that has to do with Kento.
He knows what's going to happen tonight. He's going to meet Kento at the station, and they're going to the restaurant together to meet Kento's friends. But he still can't help wondering what's actually going to happen, if they're going to like him or not, what kind of people they are, and in the end he's worked himself into such a state that he's worried about what food to get despite not even having seen the menu. He tries to tell himself to calm the fuck down or he's going to blow it, but he really can't remember the last time he was this nervous. He wasn't even when Kento had to leave his report to decide Fuma's future, but honestly his brains were so well fucked out by then that he couldn't muster the worry.
The next station is announced and Fuma distracts himself with watching people get off and new people get on, settling that they're basically the same as those who just left.
His phone buzzes in his pocket and he picks it up, his heart doing a harder beat before relaxing a little as he sees it's from Kento.
I'll meet you by the starbucks at the east entrance, okay?
Fuma smiles stupidly, and simply texts back a Can't wait~.
Things feels a little easier suddenly, the simple check in from Kento making him feel like he's going to be well looked after after all. He slips his phone back into his jeans and does a final check of himself. He's wearing an oversized white knit shirt with tight blue jeans and a lot of jewellery to balance up the softness of the shirt, and if he says so himself, he looks really damn nice. He wants to make a good first impression after all.
His station is announced, and he forces himself not to tug at his own hair anymore as he gets ready to leave the train.
Kento looks beautiful where he stands at the corner of the busy Starbucks, scrolling through his phone lazily as he obviously waits. He's been to school all day, but he must have passed his home to change, or brought clothes with him because Fuma's never seen him wear this kind of thing to school before.
He's got the Dior jacket on, for starters, and his hair is styled a little bit and Fuma wants to just take his hand and bring him back home and never let him leave.
“Hey there gorgeous.” Fuma says as he's close enough to smell Kento's cologne, his nerves settling down like a hedgehog relaxing.
Kento looks up from his phone with a surprised look, and then gives Fuma a very obvious once over that Fuma can only smile at.
“Right back at you.” Kento simply says, and Fuma laughs. “Are you ready to go? I'm starving.”
“Sure, let's. I wanna get it over with.” Fuma admits, and Kento raises an eyebrow, so Fuma rolls his eyes and clarifies. “The whole first meeting thing, obviously.”
Kento smiles and discreetly reaches out to brush Fuma's wrist with his fingers. “You're so cute when you're nervous. They're gonna like you, promise.”
“You keep saying that, and somehow it still doesn't help.” Fuma complains, but he does feel better.
“Do you have any idea how nervous some of them are to meet you?” Kento says with a small smile. “You're super rich and have a custom sports car and can do whatever you want whenever.”
Fuma opens his mouth to say that that's not too big of a deal, but then closes it again as he realizes that yes, tonight it is. And he better do his best to not sound super spoiled.
“Told you.” Kento smiles like that settles it, but he nudges Fuma's shoulder as if to show that he's only teasing.
He changes the subject then, starts talking about his day instead, and Fuma's so into trying to understand the project Kento's working on for class right now that he's surprised when Kento suddenly stops walking.
“This is the place.” He says, and he must see how Fuma's heart stops for a moment because he smiles reassuringly. “Come on, it'll be great. I want you to be here.”
“I feel like a chick when you do this.” Fuma mutters, because Kento's ability to say exactly what he wants to hear makes him feel so stupidly fluttery. But the remark only makes Kento laugh, and Fuma has to smile along.
The place is small and crowded, but cosy, with wooden interior and golden old fashioned lamps, and it smells freaking delicious.
It takes a little effort, but eventually they find their way far inside to a big table already occupied by four people happily greeting Kento when he shows up.
Then they catch sight of Fuma and there's a long moment of assessing, curious silence as they all eye him closely. So Fuma eyes them back.
There's a thin, delicate looking man that seems like he's younger than Fuma, his eyes big and his face pretty. Beside him is a girl with fierce bangs and sort of a resting bitch face, her lips cherry red and her earrings long. There's another guy, a well built one with a giant grin that seems to take up his entire face, his haircut short and unimaginative but his bone structure is nice. And the fourth person is another girl, with a stylish bob haircut and cute cheeks and long eyelashes.
“Everyone, this is Fuma.” Kento introduces needlessly, and Fuma nods his head in greeting as Kento points around the table to introduce his friends. “This is Shori, Ayami, Shige and Yuki.”
“Hey guys.” Fuma says, casually raising his hand before taking another look at them, pinning the names to the faces.
“Hey! Damn, you look really cool!” Shige tells him, grinning wide as he looks at Fuma with a somewhat shocked expression. “Come sit down.”
His accent is distinctly kansai and Fuma blinks in surprise because he didn't expect it.
Kento sits down next to Shori and Fuma automatically follows him, settling between Kento and Shige.
“We didn't get food yet, we only just arrived.” Shori says, and hands them both copies of the menu that the rest of them are already looking at.
“Oh okay, good.” Kento agrees, and opens the menu. “I'm so hungry after today.”
“So am I, jeez what a project.” Yuki sighs, stroking a strand of hair behind her ear as she eyes the menu. “I might want double fries.”
Fuma smiles at the comment, happy that there are girls in this world who actually eat. Not many of his friends do, there's always one diet or another.
“I want a double burger.” Shige adds, looking longingly at the glossy page of a stacked hamburger advertised as 450 grams of meat.
“So get one.” Ayami tells him. “You've been on about that burger for like a week.”
“That's because it's so good.” Shige says, the longing dramatically pouring into his tone as he clutches his heart, and Kento snickers. “But so expensive.”
“Oh, I can pay for everyone?” Fuma offers automatically, and the entire table turns to look at him with wide eyes, which makes him feel stupid, because thinking about it, flashing his money was what he shouldn't be doing tonight.
“Fuma, really, you shouldn't-” Kento starts with a dejected tone, but Shige cuts him off with a vivid hand gesture.
“No no no, Kento, relax, let the man pay if he wants to pay!” He says, and Kento just shrugs and sighs.
“Thank you.” Fuma tells him pointedly, and receives another full face of smile in response.
“Are you sure?” Yuki asks, raising her eyebrows seriously, and Fuma nods. “Can I get double fries?”
Fuma nods, fighting to hold back his laugh because this is just. So cute somehow. “Knock yourselves out.”
“Cool, thanks.” Shori says, and he sounds genuinely happy. “Then I'll totally have a cocktail.”
Fuma eyes him for a moment because that was definitely a gay vibe, but Kento never mentioned anyone of his friends having any such inclinations whatsoever.
“I'm just trying to buy your love and all that.” He jokes with a shrug, and they actually laugh, which makes him feel a little calmer.
“Well, if that's what you're doing, it's working.” Shige tells him and claps his shoulder in the manliest way possible. “I like you already.”
They order food and drinks, and Fuma politely listens to them getting the school talk out of the way, complaining about assignments and time management and professors, and it just makes him so glad he's not in university. That shit sounds tough.
“Fuma do you study, or do you work?” Ayami suddenly asks, and Fuma feels a little awkward as he sets his beer down, figuring it's his turn to be the topic of conversation.
“Neither really.” He says, and he doesn't know what else to say. “I'm not really doing anything responsible right now.”
“Oh, that sounds great.” Yuki says, the jealously obvious in her tone. “Is it like vacation all the time or...?”
“So far it's pretty much vacation.” Fuma confirms, and she breathes a longing sigh.
“Don't you get bored?” Shori tilts his head cutely, and Fuma blinks.
“Not really? I mean if I get bored I think of something fun to do.” Fuma says, and the words sound a bit childish even to his own ears. Having heard the others around the table work hard for their dreams makes his own non-accomplishing life seem... a bit dull.
“Isn't that the perfect life.” Ayami sighs, sounding half dreamy and half bitter. “I could think of so many things to do if I had a lot of time.”
“Yeah?” Shori inquires. “What would you do?”
“Travel the world. Read books. Learn a new language.” She lists, sounding mostly dreamy now as she plays with a pair of fries.
Fuma doesn't say anything, because all he's done with his free time is get drunk and play around with his friends.
“Screw that, I'd sleep and party all the time.” Shige laughs, and Fuma doesn't feel quite as bad anymore.
“I... Must admit I've mostly partied and slept.” He confesses, and it gets a couple genuine laughs.
“So how did you meet Kento?” Yuki asks, sounding intrigued, and it strikes Fuma that Kento really never told.
“He didn't tell you?” Fuma asks, letting his surprise come through because Kento should feel at least a little guilty.
He properly flushes next to him and Fuma wants to kiss him. “Of course I did! Most of it!”
“He did not.” Ayami protests, also looking at Fuma curiously. “Something about a job offer and then he got to hang out with you?”
Fuma glances at Kento with raised eyebrows, and Kento looks so guilty Fuma has to laugh.
“So here's what happened.” He starts with a smile, and then goes into a fairly detailed description of the deal Kento made with his dad and what they did for the rest of the weekend. Minus his own desire to jump Kento's bones and the actual sexy stuff, obviously.
At the cruise part, Shige's gaping so widely the double steak burger almost falls out of his mouth and it's not attractive. “You got to go cruising? What the fuck bro, can't you tell us anything?”
There's a similar reaction from the girls when Fuma mentions going shopping in Ginza, and he finds himself amazed at Kento not having said any of this.
“And then I called him like. Six hours later, and here we are.” Fuma finishes with a shrug.
“... Wow. Kento, you suck so hard at telling stories.” Ayami says, wide-eyed.
“Yeah seriously, that could be a movie. That doesn't happen other than in chick flicks.” Shori agrees, and Fuma half consciously gives him another gay point.
“And you've been together since then?” Yuki asks, and even though her tone is still curious, she doesn't seem judging, which is a nice change.
“Yeah.” Kento agrees. “Somehow he didn't tire of me yet.”
Fuma rolls his eyes and bumps his shoulder because not again. “I've told you to stop that.”
“Well I'm happy for you guys.” Yuki says, smiling like their bickering is cute. “We were giving up on Kento ever finding someone with all those pretty girls approaching him and him friend zoning them all in about three seconds.”
Fuma laughs because that's a slightly different version of the story than what Kento told him, and it makes much more sense.
“I can imagine.” He says, and Kento makes some dejected noise of protest.
It's surprisingly nice hanging out with Kento's friends. They're smart and ambitious in a way Fuma's friends, bless their souls, are not, and it feels refreshing to be in a company like that. Even though Fuma sometimes finds himself a little annoyed at their tendency to sound stuck up and overly intellectual, he's mostly impressed with all their dreams and their will to work for them.
None of them come from rich families, everyone studied hard and got into university to become something big. To get even halfway to where Fuma already is.
It's interesting to see how Kento is with them too. He's mostly the Kento Fuma knows, thank god, but he's also got a more serious side, and a similar tendency to consider himself smarter than ordinary people that is less appealing. But he takes care of Fuma all the same, explains things to him and engages him in the conversation where he can. Eventually, they start talking about more basic subjects, like video games and movies and Netflix, and Fuma actually feels like he contributes like everyone else for the first time all night.
“I'll just go smoke, I'll be right back.” Ayami announces after a heated discussion about the latest Marvel movie, and Kento nudges Fuma's leg.
“You can go with her if you want. I don't mind.” He says, and it's so surprising Fuma pauses for a second. Two months ago, he would have jumped at the opportunity, but now, he wishes it hadn't showed itself.
“I-” He starts, not sure how to decline discreetly, but Ayami heard.
“Oh great, yeah, let's go. We can get drink refills on the way back.” She says, and Fuma obediently gets up to follow her across the restaurant to the smoking section.
He notices as he glances behind him how both Yuki and Shori lean in and Kento smiles in embarrassment, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what their topic of conversation turned into.
“Feels great to finally not be the only smoker.” Ayami sighs as she leans against the wall and digs around for her cigarettes in her bag.
Fuma smiles apologetically.
“Actually...” He starts, and she looks up at the tone. “I kind of quit. As a birthday present for Kento. He doesn't know yet.”
“Oh. Wow.” She says, and she does sound impressed as she puts the cigarette between her lips and flicks her lighter open. “That's... Really cool.”
“It's been kind of hell, not gonna lie, I've smoked for like ten years. But I know he doesn't want me to buy him things and this was the best action I could think of that he'd be happy about.” He admits, the first time he's said it to anyone because he couldn't even tell his friends, and it feels a little weird that the first person to hear it is practically a stranger.
“Okay. Wow.” Ayami repeats, eyeing him like she's seeing him for the first time. “You're a really nice guy, aren't you?”
“I'm trying my hardest for him.” Fuma shrugs, feeling a little awkward but Ayami just smiles as she breathes in smoke and Fuma decidedly doesn't look in order not to be tempted.
“You know, Kento's really changed since he met you.” She says, and Fuma raises an eyebrow to show his interest, but she goes on without even looking at him. “He's definitely more fashionable, and more confident and outgoing.”
“Really?” Fuma asks, because even if he kind of feels those same changes, he didn't think it transcended into Kento's ordinary life.
“Yeah. I mean he's always been smart and nice and all that, but now he's really... blossomed? That sounds cheesy but I don't know what other way to put it.” She says, and Fuma watches her red lips close around her cigarette and he barely feels anything besides the butterflies in his stomach from the praise.
“That's cool.” He ends up saying, and she laughs, the smoke whirling out of her mouth.
“Sure is. So it's nice to finally meet you and see what kind of guy you really are.” She says, eyeing Fuma pointedly again. “He obviously doesn't talk much about you.”
“I've come to notice.” Fuma shrugs, because he knows he shouldn't mind even though he kind of does. “He never told me anything about you guys either.”
She rolls her eyes with a smile. “Guys, huh?”
“Guys indeed.” Fuma agrees so seriously that she laughs again, and it makes him frown in confusion.
“I'm sorry, I've never... Really met a gay guy before.” She admits, and she has the decency to look a little awkward. “I mean, Kento, obviously, but he's not... You know?”
Fuma knows exactly, and considering he wants these people to like him, he decides to go for amused rather than offended.
“Stereotypically gay?” He offers, and he finds some joy in how uncomfortable she looks before he smiles and she visibly relaxes. “You think I am?”
“Not really.” She says apologetically. “But you smell nice and you look at girls differently than other guys. I mean, you probably know what Yuki's wearing right now, don't you?”
Fuma has to smile at how the idea that smelling nice is a sign of being gay says more about her type in men than anything else. “Sure, a dark v-neck tunic with something white on the sleeves.”
“See!” Ayami says, and she sounds excited as she finishes her cigarette. “Another guy would never have known.”
“Yeah I guess not.” Fuma agrees, because he knows what straight guys and their fascination with boobs are like.
“Please stick around with Kento, I want a gay guy friend.” She says, and Fuma opens his mouth to say that she already has one, but then figures he should consider it a compliment and gives up. “Now let's go get those drinks.”
They return to the table with new drinks for everyone, and when Fuma sits down next to Kento again he can't help immediately laying a hand on his thigh. But Kento just smells so good and the way his face lights up when he sees Fuma is so gorgeous.
“Hey.” Kento says softly, his eyes dropping down to Fuma's hand on his thigh for a second. “Did you have fun?”
“I found out I'm a better gay guy than you.” Fuma replies quietly, and Kento just rolls his eyes and puts his own hand over Fuma's on his thigh.
“I'm not one to show it off, am I?” He asks, and Fuma involuntarily squeezes his leg a little when he remembers the way Kento looked at Yamada a couple days ago.
Kento clearly has time to see something happened in Fuma's head, his expression turning concerned for the brief second it takes Fuma to arrange a smile back.
“Don't worry, I prefer when you're not.” He says pointedly, and he thinks Kento gets it as he smiles back softly.
“Guess you're more of a show off than I am.” He says instead, raising his voice a little to expand their private conversation to the others, and Shige immediately pitches in about Fuma's hair colour.
“Yeah, this silver thing you've got going is really damn flashy man.” He says in fascination, and Fuma's surprised to feel a hand in his hair raising a strand pointedly. “Is this even real hair?”
Fuma makes an offended sound because damn straight it is, while Kento bursts out laughing.
“Judging from how much of it sticks in the shower drain it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't attached.” Kento grins, and Fuma would slap him if it wasn't true. He sheds like a goddamn dog.
“It's not that flashy.” Fuma objects, and he can sense the “yeah right” from around the table, so he hurries to go on. “Last year my best friend and I dyed our hair pink together at a party. That was flashy. At least before the first wash.”
“Wait you and Juri?” Kento asks, and he looks so shocked Fuma has to laugh at him, because if he didn't think Juri would do something like that, he clearly doesn't know him at all.
“Totally, we were under just enough chemical influence for the idea to sound great.” Fuma shrugs, automatically pulling his phone out to look for the photos. “I'll show you.”
Kento's mouth pinches a little because he doesn't like Fuma talking about drugs as something fun, but that expression quickly fades again and Fuma's thankful for it.
He quickly scrolls through about a million pictures until he finds last April and the selfie he took with Juri the day after the dye job, hungover as hell but they're both wearing sunglasses so they actually look pretty cool.
“Here.” He shows his screen and Kento and Shori immediately leans in to look.
“Oh wow that's really pink.” Shori says, sounding very impressed and Fuma likes him more and more.
“What, what, let me see, come on!” Shige calls, and Fuma rolls his eyes at the eagerness, like he wasn't intending to share with everyone. “Oh shit man.”
“Pink wasn't really Juri's colour.” Kento says, and Fuma turns back to him with a raised eyebrow because he can read between the lines, and Kento elaborates. “You looked pretty cool though.”
“It was actually nice when it was a pastel pink.” Fuma says, and Kento tilts his head curiously. “If you ever have a couple weeks off we should dye your hair.”
“Oh no, no no, I couldn't pull anything like that off.” Kento immediately protests, trying to wave off the idea while his friends call out that he should totally do it.
“Nonsense, of course you could.” Fuma tells him, letting his phone slip back into his pocket and reaches for his beer. “Your bone structure is everything, I've told you a thousand times.”
“Please Kento dye it pink!” Yuki calls in excitement, Shige's voice drowning out the other suggestions as he demands purple.
Kento tries to fend them off so hard he blushes, and Fuma just watches him struggle with a smile. But then he seriously imagines Kento in a light honey blonde and he feels something twist inside him, making him quickly drop the idea for now because he can't sit here with a boner.
The evening goes on, a couple more drinks are had and Kento's friends definitely don't party like Fuma's because they're all drunk when he's still in the pleasantly buzzed phase. Which is honestly pretty fun, because he doesn't have to worry about saying something stupid, but he can listen to the rest of them ramble about their love for each other. Shori giggles almost constantly and it's super cute, the way he holds his straw with his pinky up rewarding him with another gay point.
Eventually, it's closing in on midnight, and they're getting up to leave.
“Really nice meeting you Fuma, you should come again.” Ayami says, and actually comes up to hug him as a goodbye.
“I'd be happy to.” He says, smiling at her rosy cheeks and glossy eyes, and she giggles and grabs Yuki's arm.
“Totally should. Thanks for the food.” Shige says, once again clapping his shoulder in an overly manly man way. “Hey girls, wait up!”
He says quick goodbyes to Kento and Shori before hurrying after the girls as they start walking down the road.
“Are you guys going to the station?” Shori asks with a wide smile when Kento nods. “Yay, let's go together.”
~*~
Chapter 5
Chapter 7
Status: 6/7
Fandom: Sexy Zone
Pairing: Fuma/Kento
Overall rating: NC-17
Warnings: Follows Welcome to the Good Life because I wanted to write more. Some cheesy shit, some angst but mostly fluff and a slice of porn at the end
Wordcount: 4311
Summary: Often Fuma wishes Kento was less responsible so they could hang out more, but at the same time, it makes it special when they can actually meet up.
Fuma looks at his own reflection in the dark train window and nervously corrects his hair. It's pretty much perfect already, and he knows the wind will fuck it up the second he leaves the train, but it gives him something to do.
He rarely rides the train anymore, but he promised Kento to meet him at the station, and so train it was. He'd lie if he said it isn't kind of exciting, in the way that things you almost never do is. Like flying abroad and stuff like that.
There's a group of teenage girls in the center of the train, a lot of sleeping salarymen and a couple school kids, and the odd fashionable woman and old man. None of them are particularly interesting to watch, but Fuma's already texted everyone he can think of and it doesn't help, so watching people on the train is the second best option. A woman with long curly hair looks up and they accidentally lock eyes, which makes Fuma quickly look away despite feeling her appreciative look at him.
Normally, he's so much cooler than this, and he's over being this freaking nervous about everything that has to do with Kento.
He knows what's going to happen tonight. He's going to meet Kento at the station, and they're going to the restaurant together to meet Kento's friends. But he still can't help wondering what's actually going to happen, if they're going to like him or not, what kind of people they are, and in the end he's worked himself into such a state that he's worried about what food to get despite not even having seen the menu. He tries to tell himself to calm the fuck down or he's going to blow it, but he really can't remember the last time he was this nervous. He wasn't even when Kento had to leave his report to decide Fuma's future, but honestly his brains were so well fucked out by then that he couldn't muster the worry.
The next station is announced and Fuma distracts himself with watching people get off and new people get on, settling that they're basically the same as those who just left.
His phone buzzes in his pocket and he picks it up, his heart doing a harder beat before relaxing a little as he sees it's from Kento.
I'll meet you by the starbucks at the east entrance, okay?
Fuma smiles stupidly, and simply texts back a Can't wait~.
Things feels a little easier suddenly, the simple check in from Kento making him feel like he's going to be well looked after after all. He slips his phone back into his jeans and does a final check of himself. He's wearing an oversized white knit shirt with tight blue jeans and a lot of jewellery to balance up the softness of the shirt, and if he says so himself, he looks really damn nice. He wants to make a good first impression after all.
His station is announced, and he forces himself not to tug at his own hair anymore as he gets ready to leave the train.
Kento looks beautiful where he stands at the corner of the busy Starbucks, scrolling through his phone lazily as he obviously waits. He's been to school all day, but he must have passed his home to change, or brought clothes with him because Fuma's never seen him wear this kind of thing to school before.
He's got the Dior jacket on, for starters, and his hair is styled a little bit and Fuma wants to just take his hand and bring him back home and never let him leave.
“Hey there gorgeous.” Fuma says as he's close enough to smell Kento's cologne, his nerves settling down like a hedgehog relaxing.
Kento looks up from his phone with a surprised look, and then gives Fuma a very obvious once over that Fuma can only smile at.
“Right back at you.” Kento simply says, and Fuma laughs. “Are you ready to go? I'm starving.”
“Sure, let's. I wanna get it over with.” Fuma admits, and Kento raises an eyebrow, so Fuma rolls his eyes and clarifies. “The whole first meeting thing, obviously.”
Kento smiles and discreetly reaches out to brush Fuma's wrist with his fingers. “You're so cute when you're nervous. They're gonna like you, promise.”
“You keep saying that, and somehow it still doesn't help.” Fuma complains, but he does feel better.
“Do you have any idea how nervous some of them are to meet you?” Kento says with a small smile. “You're super rich and have a custom sports car and can do whatever you want whenever.”
Fuma opens his mouth to say that that's not too big of a deal, but then closes it again as he realizes that yes, tonight it is. And he better do his best to not sound super spoiled.
“Told you.” Kento smiles like that settles it, but he nudges Fuma's shoulder as if to show that he's only teasing.
He changes the subject then, starts talking about his day instead, and Fuma's so into trying to understand the project Kento's working on for class right now that he's surprised when Kento suddenly stops walking.
“This is the place.” He says, and he must see how Fuma's heart stops for a moment because he smiles reassuringly. “Come on, it'll be great. I want you to be here.”
“I feel like a chick when you do this.” Fuma mutters, because Kento's ability to say exactly what he wants to hear makes him feel so stupidly fluttery. But the remark only makes Kento laugh, and Fuma has to smile along.
The place is small and crowded, but cosy, with wooden interior and golden old fashioned lamps, and it smells freaking delicious.
It takes a little effort, but eventually they find their way far inside to a big table already occupied by four people happily greeting Kento when he shows up.
Then they catch sight of Fuma and there's a long moment of assessing, curious silence as they all eye him closely. So Fuma eyes them back.
There's a thin, delicate looking man that seems like he's younger than Fuma, his eyes big and his face pretty. Beside him is a girl with fierce bangs and sort of a resting bitch face, her lips cherry red and her earrings long. There's another guy, a well built one with a giant grin that seems to take up his entire face, his haircut short and unimaginative but his bone structure is nice. And the fourth person is another girl, with a stylish bob haircut and cute cheeks and long eyelashes.
“Everyone, this is Fuma.” Kento introduces needlessly, and Fuma nods his head in greeting as Kento points around the table to introduce his friends. “This is Shori, Ayami, Shige and Yuki.”
“Hey guys.” Fuma says, casually raising his hand before taking another look at them, pinning the names to the faces.
“Hey! Damn, you look really cool!” Shige tells him, grinning wide as he looks at Fuma with a somewhat shocked expression. “Come sit down.”
His accent is distinctly kansai and Fuma blinks in surprise because he didn't expect it.
Kento sits down next to Shori and Fuma automatically follows him, settling between Kento and Shige.
“We didn't get food yet, we only just arrived.” Shori says, and hands them both copies of the menu that the rest of them are already looking at.
“Oh okay, good.” Kento agrees, and opens the menu. “I'm so hungry after today.”
“So am I, jeez what a project.” Yuki sighs, stroking a strand of hair behind her ear as she eyes the menu. “I might want double fries.”
Fuma smiles at the comment, happy that there are girls in this world who actually eat. Not many of his friends do, there's always one diet or another.
“I want a double burger.” Shige adds, looking longingly at the glossy page of a stacked hamburger advertised as 450 grams of meat.
“So get one.” Ayami tells him. “You've been on about that burger for like a week.”
“That's because it's so good.” Shige says, the longing dramatically pouring into his tone as he clutches his heart, and Kento snickers. “But so expensive.”
“Oh, I can pay for everyone?” Fuma offers automatically, and the entire table turns to look at him with wide eyes, which makes him feel stupid, because thinking about it, flashing his money was what he shouldn't be doing tonight.
“Fuma, really, you shouldn't-” Kento starts with a dejected tone, but Shige cuts him off with a vivid hand gesture.
“No no no, Kento, relax, let the man pay if he wants to pay!” He says, and Kento just shrugs and sighs.
“Thank you.” Fuma tells him pointedly, and receives another full face of smile in response.
“Are you sure?” Yuki asks, raising her eyebrows seriously, and Fuma nods. “Can I get double fries?”
Fuma nods, fighting to hold back his laugh because this is just. So cute somehow. “Knock yourselves out.”
“Cool, thanks.” Shori says, and he sounds genuinely happy. “Then I'll totally have a cocktail.”
Fuma eyes him for a moment because that was definitely a gay vibe, but Kento never mentioned anyone of his friends having any such inclinations whatsoever.
“I'm just trying to buy your love and all that.” He jokes with a shrug, and they actually laugh, which makes him feel a little calmer.
“Well, if that's what you're doing, it's working.” Shige tells him and claps his shoulder in the manliest way possible. “I like you already.”
They order food and drinks, and Fuma politely listens to them getting the school talk out of the way, complaining about assignments and time management and professors, and it just makes him so glad he's not in university. That shit sounds tough.
“Fuma do you study, or do you work?” Ayami suddenly asks, and Fuma feels a little awkward as he sets his beer down, figuring it's his turn to be the topic of conversation.
“Neither really.” He says, and he doesn't know what else to say. “I'm not really doing anything responsible right now.”
“Oh, that sounds great.” Yuki says, the jealously obvious in her tone. “Is it like vacation all the time or...?”
“So far it's pretty much vacation.” Fuma confirms, and she breathes a longing sigh.
“Don't you get bored?” Shori tilts his head cutely, and Fuma blinks.
“Not really? I mean if I get bored I think of something fun to do.” Fuma says, and the words sound a bit childish even to his own ears. Having heard the others around the table work hard for their dreams makes his own non-accomplishing life seem... a bit dull.
“Isn't that the perfect life.” Ayami sighs, sounding half dreamy and half bitter. “I could think of so many things to do if I had a lot of time.”
“Yeah?” Shori inquires. “What would you do?”
“Travel the world. Read books. Learn a new language.” She lists, sounding mostly dreamy now as she plays with a pair of fries.
Fuma doesn't say anything, because all he's done with his free time is get drunk and play around with his friends.
“Screw that, I'd sleep and party all the time.” Shige laughs, and Fuma doesn't feel quite as bad anymore.
“I... Must admit I've mostly partied and slept.” He confesses, and it gets a couple genuine laughs.
“So how did you meet Kento?” Yuki asks, sounding intrigued, and it strikes Fuma that Kento really never told.
“He didn't tell you?” Fuma asks, letting his surprise come through because Kento should feel at least a little guilty.
He properly flushes next to him and Fuma wants to kiss him. “Of course I did! Most of it!”
“He did not.” Ayami protests, also looking at Fuma curiously. “Something about a job offer and then he got to hang out with you?”
Fuma glances at Kento with raised eyebrows, and Kento looks so guilty Fuma has to laugh.
“So here's what happened.” He starts with a smile, and then goes into a fairly detailed description of the deal Kento made with his dad and what they did for the rest of the weekend. Minus his own desire to jump Kento's bones and the actual sexy stuff, obviously.
At the cruise part, Shige's gaping so widely the double steak burger almost falls out of his mouth and it's not attractive. “You got to go cruising? What the fuck bro, can't you tell us anything?”
There's a similar reaction from the girls when Fuma mentions going shopping in Ginza, and he finds himself amazed at Kento not having said any of this.
“And then I called him like. Six hours later, and here we are.” Fuma finishes with a shrug.
“... Wow. Kento, you suck so hard at telling stories.” Ayami says, wide-eyed.
“Yeah seriously, that could be a movie. That doesn't happen other than in chick flicks.” Shori agrees, and Fuma half consciously gives him another gay point.
“And you've been together since then?” Yuki asks, and even though her tone is still curious, she doesn't seem judging, which is a nice change.
“Yeah.” Kento agrees. “Somehow he didn't tire of me yet.”
Fuma rolls his eyes and bumps his shoulder because not again. “I've told you to stop that.”
“Well I'm happy for you guys.” Yuki says, smiling like their bickering is cute. “We were giving up on Kento ever finding someone with all those pretty girls approaching him and him friend zoning them all in about three seconds.”
Fuma laughs because that's a slightly different version of the story than what Kento told him, and it makes much more sense.
“I can imagine.” He says, and Kento makes some dejected noise of protest.
It's surprisingly nice hanging out with Kento's friends. They're smart and ambitious in a way Fuma's friends, bless their souls, are not, and it feels refreshing to be in a company like that. Even though Fuma sometimes finds himself a little annoyed at their tendency to sound stuck up and overly intellectual, he's mostly impressed with all their dreams and their will to work for them.
None of them come from rich families, everyone studied hard and got into university to become something big. To get even halfway to where Fuma already is.
It's interesting to see how Kento is with them too. He's mostly the Kento Fuma knows, thank god, but he's also got a more serious side, and a similar tendency to consider himself smarter than ordinary people that is less appealing. But he takes care of Fuma all the same, explains things to him and engages him in the conversation where he can. Eventually, they start talking about more basic subjects, like video games and movies and Netflix, and Fuma actually feels like he contributes like everyone else for the first time all night.
“I'll just go smoke, I'll be right back.” Ayami announces after a heated discussion about the latest Marvel movie, and Kento nudges Fuma's leg.
“You can go with her if you want. I don't mind.” He says, and it's so surprising Fuma pauses for a second. Two months ago, he would have jumped at the opportunity, but now, he wishes it hadn't showed itself.
“I-” He starts, not sure how to decline discreetly, but Ayami heard.
“Oh great, yeah, let's go. We can get drink refills on the way back.” She says, and Fuma obediently gets up to follow her across the restaurant to the smoking section.
He notices as he glances behind him how both Yuki and Shori lean in and Kento smiles in embarrassment, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what their topic of conversation turned into.
“Feels great to finally not be the only smoker.” Ayami sighs as she leans against the wall and digs around for her cigarettes in her bag.
Fuma smiles apologetically.
“Actually...” He starts, and she looks up at the tone. “I kind of quit. As a birthday present for Kento. He doesn't know yet.”
“Oh. Wow.” She says, and she does sound impressed as she puts the cigarette between her lips and flicks her lighter open. “That's... Really cool.”
“It's been kind of hell, not gonna lie, I've smoked for like ten years. But I know he doesn't want me to buy him things and this was the best action I could think of that he'd be happy about.” He admits, the first time he's said it to anyone because he couldn't even tell his friends, and it feels a little weird that the first person to hear it is practically a stranger.
“Okay. Wow.” Ayami repeats, eyeing him like she's seeing him for the first time. “You're a really nice guy, aren't you?”
“I'm trying my hardest for him.” Fuma shrugs, feeling a little awkward but Ayami just smiles as she breathes in smoke and Fuma decidedly doesn't look in order not to be tempted.
“You know, Kento's really changed since he met you.” She says, and Fuma raises an eyebrow to show his interest, but she goes on without even looking at him. “He's definitely more fashionable, and more confident and outgoing.”
“Really?” Fuma asks, because even if he kind of feels those same changes, he didn't think it transcended into Kento's ordinary life.
“Yeah. I mean he's always been smart and nice and all that, but now he's really... blossomed? That sounds cheesy but I don't know what other way to put it.” She says, and Fuma watches her red lips close around her cigarette and he barely feels anything besides the butterflies in his stomach from the praise.
“That's cool.” He ends up saying, and she laughs, the smoke whirling out of her mouth.
“Sure is. So it's nice to finally meet you and see what kind of guy you really are.” She says, eyeing Fuma pointedly again. “He obviously doesn't talk much about you.”
“I've come to notice.” Fuma shrugs, because he knows he shouldn't mind even though he kind of does. “He never told me anything about you guys either.”
She rolls her eyes with a smile. “Guys, huh?”
“Guys indeed.” Fuma agrees so seriously that she laughs again, and it makes him frown in confusion.
“I'm sorry, I've never... Really met a gay guy before.” She admits, and she has the decency to look a little awkward. “I mean, Kento, obviously, but he's not... You know?”
Fuma knows exactly, and considering he wants these people to like him, he decides to go for amused rather than offended.
“Stereotypically gay?” He offers, and he finds some joy in how uncomfortable she looks before he smiles and she visibly relaxes. “You think I am?”
“Not really.” She says apologetically. “But you smell nice and you look at girls differently than other guys. I mean, you probably know what Yuki's wearing right now, don't you?”
Fuma has to smile at how the idea that smelling nice is a sign of being gay says more about her type in men than anything else. “Sure, a dark v-neck tunic with something white on the sleeves.”
“See!” Ayami says, and she sounds excited as she finishes her cigarette. “Another guy would never have known.”
“Yeah I guess not.” Fuma agrees, because he knows what straight guys and their fascination with boobs are like.
“Please stick around with Kento, I want a gay guy friend.” She says, and Fuma opens his mouth to say that she already has one, but then figures he should consider it a compliment and gives up. “Now let's go get those drinks.”
They return to the table with new drinks for everyone, and when Fuma sits down next to Kento again he can't help immediately laying a hand on his thigh. But Kento just smells so good and the way his face lights up when he sees Fuma is so gorgeous.
“Hey.” Kento says softly, his eyes dropping down to Fuma's hand on his thigh for a second. “Did you have fun?”
“I found out I'm a better gay guy than you.” Fuma replies quietly, and Kento just rolls his eyes and puts his own hand over Fuma's on his thigh.
“I'm not one to show it off, am I?” He asks, and Fuma involuntarily squeezes his leg a little when he remembers the way Kento looked at Yamada a couple days ago.
Kento clearly has time to see something happened in Fuma's head, his expression turning concerned for the brief second it takes Fuma to arrange a smile back.
“Don't worry, I prefer when you're not.” He says pointedly, and he thinks Kento gets it as he smiles back softly.
“Guess you're more of a show off than I am.” He says instead, raising his voice a little to expand their private conversation to the others, and Shige immediately pitches in about Fuma's hair colour.
“Yeah, this silver thing you've got going is really damn flashy man.” He says in fascination, and Fuma's surprised to feel a hand in his hair raising a strand pointedly. “Is this even real hair?”
Fuma makes an offended sound because damn straight it is, while Kento bursts out laughing.
“Judging from how much of it sticks in the shower drain it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't attached.” Kento grins, and Fuma would slap him if it wasn't true. He sheds like a goddamn dog.
“It's not that flashy.” Fuma objects, and he can sense the “yeah right” from around the table, so he hurries to go on. “Last year my best friend and I dyed our hair pink together at a party. That was flashy. At least before the first wash.”
“Wait you and Juri?” Kento asks, and he looks so shocked Fuma has to laugh at him, because if he didn't think Juri would do something like that, he clearly doesn't know him at all.
“Totally, we were under just enough chemical influence for the idea to sound great.” Fuma shrugs, automatically pulling his phone out to look for the photos. “I'll show you.”
Kento's mouth pinches a little because he doesn't like Fuma talking about drugs as something fun, but that expression quickly fades again and Fuma's thankful for it.
He quickly scrolls through about a million pictures until he finds last April and the selfie he took with Juri the day after the dye job, hungover as hell but they're both wearing sunglasses so they actually look pretty cool.
“Here.” He shows his screen and Kento and Shori immediately leans in to look.
“Oh wow that's really pink.” Shori says, sounding very impressed and Fuma likes him more and more.
“What, what, let me see, come on!” Shige calls, and Fuma rolls his eyes at the eagerness, like he wasn't intending to share with everyone. “Oh shit man.”
“Pink wasn't really Juri's colour.” Kento says, and Fuma turns back to him with a raised eyebrow because he can read between the lines, and Kento elaborates. “You looked pretty cool though.”
“It was actually nice when it was a pastel pink.” Fuma says, and Kento tilts his head curiously. “If you ever have a couple weeks off we should dye your hair.”
“Oh no, no no, I couldn't pull anything like that off.” Kento immediately protests, trying to wave off the idea while his friends call out that he should totally do it.
“Nonsense, of course you could.” Fuma tells him, letting his phone slip back into his pocket and reaches for his beer. “Your bone structure is everything, I've told you a thousand times.”
“Please Kento dye it pink!” Yuki calls in excitement, Shige's voice drowning out the other suggestions as he demands purple.
Kento tries to fend them off so hard he blushes, and Fuma just watches him struggle with a smile. But then he seriously imagines Kento in a light honey blonde and he feels something twist inside him, making him quickly drop the idea for now because he can't sit here with a boner.
The evening goes on, a couple more drinks are had and Kento's friends definitely don't party like Fuma's because they're all drunk when he's still in the pleasantly buzzed phase. Which is honestly pretty fun, because he doesn't have to worry about saying something stupid, but he can listen to the rest of them ramble about their love for each other. Shori giggles almost constantly and it's super cute, the way he holds his straw with his pinky up rewarding him with another gay point.
Eventually, it's closing in on midnight, and they're getting up to leave.
“Really nice meeting you Fuma, you should come again.” Ayami says, and actually comes up to hug him as a goodbye.
“I'd be happy to.” He says, smiling at her rosy cheeks and glossy eyes, and she giggles and grabs Yuki's arm.
“Totally should. Thanks for the food.” Shige says, once again clapping his shoulder in an overly manly man way. “Hey girls, wait up!”
He says quick goodbyes to Kento and Shori before hurrying after the girls as they start walking down the road.
“Are you guys going to the station?” Shori asks with a wide smile when Kento nods. “Yay, let's go together.”
~*~
Chapter 5
Chapter 7