inspired.by.12.characters.meme
So this is for subtle_subtext who said that I should write this on her 12 character meme, and there's a bit there at the end thrown in for ms_orien at the end.
Title: Mizuki's Journey to True Love
Author: Rachel yousogaisaki
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Crack, Angst, some fluff
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters/Pairings: Here comes the crack. MizukixKaidou, KaidouxFuji, MizukixAtobe, MizukixSengoku, SengokuxTezuka, MizukixTaka-san, and a hint of GP if you squint.
Words: ~4321
Summary: Based off of this prompt: Mizuki and Kaidoh are in a happy relationship until Kaidoh suddenly runs off with Fuji. Mizuki, broken-hearted, has a hot one-night stand with Atobe and a brief, unhappy affair with Sengoku, then follows the wise advice of Oishi and
finds true love with Taka-san.
Warnings: Alchohol, angst, crack. Mention of Mpreg
Notes: I was trying to work on my "One Hundred Lines of Crack" sets, and it just wasn't working out. Part 8 in my opinion sucked. So I thought that I would try my hand at some different crack to try and get me back in the spirit of things. Cassie did this meme and said that I should write it, so I thought why not. Also in this story I imagine the third years from the series being at about 25 years old or so.
Mizuki's Journey to True Love
Mizuki Hajime loved Kaidou Kaoru with every little bit of him. They'd been through their fair share of trials and had always come out on top, hand in hand. Despite his unnerving outward appearence Kaoru could be the sweetest thing. For their second year anniversary and to celebrate their moving in together Mizuki had gotten his lover a cat. Kaidou had taken Mizuki to a live production of Rent. Kaidou handled Mizuki's creepy, kinks, and Mizuki dealt with Kaidou's gruff attitude.
It was perfect. Mizuki felt he could spend the rest of his life with Kaidou.
"Honey~ I'm home!" he called happily coming in. He had bags from his latest shopping venture. There were some trinkets for Kaidou of course. He couldn't shop withou getting something for his Honey.
His smile briefly faltered when he saw that they had company. Fuji Syuusuke, his best friends brother, was sitting on the couch next to Kaidou, and they were watching TV. Fuji and Mizuki weren't on the best terms.
"Welcome back." Kaidou grunted, turning away from the TV to give him a brief smile, which only he got.
"Well I should go. Kaoru, it was nice talking to you again. I hope we can get together again soon?" There was a tone to Fuji's voice that Mizuki thought he might be imagining. He did have a small tendency to be a little possessive. He tried to keep it in check.
"Sure."
"Mizuki, it was nice to see you again too. If you see Yuuta before me, pass along my greetings."
"Of course." He smiled at Fuji and could almost feel the electricity.
Mizuki hadn't thought much of Fuji's visit that day. He put it to the back of his mind as he showered his lover with gifts. There were a few other times that Mizuki came home and Fuji was over. He knew Kaidou had gone to highshool with him, but he hadn't thought they were particularly close. Still he didn't dwell on it. Other things occupied his thoughts. Like the way Kaoru seemed a bit distant these days. He didn't respond to Mizuki's advances as often, and when he did, his heart just wasn't in it, Mizuki could tell.
After letting these thoughts stew for a few days he finally brought it up.
"Kaoru, is there something wrong? You seem kind of far away recently."
Kaidou studied his boyfriend for a very long time before answering. He wasn't sure if Hajime was ready to hear this. If he was ready to do this. But the look of absolute loving concern pushed him to do it. He wasn't being fair.
"Hajime, we have to break up."
Mizuki's brain wasn't registering. "What?"
"Break up." Kaidou's peircing look didn't change and his didn't lower his gaze. This was something he'd been thinking about for a while now.
Mizuki laughed. "You're kidding, right! Good one, Kaoru. Don't scare me like that."
The look still didn't change. "I've been... seeing Syuusuke. I- This isn't easy for me Hajime, I love you. But, well, I also love him. And I think overall he's better for me than you are. And...we need to break up."
Mizuki's eyes had gone wide. Kaidou finally looked away from the expressive dark blue orbs. He'd known Mizuki wouldn't take it well. He and Syuusuke had had long discussions about it. Kaidou had been putting it off long enough though, and it wasn't fair to either of them.
"I'm sorry..." he added needlessly.
The older boy closed his eyes against the tears. He didn't want to cry. He hated crying, he looked ugly crying. Instead he focused on the spark of anger that had flared up, and lit it.
"Sorry!? So you've been going behind my back with Fuji of all people! You know how I feel about him! And then all you can say is 'Sorry'! Sorry doesn't cut it Kaoru."
Kaidou flinched slightly, but it was all deserved. "What else do you want me to say Hajime? I love him, I can't help that."
Mizuki couldn't deal with this. He had to get out of there. He knew he was crying by now. There was also the feeling that he might suffocate. If he stayed in their apartment any longer he would suffocate. Turning he practically ran out, slamming the door behind him. Kaidou frowned and scooped up the cat as it brushed his leg.
~ ~ ~
He wasn't an alcoholic, but Mizuki often found himself drinking when he was upset. So it came as no surprise to him when he drifted back to reality and found himself at a bar with a martini in front of him. By the amount of toothpicks beside his glass, he could see that he'd already had two before this one. He shrugged to himself and knocked back what was left in the glass, putting the toothpick beside the others, then eating the olive that had been on it. He needed something a little stronger.
"Ore-sama likes your shirt." came a familiar, arrogant voice from behind him.
Placing a smirk on his face he turned to take in Atobe Keigo, who worked with him in fashion design. "Of course you do, Honey."
"Well if I remember correctly, that was one of Ore-sama's designs from last year." Atobe took a seat beside him with a smirk of his own.
"S'that so. Well... It looks better on me."
"If that helps you sleep at night."
Mizuki rolled his eyes. Yes, a stronger drink was definitely required. That way he could get good and wasted, and go home and pass out. He ordered a shot of Tequila, ignoring the way Atobe's eyebrow quirked up.
"Long day?" he asked.
"Something like that." Mizuki shifted on the stool so he was facing Atobe and crossed one leg over the other. One hand sub-concsiously reached up to play with his hair. "What brings you here Atobe?"
"Long day." He answered with an amused look.
He ordered a Tuxedo from the bar tender who had stopped in front of them. Mizuki knocked back the shot, earning another raised eyebrow from his business associate. He didn't care. He ordered another shot.
He and Atobe held small talk for a while. The weather, the business, the usual things you talked about. Mizuki had two more shots during this. Atobe had been keeping an eye on him. By now the smaller boy was sufficiently drunk and laughing about something his boyfriend had done the other day. Something about the cat being locked in the cupboard. Personally Keigo didn't find it funny, but he supposed you had to be there. Or you had to be drunk. After the mention of his boyfriend though, his face fell. Ahah! The problem had been pinpointed. Mizuki must have gotten into a fight with the brash man.
"Atobe, you'd never cheat on sh-someone you loved, mm?" Mizuki slurred after a moment of silence.
Oh, so that was it. Atobe opened his mouth to answer, but never got the chance.
"I mean, you're a dick, but you're kindofa good guy. You wouldn't go be-behind your boyfwiends back and see somene elshe, then randomly break up with him. You're not like that."
Mizuki had moved so he was leaning toward Atobe and was giving him a heavy-lidded look. He was drunk. He was also kissing Atobe a second later. Mizuki tasted like Tequila. The younger man didn't pull away. He might have been a little drunk too. Instead of breaking the kiss and sending his associate on his way he stood up with him and led him to his car. Later Atobe would admit that driving home through an alchohol haze with a Mizuki pawing at you was more difficult then he would have thought.
~ ~ ~
"Get out."
Mizuki had been rudely awakened and his head was pounding. This was payback for drinking last night.
"Get up. Get out."
Who the hell was talking to him? What had happened last night? He couldn't really remember. When he tried everything was a haze of light and colors. So he opened his eyes to Atobe Keigo standing over him with a stern frown on his face. He quickly sat up and looked around. Oh God, he was at Atobe's house. Combined with the fact that he wasn't wearing any clothing at the moment he had a pretty good idea of what had actually happened the night before. Oh God.
Atobe threw his clothes at him when he saw that Mizuki was finally awake, and repeated himself one more time before walking into the bathroom. Ever so slowly he dressed trying to ignore the throbbing in his brain and the urge to hurl everything in his stomach, which he considered probably wasn't much. Once finished he slunk down the stairs and found his way out of Atobe's large house.
The fresh air did little to help his headache. With a sigh he pulled out his cell phone and called Yuuta. It was time to tell his best friends about this and cry. If he was lucky they'd let him do the girl thing and sob all over them, then watch sad, romatic movies, and eat ice cream. There was something comforting about eating good ice cream and watching other people suffer hardships.
"Yuuta, hey... Yeah, I'm okay. Why?... Oh...Your brother talked to you." Mizuki's eyes narrowed slightly, "...Yes, I'd like to get together.... Yeah, I'll call Takashi... Thanks Yuuta."
He was slightly irked that Fuji had talked to his brother before he'd gotten the chance to, but it couldn't be helped. After all, he'd gone out and gotten drunk, Fuji had probably figured he'd run straight to his best friends.
He dialed Taka-san's number. "Hey Takashi. You busy today?....... Good. If you could head on over to Yuuta's, that'd be great. I need to talk to people. I had a bad night last night. ...... Things are okay, or well, they will be. I'll tell you about it when we get together. ....Yeah...... Yeah. See you in a bit." He hung up.
An hour found Mizuki in front of Yuuta's dorm. He was in college, and staying in the dorms. Mizuki could only hope his roomate would be gone, if not he would kick the guy out himself. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done it. Yuuta's dormmate hated Mizuki, Mizuki usually found it humorous. He came in without knocking as he always did. Takashi was there along with Yuuta.
Kawamura Takashi was Mizuki's other best friend. He worked in a Sushi shop, that made the absolute best sushi in town. Mizuki had gotten to know him through Yuuta. He apparently had been an aquaintance of Yuuta's brother, but had become a better friend to Yuuta, and in turn to Mizuki. Mizuki thought Takashi was a doll. There wasn't a nicer person in the world he sometimes thought.
"How're you feeling?" Yuuta asked as he made room on the bed for him.
"Well headachey. I got drunk last night." Mizuki made use of this room and flopped, closing his eyes.
"What happened?" Kawamura asked looking concerned.
That was all it took to put a damper on Mizuki's already wet mood. He'd been fine most of the morning because he hadn't really thought much about it. There'd been Atobe and the headache to deal with. Now he had to talk about it, and think about it. And suddenly he wanted to cry again. He wanted to know where he went wrong.
After a long moment he said, "Kaoru broke up with me."
"What!?" Takashi couldnt' be more shocked. Mizuki and Kaidou had been together officially for almost four years and unofficially for almost five. Now to hear that they were broken up, he didn't know what to think.
"Apparently..." Mizuki paused and swallowed. He didn't know if he could say it.
Yuuta did it for him, "He left him because of Aniki. Apparently the two of them have had some thing going on for some time now."
"Oh..." Takashi said quietly. He wanted to go over and wrap Mizuki up. His friend shouldn't ever look so sad. It just didn't fit him. Takashi felt his heart ache for him.
"I just... I want to know what I did wrong. When did he stop loving me and start loving him?" Here came the tears
"No, I'm sure it's not like that. You certainly didn't do anything wrong Hajime. Things just changed I guess." Takashi didn't think he was helping, if Mizuki's crying was any indication. Instead he just kind of wrapped his arms around his friend when Mizuki flung himself at him, and gave Yuuta a helpless look. Yuuta shrugged, he felt he was even more helpless, because if he tried to help, being Syuuusuke's brother it might be taken the wrong way. Yuuta also knew both sides.
Mizuki cried into Kawamura for awhile not saying anything. This did nothing to help his headache. By the time he finally finished his head hurt twice as bad. He buried his head into his friend's shoulder. This was one of those moments where he wanted nothing more than to curl up in a hole and let himself die. At least once he was dead he would stop hurting. He'd never thought of himself as one of those types who couldn't live without their lover. He'd always thought those people were dumb. But then he'd never experienced such horrible heartache, and he didn't know if he could go on.
After another hour or so Mizuki had fallen asleep.
~ ~ ~
"Guys, are you sure about this. I dont know..."
Mizuki checked himself in the mirror again. He knew he looked ravishing. He always looked ravishing. And the crimson silk shirt with the low neck line and the sleeves that were form fitting at the top and loose near the bottom, combined with the midnight blue leather pants only accentuated this fact.
It had been a week since Kaidou had broken up with him and he was trying to get back into the swing of things. Kaoru had moved in with Fuji. Mizuki had found a note when he finally gone home. A day later Kaidou came by to pick up the rest of his belonging's he hadn't already taken, and the cat. It had been awkward and quiet, and Mizuki had to keep himself from crying again. Thankfully Fuji hadn't come in with him. If he had Mizuki thought he might have attacked him. Right now he blamed Fuji for taking his lover away.
However he decided that he wasn't going to mope around forever. So he'd gone the night before to a club. It had been fun, and there'd been a lot of cute boys that he hit on. Most of them shyed away, being the silly little straight boys that they are, but it had been nice to be out and about again. Though Mizuki couldnt' help but miss the feeling of being settled down at the same time. It was constant and safe. Now things were uncertain.
For tonight he was going to meet someone. Taka-san mentioned that he had a friend who was looking for a boyfriend. Mizuki had agreed to meet this friend, though he was still a little unsure. Yes, he wanted to move on, but it all felt rather sudden suddenly.
"It'll be great!" Yuuta reassured him.
"Yeah. Sengoku's a lot of fun, you'll like him." Takashi added.
"I better. This is one of my better outfits, and I'd rather not waste it on some schmuck." He smirked as he glanced at his reflection once more.
~
The club they were meeting at was like any other club. Dark, loud, and flasy. In his outfit Mizuki wouldn't stand out in the blacklights but that was the least of his worries. Techno music blared from the speakers at an almost deafening level. The base pounded around him in what would be a jarring way if he wasn't used to it. Yes, he had missed this. Here he was in his element.
Cooly making his way through the crowd near the entrance he headed for the bar. He was supposed to meet this Sengoku Kiyosumi there. All he knew was that he had bright copper hair and always wore a huge grin. He stood back surveying the area with a hand on his hip and a smirk on his face. It didn't take him long to spot his target. The bright copper hair did indeed stand out, and currently he was laughing with a couple people sitting near him. His smirk grew a little. He already knew how he was going to approach this one. The element of surprise.
He walked up behind him slipped an arm around his waist and snaked the other one over his shoulder and across his chest and leaned in toward his whispering, "Sengoku, I take it?"
He felt the man stiffen beneath him at his touch. After hearing his name he relaxed. A little. "Yeah, that'd be me? Mizuki by chance?"
"Mhmm" he purred into his ear.
"Well you are certainly forward." Sengoku turned to face him with a huge grin on his face. "I heard you were getting over a relationship."
There was the breifest flash of a frown on Mizuki's face, but he quicky replaced it with a smile, "I don't like to think about it. Tonight Sengoku, is about me. And tonight is about you. And tonight is going to rock your world."
"Score!"
Mizuki pulled him away from the people he'd been talking to with hardly a second thought. He took his hand and led him through the crowd, hips swaying invitingly. They moved to the dance floor where the music engulfed them. While they were out there Mizuki lost all conscious thought. All he knew was movement, lights, rythm, beat, and the body that pressed against his as he prssed back into it. That was all that mattered out on the dance floor.
It was a while before he was aware of anything again, and by that time Sengoku was leading him toward the bathrooms. Both of them were covered in sweat and they needed something to drink. Faucets were their best bet if they didn't want to spend a whole lot of money.
Entering the bathroom was a rush on it's own. Almost complete silence met his ears and they rang. It would be a minute before he could hear anything properly. He turned on a faucet and afixed his mouth to it for a moment in greedy need. Then he stepped away for Sengoku to get a drink, and let his mind come down from the euphoria of dancing. There were other people standing and sitting around. They were talking amongst themselves because this was really the only place to get away from the noise.
"You. Are awesome." Sengoku said once he'd gotten his fill of water.
Mizuki smirked. "I know."
"Ready to go back out for more?"
"Give me a moment" Mizuki laughed. This guy was certainly a lot of fun and very energetic.
Once Mizuki was rested up they went back out for another round of dancing. After that he dragged Sengoku back to his apartment. Whether this relationship went anywhere in the future or not he wanted him in bed now. Tonight was going to rock his world just has he'd said.
~ ~ ~
Mizuki went out with Sengoku several times after that. The first few went similar to the first meeting. They met at a club and danced, then went back to Mizuki's and had sex. Sengoku would call him here and there and they'd talk on the phone for a while. They'd laugh about silly boys they'd seen the other night or talk about their jobs. Sengoku often got an earfull about Atobe, though after the incident the other day Atobe hadn't spoken to Mizuki as often, which Mizuki found hilarious.
Things were starting to look up for him. He and Kiyosumi had gone on a couple of more serious dates that didn't involve achohol, loud music, and grinding. Mostly dinner and talking. They even went to see a couple of movies. It made Mizuki feel like a teenager again. He had fun with Sengoku. It was nice to be able to have a good time with someone, without too many strings attatched at this point.
However things are never meant to remain good for long Mizuki was learning. Getting to know Sengoku more introduced him to Tezuka Kunimtsu. En ex-boyfriend of Sengoku's that still stuck around. Tezuka never said much, or even did much, but his presence was a little overwhelming. Also disheartening. Sengoku tried to be nice to Tezuka, but Mizuki could tell that sometimes he just wanted to yell at the man. It was almost maddening the way he was always around, but never said anything.
Unkowingly he found himself caught up in their weird relationship. Tezuka would give him these long stares sometimes. There was a sadness behind him. Mizuki wondered if he had to watch Kaidou and Fuji together if he'd give Fuji stares like that. He didn't like to think about it.
After a month he broke things off with Sengoku. He told him that maybe he wasn't ready to hop right back into a relationship so soon, and that he was an awesome guy, and he had really great sex, but he didnt' see it working out. Sengoku had taken it well.
~ ~ ~
"Sounds like you've have quite the bit of bad luck recently."
Mizuki nodded glumly at family friend Oishi Syuuichirou. The Oishi family had been a friend of his parents for his whole life. Syuuichirou and Hajime had grown up together. When he was fourteen, however, his parents had moved and he'd, of course, gone with them. They still stayed in touch when they could. More so now that they were adults. They made it a point to at least try to get together once a month.
"I'm thankful to the friends I have here. Takashi and Yuuta have been awesome. Takashi especially. He's such a sweetheart."
Oishi smiled. "He really is. Yuuta's great and all, but I really like Kawamura." Oishi watched his friend for a moment before starting his next sentence. It was a leap, that was for sure. "Have you ever thought about dating Kawamura?"
The magazine fell from Mizuki's hands, "What!?
"Well he's such a nice guy, and he cares a lot about you. Probably more than you know. And I know you care about him. Though with Kaidou around you probably never got the chance to turn it into anything. Why not try now?"
"I don't know..."
"Talk to him about it Hajime. He might be more open to the idea then you think."
Mizuki shot Oishi a suspicious look. "Syuuichirou, do you know something?"
"Hm? No. What would I know?" The smile on the older boy's face said otherwise, but Mizuki knew he wouldn't get anything out of him.
~ ~ ~
It was late one evening a couple nights later that Mizuki showed up to the Sushi shop. It was shortly before closing. Kawamura had greeted him cheerfully as ever. Mizuki wasn't sure if he was imagining it now, but he thought he saw Takashi's eyes shine a little brighter once he saw him. He waited around until they closed down shop. Helped even.
Once finished he asked Kawamura to go on a walk with him. Of course the taller boy agreed. He hadn't thought he'd be turned down.
"It's a nice night tonight." Takashi commented. They'd been walking in silence for a few blocks now.
"It is." Mizuki agreed.
"The sky's clear and the stars are twinkling. The moon is big and not quite full, and very yellow."
Mizuki laughed a little, "It definitely is. Like those moons you seen in movies."
"Yeah." Takashi grinned.
Thee was a comfortable feeling surrounding them. How come Mizuki had never noticed this before? Had it always been there, or was it his imagination changing the way he percieved things because of what Oishi said. Even so, it was a nice feeling. It made him feel safe. Safe like he had before. He smiled. He looked up at Takashi who was smiling at the sky and was seized by a sudden impulse. Leaning up he pressed a light kiss to Takashi's lips, catching him offguard.
Taka-san blinked at him, "Wha...?" A light blush spread across his cheeks.
"Takashi, can I ask you a question?"
"Um, sure"
"Would you like to go out with me?"
The blush deepened and Mizuki had to keep the smirk off his face.
"I, uh, er, Hajime!"
"Is that a no?" Mizuki's tone was sweetly innocent, and he was smiling still.
"I...Um. I mean," Takashi took a breath, "Yes. Yes I would."
"Good."
He leaned up and kissed him again. This time Takashi didn't sputter, and even returned the kiss gently.
~ ~ ~
Now Hajime and Takashi had been dating three years. They were living together and doing quite well. Mizuki was now rivaling Atobe for his position in the fashion company, and Takashi would soon own the sushi shop. Kaoru and Syuusuke were still happily together and Mizuki had learned to accept it. He could even talk to them. Takashi was a great help and comfort. Yuuta was seeing some girl he'd met in college, and they were happily living together. Oishi hadn't settled down with anyone yet, but he had helped get him and Takashi together, so Mizuki could only return the favor. There was this gymnast that Syuuichirou talked about a lot. Mizuki would try to hook them up.
Sengoku... Well Sengoku had unknowingly got himself mixed up in a scientific experiment from Tezuka's friend Inui Sadaharu, I bioscientist. Now Tezuka was pregnant and supposedly the baby was Sengoku's. Mizuki would get together with him every now and then for lunch. He and Tezuka, it seemed, had worked things out and were now trying their relationship again. With the baby coming, things seemed to be going a lot better. Sengoku was involved with the whole process. As weird as it was Mizuki could only wish them well.
"Hajime do you really need me to come along?" Kawamura Takashi called as he caught up with his boyfriend.
Mizuki Hajime took in a deep breath as he watched people mill around the shopping center, "Of course, Honey, who's going to carry my bags if you're not here."
THE END
Title: Mizuki's Journey to True Love
Author: Rachel yousogaisaki
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Crack, Angst, some fluff
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters/Pairings: Here comes the crack. MizukixKaidou, KaidouxFuji, MizukixAtobe, MizukixSengoku, SengokuxTezuka, MizukixTaka-san, and a hint of GP if you squint.
Words: ~4321
Summary: Based off of this prompt: Mizuki and Kaidoh are in a happy relationship until Kaidoh suddenly runs off with Fuji. Mizuki, broken-hearted, has a hot one-night stand with Atobe and a brief, unhappy affair with Sengoku, then follows the wise advice of Oishi and
finds true love with Taka-san.
Warnings: Alchohol, angst, crack. Mention of Mpreg
Notes: I was trying to work on my "One Hundred Lines of Crack" sets, and it just wasn't working out. Part 8 in my opinion sucked. So I thought that I would try my hand at some different crack to try and get me back in the spirit of things. Cassie did this meme and said that I should write it, so I thought why not. Also in this story I imagine the third years from the series being at about 25 years old or so.
Mizuki's Journey to True Love
Mizuki Hajime loved Kaidou Kaoru with every little bit of him. They'd been through their fair share of trials and had always come out on top, hand in hand. Despite his unnerving outward appearence Kaoru could be the sweetest thing. For their second year anniversary and to celebrate their moving in together Mizuki had gotten his lover a cat. Kaidou had taken Mizuki to a live production of Rent. Kaidou handled Mizuki's creepy, kinks, and Mizuki dealt with Kaidou's gruff attitude.
It was perfect. Mizuki felt he could spend the rest of his life with Kaidou.
"Honey~ I'm home!" he called happily coming in. He had bags from his latest shopping venture. There were some trinkets for Kaidou of course. He couldn't shop withou getting something for his Honey.
His smile briefly faltered when he saw that they had company. Fuji Syuusuke, his best friends brother, was sitting on the couch next to Kaidou, and they were watching TV. Fuji and Mizuki weren't on the best terms.
"Welcome back." Kaidou grunted, turning away from the TV to give him a brief smile, which only he got.
"Well I should go. Kaoru, it was nice talking to you again. I hope we can get together again soon?" There was a tone to Fuji's voice that Mizuki thought he might be imagining. He did have a small tendency to be a little possessive. He tried to keep it in check.
"Sure."
"Mizuki, it was nice to see you again too. If you see Yuuta before me, pass along my greetings."
"Of course." He smiled at Fuji and could almost feel the electricity.
Mizuki hadn't thought much of Fuji's visit that day. He put it to the back of his mind as he showered his lover with gifts. There were a few other times that Mizuki came home and Fuji was over. He knew Kaidou had gone to highshool with him, but he hadn't thought they were particularly close. Still he didn't dwell on it. Other things occupied his thoughts. Like the way Kaoru seemed a bit distant these days. He didn't respond to Mizuki's advances as often, and when he did, his heart just wasn't in it, Mizuki could tell.
After letting these thoughts stew for a few days he finally brought it up.
"Kaoru, is there something wrong? You seem kind of far away recently."
Kaidou studied his boyfriend for a very long time before answering. He wasn't sure if Hajime was ready to hear this. If he was ready to do this. But the look of absolute loving concern pushed him to do it. He wasn't being fair.
"Hajime, we have to break up."
Mizuki's brain wasn't registering. "What?"
"Break up." Kaidou's peircing look didn't change and his didn't lower his gaze. This was something he'd been thinking about for a while now.
Mizuki laughed. "You're kidding, right! Good one, Kaoru. Don't scare me like that."
The look still didn't change. "I've been... seeing Syuusuke. I- This isn't easy for me Hajime, I love you. But, well, I also love him. And I think overall he's better for me than you are. And...we need to break up."
Mizuki's eyes had gone wide. Kaidou finally looked away from the expressive dark blue orbs. He'd known Mizuki wouldn't take it well. He and Syuusuke had had long discussions about it. Kaidou had been putting it off long enough though, and it wasn't fair to either of them.
"I'm sorry..." he added needlessly.
The older boy closed his eyes against the tears. He didn't want to cry. He hated crying, he looked ugly crying. Instead he focused on the spark of anger that had flared up, and lit it.
"Sorry!? So you've been going behind my back with Fuji of all people! You know how I feel about him! And then all you can say is 'Sorry'! Sorry doesn't cut it Kaoru."
Kaidou flinched slightly, but it was all deserved. "What else do you want me to say Hajime? I love him, I can't help that."
Mizuki couldn't deal with this. He had to get out of there. He knew he was crying by now. There was also the feeling that he might suffocate. If he stayed in their apartment any longer he would suffocate. Turning he practically ran out, slamming the door behind him. Kaidou frowned and scooped up the cat as it brushed his leg.
~ ~ ~
He wasn't an alcoholic, but Mizuki often found himself drinking when he was upset. So it came as no surprise to him when he drifted back to reality and found himself at a bar with a martini in front of him. By the amount of toothpicks beside his glass, he could see that he'd already had two before this one. He shrugged to himself and knocked back what was left in the glass, putting the toothpick beside the others, then eating the olive that had been on it. He needed something a little stronger.
"Ore-sama likes your shirt." came a familiar, arrogant voice from behind him.
Placing a smirk on his face he turned to take in Atobe Keigo, who worked with him in fashion design. "Of course you do, Honey."
"Well if I remember correctly, that was one of Ore-sama's designs from last year." Atobe took a seat beside him with a smirk of his own.
"S'that so. Well... It looks better on me."
"If that helps you sleep at night."
Mizuki rolled his eyes. Yes, a stronger drink was definitely required. That way he could get good and wasted, and go home and pass out. He ordered a shot of Tequila, ignoring the way Atobe's eyebrow quirked up.
"Long day?" he asked.
"Something like that." Mizuki shifted on the stool so he was facing Atobe and crossed one leg over the other. One hand sub-concsiously reached up to play with his hair. "What brings you here Atobe?"
"Long day." He answered with an amused look.
He ordered a Tuxedo from the bar tender who had stopped in front of them. Mizuki knocked back the shot, earning another raised eyebrow from his business associate. He didn't care. He ordered another shot.
He and Atobe held small talk for a while. The weather, the business, the usual things you talked about. Mizuki had two more shots during this. Atobe had been keeping an eye on him. By now the smaller boy was sufficiently drunk and laughing about something his boyfriend had done the other day. Something about the cat being locked in the cupboard. Personally Keigo didn't find it funny, but he supposed you had to be there. Or you had to be drunk. After the mention of his boyfriend though, his face fell. Ahah! The problem had been pinpointed. Mizuki must have gotten into a fight with the brash man.
"Atobe, you'd never cheat on sh-someone you loved, mm?" Mizuki slurred after a moment of silence.
Oh, so that was it. Atobe opened his mouth to answer, but never got the chance.
"I mean, you're a dick, but you're kindofa good guy. You wouldn't go be-behind your boyfwiends back and see somene elshe, then randomly break up with him. You're not like that."
Mizuki had moved so he was leaning toward Atobe and was giving him a heavy-lidded look. He was drunk. He was also kissing Atobe a second later. Mizuki tasted like Tequila. The younger man didn't pull away. He might have been a little drunk too. Instead of breaking the kiss and sending his associate on his way he stood up with him and led him to his car. Later Atobe would admit that driving home through an alchohol haze with a Mizuki pawing at you was more difficult then he would have thought.
~ ~ ~
"Get out."
Mizuki had been rudely awakened and his head was pounding. This was payback for drinking last night.
"Get up. Get out."
Who the hell was talking to him? What had happened last night? He couldn't really remember. When he tried everything was a haze of light and colors. So he opened his eyes to Atobe Keigo standing over him with a stern frown on his face. He quickly sat up and looked around. Oh God, he was at Atobe's house. Combined with the fact that he wasn't wearing any clothing at the moment he had a pretty good idea of what had actually happened the night before. Oh God.
Atobe threw his clothes at him when he saw that Mizuki was finally awake, and repeated himself one more time before walking into the bathroom. Ever so slowly he dressed trying to ignore the throbbing in his brain and the urge to hurl everything in his stomach, which he considered probably wasn't much. Once finished he slunk down the stairs and found his way out of Atobe's large house.
The fresh air did little to help his headache. With a sigh he pulled out his cell phone and called Yuuta. It was time to tell his best friends about this and cry. If he was lucky they'd let him do the girl thing and sob all over them, then watch sad, romatic movies, and eat ice cream. There was something comforting about eating good ice cream and watching other people suffer hardships.
"Yuuta, hey... Yeah, I'm okay. Why?... Oh...Your brother talked to you." Mizuki's eyes narrowed slightly, "...Yes, I'd like to get together.... Yeah, I'll call Takashi... Thanks Yuuta."
He was slightly irked that Fuji had talked to his brother before he'd gotten the chance to, but it couldn't be helped. After all, he'd gone out and gotten drunk, Fuji had probably figured he'd run straight to his best friends.
He dialed Taka-san's number. "Hey Takashi. You busy today?....... Good. If you could head on over to Yuuta's, that'd be great. I need to talk to people. I had a bad night last night. ...... Things are okay, or well, they will be. I'll tell you about it when we get together. ....Yeah...... Yeah. See you in a bit." He hung up.
An hour found Mizuki in front of Yuuta's dorm. He was in college, and staying in the dorms. Mizuki could only hope his roomate would be gone, if not he would kick the guy out himself. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done it. Yuuta's dormmate hated Mizuki, Mizuki usually found it humorous. He came in without knocking as he always did. Takashi was there along with Yuuta.
Kawamura Takashi was Mizuki's other best friend. He worked in a Sushi shop, that made the absolute best sushi in town. Mizuki had gotten to know him through Yuuta. He apparently had been an aquaintance of Yuuta's brother, but had become a better friend to Yuuta, and in turn to Mizuki. Mizuki thought Takashi was a doll. There wasn't a nicer person in the world he sometimes thought.
"How're you feeling?" Yuuta asked as he made room on the bed for him.
"Well headachey. I got drunk last night." Mizuki made use of this room and flopped, closing his eyes.
"What happened?" Kawamura asked looking concerned.
That was all it took to put a damper on Mizuki's already wet mood. He'd been fine most of the morning because he hadn't really thought much about it. There'd been Atobe and the headache to deal with. Now he had to talk about it, and think about it. And suddenly he wanted to cry again. He wanted to know where he went wrong.
After a long moment he said, "Kaoru broke up with me."
"What!?" Takashi couldnt' be more shocked. Mizuki and Kaidou had been together officially for almost four years and unofficially for almost five. Now to hear that they were broken up, he didn't know what to think.
"Apparently..." Mizuki paused and swallowed. He didn't know if he could say it.
Yuuta did it for him, "He left him because of Aniki. Apparently the two of them have had some thing going on for some time now."
"Oh..." Takashi said quietly. He wanted to go over and wrap Mizuki up. His friend shouldn't ever look so sad. It just didn't fit him. Takashi felt his heart ache for him.
"I just... I want to know what I did wrong. When did he stop loving me and start loving him?" Here came the tears
"No, I'm sure it's not like that. You certainly didn't do anything wrong Hajime. Things just changed I guess." Takashi didn't think he was helping, if Mizuki's crying was any indication. Instead he just kind of wrapped his arms around his friend when Mizuki flung himself at him, and gave Yuuta a helpless look. Yuuta shrugged, he felt he was even more helpless, because if he tried to help, being Syuuusuke's brother it might be taken the wrong way. Yuuta also knew both sides.
Mizuki cried into Kawamura for awhile not saying anything. This did nothing to help his headache. By the time he finally finished his head hurt twice as bad. He buried his head into his friend's shoulder. This was one of those moments where he wanted nothing more than to curl up in a hole and let himself die. At least once he was dead he would stop hurting. He'd never thought of himself as one of those types who couldn't live without their lover. He'd always thought those people were dumb. But then he'd never experienced such horrible heartache, and he didn't know if he could go on.
After another hour or so Mizuki had fallen asleep.
~ ~ ~
"Guys, are you sure about this. I dont know..."
Mizuki checked himself in the mirror again. He knew he looked ravishing. He always looked ravishing. And the crimson silk shirt with the low neck line and the sleeves that were form fitting at the top and loose near the bottom, combined with the midnight blue leather pants only accentuated this fact.
It had been a week since Kaidou had broken up with him and he was trying to get back into the swing of things. Kaoru had moved in with Fuji. Mizuki had found a note when he finally gone home. A day later Kaidou came by to pick up the rest of his belonging's he hadn't already taken, and the cat. It had been awkward and quiet, and Mizuki had to keep himself from crying again. Thankfully Fuji hadn't come in with him. If he had Mizuki thought he might have attacked him. Right now he blamed Fuji for taking his lover away.
However he decided that he wasn't going to mope around forever. So he'd gone the night before to a club. It had been fun, and there'd been a lot of cute boys that he hit on. Most of them shyed away, being the silly little straight boys that they are, but it had been nice to be out and about again. Though Mizuki couldnt' help but miss the feeling of being settled down at the same time. It was constant and safe. Now things were uncertain.
For tonight he was going to meet someone. Taka-san mentioned that he had a friend who was looking for a boyfriend. Mizuki had agreed to meet this friend, though he was still a little unsure. Yes, he wanted to move on, but it all felt rather sudden suddenly.
"It'll be great!" Yuuta reassured him.
"Yeah. Sengoku's a lot of fun, you'll like him." Takashi added.
"I better. This is one of my better outfits, and I'd rather not waste it on some schmuck." He smirked as he glanced at his reflection once more.
~
The club they were meeting at was like any other club. Dark, loud, and flasy. In his outfit Mizuki wouldn't stand out in the blacklights but that was the least of his worries. Techno music blared from the speakers at an almost deafening level. The base pounded around him in what would be a jarring way if he wasn't used to it. Yes, he had missed this. Here he was in his element.
Cooly making his way through the crowd near the entrance he headed for the bar. He was supposed to meet this Sengoku Kiyosumi there. All he knew was that he had bright copper hair and always wore a huge grin. He stood back surveying the area with a hand on his hip and a smirk on his face. It didn't take him long to spot his target. The bright copper hair did indeed stand out, and currently he was laughing with a couple people sitting near him. His smirk grew a little. He already knew how he was going to approach this one. The element of surprise.
He walked up behind him slipped an arm around his waist and snaked the other one over his shoulder and across his chest and leaned in toward his whispering, "Sengoku, I take it?"
He felt the man stiffen beneath him at his touch. After hearing his name he relaxed. A little. "Yeah, that'd be me? Mizuki by chance?"
"Mhmm" he purred into his ear.
"Well you are certainly forward." Sengoku turned to face him with a huge grin on his face. "I heard you were getting over a relationship."
There was the breifest flash of a frown on Mizuki's face, but he quicky replaced it with a smile, "I don't like to think about it. Tonight Sengoku, is about me. And tonight is about you. And tonight is going to rock your world."
"Score!"
Mizuki pulled him away from the people he'd been talking to with hardly a second thought. He took his hand and led him through the crowd, hips swaying invitingly. They moved to the dance floor where the music engulfed them. While they were out there Mizuki lost all conscious thought. All he knew was movement, lights, rythm, beat, and the body that pressed against his as he prssed back into it. That was all that mattered out on the dance floor.
It was a while before he was aware of anything again, and by that time Sengoku was leading him toward the bathrooms. Both of them were covered in sweat and they needed something to drink. Faucets were their best bet if they didn't want to spend a whole lot of money.
Entering the bathroom was a rush on it's own. Almost complete silence met his ears and they rang. It would be a minute before he could hear anything properly. He turned on a faucet and afixed his mouth to it for a moment in greedy need. Then he stepped away for Sengoku to get a drink, and let his mind come down from the euphoria of dancing. There were other people standing and sitting around. They were talking amongst themselves because this was really the only place to get away from the noise.
"You. Are awesome." Sengoku said once he'd gotten his fill of water.
Mizuki smirked. "I know."
"Ready to go back out for more?"
"Give me a moment" Mizuki laughed. This guy was certainly a lot of fun and very energetic.
Once Mizuki was rested up they went back out for another round of dancing. After that he dragged Sengoku back to his apartment. Whether this relationship went anywhere in the future or not he wanted him in bed now. Tonight was going to rock his world just has he'd said.
~ ~ ~
Mizuki went out with Sengoku several times after that. The first few went similar to the first meeting. They met at a club and danced, then went back to Mizuki's and had sex. Sengoku would call him here and there and they'd talk on the phone for a while. They'd laugh about silly boys they'd seen the other night or talk about their jobs. Sengoku often got an earfull about Atobe, though after the incident the other day Atobe hadn't spoken to Mizuki as often, which Mizuki found hilarious.
Things were starting to look up for him. He and Kiyosumi had gone on a couple of more serious dates that didn't involve achohol, loud music, and grinding. Mostly dinner and talking. They even went to see a couple of movies. It made Mizuki feel like a teenager again. He had fun with Sengoku. It was nice to be able to have a good time with someone, without too many strings attatched at this point.
However things are never meant to remain good for long Mizuki was learning. Getting to know Sengoku more introduced him to Tezuka Kunimtsu. En ex-boyfriend of Sengoku's that still stuck around. Tezuka never said much, or even did much, but his presence was a little overwhelming. Also disheartening. Sengoku tried to be nice to Tezuka, but Mizuki could tell that sometimes he just wanted to yell at the man. It was almost maddening the way he was always around, but never said anything.
Unkowingly he found himself caught up in their weird relationship. Tezuka would give him these long stares sometimes. There was a sadness behind him. Mizuki wondered if he had to watch Kaidou and Fuji together if he'd give Fuji stares like that. He didn't like to think about it.
After a month he broke things off with Sengoku. He told him that maybe he wasn't ready to hop right back into a relationship so soon, and that he was an awesome guy, and he had really great sex, but he didnt' see it working out. Sengoku had taken it well.
~ ~ ~
"Sounds like you've have quite the bit of bad luck recently."
Mizuki nodded glumly at family friend Oishi Syuuichirou. The Oishi family had been a friend of his parents for his whole life. Syuuichirou and Hajime had grown up together. When he was fourteen, however, his parents had moved and he'd, of course, gone with them. They still stayed in touch when they could. More so now that they were adults. They made it a point to at least try to get together once a month.
"I'm thankful to the friends I have here. Takashi and Yuuta have been awesome. Takashi especially. He's such a sweetheart."
Oishi smiled. "He really is. Yuuta's great and all, but I really like Kawamura." Oishi watched his friend for a moment before starting his next sentence. It was a leap, that was for sure. "Have you ever thought about dating Kawamura?"
The magazine fell from Mizuki's hands, "What!?
"Well he's such a nice guy, and he cares a lot about you. Probably more than you know. And I know you care about him. Though with Kaidou around you probably never got the chance to turn it into anything. Why not try now?"
"I don't know..."
"Talk to him about it Hajime. He might be more open to the idea then you think."
Mizuki shot Oishi a suspicious look. "Syuuichirou, do you know something?"
"Hm? No. What would I know?" The smile on the older boy's face said otherwise, but Mizuki knew he wouldn't get anything out of him.
~ ~ ~
It was late one evening a couple nights later that Mizuki showed up to the Sushi shop. It was shortly before closing. Kawamura had greeted him cheerfully as ever. Mizuki wasn't sure if he was imagining it now, but he thought he saw Takashi's eyes shine a little brighter once he saw him. He waited around until they closed down shop. Helped even.
Once finished he asked Kawamura to go on a walk with him. Of course the taller boy agreed. He hadn't thought he'd be turned down.
"It's a nice night tonight." Takashi commented. They'd been walking in silence for a few blocks now.
"It is." Mizuki agreed.
"The sky's clear and the stars are twinkling. The moon is big and not quite full, and very yellow."
Mizuki laughed a little, "It definitely is. Like those moons you seen in movies."
"Yeah." Takashi grinned.
Thee was a comfortable feeling surrounding them. How come Mizuki had never noticed this before? Had it always been there, or was it his imagination changing the way he percieved things because of what Oishi said. Even so, it was a nice feeling. It made him feel safe. Safe like he had before. He smiled. He looked up at Takashi who was smiling at the sky and was seized by a sudden impulse. Leaning up he pressed a light kiss to Takashi's lips, catching him offguard.
Taka-san blinked at him, "Wha...?" A light blush spread across his cheeks.
"Takashi, can I ask you a question?"
"Um, sure"
"Would you like to go out with me?"
The blush deepened and Mizuki had to keep the smirk off his face.
"I, uh, er, Hajime!"
"Is that a no?" Mizuki's tone was sweetly innocent, and he was smiling still.
"I...Um. I mean," Takashi took a breath, "Yes. Yes I would."
"Good."
He leaned up and kissed him again. This time Takashi didn't sputter, and even returned the kiss gently.
~ ~ ~
Now Hajime and Takashi had been dating three years. They were living together and doing quite well. Mizuki was now rivaling Atobe for his position in the fashion company, and Takashi would soon own the sushi shop. Kaoru and Syuusuke were still happily together and Mizuki had learned to accept it. He could even talk to them. Takashi was a great help and comfort. Yuuta was seeing some girl he'd met in college, and they were happily living together. Oishi hadn't settled down with anyone yet, but he had helped get him and Takashi together, so Mizuki could only return the favor. There was this gymnast that Syuuichirou talked about a lot. Mizuki would try to hook them up.
Sengoku... Well Sengoku had unknowingly got himself mixed up in a scientific experiment from Tezuka's friend Inui Sadaharu, I bioscientist. Now Tezuka was pregnant and supposedly the baby was Sengoku's. Mizuki would get together with him every now and then for lunch. He and Tezuka, it seemed, had worked things out and were now trying their relationship again. With the baby coming, things seemed to be going a lot better. Sengoku was involved with the whole process. As weird as it was Mizuki could only wish them well.
"Hajime do you really need me to come along?" Kawamura Takashi called as he caught up with his boyfriend.
Mizuki Hajime took in a deep breath as he watched people mill around the shopping center, "Of course, Honey, who's going to carry my bags if you're not here."
THE END