Romancing Subaru
1.4.16 - I realized there were some typos and repeated lines so I did a quick edit. Hope it's better now.
Title: Romancing Subaru
Author: write_my_dreams
Pairings: Kuina x Rito, Hiyuu x Subaru, Kuina x Subaru, small amount of Satoshi x Hiyuu
Genre: AU, supernatural, romance
Warning: No content to warn about.
Disclaimer: The band members portrayed do not belong to me. The writing and the story are mine.
Rating: PG
Chapter(s): 1/1
Summary: Kuina is in love with Subaru but his attempts to take him on dates keep falling flat because Subaru doens't realize they're dates. After talking to Rito, Kuina comes up with the idea for the ultimate date: a romantic dinner at his apartment.
Author's Comment: Lust and Pleasure #7. Finished ahead of schedule, whoo. This one was fun to write and I enjoyed the chance to get into Kuina's head. The third/last part in this series of updates will be posted on Halloween because that's the day it takes place.
Kuina could only sigh as he reflected on last week. He’d taken Subaru out to dinner twice, a movie, and Starbucks this morning. He’d kissed Subaru after each date, slept with him after the movie, and suggested they do this again (the dates not the sex, although the sex was always welcome) soon. Subaru had always smiled and agreed. All while being utterly oblivious about all of these being dates. Subaru thought they were just their normal outings! Fuck. Kuina would have to either come up with something dramatic or tell him outright that he was in love with him. Kuina was just worried that Subaru wouldn’t want to go from being friends with benefits to dating. And Subaru was already head over heels in love with Hiyuu. Kuina had known and been with Subaru longer, but he was only human. How could he compare to a half demon half angel? Ugh, he hated this insecurity.
Frustrated with himself, Kuina decided to go to the Crossroads Club. He needed to see Rito. Have amazing sex with him then get his advice on what he should do about Subaru.
Rito was more than happy to provide the sex Kuina craved. Once they’d caught their breath, Kuina looked over at his lover. Long dark hair draped over the pillow, Rito’s eyes half shut and glowing purple. Rito may not be happy with his demon form but Kuina didn’t care. He was absolutely gorgeous even though he didn’t have wings or horns. “Rito,” Kuina said as he combed his fingers through the other man’s soft hair. He was so beautiful. “How did you tell Hiyuu you were in love with him?”
Rito’s eyes opened all the way. It was easy to see the question had caught him off guard. “It took a few months for me to fall for him. When I realized I was in love with him, I went to him and told him. I did the same thing when I fell for Yuuki. If you love someone, you should tell them.” Rito shrugged his bare shoulders. “You humans make confessions out to be such a terrifying thing. Either the other person returns your love or they don’t. If they don’t, there’s always the chance that they’ll grow to love you in return.”
Kuina couldn’t deny that Rito was right. Confessions were usually seen as something frightening-as if you were wrestling a rabid wolf rather than talking to the person you loved. For some they were able to confess with minor troubles while others were so afraid of being rejected or the relationship becoming awkward that they never confessed. They wasted years on pining when they could’ve been with the person they loved. Kuina didn’t want that to happen to him. “Er, how did you tell Hiyuu and Yuuki? Was it just a normal night or did you do something… special?”
Rito smiled at the memories. “With Hiyuu, I wore the outfit he’d just bought me. Sexy and skin flaunting… exactly what he likes to see on me. I went to see him. I took his hands, looked into his eyes. I told him I’d fallen in love with him and that I wanted to spend all my days with him.”
For an immortal demon, that was a true declaration of love. Kuina nodded. “How did Hiyuu react to that?”
Rito’s smile widened. “Hiyuu was too shocked to speak at first. He gaped at me, eyes wide like he couldn’t believe when he’d just heard. So I repeated myself. Then he smiled and oh, Kuina, it was so beautiful to see his face lighting up. Hi-chan… he didn’t think anyone but his mother would ever be able to love him because he was half angel.”
It was Kuina’s turn to be stunned. “No one but Hiyuu’s mother loved him all that time before he met you?” How though? Hiyuu was amazing! Were demons really that racist that they couldn’t look past Hiyuu’s angel blood?
Rito sighed. “Kuina, everyone but her wanted him dead. Half angels are abominations where we’re from. So it came as a complete shock to him that not only did I enjoy his wings, his presence, being with him in general… but I’d also fallen in love with him. He loved me too, he just hadn’t dared to tell me.”
Lucky Hiyuu. Whoever he was in love with always returned his feelings. “What about Yuuki?” he asked. Yuuki was the complete opposite of romantic so flowers or fancy declarations would be met with withering scorn from him.
Rito smirked. “With Yuuki, I waited until we were naked. I put my hands in his wings and told him that loved him and Hiyuu, that they had an equal share of my heart. Yuuki wasn’t in love with me yet so he couldn’t return my confession at that time.” Rito traced his fingers over Kuina’s tattoo. “Once he was able to return my love, he made sure I was the first to know. If you love Subaru, Kuina, you should tell him. You already go out for food, drinks, movies together. Unless you take him to a fancy restaurant and greet him with a suit and flowers, Subaru isn’t going to realize that you’re taking him out on dates.”
Kuina took Rito’s hand. “So you think I should go see him and tell him bluntly?”
“Yes. There’s no sense in waiting.”
Kuina slowly exhaled. Better to be honest and let Subaru know how he felt about him. “I will… I just want to try taking him out on a date one more time.” He’d go into full romantic mode as Rito had suggested: bring Subaru red roses, wear a suit, and take him to a proper restaurant. He squeezed Rito’s hand. “Come home with me? I don't know what I should wear.” He did have a couple suits in mind-the next part was deciding what shirt to pair with the suit. Also if he should wear a tie or not.
“What sort of date are you considering?” Rito asked.
“The fancy restaurant you mentioned. I know it’s cliché, but I want to give Subaru the best.” He’d have to figure out where to go and make sure Subaru knew to dress appropriately. The other question was whether Kuina should pick him up (he’d have to see if Tomoya would let him borrow his car in that case) or meet him at the restaurant.
“Is that an environment both of you will be comfortable in?” Rito asked. “Hi-chan has taken me out to expensive restaurants before. I enjoyed the food and the wine while the general atmosphere is something I prefer to forget. Some of these establishments are high class only in name. The staff would act polite to Hiyuu and I because it was their duty, but I could see their contempt for us in the little curl of their lips when they saw us walking hand in hand. I heard it in the way they addressed us compared to the straight couples there.” Rito lazily examined his claws. “I paid the restaurant a visit later with Satoshi and caused some damage.” He dropped his hand back to his side. “I know you want to give Subaru romance because that’s what you humans are conditioned to want. It’s in your books and movies, pushed on you by the shops for all the holidays. I suppose romantic dates are nice,” Rito shrugged, obviously uninterested in them, “but you have to be careful not to push Subaru so far out of his comfort zone that he feels too awkward or uneasy to enjoy the date. I was on edge at that shitty restaurant and Hiyuu had to restrain me from ripping our waitress’s heart out when she took on a snotty, condescending tone.”
Shit. Kuina hadn’t considered those points at all. Fancy restaurants were ideal for a wealthy, heterosexual couple. Not so much for two young men on a date. As much as Kuina wanted to do something corny and romantic, Subaru’s comfort was more important. Kuina wanted him to enjoy their time together and see it for what it was: a date. “You’re right. I… I didn’t even consider that the staff would treat us like shit for being together.” He leaned over to give Rito a grateful kiss. “Thank you. If I can’t do dinner out, I’ll have to do dinner in.”
“Do you even know how to cook?”
Kuina pouted at him. “I can cook! I’ve made you breakfast before, haven’t I?” Not that Rito needed to eat.
“There’s a difference between omelettes and a three course meal.”
“I like cooking. I just don’t do it too much anymore because it’s so easy to get takeout.” That way he didn’t have to clean up pots and pans or pay for all the separate ingredients.
Rito grinned as he slid out of bed. “In that case, I’m happy to help you come up with the perfect meal. If you want to give Subaru classic romance you’ll need candles. Red roses. Red wine or champagne… both if you feel like it. Hi-chan will happily let you have a bottle.”
There was a lot of planning to make this the perfect date. He’d have to practice his confession on Rito too. Hopefully everything would work out.
* * *
Subaru stared at his phone, reading over the text from Kuina again. Come to my apartment at 7:00 on Friday! Wear a suit. What was he supposed to wear a suit for? Had Kuina watched some weird video about how best to strip when wearing a suit so wanted him to practice with him? (It wouldn’t be the first time). Subaru set the phone down and went to his closet. His suit collection was pretty pathetic. He had a basic, boring black one and an ill-fitting gray one he’d inherited from a friend. He should probably go shopping. Kuina obviously had something up his sleeve so Subaru wouldn’t be able to go with him. What about his demons? Did they even have suits? Rito usually wore booty shorts or miniskirts so he probably didn’t even own one. Subaru had almost fainted in shock when he saw Rito in jeans and a sweater last week. He never saw Rito wear that much clothing. Yuuki either liked to wear next to nothing like Rito or he’d occasionally cover up. He might have a suit. Hiyuu was probably the best one to take suit shopping since Subaru had seen him in a suit before (he looked absolutely gorgeous) and he took his business seriously.
That settled it. Hiyuu would be his shopping partner today. Provided that he had the time to do so. Also Subaru could have sex with him once they’d gone shopping. “I’m becoming as much of a perv as Kuina,” Subaru huffed. Between Yuuki, Hiyuu, and Kuina his sexual appetite was definitely satisfied. Pushing the thought aside he debated between calling or texting. He might as well call. He liked hearing Hiyuu’s voice. Subaru dialed Hiyuu’s number and pressed the phone to his ear, sitting on his bed as he waited for him to answer.
“Subaru?”
“Hi,” Subaru realized he was smiling like an idiot. Oh he was so in love with Hiyuu if just hearing him say his name could have him grinning like the lovesick fool he was. “Er, are you busy now?”
“Not right-Satoshi, don’t even think about it,” Hiyuu warned.
Subaru’s smile widened as he heard Satoshi complaining in the background. “What? I just wanted to touch your wings!”
“No, you want me to have sex with you. Be patient.” Hiyuu grumbled before turning his attention back to Subaru. “I’m not busy. Did you want to do something?”
“Subaru wants you to do him!” Satoshi added loudly.
Subaru giggled. Well, he certainly wouldn’t protest. “Yes actually. Kuina told me to come to his place on Friday and wear a suit. I only have one that fits well and it’s not that great. I was wondering if you’d like to go shopping with me? We could get lunch too if you want.” Or they could share a parfait. He’d been surprised to find out that Hiyuu really enjoyed doing cute things like that. He wanted to share parfaits, hold Subaru’s hand when they were out, do purikura together. They were the type of activities that Rito and Yuuki had no interest in doing but Hiyuu had always wanted to try with someone he loved. And Subaru was more than happy to do couple things with him.
“Sure. Do you want to go now? I could-S-Satoshi,” Hiyuu gasped, cutting himself off with an almost moan of the fire demon’s name. Subaru didn't have to be there to know that Satoshi had just plunged his hands into Hiyuu’s wings. The fire demon always liked exploring Hiyuu’s wings and touching the most sensitive parts of them.
“Oh yeah, say my name like that,” Satoshi purred.
Hiyuu growled at him. “I’m on the phone.”
“So?”
Subaru chuckled. Satoshi was kind of like Yuuki in that way. “If you want to play with Satoshi I can come by later.” He had the day off so it wasn’t as if he had anything better to do.
Subaru heard wings rustle then Hiyuu spoke again. “No, he can wait. Do you want to stop by the club and pick me up or should I meet you somewhere? I imagine Shibuya if you’re looking for suits.”
Subaru considered. If he went to the club first, he could spend some more time with Hiyuu. Then he’d have someone to talk to on the train. “I’ll come to the club and meet you. I’m on my way now. See you soon!” he waited until Hiyuu had said goodbye then hung up. He pulled on a jacket then stuffed his wallet and phone into the pockets, checking his mirror to run a hand through his hair. Good enough. Subaru put on his boots then left to go pick up Hiyuu. He found him sitting at the bar in his human form dressed in black jeans and a leather jacket over a white t-shirt. He’d dyed his hair purple recently, the ends of it curling over his shoulder. Sometimes Subaru looked at him and couldn’t believe that this beautiful, immortal man would welcome a human like him into his heart.
“Hi,” Subaru said breathlessly.
Hiyuu turned to face him. “Hi,” he grinned, sliding off his bar stool. “Satoshi, I’ll leave you in charge of setup.”
“Okay, boss!” Satoshi saluted. “Subaru, want a drink?”
“Not now. Later though,” Subaru promised. He took Hiyuu’s offered hand and walked outside with him. The train station was only a few minutes from the club so they were soon seated next to each other.
Hiyuu draped his arm around Subaru’s waist. “Did you have a store in mind to find your suit?”
“Honestly no.” Subaru had planned to check out 109 Men’s and find something in there. The only issue was going to be his budget. He worked at a music store so he didn’t have to wear a suit to work. Subaru didn’t see the point in spending a lot of money on a suit that he would wear maybe three times a year. If that.
Hiyuu gave him an amused look. “Are you planning to buy a cheap suit?”
“Well, I’m not rich…”
“Don't worry about it.” Hiyuu rubbed his side. “I’ll buy your suit today. It’s going to be high quality too. Think designer.”
Subaru stared at him. Hiyuu was offering to buy him a designer suit? That would be so expensive! Subaru could practically see the yen signs dancing around them. “Um, you don’t have to. Really. Thanks for the offer though.”
Hiyuu shrugged. “What’s the point of money if I’m not going to spend it? Rito and Yuuki have so many clothes despite how Rito likes to prance around in next to nothing. I’d like to see you get a proper suit.”
“I don’t want you to become my demonic sugar daddy though,” Subaru protested.
Hiyuu arched an eyebrow then started laughing. “Demonic sugar daddy? I’ve never heard that one before.”
Subaru pouted at him. “It’s true! You and Yuuki buy me stuff then Yuuki always says I can have sex with him later if I want to repay him.” He did kind of feel like a ho for doing it.
“I thought sugar daddies were just old men preying on beautiful young men or women?”
Hiyuu was an immortal demon so it wasn’t like he was young. Subaru was careful not to mention that though. “There’s a special category for you and Yuuki.”
Hiyuu pressed him closer. “I don't think of you as a sugar baby. If I was your sugar daddy, I wouldn’t have romantic feelings for you. I would only buy you expensive things so you’d feel obligated to have sex with me. Our relationship, if one could even called it that, would be purely based on lust. My lust for you and your lust for designer objects.”
Subaru leaned against him. “I guess so. I still feel kind of bad whenever I let you and Yuuki buy me things.” He didn’t want his demons to think he was taking advantage of them. He did understand their logic: they were rich and immortal so it wasn’t as if they needed to worry about retirement or running out of money. If the roles were reversed Subaru would want to pay for most things too.
Hiyuu rubbed his side. “I understand. If me buying things for you makes you uncomfortable, I won’t do it so much. I do insist on buying you a proper suit though. You may not have much need for one now, but it’s important to have at least one good suit in your closet.”
Subaru nodded. “Okay. Um, does Rito have a suit?”
Hiyuu grinned. “He does. He looks very handsome in it. Now back to you though. How about a compromise? I’ll buy your suit and you can buy lunch.”
Subaru smiled at him. “I’d like that.” He wasn’t sure how often Hiyuu would let him pay for food or drinks, but if he could do it even a few times then he’d feel like their relationship was a little more equal.
Friday Night
Taking a breath, Subaru smoothed down his hair as he examined his reflection. Hiyuu had wound up taking him to Armani where he’d bought Subaru a black suit with silk lapels, a tie, and two dress shirts. Subaru was all in black today and couldn’t stop staring at his reflection. He knew he was an adult yet he hardly ever looked like one. With this suit, he felt like he really was twenty-one. He looked professional. Someone that would be taken seriously instead of being brushed off as the cute kid with the twin. Subaru adjusted his tie once more then left his mirror. It was time to meet Kuina and see what the surprise was.
“Kuina?” Subaru knocked on his door.
“Coming!” Footsteps approached then the door opened. Kuina wore a three piece gray suit and held a bouquet of roses. Red roses: the color of passion and love. Subaru’s pulse quickened as he looked at his best friend. Suits. Roses. Was this… a date? Kuina had never shown any romantic interest in him though! They were friends. Friends with very good benefits. “Hey,” Kuina said, pierced lips curving into a smile. “You look gorgeous.”
“You too.”
Kuina stepped aside so he could enter. “Come in.”
Subaru moved into the apartment and closed the door behind him. He toed off his shoes (also new), eyes going wide as he saw Kuina’s table decked out in candles and set for two. Immediately Subaru considered all the times he’d hung out with Kuina last week. Dinner, movie, a live. Kuina had insisted he pay for everything even Subaru’s popcorn at the movie. They normally shared expenses or Kuina would treat one time and Subaru would treat him the next. For Kuina to pay for everything, that meant that all of those outings had ben dates. Subaru had just been too dumb to notice. “Oh my god I’m so stupid.” He couldn’t help but facepalm at his own idiocy. “I am so, so sorry, Kuina. I never realized you were taking me on dates until now.”
Kuina smiled at him. “I know. I um talked to Rito about this. He said I wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary so you wouldn’t know.” He looked at the roses then offered them to Subaru. “These are for you.” He waited for Subaru to take the roses then rocked back on his heels, looking insecure. Kuina was never insecure about anything though! He was always so confident about everything. “I… I know I’m not Hiyuu. I can’t compare to him, but I hope you’ll give me and this date a chance.”
“Of course I will.” Subaru sniffed the roses. They smelled as beautiful as they looked. And speaking of beautiful, Kuina looked incredible. “I like your suit. Did you go shopping with a demon too?”
“Yeah. Rito looked at my closet and cringed. He told me I absolutely needed to get a new suit and that I needed to throw out my others before he shredded them.”
Subaru giggled. “After Hiyuu and I went shopping, I showed him my suits. He said he should give them to Satoshi so he could burn them.”
The two laughed. “I guess we both got a new suit thanks to our demons.” Kuina took Subaru’s hand and brought him over to the table. “I know it’s cheesy to have candles and roses, but I wanted to give you traditional romance. Neither of us are traditional so it may seem silly… I just wanted to try though.”
Subaru squeezed Kuina’s hand. “It’s not cheesy. It’s romantic,” he said. Just as romantic as having dinner in. Especially if that dinner happened to be home cooked. Subaru looked at the dishes and smiled. This really was a perfect date. He knew Kuina’s apartment well, he was comfortable here, and they didn’t have to deal with snobby rich people or homophobic staff. This was a thousand times better than a formal restaurant. “Did you make all this yourself?” he asked.
“I did!” Kuina grinned. “I practiced a couple times. Rito and Satoshi were my taste testers.”
Subaru laughed again. “I’m glad they were happy to help. Everything looks delicious.” The salmon and rice, the champagne chilling in an ice bucket. “Shall we eat?” he kissed Kuina’s cheek. He was touched that his best friend had put so much effort into making this date. It really was perfect.
“Let me put your roses in a vase first then yes.” Kuina procured a vase and stuck the roses in it before setting it on the table. Subaru opened the champagne and filled their glasses. They sat down, clinking their glasses together in a toast. “Itadakimasu!” Kuina placed rice and salmon onto their plates and served up the salad. By this point Subaru was practically drooling over how delicious everything looked. He tried the salmon first.
“This is incredible!” he exclaimed. Forget going out to eat; he’d happily enjoy a home cooked meal with Kuina rather than going to a restaurant.
Kuina grinned. “I have dessert too.”
Subaru was going to have to roll himself out the door at this rate. Despite the size of the meal he was able to eat some of Kuina’s dessert (red macaroons) before he had to stop. Stuffed, he leaned back against the chair and rubbed his stomach.
“Liked everything?”
“I did!” Subaru beamed then had to laugh. “As you saw.” He’d probably eaten more than he should, but the food was too good to resist.
Kuina reached out to take his hand again. “I’m glad. So can we talk about the reason behind this date?” he waited for Subaru to nod before continuing. “I realized I was in love with you a couple weeks ago. We’ve been friends with benefits for so long that it surprised me too.”
“I thought you loved Rito though,” Subaru blurted. He was so used to always seeing them together. Since he’d fallen for Hiyuu, he thought Kuina would fall in love with Rito too. Their demons were captivating after all.
Kuina shook his head. “No. I enjoy his company and love the sex. But I’m not in love with him. We’re just fuck buddies.”
Subaru nodded. As much as he adored Kuina, he couldn’t yet return his affection. Subaru didn’t want to lie just to make Kuina smile. He had to be honest with him. Hopefully his friend wouldn’t be too disappointed. “I-I really like you, Kuina, but I don’t love you the way I love Hiyuu. I love him and I want to be with him until I draw my last breath… if he’ll have me for that long. I love you because you’re my best friend.”
“I know you do. And what you have with Hiyuu is beautiful.” Kuina hesitated then looked at him again. “The open relationship our demons have works for them so would you… want to try it with me? I’d never want to take you away from Hiyuu. But if we’re dating then maybe you can grow to love me the same way you love Hiyuu.”
Subaru blinked. “You’d be okay with sharing me?”
“Well you’d be sharing me with Rito too.”
That was true. And if Subaru had a demon boyfriend (plus Yuuki) it was only fair that Kuina have one too. “I’m willing to try it if you are. I don’t want you having sex with any human but me, okay? I’m fine sharing my boyfriend with a demon. I’d get too jealous if a human wanted you too.”
Kuina beamed. “That’s perfect. Don’t worry, Baru-chan, you’re the only human I want.”
Subaru leaned over so he could kiss Kuina. He wasn’t in love with Kuina yet, but he knew with time it could happen. He’d never pictured himself as someone who would want an open relationship before. Now he was dating a half angel/half demon, having sex with an incubus, and dating his best friend.
Life was full of surprises.
Notes
1) I was flipping through my new Stuppy with Tsuzuku and Lycaon had a feature. The sight of Hiyuu in his Camera Obscure look had my Subaru muse drooling and ready to drop his pants so that's why Hiyuu has purple hair here.
2) No Yuuki in this chapter but he's in the next one.
3) Armani was the first designer suit label I could think of so Subaru gets to wear Armani.
Title: Romancing Subaru
Author: write_my_dreams
Pairings: Kuina x Rito, Hiyuu x Subaru, Kuina x Subaru, small amount of Satoshi x Hiyuu
Genre: AU, supernatural, romance
Warning: No content to warn about.
Disclaimer: The band members portrayed do not belong to me. The writing and the story are mine.
Rating: PG
Chapter(s): 1/1
Summary: Kuina is in love with Subaru but his attempts to take him on dates keep falling flat because Subaru doens't realize they're dates. After talking to Rito, Kuina comes up with the idea for the ultimate date: a romantic dinner at his apartment.
Author's Comment: Lust and Pleasure #7. Finished ahead of schedule, whoo. This one was fun to write and I enjoyed the chance to get into Kuina's head. The third/last part in this series of updates will be posted on Halloween because that's the day it takes place.
Kuina could only sigh as he reflected on last week. He’d taken Subaru out to dinner twice, a movie, and Starbucks this morning. He’d kissed Subaru after each date, slept with him after the movie, and suggested they do this again (the dates not the sex, although the sex was always welcome) soon. Subaru had always smiled and agreed. All while being utterly oblivious about all of these being dates. Subaru thought they were just their normal outings! Fuck. Kuina would have to either come up with something dramatic or tell him outright that he was in love with him. Kuina was just worried that Subaru wouldn’t want to go from being friends with benefits to dating. And Subaru was already head over heels in love with Hiyuu. Kuina had known and been with Subaru longer, but he was only human. How could he compare to a half demon half angel? Ugh, he hated this insecurity.
Frustrated with himself, Kuina decided to go to the Crossroads Club. He needed to see Rito. Have amazing sex with him then get his advice on what he should do about Subaru.
Rito was more than happy to provide the sex Kuina craved. Once they’d caught their breath, Kuina looked over at his lover. Long dark hair draped over the pillow, Rito’s eyes half shut and glowing purple. Rito may not be happy with his demon form but Kuina didn’t care. He was absolutely gorgeous even though he didn’t have wings or horns. “Rito,” Kuina said as he combed his fingers through the other man’s soft hair. He was so beautiful. “How did you tell Hiyuu you were in love with him?”
Rito’s eyes opened all the way. It was easy to see the question had caught him off guard. “It took a few months for me to fall for him. When I realized I was in love with him, I went to him and told him. I did the same thing when I fell for Yuuki. If you love someone, you should tell them.” Rito shrugged his bare shoulders. “You humans make confessions out to be such a terrifying thing. Either the other person returns your love or they don’t. If they don’t, there’s always the chance that they’ll grow to love you in return.”
Kuina couldn’t deny that Rito was right. Confessions were usually seen as something frightening-as if you were wrestling a rabid wolf rather than talking to the person you loved. For some they were able to confess with minor troubles while others were so afraid of being rejected or the relationship becoming awkward that they never confessed. They wasted years on pining when they could’ve been with the person they loved. Kuina didn’t want that to happen to him. “Er, how did you tell Hiyuu and Yuuki? Was it just a normal night or did you do something… special?”
Rito smiled at the memories. “With Hiyuu, I wore the outfit he’d just bought me. Sexy and skin flaunting… exactly what he likes to see on me. I went to see him. I took his hands, looked into his eyes. I told him I’d fallen in love with him and that I wanted to spend all my days with him.”
For an immortal demon, that was a true declaration of love. Kuina nodded. “How did Hiyuu react to that?”
Rito’s smile widened. “Hiyuu was too shocked to speak at first. He gaped at me, eyes wide like he couldn’t believe when he’d just heard. So I repeated myself. Then he smiled and oh, Kuina, it was so beautiful to see his face lighting up. Hi-chan… he didn’t think anyone but his mother would ever be able to love him because he was half angel.”
It was Kuina’s turn to be stunned. “No one but Hiyuu’s mother loved him all that time before he met you?” How though? Hiyuu was amazing! Were demons really that racist that they couldn’t look past Hiyuu’s angel blood?
Rito sighed. “Kuina, everyone but her wanted him dead. Half angels are abominations where we’re from. So it came as a complete shock to him that not only did I enjoy his wings, his presence, being with him in general… but I’d also fallen in love with him. He loved me too, he just hadn’t dared to tell me.”
Lucky Hiyuu. Whoever he was in love with always returned his feelings. “What about Yuuki?” he asked. Yuuki was the complete opposite of romantic so flowers or fancy declarations would be met with withering scorn from him.
Rito smirked. “With Yuuki, I waited until we were naked. I put my hands in his wings and told him that loved him and Hiyuu, that they had an equal share of my heart. Yuuki wasn’t in love with me yet so he couldn’t return my confession at that time.” Rito traced his fingers over Kuina’s tattoo. “Once he was able to return my love, he made sure I was the first to know. If you love Subaru, Kuina, you should tell him. You already go out for food, drinks, movies together. Unless you take him to a fancy restaurant and greet him with a suit and flowers, Subaru isn’t going to realize that you’re taking him out on dates.”
Kuina took Rito’s hand. “So you think I should go see him and tell him bluntly?”
“Yes. There’s no sense in waiting.”
Kuina slowly exhaled. Better to be honest and let Subaru know how he felt about him. “I will… I just want to try taking him out on a date one more time.” He’d go into full romantic mode as Rito had suggested: bring Subaru red roses, wear a suit, and take him to a proper restaurant. He squeezed Rito’s hand. “Come home with me? I don't know what I should wear.” He did have a couple suits in mind-the next part was deciding what shirt to pair with the suit. Also if he should wear a tie or not.
“What sort of date are you considering?” Rito asked.
“The fancy restaurant you mentioned. I know it’s cliché, but I want to give Subaru the best.” He’d have to figure out where to go and make sure Subaru knew to dress appropriately. The other question was whether Kuina should pick him up (he’d have to see if Tomoya would let him borrow his car in that case) or meet him at the restaurant.
“Is that an environment both of you will be comfortable in?” Rito asked. “Hi-chan has taken me out to expensive restaurants before. I enjoyed the food and the wine while the general atmosphere is something I prefer to forget. Some of these establishments are high class only in name. The staff would act polite to Hiyuu and I because it was their duty, but I could see their contempt for us in the little curl of their lips when they saw us walking hand in hand. I heard it in the way they addressed us compared to the straight couples there.” Rito lazily examined his claws. “I paid the restaurant a visit later with Satoshi and caused some damage.” He dropped his hand back to his side. “I know you want to give Subaru romance because that’s what you humans are conditioned to want. It’s in your books and movies, pushed on you by the shops for all the holidays. I suppose romantic dates are nice,” Rito shrugged, obviously uninterested in them, “but you have to be careful not to push Subaru so far out of his comfort zone that he feels too awkward or uneasy to enjoy the date. I was on edge at that shitty restaurant and Hiyuu had to restrain me from ripping our waitress’s heart out when she took on a snotty, condescending tone.”
Shit. Kuina hadn’t considered those points at all. Fancy restaurants were ideal for a wealthy, heterosexual couple. Not so much for two young men on a date. As much as Kuina wanted to do something corny and romantic, Subaru’s comfort was more important. Kuina wanted him to enjoy their time together and see it for what it was: a date. “You’re right. I… I didn’t even consider that the staff would treat us like shit for being together.” He leaned over to give Rito a grateful kiss. “Thank you. If I can’t do dinner out, I’ll have to do dinner in.”
“Do you even know how to cook?”
Kuina pouted at him. “I can cook! I’ve made you breakfast before, haven’t I?” Not that Rito needed to eat.
“There’s a difference between omelettes and a three course meal.”
“I like cooking. I just don’t do it too much anymore because it’s so easy to get takeout.” That way he didn’t have to clean up pots and pans or pay for all the separate ingredients.
Rito grinned as he slid out of bed. “In that case, I’m happy to help you come up with the perfect meal. If you want to give Subaru classic romance you’ll need candles. Red roses. Red wine or champagne… both if you feel like it. Hi-chan will happily let you have a bottle.”
There was a lot of planning to make this the perfect date. He’d have to practice his confession on Rito too. Hopefully everything would work out.
* * *
Subaru stared at his phone, reading over the text from Kuina again. Come to my apartment at 7:00 on Friday! Wear a suit. What was he supposed to wear a suit for? Had Kuina watched some weird video about how best to strip when wearing a suit so wanted him to practice with him? (It wouldn’t be the first time). Subaru set the phone down and went to his closet. His suit collection was pretty pathetic. He had a basic, boring black one and an ill-fitting gray one he’d inherited from a friend. He should probably go shopping. Kuina obviously had something up his sleeve so Subaru wouldn’t be able to go with him. What about his demons? Did they even have suits? Rito usually wore booty shorts or miniskirts so he probably didn’t even own one. Subaru had almost fainted in shock when he saw Rito in jeans and a sweater last week. He never saw Rito wear that much clothing. Yuuki either liked to wear next to nothing like Rito or he’d occasionally cover up. He might have a suit. Hiyuu was probably the best one to take suit shopping since Subaru had seen him in a suit before (he looked absolutely gorgeous) and he took his business seriously.
That settled it. Hiyuu would be his shopping partner today. Provided that he had the time to do so. Also Subaru could have sex with him once they’d gone shopping. “I’m becoming as much of a perv as Kuina,” Subaru huffed. Between Yuuki, Hiyuu, and Kuina his sexual appetite was definitely satisfied. Pushing the thought aside he debated between calling or texting. He might as well call. He liked hearing Hiyuu’s voice. Subaru dialed Hiyuu’s number and pressed the phone to his ear, sitting on his bed as he waited for him to answer.
“Subaru?”
“Hi,” Subaru realized he was smiling like an idiot. Oh he was so in love with Hiyuu if just hearing him say his name could have him grinning like the lovesick fool he was. “Er, are you busy now?”
“Not right-Satoshi, don’t even think about it,” Hiyuu warned.
Subaru’s smile widened as he heard Satoshi complaining in the background. “What? I just wanted to touch your wings!”
“No, you want me to have sex with you. Be patient.” Hiyuu grumbled before turning his attention back to Subaru. “I’m not busy. Did you want to do something?”
“Subaru wants you to do him!” Satoshi added loudly.
Subaru giggled. Well, he certainly wouldn’t protest. “Yes actually. Kuina told me to come to his place on Friday and wear a suit. I only have one that fits well and it’s not that great. I was wondering if you’d like to go shopping with me? We could get lunch too if you want.” Or they could share a parfait. He’d been surprised to find out that Hiyuu really enjoyed doing cute things like that. He wanted to share parfaits, hold Subaru’s hand when they were out, do purikura together. They were the type of activities that Rito and Yuuki had no interest in doing but Hiyuu had always wanted to try with someone he loved. And Subaru was more than happy to do couple things with him.
“Sure. Do you want to go now? I could-S-Satoshi,” Hiyuu gasped, cutting himself off with an almost moan of the fire demon’s name. Subaru didn't have to be there to know that Satoshi had just plunged his hands into Hiyuu’s wings. The fire demon always liked exploring Hiyuu’s wings and touching the most sensitive parts of them.
“Oh yeah, say my name like that,” Satoshi purred.
Hiyuu growled at him. “I’m on the phone.”
“So?”
Subaru chuckled. Satoshi was kind of like Yuuki in that way. “If you want to play with Satoshi I can come by later.” He had the day off so it wasn’t as if he had anything better to do.
Subaru heard wings rustle then Hiyuu spoke again. “No, he can wait. Do you want to stop by the club and pick me up or should I meet you somewhere? I imagine Shibuya if you’re looking for suits.”
Subaru considered. If he went to the club first, he could spend some more time with Hiyuu. Then he’d have someone to talk to on the train. “I’ll come to the club and meet you. I’m on my way now. See you soon!” he waited until Hiyuu had said goodbye then hung up. He pulled on a jacket then stuffed his wallet and phone into the pockets, checking his mirror to run a hand through his hair. Good enough. Subaru put on his boots then left to go pick up Hiyuu. He found him sitting at the bar in his human form dressed in black jeans and a leather jacket over a white t-shirt. He’d dyed his hair purple recently, the ends of it curling over his shoulder. Sometimes Subaru looked at him and couldn’t believe that this beautiful, immortal man would welcome a human like him into his heart.
“Hi,” Subaru said breathlessly.
Hiyuu turned to face him. “Hi,” he grinned, sliding off his bar stool. “Satoshi, I’ll leave you in charge of setup.”
“Okay, boss!” Satoshi saluted. “Subaru, want a drink?”
“Not now. Later though,” Subaru promised. He took Hiyuu’s offered hand and walked outside with him. The train station was only a few minutes from the club so they were soon seated next to each other.
Hiyuu draped his arm around Subaru’s waist. “Did you have a store in mind to find your suit?”
“Honestly no.” Subaru had planned to check out 109 Men’s and find something in there. The only issue was going to be his budget. He worked at a music store so he didn’t have to wear a suit to work. Subaru didn’t see the point in spending a lot of money on a suit that he would wear maybe three times a year. If that.
Hiyuu gave him an amused look. “Are you planning to buy a cheap suit?”
“Well, I’m not rich…”
“Don't worry about it.” Hiyuu rubbed his side. “I’ll buy your suit today. It’s going to be high quality too. Think designer.”
Subaru stared at him. Hiyuu was offering to buy him a designer suit? That would be so expensive! Subaru could practically see the yen signs dancing around them. “Um, you don’t have to. Really. Thanks for the offer though.”
Hiyuu shrugged. “What’s the point of money if I’m not going to spend it? Rito and Yuuki have so many clothes despite how Rito likes to prance around in next to nothing. I’d like to see you get a proper suit.”
“I don’t want you to become my demonic sugar daddy though,” Subaru protested.
Hiyuu arched an eyebrow then started laughing. “Demonic sugar daddy? I’ve never heard that one before.”
Subaru pouted at him. “It’s true! You and Yuuki buy me stuff then Yuuki always says I can have sex with him later if I want to repay him.” He did kind of feel like a ho for doing it.
“I thought sugar daddies were just old men preying on beautiful young men or women?”
Hiyuu was an immortal demon so it wasn’t like he was young. Subaru was careful not to mention that though. “There’s a special category for you and Yuuki.”
Hiyuu pressed him closer. “I don't think of you as a sugar baby. If I was your sugar daddy, I wouldn’t have romantic feelings for you. I would only buy you expensive things so you’d feel obligated to have sex with me. Our relationship, if one could even called it that, would be purely based on lust. My lust for you and your lust for designer objects.”
Subaru leaned against him. “I guess so. I still feel kind of bad whenever I let you and Yuuki buy me things.” He didn’t want his demons to think he was taking advantage of them. He did understand their logic: they were rich and immortal so it wasn’t as if they needed to worry about retirement or running out of money. If the roles were reversed Subaru would want to pay for most things too.
Hiyuu rubbed his side. “I understand. If me buying things for you makes you uncomfortable, I won’t do it so much. I do insist on buying you a proper suit though. You may not have much need for one now, but it’s important to have at least one good suit in your closet.”
Subaru nodded. “Okay. Um, does Rito have a suit?”
Hiyuu grinned. “He does. He looks very handsome in it. Now back to you though. How about a compromise? I’ll buy your suit and you can buy lunch.”
Subaru smiled at him. “I’d like that.” He wasn’t sure how often Hiyuu would let him pay for food or drinks, but if he could do it even a few times then he’d feel like their relationship was a little more equal.
Friday Night
Taking a breath, Subaru smoothed down his hair as he examined his reflection. Hiyuu had wound up taking him to Armani where he’d bought Subaru a black suit with silk lapels, a tie, and two dress shirts. Subaru was all in black today and couldn’t stop staring at his reflection. He knew he was an adult yet he hardly ever looked like one. With this suit, he felt like he really was twenty-one. He looked professional. Someone that would be taken seriously instead of being brushed off as the cute kid with the twin. Subaru adjusted his tie once more then left his mirror. It was time to meet Kuina and see what the surprise was.
“Kuina?” Subaru knocked on his door.
“Coming!” Footsteps approached then the door opened. Kuina wore a three piece gray suit and held a bouquet of roses. Red roses: the color of passion and love. Subaru’s pulse quickened as he looked at his best friend. Suits. Roses. Was this… a date? Kuina had never shown any romantic interest in him though! They were friends. Friends with very good benefits. “Hey,” Kuina said, pierced lips curving into a smile. “You look gorgeous.”
“You too.”
Kuina stepped aside so he could enter. “Come in.”
Subaru moved into the apartment and closed the door behind him. He toed off his shoes (also new), eyes going wide as he saw Kuina’s table decked out in candles and set for two. Immediately Subaru considered all the times he’d hung out with Kuina last week. Dinner, movie, a live. Kuina had insisted he pay for everything even Subaru’s popcorn at the movie. They normally shared expenses or Kuina would treat one time and Subaru would treat him the next. For Kuina to pay for everything, that meant that all of those outings had ben dates. Subaru had just been too dumb to notice. “Oh my god I’m so stupid.” He couldn’t help but facepalm at his own idiocy. “I am so, so sorry, Kuina. I never realized you were taking me on dates until now.”
Kuina smiled at him. “I know. I um talked to Rito about this. He said I wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary so you wouldn’t know.” He looked at the roses then offered them to Subaru. “These are for you.” He waited for Subaru to take the roses then rocked back on his heels, looking insecure. Kuina was never insecure about anything though! He was always so confident about everything. “I… I know I’m not Hiyuu. I can’t compare to him, but I hope you’ll give me and this date a chance.”
“Of course I will.” Subaru sniffed the roses. They smelled as beautiful as they looked. And speaking of beautiful, Kuina looked incredible. “I like your suit. Did you go shopping with a demon too?”
“Yeah. Rito looked at my closet and cringed. He told me I absolutely needed to get a new suit and that I needed to throw out my others before he shredded them.”
Subaru giggled. “After Hiyuu and I went shopping, I showed him my suits. He said he should give them to Satoshi so he could burn them.”
The two laughed. “I guess we both got a new suit thanks to our demons.” Kuina took Subaru’s hand and brought him over to the table. “I know it’s cheesy to have candles and roses, but I wanted to give you traditional romance. Neither of us are traditional so it may seem silly… I just wanted to try though.”
Subaru squeezed Kuina’s hand. “It’s not cheesy. It’s romantic,” he said. Just as romantic as having dinner in. Especially if that dinner happened to be home cooked. Subaru looked at the dishes and smiled. This really was a perfect date. He knew Kuina’s apartment well, he was comfortable here, and they didn’t have to deal with snobby rich people or homophobic staff. This was a thousand times better than a formal restaurant. “Did you make all this yourself?” he asked.
“I did!” Kuina grinned. “I practiced a couple times. Rito and Satoshi were my taste testers.”
Subaru laughed again. “I’m glad they were happy to help. Everything looks delicious.” The salmon and rice, the champagne chilling in an ice bucket. “Shall we eat?” he kissed Kuina’s cheek. He was touched that his best friend had put so much effort into making this date. It really was perfect.
“Let me put your roses in a vase first then yes.” Kuina procured a vase and stuck the roses in it before setting it on the table. Subaru opened the champagne and filled their glasses. They sat down, clinking their glasses together in a toast. “Itadakimasu!” Kuina placed rice and salmon onto their plates and served up the salad. By this point Subaru was practically drooling over how delicious everything looked. He tried the salmon first.
“This is incredible!” he exclaimed. Forget going out to eat; he’d happily enjoy a home cooked meal with Kuina rather than going to a restaurant.
Kuina grinned. “I have dessert too.”
Subaru was going to have to roll himself out the door at this rate. Despite the size of the meal he was able to eat some of Kuina’s dessert (red macaroons) before he had to stop. Stuffed, he leaned back against the chair and rubbed his stomach.
“Liked everything?”
“I did!” Subaru beamed then had to laugh. “As you saw.” He’d probably eaten more than he should, but the food was too good to resist.
Kuina reached out to take his hand again. “I’m glad. So can we talk about the reason behind this date?” he waited for Subaru to nod before continuing. “I realized I was in love with you a couple weeks ago. We’ve been friends with benefits for so long that it surprised me too.”
“I thought you loved Rito though,” Subaru blurted. He was so used to always seeing them together. Since he’d fallen for Hiyuu, he thought Kuina would fall in love with Rito too. Their demons were captivating after all.
Kuina shook his head. “No. I enjoy his company and love the sex. But I’m not in love with him. We’re just fuck buddies.”
Subaru nodded. As much as he adored Kuina, he couldn’t yet return his affection. Subaru didn’t want to lie just to make Kuina smile. He had to be honest with him. Hopefully his friend wouldn’t be too disappointed. “I-I really like you, Kuina, but I don’t love you the way I love Hiyuu. I love him and I want to be with him until I draw my last breath… if he’ll have me for that long. I love you because you’re my best friend.”
“I know you do. And what you have with Hiyuu is beautiful.” Kuina hesitated then looked at him again. “The open relationship our demons have works for them so would you… want to try it with me? I’d never want to take you away from Hiyuu. But if we’re dating then maybe you can grow to love me the same way you love Hiyuu.”
Subaru blinked. “You’d be okay with sharing me?”
“Well you’d be sharing me with Rito too.”
That was true. And if Subaru had a demon boyfriend (plus Yuuki) it was only fair that Kuina have one too. “I’m willing to try it if you are. I don’t want you having sex with any human but me, okay? I’m fine sharing my boyfriend with a demon. I’d get too jealous if a human wanted you too.”
Kuina beamed. “That’s perfect. Don’t worry, Baru-chan, you’re the only human I want.”
Subaru leaned over so he could kiss Kuina. He wasn’t in love with Kuina yet, but he knew with time it could happen. He’d never pictured himself as someone who would want an open relationship before. Now he was dating a half angel/half demon, having sex with an incubus, and dating his best friend.
Life was full of surprises.
Notes
1) I was flipping through my new Stuppy with Tsuzuku and Lycaon had a feature. The sight of Hiyuu in his Camera Obscure look had my Subaru muse drooling and ready to drop his pants so that's why Hiyuu has purple hair here.
2) No Yuuki in this chapter but he's in the next one.
3) Armani was the first designer suit label I could think of so Subaru gets to wear Armani.