[Fanfiction] Coffee Stains and Instant Films (Hikaru x Kei, Kota x Kei)
It was around four in the afternoon when the weather took a turn for the worse. Foreboding hues of gray seeped into the sky; shortly after, followed by huge droplets of rain pounding mercilessly against the streets of the bustling city.
Yaotome Hikaru had finished his shift early and presently, he was easing his way through the heavy downpour. The young man had tousled dark brown hair clumsily tucked under the hood of his jacket. His left hand held an umbrella, while the other secured his bag to his chest.
An apartment complex soon entered his line of vision and he noticeably quickened his pace, taking swift but careful strides as he approached the building. He almost jogged his way in, shaking the droplets off his umbrella before entering the lobby, and subsequently, the elevator.
He had just moved in yesterday to his new apartment unit and still had a few boxes left to unpack. While he was very tempted to immediately go to bed and catch up on his sleep, he figured it would do him better to get “moving in” over with.
When he finally opened the door to his unit, he flinched upon sighting an unwelcomed visitor.
“Who… are you…?” The intruder who looked about his age, asked him with an earnestly curious stare. He had wavy, short black hair with fringes falling unevenly right above his eyes and on his cheekbones, and he seemed sickly pale, too.
Hikaru hated to admit it, but the person was also rather attractive.
Shaking the thought off his head, he raised his voice in an attempt to sound more intimidating than startled. “Well, who are you and what are you doing in my apartment?!”
“What do you mean, your apartment?” The stranger tilted his head to the side, clueless as ever.
“I meant exactly what I said.” Hikaru continued, his voice more forceful. He thought, however, that the person looked harmless and rather fragile, even. Still, the fact that he was able to sneak into his unit was enough to prove that there was more to the intruder than his looks.
“I’ll ask you again. What are you doing in my apartment?” This time, he cautiously inched towards the trespasser, mentally preparing himself in case he ended up in a brawl with the intruder.
In turn, the latter reflexively backed away. “Wait, I can explai-“
His words were immediately cut off when Hikaru swiftly moved to tackle him. Or so did the young man intend to do, but…
“W-what the hell,” he muttered in disbelief, moments after harshly colliding with the floor. He turned to stare at the stranger who stood on the same spot, unharmed.
Was his mind playing tricks on him?
“Uh, I forgot to mention this earlier but I-”
Still, Hikaru persistently charged towards him, and again, ended up toppling over. At this point, he was utterly perplexed.
Sensing the confusion in the original occupant of the room, the trespasser continued, carefully choosing what to say. “You see, I’m actually a spirit... of some sort.”
Hkaru blinked, thinking he must be really tired that he started hallucinating. Propping himself up, he sighed in mock resignation. “Maybe I should go get some sleep first, after all.”
“No, wait! I’m telling the truth!” Frantically, the “spirit” scurried in front of him, flailing both his arms at his sides. Assured that he had managed to delay him from leaving, he then moved to place a hand over the brunette’s chest and pushed it in, effortlessly passing through.
A not-so manly scream ripped from Hikaru’s throat before he fainted, landing with his face flat against the floor.
---
A couple of days have passed since the incident. Gradually, Hikaru was learning to adjust to the unanticipated, and rather carefree fellow lurking around his apartment.
“Yaotome-san! You’re Yaotome-san, right? I’m Inoo Kei. Feel free to call me by my first name [*].”
By adjusting, he actually meant learning how to block out the supernatural being from his mind and going on with his usual routine. Presently, he was busying himself with laundry while deliberately turning his head away from the persistent “spirit” every time he pops out from nowhere.
“Hey, are you still going to ignore me?”
“I’m not supposed to be entertaining ghosts, in the first place,” Hikaru finally snapped, turning to glare at the supernatural being that identified itself as ‘Inoo Kei’. “How did you know my name, anyway? I don’t remember telling you.”
Inoo noticeably perked up, grinning as he teased. “I heard it from the old lady who checked on you when you passed out.”
Hikaru brushed off the reply but the spirit decided to, again, break the silence. “Are you still in university or are you already working? You still look quite young.”
“I’m a barista at a nearby café.” He answered somewhat indifferently and went on with his task at hand.
“Oh…” Inoo blinked, then continued, as if dismissing what Hikaru just said. “You see, I’m currently a university student!”
“I see.” He held himself back from replying, ‘you’re already dead, though’.
As if reading his thoughts, the other occupant of the room immediately followed up and said he was not really “dead”, earning himself a questioning look from Hikaru. He further explained that his “spirit” simply got separated from his “body” and while wandering around aimlessly, ended up in his apartment. Presently, his “body” was sleeping soundly in some hospital. In other words, he was in a state of comatose.
“Why should I believe you? That sounds like a completely made-up story.”
“I’m currently admitted at the general hospital around this area.” Inoo immediately blurted out, slightly offended. “I’m in Room 602, I think.”
“Why don’t you stay in there then? Why not return to your own body?” Hikaru shot back, thinking that if what Inoo had been saying was true, then it only made sense if he stayed there while waiting for an opportunity to get back and finally “wake up”.
“Well… it’s actually easier said than done.” The other boy then fell silent, avoiding his gaze before finally speaking up again. “Besides I…”
I feel so helpless, being there when even ‘he’ can’t see or hear me.
Hikaru noticed him tense up and decided not to pry into the matter anymore.
“Whatever,” he moved to place a hand over Inoo’s head as if to pat him-only as if, because he can’t. Still, he figured the gesture was enough to comfort him. “As long as you don’t cause me more trouble, I don’t mind you staying here.”
Inoo looked up, hoping he heard right…
…that the only person who could sense see and hear him finally warmed up to him, even just a little.
“Really? I can stay here with Yaotome-san for as long as I like?”
“Hikaru, just call me Hikaru.”
He nodded in response, almost giggling. “Ah, promise me you’d make me coffee when I wake up!”
“Huh?”
“Promise me!” Inoo stared at him with determined eyes but eventually gave up and pouted instead.
Hikaru finally smiled at him, somewhat relieved that he was back to his usual, energetic self. “Sure, but you’re not going to have it for free.”
---
It has been barely two weeks since their first meeting when they had a serious fight.
“Hell, what do you know about love when you’re just floating around, disturbing random people’s houses?
“You shouldn’t give up just like that! You can always try again.”
“You don’t understand! You don’t know anything, you’re not human. You’re not like me.”
“What’s with you, treating me like I’m some clueless dog you just picked up? I used to be human, too, you know? I may not have a body like you do, but I have a heart!”
Hikaru fell silent, clenching his fists at his sides. Inoo continued.
“You… you’re lucky you’re alive. You can act on your feelings, you can take second chances. Unlike me… I’m not even sure if I’ll ever get to live again and spend time with the ones I love.”
“Whatever… just get lost. Leave me alone.”
Inoo did.
---
Three days have passed since then and there was absolutely no trace of any supernatural occurence in Hikaru’s apartment. Before he even knew it, he went to visit the hospital the ghostly being mentioned before.
Room 602, was it?
Upon entering the hospital room, he saw Inoo lying on his bed, motionless yet still breathtakingly beautiful.
“Inoo…” he unconsciously called out, wondering where his contradictingly hyper and rather childish “spirit” went.
“Excuse me,” Hikaru heard someone approach him. It was a guy who seemed to be about his age, though a few inches taller than him. The other man was also quite skinny, his cheekbones highlighting his rather relatively small face. “You must be…?”
“Ah… well,” he cautiously chose his next few words, coming up with a generic, made-up story. “I used to be his classmate. I heard he got into an accident. I work nearby so I decided to visit.”
“I see. I’m sorry for the trouble.” The other man bowed, and so did Hikaru. “I’m Yabu Kota. Kei and I, we’re… we’re in a relationship.”
“Ah, I see…” He blurted out carelessly. Realizing his tone might have offended Yabu, he hurriedly followed up, stuttering. “I-I didn’t mean to s-sound rude or anything.”
“It’s okay. Though, I still have things to take care of outside,” he simply smiled in response. “I’m sorry I can’t entertain you properly right now but please do make yourself feel comfortable.”
“Y-yes… Thank you.”
Hikaru sighed, partly of relief when the other man left the room. Now it was just him and Inoo. He turned to look over him, leisurely taking his time to gaze at the sleeping figure, thinking how different he seemed from the Inoo that he came to know.
He couldn’t help but think how angelic he looked, bathed in the soft rays of sunlight that peeked through the windows.
Wait, what was he thinking? Hikaru shook his head furiously, dismissing his disgustingly poetic train of thought. He then took notice of the bedside table and the corkboard that clumsily stood on it, looking closer to inspect the Polaroid instant film photos posted on it.
‘An and Jam visited and it took a great deal of effort to keep them from jumping at you licking your face.’
‘Your mom brought your alarm clock. She said she’s going to scold you for oversleeping and skipping classes!’
He observed that each were marked with dates and captions, probably starting from the day Inoo fell into a coma. What especially caught his attention, however, was a photo of Kota sitting beside Kei with a small cake placed on his lap as he leaned forward to kiss Inoo’s sleeping figure.
‘Happy anniversary, Kei! If you don’t wake up soon, I’ll have the cake to myself. Kidding, I love you.’
That moment, Hikaru felt a pang of guilt in his chest, Inoo’s last words ringing in his ears. A stray tear streamed down his cheek.
“Unlike me… I’m not even sure if I’ll ever get to live again and spend time with the ones I love.”
---
It was like the time he first met Inoo. Sometime in the afternoon, it was suddenly raining heavily and Hikaru was hurrying back to his apartment.
“Inoo… I’m back…” Hikaru breathlessly mouthed, scanning his unit for any trace of the raven-haired, ghostly figure. Realizing he was met with no one, he slumped down, his back against the door. He bit his lip to stop it from quivering and resorted to punching the wall beside him to release his tension.
“Sheesh… And here I thought your head has finally cooled down.”
Hikaru’s eyes widened. Caught up in the heat of the moment, he rushed towards the familiar figure that stood before him, almost hugging him. But then, he immediately realized he couldn’t, and felt somewhat disappointed at the predicament.
“Did you miss me that much? Seriously, the last time we were together, you told me to get lo-“
Inoo was cut off when Hikaru leaned in, closing his eyes as if to kiss him. He didn’t know what to do so he just let himself melt into the other boy’s lips, and also closed his eyes.
It was a simple, chaste kiss and neither of them physically felt it, but the rush of emotions that came with that one moment was enough for Inoo to feel his heart skip a beat.
Wait, what? The ghostly being jolted away in surprise, placing a hand over his chest.
Could it be…?
“H-hikaru… wait!”
Hikaru opened his eyes, startled. What he had just done finally dawned upon him and he felt his cheeks heat up. “S-sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight and-“
“Forget that!” Inoo interjected, this time, placing both of his hands over his chest. “I… I think I just felt my heart beat!”
“What?” To say the least, Hikaru was surprised. He still hasn’t recovered from the little stunt he pulled off earlier, so he fumbled for the right words to say. “Well, I guess that’s good to hear.”
No, you don’t understand. Hikaru, I…
“I wonder about that.” Inoo mumbled, unable to look straight into Hikaru’s eyes, his hands tightly clasped together in a weak attempt to keep himself from shaking. “I think it’s about time for me to wake up.”
It was bound to happen eventually, they both knew, but why did it suddenly feel so difficult to accept? Since when did Inoo develop these doubts? Wasn’t it what he actually wanted, to wake up and finally be with…?
“Two blocks east from the hospital entrance, turn right and walk on for a bit, it’s the only café in that area.” Hikaru softly planted one last kiss, this time, on Inoo’s forehead. “I’ll see you there.”
---
It was a simple, chaste kiss he shared with Hikaru. Similarly, one such kiss roused a certain fairytale character from a long, deep slumber. One such kiss turned the life of the same fairytale character, and she then lived happily ever after with the same person who lifted her curse.
Only, Inoo wasn’t a fairytale character and the one who woke him up from his sleep, the one who made him feel his heart pound against his chest once again, was not the same man he was going to be with the moment he opens his eyes.
---
When the young man came to, he was overwhelmed by a stream of light. Instinctively, he blinked a few times and blearily opened his eyes. His sight trailed the surroundings at a leisurely pace until his gaze finally fell upon the man seated beside him, lovingly caressing his hair. Inoo’s focus was still adjusting to the brightness of the room, but nevertheless, he was certain about seeing the tears pooling at the corners of the other person’s eyes.
“Kei… Did you rest well?”
“Ko… ta…?”
Gently, his lover then pressed his lips against his own pair, capturing him in a short, intimate kiss. Kota pulled away for a moment before claiming his lips once again. This time, his tongue lightly prodded for an entrance. Kei, on the other hand, was unsure of how to respond to the sudden engagement. He kept his mouth closed, which only prompted his boyfriend to resort to nibbling at his lip.
“Mmph…”
He eventually relented, allowing Kota to explore inside, and answering his lover’s actions with equal passion. Then, an image of another man flashed before Kei, stirring up a wave of uncertainty in him and prompting him to push his boyfriend away.
Yabu was startled at Inoo’s sudden rejection, but the surprise on his face was immediately replaced with worry and guilt. “Sorry, you must still be tired.”
“Yeah, I guess I am,” Kei sighed, resignedly leaning back into his pillow, his shoulders relaxing against the cushion. Then he thought, that man he saw just then… who was he?
---
It had been a week since Inoo was discharged from the hospital. When he regained consciousness after being in a coma, a little less than three weeks have already passed, forcing him to drop out of the semester. He insisted he could catch up with the readings and other schoolwork but finally relented after a day of his parents talking him out of it.
He sighed, stepping on another puddle of rain. The gloomy weather, to top it all off, didn’t help with his already dejected mood. Or so he thought, until someone accidentally bumped into him, causing him to almost fall into a particularly huge puddle. Luckily, he maintained his balance and got away with only a few mud stains on his pants.
“S-sorry, I…“
The man who bumped into him, then trailed off. He had tousled, messy brown hair and he wore a dress shirt with loosely folded sleeves exposing his lean forearms.
“You… what? Shouldn’t you be apologizing properly?”
“Ah, yeah, right,” he broke out into a light chuckle. “Sorry about that. You see, I was in a hurry for my shift in a café down this street. If you want, I can treat you to some cappuccino or latte as an apology.”
Something in the his tone was telling Inoo that the man deliberately bumped into him to flirt with him. Still, he couldn’t turn down the offer, the coffee shops in the vicinity were quite expensive, after all.
“There better be a cheesecake to go with that coffee.” he smirked, playfully going along with whatever the stranger was up to. As long as Kota doesn’t know about it, he figured it wouldn’t hurt.
“Sure, it’s on me.” The other man began to walk in careful strides, leading Inoo, who followed suit in short, but quick steps.
“That’ll be great, mister…?” Inoo figured it was his turn to lead him on, besides, the guy did look quite charming. “What’s your name, by the way?”
The stranger simply smiled, before continuing. “Would you care to take a guess?”
Yaotome Hikaru had finished his shift early and presently, he was easing his way through the heavy downpour. The young man had tousled dark brown hair clumsily tucked under the hood of his jacket. His left hand held an umbrella, while the other secured his bag to his chest.
An apartment complex soon entered his line of vision and he noticeably quickened his pace, taking swift but careful strides as he approached the building. He almost jogged his way in, shaking the droplets off his umbrella before entering the lobby, and subsequently, the elevator.
He had just moved in yesterday to his new apartment unit and still had a few boxes left to unpack. While he was very tempted to immediately go to bed and catch up on his sleep, he figured it would do him better to get “moving in” over with.
When he finally opened the door to his unit, he flinched upon sighting an unwelcomed visitor.
“Who… are you…?” The intruder who looked about his age, asked him with an earnestly curious stare. He had wavy, short black hair with fringes falling unevenly right above his eyes and on his cheekbones, and he seemed sickly pale, too.
Hikaru hated to admit it, but the person was also rather attractive.
Shaking the thought off his head, he raised his voice in an attempt to sound more intimidating than startled. “Well, who are you and what are you doing in my apartment?!”
“What do you mean, your apartment?” The stranger tilted his head to the side, clueless as ever.
“I meant exactly what I said.” Hikaru continued, his voice more forceful. He thought, however, that the person looked harmless and rather fragile, even. Still, the fact that he was able to sneak into his unit was enough to prove that there was more to the intruder than his looks.
“I’ll ask you again. What are you doing in my apartment?” This time, he cautiously inched towards the trespasser, mentally preparing himself in case he ended up in a brawl with the intruder.
In turn, the latter reflexively backed away. “Wait, I can explai-“
His words were immediately cut off when Hikaru swiftly moved to tackle him. Or so did the young man intend to do, but…
“W-what the hell,” he muttered in disbelief, moments after harshly colliding with the floor. He turned to stare at the stranger who stood on the same spot, unharmed.
Was his mind playing tricks on him?
“Uh, I forgot to mention this earlier but I-”
Still, Hikaru persistently charged towards him, and again, ended up toppling over. At this point, he was utterly perplexed.
Sensing the confusion in the original occupant of the room, the trespasser continued, carefully choosing what to say. “You see, I’m actually a spirit... of some sort.”
Hkaru blinked, thinking he must be really tired that he started hallucinating. Propping himself up, he sighed in mock resignation. “Maybe I should go get some sleep first, after all.”
“No, wait! I’m telling the truth!” Frantically, the “spirit” scurried in front of him, flailing both his arms at his sides. Assured that he had managed to delay him from leaving, he then moved to place a hand over the brunette’s chest and pushed it in, effortlessly passing through.
A not-so manly scream ripped from Hikaru’s throat before he fainted, landing with his face flat against the floor.
---
A couple of days have passed since the incident. Gradually, Hikaru was learning to adjust to the unanticipated, and rather carefree fellow lurking around his apartment.
“Yaotome-san! You’re Yaotome-san, right? I’m Inoo Kei. Feel free to call me by my first name [*].”
By adjusting, he actually meant learning how to block out the supernatural being from his mind and going on with his usual routine. Presently, he was busying himself with laundry while deliberately turning his head away from the persistent “spirit” every time he pops out from nowhere.
“Hey, are you still going to ignore me?”
“I’m not supposed to be entertaining ghosts, in the first place,” Hikaru finally snapped, turning to glare at the supernatural being that identified itself as ‘Inoo Kei’. “How did you know my name, anyway? I don’t remember telling you.”
Inoo noticeably perked up, grinning as he teased. “I heard it from the old lady who checked on you when you passed out.”
Hikaru brushed off the reply but the spirit decided to, again, break the silence. “Are you still in university or are you already working? You still look quite young.”
“I’m a barista at a nearby café.” He answered somewhat indifferently and went on with his task at hand.
“Oh…” Inoo blinked, then continued, as if dismissing what Hikaru just said. “You see, I’m currently a university student!”
“I see.” He held himself back from replying, ‘you’re already dead, though’.
As if reading his thoughts, the other occupant of the room immediately followed up and said he was not really “dead”, earning himself a questioning look from Hikaru. He further explained that his “spirit” simply got separated from his “body” and while wandering around aimlessly, ended up in his apartment. Presently, his “body” was sleeping soundly in some hospital. In other words, he was in a state of comatose.
“Why should I believe you? That sounds like a completely made-up story.”
“I’m currently admitted at the general hospital around this area.” Inoo immediately blurted out, slightly offended. “I’m in Room 602, I think.”
“Why don’t you stay in there then? Why not return to your own body?” Hikaru shot back, thinking that if what Inoo had been saying was true, then it only made sense if he stayed there while waiting for an opportunity to get back and finally “wake up”.
“Well… it’s actually easier said than done.” The other boy then fell silent, avoiding his gaze before finally speaking up again. “Besides I…”
I feel so helpless, being there when even ‘he’ can’t see or hear me.
Hikaru noticed him tense up and decided not to pry into the matter anymore.
“Whatever,” he moved to place a hand over Inoo’s head as if to pat him-only as if, because he can’t. Still, he figured the gesture was enough to comfort him. “As long as you don’t cause me more trouble, I don’t mind you staying here.”
Inoo looked up, hoping he heard right…
…that the only person who could sense see and hear him finally warmed up to him, even just a little.
“Really? I can stay here with Yaotome-san for as long as I like?”
“Hikaru, just call me Hikaru.”
He nodded in response, almost giggling. “Ah, promise me you’d make me coffee when I wake up!”
“Huh?”
“Promise me!” Inoo stared at him with determined eyes but eventually gave up and pouted instead.
Hikaru finally smiled at him, somewhat relieved that he was back to his usual, energetic self. “Sure, but you’re not going to have it for free.”
---
It has been barely two weeks since their first meeting when they had a serious fight.
“Hell, what do you know about love when you’re just floating around, disturbing random people’s houses?
“You shouldn’t give up just like that! You can always try again.”
“You don’t understand! You don’t know anything, you’re not human. You’re not like me.”
“What’s with you, treating me like I’m some clueless dog you just picked up? I used to be human, too, you know? I may not have a body like you do, but I have a heart!”
Hikaru fell silent, clenching his fists at his sides. Inoo continued.
“You… you’re lucky you’re alive. You can act on your feelings, you can take second chances. Unlike me… I’m not even sure if I’ll ever get to live again and spend time with the ones I love.”
“Whatever… just get lost. Leave me alone.”
Inoo did.
---
Three days have passed since then and there was absolutely no trace of any supernatural occurence in Hikaru’s apartment. Before he even knew it, he went to visit the hospital the ghostly being mentioned before.
Room 602, was it?
Upon entering the hospital room, he saw Inoo lying on his bed, motionless yet still breathtakingly beautiful.
“Inoo…” he unconsciously called out, wondering where his contradictingly hyper and rather childish “spirit” went.
“Excuse me,” Hikaru heard someone approach him. It was a guy who seemed to be about his age, though a few inches taller than him. The other man was also quite skinny, his cheekbones highlighting his rather relatively small face. “You must be…?”
“Ah… well,” he cautiously chose his next few words, coming up with a generic, made-up story. “I used to be his classmate. I heard he got into an accident. I work nearby so I decided to visit.”
“I see. I’m sorry for the trouble.” The other man bowed, and so did Hikaru. “I’m Yabu Kota. Kei and I, we’re… we’re in a relationship.”
“Ah, I see…” He blurted out carelessly. Realizing his tone might have offended Yabu, he hurriedly followed up, stuttering. “I-I didn’t mean to s-sound rude or anything.”
“It’s okay. Though, I still have things to take care of outside,” he simply smiled in response. “I’m sorry I can’t entertain you properly right now but please do make yourself feel comfortable.”
“Y-yes… Thank you.”
Hikaru sighed, partly of relief when the other man left the room. Now it was just him and Inoo. He turned to look over him, leisurely taking his time to gaze at the sleeping figure, thinking how different he seemed from the Inoo that he came to know.
He couldn’t help but think how angelic he looked, bathed in the soft rays of sunlight that peeked through the windows.
Wait, what was he thinking? Hikaru shook his head furiously, dismissing his disgustingly poetic train of thought. He then took notice of the bedside table and the corkboard that clumsily stood on it, looking closer to inspect the Polaroid instant film photos posted on it.
‘An and Jam visited and it took a great deal of effort to keep them from jumping at you licking your face.’
‘Your mom brought your alarm clock. She said she’s going to scold you for oversleeping and skipping classes!’
He observed that each were marked with dates and captions, probably starting from the day Inoo fell into a coma. What especially caught his attention, however, was a photo of Kota sitting beside Kei with a small cake placed on his lap as he leaned forward to kiss Inoo’s sleeping figure.
‘Happy anniversary, Kei! If you don’t wake up soon, I’ll have the cake to myself. Kidding, I love you.’
That moment, Hikaru felt a pang of guilt in his chest, Inoo’s last words ringing in his ears. A stray tear streamed down his cheek.
“Unlike me… I’m not even sure if I’ll ever get to live again and spend time with the ones I love.”
---
It was like the time he first met Inoo. Sometime in the afternoon, it was suddenly raining heavily and Hikaru was hurrying back to his apartment.
“Inoo… I’m back…” Hikaru breathlessly mouthed, scanning his unit for any trace of the raven-haired, ghostly figure. Realizing he was met with no one, he slumped down, his back against the door. He bit his lip to stop it from quivering and resorted to punching the wall beside him to release his tension.
“Sheesh… And here I thought your head has finally cooled down.”
Hikaru’s eyes widened. Caught up in the heat of the moment, he rushed towards the familiar figure that stood before him, almost hugging him. But then, he immediately realized he couldn’t, and felt somewhat disappointed at the predicament.
“Did you miss me that much? Seriously, the last time we were together, you told me to get lo-“
Inoo was cut off when Hikaru leaned in, closing his eyes as if to kiss him. He didn’t know what to do so he just let himself melt into the other boy’s lips, and also closed his eyes.
It was a simple, chaste kiss and neither of them physically felt it, but the rush of emotions that came with that one moment was enough for Inoo to feel his heart skip a beat.
Wait, what? The ghostly being jolted away in surprise, placing a hand over his chest.
Could it be…?
“H-hikaru… wait!”
Hikaru opened his eyes, startled. What he had just done finally dawned upon him and he felt his cheeks heat up. “S-sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight and-“
“Forget that!” Inoo interjected, this time, placing both of his hands over his chest. “I… I think I just felt my heart beat!”
“What?” To say the least, Hikaru was surprised. He still hasn’t recovered from the little stunt he pulled off earlier, so he fumbled for the right words to say. “Well, I guess that’s good to hear.”
No, you don’t understand. Hikaru, I…
“I wonder about that.” Inoo mumbled, unable to look straight into Hikaru’s eyes, his hands tightly clasped together in a weak attempt to keep himself from shaking. “I think it’s about time for me to wake up.”
It was bound to happen eventually, they both knew, but why did it suddenly feel so difficult to accept? Since when did Inoo develop these doubts? Wasn’t it what he actually wanted, to wake up and finally be with…?
“Two blocks east from the hospital entrance, turn right and walk on for a bit, it’s the only café in that area.” Hikaru softly planted one last kiss, this time, on Inoo’s forehead. “I’ll see you there.”
---
It was a simple, chaste kiss he shared with Hikaru. Similarly, one such kiss roused a certain fairytale character from a long, deep slumber. One such kiss turned the life of the same fairytale character, and she then lived happily ever after with the same person who lifted her curse.
Only, Inoo wasn’t a fairytale character and the one who woke him up from his sleep, the one who made him feel his heart pound against his chest once again, was not the same man he was going to be with the moment he opens his eyes.
---
When the young man came to, he was overwhelmed by a stream of light. Instinctively, he blinked a few times and blearily opened his eyes. His sight trailed the surroundings at a leisurely pace until his gaze finally fell upon the man seated beside him, lovingly caressing his hair. Inoo’s focus was still adjusting to the brightness of the room, but nevertheless, he was certain about seeing the tears pooling at the corners of the other person’s eyes.
“Kei… Did you rest well?”
“Ko… ta…?”
Gently, his lover then pressed his lips against his own pair, capturing him in a short, intimate kiss. Kota pulled away for a moment before claiming his lips once again. This time, his tongue lightly prodded for an entrance. Kei, on the other hand, was unsure of how to respond to the sudden engagement. He kept his mouth closed, which only prompted his boyfriend to resort to nibbling at his lip.
“Mmph…”
He eventually relented, allowing Kota to explore inside, and answering his lover’s actions with equal passion. Then, an image of another man flashed before Kei, stirring up a wave of uncertainty in him and prompting him to push his boyfriend away.
Yabu was startled at Inoo’s sudden rejection, but the surprise on his face was immediately replaced with worry and guilt. “Sorry, you must still be tired.”
“Yeah, I guess I am,” Kei sighed, resignedly leaning back into his pillow, his shoulders relaxing against the cushion. Then he thought, that man he saw just then… who was he?
---
It had been a week since Inoo was discharged from the hospital. When he regained consciousness after being in a coma, a little less than three weeks have already passed, forcing him to drop out of the semester. He insisted he could catch up with the readings and other schoolwork but finally relented after a day of his parents talking him out of it.
He sighed, stepping on another puddle of rain. The gloomy weather, to top it all off, didn’t help with his already dejected mood. Or so he thought, until someone accidentally bumped into him, causing him to almost fall into a particularly huge puddle. Luckily, he maintained his balance and got away with only a few mud stains on his pants.
“S-sorry, I…“
The man who bumped into him, then trailed off. He had tousled, messy brown hair and he wore a dress shirt with loosely folded sleeves exposing his lean forearms.
“You… what? Shouldn’t you be apologizing properly?”
“Ah, yeah, right,” he broke out into a light chuckle. “Sorry about that. You see, I was in a hurry for my shift in a café down this street. If you want, I can treat you to some cappuccino or latte as an apology.”
Something in the his tone was telling Inoo that the man deliberately bumped into him to flirt with him. Still, he couldn’t turn down the offer, the coffee shops in the vicinity were quite expensive, after all.
“There better be a cheesecake to go with that coffee.” he smirked, playfully going along with whatever the stranger was up to. As long as Kota doesn’t know about it, he figured it wouldn’t hurt.
“Sure, it’s on me.” The other man began to walk in careful strides, leading Inoo, who followed suit in short, but quick steps.
“That’ll be great, mister…?” Inoo figured it was his turn to lead him on, besides, the guy did look quite charming. “What’s your name, by the way?”
The stranger simply smiled, before continuing. “Would you care to take a guess?”