Tempt me if you can (chapter 4)
Title: Tempt me if you can - chapter 4
Previous chapter: >1< >2< >3<
Also available @ Ao3, LJ, DW
**
It’s been about a month since the last time I’ve heard about Ryo from the news. Just like he wished, the uproar following the Water Lilies case ceased after a few days, and he might have been forgotten by the press already. That's what I hope for him, at least.
This morning I received an envelope with two special tickets enclosed; it’s a luxurious invitation to join the party that the Ohara Museum will host next weekend, to celebrate the renewed inauguration of Monet’s Water Lilies painting, now restored and finally back in its place.
There’s Ryo’s fancy signature on the letter accompanying the invitation, and while I know one of the tickets is meant to be addressed to Kame-chan and both should be delivered to Yamaneko and his Kobo-chan apprentice, despite no hint indicating such thing on the letter, I wonder if it’s alright for me to attend such party as the simple Tadayoshi I am.
Even so, I choose wearing my best gala suit; in front of the mirror, the reflection I see is that of a fine young man indeed. Apart from maybe from the purple red hair I cannot get rid of, after he's had his finger threaded in it.
Kame-chan joins me in Kurashiki. The party is nice enough for him to get distracted with gourmet food and people to praise, and "our" painting looks fiercely amazing; my attention, on the other hand, is all for the black-haired guy wearing a gorgeous tuxedo, smiling apologetically to everyone and meeting my eyes from time to time.
It’s not until the gala is over that I pull at the white collar binding me, tug at the bow tie and frantically rush out of the museum to look for Ryo-chan, who is nowhere to be found, again.
I'm in some desperate need for a private word with him, even if he probably isn’t.
“I am so glad you could make it,” a quite familiar voice says, right behind me. I turn, only to find Ryo staring at me with both arms neatly crossed behind his back. It seems like his wound has healed completely, luckily, and he looks stunning to say the least.
“You might be wondering why I behaved so badly that day, leaving your place like that,” he starts out, even before I can utter a single word, taking some steps towards the Bikan Alley and inviting me to follow him.
“The truth is, I panicked. Not about you, or about us, actually.
When I checked by belongings that you had so kindly brought along at your place, I saw I had received a message from the police headquarters; they had been looking for me all night long. With the painting taken by Yamaneko and me disappeared after having been so badly injured, things looked somehow pretty weird, at least from their point of view.
That was when I understood I had to leave your place as soon as possible, if I wanted to protect you as much as you had done me, and fix things with the police. Chances were high that I could be investigated, as well... and that's what they did, actually. Even after I had explained in detail what had happened that night at the villa, I have been further questioned about it. Luckily there was no evidence of us exchanging contacts, after I had deleted that only text I had sent you that night. There's never been anything linking the two of us, actually... and that was for the best," Ryo gently says, smiling sadly. "I didn’t expect you to deliver me the painting though, honestly,” he goes on, shaking his head. “I did not deserve such a thing… not after having failed protecting both you and the painting from that man’s claws. But anyway, that was what you and him decided for, and that was all I could do, in the end. To pay respect to your own ultimate wish.”
He stops walking and looks up at me.
"Needless to say, I could not contact you anymore, for your own sake," he confesses to me, "right when I had stepped down so that our worlds would stop clashing, the media kept pressing me about my words. 'How about your chase of Yamaneko and Kobo-chan?', they urged me. I told them I was not interested anymore. They took it as an act of cowardice, but I honestly don't care."
"It's pretty unfair, though," I tell him, "since you had actually caught me for real, in the end."
The ghost of an embarrassed smile opens up on his lips. Man, I had missed this. So much.
"I lied, though," Ryo insists. "I might not be interested in fame, but I'm still interested in you, Tadayoshi. You stole my heart and I don't know where to look for it anymore, would you believe it?"
I should not, but I want to. I definitely want to, and the racing heart in my chest is confirming it all, the way I feel for him.
"Serves you just right," I pout, "You thought you could let me have a passionate night like that and then let me go? No way, Ryo-chan!"
"So... if I were to wonder whether I could ask you out on a date... wouldn't you turn me down?"
I take a couple steps towards him, until there's no space left between the two of us. Until I bend and I tenderly brush his lips with mine. It's just a peck and yet, it feels like the most nervous kiss of my whole life.
"Again with this habit of stealing kisses..." he murmurs rather amused, after I pull away. I cannot help but repress a giggle. He's biting his lips, and his eyes are beaming.
"So where is it, that you wanted to take me out today?"
"Oh. Well actually, Kurashiki Bikan Alley is a lovely place itself. I thought I could maybe buy you something cool at the denim blue street shop down the way. It's famous worldwide, you know? They even sell blue nikuman at the shop nearby, we could maybe grab a bite of those, if you don't mind. Someone told me your favourite color is blue..." he trails off, “is it even true?”
I laugh.
Kame-chan again, ne? If he doesn't butt in, he's not happy with himself.
"Me too, I wanna know more about you," I confess to him, taking his hand in mine. "I might have had a guess about which one is your favourite painting so far, but what about the rest? That is, if you're really convinced you want to hang out more with me. Are you really sure? I'm a suspicious guy after all..."
"… Because of the purple red hair, you mean?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.
I laugh again, throwing my head back, finding him staring at me when I open my eyes again.
"This time I won't have to flee," I try to reassure him, squeezing his hand, "so let's get started from where everything began, Ryo-chan..."
He quickly pulls me down to him.
"I think I remember some heated kiss, then," he murmurs, frowning.
“I think I remember more than one,” I tease him, pouting.
He proudly goes for it, and I let him. And that's how a certain Ryo-chan and his little Kobo-chan start again with a kiss, in the beautiful Kurashiki.
**
Notes:
As you might have noticed throughout the reading, I made use of several Kanjani8 RL facts like the TORN "Kobo-chan" thing, Ohkura's favourite colour, Yasu's pieces of art, even Natsume Soseki's quote and so on.
I hope you appreciated.
Thanks for reading and for this exchange.