What he hadn’t really counted on was finding some hole in the wall hobby-and-art supply store with a worn old sign on the front; something not only unique, but Naoki would be lying if he said he wasn’t badly in need of some new pencils. The inside smelled of potpourri, paints, and a little bit of must, and everything was illuminated by hanging lights instead of blaring fluorescents.
With a flourish of his fingers, painted nails reflecting traces of the light above, Naoki tucked his sunglasses into his back pocket, the dark make-up around his eyes exaggerating his already too-icy blue irises, clearly the result of contacts. He slipped further into the store, exploring as much as he was searching - and yes, there was a difference.
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He’d found this store by accident but it had proved to a really good find. Junpei could shop for his yarn in absolute peace here and no one bothered him. Sure, at first the ladies gave him a weird look. He was a very fit dude who wasn’t super buff by any means, but he wasn’t skinny either. He just simply didn’t look like the kind of man who would buy yarn and knitting needles.
Slowly he grabbed some yarn that looked twisted with different shades of browns and whites and just tried to match it to what he had in his hand. It looked to be an unfinished blanket with a design on it, but one couldn’t quite make out what it was supposed to be. Honestly, Junpei didn’t know what it was supposed to be. He was just going with a feeling rather than a design. Apparently this was not the right yawn for the blanket, so he put it back and just bit down on his lip as he held the piece of blanket up to the whole section and sighed. Why was it so difficult?
“Maybe brown isn’t going to do it,” he murmured under his breath. So, he took a step back and turned to try to find the blues.
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It was really none of his business. Naoki knew that, heard the shadow of his parents’ voices lingering disapprovingly in the back of his head even two years later as he peered at the man down the aisle. Dark skin, lean muscle, clearly in shape - looking at yarn of all things, a bit of something half-made clutched in his head. Naoki’s brow arched, face unreadable but with perhaps a trace of a smile.
New and interesting.
Well, there you have it.
He didn’t really say anything to announce himself. Although he seemed as though at a glance to be someone like him, Naoki had learned almost from the beginning not to assume anything of anyone. Which really, he’d learned in a lesser capacity in Japan, just - it held a different meaning here. Instead, he simply brushed past the taller man, hardly sparing him a glance as he made a beeline for the blues and greens. In quick order, he knelt down and selected one of each.
Then, he turned back to the stranger, regarding him with eyes that weren’t too far a shade from the blue clutched in his hand. “Excuse me, “ he spat out in thickly accented English, holding the yarns out to him, one in each hand. He offered no other explanation, thinking the intent should be fairly obvious.
--------------------
Junpei didn’t notice the guy at first. Why would he? He kept to himself, kept his head down and focused on the task at hand. Brown eyes squinted as he read labels and prices before he shook his head.
But then he felt someone brush against him and his head snapped up as his body automatically tensed, years of fighting and martial arts training causing him to be more aware with a single touch. However he didn’t get the feeling this stranger was actually a danger, so he relaxed and then blinked a little at the accent. It sounded like his parents when they spoke English. Interesting…
Then he glanced down at the yarn in the other’s hands and canted his head to one side, a brow arching. “...It depends on what you are making.” He had an accident, definitely, but it wasn’t as thick as his. “....If it is something for yourself I would go with something with less green. Green tends to make Asian skin balance to more of a yellow color.” The darker of the two rolled his shoulders and then hummed. This one was holding a very pretty color. He glanced down at the blanket, then back up at the other’s yarn and sighed.
“Where did you find this color?”
--------------------
Naoki’s brow furrowed. He didn’t quite get all of what the other man was saying - he understood most of the words, the colors and all, but - he did pick up on one thing though, very clearly. You, yourself. Did this man think that he was trying to knit?
“
“No no no no no, “ he rolled out, waving both bundles of yarn as he shook his head. With something resembling a sigh, Naoki went ahead and pushed both the colors up at him. “Not me, you. For that.” The blanket. Again, he didn’t point at it or anything, but again, he thought it should be fairly clear. Then again he’d thought this was clear as day in the first place. “Take it.”
-----------------------
When the other’s brows knitted, Junpei figured he’d guessed wrong. Oops. Oh well. Harmless mistake, right? He licked his lips slowly and then sighed. He didn’t know why others were here. If a guy was in the yarn aisle of course he was going to think that the other knitted, or was picking it up for someone who knit. Who was he to judge?
And then he definitely heard Japanese falling from those lips and Junpei’s lips pulled into a crooked little smirk.
“
Now he got to watch the other’s face in reaction to him speaking Japanese. This would be fun. Most people didn’t expect it.
-----------------------
Why the hell was he smirking? - he tried not to think too long and hard on how endearing the smirk was and more on the fact that the guy was laughing at him. Although he quickly realized why.
Naoki’s reaction was a progression. First, yes, surprise - his unnaturally blue eyes widening and head tilting to a side. It quickly degenerated into a bright, toothy smile, relief flooding his face like he’d just heard the best news he’d gotten all day. In a way, he had. English was still painfully difficult for him, and so few people here spoke Japanese, and it was - being understood was important, as shown by something even as simple as this.
He sidled a step closer, then, deliberately trying to frown like he was disapproving. (Naoki failed miserably at this endeavor.) “
------------------------
He wasn’t laughing. He was just super amused and honestly Junpei was just glad to know there were others who spoke Japanese. Rubbing a finger over the yarn in his hands, the man nodded and then shrugged. Watching that shifting expression on his face was basically priceless and it made him grin even wider and just tilted his head.
Aaah he stepped closer but frowned. How cute.
“
Slowly he licked his lips and then raised the yarn in thanks. He turned his head, glancing at check out and then arched a brow and sort of saluted. Time to go, he guessed.
------------------------
If he’d been watching, Junpei would have seen Naoki process the quiet kind of farewell, weighing the pros and cons in his head. The reactions the other man were giving could have gone either way, really, between vague interest and vague annoyance - maybe he wanted to get away before Naoki continued to bother him -
Only one way to really be sure.
“<I am Tanaka Naoki.>” He sidled a step closer again, unintimidated by the other man’s height. No, intimidation was not remotely a factor here. “<And you didn’t thank me for helping you.>” Not outright, anyway, and not that he really ever expected a thanks from anyone. But Naoki was looking for a way to keep him here and engaged, this interesting man with yarn in his hands and lines of muscle beneath his shirt.
His lips curled upwards in what could’ve best been described as a vague smile. “<How will you make it up to me?>” just as there was a barely perceptible lilt of playfulness to his voice as he asked, arms coming to cross over his chest, thin, plucked brow arched.
---------------------------------
He thought he could get away, but he heard an introduction and Junpei stopped with a hard sigh. Slowly the man licked his lips and turned back to watch this Naoki and smirked at the balls this guy had to say he didn’t thank him. Oh, and he expected repayment? Interesting.
“<Tokushima Junpei,>” he said evenly. “<Are you trying to get me to ask you to coffee or something? You should just come right out and say it, then, instead of pussyfooting around.>” Junpei pushed the yarn to one hand and then pushed a hand through his short hair, scratching at his own scalp lightly. Should he ask him to coffee? It wasn’t too late, was it? He checked the time and then sighed and thought it over. Of course he shifted from foot to foot and then flicked another crooked smirk at him. Time to reply in English and see if the guy can understand him.
“I guess we can go get a coffee. It’s about the price of this yarn, so we’ll call it even afterwards.”
---------------------------------
Naoki watched him with a curious eye and that ever-ambiguous hint of a smile, and again, that stupid lopsided smile kind of endeared him in spite of himself. Even the way he moved, fidgeting around, even from one foot to the other, like there was boundless energy boiling away just beneath the surface of his skin. “<Fine. You want me to say it? - take me to coffee or something, >” and his eyes might or might not have wandered a little at something; so sue him. The guy clearly took care of himself. Junpei hadn’t turned him down indignantly yet, who could blame him?
Still, his face screwed up at the use of English, his brow furrowing as he slowly tried to break down what words he knew. Coffee. Price. Yarn. Even. He got the general gist, and the ‘I guess’ hadn’t gone unnoticed, plus the way he glanced at his watch. “<I’ll buy the yarn and the coffee if you get a little more enthusiastic about it, >” he teased, reaching out and brushing his fingers against Junpei’s arm - well, more or less reaching as if to reclaim the yarn, as if he couldn’t quite get it but settled for arm instead. “<Unless you don’t have time for me, To-ku-shi-ma-san,>” and he deliberately drew out the syllables of his last name, too formal for the tone he was using.
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Junpei’s brow arched yet again as he listened to the other. What was with the look at the last part of that sentence? He narrowed his eyes suspiciously and chose to ignore it. Interesting though. Whatever.
The yarn was taken from him with a not-so-subtle flirting technique he saw men use on women a lot when he was actually paying attention to things in Japan. Junpei reluctantly gave the man the yarn, not straight discouraging the touching, but to let him know they should probably leave if the flirting was intentional. You can say a lot with simple gestures rather than words if your name was Junpei. Hopefully Naoki picked up on it. If not, walking toward the check out like he was would be slightly confusing.
It didn’t seem like the other was to thick to pick up on hints. “<Well let’s go, mn?>” What was the rush? He honestly didn’t have anything to do besides go home and knit.
------------------------------------
There were plenty of ways Junpei could have discouraged him. He could have made a face, he could have brushed his hand away, he could have even shot him a dirty look that that would have said everything. He did none of that, and Naoki took that as a sign of encouragement, his fingers brushing just as deliberately against the other man’s own as he claimed the yarn. His hands were rougher, bigger. But still delicate enough to knit, it seemed.
What an interesting man.
“<Yes, let’s go,>” he murmured back, fishing into his pocket to tug out his wallet. One card swipe later and it was all taken care of, the yarn tucked away into a bag and the two of them on their way. “<I still barely know this city. If you know somewhere good to go, you should tell me.>” All of this was nice, light, and conversational. Even as Naoki went on, hardly batting an eye and without his eyes betraying a thing, “<Or if you want to cut the bullshit you can just take me back to your place and we can drink all the ‘coffee’ you want. Whatever.>” Because coy and subtle had never really been his way.
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There was really no point to discourage him, and so he just let it happen. Junpei tilted his head to the side as the man’s fingers brushed his hands and just shrugged.
While the other shuffled around to pay, he prattled on about not knowing the city. “<What makes you think I know it better than you do?>” He inquired with an amused voice. He walked past Naoki and waited by the door until the other said what he said next, which caused him to look at the man like he’d just grown an extra head or something. Did he really just say that? He schooled his expression after a quick minute and just took a deep breath.
“<You’re bold aren’t you? Why not go to your place if you’re really eager for the ‘or something’ part of this deal.>” He crossed his arms over his chest after he tucked the piece of blanket back in the bag on his shoulder.
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What a gratifying look of shock on Junpei’s face.
He hadn’t said ‘no’. Although that look on his face had been completely worth it. Naoki flashed him a vaguely bemused look, and with little reason not to, he sidled a little closer, lightly bumping the taller man’s side with his own. “<I’m honest. Why waste your time if you can just have what you want, Junpei?>” He flashed him a slight smile that was in no way unfriendly.
In his own way, yes, Naoki was saying that dating him was a waste of time. - he knew what people wanted from him. At least this way it felt like he held some say in the matter, got to spare himself the attachment that would inevitably come if it happened the normal way. “<My place would be fine, but then you’ll have to meet my super pregnant sister-in-law. She might go into labor anytime. I think that’d be sort of a mood killer. Your call though.>”
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Talk about a super mood killer. With a nod, Junpei shifted to take the bag from the other when the yarn was paid for and shoved it in his man purse, too. At least Naoki said nothing about his murse, because he would defend it. It was stylish and useful.
"<Follow me, then, Tanaka-san.>" His tone was serious as he spoke the other's name and then wandered out of the store, one hand on the straps of his murse and the other shoved in the pocket of his almost too tight jeans. The chunky boots and buckles on them clicked as he walked down the sidewalk, not even bothering to look back to see if Naoki was following him. "<If we're doing this, should we be using more familiar names or sticking with formal?>"
It was a legit question, okay? If there was moaning of names, it's easier to moan out a first name than a last name and the proper honorific. At least in his opinion.
----------------------------------
Naoki had a small collection of bags himself, even if he didn’t bring any with him today; to call Junpei out on it would have been hypocritical at best. Besides, it suited him.
The sudden formality didn’t exactly take him by surprise, much less the way Junpei took to walking without looking; again, it wasn’t the first time, and wouldn’t be the last. Really, if anything took him off-guard, it was the question of whether or not to keep that formality that followed. Most people didn’t bother to ask. “<You can call me my name - Nao is fine,>” he offered quietly, trying to keep pace with Junpei’s deliberate steps. “<Which do you prefer?>” Junpei was deniably better. He liked the way it rolled off his lips, and it suited the man more. But he’d respect whatever boundaries Junpei set; he was blunt, yes, often equated with disrespect, but in his own mind, the two were different entities that happened to overlap here and there.
“<Do you live far?>”
Quietly, a thrill of something laced up and down his spine at the curt way he said it - if we’re doing this - although he would’ve preferred to hear ‘since’ instead of ‘if’. People like him couldn’t really be choosers though.
-------------------------------------------------
Nao… Interesting. He pondered the pros and cons of that and then smirked once more to himself and shoved his hand further into his pocket. “...Nao-chan.”
He assumed Naoki was younger than him. Who knew, honestly, but it seemed good. Seemed like a good thing to say considering the size difference. “<I don’t live too far. A couple more blocks. Can you make it or are your pants going to get too tight for you to walk. There’s always an alleyway.>” There was definite teasing in his voice this time and he actually let out a laugh. A small one, more of a chortle than a laugh. Glancing over to Naoki, he regarded the other for just a moment before nodding.
At least he hadn’t said anything really stupid yet. That’d just be a turn off. Even one night stands had to have some intelligence.
-------------------------------------------------
Naoki turned to him with a wrinkled nose and pursed lips, shoving his own hands into his pockets - as if just remembering his sunglasses were there, he fished them out and put them back on again with a grunt of distaste. “<Just Nao. There’s no need for a -chan.>” Yes, he got it, he was short… okay, and in this case younger…
Well that was a little more like it. He perked up at the teasing remark, pushing his sunglasses further up his nose, a smile curling his lips at the edges. It might have been a small laugh, but it didn’t mean it any less nice when he laughed. “<Don’t tempt me. My pants might be tight, but they’re not so I can’t get on my knees, >” he shot right back.
This wasn’t really enough, though. Here he was walking back to some guy’s apartment, side by side, hardly even touching. There was something interesting about that, too, although he didn’t know if Junpei was shy or closeted or whatever - he didn’t act like any of those things. But. “Hey, “ he spat in that accented English, abruptly leaning up onto the balls of his feet, lips brushing against the edge of his jaw. He didn’t say anything much else, just kind of kept a light hand on Junpei’s forearm and waited for some kind of reaction.
---------------------------------------------------
“<Just accept it’ll be Nao-chan and move on,>” he murmured, sparing the other another quick glance. He saw those sunglasses and gave him a look that said ‘Really?’ because honestly, they were bulky and he only saw the famous wearing them, or the wannabes. Well, everyone was something, weren’t they?
The remark about getting on his knees made Junpei roll his eyes and huff with exasperation. Honestly, this guy. But the lips to his jaw caught him by surprise and he quickly turned to face him, gripped him by the chin and shook his head. Not in public. He wasn’t good with PDA. It wasn’t shyness, it was the fact no one needed to know what he was doing with his life, or who he was doing it with. As quickly as he gripped that chin, Junpei let go and just walked a bit faster. He wasn’t put-off or mad. Naoki didn’t know. If he did it again, he’d be mad and this whole thing would be cancelled.
He stopped in front of an apartment building and fished out his key, opened it up and motioned Naoki in first. Once in, he followed behind the shorter of the two and made a beeline for the elevator.
“<No touching until we’re behind my apartment door.>”
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Nao groaned under his breath and gave a lingering sigh of resignation.
Famous, no. But he’d been recognized once or twice already since he’d been in something-or-other, some magazine that apparently got some attention in these parts - or maybe they just knew him from the internet - who even knew which way it worked anymore. He just took the pictures, he didn’t really question where they went.
The huff of exasperation felt like righteous revenge for the -chan being tacked onto his name, but the sudden hand gripping his chin was something else entirely, and this time he gasped, though even then the sound was quiet and subdued. It was about then he understood the kind of situation he had placed himself in: Junpei didn’t want to be seen with him in public.
He didn’t appear phased, his expression unphased even behind his sunglasses. But inwardly, stupidly, a small sting settled into his chest, and Nao thought to himself he really should have known better. This was also not the first time.
No, Nao didn’t seem upset, but he was certainly quieter from there, his fingers laced together behind him as he strode through the door and gave a shallow nod. “<Got it.>” Loud and clear.
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It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be seen, it was a privacy issue. It’s how he was raised. Once they got into the elevator he looked over at Nao and let his brows knit a little, worried if he’d offended the other with his request. The silence had shifted a bit into something not quite as comfortable. He hit the floor his apartment was on, the third floor, and then just rolled his shoulders.
“<It’s nothing personal… I was.. just raised to keep all form of affection indoors.>” He felt the need to explain himself, which was unusual. So he kept dark eyes on the smaller, trying to gauge to see how much damage he’d done to the poor thing’s ego… or feelings. He wasn’t sure which one. Junpei wasn’t even sure if he actually wounded the other, he just knew the silence wasn’t as comfortable. There was a bit of tension. Though, he supposed it could be because they were almost there.
Maybe this is why he didn’t get involved with people often. Too much of an unknown factor.
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Nao glanced at him from the corner of his eye, then abruptly a flare of red blossomed in his face and he looked down with an audible snort. “<You don’t need you explain yourself to me.>” He hadn’t meant to be obvious; there was no reason for him to get worked up about it in the first place.
Still, it stung a little less for Junpei having said it, even if he shouldn’t have had to.
“<I was too, >” he added with a hint of mischief in his voice, trying in his own way to diffuse the unwanted tension that had risen between them, adjusting his sunglasses again - even though they were indoors by now and he really didn’t need them anymore. But they felt comfortable, safe on his face.
-----------------------------
Junpei was just really good at reading people. He nodded and just cleared his throat a bit more before the elevator opened and he led the other out and directly across the hall from it. He unlocked his door and flipped the switch to reveal a very uncluttered apartment. Very minimalistic and in neutral colors. It was very tidy, though. In some ways it looked as if no one actually stayed here.
Habit took over and he just slipped his shoes off with practiced ease at the door, dropped the bag off on a chair, and went straight to the kitchen.
“<I can actually make the coffee, or we can have beer. ...I might have a bit of wine left.>” Who cared he wasn’t twenty-one for another year? He looked and acted old enough that it honestly didn’t matter. “<You can… just make yourself at home.>” Now he felt a little more awkward. It had been a while since he’d done things like this.
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Nao looked around the apartment, taking in the colors, the minimalistic approach - and in his own way, he relished in it, even the tidiness of it. His room, bar the bits of discarded paper from ruined pictures that had missed the can, was much the same. Darker, but the rest of the aesthetic was similar, all his gaudier clothes tucked away in the closet. He slid his shoes off at the door and strode inside, and wondered idly about the more important details he’d likely never know: family, job, that sort of thing. Junpei looked strong, but there was no way to tell yet if he had tattoos anywhere on him, so really he could have been anything. Construction worker. Some sort of pro sport guy. A million and one different things.
(He always did like pondering possibilities and scenarios.)
Shortly after Junpei, he padded into the kitchen, his sunglasses off and dangling from his fingers. He listened to what the taller man was saying, of course, smiling perhaps more than he had up until now at the offers of drinks, especially in that soft, almost unsure way. Again, unexpected; Junpei remained unpredictable. Not in a bad way.
“
Nao strode forward with purpose, now, half-flinging his sunglasses onto the counter before reaching out to grab Junpei’s shirt. He tugged, trying to coax him to his level, but still rose to the balls of his feet impatiently and kissed him, light and tentatively at first, as though testing to see if he’d be pushed away again.
-----------------------------------
Maybe it was a Japanese aesthetic; being tidy and minimalistic. His parents kept a neat house and taught him how to keep a neat house. He shuffled this way and that as he kept waffling back and forth on what to do. Coffee, beer, wine, water... He had milk?
He didn't have time to react to the comment about him being cute before he was grabbed and kissed. In an almost automatic response, his arms slipped around the other and he blinked at him in a very owlish way. Right. That's what they were supposed to be doing. He licked over his own lips to make sure they weren't dried and cracked before he stepped forward, into the other man's space even further, and kissed him back. It was a fluttering kiss, light, toying, testing what he could get away with before Junpei shifted. He picked Naoki up by his hips and placed his a** on the counter.
"<You're too short for that.>" With that said, he kissed Naoki again in a deeper way, letting their lips slide together as he tried to take control of it.
-----------------------------------
Nao resisted the urge to laugh at that look on Junpei’s face, biting down on his lower lip to keep himself in check, fingers still laced in the front of his shirt. His arms felt good around him, Naoki mused, the first time they were actually really - up close and touching like this. He’d admired the swell of muscle on those arms from afar. And now, up close...
His eyes followed the trail of Junpei’s tongue as he licked his lips, his eyes dropping to half-lidded when the other man stepped closer - and this time with hands slid up further, resting flat against the planes of Junpei’s chest, subtly testing to see how far muscle went. Then, finally, Junpei was kissing him. It’d been worth the wait, he mused idly, pressing himself deliberately closer. In spite of the teasing nature of the kiss, or perhaps because of it, he wanted more.
Then, abruptly, he got it; a pair of hands came to rest on his hips and lifted him, and a rush of heat rushed through him like fire at the realization that Junpei was stronger than he’d thought. To be able to do that - he opened his mouth with a furrowed brow, wanting to come up with some kind of retort about his height. None came; abruptly there were lips on his again, much more demanding than before. He moaned into their shared kiss, and although Junpei tried to take the lead, Nao didn’t just hand it to him - even in spite of his way his legs wrapped around Junpei’s hips, trapping him and willing him closer still.
