Chapter Text
Tecchou isn't exactly in the best mood today.
He woke up to a slight drizzle at first, which was good, since Tecchou quite liked rain, but what made it bad was that there was more traffic than usual because of it and he was already late in opening the studio.
And he left his raincoat at the studio from last night's downpour, so he had no choice but to just slip on his helmet and let himself get soaked as he practically zoomed past traffic on his bike. He suspects he broke a traffic law or two, but the fear of suffering consequences at the hands of his boss surmount his law-abiding tendencies.
By the time he parks his bike under the shade outside the studio, his clothes are damp and sticking to his skin like he might as well be sweating after a difficult workout routine.
It's uncomfortable, to say the least, but he doesn't linger over the thought as he climbs three steps at a time and semi-barges into the studio, still managing to maintain at least a little bit of grace.
Tachihara is stationed behind the desk, amber eyes shooting up at the intrusion from where they were seemingly busy with his phone. The jewellery on the bridge of his nose catches the light from the ceiling as he curiously surveys Tecchou who is aggressively wiping his boots against the mat and shrugging his jacket off.
The teenager's eyes flit to the wall clock and back to Tecchou.
He's half an hour late.
Tachihara doesn't bother addressing the elephant in the room and merely nods in greeting at the man, tapping his fingers against his pursed lips as Tecchou walks past him whilst flapping his shirt over his torso with a pinch to the fabric at his chest in an attempt to dry himself.
"Who came in first?" Is all he asks, slowing his pace just enough to catch Tachihara's answer. He fears he already knows, but there's no harm in asking.
"I did," Tecchou raises an inquisitive brow, not quite satisfied with that answer, "uh, and Chuuya?"
"And?"
"And Rei-san opened."
Tecchou lets out a brief sigh of relief. It could have been worse.
He nods in acknowledgement and disappears out of Tachihara's line of sight.
Thankfully, his client also showed up late— which would have been a nuisance if Tecchou himself weren't late— so he doesn't have to worry about his mood further worsening.
It was only when he was in the middle of tattooing said client's forearm that his boss bothered checking in on whether Tecchou had shown up or not.
She stands tall as she pushes the black curtain away with two of her manicured fingers, steel grey eyes adorning stoicity as they stare down at Tecchou with an unreadable expression on her face. They look like they might as well be today's thundering grey sky encapsulated and sculpted in the form of her eyeballs in her sockets with her poor employee being the ultimate victim of a heavy downpour.
Rei has always been an incredibly domineering woman; with her ridiculously tall height and heavily inked skin, her presence is hard to miss, if anything. Her titanium hair is parted down the middle and tied into flimsy braids at the back that crown the top of her head, leaving the rest of it open which sits in glossy waves over her shoulders. With the navy coloured tube top she's wearing, the tattoos (not wholly connected to the next) on her throat, chest and arms down to her fingers are on full display, showcasing the intricate patterns of the ink she proudly wears with three crystal studs, each smaller than the last, engraved down the middle of her chest.
Her low rise jeans even unveil the unvarying coloured intricacies on her protruding hips and toned stomach, all topped off with a gleaming crystal on her navel.
Tecchou doesn't remember a time where he's ever seen her without ink, he even had the honour (or so Rei would call it) of being the one to design a few and tattoo them onto her when he was still under her apprenticeship.
So as she stands with a tattooed hand clutching the frame of the entrance of Tecchou's sizable cubicle, he can't help but shrink just a little under her cowing gaze.
Her sharp eyes scrutinise Tecchou as he turns back to tend to his client who is blissfully unaware of the silent reprimand his tattooist is getting from his boss.
She stands there for a few seconds in which Tecchou tries not to shift under her heavy glare even if she's hardly trying to size him down, toying with the barbell on his tongue in nervousness. Hell, if he were standing, it wouldn't be impossible to do so with the boots she's wearing.
Tecchou breathes a sigh of relief when she pushes herself off the wall and turns to leave, wiping the excess ink off the client's arm and busying himself with his work.
He assumes he got off easier because of his client, otherwise Rei would not have been this lenient.
—
Jouno wouldn't say he has inconvenient friends— even if he says it all the time, he hardly means it.
While being the assholes that they are, they're never uncooperative when it comes to accommodating to Jouno's admittedly (occasional) ridiculous requests.
Though Jouno can manage almost everything fine on his own, he doesn't mind the help that he gets.
Today marks one week of him getting his piercings.
As he was told, he was dropped off by Teruko to get the jewellery downsized. She didn't stay because she got word that her long-term crush— who happens to be her professor— is dining at the izakaya a bit further away from the studio and she is absolutely not going to miss the chance of stalking him; which is downright creepy, but he didn't have it in him to stop her.
Jouno hates when it rains.
He hates how it smells, hates how the repetitive sounds of water splattering against the concrete make his ears go numb, and absolutely despises the excessive honking of the cars that are stuck in traffic because of the slight flood in the streets.
He's sitting in the waiting area he was in last week, his arms crossed and ankle propped over his knee with his foot shaking in impatience. The plush couch just sinks under his weight and he supposes that that's a good thing, for it helps in his growing anxiety.
It's late too and he's probably the only other person besides this one woman just lounging a few seats away from him. She's probably an employee, judging from the way that the receptionist hasn't called for her in the past twenty minutes that he's been here and the fact that she offered Jouno tea or coffee while he waits.
He respectfully declined the offer, even if it was free of charge and tempting with how cold he was because of the rain.
Jouno doesn't understand what's taking so fucking long, but he can't really victimise the guy at the receptionist's desk because Teruko insisted that the world wasn't going to end if Jouno showed up, said and quote, "a few minutes earlier" than he was anticipating.
All because she wanted to stare at her professor who's just trying to have a casual dinner away from work.
There's a visible frown on his face as he scrunches his nose at the foul smell of the studio, the stench of ink clearly overbearing for his sensitive nose. There is a perfume dispenser perched on the wall closer to the backrooms, but it isn't really doing much besides the occasional pfft of a floral fragrance.
He wants to leave, but he can't, not until Teruko shows up at least. She promised her return in fifteen minutes, clearly that was a lie.
Jouno huffs under his breath and chews on the inside of his lip, taking in a deep breath and exhaling sharply through his nose.
He's nervous, and he doesn't know why.
It isn't like he's getting pierced again, so he has nothing to worry about. He's even been very cautious in taking care of his ears, going as far as not holding his cat up to his face to kiss her ears, or letting her sleep next to his head as he usually does so it doesn't irritate the piercing.
She is not happy with that.
The thought of his cat giving him the cold shoulder makes him smile. He'll make sure to make her her favourite tuna mix when he gets home.
"Jouno-san?" The receptionist says loud enough for Jouno to slightly jump, surprised at the sudden call out. He isn't the same guy who he met last time, this one's a little more… frank, simply put. "You're up."
Jouno lets out a breath and grabs his cane from next to his thigh, rising to his feet with a low grunt. He goes to unfold it till a voice interrupts his action.
"Do you need any help in navigating, sir?" It's the same woman who offered him snacks just a few minutes ago. Her voice is low and husky and rings so pleasantly in Jouno's ears that his brain swims from the sound. "I'm Hiratsuka Raicho, artist at this studio."
Jouno pauses for a second, processing the introduction and wondering if he does require help. He has a faint idea of where he was led to last time, but because he was so anxious and busy second guessing his decision, he isn't confident in his memory. So,
"I'd appreciate that, thank you." Jouno smiles as a formality, biting down on his tongue as he hears the sound of her deliberately distinct footsteps approach him.
What catches him off guard are two things: first, her mere presence. He notices it when she stands close enough to him for the distance to still be considered respectful, alerting him when she sticks her elbow out for him to hold.
She's even taller than him, and surprisingly smells like cinnamon.
The second is the firm muscle of her toned forearm when he gingerly wraps his fingers around the crook of her elbow.
He tries not to act surprised when she nudges him like she's bringing him back into reality, but in fact she just begins walking and Jouno just follows behind her with his lips pursed.
"Who's he got?" She asks the guy at the counter and Jouno can just about sense that he's sitting up straighter.
"He's Tecchou's." Jouno blames the heat falling on his cheeks from the vents for the blush that rises up his neck at the statement, heart kicking in his chest as his guide wordlessly leads him towards one of the back rooms.
"Oi, Tecchou." Hiratsuka says with a low whistle to alert his piercer, nervously gulping when she guides him inside.
He can feel Tecchou's gaze settle on him from the way the hairs on the back of his neck rise in nervousness, mumbling a small "thank you" and earning a compassionate pat on his shoulder from the woman.
"Welcome back, Jouno-san." Ah, there it is: the mesmerising, deep tone of Tecchou's enrapturing voice that makes Jouno's head spin in delight.
Normally, he doesn't appreciate people talking at all, but it's quite odd that so far, he's come to like how the employees at this studio sound. What exactly is in the air here?
And, mind you, he's shocked that Suehiro remembers his name even when he never introduced himself.
"Good evening," Jouno responds with a polite smile, walking just a little ahead and sitting down on the inkbed with a sigh.
"Check up, correct?"
"Yes." Jouno nods.
With an acquiescing sound, Tecchou shuffles around the drawers and pulls out the new jewellery, neatly placing it on the tray and advancing towards Jouno with silent steps.
"Your friend isn't here." Tecchou observes smartly and Jouno chuckles, the action slightly making his shoulders bounce as Tecchou tilts his head by his chin with gloved fingers, being careful and alert in making sure Jouno knows what to expect.
And just like last time, his skin burns under the touch as he proceeds to unscrew the ball from the bar.
"She was busy today, so she didn't accompany me all the way in. It's why your colleague pitched in." Jouno jabs a thumb in the direction of the open curtain and tries not to shiver at the breath that fans down the side of his neck when Tecchou removes the jewellery, the dull clink signalling that he's put it away.
"Rei-san is hardly my colleague." Tecchou huffs with apparent amusement lacing his tone. Jouno assumes the nickname he's addressing her with signifies some sort of familiarity between them.
"Yeah? Then who is she?" Jouno tucks a few stray strands of his hair away from his ear to give the man better access, twisting the fabric of his shirt at the hem between his fingertips to keep himself preoccupied.
"My boss."
"Oh." That explains why she seemed to be exuding such intimidation.
"Now, would you prefer the simple titanium ball, or a crystal stud?" Tecchou asks plainly, making Jouno furrow his brows.
It's not as if Jouno cares for either of the options, "I'm not sure, what do you think?"
He asked with the intention of receiving a professional opinion for he doesn't have his friend today to give hers, but Tecchou seems to miss that.
"I think either would look good on you." The compliment does wonders in making Jouno blush even deeper than he already is, an instinctive frown pulling at his face as he tuts before he could hold it back.
"That's not what I meant," Jouno mumbles under his breath and Tecchou fails to understand why his client looks so annoyed, "put whatever, I don't really care."
Tecchou breathes out evenly, tilting his head at the sudden snappy attitude he's receiving from the man and opts to just ignore it.
"Alright then," Tecchou says, unfazed. "I'll put in the crystals."
Jouno doesn't know why he decided to do that nor does he ask. He just silently sits there and tries not to shiver under his touch when he urges Jouno to turn a little by his shoulders so he can change jewellery on his other ear.
Jouno makes a tiny little surprised sound when Tecchou tucks his bangs behind his ear, flushing under the realisation of the embarrassing sound he let out and the way he can just tell that Tecchou is smirking, the smug asshole.
"All done." Tecchou whispers in concentration, his voice rolling in Jouno's ear at the lack of distance between them. All his nerves are on edge and there is a tight knot in his stomach that he ignores with practiced ease.
Are you gonna fucking blush at him breathing your air? A voice inside Jouno's head taunts him.
"Thank you, Suehiro-san." Jouno stands up in haste without thinking twice about whether or not his piercer even gave him the space to stand for his desperation in getting out of here, which ends up in him inevitably bumping his head against said piercer's jaw and stumbling back from the collision.
Two firm hands land on the curve of his shoulders to keep him from falling over, a slight grunt escaping Tecchou from the sudden hit.
"Ow— shit, I'm sorry," Jouno fumbles over his words with a flustered frown on his face, rubbing at the blooming sore spot on his forehead with the heel of his palm and coiling away from the man upon instinct. "Sorry, fuck—"
"Slow down there, doll." Tecchou drops his hands and defensively holds them up at Jouno's cat-like reflexes, huffing a low chuckle that added to the petname makes his heart jump out of his chest.
So, as a natural reaction, Jouno retaliates, "don't call me that."
Tecchou can't help but find this amusing, especially with the way that even if Jouno sounds repulsive, the adorable rosy blush on his cheeks and ears easily give him away.
"Call you what?" Tecchou asks with feigned innocence; though with his monotonous tone of voice, one would assume that he's actually clueless.
"That." Jouno waves vaguely in the air between them, clutching his cane against his side like it may as well be the only thing providing him comfort at the moment.
"What would you rather I call you?"
Tecchou's heart skips giddily at the frustrated confusion that spreads across Jouno's face, overall making him look like a cat with how his closed eyes slightly wrinkle.
"My name?" Jouno states matter-of-factly, like that's obvious.
"What is your name?" Tecchou inquires, eliciting an incredulous tut of disbelief from his client as if he didn't just address by his name a few minutes ago.
Although, Jouno suspects he's asking because he hasn't formally introduced himself yet, so he gives him the benefit of the doubt.
"Saigiku," He says, pausing whilst tucking his cane under his arm, "Jouno."
"Saigiku Jouno." Tecchou parrots, a low whisper under his breath that sounds like he's tasting the syllables on his pierced tongue for himself, not knowing the profound effect it has on the man he's peering down at.
"Yes, you may call me so." Jouno nods, gulping thickly at the sonorous sound of a half-assed chuckle escaping Tecchou's mouth.
"Well, Jouno-san, is there anything else I can help you with?"
"No, thank you."
"In that case, it's time I close the studio, so I'm hoping your friend is here for you."
That reminds Jouno of Teruko's promised return.
He immediately scrambles for his phone in his jean's pocket and taps it open. Tecchou can't make out a single word of whatever the text-to-speech bot is reciting to Jouno because the speed of the speech is so fast. Nonetheless, he patiently waits as Jouno finds his friend's contact and presses his phone against his ear, offering a sheepish smile as the bell rings.
In the meantime, Tecchou tidies up his working space and leaves his guest to his vices.
Jouno steps outside and leans against the wall out of Tecchou's sight as his anxiety only grows with each bell he hears. A tiny part of his consciousness tells him that something is wrong but he brushes the gloomy feeling away. There's no way Teruko is going to ditch him.
Eventually, she does answer but the sound of her shrill cut scream makes Jouno hold his phone away from his ear with a wince.
"Jouno— I'm sorry, I'm on my way, just— hey! Asshole—" There's audible reciprocation followed by Teruko obnoxiously honking her horn and yelling at some random stranger in traffic from what Jouno can hear and he runs his palm down his face, embarrassed on Teruko's behalf even when he isn't there in person with her. "So anyways, where are you now?"
"Still at the studio. Where are you?"
"I've been stuck in traffic for the past hour cuz this fucknut decided today was a good day to park in the middle of the fucking road!" Her statement sounds like an obvious hyperbole, deliberately aimed at the person Teruko was arguing with before. "Listen— I hate to break it to you, but this traffic is not moving, I don't think I'll make it in time."
Jouno's entire frame sags at the confession, face dropping into one that screams mortification.
"What the hell does that mean?" He tries not to yell back at her because his voice would echo across the entire lobby for its lack of people, but he isn't really quiet either.
"I'm sorry, okay? But I've been stuck in the same spot for an hour!" Teruko repeats herself and does sound apologetic, but Jouno isn't comforted by it.
Not when he realises he's been abandoned.
"Well, how— how far are you?" He could just walk to her if she isn't far, right?
"Jouno," Teruko sighs in disdain, the apprehension lacing her voice making Jouno's heart drop even further down his gut, "I'm really sorry, do you want me to call you a ride instead?"
His mouth shuts with an audible click and he breathes out shakily, trying not to panic when he realises that it's late, he's alone, and even the studio is closing so he really has no idea what to do.
"I'll manage something, don't worry." Jouno lies straight through his teeth, because he himself is very worried.
"Are you sure? I could call Akutagawa and ask him to—"
"There's no need for that, I'll be fine." I most certainly will not, but I'd rather not inconvenience anyone at this time of the night. "You head home."
There's a tight knot in his gut that is threatening to snap under his building anxiety, fingers clutching his phone so tight that his knuckles turn white. He wants to be mad at her, he wants to tell her that he's not comfortable with being alone and calling for a ride— he hates ubers.
He hasn't really had the best experiences with them, so he's already cut that off the list.
Teruko asks him to text her when he gets home safe and sounds fairly guilty, as she should, and the call ends with that.
Jouno doesn't even get to sulk because the sound of someone clearing their throat not three feet away from him catches his attention.
"Are you alright?" It's Tecchou, and even he sounds concerned.
There is no point in lying or stalling, he can't even if he wants to do either of those. He said he has to close the studio so the option of him waiting in here is cut, so he tells him, even if admitting his problem makes his gut twist unpleasantly.
"No." Jouno simply says, smiling at him despite the ever-growing disappointment on his face.
"Is your friend here?" Tecchou, in his defense, doesn't mean to further tick his client off, but the way he words his question makes Jouno give him a nasty glare.
"No, in fact, she's not coming at all." Jouno admits begrudgingly.
Tecchou tilts his head in confusion, giving him (what can only be described as) a puppy-like look.
"Why? Is she okay?"
Jouno has to ponder to himself why talking to Tecchou feels like pulling teeth.
"She's fine, Suehiro-san, she's just stuck in traffic and says she can't make it."
"Then how will you go back home?"
Jouno smiles a bitter smile.
"I'm in the middle of figuring that out."
"Do you want me to call you an uber? Or someone else that you know who could come for you?"
"..." Jouno stays silent, not knowing why his incessant concern is pissing him off even more, "I hate ubers, and no, I do not know anyone of the like."
He's stranded, isn't he?
The silence that follows is so loud that Jouno wishes the ground would open up and swallow him whole, because he feels humiliated and like such a burden. He doesn't want anyone's pity, especially not Tecchou's, he's sure he'll manage something, he just wants to be out of this god forsaken studio and never come back.
"How far do you live?" Tecchou asks out of the blue.
And Jouno being the most intelligent being to ever have his walk grace the foul dirt of this earth offers the most coherent response:
"Huh?"
"I'll drop you, if you're okay with that?"
Jouno gapes at him for a long while, mouth parting without it even coming into his notice. He'll do what now?
And it isn't like Jouno has options to pick from, it's either an uber or Tecchou, and he supposes it won't hurt if he accepts his offer because it isn't like he's going to meet him ever again, so he doesn't have to worry about any dire consequences.
"You're being serious?" Jouno says as a precaution just in case Tecchou's playing a sick prank on him.
"Yes."
"Why?" Tecchou raises a brow at the sheer shock on Jouno's tense face. Honestly, he's more than willing to help him out, he just hopes he doesn't sound the part lest he come off as a creep— something that he's not.
"Customer service." Is what Tecchou offers.
Jouno stares at him with his eyelids flattening in surprise. He doubts their customer service expands as far as making sure their customers make it home safe, but Jouno isn't going to point that out.
Besides, he's sure Tecchou is a better driver than Teruko, right?
Wrong.
Well, sort of.
When Tecchou offered to guide Jouno outside (which he refused as kindly as he could, even if he jumped a step back at the feeling of his towering presence loom closer to him and stating that he can navigate just fine himself), he assumed that the man had a car like a normal person.
He didn't expect a motorbike.
"I am not getting on that thing." Jouno says, looking determined as the sound of the vehicle purring after roaring to life makes him take a small step back.
"Why not?" Tecchou sounds just a bit offended at Jouno's impertinence, stretching his long legs in front of himself as he clutches his helmet between his palms whilst eyeing Jouno's hesitant figure.
"That's a bike."
"Yes, it is." Tecchou confirms the observation, shrugging indifferently.
"So I'm not getting on it." Jouno crosses his arms over his chest and chews on the corner of his lip, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
"You don't have a lot of options here, Jouno-san." Tecchou reminds him matter-of-factly, cautiously watching Jouno reconsider every decision he's ever made in his life as after a long minute of consideration, he sighs and steps forward with a defeated sigh.
"Fine, but if we die, I'll kill you." Tecchou lets out an actual laugh at the adorable threat and Jouno short circuits.
It's such a foreign sound, even to Jouno because despite just meeting the guy only twice, he never heard his voice rise past the normal decibels, so when his deep, melodious laugh barely echoes across the otherwise empty parking lot, Jouno has to hold his weight on his cane so he doesn't stumble over his fumbling feet at his shock.
"Come on, doll," Tecchou says in such amusement that his smile can practically be heard, "safety first."
Jouno nods and swallows down his panic, taking a step forward and holding out his hand for what he can presume is a helmet, but fucking shrieks when he feels Tecchou take his hand in his own and gently pull him forward.
"You good?" Tecchou asks without letting go, his voice reverberating against Jouno's side as he recollects himself with an embarrassed flush on his cheeks.
"Ye— yeah, I'm fine." He mentally facepalms at his stuttering at just how full of surprises this asshole is and allows Tecchou to guide him onto the vehicle, letting Jouno use his shoulders as leverage. He keeps his fingers just tight enough for it to seem like he's trying not to fall, which is what he's doing, but the grip also gives him a good feel of the sheer muscle under the soft fabric of his shirt. Why is this such a big deal?
His skin is calloused from what Jouno can feel against his own softer knuckles, probably from how hard he works on things that don't involve poking holes in people's bodies and punching ink into them and whatnot; they're rough but not unpleasant to the touch and Jouno's pretty sure he felt the metal of quite a few rings on his long fingers. He's also so much warmer than he is himself in spite of the coldness of the night, the surprising tenderness of his guiding hands leaving trails of fire on whatever part of Jouno's arms he touches— truly the hands of an artist.
By the time Jouno's seated and straddling the bike right behind and awfully close to Tecchou, he now assumes he's going to be handed a helmet, but again, he is wrong.
"You'll burn your leg if you keep your foot on that." Tecchou speaks up in little less than a whisper, grabbing Jouno by his shin and placing his foot on the actual footrest.
Jouno doesn't know what surprises him more: the fact that he's allowing this manhandling, or the fact that his fingers almost entirely wrap around his ankle even in their loose grip.
Jouno frowns and plants his other foot on the footrest himself, swinging his arms behind himself to better adjust his position so he isn't completely pressed against Tecchou's lean back.
"Here." And finally, Tecchou hands him a helmet.
"Thanks." Jouno mumbles and traces his fingertips along the helmet so he can figure out how to accurately wear it. Once he's gotten a thorough feel of the thing, he carefully slips it onto his head and closes the clasp under his chin so it doesn't brush against his pierced ears.
Tecchou effortlessly pushes his own helmet over his head and grabs the handles of the bike to straighten the angle, almost revving the engine to life once again before he remembers something else.
"Jouno-san." He says in a muffle, turning his head so Jouno can hear him better.
"What?"
"You're gonna fall."
What?
"Excuse me?" Jouno scoffs with emphasis on his word, almost considering hopping right off and sprinting away from this man.
Tecchou supposes that that wasn't the best way to tell him that him sitting without holding on to him will result in him toppling over, but he isn't the brightest bulb around.
"If you sit like that, you'll fall."
"Sit like what? I'm sitting completely normal—"
Tecchou considers reaching behind himself to just pull him closer by his thighs, but that isn't the best or most considerate way to go seeing as how Jouno is already so jumpy around him. He can understand why, so he opts to use his words more than his actions for once.
"Come closer."
"Huh?"
"Keep your arms around me, like this." He does end up reaching behind himself, but not to pull him closer. He just takes one of his wrists in his hand and tugs as a telling. Jouno complies and leans forward, his other hand following suit as Tecchou instructs that he keep his arms around his slim waist. "And try not to resist any turns."
Jouno is just grateful that he can't see how red in the face he is, the brightness dusting his cheeks and ears putting even fucking rudolph to shame.
He's basically clinging to him like a koala to a tree.
He turns his head so his chin hovers above Tecchou's right shoulder, fingers tightening around his own wrist when the bike slowly begins its pace. Jouno suspects it's Tecchou just trying to gradually allow his passenger to get used to the ride for which he's thankful, because he does let out a surprised yelp when the bike wobbles.
Jouno's too distracted to pay attention to the fine muscle he can very well feel under his palms, too busy in trying to stay calm and holding on so tight that he fears Tecchou might choke.
He doesn't say anything if it bothers him.
The wind blows coolly against his hands as Tecchou pulls out of the parking lot and works wonders in making his fingers go numb from the chill. It's such a strange contrast from how his face is burning.
To Jouno's utmost surprise, Tecchou is a very good driver. Dare he say, he feels safer with him on this bike than he does with Teruko in her car. He'll never admit it, though.
He finds himself relaxing after a few minutes, easing into the ride and enjoying it, even. With his hypersensitive senses, he's always been wary of abrupt changes around him in regard to anything, but the way Tecchou does things comes so… naturally, that he can't help but lend him his trust. Just a bit though, Jouno isn't that easy to sway.
They don't speak on their way to Jouno's apartment save for when they stopped at a traffic light and Tecchou asked Jouno if he was alright. His concern is endearing and Jouno feels content at that, but when he catches himself warming up by Tecchou just being a decent human being, he sours his own mood and purses his lips shut.
By the time they do arrive outside the building, Jouno mentally estimates that this took way less time than it does by car, even if Teruko breaks every traffic law in existence and Tecchou follows them with just as much diligence. Jouno felt safer, arrived quicker and even had a good time.
As he climbs off the vehicle and slides his helmet off, he smiles at Tecchou who peers at him through the glass of his sleek black helmet, wandering his hooded eyes over his slightly dishevelled mane that naturally falls back into place as he takes the helmet from Jouno's outstretched hand.
"I feel like I've thanked you more times than I've said your name." Jouno says with an awkward scratch to the back of his neck, chuckling in a huff. "But uh, thank you once again, Suehiro-san."
"Tecchou."
Jouno pauses, confused, "pardon?"
"You can call me Tecchou, I'm not one for formality." Tecchou smiles at him even if it's hardly visible to anyone. "And you're very welcome, Jouno-san."
"Alright then, Tecchou-san, I appreciate your help. Have a good night." Tecchou's heart stutters at the smoothness with which he says his name and he swears it's deliberate from the way Jouno's smile twitches with mischief.
Jouno unfolds his cane and turns around, making his way up the stairs with practiced ease.
"You too, good night doll." Tecchou says after his retreating figure, blinking in surprise when Jouno whirls around with his signature pissed look.
"I thought I told you to stop calling me that."
Tecchou just laughs at that, shaking his head and already missing the lingering heat of his body against his back.
"Goodbye."
"Bye bye, Tecchou-san."