Chapter Text
Togami decides immediately after waking up that date number two is going to be better than date number one. Far better. In fact, date number two will be the best date known to man. Togami is setting it up, after all. It won't be difficult. He stretches his arms, slides on his glasses, and walks over to the laptop perched safely on the desk, silently thankful today is an off day. Cracking his knuckles, he sets his fingertips firmly on the computer's keys and rouses it from its slumber. It's time to start planning.
He picks a Friday evening two weeks away for the date. He doesn't want it to be too soon. He has a lot of planning to do. Yes, a great deal of planning. So much planning. It isn't because he wants Naegi to miss him. It's the planning.
His fingers glide across the keyboard as he types with a rapidity almost alarming to himself before he realizes he doesn't know what he intends to search and has just tapped out a decently lengthy string of nonsense. He brings his index fingers to his temples. Think, Togami. What's a good date idea?
"Dinner and a movie" flashes immediately to the forefront of his mind. No, no. Not only is it too played out, but it's also almost the exact same thing Naegi had just done for their first date. This one has to be better. "Amusement park" bubbles up next, but amusement parks are for kids. "A walk through the park" might work if it wasn't a last resort for the penniless. Something with the scenic charm of a walk through the park but a little more class, something that Togami'll have to bust out the old wallet for. He blinks heavily a few times as it comes to him.
A boat tour is just the right thing. They can take in the scenery over the water with a bit more romance, a little more intimacy. Togami chuckles triumphantly as he enters the words into the search bar, a sinister grin spreading across his face. This'll be just the thing to make Naegi fall completely in love with him. Just the way Togami's fallen.
....What? Togami hasn't fallen. He is not a man who falls. He will not ever fall. Perhaps he may deign to step down. He'll take the elevator. Or the stairs. Or a ladder. But he's not going to fall. And he certainly hasn't fallen already. What a ludicrous notion! Even if Naegi is the most adorable person Togami's ever seen, sweeter than honey, charming beyond power of speech... No matter what the case may be, Togami has definitely not fallen so hopelessly in love with him that he can't bear to think about anything else.
He shakes the thoughts from his head and continues typing, mapping out the perfect schedule in classic Togami style. They'll meet in the evening by the same spot they'd met last time and walk to the harbor just in time to start the tour as the sun is setting. It'll be so beautiful. Naegi will love it; Togami can already the picture the look on his face. He snaps himself out of it when he feels his heart start to tighten. No need to get all excited right now. The date isn't for two weeks.
The clock in his periphery catches his attention and he nearly falls out of his chair when he sees it's not yet 5 o'clock in the morning on a day off and here he sits, awake. Fatigue suddenly hits him hard. His new promotion hasn't been doing him any favors in the way of sleeping, and with his recent excitement over Naegi keeping him up at night, he's due for a good rest. He crawls back over to the bed, tripping over the carpet on his way. He doesn't even bother to take his glasses off before he falls back to sleep.
He snaps back awake again much later and looks immediately to the clock on the far wall. 9:13. He's amazed he was able to squeeze that much more sleep out of the morning, and he's equally amazed at how little he feels refreshed by those four extra hours. He yawns quietly and spends a few moments weighing options before he decides to head out for a cup of coffee.
In the city, there are plenty of places to go for coffee. On any given street, there are at least five places. There is a great number of them right near Togami's condo. But he doesn't want to go to any of these, nor does he want to go back to drink the hot dishwater at Naegi's place of employment. He knows a nice little place that serves a good cup and just so happens to be across the street from a certain diner he frequents, and it's there that his feet are taking him today.
He slides onto a little stool by the window after ordering and can't help glancing at that familiar sign across the street, bright and flickering as always. He wonders if Naegi is at work right now, tries to restrain himself from looking to see, fails to restrain himself and takes a long peek. Through the window, he can see that Ishimaru, surprisingly, is not seated at the counter. He can also see that every other seat in the diner is vacant; there is a notable lack of people in general. If it weren't for the sign and the fact that the restaurant advertises a 24-hour menu, Togami would be convinced that the place is closed. After a while of watching the bustling nonactivity in Mondo's, Togami's name is called by the barista, and he stands to fetch his coffee. When he sits back down, he can't help but look over again, and when he sees what's happened, he almost falls out of his chair.
The change is so striking he almost can't believe it's real. The same diner that had been so desolate just moments ago now teems with customers. He almost can't see through the window for the denseness of the crowd. Is this really the same diner? The mass of people sticking by the window parts for a brief moment, and through the gap, Togami catches the tiniest glimpse of the light brown hair he's had on his mind so much recently. He barely has time to process the sight before the throng pushes back together, even closer than before. Togami keeps the crowd in the corner of his vision as he brings the steaming cup to his lips. He's never before seen so many people in the general vicinity of the place, let alone so many pouring into the entrance. He watches them steadily stream in until every seat is filled and a line forms outside, pressing close to the side of the building. The sight is so fascinating that he forgets he's in a coffee shop, in public, in the process of drinking a cup of coffee.
Just before a substantial trickle of scalding coffee splashes onto his leg, he throws his hand beneath it, diverting the flow, avoiding a stain, and setting him into a fit of internal screaming like never before. The shop employees rush over immediately, a million questions at a time, but all Togami can focus on is the pain in his hand. He watches their mouths move through a haze of red, and just as he notices the screaming has actually been external this entire time, one of them grabs his hand and dunks it into a bowl of cool water, held in the hands of another employee who's just sprinted in from the back.
He closes his eyes as the sting in his hand ebbs, opening them again once his breathing has evened out. He scans the room and finds, to both his expectation and horror, that everyone within is openly staring at him. Resentment bubbles up in his chest. Who do they think they're looking at? Before he can say anything to the gawkers, the worried voice of an employee reaches him. "Sir, are you alright?"
The gaze he turns to the employee is so frigid that she jumps back an entire foot. "I'm fine."
"Then c-could you please, uh, come w-with me to the." She gulps audibly. "To the sink." Togami lets out a long sigh, but complies anyway. The worker takes him to the back, turns the sink on, and sticks Togami's hand under it, saying, "First aid, sir. I'll, uh, g-get you when you can go." As she exits back to the front, he sighs once more. All he'd wanted was a cup of coffee, and now here he stands with an injury. Since he can't see out the window from here, he locks his gaze on the stream and watches the water flow over his throbbing hand.
After about fifteen minutes of this brain-melting excitement, a different employee comes over to him and says it's alright to leave. He walks back out to the table he'd been at, where his coffee cup still sits, and finds that his coffee is now much cooler than he likes to drink it. Thankfully most of the crowd who'd witnessed his injury is now gone, but a few remain, and they approach him to inquire of his wellbeing. Who do they think they are? Talking to him like they know him. It's ridiculous.
He downs the rest of his coffee in one gulp and storms out of the shop, only to be faced with a better view of the crowd that distracted him in the first place. It's grown exponentially within the past twenty minutes. Even through his irritation, Togami feels bewilderment anew. He'd been wondering how the place manages to stay afloat, and this is as good an explanation as any. Before he can get wrapped up again, he stalks off to a pharmacy to buy some gauze for his hand.
After he's gotten home and wrapped his hand, he thinks about when the best time would be to get back in contact with Naegi. He decides it's best to wait a few days, so he does.
But three days later, on Tuesday, as Togami is walking to work, he hears a loud "HEY" from behind and turns to see a security guard sprinting after him. His first instinct is to run, but he knows he hasn't done anything wrong, so he turns back around and continues at the same pace, sure that the guard is pursuing someone else. The guard, however, is not pursuing someone else, and after a few moments, he clamps his hand down on Togami's shoulder. A yell already welling in his throat, Togami turns to face the man, but his voice fails to come out when he spies a familiar set of eyebrows. "Ishimaru?"
"What have you been up to?" he asks, not even slightly out of breath. The words seem kind enough, but the stern tone tells Togami this isn't just small talk, coupled with the fact that Ishimaru just chased him down.
"I've been, uh, working," Togami says, drops of sweat beginning to form on his neck. Nobody's ever been able to intimidate him quite like Ishimaru does.
"That's it?" Are his eyes red or is Togami just imagining it?
"Yes."
"Why haven't you spoken to Naegi?" Oh. "I'm sure you know he's been waiting for you to call him."
"Well, I--"
"I don't want excuses." The look on Ishimaru's face tells Togami that he means business. "He's been waiting. He thinks you're tired of him. Are you tired of him?"
"No!" Togami huffs indignantly. "I was planning on calling him today."
"Great!" Ishimaru says, pulling out his phone. "You can do it right now."
"I'm going to be late."
"No, you're not."
Before Togami can object further, Ishimaru's talking into the receiver. "Hey, Naegi! It's me. I'm sorry to call so early on your day off, but I've got someone who needs to talk to you." After he finishes this sentence, he places the phone in Togami's hand. Cautiously, he brings it to his ear.
"Hello?" Naegi's voice comes through, full of sleep. Togami had forgotten how much he liked that voice, but now he remembers, and it's hard to begin.
"Hello," he manages. He hears something crash on the other end of the line, and when Naegi speaks again, he sounds like he's been awake for hours.
"Togami! What is, uh, do you need something?" Togami doesn't know how to answer. He looks to Ishimaru, but there is no help to be found in that cold stare.
"I'm sorry," he says slowly, carefully pronouncing the words, "that I didn't call sooner."
"It's okay," Naegi mutters. Ishimaru gives Togami a big thumbs-up while remaining unsmiling. "Is that all?"
"No! No." Togami coughs a few times to regain his cool before continuing. "Would you like to go out with me again next Friday?" Ishimaru nods approvingly as he begins to mumble into a walkie-talkie.
"Uh," Naegi begins, and immediately the fear of rejection, previously unknown to Togami, sets in all the way down to his core. "I think I have something I have to do next Friday."
"I see." All that planning for naught. Togami's about to hand the phone back when Naegi's voice rings in his ears again.
"Can we do it this Friday instead?"
"Yes," Togami says without hesitation. "We can." He pauses for several seconds too long before continuing. "I'll call you with the details later." With that said, Ishimaru plucks the phone from his hand.
"Sorry again, Naegi. We'll both talk to you later." Once he hangs up, he turns his twinkling eyes back to Togami. "Didn't that feel good?" Togami nods slightly. "Think about how other people feel more often." Togami turns to resume his trip to work, but Ishimaru grabs him by the forearm before he can get too far. "What happened to your hand?"
"Nothing," Togami replies, unwilling to admit his coffee spill ever happened.
"You're a grown man, Togami. You shouldn't tell lies." Without giving Togami time to respond, Ishimaru turns and sprints back in the direction from which he came. Togami looks at his watch and decides he better get sprinting too if he wants to make it on time.
-
Friday comes before Togami's really prepared for it. Once it arrives, Friday evening sneaks up on him too quickly for him to notice. Now, Togami waits at a bench he's waited at before for the same guy he was waiting for last time. His watch reads 7:34. Eleven minutes until the agreed-upon meeting time, until they have their walk to the harbor, until the date really begins. Based on Naegi's previous arrival time, Togami figures he has ten more minutes to relax. He sits back a little more. For the next ten minutes, he can go back over the plan for the evening to make sure nothing goes awry.
At least, he could have, but Naegi arrives after only two minutes of additional plan review. Togami does not even attempt to hide his astonishment when he cries, "Why are you so early?" Naegi chuckles uncomfortably.
"Sorry, I just wanted to see you, I guess," he mumbles, going pink. "I mean, you haven't come by all week."
"Oh." Ishimaru's words echo in Togami's mind. "Sorry."
"Oh no, it's fine!" Naegi says, waving his hands a little too vigorously. Togami's heart resumes its recent endeavor to show him just how fast it can beat.
"Okay." Too long of a pause. "Do you want to head over to the harbor, then?"
"Sure," Naegi says with a smile so dazzling that Togami isn't sure where the sun is anymore. He rises, and they begin their leisurely stroll to the harbor. Togami decides the extra ten-minute cushion is a plus; they can take all the time they need to walk over.
They spend the majority of the journey in silence. Togami takes a good look at Naegi's suit while they walk. He's relieved they're dressed equally formally. When he'd told Naegi that he'd need to dress up, he hadn't expected him to own such a nice suit; he's glad that he does.
As they near the harbor, a question suddenly bursts from Togami's mouth. "You don't get sick on boats, do you?" At this point, it's almost useless to ask, but he can't believe this possible issue hadn't occurred to him sooner.
"I don't go on boats often enough to know, but I brought some medicine just in case." Togami nods silently. That's good enough.
They're still a few minutes early when they arrive, but the captain lets them board anyway. He's a young, drab-looking guy with extremely long hair; Togami doesn't think he looks much like a captain, but as long as he has a boating license, he sees no immediate problem. They walk to the opposite side of the boat and sit down on the sleek seat. Naegi turns his head to survey the water, but Togami looks around at the boat itself.
It's every bit as nice as the price and the website led him to believe it would be. The deck shines as though it was just polished ten minutes ago, and the lights on the tables are fixed in elegant designs. Naegi's sure to be taken aback by how beautiful it all is. Togami turns to face him, smirking, but when he sees Naegi staring wide-eyed at the water, it's he who is taken aback. The way those sparkling green eyes take in the beauty of the sky, the water, everything and throw it back out ten times greater is enough to put Togami in the hospital for a week.
Gradually, more patrons arrive and board the boat. The more it fills, the closer Naegi scoots to Togami. Initially, they'd been about a foot apart, but now the distance has shrunk to a mere three inches, and Togami's heart isn't about to let him forget about it. After a few minutes of listening to his heartbeat with the other passengers' chatter as background noise, he's thrilled to hear the captain announce that the boat will be leaving momentarily. He turns around to face the water, like Naegi has been the whole time, and sees the sun just about to dip below the horizon. Perfect timing.
The staff comes out soon after they disembark with trays of little snacks. Togami tastes one before offering it to Naegi.
"Um, why don't you finish that one yourself. I'll get my own." Idiot! He's not a child, of course he wants his own! Togami makes a mental note not to be so stupid for the remainder of the evening, but it's difficult to remember with Naegi so close and so captivating.
He turns to face the water and finds his own breath taken away by the view. The sun is just visible behind the skyline, and it looks like the buildings are melting right into the water. He feels childish for being so amazed, but when he sees the look of awe on Naegi's face, he doesn't care. He just wants to see that forever.
Eventually, when the sunset is nearing its conclusion, the staff brings out dinner. Togami's surprised to see that such a high class ship is serving burgers, but when he tastes his, he gets why. He looks over to find Naegi still staring out at the horizon. "Naegi," he says, reluctant to break him out of his reverie, "dinner is out. You should eat."
Naegi blinks a few times before whipping his head around to face Togami. "Sorry, sorry. It's just so beautiful." Togami nods in agreement, but the scenery hasn't really had much of his attention.
It's totally dark by the time they get back to the dock. The passengers file off the boat slowly, Naegi and Togami stepping off last of all. They chat while they walk for a while until it dwindles into nothing and they continue in silence. Togami's throat burns, aching for him to say something, but the hammering in his chest keeps his lips from parting. After several eternal minutes of tension, Naegi stops.
"I live down this road, so I'll split off here." Togami watches him walk away for a few steps, but everything in him is telling him not to let Naegi walk away right now. Without thinking, he lurches forward and calls out, much too loudly.
"Wait." Naegi turns back around slowly. The streetlights are highlighting him in that perfect way they've been known to do. Togami swallows. "Let me walk you home."
"Alright," Naegi says, his face coloring. Togami comes back up to his side, and while they walk down the narrow sidewalk, Togami can't help but realize how far this is from the diner. Naegi must have quite the commute to work every day. And to the park! Togami never even realized.
"This is it," Naegi says suddenly, and much too soon, stopping in front of a slightly run-down complex. Togami clenches and unclenches his fists at his sides, unwilling to say goodnight so soon but aware he can't exactly invite Naegi to go somewhere else. Just as he starts to mumble a farewell, Naegi cuts him off. "Do you want to come up?"
Togami's head nods on its own, and as he follows Naegi through the door and up three flights of stairs, he feels like he's ascended directly into a dream. When they get to Naegi's actual apartment, Togami first notices how clean it is; second, how small. Compared to his condo, this place is suffocating. The kitchen and the living room are separated only by a counter, and the most attention-grabbing feature in both rooms is the bed, sitting adjacent to the small television as if it's a couch. Togami's shock must be plain on his face because Naegi says, "Yeah, I know, I know. Have a seat if you want."
Togami wobbles over to the bed and sits down on it gingerly. He's surprised at how utterly spotless the room is. The wardrobe by the window has only few small trinkets atop it, and all the dirty clothes in sight are in the hamper. Even the bed is made. Togami stares at every facet of the little space intently until Naegi plops down beside him, only a few inches farther away than they had been on the boat.
"What?" he says, and Togami swivels his head to make eye contact. Naegi's eyes are twinkling, a small smile stretching its way across his face.
"What?"
"You look like you want to say something. About my apartment."
"No, I--" He stops himself. The Ishimaru in his mind screams at him not to tell lies. "It's just small... And clean," he adds in a futile attempt to make it better. He waits for Naegi to get mad, but he doesn't. Instead he just starts laughing. Naegi's laughter fills Togami's chest until he's fit to burst, and Togami thinks he can finally understand people who listen to the same song on repeat for four days.
After a while, Naegi calms down. "Of course it's small," he says, wiping a tear from his eye. "I work at a diner."
"Well, I didn't mean," Togami trails off. He feels like he's being made into the butt of the joke, but he's having a tough time getting angry with Naegi over it.
"Don't worry about it," Naegi says with that gleaming smile that makes Togami forget how to frown. "I thought you were gonna say it smelled bad in here or something."
"It smells fine," Togami says, unsure of what else to say. Naegi suppresses a chuckle.
"Thanks."
They sit in silence for a while, knees almost touching, hands hovering just so close on the bed. "Did you have fun tonight?" Togami hears the words escape his lips. He feels compelled to look at Naegi for his response.
"Absolutely," Naegi says, his voice far-off and dreamy, his eyes shining. His knuckles graze the back of Togami's hand and he winces, his injury not fully healed, but at the same time, he feels it shoot through his arm like some kind of gentle lightning, and he wants more.
Togami picks his hand up and plants it firmly over Naegi's, the pleasant warmth pulsing through his body. He's sure he's never felt more alive than this; not when he was born, not when he graduated, not when he got his promotion, not ever. Letting his mind go completely blank for once in his life, he leans down and places a very firm kiss on Naegi's lips.
This is a warmth entirely different from their hands, still pressed together on the bed. This is deeper. Softer. Sweeter. Togami can taste hints of the dessert they'd had on the boat earlier, and something else he can't quite place. He doesn't want to place it. He sees Naegi's eyes slide shut, long eyelashes fanning out, and closes his eyes too. They hold the kiss for a while, getting used to it, getting used to each other. Togami's never felt this before, and he thinks he's enjoying it, but when he feels a light pressure on his chest, his eyes snap open. He looks down to see Naegi's hand sliding underneath his coat.
"Naegi," he breathes as he pulls away, his hand reaching up to grab Naegi's wrist. Naegi's eyes snap open, and a blush stains his features immediately.
"What? Sorry. What is it?"
"I'm not going to have sex with you on our second date." Naegi snickers and Togami wonders what could possibly be funny at a time like this.
"I didn't think you were." He sneaks a kiss on Togami's cheek. "I'm not trying to have sex with you. Can you trust me?" Togami loosens his grip, and Naegi takes this to mean yes.
He moves his hand back, pushing Togami's coat off, and leaves his hand resting on Togami's chest as he leans back in for another kiss. Togami, in turn, slides Naegi's jacket off, and, abandoning his hold on Naegi's other hand, wraps both arms around that slim frame. As he pulls him in closer, he feels Naegi's hands fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. He widens his eyes, but Naegi just hums a quiet little laugh and gives him a reassuring pat on the chest. They pull back briefly to unbutton each other's shirts, and when they draw close once more, Togami's glad.
With just their undershirts on, there's less discomfort. It feels closer, more natural, than having all that extra fabric in between. Togami runs his hands over Naegi's shoulders, arms, sides, back, feeling the slopes of his body in a new way. Naegi does the same, running his hands up Togami's chest and around the sides of his neck, back down to his shoulder blades. They press together their lips, and it's warmer than before. They pull each other in until their chests are touching, their hearts beating at a breakneck allegro together, and Togami has never known anything so warm. He doesn't know how long they spend together like this. He only knows that when he leaves, he doesn't want to go.
As Togami walks home through the cooling night, he can only hope Naegi's fallen for him just as much as he's fallen for Naegi. As it turns out, the elevator, stairs, and ladder have all decided to go on strike; Togami doesn't really mind.