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The deep thrumming bass could be felt through the concrete paving slabs halfway down the street, vibrations carrying into the soles of Sugawara's feet as he walked towards the bar. His hands dug further into his pockets as his pace picked up, a spring to his step and a flutter to his heart as the excitement grew.
He didn't even mind when his low, peach-toned ankle converse ended up almost an inch deep into a murky pool of water as he crossed the pedestrianised street. Grey ankle grazer skinny jeans leaving the charcoal grey coloured sliver of faux leather – an anklet – around his leg on show; a white shirt loose and flowing around his thin body; partially hidden by a deep maroon light-weight blazer; a matching black faux leather choker around his throat. He adjusted the glasses on his face, the loose arms meaning they were always falling down his face.
He looked up to his destination, Grand Reopening banners plastered on every available surface of the Crow Bar, the most popular gay bar in the gay district. Sugawara gripped the bronze handle and through the frosted glass window he could see the bar was already heaving. He tugged on the handle and enjoyed the smooth glide of the door; opening much easier than it used to.
He walked inside, making a beeline for the bar and the ever-scruffy haired server behind it, catching sight of the blonde dyed hair and ear piercings glinting in the new lighting.
"Ukai-saan~" Sugawara chorused as he drew nearer, making the delinquent-esk bartender look up from cleaning the glass in his hand. "Wow! This place really looks fab!" Sugawara complimented, eyes roving over the interior painted in mellow warm colours, sophisticated, yet coupled with the lively decor and youthful, new layout it wasn't borish or drab. "The refurb honestly looks great!"
"Thanks Suga "
"Looks much better than before," Sugawara commented easier, perching himself on one of the bar stools and using the glass-top bar and the footrest to tuck his left leg under his body, "doesn't look like someone died in here anymore!" Sugawara laughed airily, no malice to his tone and Ukai soon joined in with his amusement.
"Because no one has, yet."
"Oooh, how ominous~" Sugawara pursed his lips slightly and the corners ticked upwards in a cheeky half smile as he leaned on his elbows on the surface of the counter-top.
"I mean you, Suga," Ukai grinned, reaching across the bar and wrapping his arm around Sugawara's shoulders, tugging him closer, "don't let your legacy be nothing more than a chalk outline I had varnished and pressed into my newly laid wooden floor, punk." By then their cheeks were pressed tightly together, Ukai's arm securing Sugawara like a vice.
"Awww," Sugawara half laughed, half cooed, pushing Ukai's body away and shuffling to get comfortable again, "your floor just got laid?" He inspected his finger nails, the black nail polish unchipped and unscuffed, satisfied with their appearance he then looked at Ukai. "How does it feel to be bested by your bar floor?" He pushed the glasses on his nose higher again.
"I'll spit in your drink, cretin." Ukai barked a laugh.
"Oh, you do that now?" Sugawara grinned, resting his chin on his fist and looking up at the bartender, eyes wide and full of life and mischief. "Then I'll have one of your finest shorts of spit!"
"On the rocks?"
"Give it to me straight, I can handle the bitterness."
"Man, fuck you." Ukai smirked, stacking away the glasses as they came out from the glass cleaner behind the bar.
Sugawara laughed from his stomach, "you missed your chance!"
"And give you more ammo? Nah."
The song overhead began to peter out, not fully fading before the next song took over.
"Belter!" Sugawara cheered, bopping his head to the lively tune, silver hair bouncing voluminously thanks to the addition of the back-combing he'd given it earlier that night.
Ukai watched with amusement as Sugawara began to play air guitar, adding the movements to his upbeat bar stool dance. He found himself unable to fight the massive small swell of affection and pride in his chest: Sugawara had come a long way since he'd first met him almost a decade ago.
The beat up kid always covered in bruises and getting into fights was now a man who knew how to give as good as he got and hadn't been in a fight in a long time, even if he did get swept up in atmospheres easily. He'd mellowed out, developed a character for himself and was not dictated by where he'd came from. He'd even made it as far as to get into a good university doing what he wanted to do. In truth, Ukai missed the nights Sugawara would work at the bar as a glass collector, pranking patrons and being on the receiving end of many pranks himself. So whenever he came back to visit it was special. A young adult with the world at his feet, endless opportunities opening for him like flowers presenting themselves to the sky for summer rain during a drought. Sugawara was the breath of fresh air that many people wanted, and it made Ukai proud to know he'd helped create the environment needed for Sugawara to flourish.
He watched as Sugawara's glasses slipped down his nose again, the young adult pausing in his dance to fix them, and Ukai unable to fight the more than parental sounding scolding.
"You really should buy glasses that actually fit."
"Do you know how expensive giggs are, Ukai?" Sugawara argued back. "One-hundred a pop! I'm not made of money, I am but a lowly, poor student!" Sugawara gasped, throwing his arm over his forehead.
"I wouldn't know the price; I'm not a geezer with poor eye sight."
"I'm younger than you!"
"And poor student my ass, Suga," Ukai laughed, leaning on the bar, palms down and shoulders hunched, "you're just always in here."
"In here it's piggin' daylight robbery," Sugawara argued, mimicking Ukai's stance only with his leg still cocked behind him on the stool, "lower your prices!"
Ukai looked at Sugawara with a deadpan expression, "no."
"Motherfucker." Sugawara fixed his glasses again.
"Evening Ukai," a new voice said, sitting on the stool one away from Sugawara, "the place looks great!"
"Thanks Sawamura," Ukai puffed up with pride, ignoring the look of confusion on Sugawara's face, "see Suga, that's how you compliment someone."
"Boo." Sugawara pulled tongues, settling on his leg again. "I liked mine better."
"Of course you did," Ukai turned to the newcomer, "the usual?"
"Hey, Ukai! Where's my drink? I'm dying of thirst over here!" Sugawara gasped, fixed his glasses with his middle finger.
"Yes please," the stranger commented, "the usual sounds good."
"Hey, I'm still waiting!" Sugawara bickered.
"I'm his favourite." The stranger gloated with a cheeky, boyish grin as Ukai left to prepare the beverage.
"No way, I am!"
"Sorry Suga, Sawamura's my favourite." Ukai returned, placing a glass of cola down in front of 'Sawamura'.
"Meanie, Ukai, mean!" Sugawara huffed, pushing his glasses back up his nose and following the action through by tucking hair behind his ear. He looked at the drink on the bar. "A vodka and coke? I want what he's having!"
Sugawara watched the pair share a glance before Sawamura lifted the drink to his lips, drinking from his glass with a side glance to Sugawara.
"You sure?"
"Yeah! Hit me up and get me shitfaced!"
"Alright."
Ukai moved behind the bar, reaching for the glasses and Sugawara allowed himself to watch the newcomer instead, pushing his glasses up again. He was handsome, tanned skin and a strong jaw with a closely cropped short back and sides style, the top not too much longer but long enough to be noticeable. His clothes were darker than Sugawara's, a black tee that hugged his body in all the right places, leaving just the right amount to Sugawara's imagination. He looked at the jeans the man was wearing, somehow looking blacker than the shirt, brand new, and black high top trainers with a neon orange stripe. He then found himself marvelling at the fact he'd boldly decided to go double denim, a faded bleach blue denim jacket being his coat for the night. The light silver chain around his neck and matching small hoop earring in one ear and diamond stud in the other didn't escape Sugawara's notice either— wait, was he wearing a hint of makeup?
A gentle clink distracted Sugawara and he turned to the glass now in front of him.
"Thanks Ukai!" Sugawara brought the drink to his lips, taking a sip before making a face. "Yo, Ukai, this better be a joke, I can't—where's the alcohol? I can’t get shitfaced on this."
"No alcohol, just cola." Sawamura spoke around a poorly hidden smile of amusement.
"What? Why? Can't you drink it?" Sugawara asked, noticing his own pale pink lip-gloss had smudged the rim of his glass.
"Never tried it," the stranger shrugged, "don't really see the appeal, but I'm not against drinking it."
"Oh my God then let me treat you!" Sugawara shouted, quickly rising to the baited atmosphere of the bar.
"Suga," Ukai reprimanded, "don't be pressuring him."
"'m not! I just said if he wants to I wanna treat him and take his alcohol virginity."
The comment caused the newcomer to sputter on his drink, coughing to clear the liquid that'd obviously just taken the wrong path down.
"Sure." He said after a moment.
"What?" Both Sugawara and Ukai's eyes bugged at how easily he agreed.
"I'll try one drink," Sawamura shrugged, "what do you recommend?"
"Honestly? What kind of flavours do you—”
"Gin and tonic."
"Suga wait—"
"I know exactly what this guy wants, and it's definitely a gin and tonic."
Ukai looked between the pair, eyes stopping on Sawamura. "You wanna trust this guy with your first drink?"
"I'm letting him have my alcohol virginity, why not?" The stranger laughed as he rubbed his chest with his knuckles, itching at his sternum, the rumbling baritone laugh making Sugawara's heart flutter.
They were left alone again as the bartender went to prepare their drinks.
"Sugawara Koushi, it's a pleasure to meet the man who's gonna be taking my chalk outline's place tonight."
The stranger looked perplexed, returning Sugawara's greeting with his own after some delay. "Daichi Sawamura, nice to meet you."
"The drink might change your opinion, Sawamura." Ukai warned, placing the two drinks in front of them.
Sugawara acted in mock offense, his glasses slipping down his nose at his expression change. "I'm nothing but wholesome!" This time he used his shoulder to fix his glasses as he reached for his drink, with a jerk of his head pushing them back up onto the bridge of his nose. His comment making Ukai snort in amusement and mutter "more like wholesome trouble."
Sugawara lifted his glass, eagerly anticipating Daichi doing the same, almost losing his composure when he did.
Sugawara was almost too excited to drink his own gin and tonic, but he noticed Daichi's apprehension, how he watched him to see his next moves; likely so he could copy.
That'd do just fine.
Daichi raised the glass to his lips, eyes meeting Sugawara's as he waited for direction, so Daichi wasn't as naive as Sugawara first thought.
He passed the man a sideward glance, lips curling in a smirk as he drank from his own glass, fighting back a face of distaste at the bitterly strong alcohol, Daichi, however, was not so lucky.
After seeing Sugawara tackle his drink with ease, he too tried to do the same.
Sugawara watched as the alcohol caught Daichi by surprise, the bitterness catching his throat and his face scrunching up in response, eyes closed tight with crows feet wrinkles in the corners, a crinkled nose and pursed lips as he fought back a cough.
Cute.
He was actually pretty cute.
Daichi blinked owlishly at Sugawara when he finally opened his eyes again, making Sugawara guffaw at his expression, the sound turning into a deep belly laugh.
"That's definitely a first time I'll remember." Daichi choked.
"Just like losing your actual virginity." Sugawara confirmed around his howling laughter. "B—Bitterly disappointing."
"I can't believe you trusted him." Ukai said without sympathy.
Sugawara was still laughing, his head hitting the counter in front of him, "ow," he continued to snicker softly to himself.
"Oh man," he lifted his head, looking at Daichi, "I need a piss," he wheezed, "your face," he broke into laughter again, "your face and the cold got me weak," he took a shuddering breath, breaking into more peals of laughter, "gotta pee—" he leaned heavily on the counter, lifting himself from the bar stool and stumbling slightly as the blood flow returned to his leg, "dunno if I'm gonna pee or puke." He choked out.
"Just get in the bathroom and find out, cretin." Ukai shooed.
Sugawara left the two at the bar, staggering to the bathrooms as he recomposed himself, blinking away his tears and dabbing at his cheeks, willing them to cool down.
He made his way into the men's room, pushing on the door and heading inside. Suddenly the jovial air of the bar was replaces by a smothering unease as Sugawara entered the bathrooms, his eyes landing on two menacing figures standing under the open window. They both wore baseball caps, one with a cigarette poised between his lips.
It made Sugawara angry.
Ukai had worked hard to get the bar this way and they were being so disrespectful?
"Y'know this is a no smoking establishment?" Sugawara spat, moving to one of the urinals perpendicular to the youths. "Put it out. Now." He stared the man down until he ground the butt against the white tiled wall, marring the surface with ash.
Disrespectful.
The stares they gave him in return filled him with the wrong kind of butterflies, and as he did what he had originally came in for he found himself feeling not unlike prey being stalked by predators.
Sugawara didn't retreat, however, turning away from them with a façade of disinterest. And as he reached to fasten his zipper a hand gripped his, and ripping it away, his heart leaping into his throat.
"Huh?" He swung his arm free from their grip, turning to face the assailant only to be met with a strong push against his chest that knocked him back against the wall beside the urinal. Tiles and pipes digging into the notches of his spine and shoulder blades.
"You wanna behave?" One of them spoke, gripping the front of Sugawara's shirt in his fist.
"Hah, do I ever." Sugawara spat, spittle hitting his attacker's face and Sugawara shoving against him to make a break for the door.
He was tackled to the wall once again, this time by the second man and with his face pressed into the sharp tiles, his front being chilled by the cold surface through just a thin shirt. He cursed Ukai for buying real tiles and not just wallpaper as the second man restrained his arms at the small of his back.
"Stay like that for us, hm?"
The first man re-joined the second, the duo blocking his exit and restraining him with hands in places he didn't want them to be.
"Be a good fag for us."
"What?" Sugawara asked, wide eyed. "No!" He struggled against their hold.
"So we're gonna have to make you?"
"Get off me!"
Sugawara caught sight of one set of hands leave their position as one of them moved to unbuckle his belt.
In the time Sugawara had been in the bathrooms Daichi had learned a lot about the other man from Ukai, the latter making sure to make Sugawara's pechant for mischief and getting into trouble crystal clear, along with his infectious personality.
"He certainly sounds like a character." Daichi spoke, amused, going back to nursing his soft drink. "I coulda done with that warning ten minutes ago." He checked his phone screen with a pensive expression.
"That's one way to describe it, I just usually call him a cretin." Ukai laughed, noticing how Daichi's eyes kept flitting to the smartphone. "Everything alright? Waiting for a call?"
"Oh—” Daichi looked up at the bartender and then back to his phone again. "No, it's just, it's been ten minutes."
"There's nothing stopping you from going to check on him, y'know?" Ukai reminded.
Daichi nodded, all too eagerly standing and pocketing his phone in the seat of his pants pocket, making his way to the bathrooms.
He hand rested on the metal push plate, palm flat and about to open the door when he heard a muffled noise that filled him with a nervous apprehension.
He silently pushed the door open, grateful that, like the front entrance, the door was new and soundless. He heard the distinctive sound of skin slapping skin and a muffled curse, willing himself to turn back.
He shouldn't interrupt.
His heart raced as he caught sight of a body hit the wall and slide down it.
Huh?
"Motherfuckers!"
He watched as Sugawara came into view, lunging at the one pressed against the wall. His blazer was a discarded heap on the floor, shirt ripped in several places and his pants unbuttoned, unzipped, and hanging dangerously low on his hips. His glasses just as low on his nose.
And on the floor was a single cigarette butt, two baseball caps, and a man scrambling to his feet.
"Suga!"
The fighting stopped.
"Oh, hey Daichi, shut the door so old man Ukai can't hear!"
Daichi took one more look out into the corridor to the man serving more people at the bar before shutting the door, looking around again in disbelief.
"Suga what on Earth—"
"They wrecked my clothes!" Daichi deadpanned. "And they groped my dick!"
Oh, that changed things. His deadpan expression didn't last much longer as he saw the one previously on the floor charging for Sugawara with his fist raised.
Daichi jumped between them, catching the man's attack and swinging back with a powerful right hook that connected with his opponent's face. The stinging burn in his knuckles was a welcome sensation, the crunch as his fist collided with the man's face a satisfying sound and he did it again.
"Yeah! Go Daichi! Rip his clothes! Kick him down! Break his nose!!!" Sugawara cheered, becoming lost in the moment and Daichi found it hard not to do the same. He moved on to the second man that was against the wall, the fact he was subdued not good enough for Daichi.
Daichi didn't know what was happening. He was usually calm when he came to confrontation, level-headed even in heated moments, he usually preferred to use his words over violence. But Sugawara was infectious, addictive. His blood ran hot with adrenaline and an inhibition that was all Sugawara's creation.
"Daichi, stop!" And he did, knuckles stinging and breathing harsh.
Daichi looked to Sugawara, when did he get to the door?
"Ukai's coming, we gotta scram!" Sugawara whispered, shutting the door and grabbing Daichi's aching hand, dragging him towards the window. He let go of Daichi's hand, something the latter regretted within seconds.
Sugawara grabbed the window ledge, hoisting himself up onto his elbows and over the tiled ledge, Daichi offered him a boost, pushing his feet through the gap after Sugawara. Once Sugawara was out Daichi followed him, clambering through the small window and crawling along the floor outside just in time as Ukai entered the bathroom.
He rolled onto his back, looking up at the night sky as he fought to catch his breath, adrenaline waning. Sugawara's face came into his view, looking down at him with a light expression despite all that'd happened, but something was different.
"Hey, wait," Daichi looked up at Sugawara, "didn't you have glasses?"
Two pale hands slapped rosy cheeks, feeling up his temples. "Fuck! Where did they go?" Sugawara dropped to his knees, patting thicker patches of grass as Daichi sat up and turned to hear Ukai's voice through the window. He watched as the bar owner roared at the two attackers, and when one of the attackers stepped on a pair of pistachio green, large framed glasses in his attempt to escape Ukai's wrath.
"I—I found them." The crunch was audible from outside, something Sugawara heard.
"No!" Sugawara slumped, letting out a laugh before climbing to his feet. "No problem, I didn't need them anyway—”
Within moments he was proven wrong, his foot catching on raised ground, "fuck!" Sending him tumbling into Daichi's waiting arms, the latter just barely being in the right place at the right time.
"You okay?" Daichi asked, suddenly feeling all too aware of Sugawara's warm body in his arms, the slender waist he was holding.
"Y—Yeah, uh, thanks." Sugawara used Daichi's arms to regain his balance, Daichi noticing the redness in Sugawara's face and he reached to touch his cheeks.
"You're hot."
"R—Really? Must be the adrenaline...!" Sugawara was quick to dismiss.
"C'mon, I ain't letting you walk home while you can't see. Where do you live?"
"How forward~"
"No, this'd be forward," Daichi leaned in, closing the distance between their lips in an almost sweet caress if it weren't for the latent intent behind the action conveyed by a confident tongue wetting Sugawara's lower lip. Who was he to deny it?
He kissed Daichi back, gripping the collar of his denim jacket and holding him so tight he was afraid he'd disappear if he didn't. He licked into his mouth and stole his breath away with the languid slide of their tongues and bruising movement of lips.
"Fuck," Sugawara breathed, "I like forward Daichi."
While his vision might've been limited, through the blur and with help from close proximity he was able to see the same boyish smile on Daichi's features.
"I'd definitely like to be forward Daichi again," his expression relaxed, "but for now I'll make sure you get home safe."
"Such a gentleman~"
Daichi hummed softly, allowing Sugawara's arm to slot in the crook of his elbow and he linked him. As his arm snaked through Daichi's the latter noticed black ink work on his pale skin.
"Suga?"
"Yeah?"
Daichi couldn't contain his grin. "I like your tattoo."
"Huh? Oh!" Sugawara grinned, moving his arm so Daichi could get a better look. "Thanks! My friend owns a parlour – he did it."
"Your friend?"
"Oikawa, he works in this parlour called Blue Ink, he did it."
"Blue...Ink...Oikawa..."
"Yeah, that's what I said, you know him?"
"Can you see this?" Under the street lamp Daichi lifted his denim jacket sleeve enough to show his tanned forearm, Sugawara able to make out the contrasting black ink work.
"You gotta be kidding." Sugawara looked to his own arm and then back to Daichi's. "Is that—? He told me it was unique!!"
"He told me the same," Daichi laughed, the pair continuing their journey back to Sugawara's apartment, "hasn't he been obsessed with the whole soulmate thing lately?"
"But still! The fucker tattooing two randomers the same and hoping they'll find each other." Sugawara huffed. "I wanna go there tomorrow and act like we're strangers."
"You want to?" Daichi asked quickly and with a grin as they entered Sugawara's apartment building.
"Omg you're serious?"
"As serious as you are."
"Yes." Sugawara had no hesitation. "But can I go get spare glasses first?"
"Sure, it's a date."
"I definitely like this kind of forward Daichi too." Sugawara smiled. "Come in? Seeing as tomorrow's gonna be our first date, sleep over and become friends tonight?"
"Such a gentleman." Daichi huffed affectionately.
If there was one thing Ukai had been right about Sugawara it was the part where he explained how his limitless love was infectious.
Daichi was already infected to the bone.