Work Text:
After a long day at work, Kazuhito was grateful for the hot water pouring down on his tired shoulders. This was just temporary, he reminded himself, and soon, he was going to be able to take his online business to the next level. He just needed this job to pay the bills. Soon, though. Soon.
He heard footsteps on the other side of the bathroom wall – it must’ve been his neighbor. He didn’t really know the guy, but they shared a smile whenever they bumped into each other coming home or at the mailbox. Then, he heard another shower starting.
Hm. Must be his bathroom, too, then.
Kazuhito continued soaking in the heat, closing his eyes and tilting his head back as he washed away the day. This wasn’t the end, unfortunately. Before he could sleep, he had things to do for his business. He found someone interested in working for/with him, someone he’d only met online – Kinoshita something – and he was hoping that with a few convincing emails, maybe they could meet at a café and go over more specifics. This would do wonders for his dreams.
A deep singing voice interrupted his train of thought.
“Oh, I want to know just how to love you – the jewel of California. Oh, I want to skip stones on your skin, boy, and drown me in your water.”
Kazuhito stared at the wall as if he would suddenly be able to see his neighbor more clearly. He knew this song – he loved this song – and something about knowing his neighbor listened to gay music by a gay artist made his heart beat a little faster.
“And my boy like a queen, unlike one you’ve ever seen – he knows how to love me better. A hit of dopamine, higher than I’ve ever been – he knows how to love me better.”
Kazuhito hummed along, feeling more of the tension leave his body.
“’Cause you’re safe like spring time, short days, long nights, boy–”
“Tell me all the ways to love you,” Kazuhito sang before he could stop himself.
The voice on the other side of the wall paused, but only for a second. “’Cause you taste like Lucky Strikes; you drag, I light, boy–” He paused again, with more intention.
“Tell me all the ways to love you.” Kazuhito smiled as their voices met, then glanced at the wall when he realized his neighbor wasn’t starting the second verse. Hm.
“Oh, I wanna tip-toe through your bliss, boy; get lost the more I find ya,” he sang uncertainly. “Oh, don’t wanna miss a second of this, boy; hold me tight and love me longer.”
“You’re doing great,” came a muffled voice, amusement clear. “And my boy like a queen–”
“Unlike one you’ve ever seen,” Kazuhito joined back in. “He knows how to love me better.” His neighbor echoed him. Kazuhito couldn’t help but swoon a little. God, that was such a nice voice.
They harmonized through the chorus, and his neighbor giggled when Kazuhito’s voice cracked. It was oddly intimate. As someone who worked nonstop, Kazuhito didn’t exactly have time to connect. This was the closest to social that he’d been in months.
“Breath me in, exhale slow, take me to anywhere you want to go.”
Kazuhito continued harmonizing with his neighbor even as he turned off the shower and pulled a towel around himself.
“Hey, that was fun,” his neighbor called.
“I – ah – yeah! It was,” Kazuhito agreed.
“It’s late, get some sleep.”
“Y-yeah, you too!”
He wished he could sleep, but first, he had to send an email to that Kinoshita guy.
It was a quick send, and when he fell asleep, it was to the tune of Lucky Strike in a voice that sounded like his next-door neighbor’s.
That morning, Kazuhito woke to an email back from Kinoshita. He was willing to meet at a café and was available to do so for that day’s lunch.
Lunch, lunch, do I have lunch plans? He offered a café close enough to his work building. When he got confirmation, he dashed out the door, almost crashing into his neighbor.
“Sorry!” he gasped, jumping out of the way. “Oh – ah – hi.” Kazuhito felt a blush creeping up his neck when he remembered the shower from the previous night.
His neighbor just shook his head and laughed. “Sorry, man. In a rush?”
“Late for work,” he admitted. Then, on a whim, “Hey, uh, this is totally – I mean – you don’t have to – but maybe – do you want to – I mean –?”
“Do you want to get dinner tonight?” his neighbor offered, flashing a shy smile. “I’d say lunch, but I already have plans.”
“I – that! Yes! And, no, it’s okay! I have lunch plans too. I’d squeeze you in, but I wouldn’t have time. As it is, I might not be able to do dinner until like, eight thirty? And now I’m rambling – I’m sorry – I should –”
“Eight thirty. I’ll meet you here,” his neighbor interrupted. “See you then. Don’t be late for work, busy man.”
Kazuhito smiled weakly. “Ah – yeah. Thanks. See you then!”
Once he was in the cab on the way to work, he buried his face in his hands. That was horrific. Absolutely humiliating. Was this a date? Or was this hanging out with your neighbor? What was this? This wasn’t a date, probably. Oh, he didn’t even ask for his neighbor’s name! Is he stupid? Jeez. He could already hear Ennoshita’s teasing about it.
And speaking of Ennoshita…
As soon as he was in the door, his friend jogged over to him. “Hey, Narita-kun! Sleep in late again?”
“No, I got an email about a possible assistant for my business,” he explained. “And then I ran into my neighbor.”
“The hot one?”
Kazuhito flushed red. “I never said he was hot, Ennoshita.”
“You didn’t have to. I could see it in your face when you mentioned him – wait, did something happen?” Ennoshita’s eyes widened. “Something happened! Tell me! Did you ask him out? Did he ask you out?”
“Did you ask Tanaka out?” Kazuhito shot back.
Ennoshita’s mouth opened and closed, resembling a fish. “Okay, you know what? Fuck off. Tanaka will ask me out, because–”
“Um, Ennoshita,” Kazuhito tried.
“–because,” Ennoshita continued, oblivious, “I have been putting on the moves. Putting out the gay signals. He’s totally wrapped around my finger. He always helps me around the office when I ask, even though he doesn’t have to. Trust me, it’s just a matter of time before–”
“Before what, Ennoshita-san?” asked a very amused Tanaka from behind them.
Ennoshita froze, and Kazuhito snorted.
“Good luck with that, Enno-kun,” he laughed, pushing past. “I have a lunch meeting and a dinner date, but feel free to yell at me sometime around midnight.”
“Fuck you, Narita!”
“Heading out for lunch, Narita-kun?” Ukai called after him as he packed up.
“Ah, yes, sir,” Kazuhito called back. “I have a meeting.”
“Alright. Well, I’ll just leave this on your desk, then. Good luck.”
“Thank you, Ukai-san!” He bowed sharply.
“Please, Ukai-san was my grandfather,” Ukai reminded him. “Just Ukai is fine, kid. Oh, and if you see my fiancé?”
“I’ll send Takeda-san right up to you,” Kazuhito assured him as the elevator door closed.
Sure enough, Takeda was in the lobby, holding a pair of bentos.
“Hey, Takeda-san, Ukai says to send you up!” Kazuhito said with a smile.
“Oh, thank you, Kazuhito-kun!”
He continued his rush out the door and continued down the street to the café where he was meeting Kinoshita. He wondered if this would go well, or if Kinoshita really knew what he was getting into with such a small business. Honestly, there was a chance all of this would blow up, and he’d be back to square one.
He arrived on time, ordered a latte, and sat in the corner, wondering who he should be looking for. He only clarified a booth. He really should have thought this through.
“Narita-san?”
“Yeah, Kinoshita-san?” he replied as he looked up. Into the face of his neighbor. Whose name he didn’t know until now.
His neighbor – Kinoshita, apparently – shook his head and chuckled. “I can’t believe we’ve been neighbors for like, a year, and I never asked you your name. I’m so stupid. Nice to properly meet you, Narita-san.”
Kazuhito shook his hand. “You too, Kinoshita-san.”
Kinoshita sat down, wringing his hands. “I guess now it’s awkward that I asked you on a date this morning, huh?”
“That was a date?” Kazuhito asked. “I mean – no, obviously! Right! Of course! No, don’t worry about that. I don’t care. Or! If it makes you more comfortable, we can cancel. I mean, not like I’m really going to be your boss, so it doesn’t have to be weird, but then I guess dating someone you want to work with could be inherently–”
“You ramble,” Kinoshita interrupted. “It’s okay. I don’t care if you don’t care. And, if you’ll have me, it would be a pleasure to work with you. So…want to go over the things we discussed in our emails?”
“Yes,” Kazuhito said, relieved. “Of course.”
“And by the way…you have a really nice singing voice, Narita-san.”
Kazuhito blushed. “I – ah – you, too, Kinoshita-san.”