Work Text:
A new sigh escaped from his mouth as he gathered strength to finish drying his hair and getting dressed after taking a bath that did not last long enough to remove the tiredness of the day. Kyōjurō Rengoku was a 24-year-old man who, despite his young age, was a very well-paid and successful lawyer at his family's firm as the second-in-command after his father, having to mature in a hurry and work hard to help keep afloat the studio his great-great-grandfather founded at the cost of hours of sleep and not too much social life. However, right now he was considering ending his social life himself in order to sleep a little more.
The work had been more than heavy all that week and it was finally almost 8 o'clock on Saturday night, but even though Kyōjurō would want to eat an instant ramen and go to bed, his best friend and famous artist Tengen Uzui had no better idea than to invite him to his art exhibition this night, that due the appreciation he had for him and by the fact of knowing that his friend would not leave him alone otherwise he had promised to go, so now was sitting on the edge of his bed shirtless and with a towel around his neck, sighing again before standing up and thanking that at least he was already dressed below the waist.
Finally he finished preparing, some dark red dress pants, a white shirt with a black formal vest and a jacket of the same color as the pants was his final selection, looking in the mirror one last time and mentally thanking that miraculously there were no marks of fatigue on his face. He left his apartment for the parking lot of the building and after getting into his car drove to the place of the event, the central hall of one of the most luxurious and prestigious art galleries in the city arranged especially for that night.
"A big and eye-catching event, it’s really at Uzui’s style." Rengoku thought with a smile on his face as he finally walked through the entrance after giving his invitation and coat to the door clerk.
"Rengoku, you did come!" He was greeted by a tall 27-year-old man with long silver hair a little further under his shoulders, fuchsia eyes and a fashionable and obviously expensive white suit with a purple shirt with small glitters and as accessories a watch and necklace that probably cost what the salary of all the employees of the place together. He walked up to the blond man and hugged him, a gesture that was reciprocated by the shortest. “Did they loosen your chains at work?” He joked, leaving his arm around his friend's shoulders and starting to walk alongside him.
"Don't be rude, it's not my fault that people choose our law firm because it's one of the best." His smile showed the pride in his words.
“I know you’re the best but you still work way too much.” Tengen pouted. “That's why I left the law career and switched to art, have the responsibility to watch the backs of capricious clients who one day get married and the next divorce was obviously not for me.”
"Really?" The blond laughed. "One would think that such dramatic and "flamboyant" situations would be perfect for you. ”
Kyōjurō had met the eldest in law school thanks to mutual acquaintances a year before he decided he was bored and would study art, but they got along well and kept in touch to the present despite the change.
“One thing is to have to work on it and another very different is that I like the drama.” He shrugged before having two glasses of champagne from a waiter's tray. “But enough of talking about your work, we are here to talk about mine.” Uzui handed him one of the drinks and smiled. “And for your entertainment, of course.”
“Yeah, sure.” The blond accepted while he laughed, starting to look around the place while he drank a little. “You really shined this time, I’m sure this exhibition will be a success that...”
His words were interrupted when one of the works in particular caught his attention among everything else. It was a large photo, at least two meters wide by one meter high, showing a pale-skinned person sleeping on his stomach with faint rays of sunlight falling on them, the long and black hair unbound and spread over their back and part of the pillow and mattress in an orderly but natural way at the same time, as if each strand has been perfectly accommodated in its place to make it look good. The photo only took up to the person's thin waist but the lack of a T-shirt and the physical build of his body showed that he was a man, even if his facial features were so delicate and beautiful that for a moment Rengoku doubted if it was not a woman, but what he did not doubt is that he would like to see that person face to face.
"Oh?" Tengen, not knowing what his friend saw, turned and found his creation, smirking. “Did you like it? I can leave it to you at a special price if you want it. ” He joked, giving him little nudges as a game.
"How much?" He asked, without taking his eyes off the photo and without noticing the other's joking tone.
"Huh...” He couldn’t help the expression of surprise and bewilderment. “With my agent we calculated 6,315,800 yen but being you…”
"I buy it. "He said directly and still without stopping looking at the work.
"Is this a joke? Because if it is I will be offended, we are talking about my work here. ” Tengen didn't know how to feel about that whole situation and he knew that Rengoku was serious, he just didn't understand why.
"I wouldn't joke about something like that, I'm being completely serious.” After thinking about it for a second, he widened his eyes and quickly turned to his friend. “Wait, don't tell me he's your new husband.”
"What!?" No way!” He yelled, lowering his voice again and clearing his throat when people near them turned to see them because of the scandal. "First, he’s not my type at all, and second, he’s Suma’s younger brother and works for me, this is from a day he slept over at our house.
"I didn't know that Suma had a younger brother, I knew that Tsutako was her older sister but I didn't know about him. ” He looked at the photo again for a moment curiously, noticing the resemblance to those mentioned before looking at his friend again.
"Well, you would know if you visited us more often." He complained, until he realized something. “By the way, he’s gay and he’s coming to the exhibition so if you see him introduce yourself, I’m sure you’ll both get along.” He winked, making his friend blush slightly. “I’ll go prepare the papers for your purchase, I’ll be right back.” And with that, he left.
Kyōjurō watched him walk away before shaking his head a couple of times and turning back to the photo he bought again, thinking that he didn’t remember the last time he had made a purchase without thinking about it and something that wasn’t necessary like clothes and such, even doubting if he had ever done it in his life, but there was something in that image that did not allow him to resist the impulse.
"What the...?" A male voice sounded behind his back, cutting off his thoughts and making him turn to see who it was.
Suddenly all the sound of people talking and music became pure murmurs, the only thing he could hear clearly was his racing heart and with his eyes only being able to focus on him, the model in the photo who seemed to have escaped from his prison of 2 meters for 1 meter to be in front of him at that moment, only now dressed in a dark blue suit accompanied by a black shirt like his shoes.
The man’s attire was obviously less expensive than the rest of the guests, but even if he had arrived in the finest fabrics or in pajamas for Rengoku it would have been the same. He remained with his mouth slightly open as the young man walked quickly towards the photo of him with a more than furious expression and completely ignoring him, which made him assume that Uzui had not made him aware of the existence of that part of the exhibition.
When Kyōjurō finally regained some composure he could see his friend in the distance heading in his direction along with an employee he was talking to calmly, but when the artist saw his brother-in-law his expression filled with panic and he changed his course before practically running away so that two seconds later Rengoku’s cell phone rang.
" “Please distract him and don’t let him see me! I’ll make it up to you later!” Said on the short help message.
“ So he definitely didn’t ask for permission. ” The blonde thought, not knowing whether or not to laugh at the situation before taking a sip of his glass in search of a little courage to talk to the black-haired man, although when the other turned to see him he knew that it was no longer necessary.
“Excuse me, did you happen to see Uzui-san anywhere?” The beautiful deep blue eyes were full of murderous rage and his eyebrow had a slight tic of anger despite the softness and politeness of his words, scaring Kyōjurō a little for it.
"Well...” He started, but couldn’t continue as he was distracted by the man from earlier finally arriving at his location and pasting a “sold” sign next to the photo.
"What…? Wait!” Suma’s brother tried to stop him but the employee was called by someone else and walked away as fast as he came, making him snort and look back at the picture of him with annoyance. “Who could have bought it?”
"The truth is…” Rengoku caught his attention, feeling nervous when the other met his eyes and showing it in his awkward little smile. “…That it was me, although Uzui didn’t tell me that you didn’t know of his existence.” He confessed, hoping not to be beaten up or taken by a pervert “Nice to meet you, my name is Kyōjurō Rengoku” He extended his hand towards the other.
“Giyuu Tomioka.” He accepted the squeeze despite the still present confusion on his face. “Why did you buy a photo of someone you don’t even know and who looks so weird?”
“ That’s an excellent question. ” He thought before turning to the work for a moment and then seeing the model again with a calmer smile than before, shrugging his shoulders slightly. “I don’t think you look weird but I honestly don’t know, you could say it was love at first sight.” He confessed practically without thinking, noticing the astonishment on the other’s face and what he didn’t know if it was his imagination or a slight blush on the other’s cheeks.
"I… Uh… I’ll pay you. How much did it cost you? I need to burn it.”
Tomioka was somewhat taken aback by the blond’s response, feeling equally flattered and confused by the idea that someone so attractive and of a clearly better social and economic position would notice him enough to buy a picture of him to the point of forgetting that two seconds ago he wanted to make his sister a widow, a reaction that amused the taller one without being able to hide it in his smile.
"Do you have 6,315,800 yen in your wallet?"
"How much!?” He stopped short of shouting out loud as he realized it would be a scandal, limiting himself to a whisper before rubbing his temple with one of his hands as he closed his eyes and frowned in complete despair. “That’s all, that damn stingy... He better give me a commission or I’m going to report him for labor exploitation.” He snorted before looking at Rengoku. “I guess I can’t pay you, it’s a lot more than I make in a year.”
“I can make you a special price, if you agree to drink a coffee with me I do not need the money.” He had no idea where he got the courage to propose that but he had already done it and now he only had to pray for a positive response.
"Is this a kidnapping and the coffee the rescue price?” He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.
“Huh...” Again the nerves. “Maybe?” Giyuu just stared at him neutrally for a few seconds that seemed years before smiling, surprising the lawyer.
"If you are going to do something like that , at least you should do it well and order a dinner, although I would accept either honestly.
“Don't think it's extortion! I just...!” He then realized what the other said and was paralyzed. “Did you just say yes?”
"It’s so weird that I did?" He raised an eyebrow again. "I'm sure you're not the kind of man that it’s rejected often.
“In fact I am not.” The answer surprised Tomioka a little not very pleasantly, hoping that at least he would disguise and thinking of retracting to accept but then noticed that the other scratched the back of his neck a bit nervously. “Because to be rejected you have to invite someone first and because of work I do not go out with anyone since... More or less since high school.”
"Are you serious?" The long-haired man laughed a little thinking it was a joke, but the other’s expression let him know the answer and he felt somewhat guilty about mocking.
"Well, when I was in college my excuse was study and now it's work so... Yes, it's the truth.” Kyōjurō realized something and his nervousness increased. “You're not in a relationship, right?”
"No, definitely not." He laughed slightly. “Let's say I'm not the kind of person people see and want to ask to go out.”
"I don't understand the reason, you're attractive and you look like a kind person." He commented, achieving a new blush on the other that made him cover his face with one hand. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Not at all, it’s just... You seem to see something in me that even I can't see and that’s... I don't know, weird and nice.”
"Does that mean you accept a dinner with me?" He asked again, just wanting to be sure that Giyuu wasn't just taking it as a joke.
"Sure, I'd love to." He smiled, nervous and thinking that accepting something like that wasn't his style at all, but something in the blonde just gave him confidence and the desire to stay by his side even a little longer. "Should we go to the food bar or a restaurant?"
"Well, I think it's a little late for a restaurant and probably Uzui won't leave me alone if I leave so soon from his exhibition.” Rengoku looked at his watch and then again at the other with a smile. “Not to mention that I have to finish with the papers of my purchase... And that I will have an excuse to ask you out again if we now stay here.”
“You're a top strategist, aren’t you?" He laughed as he shook his head slightly, with the blond smiling and shrugging his shoulders. "Sounds like a great idea, so I'll have an excuse to accept your invitation next time." Giyuu started walking towards the buffet.
Kyōjurō could swear he winked at him on the way, making him blush and following him without a second thought, having a feeling that he had just found the one he didn't even know he was looking for but more than happy he did.