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The neon lights were flashing, music blasting way too loud, pulsing in Rin’s ears that had always been overly sensitive. Bodies were bumping and grinding against each other, sweaty and gross and giving him just enough room to keep up the wild bounce and sway that he’d built up with Yukio and Shiemi, their movements not nearly as careless as his of course, but he’d slowly managed to coax his brother into something almost like dancing.
It was the most fun Rin could remember having in a long time, and he couldn’t understand why Shiemi had suggested it but he was grateful she had. There was something about her, some deeper, always underestimated way of knowing just what their small group needed, vital to their carefully maintained balance and one of the things that they loved most about her.
Rin took a moment to take in the way the other two had finally started gravitating in towards each other as they’d loosened up, so obviously wanting to just dance but still unwilling to shatter the illusion of a trio of friends having a good time. Rin barely suppressed a sigh. They’d been making heart eyes at each other all night, and even he wasn’t too oblivious to know when it was a good time to get lost for a little while.
“I’m gonna get another drink!” Rin shouted into the space between the pair, mostly certain that they’d heard him as he turned towards the bar. They’d all been best friends for forever, but third wheeling was kind of starting to kill his buzz.
Yukio’s hand shooting out to grasp his elbow had him stopping short though, twisting back to face his twin inquisitively. Did Yuki want one too? Maybe Rin could convince him into doing a shot with him…
Yukio leaned in close to ensure he’d be heard over the booming music. “Maybe a water this time?”
Rin pouted, shoulders slumping under the weight of his disappointment, but nodded as he rolled his eyes. Water was no fun at all, but Yukio had a good eye for how much was too much and Rin had certainly lost track of what he'd had so far. Better to pace himself, and that was totally his own responsible decision that he was simply being reminded of by his little brother.
At least that was what he told himself as he wove his way through the crowd, still bopping to the music in the hopes of keeping the light and bubbly feeling within him.
Rin hopped up on a barstool to order his water, getting a knowing smile from the bartender as he swayed a bit too far forward when he leaned in to speak to her. The open bottle was placed down in front of him almost immediately, and Rin snatched it up and swiveled in his seat, spinning around to rest his back against the bar and do some people watching while he cooled down. His eyes scanned over the dancefloor, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he spotted his companions slowly start to take advantage of his absence.
They’d closed most of the distance between one another, Yukio’s hands coming up to rest on Shiemi’s hips so they could lean into each other in a hesitant looking sway that was about the farthest thing from the more risqué dances all around them, but they’d surely be scandalized to know that Rin had seen what they’d consider to be such a private moment.
Rin’s gaze unfocused, his smile growing along with his pride — that had been the whole point of this silly night out, of that he was pretty positive. Rin and Yukio had come by Shiemi’s place to celebrate her birthday as they always did and had ended up very nearly walking directly into Izumo as she was leaving.
“You’re welcome.” She’d patted Yukio on the shoulder on her way by, the statement nearly as confusing to hear as seeing her at all — birthdays together had become an unspoken tradition between the three of them.
That is, until Shiemi had emerged from her bedroom in one of her beautiful kimonos that had no business being dragged around in a place like this, with iridescent glitter sparkling around her eyes and flowers pinned in her long blonde hair, her lips glossed and a radiant smile they’d never stood a chance against. She looked them in the eyes and, with the utmost confidence, announced that she’d decided she would like to go to a club to celebrate her birthday. She said she wanted to dance, but her eyes had been trained on Yukio in that soft, pleading look she’d sometimes let leak through, and it had been so very clear she was asking for a dance with Yukio. They were entirely underdressed in comparison to her, and equally unprepared, but they’d always let each other pick whatever they wanted to do for their birthdays (within reason, they only let Rin get away with so much), and there’d never really been much hope of refusing her.
So here Rin was, in a club on his first Saturday night off in what felt like forever, officially having successfully wingman-ed his brother and best friend into taking the plunge and embracing their definitely more than friendship feelings, sitting on a barstool by himself and drinking water. Rin’s smile dipped down into a frown. This was starting to feel lame.
A quick glance showed Yukio and Shiemi still locked together, so Rin was taking that as his cue to find entertainment elsewhere. It was their first time coming here despite all of the chatter he’d heard about how cool and down to earth the vibe was, and Rin hadn’t had a chance to get a good look around before they’d been swept away by a row of brightly colored, deceptively fruity tasting drinks, and an overtly flirty song he couldn’t believe Shiemi recognized.
Amahara wasn’t much like Rin had expected. It felt almost like a vault from the outside, with the wrought iron gate and massive, ornate doors beyond them. The bouncer was huge and intimidating and at first it had seemed like they’d need much more than just their ID's to be permitted entry under his long, unblinking study of them, when he’d suddenly nodded them ahead without a word and they passed through almost into another realm.
It had to have been Izumo's suggestion. It was colorful and warm, lacking that weird industrial feel a lot of clubs intrinsically seemed to have, but they somehow kept it from being too bright, a tricky balance that Rin very much appreciated. Shiemi stood out, but she looked like she fit and Rin had a feeling they’d be making a return visit at some point, most likely with a larger group.
Izumo knew Shiemi well. They probably should’ve started inviting her to these birthday things already, but Rin had selfishly clung onto their little tradition, too used to a time when Yukio and Shiemi were the only two that would even consider showing up to a birthday outing for him once Shirou had started allowing him to tag along for their tutoring sessions and he’d been welcomed into the relationship they’d been separately building together for years, and so very afraid of being left behind as they’d started growing as individuals and expanding their friendships beyond him. Maybe now that Yukio and Shiemi were officially a thing it would be better to include their newer friends. This sucked.
Another sip of water and another look around while he pretended not to see his brother and his best friend very innocently and very adorably dancing with each other in a way that was more befitting a school festival than a club.
A bouncy, well-dressed pink haired man not far to their left caught Rin’s attention. He looked to be nearly floating between partners, laughing and definitely flirting all the while if the sultry tilt to his lips while he spoke and the giggles and playful shoves he got in response were anything to go by.
It seemed to be all in good fun, and maybe that was something Rin should consider. He’d need to find something to occupy him soon before he got himself into trouble. Or rather, trouble had a tendency of finding him was what he’d tell himself, and the longer he sat idle, the faint warmth of the alcohol still filling his limbs and his buzzing thoughts even more unrestrained than usual under its influence, the louder the warning bells in his head alerted him to the steady increase of those already not-so-good odds. He needed a distraction.
As if hearing his internal plea, a very tall, very broad man stomped his way across the dancefloor, marching right to the center of the group, thrusting a bottle of water into Pink Hair’s hands and just about knocking Rin’s breath out with it. The simple black long sleeve shirt he wore stretched across his torso in a way that should probably be criminal paired with those fitted ripped jeans, his dark brown hair cut in a well kept undercut that was very flattering with his build, and the strobe lights were reflecting off of what had to be piercings in his ears. Mystery guy was checking off a lot of Rin’s boxes and he was almost desperate to get a closer look.
Big guy jabbed a finger into Pinky’s chest and Pinky held up his hands placatingly before taking a pointed sip of his water and Rin had the most bizarre sense of déjà vu. It was almost like watching him and Yukio interact. Were they friends? Related? They didn’t look it. Together? God, he hoped not. Rin had found his distraction, and he was intrigued.
Mystery guy stormed his way back to a dark corner not too far from where Rin was sitting, within eyeshot of Pinky and out of the way of most of the rowdier crowd. He leaned back against the cold wall, not sitting comfortably at the busier bar. When he wasn’t sipping on his glass or buried nose first in the book he’d brought and had been keeping tucked in an odd one strap, cross-body backpack (did he come packed for the club specifically or was that the norm for him?) he had stashed over there, he would glare out at the sea of bodies on the dancefloor. He looked like he didn’t want to be here, and not in the strategically ‘daring you to come get me’ way. Like he was genuinely put off by everything happening around him.
When the first woman strutted her way over to him, Rin felt his gut twist with discomfort. It was only natural he wasn’t the only one to notice an incredibly attractive man all by his lonesome, but he couldn’t help the sudden,almost physical in its presence possessiveness curling around in his chest, and he found himself watching with rapt attention to see how the man would respond.
Rin wasn’t sure if he was surprised or not by the utter lack of change. There was a small shake of his head, a few words from his frowning mouth, his stance never coming across less closed off than it had the rest of the time Rin had been watching him. The woman bowed apologetically and the man nodded politely and that was…it. Should it be encouraging? She had certainly been very pretty. Maybe he just wasn’t interested in women specifically? That didn’t seem likely, he didn’t seem interested in being bothered at all, and Rin’s confidence was wilting rapidly.
It wasn’t long after that when the pink haired man had flounced up to Rin’s mystery guy, taking him by the arm and pulling towards where he’d been dancing. It was then that what Rin had thought was a glare on mystery guy’s face had turned truly fierce, as if the notion of joining this man to dance in a club of all places was the most offensive thing imaginable. That was a glare and Rin was taking as many mental notes as he was capable of storing away, confirming that he most definitely was not interested in being bothered.
A significantly shorter man in a cat-eared beanie and glasses skipped his way over, immediately chatting him up as if the altercation with Pinky wasn’t happening at all, so much so that it was obviously comfortable and familiar even from a distance, and the entirety of Rin’s mystery man’s face softened as he looked down at him and returned the conversation in such a stark change to everything Rin had seen so far he nearly fell off his seat as it hit him like a physical blow. He almost looked like a different person.
He’d watched mystery guy as he nudged his pink haired friend back towards the sea of bodies he’d emerged from, shaking his head but pointing again at the water. He pat Cat-Beanie on the head and sent him back to the dancefloor like a parent sending a child back to their play group and remained in his place against the wall, glass in one hand and book in the other, and finally it was starting to make sense.
Was this big, tough stranger mother-henning his friends from the shadows? Rin snickered from his barstool, engrossed in the enigma he was piecing together. Tall, Dark, and Handsome did not want to be here, that much was clear, but there was something deeply endearing about his unique, carefully hidden softness that Rin was catching glimpses of.
Rin pulled at the label on his water bottle distractedly. He’d watched anyone else that approached the interesting man get turned down, and while it hadn't looked pleasant it also had been far from aggressive. It couldn’t hurt anything other than his pride to try, and that was when Rin decided to get off his ass and stop spectating.
Mustering up his courage, Rin double checked that the coast was clear, took a deep breath, and dropped off his stool. Worst case scenario he’d down another shot, throw himself into the group with Pinky, and pretend none of this happened. He looked fun enough to distract Rin from his woes in the event of a catastrophic failure.
He discreetly shook out his limbs, trying to give off an air of calm confidence, and made a beeline for where he’d been watching for God only knew how long. Rin marched straight up to him, only stumbling a little in his determination not to waver from the pointed eye contact that he took to be mystery guy’s first line of defense. He leaned up against the wall next to his fascinating mother hen, craning his neck to get a better look at those dark eyes that were nearly the same shade as his hair. He was much taller than Rin had initially deduced from across the bar and Rin added a second mental check to that box. Even more handsome, too, with a strong jawline framed by closely cropped facial hair, and thin brows arched angrily at Rin’s presence.
Rin had been staring for an oddly long stretch of time.
“Hi! I’m Rin Okumura!”
Rin was met with nothing more than one of those maybe a glare, maybe it’s just his face looks. That’s okay, that’s what he’d been expecting.
“Whatcha drinkin’?” He ventured to ask, genuinely curious and peering into the green liquid in his glass.
“Matcha.”
Rin cocked his head up towards mystery guy’s face, squinting a bit in his confusion but pleased with getting a response. “Like a highball?”
“No.” Mystery guy’s eyes darted to the side, avoiding Rin’s face as his own pinched with discomfort like admitting his drink order was somehow painful before muttering the rest into the air in the opposite direction of Rin. “Like just matcha.”
“They serve just tea here?!” Rin blurted out, probably rudely.
He crossed his arms as much as he could while holding his tea, his book now tucked beneath the bicep furthest from Rin like he was protecting it from Rin’s nonexistent judgement. “If you ask for it.”
“Cool! That sounds way better than this.” Rin shook his half empty water bottle, the liquid sloshing obnoxiously. This was already getting fun. He was defensive, and his voice was kinda rough, but not mean. Deep. Rin wanted to hear more.
“Are…are you also not drinking?” Mystery guy eyed Rin suspiciously, brows furrowed in a look Rin was starting to identify more as confusion than anger.
“Oh, I’ve definitely been drinking. It was just suggested that I start drinking something without alcohol for a while,” Rin laughed good-naturedly at himself, unashamed of the few occasions he let himself indulge. He was here to celebrate with people he loves, and he was hardly blackout drunk.
Besides, something about the way mystery guy had glowered down at him when he’d first approached was enough of an indicator for even Rin that dishonesty probably wasn’t the best way to keep the grouchy man responding to him.
“You don’t look like you’d need to be cut off.”
“No, I wasn’t. It’s just hard keeping track and pacing myself when I’m excited and havin’ a good time. I’m not lookin’ to get more than tipsy tonight and my company is real good at enhancing that.” Rin absently took another swig of said water before looking over his shoulder at the reminder that he hadn’t actually come here alone. He’d lost track of Yukio and Shiemi when he’d walked over here to talk to Big, Broad, and Brooding. Oh well, he’d find them easily enough after. Probably.
He turned back to his mystery guy and was met with the hardest, most intense stare of his life. It felt as though he was looking into the very depths of Rin’s soul, leaving him feeling naked and bare beneath the scrutiny. Rin’s breath left him in a shuddery sort of exhale, the plastic of his water bottle crinkled under his tightening grip, and then the strange man’s incredulous voice shattered the weighted silence.
“Do you mean enforcing?”
Relief flooded Rin’s veins just as quickly as that horrible self-consciousness had, too grateful that this stranger had bothered to put in the effort to figure out what he’d meant to say at all, rather than to feel any embarrassment for his mixup. He was plenty used to those, and plenty used to simply being disregarded for them.
Rin snapped his fingers at mystery guy, nodding his head hard in confirmation. “Yeah! That! Yukio’s always enforcing,” Rin pronounced the word carefully, not wanting to mess it up again in front of the very attractive man now that he had it.
The man gave him another hard look and Rin was beginning to think that may not have anything to do with a desire to strangle Rin and could just be his thinking face or something. He dragged a hand through his rich brown hair, tugging slightly and Rin felt a pang of jealousy that it wasn’t his hand buried in those soft looking locks, before giving a heavy, drawn out sigh and gritting out, “I’m Suguro.”
Rin stared for a long moment in confusion before pouting. It was a start, but it was looking like he was going to have to work to earn Suguro’s full name. Fine, he was game for a challenge. So far this conversation was proving to be worth the effort. Suguro was fun.
“Nice to meetcha, Suguro!” Rin twisted and hopped around so he was facing Suguro fully, thrusting a hand forward for some bizarre reason, as if he had ever given Rin any indication that he would be willing to touch him.
Suguro predictably eyed his hand like it was a poorly laid trap that could spring at any moment, his own tentatively coming up as though weighing the potential consequences of letting himself fall for it.
Suguro huffed, the sound laced with frustration, and hunched over to tuck his book into the backpack leaning against the wall at his feet.
Shit. Rin tried not to let his smile falter, his fingers curling a bit as he processed the shift and the despair welled inside of him. He’d fucked up somewhere and now Suguro was leaving and he’d never see him again or get another chance or—
Rin jumped in surprise as Suguro’s hand suddenly clasped his, big and warm and engulfing nearly all of his. It was calloused and there were beads around Suguro’s wrist that clacked with his movements. His grip was strong and Rin was already greedy for more than the small taste of the contact he’d been given when Suguro was unfortunately releasing him.
“Likewise,” came Suguro’s curt reply, and Rin would be positive he didn’t mean it if it weren’t for the fact that he’d watched Suguro turn away several others without granting them so much of his time and energy.
He was a bit standoffish, but unceasingly polite throughout their entire interaction so far despite his hesitance. There was something boyish in his reluctantly given manners, almost like he was playing along with Rin’s whims for whatever reason, especially with that handshake that he hadn’t even thought through before initiating, and Rin was being drawn in even more rapidly than he ever could’ve expected.
He wanted to know more. What kind of upbringing Suguro had that would have him wound up so tight but still act so proper, why he was here when he clearly didn’t want to be, why he was giving Rin the time of day.
Maybe Suguro was curious too?
“So, Suguro,” Rin tried out the name again, emboldened by the way he wasn’t entirely crashing and burning, “is the matcha any good here?”
Suguro’s nose wrinkled in distaste, the look adorably out of place on his stern and masculine face. He looked like an unhappy bunny.
“Not especially, but I’ve had worse. Probably still better than that at least.” Suguro didn’t sugarcoat, nodding towards the water in Rin’s hands.
Rin grinned, hoping that was meant to be something like teasing. It was hard to tell.
“Maybe I’ll get a taste later.” Rin dared to wink before tipping his head back for another drink of the water now that the attention had been brought back to it. He’d hate to disappoint Yukio by entirely forgetting his objective.
When his eyes fell back on Suguro he found his head tilted off to the side, eyes trained somewhere behind Rin. Rin’s shoulders slumped a little self consciously. Was his flirt too much?
“I'm not bothering ya, am I? I figured you woulda told me to fuck off from the beginning if I was.”
Suguro’s focus shifted back to him. “No, you’re not bothering me. Honestly, I’m kinda surprised you’re still standing here. Usually people give up pretty quickly.”
“Well you are very intimidating,” Rin acknowledged, and he didn’t think Suguro would blame him for it.
“Shouldn’t that be more of a deterrent from approaching to begin with?”
“What’s detergent got to do with anything?”
“Deterrent. As in it should discourage people from the initial approach instead of waiting to get scared off once they’re in front of me.”
“I think most people would find it sexy with everything else you have going on.” Rin didn’t bother pointing out how many probably were discouraged from the beginning. He nearly was.
Suguro rolled his eyes at what he probably assumed was just a pre-rehearsed line. Jokes on him, Rin had no idea what the fuck he was doing.
“Right. So, Okumura—”
“You can call me Rin,” Rin interjected, batting his lashes playfully.
“Okumura,” Suguro emphasized before continuing, keeping that meticulously laid distance between them. “Why didn’t it deter you?”
“You seemed nice.”
“Nice?”
It was a small word for all that had caught Rin’s attention. More than that, Suguro had seemed kindhearted through and through, from those friends he appeared to be here for specifically, to the strangers he gently (in his own way) let down.
Rin was hardly the most eloquent despite all of the too big emotions that typically simmered inside of him, his thoughts racing too quickly for him to grasp and properly describe when the time called for it, and he never had the right word when he needed it, so nice was what he was settling on. Besides all of that, they hardly knew each other, and Rin knew that he could be a lot – most people were not a fan once they realized that.
Rin nodded his head in confirmation. “Definitely nice.”
Suguro looked at him strangely, like he didn’t believe him, and Rin spit out the first question he could think of in an attempt to distract from how weird Suguro was likely thinking he was.
“Do you work out?”
“Huh?”
Smooth. If there was a way to casually facepalm, now would be a great time.
“You’re real…impressive,” Rin tried lamely, not wanting to be too blatant in his flirting again but unable to avoid the elephant in the room altogether. It was a stupid question, you didn’t just become the way that Suguro was overnight, but he needed to address it — and possibly, eventually, undress it.
“Oh, yeah.” Suguro’s eyes roved over Rin’s body and if Rin didn’t know any better he’d think he was checking him out. It was more like being studied. “Do you?”
“Some. Weights are fun, but runnings my favorite,” Rin answered honestly, hoping he didn’t disappoint. He was strong, not nearly as bulky as Suguro obviously, but he was fast and lean and more defined than average, he thought.
If the way Suguro’s face brightened was anything to go by, he must’ve said something right.
“I love running. I get up at five thirty every morning for it.”
Rin choked on his own spit, any prior chance he had at impressing one hundred percent out the window. “Five— what are ya, some kinda sadist?!”
“It’d be masochist. I’d be a sadist if I was getting you up too and forcing you to run with me.” Just the right side of Suguro’s lips tilted up in a teasing smirk that dangerously weakened Rin’s knees and he had to wonder if the man was even aware of the frightening amount of power he held.
Rin swallowed thickly, trying to get a grip and formulate a response. “I dunno if you’d need force, I’m pretty sure you could be plenty convincing.”
That same look of furious bewilderment crossed over Suguro’s face and Rin realized belatedly that was probably a bit too honest. In his defense, thinking was exceptionally difficult under the full intensity of that stare.
Rin wondered a bit deliriously what it would be like to kiss away the creases at the center of Suguro’s forehead.
“Do you come here often?”
A startled laugh broke from Rin’s throat and he could've sworn Suguro’s cheeks colored just the slightest pink, but he blamed it on the wonky lighting. It was just so cliché and unexpected and should’ve been one of his lines when he’d first walked over here.
“No, I’m not trying to—“
Nothing about the way Suguro was looking at him indicated that he was trying to hit on him. It was more like he was still trying to figure Rin out, and Rin took enough pity on him to cut off Suguro’s rambling explanation with an answer to his initial question.
“It’s my first time coming here,” Rin relented around the giggles. He liked the look of a flustered Suguro, but he preferred keeping him talking and interested. “I’m a cook. Restaurants are busiest on the weekend so I’m always scheduled to work. I had to request tonight off.”
“So this is…out of the norm for you…”
“Very.”
“And on this out of the norm night out, instead of drinking or dancing you’re standing here, just…talking… to me,” Ryuuji prompted, staring expectantly at Rin as if a reasonable explanation should follow.
“Talking to you has been way better than just drinking or dancing.” Rin smiled genuinely, and the way that Suguro looked so utterly baffled probably shouldn’t have been completely adorable to him but he could not understand how Suguro could not understand that Rin would do just about anything to keep his attention on him.
“What exactly are you trying to achieve here?”
Rin’s brows scrunched together in confusion. “Achieve?”
“I’m not going home with you.”
Rin snorted unattractively. Suguro was blunt, and he really liked it. He’d gotten in trouble a lot growing up for his lack of a filter, but it was so refreshing not wondering at all what was on Suguro’s mind while they talked. He wondered if Suguro felt the same way, if that was what had kept him from telling Rin to fuck off like he’d been telling everyone else all night, if he maybe felt the beginnings of this strange connection that Rin did. He found himself liking Suguro more and more every time he opened that tightly frowning mouth and let Rin in on everything he was holding back behind it.
“I think my twin would pop a blood vessel if I tried to bring home a random guy on Shiemi’s birthday— not that you aren’t super hot,” Rin quickly amended, not looking to give Suguro the wrong idea. He would not be opposed to some quality one-on-one time at a later date when his evening wasn’t already spoken for.
Suguro sputtered on a poorly timed sip of his matcha, and Rin leaned forward to soak up what was absolutely the most reaction he’d gotten out of the man so far. Was that actually a blush? Rin was sure his own cheeks were a bit flushed, but he’d been bouncing around the dancefloor. He hadn’t seen Suguro drink anything other than the tea and he’d hardly moved from this spot, so he definitely wasn’t drunk or overexerted.
Besides, the comment should hardly come as a shock. There was no way he was unaware of how attractive he was, he’d been getting hit on all night, and it stood to reason that Rin would find him attractive, otherwise why else would he approach him in a club and stand here making a fool of himself?
Was he shy?
Cute. Rin’s grin shifted into something a bit more predatory than the friendly one he’d been sporting throughout most of their conversation.
“Okumura,” Suguro chided, shaking his head in exasperation.
“I said you can call me Rin.”
“What’s this about a twin?” Suguro was real good at redirecting Rin when he was getting uncomfortable. Rin had lost track of how many mental check marks he had for cute, but it had to be at least three.
“Oh, right. My little brother, Yukio.”
“Ah, Yukio the enforcer.” Suguro nodded his head sagely.
“Exactly!” Suguro wasn’t just putting up with him, he was listening and it filled Rin with a glowing sort of joy. “What about you? What’s up with you and your crew? You come here to party or to hover in the corner all night?”
“This ain’t exactly my scene.” Suguro dropped his gaze again, taking a sip of his tea and frowning into his now empty glass. Rin’s grin grew as the tells of the grouchy boy became more apparent. He was shy, and he masked it well with that tetchy, cantankerous armor.
“Yeah?”
“It was Shima’s idea,” Suguro finally conceded.
“Shima?”
“Pink hair,” Suguro nodded his head towards where his friends were dancing. “He was accepted for some crazy live-in externship in the middle of nowhere that has nothing to do with his major. His father and brothers were livid, screaming about how he was throwing away his achievements and running away from his responsibilities. I’ve never seen him as giddy as he was when he was packing all his shit anyway.”
“So you’re…celebrating?”
“I guess you could call it that. I think it sounds nuts, but he’s like family to us and we’ll always support him.”
“And instead of joining the celebration, you decided on mothering them from the sidelines?”
Suguro’s withering glare could probably melt through steel. “I’m not mothering. Besides, I don’t really drink. Especially not like… this.”
“This?”
“It’s different when it’s more intimate and purposeful, and even then…”
Suguro’s fingers rubbed absently at the rim of his empty glass before finally meeting Rin’s eyes again. There was something different, a strange sort of vulnerability that Rin hadn’t yet seen in those brown eyes that had him tilting his head in wonder.
He didn’t want to push. No one should feel like they have to justify not drinking, and it wasn’t what he’d meant by asking. He really was just curious to know anything he could about the man that had captivated his attention and he’d happily listen to anything Suguro was willing to tell. Rin had simply had him pegged as the designated babysitter.
Suguro sighed again — a sound Rin was getting intimately familiar with — and apparently decided whatever he’d seen from Rin was enough for him to continue.
“I grew up in a temple in the mountains not too far from here. It’s been the most important thing in the world to me for as long as I can remember. My dad’s the head priest, and I’ve been studying my whole life to follow in his place. He’s always had a bit of a drinking problem though. Well, a lot of a drinking problem, so…” Suguro’s eyes darted down to where Rin’s mouth had dropped open. “Nevermind, it doesn’t matter.”
Rin tried to physically shake off his stupor, positive that was a lie. It sounded like it mattered a lot. “Whoa…who woulda thought you’d be even more dreamy once ya got talkin’?!”
“Dreamy?!” The disbelief in Suguro’s voice was so odd. He was like perfection in the form of a human being.
“So dreamy,” Rin confirmed, eyes wide as he began to realize Suguro might actually be just as cool as he was obscenely hot.
Suguro huffed a gruff little laugh that did delectably hot and squirmy things to Rin’s insides and he just had to find a way to convince him to dance.
“You’re actually ridiculous, ya know that, right?”
“Hey, I’m being serious!”
“I know you are, that’s what makes you so fuckin’ ridiculous.”
“C’mon, Suguro, it's not nice to pick on someone while they’re starstruck! You’re like one of the coolest people I’ve ever met!”
“Ryuuji.”
Rin froze for a moment before he was positively beaming. He wasn’t sure what he’d done to have gotten Ryuuji’s approval but now that he had it Rin felt as though his heart might actually burst out of his chest. Was this what it felt like to swoon? There was an entire swarm of butterflies in his stomach, but he also still really wanted that dance and he was thinking it might be now or never.
“Whaddya say, Ryuuji? Would you dance with me?”
Ryuuji glanced down at his empty glass like it had any bearing on his decision. Rin snatched it out of his hand, placing it on the floor next to the long forgotten bag along with Rin’s water bottle, eliminating it from the equation entirely. He grasped Ryuuji’s now glassless hand in his own and stared beseechingly up into Ryuuji’s eyes, pushing out his lower lip in his best pleading puppy dog look that absolutely never worked on Yukio but might hopefully score him some extra points here.
“Please, Ryuuji? Just one dance? I’ll getcha another tea after, I promise!” Rin didn’t think bribery counted towards flirting, but he didn’t have a lot going for him and he’d take whatever opportunities he could to improve his minuscule odds.
Ryuuji grimaced, his eyes locked on their joined hands as he actually considered it.
“Alright, Rin. Just one dance.”
“Yes!” Rin’s free hand launched into the air clenched in a victorious fist. Not even the incredulousness on Ryuuji’s handsome face could dull his excitement – it was totally normal to celebrate and his cheeks were not burning over how unbridled that celebration was in front of someone as cool as Ryuuji.
Rin used the grip he had on Ryuuji to pull him away from the corner he’d claimed, a bit further in but not actually onto the dancefloor so they could better feel the music without being entirely engulfed by it, still on the outskirts of the crowd. He didn’t want to struggle to hear Ryuuji and he really didn’t want to spook him.
Ryuuji still looked uncertain, though, and he seemed to notice Rin’s scrutiny.
“I don’t really do this kinda thing.”
“That’s okay! If ya need to you can just follow my lead—”
“I didn’t say I couldn’t,” Ryuuji snapped, “Just that I don’t.”
Ryuuji was so fiery when he wanted to be. He’d been thrown off by Rin for most of the night, but he’d been unshakably confident in himself all the while and it was so unfairly hot Rin wasn’t really sure how to handle it.
“Man, I love that about you,” Rin chuckled, shaking his head fondly. “Okay Ryuuji, show me whatcha got.”
Ryuuji met him in the middle, no longer shying away and unwilling to simply take a backseat here. His eyes were hesitant but his grip was solid and firm and Rin didn’t think he would ever be able to get enough.
Not when their first song came to an end and he managed to convince Ryuuji to stay with him for just one more dance that bled into a deliciously close, grinding third, and definitely not when his back was colliding hard with the wall with Ryuuji’s broad hand cupping his face and another on his hip while his tongue pushed into Rin’s mouth and he finally got his first taste of the irresistibly handsome man.
Ryuuji’s kisses were just as good as Rin had been imagining they would be since he’d first laid eyes on him and he wasn’t sure how he’d made it this long without them.
Rin wanted to protest when Ryuuji tragically pulled away from his mouth, the words dying in his throat and leaving him panting open mouthed when Ryuuji’s lips shifted down to press wet kisses along Rin’s jaw, stopping to suck lightly at an especially sensitive place right where it met his neck, just beneath his ear, and Rin’s toes curled in his boots. His hands slid down from Ryuuji’s shoulders, over his biceps and down to his toned forearms, and as his grip tightened the suction increased.
“Haaah,” Rin whimpered, and fuck if that wasn’t mortifying, but not nearly as mortifying as the way Ryuuji’s entire everything froze against him.
Ryuuji panted heavily, hot breaths ghosting against Rin’s still damp skin and he really thought he may implode under the heat of the space between them.
“I’ve never done this before,” came Ryuuji’s sinfully breathy voice, the explanation not doing much to calm the molten hot blood rushing through Rin’s veins.
“What, make out with someone in a dark corner of a club?” Rin tried for humor to distract from how badly he wanted to grab Ryuuji and find the nearest closet with a lock. Just about anything would do.
That fiery blush spread from Ryuuji’s cheeks down the strong column of his throat and Rin wanted to follow it with his tongue. He watched Ryuuji’s throat bob with a gulp under his gaze and squeezed his eyes shut to close out the temptation directly in front of him.
“Yes.”
All of Rin’s muscles seemed to turn to goop as his body finally accepted that this was as far as they were going tonight. His head drooped forward, plopping against Ryuuji as he took a steadying breath that just filled his senses with the unique mixture of matcha and incense that clung to Ryuuji’s shirt.
“Me neither,” he confessed into Ryuuji’s chest.
It was then, comfortably buried in Ryuuji’s shirt, that he felt something buzzing against his thigh.
His phone vibrating in his pocket. Shit, how long ago had he been sent for a water?
Rin reluctantly pulled back, putting enough distance between them that he could catch his breath but not moving much farther away than those few inches. “I don’t wanna go anywhere, but I really should go find my brother before I get in trouble for ruining the rest of the birthday plans.”
“You were serious about all that?”
“‘Course I was, why wouldn’t I be?”
“I thought you were trying to be charming.”
“Charming?” Rin mouthed the word slowly. No one had ever used it in a sentence when he was involved before.
“Wait!” Rin exclaimed, once again leaning in close, invading Ryuuji’s personal space and entirely disregarding any care for that fact at this latest development. “Did it work? Were you charmed? Do you think I’m charming?!”
“You’re definitely somethin’.” Ryuuji very pointedly changed the subject, and Rin had to take that as confirmation. Why else would he dodge the question? Rin grinned, his cheeks pleasantly warm and maybe just a little bit more smitten than their too short time together called for. Ryuuji had danced with him and he thought he was charming.
“Does that mean you’ll kiss me again?”
Ryuuji cleared his throat, his voice delectably hoarse when he once again redirected the conversation. “You were talking about the rest of the birthday plans.”
“We’re supposed to have a slumber party tonight for the second half of the celebration. Shiemi even made goodies with shit she harvested from her garden,” Rin said with only a slight grimace, allowing Ryuuji to steer the topic back.
Shiemi meant well, and she’d made the treats with love like always, but she still hadn’t quite mastered the art of entertaining guests and that was reflected in her food — something that Rin took very seriously. He’d offered to bring snacks, no one should have to cook on their own birthday, but she insisted that it was a part of hosting her own sleepover and she was adamant that she get to prepare everything herself. God only knew what grassy monstrosities were awaiting them.
“You’re leaving a club early on a Saturday night for a slumber party?”
“We were all we had for a while. We always spend our birthdays together,” Rin answered simply, as if he wasn’t baring his heart with that colossal truth. When Shirou had died it felt like his world was coming to an end, and then poor Shiemi lost her mom just a handful of months later— it had been so hard and they’d relied heavily on each other.
He hoped he wasn’t too open about it, but something about the way Ryuuji’s eyes softened told Rin he was seeing right through him.
“Rin!” Yukio’s shout cut through the music and the moment. Rin jolted back, head turning in the direction the voice had come from, only to find the heat of his brother’s glare trained on Ryuuji as he marched over to them.
Yukio’s expression cleared as he took in the innocence of their stance and the comfortable distance between them. It was a very good thing he hadn’t come looking for Rin a few minutes earlier, or that would’ve been a very awkward conversation.
“I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Hey Yuki! I met a guy!” Rin’s arms shot out as if he was presenting Ryuuji as some sort of newly discovered specimen. He may as well have been, Rin had certainly never seen anything like him. “This is Ryuuji Suguro!”
“Hello.” Yukio spared a polite glance up at Ryuuji before disregarding him entirely. “It’s time to go, Rin. Shiemi already decided on our movie rental.”
Rin knew it was coming, but he couldn’t help the disappointment that flooded him at hearing it. He’d been really enjoying his time with Ryuuji, and there was a part of him that deeply feared that once he left the hidden pocket of their dark corner that Ryuuji would no longer have any justification to continue entertaining him. He didn’t even know how to find him after this.
“Oh!” Rin lurched towards his brother, digging through his pocket for the pen he knew would be in there. He was a nerd of a med student and they were practically falling out of him at all times.
“Rin! You could just ask!” Yukio squawked indignantly, but he didn’t stop him and that was all that truly mattered.
“Ahah!” Rin held the pen up triumphantly, not deterred by Yukio’s swatting hands or his snippy tone.
Rin snatched Ryuuji’s wrist and yanked it towards himself, pushing the long black sleeve he was wearing up to reveal that drool worthy, very muscular forearm that Rin had been groping not too long ago, and hastily scrawled his phone number across Ryuuji’s tanned skin. This was totally more romantic than asking for his phone to punch his number into, right? Rin didn’t have a lot of experience with this sort of this thing, and most of it didn’t even make it this far so he was pretty much shooting from the hip at this point, but Ryuuji was allowing it and he very easily could not so Rin was using that as fuel for his dwindling confidence. He was gonna need it if he wanted more than these few fleeting moments with this grumpy, standoffish, kind, considerate, blushing, observant man.
And he really, really did.
“Text me, call me, whatever, but I really would like to get to know ya sometime.” Rin licked his lips, very suddenly reminded of how well he’d gotten to know certain parts of Ryuuji this evening “Well, better than I have so far,” he winked, laughing heartily at the final blush he’d be pulling out of Ryuuji tonight.
Rin ran after Yukio’s fleeting form, turning to wave goodbye to Ryuuji and internally thrilling at the small wave he got in return. One last check next to cute because Ryuuji really was criminally adorable.
And now, damage control.
“Long time no see! You two must’ve been dancing for a while.” Rin casually stuffed his hands in his pockets, electing the route of the old faithful distract and pretend it never happened.
“Seriously? You were supposed to be grabbing a water to sober up and instead you disappear for over an hour and I find you with a random guy, even more red faced and sweaty than when you left,” Yukio berated as he peered into Rin’s eyes, probably checking some nonsense with his pupils or something. Ever the doting doctor.
Rin rolled his eyes despite his smile, well used to Yukio’s personal brand of affection. He hadn’t meant to because he honestly hadn’t really thought about it, but he’d obviously worried his brother. Vanishing while under the influence in an unfamiliar club hadn’t exactly been his brightest choice, but he couldn’t resist the temptation Ryuuji presented.
“I haven’t had any more alcohol, I swear! I’m just drunk on Ryuuji’s—”
“That’s enough!” Rin cackled as he was shoved unceremoniously into the crowd of dancing strangers.
“Okay, okay, I’m done!” Rin held up his hands in surrender. He scanned the area, wondering why exactly the two of them were walking directly towards the exit. They were definitely down a member of their trio. “Where’s Shiemi anyway?”
“Waiting for us outside. I figured that would be the easiest way for us all to find each other, and she made friends with the bouncer while we were looking for you so it didn’t seem like a completely terrible idea to split up while she kept an eye out in case you left while I was still in here looking.”
“The bouncer?” Rin gawked at his twin, wondering if there was a second bouncer he was unaware of. Shiemi could befriend just about anyone, but that would be an impossibly impressive feat even for her. Rin didn’t think he’d heard him speak a single word.
Yukio kept pressing forward, not bothering to respond or look back to ensure Rin was still following him. He must’ve been a lot less comfortable leaving Shiemi than he was letting on, not stopping until he finally made it to the exit and pushed the doors open.
The cool night air washed over them, pleasantly welcome after however long they’d been inside, but the change from the colorful lighting to only the street lamps in the darkness and the almost muffling sensation in his ears now that it was so quiet was disorienting for a second.
Yukio didn’t pause, his head swiveling until he had eyes on Shiemi and Rin could hear his relieved sigh.
“Rin! Yuki!” Shiemi stood from the chair that had been dragged outside for her, and sure enough, she was stationed comfortably next to the huge, stoic, very unamused looking man. “This is Behemoth! He said he doesn’t get much company out here.”
“Thank you for looking after her.” Yukio bowed and Rin was several seconds behind in following the gesture.
Behemoth’s teeth looked too big for his face and it was kind of scary.
“Have a good night, Mister Behemoth! I’ll bring those treats we talked about when I see you next weekend!” Shiemi waved chipperly, unphased by the strangely out of sync blink and nod that served as her only response before they were making their way down the street back towards her place, and apparently they would be making a return visit even sooner than Rin had anticipated.
“We haven’t seen you for a while, Rin. What have you been up to?“ Shiemi’s head tilted towards him, her eyes scanning over his form curiously before narrowing suddenly. “Is that…?”
Rin’s hand flew up to rest against his neck. Had Ryuuji left a mark? A dopey grin overtook his face. It was dumb, but he liked having something physical to show and remember their time together. Especially in case Rin didn’t end up hearing from him.
“Rin met a guy,” Yukio explained in Rin’s silence.
Shiemi’s delighted squeal filled the mostly empty streets, her excitement infectious enough that it was nearly doubling his own.
“Then we both have news!” She took Yukio’s hand, looking tentatively at Rin as if they needed or could possibly not have his approval. He’d forgotten they didn’t know that he already knew.
“It’s about time. What took ya so long, Four Eyes?”
“Rin!”
“Congratulations,” Rin said seriously, wanting both of them but Yukio especially to know that he meant it. Rin had never fully understood why he’d held himself back for so long, but he did know that Yukio had always grappled with feeling unworthy of Shiemi’s attention and admiration. He didn’t know what had changed now, but he was glad that it did. They were good for each other.
“You have to tell me everything!” Shiemi shook Rin’s arm, her eyes sparkling with her joy, and a tension Rin hadn’t previously noticed was there now gone.
Had she been worried about how Rin would take it? He wouldn’t deny the nerves he still sometimes got at the thought of the two of them leaving him behind, but he’d never want to get in their way either.
“We’ll tell each other! You’ve gotta fill me in on how you finally got Mole Face to confess his love!”
Yukio threw the pen from his pocket at him and Shiemi’s giggles echoed throughout the night, and Rin didn’t think anything could dampen how right everything felt.
As soon as they made it inside she dragged them straight into her living room where she’d strewn cushions all over the floor for them, demanding they build a blanket fort together for their movie night.
Shiemi had pulled a handheld mirror from her room, showing Rin the faint, pink, just beginnings of a hickey on his neck, and she’d told him everything about how she’d laid her plans with Izumo to sweep Yukio off his feet. Rin spared most of the more intimate details in front of his brother, but he couldn’t resist gushing about everything he now knew about Ryuuji Suguro.
The three of them cozied up in their makeshift fort as she started her selected romance film and tucked in with her lovingly prepared dinner and Rin swore she’d stuffed the sandwiches with the very grass itself rather than anything growing within her garden, but all in all, he couldn’t imagine a more perfect birthday celebration.
Yukio and Shiemi had fallen asleep not long after the movie ended, cuddled close and wrapped in the many blankets Shiemi had gathered for Yukio’s always cold self. Further proof that Rin was right, they were so good for each other.
Rin’s blinking slowed, his eyelids growing heavier as sleep started to overtake him, only to cringe as his phone vibrated twice, alerting him to an incoming text message.
There was a second where he seriously considered ignoring it, before groping around at the sheets and blankets for his phone and praying that it wasn’t work.
Ukobach was an incredible boss in almost all regards. He had to be to get along with Rin as well as he did, but he was set in his ways and unreasonably strict when it came to running his kitchen smoothly, so if Sei called out it meant all bets were officially off. Rin had successfully gotten the night off, but he could get called in to start his Sunday night shift early at any moment.
He nearly dropped his phone in shock as he realized that not only was it not Ukobach, or anyone from the restaurant for that matter, but a new number entirely.
[Unknown Number: How are your garden goodies?
—Ryuuji Suguro]
A grin stretched across Rin’s face, his fingers sweeping across his phone screen. Ryuuji signed off on his first text like it was some sort of physical letter or something and it was terribly romantic. Of course, he couldn’t know that no one else outside of Rin’s contacts would possibly be texting him, but still.
[Rin: terrible. wish u were here to kiss it better]
[Ryuuji: Wow, immediately going for the lines? Maybe I really wanted to know about the food.]
[Rin: after getting a taste of u how could i resist? sides the food really was terrible >x<]
[Ryuuji: Hard to believe you’re even more incorrigible via text than in the club.]
[Rin: and ur somehow even more formal in writing. c’mon ryu u wouldn’t have actually texted me if u didn’t like me too]
The … of Ryuuji typing popped up and disappeared three separate times before his response came through.
[Ryuuji: Wanna get a better tea tomorrow? If I’m remembering right you still owe me.]
Rin glanced at the clock, chewing his lip in contemplation. He didn’t want to come across needy, but he also didn’t want to blow what very well may be his only chance with an amazing guy that was wildly out of his league on something as small as a miscommunication. He did not have tomorrow morning off, but yesterday also technically wasn’t over yet for most normal people.
Fuck it, if he hadn’t scared Ryuuji off yet this probably wouldn’t be enough to do it.
[Rin: today??]
[Ryuuji: Today then. We can iron out the details when you wake up. Goodnight, Rin.]
[Ryuuji: Or good morning? Whatever you want it to be. See you in a few hours. Sleep well.]
[Rin: sleep tight ryuuji. see you in a few hours]
Rin looked back over at the blissfully sleeping couple. Maybe he could talk Shiemi into calling Izumo over and get both of their help getting ready. Whatever she’d done had been enough to finally wake Yukio up to his own feelings and he wanted to make an effort for Ryuuji even if it was just tea.
Rin’s smile softened as he snuggled his phone to his chest, visions of warm brown eyes and a teasing smirk already dancing behind his closed eyelids. He’d never found himself looking forward to tea before.
Maybe if he played his cards right he’d even get another kiss.