Work Text:
Nagi’s workday follows a very specific routine. Roll out of bed 30 minutes before his first meeting of the day, run his hands through his hair to give it some semblance of order, and saunter on over to work with enough time to get a lemon tea and only be 2 minutes late.
He’ll do some work for part of the day, pretend to do some work for a larger part of the day, and somewhere in that time he’ll eat whatever he can scrounge up from the snack bar. Then, he’ll go home, play video games or read some manga before going to sleep to start the routine all over again the next day.
Not the most exciting, but it pays the bills and allows him his few hobbies.
Recently there has been a disruption to his routine. Engagement scores across the company were low and an “optional” happy hour had been instituted.
The higher ups said it would raise morale; his boss Ego would say, and has said, to just to do your fucking job, I’m not paying you to be friends. But Ego also knew what battles to pick and when to roll over and take advantage of the company’s tab and this was definitely not a hill Ego wanted to die on.
And so, now Nagi’s whole team was asked—ordered, more like—to come socialize, if only to be used as ammunition for whatever else Ego needed next time and he always needed something.
Nagi honestly didn’t care why he had to be here, he just knew he had to be.
So here he was, surrounded by his coworkers, making small talk and nursing a shitty beer. He was counting down the minutes until he could head home.
Unfortunately that wasn’t in the cards for tonight.
Nagi's slouched against a table, half listening to Barou complain about something or another when they're interrupted. “Hey, you!” Nagi sluggishly turns to look and is mildly surprised someone from another team is talking to him. “I don't know you. Want to be my partner for pool?” He's met with a bright smile and bright eyes and instantly feels more tired.
“Uh, Reo, I don’t think Nagi will be up for it.” Isagi pops up from behind Reo to try to pull him away. “He’s not really the bar game type.”
Reo takes a quick look at Isagi, before bringing his attention back to Nagi. “Oh? You sure? Because you can’t be worse than everyone else in the Marketing department.” Reo rolls his eyes and gestures with his drink somewhere behind him. “They truly have no hand-eye coordination whatsoever.”
Nagi blinks. He’s not sure why Reo thinks he’d be any better, but maybe he’s just that desperate.
“Well?” Reo asks again.
Nagi tilts his head to the side, thinking. Reo, Marketing, a very fancy suit. “You’re the big shot in Marketing? The VP?”
“That’s me! My reputation precedes me, I see.” Reo grins.
“How do you know the VP of Marketing?” Isagi asks incredulously, but he’s fully ignored. “You didn’t even know Ego was our boss!?”
Nagi shrugs. “Sure, I’ll play.”
“Brilliant!” Reo shouts in excitement and a lot more happens in the next few moments that Nagi expected.
He’s dragged away and hears Isagi mutter a ‘what the fuck’ and Barou snort a ‘good riddance’. A pool cue is shoved into his hands and he’s introduced to the team he’ll be going up against. Reo asks him if he’s ever played before and laughs when he says ‘no, but how hard can it be’?
Like Nagi thought, pool wasn't hard. He watched Reo break and a guy on the other team go and by the time it got to Nagi he was pretty confident he could knock a ball into one of those holes.
As he's leaning over the table, Reo comes over to lean next to him. “Remember, we're solids.” He’s not touching him, but he can’t escape Reo’s strong presence and can swear he feels some strands of hair tickle his cheek.
Nagi hums and subtly recalculates—though he can hear Reo huff a laugh off to the side so apparently not subtly enough—to softly bump a small green ball into a corner pocket.
Easy. And the soft smack of the pool cue with the ball was very satisfying. He could see why people were into this.
The hand on his head and the “nice, Nagi!” didn't hurt either.
After their first win, Reo shows him off to his coworkers. With his arm around Nagi’s shoulders, and a drink sloshing in Nagi’s face, he boasts, “See, that's how it's done!”
Nagi shrugs, side-eyeing the drink next to him, “It wasn't hard.”
A redhead rolls his eyes and some of the other people grumble and heckle the two of them, but Nagi chooses to focus on Reo—warm, pressed up against him, shoulders shaking from laughter.
He gets pulled into more and more games of pool—most they win, a few they lose, how was Nagi supposed to know you could only aim for the black one at the end, it's a solid color— and when he looks up, it’s already 8:00 pm and he should have been back at home hours ago.
For a moment, he wonders why he’s still here. But his gaze shifts just an inch to the right and then Reo’s in front of him, arms straight in the air in a long stretch, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, button-down still tucked and pulled taut against his long body and it’s quickly very obvious why Nagi hasn’t left yet.
As Reo turns towards him after saying bye to his coworkers, Nagi quickly looks away, hand on his neck in what he knows is a nervous tick he’s never been able to shake.
If Reo notices, he completely ignores it. Instead, he comes to stand in front of Nagi, slouching with one hand in a pocket and the other holding his blazer over this shoulder. Nagi wonders if he practices looking like a model or if it’s all effortless.
“You know, you made a huge mistake today.”
Nagi scrunches his eyebrows in confusion.
“Now that I know you’re decent—”
“Decent?” Nagi asks with narrowed eyes.
“Now,” Reo continues talking over Nagi with force, “anytime you’re here, you’re mine.” Reo’s smirking, teasing, leaning in closer and eyeing Nagi like he’s one wrong move away from being devoured. “Prove me wrong, genius.”
Oh.
Nagi’s heart just skipped a beat.
It’s another week and another bar, but the same meaningless conversation as Nagi nurses a beer. Actually, it's worse. Barou won't stop hounding him about some code Nagi had pushed up earlier that day.
“I don't understand what's so hard about running your goddamn linter. It's fucking built in.” Barou complains, thumping the table between them like an angry gorilla.
Nagi rolls his eyes, “You're gonna fix it anyway, so what's the point.”
“The point is, I'm not trying to clean up after your shit code.”
Barou’s getting in his face now, leaning across the table, and Nagi frowns back. “It's not shit, it does what it's supposed to, doesn’t it?”
“Now, now, both of you.” Isagi comes in as a meditating force who they both ignore.
“If no one can read it, then it’s worthless, damn it!”
Nagi’s about to bite back that maybe everyone else should just get good when he hears a certain someone’s voice. Nagi doesn’t even hesitate. He immediately turns to follow the voice—follow Reo, because who else would interest him—without even a word to the others.
“Hey! Where are you going, we're not done here!” Barou yells after him.
“Getting another drink.” Nagi waves off.
“You have a full drink here though?” He hears Isagi ask confusedly.
Reo hasn't seen him yet. He looks like he's just arrived, his well-tailored suit immaculate and his hair still hanging loosely around his face, not pulled back into the tight ponytail he wears when he gets fired up.
Nagi walks up silently to the bar to stand unobtrusively behind Reo’s back and waits. Reo’s an overly excited person; it won’t take him long to bump into him. Then they’ll be able to naturally see each other, instead of Nagi walking up like a nervous loser hoping for more of his attention.
It doesn’t take long. Reo bumps into him in the middle of some grand story. Their eyes meet as Reo turns to apologize, but when he realizes who exactly is behind him, his eyes widen and so does his smile. “Oh ho ho. Well, look who it is!”
Nagi stares back steadily, hoping his ever increasing heartbeat isn’t obvious. “Ah, Reo.”
"Ah, Nagi.” Reo copies his steady stare, lightly mocking, before he breaks and goes back to his normal grin.
Nagi itches to look away, to bring his hand up rub nervously at the back of his neck, but he can tell Reo will latch on immediately to even a small show of weakness and he somehow stays strong.
Reo’s eyes trail down and he tilts his head to the side as he wonders aloud. “How did you go home and get changed so quickly?”
That wasn’t where Nagi thought the conversation would be going. “Huh? I didn’t.”
Reo pauses for a bit, taking in the hoodie and slouchy pants Nagi is wearing, before he laughs.
“Well, anyway, now that you’re here,” Reo trails off to take a small sip of his drink and looks slyly up at Nagi over the rim of his cup (he has to practice that, right?). “I need to put Sales in their place. You better be just as good at ping pong as you are at pool.”
When he’d come over, he hadn’t really known what he’d wanted. He had just known he wanted Reo’s attention back on him. And Reo had made him a promise. Nagi was Reo’s now.
His hand finally sneaks up to his neck and a mumbles a quiet, “How hard can it be?” as Reo laughs and laughs.
They end up wiping the floor with Sales—Nagi is 95% sure someone cried—and Nagi and Reo stand triumphant as the winners of an impromptu ping pong tournament. Nagi didn’t really follow everything that was going on, but he’s pretty sure Reo used the games as some type of negotiation tactic or show of force and that Sales was pretty much in his pocket for whatever Reo needed them for.
He’s lounging back watching Reo persuade—bully—someone of something and Nagi wonders why anyone tries to fight back. It’s much easier when you just give into what Reo wants. For a second he wonders if it’s bad that he’s given in after just two meetings, but can’t bring himself to care too much.
Reo turns back to him—suit jacket off, sleeves rolled up, hair in a tight ponytail, Nagi doesn’t really know where to look, everything?— and comes to stand in front of Nagi in a mirror of last time.
“Well, you were incredibly helpful today.” He begins.
Nagi cuts in, rolling his eyes. “Not hard.”
Reo’s crooked grin softens into a smaller smile, “It’s hard for a lot of people. You’re just special.”
Oh. Nagi blinks. His heart skipped a beat again. He should maybe get this checked out.
“Can’t wait to see how you surprise me next time.”
The next week, Nagi only has enough time to get his drink and turn before Reo is one step in front of him, looking like a fox about to pounce. Barou and Isagi are flanking him, but all Nagi can see is Reo’s smirk, tie already loosened around his lean throat, and then his own hoodie strings in Reo’s tight grip. “Come on, genius. I need you.” Is all Reo says as he tugs and Nagi obediently follows.
Normally, he runs cold, but he always seems to burn around Reo.
It’s another slow day at the office and Nagi has his feet up on a window sill as he plays a mindless game of an anime he’s watching. He’s hauled his office chair over to the side of the building that gets the perfect amount of sun during this time of day and he’s soaking it up. It’s early in the week, he has some work to do, but nothing he won’t be able to easily accomplish during a late night later in the week, so he’s content to slack off and let the world move on around him.
He’s not ok with someone coming up behind him to rudely kick his chair. “Get up, lazy, we need to talk to you.” Barou’s annoying presence pierces the peace Nagi had so painstakingly set up.
“It’s my lunch break.”
“It’s 11:00 am and you barely eat.”
“It’s my break then.”
“Reo’s looking for you.”
Nagi places his feet firmly on the ground and puts down his phone to look over his shoulder. “Well, you should have said.”
Barou mutters some insult, but leads him away to a meeting room the team has unofficially taken over as theirs.
Inside, Reo and Isagi are already settled and talking, so Nagi just shuffles in quietly and takes a seat. He's content with the glance and smile Reo sends his way as he sits down.
Eventually, Isagi and Reo’s conversation comes to an end and they turn to Nagi. Reo starts, “So, you're going to be helping me?”
Nagi shrugs. “If Isagi says so.” He doesn't add that he'd probably help him with anything if he asked, but he also doesn’t think Reo needs that be explicitly stated at this point.
"My savior!” Reo teases with a sweet smile.
Nagi feels himself growing hot under his collar and looks away, grunting in, if not agreement, then at least acknowledgment. It only makes Reo’s grin larger.
“Anyway,” Reo begins again, looking at both Nagi and Isagi. “I’m really sorry to be putting this on both of you.”
“No, no! Don’t apologize, I get it.” Isagi jumps in to placate. “You’re not the one that brought this on us."
Nagi leans back in his chair, looking up lazily at the ceiling, “It’s just sales writing checks that they can’t cash. What’s new?” He asks.
He doesn’t get a response and for a split second he wonders if he’d gone too far for Reo, before Reo lets out a laugh, followed by a nervous chuckle from Isagi.
Nagi looks back at them, “Am I wrong?”
Reo shrugs, sharing a glance with Isagi. “Eh, you’re not wrong. I’m pretty sure I put the fear of god in them last week, but this contract was already in the works before I caught wind of it, so we have to deliver.”
“We’ll get it done, Reo, it’s no problem.” Isagi promises.
Reo smiles gratefully at the two of them, “Thank you, truly.” He turns to Isagi and adds, “And let me know if you need anything from us. I can push things along with the leadership team, if you need anything.”
Isagi grins devilishly, “Oh, don’t worry, this help isn’t free.”
Reo grins in return. “Looking forward to it.” He then sighs, smile more rueful, “Well, I’ve got to go. Another working lunch to get through.” And Reo leaves with wave.
Nagi watches him leave and the minute he’s out of eyesight, he lets out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Well, I’m heading out. Just send the details later.”
“Oh no, you don’t.”
“Huh?”
Isagi makes a motion to someone outside and Barou bursts in. “What the fuck is going on with you.”
Nagi slowly looks between the two of them and immediately decides he doesn’t want in on whatever this is and gets up to leave. In retaliation, Isagi and Barou both take a shoulder and slam him back down in his seat. “Ow.” Nagi mumbles.
Isagi gets up in his face and asks, “Nope, spill, what’s going on with you and Reo.”
“What does he have on you?” Barou adds.
“Nothings and nothing.” Nagi answers, already bored with the conversation.
“Uh huh.” Isagi mutters doubtful, arms crossed. “Then what are the two of you?”
Nagi thinks for a moment. He's never really thought about the label he would give Reo. He never really thinks about the labels for anyone, but even he had to admit Reo was a bit different. “Partners?” He asks, as much a question as it was an answer.
“Partners?”
“For what?”
Nagi takes a moment to think about this answer too. “Bar games.”
“That’s it?” Barou asks incredulously. “Dude, he pulls you along like a puppy and you let him do that for bar games?”
“I’m not a puppy.” Nagi scoffs.
“But you don’t deny he pulls you along?”
Isagi cuts in before another fight breaks out, “Nagi, it’s more than that. I would have had to fight you tooth and nail to get you on this project with this crazy deadline if Reo wasn’t the one that had been asking.”
Nagi refuses to make eye contact, he can feel the heat continuing to rise steadily up his body.
He knows it’s obvious when both Barou and Isagi start to yell.
“Oh my god!” and “This is disgusting!” and “I do not view you as a human being, let alone one with feelings!” and “I honestly thought you would just never be interested in anyone?”
Nagi slouches further and further down in his seat.
He knows being this interested in Reo is crazy. He knows that. He just didn’t want anyone else to know.
“Whatever, yeah, he’s out of my league.” Nagi tries to nonchalantly hand wave this away, even though he’s dying inside just a bit. “That’s why we’re partners. If I wasn’t good at bar games, he wouldn’t even look at me twice, so drop it.”
They’re just bar friends. That’s enough for him.
Nagi doesn’t know what week this is, all he knows is he’s back in Reo’s orbit the minute he walks into the bar.
Over the last few months, the marketing department and the engineering department have started to come together. It’s not out of the norm to see Isagi chatting with Reo, or the redhead—Chigiri, Nagi learned—seen annoying Barou as much Nagi usually does. Regardless of who’s around, it’s always Reo and Nagi, Nagi and Reo, even on days where there’s no bar games at all.
Today’s one of those days where they’re just chatting, crowded around a high table. Nagi is just somewhat listening, more enjoying Reo’s voice than the actual content of the conversation.
Recently, a new guy—Shidou—appeared. He’s touchy-feely with most people, but especially Reo. He’d come up and swung an arm around Reo, pulling him close, but with one sharp look and a threat to get HR involved from Reo, he had backed off with a laugh.
Nagi’s not worried. Reo’s back where he belongs, pressed up against Nagi’s side. But he keeps a close eye on them whenever they chat.
There may be an edge of flirtation there, but Reo seems just as likely to punch Shidou in the face as flirt with him and Nagi can tell it’s more a bit than anything else.
And anytime Reo seems to be getting pulled into something or another, Nagi just puts more of his weight onto Reo’s shoulder and Reo’s attention is brought back instantly.
So, he’s not worried. Not really.
His attention is brought back to the rest of the group as someone bangs on the table and the drinks clatter. Some liquid sloshes dangerously enough that Nagi steps back from the table to make sure he doesn’t get hit.
Only to be immediately hit by a full tray of drinks that come crashing down onto him from behind.
Nagi gasps, frozen in shock and disgust as he feels the cold water and sticky alcohol flowing down his back and into his shoes.
“Oh my god, I am so sorry!” He hears from behind him and immediately there is a flurry of movement as people get napkins and towels, with some people trying to help pick up the fallen glasses.
Nagi should probably do something, but the flurry of movement has him confused and the shock of cold isn’t helping.
Vaguely, he can tell Reo is flitting around him, trying to help get the worst off of him before he finally hears Reo order, “Nagi, just take your hoodie off.”
“Ah, right, right.” Now that he’s focusing on Reo’s voice, Nagi finally moves and begins to pull his hoodie off over this head. He cringes a bit as the wet fabric slides up his skin.
“Oh ho, Mikage, what else do you want him to take off?” Nagi hears Shidou say, but he must have heard wrong, because taking anything else off would definitely get him called out for public indecency and he can’t imagine why Reo would want that.
A draft of cold air hits his stomach and he realizes his shirt is also coming off. He swiftly pulls his shirt down, but he’s pretty sure he’s fully flashed the entire bar and he needs to get out of here.
With his hoodie fully off, he feels a bit better, but his shirt is still soaked through. He picks at the hem to pull it off his skin, but the minute he lets go, it immediately slaps back down against his torso, going flush against his body. It’s truly disgusting. “Gross.” He winces.
“Oh.” He hears Reo stutter and he finally looks up to see him—and everyone else it looks like—staring with wide eyes. Nagi doesn’t get embarrassed easily, mostly because he never puts himself into situations where he would easily embarrass himself, but he’s really starting to feel uncomfortable with everyone’s stares.
“Oh.” Reo repeats. “You’re really wet.” He mumbles like he doesn’t really know what he’s saying, like he’s in daze. His eyes leave a burning trail as his gaze drops lower and lower. Nagi shifts uncomfortably—he's pretty sure he looks like a drowned rat.
“He’s not the only one.” Chigiri quips from the side. Nagi doesn’t think anyone else got hit with the drinks, but maybe he was wrong.
Shidou’s cackle finally breaks Reo out of his trance and he snaps over his shoulder, “Ok, no more comments from the peanut gallery!” Nagi can see the tops of Reo’s cheeks begin to flush. Strange, he hadn’t thought Reo had drunk that much today.
Reo turns back to Nagi, noticeably looking anywhere besides Nagi. As uncomfortable as that earlier stare had been, he misses it.
“Come one,” Reo grabs his wrist to lead him away. “Let’s get you cleaned up as much as we can.”
“You’re sure you’re not going to get him dirtier?” Shidou jeers as they leave.
Nagi looks over his shoulder in confusion, but only gets a sleazy grin and a thumbs up from Shidou. Nagi doesn’t think he could feel more gross, so he’s not sure how Reo would make it worse.
“Shidou, shut up!” Reo snaps causing Shidou and Chigiri cackle so loud that Nagi can hear them their entire walk.
“They're so loud.” He's honestly impressed.
“Ugh, tell me about it.” Reo groans.
Once they get to the bathroom, Reo immediately starts to fuss over him. He’s not sure where Reo got the towel from, but he wets it to try and wipe up as much of the sticky liquid on Nagi’s skin as possible. He gently wipes at his face, his neck, his arms—any bit of skin is graced with Reo’s gentle care.
During all of this, Nagi catches a look of himself in the mirror and feels like he should protest—there’s no way Reo is going to be able to salvage this situation. Nagi looks like a sad, wet dog that’s been left waiting in the rain and only a warm bath is going to fix him.
He picks at the hem of his shirt again, “Well, this is embarrassing.”
Reo snorts, gently wiping down his arms, “Trust me, you have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
Nagi runs his hands through his hair, trying to squeeze out some of the water at the ends. “Eh, I mean spilling all that stuff was pretty cringe.” The motion causes his shirt to pull tight against his chest again and he wrinkles his nose. “So, so gross.”
Reo doesn’t respond and stops moving. Nagi can see as much through the bathroom mirror. Reo’s is once again looking up at him wide-eyed, a small tremor in his throat. He licks his lips as his eyes begin to trail over his body and Nagi feels a shiver run down this spine.
“Reo?” He asks softly.
“Huh?” Reo stutters and rapidly moves his gaze away, back to cleaning off Nagi’s arms.
Nagi feels himself relax now that Reo’s gaze is off of him. He wants to say more, ask him what he was looking at and what he saw, or at the very least tell Reo his arms are dry already, but Reo seems flustered in a way Nagi’s never seen him so he holds back.
“Anyway,” Reo begins to ramble, “The waiter is the one who should be embarrassed. He’s probably kicking himself right now. He’s probably cost the bar so much money.”
Nagi feels the tension break and lets out a huff, “Is that your first thought?”
Reo laughs and finally realizes there’s not much more he can do. "I guess so.” He steps back, eyeing Nagi with a clinical eye rather than a heated one. “Says a lot about me, huh?” He looks up at Nagi, biting his lip in a crooked smile.
Nagi nods, seriously. “Reo is always thinking about business.” And is hit by a light punch to his shoulder.
“Hey, I think about other things.” Reo protests.
Nagi nods again, just as serious. “And winning.”
That gets Reo to laugh and any evidence of Reo’s flustered state is fully gone. Nagi mourns it a bit, but he’ll always prefer this Reo—confident, in control, and with a cheeky smile.
“Anyway,” Reo claps his hands, “We’ve done as much as we can, but you really need to go home.”
Nagi sighs heavily, “Ugh, such a pain.” But he follows Reo out the door and back to their group.
As they return, Shidou lets out a wolf whistle.
Reo scoffs angrily beside him and Nagi glances at him curiously, wondering, not for the first time, just what is going on inside Reo’s head. He feels like he’s been missing something about this entire situation.
“Damn, didn’t know you were hiding a body like that!” Shidou greets.
Nagi looks down at his body and finally realizes that his shirt has be come so skin tight and see through that his entire torso, and the muscles he surprisingly has, is fully on display. Well, so much for avoiding public indecency. He shifts uncomfortably. “Oh yeah, I work out, I guess.”
Chigiri smirks, “Yeah, we can tell.”
Nagi rolls his eyes. “Whatever, Barou’s just a slave driver.” He goes to pick up his hoodie and starts to walk out the door. He needs to get the rest of his clothes off as soon as possible. And needs to get away from Reo while he’s looking like such a mess.
“Oh, hey, wait,” Reo pops up next to him. “Want a ride?”
Nagi stops and looks back at Reo. He hesitates for just a moment. He was trying to get away, but a ride would be helpful. He gives Reo a small nod and is almost blinded by the huge grin Reo gives him in return.
He’s never felt this out of his depth before.
The next day, Nagi’s first meeting has nothing to do with work. Which is unfortunate, because he really would like to think about work today and not about anything or anyone else.
Instead, he’s held hostage by Isagi and Barou as they hound him with questions about the exact thing he’s trying not to think about.
“What happened last night?”
“Probably nothing, knowing this idiot.”
Well, being asked questions by Isagi and being insulted by Barou. Not very different from most days. This is the first time an insult from Barou has stung so much though.
Nagi sighs, leans back in his chair, and hopes he comes across as nonchalant as he wants to feel. “I went home.”
Isagi looks one second away from choking him out and that’s almost enough of lift his spirits, just slightly. “Oh my god, please tell me more happened than that. That man was straight up eye fucking you.”
That’s news to Nagi. “Who? Shidou?” The guy was making all sorts of weird comments last night for sure. Who else could they be talking about?
Barou hisses, “Are you dumb? You can not be this dumb.”
Isagi takes a deep breath and tries a more gentle approach, “Nagi, you have to know that Reo has a thing for you.”
Nagi feels a lump in his throat. Or, more correctly, finally lets himself acknowledge the lump in his throat.
“We’re partners.” He stresses.
In what world would someone like Reo ever have a thing for someone like him? And if he did, that would mean Nagi would have to acknowledge that he may have made the biggest fumble in history last night, and he was trying not to think about that.
Isagi eyes him critically, “What does that word mean to you?”
Nagi gives him a judgmental side eye in return, “I’m not going to be your dictionary just because you’re dumb.”
Isagi’s head falls to the table with a thump and a groan, “Nagi, I promise you, you are the dumb one.”
Nagi chooses not to respond to that. Instead, he turns to acknowledge the silent glowering from the corner. “What, king? You have something to say?”
Barou sighs, like it's a chore to be called on. Nagi wonders why he's still here, if he’s feeling so put upon. “You’re not this dumb, you know you didn't answer the question.”
Nagi feels his jaw twitch. He’s getting real tired of being called dumb, when it’s obvious they’re the dumb ones in this situation. What they’re talking about is crazy. Even if Reo did have a thing for him, which Nagi still isn’t convinced about, what could Nagi even give him in return. He’s a man with only better than average hand-eye coordination and no ambitions to speak of.
“You know, Nagi,” Isagi starts and the gentleness he’s speaking with irritates him. Nagi can feel a scratching underneath his skin. He wants to leave. “If you want more, Reo probably needs you to take that first step. He’s not your boss, but he is still a VP. The power imbalance there is wild.”
“I don't need more, I'm fine the way things are.” Nagi responds. And he is. The last few months have been more than he could have wished for.
“What if things change?” Isagi keeps needling and Nagi doesn’t understand why Isagi is so invested in this. There's no reason to be, Nagi himself is trying not to be as invested.
“Why would they change?”
“Reo’s not going to play bar games with you forever. You don't even play games every week now. Things are going to change.”
Nagi doesn't respond. Isagi may say something else in that same gentle, irritating tone, but Nagi won't listen anymore. This has nothing to do with them.
Him and Reo are partners, after work, at the bar. Nothing more, nothing less. What more could Nagi really offer him? This has to be enough.
By the next week, Nagi has already firmly pushed that earlier conversation with Isagi and Barou out of his mind. It helps that he doesn’t really see Reo during the week. Sure, he may catch sight of Reo on the way to lunch or when he’s rushing from meeting room to meeting room, but work isn’t the time they ever interact.
Him and Reo had quickly and silently come to an agreement. They were bar friends, not work friends.
So, when he gets to the bar of the week—the one they had first met at, Nagi notices—he’s surprised when Reo doesn’t immediately seek him out or call him over from where ever he’s already ended up.
They make eye contact, Nagi is sure they do, but Reo quickly looks away and doesn’t look back. Nagi doesn’t stop his slow movement to the bar, but he’s feeling on edge and he doesn’t stop eyeing Reo. The fact that his head is leaning so close to Shidou and that it seems to be a serious conversation makes him even more uncomfortable.
Maybe something had gone down earlier in the day. Reo is always in the middle of something or another. He tells himself Reo will catch up soon.
But, it’s been 30 minutes and Reo doesn’t look over once. Nagi would know; he’s been staring at Reo’s back the entire time, nursing the same shitty beer he does every week.
Eventually, someone does come up to him, lightly jostling his shoulder. “Hey.”
Nagi hums in acknowledgement, but doesn’t do much else. Chigiri’s not the one he wants to see from Marketing today.
Either Chigiri doesn’t notice or doesn’t care, “I don’t know why you always drink that, it’s disgusting.”
He wonders if he should go over and talk to Reo. He’s been relying on Reo to make the first move every week. Maybe it’s time for him to do it.
“Here, take this!”
A cold glass is shoved into his hands and he finally has to look away from Reo to look over at Chigiri in confusion. Reo has pushy friends and Chigiri is probably the pushiest.
“This is a lemon drop.” Chigiri explains. “With the amount of lemon tea you drink, you may actually like this one.”
“How do you know I drink—”
“And by the way, where’s Reo?” Chigiri doesn’t wait for his answer and just starts to look around the bar. “He left so much earlier than I did. I would have expected him to already be here.”
The knowledge that Reo is probably ignoring him comes back full force. He just nods sadly in Reo’s direction. Now that he’s not looking at Reo anymore, he can’t bring himself to look back. What’s the point if Reo has already grown tired of him?
“He didn’t see you?”
Nagi looks at the two drinks he has in his hands, looks at the delicate little lemon drop that Chigiri handed him, thinks about Reo completely ignoring him. And shoots back his dainty cocktail like a shot. He ignores Chigiri’s squawk of surprise. “No, he did.” Nagi responds before proceeding to chug down his beer before placing the two glasses on the bar behind him. “I’m going home.”
Chigiri quickly stops him. “Ok, drama. Not what I would have done, but fine.”
Nagi doesn't move, but he's also tired of responding. The only person that made coming here worth it was ignoring him, so what's the point of even being here?
“Lets go!” Chigiri grabs his wrist and starts to pull him in the last direction he wants to go, towards Reo. He doesn't try to show Chigiri down, but he also doesn't help. Nagi’s pretty sure he can't get out of this, but he's not going to make it easy.
“Hey, Reo!” Chigiri calls out strongly as he elbows his way into the group. He looks like he’s on a mission. He’s not going to take anything less than enthusiastic engagement.
Nagi just feels like a child who's mom is taking it upon herself to fix a fight and wonders when this became his life.
Glancing at Reo, it seems like he feels the same way.
“So,” Chigiri drawls, leaning across the table to get in Reo’s face. “Seems like games are getting set up. You and Nagi going to destroy everyone again?”
Nagi can hear an undercurrent of tension in Chigiri’s voice and if he can hear it, everyone else can probably hear it, too. Glancing around the table, most people are making uncomfortable faces, inhibitions and social graces lowered now that they’ve been drinking a while.
Everyone except Shidou.
Who throws an arm around Reo’s shoulders and brings him close. “Nah, I’m stealing him today.” He seems to be smirking straight at Nagi, like a cat that’s about to eat the canary.
Nagi doesn’t feel very good about this. He probably should have left earlier. He doesn’t want to see Reo play games with someone else. He definitely doesn’t want to see Reo so close to someone else.
Isagi’s annoying voice echos in his head—Things are going to change.
Nagi doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t even look at Reo and Shidou as they walk away. He feels his fingernails dig into the soft flesh of his palms.
“Fucking rude, Reo really needs to grow the fuck up.” Chigiri keeps talking to Nagi, even though Nagi can’t really bring himself to respond, but he does keep taking the Lemon Drops Chigiri keeps feeding him.
He doesn’t know how many he’s had, but enough that he knows he’ll be regretting it the next day. Isagi even came by to check in on him, but he waved him off. It’s not the same, but shit-talking Reo and Shidou’s pool skills with Chigiri is better than going home to just dwell on Reo.
Nagi can’t help but keep an eye on the games. They’re winning. Of course they’re winning. Reo is still amazing, but he’s so boring to watch. He’s just playing so safe. What’s even the point?
Nagi doesn’t even care about Shidou hanging all over Reo, or Shidou’s arm around Reo’s waist, or his head leaning close to whisper something into Reo’s ear, or—ok, he may care a bit.
But the last straw is watching Reo miss an easy shot.
What’s the point of leaving Nagi if you’re not going to be better than when they were together.
Chigiri is in the middle of gossiping about someone in IT when Nagi begins to drag him over to the pool tables. “Hey, what? Where are we? Dude, hello?”
Nagi doesn’t answer. Instead, he stops in front of Reo and says, “We’ll play you next.”
Reo’s eyes are wide and they’re shimmering, or that may be the fact that Nagi is definitely a step or two past tipsy.
“Wait, what?” He hears Chirigi squawk from behind him.
Reo looks back over Nagi’s shoulder at Chigiri and doesn’t seem to like what he sees. His jaw twitches. Nagi wants to raise a hand to try to calm it down. Reo snorts and his shimmering, wide eyes are gone. Only the cold, hard eyes of someone who’s only known how to win. “You’re on.”
“No, seriously, why am I getting dragged into this?” Chigiri complains.
Nagi shoves a pool cue into Chigiri’s hands, eyes still locked on Reo. “I’ll break.” He doesn’t break eye contact until he literally has to.. He’ll get Reo to remember why they were partners in the first place.
The balls make a satisfying clack as they break part, the sound echoing in Nagi’s head. He hears Shidou whistling, impressed, but nothing from Reo. Instead of looking back, he just makes a quick scan of the table, states “we’re solids,” and takes another shot, which unfortunately misses.
“My pleasure.” Reo grounds out when it’s his turn and the game goes on.
It’s a very tight game, even with Chigiri absolutely whiffing most shots he makes.
“Maybe you should just try not to do too much.” Nagi says at some point.
“Wow, rude, I’m doing you a fucking favor.” Chigiri takes a sip of his drink. “But yeah, honestly, that sounds good.”
Shidou is just having a good time. Nagi knows he’s just as good as Reo, but at some point he must give up on the game. Nagi’s pretty sure at a certain point the only addition to the game from Chigiri and Shidou is annoying commentary.
Instead, Nagi never breaks eye contact with Reo if he can help it.
They’re down to the 8-ball. It’s Nagi’s turn. He turns to Reo, “Where should I knock it in?”
Reo raises his eyebrows and gives him the first grin of the night. “Well, corner pocket is the obvious choice, so…” He makes a show of hemming and hawing, but eventually says, “…so middle pocket. This one.”
Nagi shrugs, “Easy.”
He walks over to get into position and takes the long way around, just so he can brush up against Reo to get into position. He doesn’t make a show of it. Just gets into position, checks the angles and takes the shot.
Nagi feels the breath Reo lets out on his side. It feels good.
He stands up straight and now looks Shidou straight in the eyes over the table. “Reo’s my partner.”
Faintly, he hears Reo mutter, “Oh my god, what does that even mean?”
Shidou holds up his hands, “I hear you, my dude!”
Chigiri is long gone.
Nagi turns to Reo and looks at him inquisitively and asks, a bit apprehensively, “Right?”
Reo looks at him thoughtfully, leaning his hip against the pool table. His jacket is off, his hair is tied up, his forearms are showing. He looks unfairly good and gives Nagi a small smile, “I’m going to need you to tell me what that word means to you.”
Nagi feels the tension in his shoulders melt away and he thinks maybe, finally they’re past whatever that was.
The two of them end up walking home together. Nagi’s home is within walking distance, so when Reo turned to him with a ‘ready to go?’ Nagi didn’t think about walking anywhere else. He’s just glad Reo decided to follow him.
The cold air hits him the minute they step outside and Nagi can feel himself sober up. He steels himself against the cold and hears some rustling as Reo probably puts his coat on as well.
It’s quiet as they walk down the street, but one thing he’s learned about Reo is that he can never stay quiet for long. “So… I think it’s safe to say that me, you know, playing with Shidou, made you, I don’t know, jealous?” Reo sounds nervous, in a way Nagi hasn’t really ever heard him sound. Reo is brash and loud and confident.
Nagi doesn’t even want to acknowledge this Reo, still hurt by the rejection from earlier, but can’t stop his frown. It’s partly at Reo, but also partly at himself for leading Reo to do this.
“Ack! Fair!” Reo at least has the decency to be apologetic. “It was a bit childish, but I did need you to make the first move!” He bumps his shoulder into Nagi’s.
“Huh. Isagi said the same thing.” Nagi mutters and finally looks over at Reo. He does look as apologetic as he sounds and Nagi never really wants him to look like that. “Why?”
That seems to stump Reo. “Why? Well, because I’m a VP. There’s a huge power imbalance!” He says it like it’s obvious.
And maybe it was but, “You’re not my boss, though.”
“But I’m a VP.” Reo stresses. “I have power to throw around. I could have had you fired or something.”
“Eh, you wouldn’t really throw your power around like that.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
Reo smiles a small, sweet smile. Nagi’s glad things seem to be back to normal. He sees his apartment building in the distance and promises himself tonight will be different.
"You’d throw your power around in other ways.” Nagi remarks.
“Oh ho? And you’re not worried about that?”
“Nah. Besides, I’d just say no.” And because Nagi still hasn’t forgiven Reo for his little childish rejection earlier in the night, he adds, “You are just VP of Marketing, after all.”
“Wow, rude.” Reo snorts and Nagi knows that he hasn’t taken the barb to heart.
They’ve made it to Nagi’s door and he turns to face Reo. He’s still afraid of change. He likes what he has with Reo. But, Reo, surprisingly, wants more. And Nagi, deep down, wants that, too. He’s looking at Reo—smiling, happy, bossy Reo—and he wants him for more than just one night a week.
Reo moves slowly, like he’s afarid of scaring Nagi off, to grip the strings of Nagi’s hoodie. They both watch as he wraps them around his fingers and lightly pulls. He looks up at Nagi, through his eyelashes, with an expectant look. Nagi knows he can’t let Reo do all the work.
Reo sways forward; Nagi doesn’t even think Reo knows he’s doing it. For all Nagi knows, he may be doing it, too. “You still need to tell me what partner means to you.” Reo whispers into the small space between them.
Nagi gaze slowly drifts across Reo’s face, stopping briefly on his eyes, his nose, his long neck, and ending on his parted lips. “It’d be easier to show you.”
“Ok, the—”
Nagi leans forward to kiss him. His hand is on Reo’s cheek and it’s just as soft as he imagined it. Reo tightens his grip on Nagi’s hoodie strings, pulling him closer. Nagi’s eyes are open just a sliver, so he doesn’t miss a second.
Nagi leans further down, crowding Reo against the door, burying his head into Reo’s neck as he slides his lips down the long column of his throat. He can feel Reo shuddering against him and wants more.
“That’s what it means.” Nagi whispers into Reo’s ear and Reo moans so sweetly and arches up so desperately that Nagi can’t help but dig his teeth into Reo’s neck.
Reo drags Nagi’s head back with a firm grip of Nagi’s hair. Reo is leaning his head back invitingly against Nagi’s apartment door. Reo is looking at him so coyly that he has Nagi gripping Reo hard enough to leave bruises.
“Hah… I don’t think I understand.” Reo licks his lips, looking like sin. “Show me again?”
Nagi has never barged into his apartment faster.