Pride and Penises

Miyo could be such a piece of shit sometimes. "Please," Youji told his phone. "What do you want me to do in return? I'll seriously do anything."

"Not until you tell me what you want it for," she replied. 

"You know why."

"No I don't. A grown man alone in a private gym for an hour? Pretty suspicious if you ask me. Also, a virgin."

"One thing has nothing to do with the other."

"Jun and I—"

"Don't care. Didn't ask."

"I just wanted to prove how wrong you are."

"I'll clean your apartment for a week. A month. I'll help you ink again."

Finally, that made her consider. 

"Anything else?" Asked Youji.

"...you must REALLY want that private time, huh."

"Yes."

"Fine."

"Yes!"

"BUT! In return, you have to convince Jun to go to physical therapy. And go to the gym with you guys. I can't stand to see him in that couch any longer. Promise?"

If Miyo hadn't been able to do this, then nobody would. He'd told himself to be nice, so Youji held back the empty promise. 

"Yeahhh, that's what I thoug—"

"Wait!"

"Hmm?"

"I'll think of something."

"That's my boy. I'm sure Jun-chan wouldn't mind if we—"

Youji hung up. 

He'd been helping Isao draw and cut leaves for the better part of the morning. Strange how much college-level homework could feel like a daycare activity. 

Because Isao had taken their clothes to the laundry again for whichever reason and it was mystifyingly shameful to ask for some, Youji had yet to wear a shirt. Isao kept staring at him when he thought Youji wouldn't notice. It was kind of cute.

"Hey!" Called out Isao, all the way from the living room. "Once you're done with the phone call, could you bring more glue? It's on my desk."

Youji did. He'd borrowed Isao's sterile room to call Miyo. Again, Isao stared, but he must've been too unsubtle even by his standards, because he looked away, flustered. Youji bit back the smile. "Here," Youji said, handing him the bottle. 

"You're doing it on purpose!" Snapped Isao once Youji sat next to him. 

"Huh? Doing what?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You know what I'm talking about."

"No I don't?"

"You know what. You know what? I'll take mine off as well."

Oh, the shirt thing. How dramatic. "Go ahead."

"Yeah. I will. Right now." Isao took his hands to the collar of his shirt. "Just so you know, though, like I said before, I'm kind of. You know. Um. I eat too much cake."

"Nothing I haven't seen before."

"Yeah but. You were drunk last time. And then had a hangover."

"That didn't make me blind."

He shifted away. He tugged at the collar. He sighed. "Never mind. Let's just finish with this."

By the time they had to go to the gym, they had not, in fact, finished with this. "When is this due?" Asked Youji.

"Uh."

"Soon?"

"Uh. Today."

"...what."

"Two hours ago," mumbled Isao.

"Seriously? The moment we're done with this, I'm taking you to college, and you're handing it in. It's not a suggestion."

"But—"

"No. You. Idiot."

That sure shut Isao up. He didn't know Youji, not really, so that was why. So far, he'd been careful not to let his temper flare, but it'd be a matter of when, not if. 

Until then, though, he'd try.

An indescribably awkward amount of time later, Isao informed: "Done."

"I'm sorry," Youji told him.

"Wait, what happened?"

"I told you I'm an asshole. I try not to be, but it'll happen sooner or later. It's just... a warning, I guess."

"Oh. Okay."

Classic Isao.

At least Youji's clothes had dried by then. Isao had cleaned their uniforms, too. "How long do you think it'll take?" Inquired Youji. "I'm asking this so I know if it's better to go to work after this, or if we should come back, or..."

"Um. I don't think it'll take long. As you... wish...?"

He couldn't resist: "How about karaoke?"

While they dressed in the same room, they faced opposite sides. Youji couldn't care less. Isao, however, was a different beast. "Uhhh," was his response. 

"I'm kid—"

"Okay."

Youji almost turned to look at him. "Really?"

"Yeah."

So he did. Isao, who was already dressed, looked away quickly. He should've seen this coming, honestly. Both of them. Anyway, Youji cared about nothing and no one anymore. "It's been so so so long since I last went to one! I could hug you right now!"

"Yesplffffhhh...!"

It was a short one. Isao wheezed upon his release. On their way out, he said, unprompted: "I think I'll take the bus."

Well then.

"Yeah. So. But. I'm not saying I don't want to go, just that I'll take the bus, and we can meet there once I'm done handing this in."

He'd probably overdone it with the hug. 

They left the apartment complex. It'd been an eternity yet an instant since the time they'd been by the bike, sharing a cigarette well into the night. Talk about a long morning. "See you later, then," Youji told him. 

Isao just stood there. 

"Yes?"

He jumped. "Nothing. Sorry."

"You can tell me."

"Okay. So you said you were... um. That you. That. Could you lean forward?"

Youji did. Isao leaned forward, too, eyes on the floor, until he rested his weight on the bike. Basic common sense, life experience and social interactions pointed to one thing, but when it came to Isao...

Should he, shouldn't he...? 

Probably not, but he went for it anyway. Just in case, Youji kept the kiss short.

Isao's commentary on the matter was: "Another one?"

And then there was another one, and, another one, a little longer, deeper. He couldn't get carried away, lest...

Isao jerked back.

...that happen. "Homework," he mumbled. 

"Right," said Youji. 

"Yeah, so. See you later, but for real this time."

"Right."

They took opposite paths after that. Way too late, Youji remembered he didn't even have Isao's number. How were they supposed to meet up for...

...oh, whatever.