The white tank top and the loose, gray sweatpants were a wonderful choice from the stylist. Juri twisted and turned in front of a mirror when his eyes met Hokuto’s through the reflection. Hokuto stood behind him, looking awed and fiddling with the sleeves of his powder-blue-and-gray striped flannel pajama.
“It’s so soft,” Hokuto said and shoved an arm at Juri, “see!"
Juri rubbed the fabric between his fingertips, agreeing that it was indeed marvelously fuzzy and soft.
"The cardigan fits you too," he said, partly because it was nice to give out compliments, but mainly because it was true. The off-white garment looked like his grandma’s recycled throw blanket, making it a hundred percent authentic Hokuto style.
“I love it,” Hokuto breathed. “Do you think they’d let me buy it after we’re done?”
Juri shrugged. "You should ask them."
"I will," Hokuto said decisively, and Juri stifled a soft laughter.
Someone knocked on the door of the dressing room, handed Hokuto the theme sheet, and left. Juri peeked over Hokuto’s shoulder to read it at the same time. There were a few hand-drawn concept images with the title Living together. Apparently the fans had been asking for a roommate themed shoot for them for a while now. Someone somewhere had considered it a worthwhile idea, so Juri and Hokuto found themselves wearing pajamas at a studio furnished like a bedroom with only one bed. Whoever designed the room obviously had quite an interesting understanding of the word ‘roommates’.
"They’re making us look so gay," Juri pointed out in a low voice, “not that they’re wrong.”
Leaning lightly back against Juri’s chest, Hokuto glanced across his shoulder, mischief gleaming in his eyes. "Wanna give them gay?"
"Oh darling, I thought you'd never ask!" Juri sighed theatrically, rapidly fluttering his eyelashes at Hokuto.
Juri could hardly remember a time he wasn’t outrageously flirting with Hokuto at every chance. The other members and some of the permanent staff were so used to it by now, they didn’t even bat an eye when Juri called Hokuto with creative pet names, or when Hokuto blew kisses at Juri across the room.
He didn’t even remember how and when it had started, except that it was long before he even knew Hokuto really was gay, which meant it had to be more than a decade. As for himself, Juri was mostly attracted to women, but every now and then a man caught his attention, and he had done enough exploring to find out he enjoyed male company quite as much as the female kind.
Apart from the flirting, nothing had ever happened between him and Hokuto, but there was no-one in the world he would have felt more comfortable doing a gay photo shoot with, and there was no way he was giving up such an opportunity to troll everyone, the staff as well as the magazine readers. They were professionals and would give their absolute best performance.
“Anything that’s off-limits?”
Hokuto waved a dismissive hand. “Nah, nothing you’ve got is gonna surprise me anymore. Go for it. I promise I will.”
After a couple minutes the same staff member peeked into the room again. “We’re ready to start if you are,” he said, so they followed him to the set. A hairdresser buzzed around them, doing some finishing touches on their hair while they went through the theme sheet with the photographer.
“Try to look drowsy and relaxed,” the photographer asked, “like you’re only just waking up.”
As soon as they were given permission to settle to the set, Juri lay down to the bed, closed his eyes and took long, slow breaths to calm down while Hokuto settled next to him. It almost felt like the countless hotel rooms they shared during their junior years. Even with the continuous clicking of the camera, it was still so easy to relax by Hokuto’s side, listening to Hokuto’s breathing even out as well.
Back when the members still stayed in twin rooms when traveling, Hokuto always woke up first, quietly starting his invariable morning routine while Juri still snoozed off. At first he would push the curtains aside just a little, only letting a narrow strip of light into the room so he could see what he was doing. After a while he would stop tiptoeing around and be less careful in grabbing things and putting them down, nudging the curtains more open every now and then, until Juri would gradually stir from his sleep.
Even though it was nice to have the privacy of a single room these days, Juri sometimes missed the gentleness with which Hokuto used to ease him awake. He had never told Hokuto how much that simple act of genuine caring had touched him. But then again, Hokuto probably knew anyway, because he was attentive and considerate like that even when no-one was looking.
The beginning of the photo shoot was easy. While Juri just acted like he was sleeping, Hokuto moved and posed according to the photographer's instructions. Juri heard him reaching over for the book placed on the night stand, felt him turning on his back, and heard the rustle of the pages being slowly leafed. The camera clicked again.
Alright. Time to give them the gay.
Without opening his eyes, Juri turned to his side, and threw a leg on Hokuto's legs and an arm across his chest. Delighted clicks were emitted by the camera. The warmth of Hokuto's body radiated through the flannel pajama and his chest slowly moved with his breathing. The camera clicked even harder when Hokuto idly moved his other hand to rest on Juri's wrist, stroking his skin with his thumb as he read. The sudden sense of gentle intimacy made Juri’s insides feel fuzzy with content warmth.
Hokuto smelled good, too. It wasn’t the same scent from their mornings in the hotel rooms; the brands of laundry detergent and the hair products were different to those that Hokuto tended to use in private. But the part of the scent that was just Hokuto was familiar and comforting, and Juri might easily have fallen asleep for real with his face buried against Hokuto’s arm.
He shouldn't though. Instead, he rolled around to his other side, intentionally stealing the duvet as it wrapped around him. Hokuto yelped when the cool studio air touched his toes, and wrestled to get the duvet back to himself, which Juri retaliated by pushing Hokuto across the edge of the bed. The camera rewarded them with several bursts of enthusiastic clicks.
Next, one of the photographer’s assistants brought them a coffee pot and two mugs. Juri could have chosen the mug meant for him without mistake even if the assistant hadn’t pushed it into his hands, because the mugs were actually color-coded: he got the blue mug, and Hokuto was given the black one. Predictable, yet sweet.
With the camera clicking eagerly again, Hokuto took the coffee pot and poured them both half a mug. It was barely warm for safety reasons, but it was just about drinkable, and Juri gladly took a sip when the photographer asked him to. Hokuto, who didn’t like black coffee, simply wrapped his fingers around his mug like he was warming his hands with it.
Juri watched Hokuto blowing lightly into his cup, like he was trying to cool the coffee down. He looked adorable in his pajamas, with the silly tuft of carefully shaped hair that poked to the side as if he had just woken up for real instead of barely lying down for ten minutes. His eyes lingered on Hokuto’s lips as Hokuto blew air into his cup again. Hokuto had very nice lips. They always looked soft, never chapped even in the harsh winter weather. Juri kind of wanted to lean in and kiss him. Too bad that would have been too gay even for this photo shoot.
For the next set of photos they were given toothbrushes and told to pose cutely with them. This, too, was something Juri had seen million times: Hokuto padding around the room barefooted, choosing clothes for the day or packing his bag while a toothbrush poked out of his mouth. Juri had never quite understood the point of doing so. Once the toothbrush stopped moving, the toothpaste foam always flattened into a thin minty liquid, and it didn’t feel effective anymore. Wouldn’t it be better to brush one’s teeth properly, and then move on to other stuff? Not that they had any toothpaste at the moment - they were literally gnawing on dry toothbrushes that tasted like new plastic.
When Juri was instructed to take off his tank top, he winked at Hokuto and made sure to undress himself in the most alluring way possible. The camera clicked several times, and it clicked again when he acted like he was washing his face by the sink. He didn’t let the water touch his skin for real because that would have spoiled his carefully applied make-up, but he did run his wet hands through his hair several times as instructed. He sat back to the bed in order to dry his hair with a soft towel, but Hokuto grabbed the towel instead, and ruffled Juri’s hair with it.
“There, there,” he said, a soft smile in his voice.
“You sound like you’re drying the fur of a wet kitten,” Juri chuckled.
“Oh? I’m trying sound like I’m drying the hair of my boyfriend,” Hokuto murmured under his breath, and Juri’s stomach made a silly little flip. It would have been lovely to have a boyfriend to share such small, tender expressions of affection with. If only this moment could have gone on forever. Preferably without all the photo shoot staff around them. In fact, it would have been lovely to have a boyfriend just like Hokuto.
The toweling made a complete mess of Juri’s hair, but it didn’t matter because they were done with the bedroom shoot. The next shoot was completely different in style, and they both had to be sleeked up for it. The make-up artist fixed their faces while a hair stylist made sure every single strand of hair looked just right. If the first setting made them look like domestic gays in the morning, the next one was more like gay art students in a museum. Juri had absolutely nothing against that, because Hokuto looked unnecessarily hot with his dark gray turtleneck shirt. He had already thought so last autumn, when Hokuto had filmed a whole television drama wearing a black turtleneck. Whoever had chosen the shirt for Hokuto’s character in the drama should have received an award for their genius.
Just like the drama costumer, the photographer and the stylist knew perfectly well what they were doing. Somehow, the turtleneck shirt felt even more revealing than outright nudity would have been. Through the thin jersey fabric Juri could see all the shapes of Hokuto’s shoulders, arms, chest, and back without actually seeing any skin at all. A perfect amount of tease while being fully dressed. It made Juri’s fingertips itch with the desire to touch.
How long could one ogle a friend without being creepy, Juri wondered, his cheeks warming up as he noticed Hokuto looking at him. To cover up his embarrassment he tilted his head and gave Hokuto such a thorough, appreciative once-over from head to toes that Hokuto couldn’t miss it. For a few seconds or so Hokuto’s expression was frozen and unreadable as he stared back at Juri. Then he grinned and winked at Juri, deliberately running the tip of his tongue across his lower lip. It actually sent cool shivers running along Juri’s back and made his mouth spread into a similar grin. They were doing great with the gay thing. Was the camera still clicking? Probably, though he hadn’t paid much attention to it in a while.
For the third photo shoot they were given a different set of clothing again, and by the time the hair and make-up staff were done with them, they looked like club hosts from the 70’s with the muted color palette and the geometric patterns on their shirts and jackets.
While the staff arranged lights and background canvases, Juri scrutinized his reflection in a mirror again.
“Should I have one or two buttons open?” he wondered aloud.
Hokuto raised a brow.
“Three.”
Three it was.
Despite the eccentric clothes, the shoot itself was very simple. They just had to stand in front of a black canvas and follow instructions. They took some solo pictures and for each and moved on to stand side by side, their arms around each other’s shoulders.
“Tanaka-san, could you please grab Matsumura-san’s necklace for the next picture? It should look like you’re about to punch a rival.”
“Or kiss him,” an assistant added, and several staff members giggled. Their show was working beautifully.
It wasn’t the strangest thing he had ever done for a photo shoot, and Juri turned towards Hokuto without a question, slipping his fingers under the golden chain, and pulling on it just hard enough that Hokuto would feel it behind his neck. Their eyes met through Hokuto’s messy front hair, and his breath caught a bit. Damn, such smoldering eyes could melt anyone, and Juri definitely wasn’t immune to them. His eyes flickered from Hokuto’s eyes down to his lips once again. They looked illegally soft.
“Perfect duality of expression!” the photographer loudly enthused. Startled, Juri took a step back, letting the necklace drop back to Hokuto’s bare skin. He had a strange feeling of swaying at the edge of something he probably shouldn’t fall into. They were joking of course, but it felt more real than he had expected. How was he supposed to predict that being the target of such intense attention from Hokuto would make his heart flutter like a butterfly in a glass jar? It wasn’t the first time that they posed for photos like this, and it wasn’t going to be the last time. So how was this time so different from all the others?
If only he could ask Hokuto about it. Well, he could, and Hokuto would never laugh at him. But ’you know, you’re even hotter than usual today, and it kinda makes me want to sleep with you for real, why do you think that is’ didn’t sound like a great starting point. Neither did ’care to tell me what you’re doing because it’s driving me mad’. Nor ’I just really want to kiss you’. Yeah. He couldn’t say any of those things out loud.
Juri cursed inwardly and flashed a smile to the photographer whose last instructions he definitely hadn’t been listening to.
Apparently the photographer had asked them to settle into a bath tub in a small set that was built to look like a corner of another bath room. Yeah, just what any roommates might do: Sharing an empty bath tub, with all their clothes on.
Hokuto climbed into the tub easily, sitting on the bottom with his legs spread so that Juri could fit in after him. The sight gave Juri all kind of interesting thoughts that he firmly pushed aside when sitting down between Hokuto’s legs and leaning against Hokuto’s chest. He promised himself he could fantasize about it all he wanted when he lay in his own bed in the evening, but for now he’d just have to keep acting gay and slutty in a strictly professional way.
To achieve that, Juri reached up with his left hand, putting it behind Hokuto’s head and burying his fingers into Hokuto’s hair. The photographer took a few pictures, but when he checked them on his screen, he wanted to do several adjustments to the lighting and told them to stay where they were. While the photographer and his assistants tuned the lights, Juri let his arm relax and move into a more comfortable position. The tips of his fingers brushed against Hokuto's neck and collar bone, and Hokuto’s whole body twitched behind Juri’s.
Juri couldn’t turn to look, but he wondered if he was going too far. Perhaps he was actually starting to cross the line for Hokuto as well, despite what Hokuto said before they started.
"Sorry," he whispered. He felt Hokuto quietly shaking his head against his hand, but before he could say anything, the photographer was back in business and they had to focus again.
The smooth bottom of the tub was slippery, and Juri had to struggle against sliding into an unflattering slouch. He propped his leg against the end of the tub and levered himself back to a better posture which caused him to squish Hokuto backwards against the other end. Hokuto squirmed behind him. The camera clicked.
Juri’s arm was awkwardly squeezed between his own side and Hokuto’s knee, so he shifted again and rested his elbow on the edge of the bath tub, trying to keep himself upright. Hokuto’s breath hitched sharply, and - oh shit. The hard thing behind Juri’s lower back definitely wasn’t any part of Hokuto’s leg. The sudden understanding made Juri’s face heat up even more than it had before, and a shudder run down his spine.
So maybe they overdid it. Maybe they would have been just fine with merely the usual amount of gay without all the extra flirting and teasing. The only way he could help it now was to stay as still as possible, so he wouldn’t make it even worse for Hokuto. Juri swallowed and tried to look as impassive and sultry as possible for the sake of the camera. They were goddamn professionals. They could do this, no matter what.
When the photographer was done with the bath tub, they were given one more set of clothes to change into. There was going to be pizza for dinner, and the pizza would be the day’s last prop too.
In the small dressing room Hokuto promptly avoided Juri’s eyes and turned his back to him while he changed. It pained Juri to think that Hokuto might be drowning in his own embarrassment alone when there really was no reason to be embarrassed at all. So what if he got a hard-on during a photo shoot? It happened to everyone sometimes. And so what if it happened to be against Juri’s back? Juri didn’t mind at all. Excluding unfortunate fact that they had a camera and a dozen people around them of course.
But there were no other people in the room now. It was just the two of them in the dressing room.
So maybe he was reading the whole situation all wrong, but he didn’t think he was. And he had an idea. He quickly pulled on his next shirt and jacket, and waited until Hokuto was dressed as well before approaching him.
“Hokuto,” he said quietly and walked to him. He came close, but not so close that it might feel oppressive to Hokuto. He nervously bit his lower lip, his heart racing in his chest with what he was about to say. After only a few beats Hokuto finally looked up and slowly, hesitantly met his gaze.
Juri didn’t beat around the bush.
“Come home with me today? Stay for the night.”
Hokuto’s eyes widened, and for a moment he seemed to be completely speechless. Holding his breath, Juri waited until Hokuto nodded shortly.
“Yeah,” Hokuto said hastily under his breath, and Juri dared to relax again. “Yeah, okay. I will. But-” He nodded towards the door behind which the photo shoot crew was before looking back at Juri, his eyes dark and yearning. “-you gotta keep your paws off me for the rest of the shoot or I’ll end up embarrassing us both.”
The idea of Hokuto feeling so turned on because of him - Juri had to swallow and take several long breath. He’d indeed have to tune it down until they were in private again, or neither of them would make it.
They took turns in the hair stylist’s bench, which worked as a great time-out, and Juri was pretty sure they managed to look sufficiently cute and innocent for the pizza-eating photos.
The interview for the magazine had already been done before the photos, which was great.
The drive home was almost forty minutes, which was not so great.
Excitement and anticipation pooled in Juri’s stomach, making it actually ache with the sensations. He couldn’t look at Hokuto while driving, fearing he might get distracted and crash them into a streetlight. He gripped the steering wheel like it could somehow help him calm down, but from the corner of his eye he could see Hokuto glancing at him every couple minutes, which didn’t help at all.
The door of Juri’s apartment had barely closed behind them before Hokuto dropped his bag to the floor and crowded him against the door in the dark foyer, his lips only a few centimeters from Juri’s. Juri couldn’t reach a light switch, but he decided he didn’t need it when Hokuto grabbed his hips and pressed their bodies together from chest to toes. Breath catching, Juri slid his hands under Hokuto’s open jacket and wrapped them around his waist, pulling him even closer. Hokuto closed his eyes with a long, shivery exhale when their crotches pressed together, both of them rapidly getting hard.
Juri’s head was reeling with the sudden desire, the thrill of the feeling being mutual. Despite all the flirting he had never in his life expected to feel Hokuto leaning against him like this for real, aroused and breathless, and so damn beautiful. He had thought about it of course, but he had fully expected it all to stay a whimsical fantasy. Yet here he was, trying to slide his hands under Hokuto’s shirt while Hokuto breathed his name into his ear and rolled his hips against Juri’s until the friction made them both squirm.
“So that-” Juri murmured, pressing his nose against Hokuto’s cheek and moving his lips along his jawline, “-that got a bit out of hand. Back there.”
“You don’t say,” Hokuto chuckled with his eyes closed, his breath warm on Juri’s neck. “But fuck you were hot.”
“So were you,” Juri said, mouthing Hokuto’s neck while he spoke, “I wanted to kiss you so badly.”
Hokuto’s hold on Juri’s hips tightened and he quickly nodded several times, answering the question that Juri hadn’t exactly asked. Juri moved closer, until there was only a breath between their lips. The tips of their noses brushed against each other, and Juri couldn’t hold back anymore. He pressed his mouth on Hokuto’s, kissing him firmly, hungrily, just like he had imagined he’d like to. Hokuto moaned against his mouth, and when he nibbled on Hokuto’s lower lip, he opened his mouth to let Juri’s tongue in.
Juri had kissed Hokuto before, both drunk and sober. On his cheeks, on his forehead, on the top of his head, even small pecks on the mouth after a beer or three. But the kisses had always been silly jokes, exchanged out of spontaneity and a shared sense of humor with the other members around them. It had never been like this; private and deep, and so earnest that Juri’s heart twisted in on itself. He wanted to get closer, to kiss more, feel more, taste more.
He grabbed and pulled the hem of Hokuto’s t-shirt until it slipped out from the waist of his pants and Juri could sneak his hands under the fabric to feel the hot, smooth skin underneath. The high, undeniable sound of pleasure that escaped Hokuto’s throat when Juri pressed down with his cool fingertips made his knees feel weak and his blood rush in his veins. He kissed Hokuto again and again, their tongues moving against each other without pattern or finesse, but with the frenzy of two people in pleasure, willingly drowning into each other.
“Tell me what you want me to do,” Juri rasped, hands shaking with strangely vulnerable excitement. He knew what he wanted. He just hoped Hokuto would want the same.
Breathing heavily, Hokuto locked eyes with Juri.
“Will you fuck me?”
Juri’s stomach lurched at the hastily whispered words, and suddenly he was even more keenly aware of how achingly aroused he was. He pulled Hokuto into another fierce, messy kiss, his whole body vibrating with excitement.
“I will,” he gasped into Hokuto’s mouth, moving one hand up to comb his fingers into Hokuto’s hair and firmly pressing against the front of Hokuto’s pants with the other. Hokuto groaned and squeezed Juri’s forearms with his hands as his hips involuntarily bucked towards Juri’s touch.
“Bedroom?” Hokuto asked. Juri nodded, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he kept kissing Hokuto while slowly walking them both into his bedroom. This time he hit the light switch with his elbow while passing it. He wanted to be able to see everything.
“Whoa!” Hokuto complained, squeezing his eyes shut when the bright ceiling lamp violated them. It wasn’t that bright really. In fact, the ceiling light in Juri’s bedroom was rather dim and warm-toned. They would both be fine in a minute or two. Meanwhile, Juri pushed Hokuto ahead, making him walk backwards until the backsides of Hokuto’s knees hit the edge of Juri’s bed. But just when Hokuto tried to sit down, Juri grabbed him tighter, stopping him from flopping down to the mattress.
“Oh no, not in your outdoor clothes,” he hissed, only partly joking. He kind of wanted to shiver in disgust when he thought about all the dust and other shit in his sheets. But he also wanted Hokuto in his bed now. Which obviously meant he had to get rid of the clothes very quickly. He pulled off Hokuto’s jacket and threw it to the chair he used for his own half-worn clothes. Next, he knelt down in front of Hokuto, undid his belt, and helped Hokuto step out of of his pants and socks so he was left with his t-shirt and black boxers. Hokuto’s tongue flickered between his lips. Juri couldn’t tell whether it was a nervous gesture or a flirtatious one - or if his lips really were just dry. He did look like he wanted to say something though.
Waiting for Hokuto to gather his wits, Juri let his fingertips run up and down Hokuto’s sides, feeling the delicious roundness of his buttocks and feathering around the visible outlines of Hokuto’s cock through the fabric. There was a wet spot where he was already leaking pre-cum, and the sight was absolutely encapturing. Juri rubbed at the spot with a single fingertip, watching in delight how Hokuto shuddered at the touch. His hands flew into Juri’s hair when Juri cupped the fully hardened bulge with his palm and squeezed gently.
“I’ve imagined this before. Many times,” Hokuto blurted out between heaving breaths.
“Yeah?” Juri’s stomach twisted with delight and yearning. So Hokuto had thought about having sex with him, too. Hell, wonder how long they could have been doing this if only Juri had known?
“Yeah, I- ah,” Hokuto mumbled, fingers pressing into Juri’s scalp. He didn’t urge Juri to move closer, just held his hand there for the support. “Since Kyocera Dome.”
He didn’t need to elaborate, Juri knew exactly what he meant: the second day of the VVS tour two months ago. Drunk with post-concert adrenaline, the members had been messing around in Jesse’s hotel room. At some point Juri started poking Hokuto with his elbow and grabbing his wrists in a play-fight, which somehow escalated and lead to him straddling Hokuto on Jesse’s bed. He couldn’t remember anymore what it was that they were joking about, but he did remember the dark, laughing eyes that stared up into his and widened with a sudden jolt of mutual pleasure when he accidentally grinded his hips down against Hokuto’s.
Juri had instantly leaped up to his feet and brushed his embarrassment off with slightly too-loud laughter. Nobody else had noticed the awkward moment even though Taiga had been sitting on the bed right next to them, so it had fallen off his mind until now.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about it even when I tried,” Hokuto admitted, his eyes fluttering shut and open again when Juri nuzzled his nose against his crotch through the thin fabric. “And today when we did what we did the whole afternoon, and you looked at me like that, and then you sat in my lap again and I just- ah, please.”
Juri really, really liked to hear Hokuto plead. He hooked his fingertips on the waistband of Hokuto’s boxers and slowly slid them down to his ankles, staring up into Hokuto’s eyes.
“Sit down. I’m going to suck you,” he said, and even though using such direct words made his face heat up with embarrassment, Hokuto’s sharp inhale made it totally worth it. Hokuto fell to the edge of the bed and watched with dark eyes when Juri moved between his legs. Juri wrapped his fingers around Hokuto’s cock and moved his hand up and down a couple times before leaning in and sliding his mouth on Hokuto.
Sucking a guy’s cock was something Juri liked a lot but didn’t get to do as often as he’d have liked. He liked feeling the smooth skin on his tongue, the fullness of his mouth, and the way even a smallest movement could make another person shudder and moan with pleasure. And now that the other person was Hokuto, it was that much more thrilling, because he genuinely wanted Hokuto to feel as much pleasure as he could ever offer. So Juri licked and sucked and swallowed, bobbing his head faster, and reaching his other hand underneath to fondle Hokuto’s balls, weighing them in his hands and using his thumb to gently rub on them.
“Fuck, Juri-” Hokuto whimpered, but Juri could hear the smile in his voice. “Stop, stop- I’m not gonna last-”
Juri immediately pulled back, resting his head on Hokuto’s knee and grinning up at him. “That good, huh?”
“That good,” Hokuto agreed, panting but grinning back at him, and reaching a hand to stroke Juri’s cheek, running a slow thumb across Juri’s wet lower lip. Juri flickered his tongue against Hokuto’s thumb and sucked it too into his mouth for a few seconds, making Hokuto shake his head slowly. “Damn.”
“Take off your shirt,” Juri said and enjoyed the view when Hokuto followed the order without question, pulling the shirt across his head and dropping it to the floor. Only when Hokuto was completely naked, Juri stood up to grab a condom and a bottle of lube from his drawer. He threw the items on the bed and swiftly got rid of his own clothes before stopping by the bed, wanting to properly look.
“What are you staring at?” Hokuto asked, lying back and supporting his upper body with his elbows. As if he didn’t know perfectly well what Juri was staring at him for. His hair had fallen over one eye, and Juri wanted to reach out and brush it aside, in order to see his eyes properly. His position made the muscles of his arms and shoulders come visible under the soft light, and Juri could already imagine feeling his long legs wrapping around his own waist.
Shaking his head, Juri climbed to the bed and crashed their faces together, kissing him hard on the mouth until they both needed to breathe properly. Then he one-handedly fumbled open the bottle of lube, squeezed some gel on his fingers and moved his hand lower, looking into Hokuto’s eyes and waiting until Hokuto nodded and spread his legs, giving Juri more space. Careful to keep the eye contact, Juri slipped his fingers between Hokuto’s buttocks and rubbed them around until Hokuto arched his back and grabbed Juri’s wrist.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, please- oh.”
Hokuto wasn’t very loud, but the soft, hitched sounds he made as Juri prepared him with one finger first, then two fingers more were more than enough of a feedback for Juri. He twisted his fingers, moving them slower and faster in turn, pulling more of those little noises out of Hokuto. His own body was tingling with heat and the sweet knowledge that he was able to undo Hokuto so completely. It made him feel strangely powerful, and he yearned to do more. To feel and see more.
“Alright,” Hokuto grunted, his eyelashes fluttering. “Move, it’s my turn.”
Juri raised his brows but sat aside anyway, carefully wiping his fingers to the foot end of the bed sheets. “Yes?”
Hokuto sat up as well, and this time Juri was sure he licked his lips on purpose.
“May I…” Hokuto started and nodded towards Juri’s crotch.
Oh.
“Of course,” Juri said, heartbeat picking up again. He flopped on his back, wrenched a pillow under his head and watched in anticipation how Hokuto lay down next to him and reached for his cock in turn.
Hokuto’s mouth was always pretty, but Juri couldn’t help a groan escaping at the sight of Hokuto’s lips wrapping around him. It was clear Hokuto knew what he was doing, and he hummed softly when Juri slid his hand into his hair again, tangling his fingertips between the strands of hair and tugging gently, lightly guiding him to the rhythm Juri liked the most.
Juri was just about to stop it by himself when Hokuto pulled back, sitting on his heels and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Fuck yeah,” Juri breathed, throwing his own arm on his eyes. “That was so good.”
Hokuto chuckled. “Cool, now please?”
Juri smiled and reached out, taking Hokuto’s hand and pulling Hokuto down on him.
“Since you’re asking so nicely,” he murmured against Hokuto’s lips.
“So all this time, I only needed to ask nicely?” Hokuto asked, and closed the distance between them, pulling Juri into a long, lingering kiss.
“It’s always good to be nice,” Juri mused in a conversational tone, grabbed Hokuto’s shoulders and rolled them around so that he was lying on top of Hokuto again. When he reached for the condom, Hokuto’s face twisted in amusement, like he tried his best not to laugh.
Juri looked at the condom. “What? You gonna tell me you can’t get pregnant either way? I figured it’d be good to be safe for…other reasons.”
“No, it’s just. We literally just sucked each other’s dicks. You know oral contact is enough for most STIs if there are any?”
Juri looked down at the half-ripped foil packet in his hand. “Oh. Yeah. I- I didn’t think of that. I’m tested though.”
“Me too,” Hokuto said, hesitated, and glanced at Juri from under his brows. “I also don’t…I don’t mind the mess. I kinda like it, actually.”
“Fuck,” Juri groaned, Hokuto’s words filling his mind with all kinds of filthy images. “Okay, come on, let’s do this. Which way do you want to-”
“Like this,” Hokuto said quickly, “I want to see you.”
Juri swallowed. There were moments when Hokuto zoned out, listening to other people talking. And then there were moments like this, when Hokuto looked at him into the eye and told him just what he wanted, and damn if it didn’t make his whole body tingle with the need to comply.
“Alright,” he rasped, dropping the foil packet and grabbing the lube instead, spreading a liberal amount of the gel on his cock before he climbed on top of Hokuto again. Hokuto wrapped his arms around Juri’s neck, nodding hastily like he couldn’t wait and honestly - neither could Juri. He lined up and pushed, and watched, dazed, how Hokuto’s eyes fluttered but didn’t fall shut. Gasping for breath in a sharp inhale, Hokuto rocked back against him, and Juri couldn’t stop staring at him, wanting to catch every flicker of eyelids, every twitch of a muscle, the way his chest heaved when he breathed as they searched for a shared rhythm. Juri supported his weight with his elbows so he wouldn’t squeeze Hokuto completely flat, and Hokuto combed his both hands into Juri’s hair, pulling him down into a kiss.
“You okay?” Juri asked, even though Hokuto seemed to be more than fine. It didn’t hurt to ask.
“Great. You?” Hokuto said, and smiled when Juri nodded. “Can I do something cheesy?”
“Sure,” Juri said, and shook his head in amusement when Hokuto reached for his hand and laced their fingers together. “That’s not cheesy, that’s sweet,” Juri whispered against Hokuto’s lips and meant it, pulling out and thrusting in deep so that Hokuto’s next exhale turned into a whimper.
Hokuto laughed breathily, finally closing his eyes and arching his back and hips to meet Juri’s movement. Leaning down to kiss Hokuto’s neck, Juri hummed with pleasure. Hokuto was wonderfully responsive, pliant and willing under him, easily moving and bending his body according to his touches. He wanted to make Hokuto come completely undone under his touches.
Both having already been at the edge for so long, it didn’t take long. Almost there himself, Juri reached down to jerk Hokuto’s cock hard and fast until Hokuto tensed up, let out a choked moan, and came into Juri’s hand. After that it only took a few more thrusts before Juri’s own orgasm hit him and he slumped down, unable to hold himself up anymore.
Spent, warm and comfortable, they lay unmoving, letting their breaths calm down, until Hokuto nudged Juri’s cheek with his nose.
“Can’t sleep yet,” he murmured, though he sounded as loathe to get up as Juri felt.
“Why not,” Juri complained, just for the sake of complaining. He never wanted to move again.
“You’ll hate waking up with your contacts stuck into your dry eyeballs,” Hokuto pointed out in such a calm and collected voice, Juri groaned, pressing his face against Hokuto’s neck.
“I just fucked you into the mattress, and you’re thinking about contact lenses and eyeballs?”
Hokuto laughed softly, squeezing Juri’s hips with his and stroking Juri’s arms and shoulders with lazy fingertips.
“One of us has to be sensible. Come on, I promise to cuddle you when we get back to bed.”
Sighing deeply, Juri pulled out and rolled to his side, watching drowsily how Hokuto stretched his limbs, breathed deeply, pulled himself to the edge of the bed and stood up.
“Come on,” Hokuto murmured and offered Juri a hand. Juri took it and let himself be hauled onto his feet as well.
It should have been weird, standing in front of a sink and a mirror and brushing his teeth while Hokuto stood next to him, spurting toothpaste and water in his mouth and looking like a naked chipmunk. It should also have been weird to watch Hokuto step into the bath room to have a quick shower, and even weirder to switch turns, to meet him at the bath room door and to push a clean bath towel into Hokuto’s hands. But it wasn’t weird at all. It was familiar, and the familiarity made it calming.
When Juri returned, Hokuto was already in the bed, curled up under the sheets, and he lifted up a corner of the duvet for Juri, keeping his other arm straight on the bed below the pillow. Juri switched off the lights and, climbing into the bed, was delighted to find Hokuto hadn’t bothered to wear his boxers either. He lay his head on Hokuto’s arm and allowed Hokuto to pull him into a firm embrace, as promised. Juri squirmed until he found a perfectly comfortable position. He would have to turn to his other side once he wanted to sleep, but for now he wanted to lie down with his nose almost touching Hokuto’s. It felt important and good to stay close.
“That was fun,” Hokuto sighed, slowly stroking the short hair at the nape of Juri’s neck.
Juri chuckled, wrapping his own arm around Hokuto’s back and squeezing.
“Yeah, it was. We should do it again sometime.”
Hokuto hummed thoughtfully and pressed his face into Juri’s front hair, breathing in and out deeply. Juri couldn’t resist placing a kiss on Hokuto’s chest, moving his fingertips back and forth on Hokuto’s back. The silence spread out, covering them like another warm quilt. More comfortable than ever, Juri listened to their calming breaths as seconds spread into minutes.
“Are you sleeping?” Hokuto whispered after a while.
“Not yet,” Juri mumbled. He was perfectly relaxed and languid, but not sleepy at all.
He opened his eyes when Hokuto pulled back just enough that they could properly look at each other. Even though the edges were rather blurry now that Juri didn’t have his contacts, with what little light glowed through the window, he could see Hokuto’s dark eyes and the way he worried his lower lip as Hokuto quietly stared back at Juri.
“What is it?” Juri finally asked, frowning. All these years, and sometimes it still was hard to read Hokuto’s expressions.
“It’s just,” Hokuto said quietly, hesitated, took a deep breath and smiled a bit, sounding strangely vulnerable as he fiddled with a strand of Juri’s hair. “I kinda lied at you. When I said I’ve been thinking about this since the concert at Kyocera. It’s really been much longer than that. I’ve wanted you for ages. Like. Years. And not just the sex, but. You. As a person.”
Juri’s stomach fell with affection, desire, and something else. If they hadn’t already been lying in each other’s arms, Juri would have grabbed Hokuto close to him right now.
“You don’t have to say anything about it,” Hokuto said quickly, his small smile faltering. “I just. You said we should do this again and I’d love to do so, but. I would feel like I was lying to you if I didn’t tell you.”
As he talked, Juri’s stomach fluttered with hundreds of incredulous butterflies, and his heart burst into a mad, pounding rhythm. Hokuto didn’t just want to fool around. Hokuto wanted him for real. All of him, he said. Hokuto wanted all of him. Something shifted between them. Juri couldn’t explain it, but he felt it, and it was equally terrifying and intriguing.
“I- okay,” he stammered.
Hokuto blinked, completely unmoving, though he still had a hand in Juri’s hair. He seemed to be holding his breath, and Juri keenly wanted him to be able to relax again. He didn’t want Hokuto to look hesitant and nervous. He wanted Hokuto to smile. He wanted to fall asleep together tonight, and he wanted to be awakened by Hokuto’s quiet morning routines tomorrow. He thought about making coffee for Hokuto in the morning. He considered the possibility of Hokuto staying for the whole day so they could watch a movie in the evening, curled up in the same corner of the couch. He thought about doing it all over again the next day, and the next, and the day after that too. He could get used to it.
And he could definitely love Hokuto, if given the chance to try.
“Okay,” he repeated, unable to stop a grin that pulled at the corners of his mouth, even though his heart was fluttering like mad and his hands were shaking so hard, Hokuto must feel it against his bare back. “I’m not quite there yet, but…you could help me to get there?”
Hokuto’s breath escaped in a relieved exhale as he relaxed into Juri’s arms with a dazed smile. “So…you want me to seduce you?”
Juri stifled a laughter by pressing his face against Hokuto’s chest. “Yeah, sure. If that’s what you want to call it.”
“Is it going to be difficult?”
“For you? Not at all.”