January 19th, 2026
Hokuto looked so uncomfortable, Shintaro would have pitied him if he hadn't just said the stupidest thing Shintaro had heard the whole week.
"You want us to pretend we don't know each other? Sorry to break it to you mate, but it's a bit too late for that," he snorted, crossing his arms across his chest. Despite his matter-of-fact tone, he couldn't ignore a small, painful sting somewhere near his heart. If Hokuto had said it with a light laughter, he could have taken it as a joke too. But Hokuto had been completely serious, so. Ouch.
"No, no," Hokuto rushed to amend, "I didn't mean- I just- I meant we could maybe like...try to avoid each other's company...just a bit?"
Shintaro raised an unimpressed brow. So Hokuto indeed understood that he sounded like an idiot. Shintaro didn’t even feel guilty for letting Hokuto simmer in his own stew of awkwardness for a minute longer.
"I just meant. Look at us," Hokuto said, beckoning helplessly at himself first, and then towards the dressing room door. Behind the door Jesse was currently trying to convince an unbothered Taiga to completely pluck off his eyebrows ("You tweeted about it by yourself once!") while Juri was dozing off with his head on Kochi's lap. Kochi had been stretching on the floor when Hokuto had pulled Shintaro out of the room, though at the moment Kochi was probably just sitting and waiting, too nice to tell Juri to get up so he could switch to the other leg.
Hokuto himself had made some notably interesting choices in front of his wardrobe this morning, as he was wearing oversized moss green cargo pants and a white dress shirt with a baby blue Pokemon printed tank top. He somehow managed to make it work - even if he hadn’t, Shintaro loved him just the way he was, Squirtles and Vaporeons and all - but he still seemed rather self-aware at the moment, squirming and fiddling with his sleeves.
"Are you ashamed of me?" Shintaro asked with an exaggerated frown.
"No! Of course not!" Hokuto wailed miserably, the joke flying over his head like a shooting star, and that, more than anything else, revealed how sincerely upset he was. "I just. I know people. Like real, cool, normal actors and directors and such, and they usually don't see me like this. They think I'm cool and collected and-" He trailed off, his voice very small at the end. “I don’t want them to find out that I’m really not.”
Shintaro dropped the act right away, heart aching for the blunt honesty.
“Since it's so important to you, I promise they’ll still find you cool after the event,” he said softly, relieved to see Hokuto’s shoulders drop. “But,” he continued, nudging Hokuto’s arm with his elbow, “I refuse to avoid you on purpose. And I will try to make you laugh.”
Hokuto’s exasperated sigh lifted his mood back up.
March 13th, 2026
Holding a key card which Hokuto had left for him in the hotel reception, Shintaro walked slowly on the soft carpet, his eyes glued to the numbers on the doors. 1104, 1105, 1106…and there it was, 1107. The hotel room that had been assigned as Hokuto’s dressing room for the event. He placed the key card on the lock and waited until a small green led light appeared.
“Coming in,” he said, slipped into the room, and barely managed to close the door behind him before freezing completely.
Hokuto was standing in the middle of the room shirtless, pulling on formal black trousers that looked excellent on him; loose around his legs, but well-fitted on the round of his ass. It was an excellent ass. An excellent dip of lower back just above it too, not to mention the beautiful, smooth skin and the wide shoulders that made Shintaro want to run his hands along Hokuto's arms.
“What are you staring at?” Hokuto muttered sheepishly, grabbing a black shirt from the clothes rack beside him. “Is there something wrong with me?”
Forcing his face into an appreciative grin instead of a silly gawk, Shintaro stuffed all his thirsty thoughts to the back of his mind.
“Nothing’s wrong!” he said, trying to sound friendly and appreciative instead, “You look damn hot, actually.”
The words came out too loud, too sincere, way too intense. Hokuto’s eyes spread wide and he turned away quickly, pulling the shirt over his head, tucking it into his pants and buckling his belt.
“Thanks,” he muttered.
Hokuto’s hair fell in front of his face when he reached for another shirt to wear on top of the first one, and despite the embarrassed burn on his cheeks, Shintaro was struck with an intense need to sink his fingers into the long, wavy fluff of Hokuto’s hair.
"Still staring," Hokuto said softly, his face now twisted into a wry, flustered smile.
Dammit.
“Sorry, I-” Shintaro tried and failed to avert his eyes. He didn’t even know what to say. Hokuto answered his stare with an unreadable expression that made his heart race.
He inhaled sharply when Hokuto stepped into his space, almost chest to chest.
“Your necktie,” Hokuto said in a low voice, eyes cast down to Shintaro’s neck. “It’s crooked.”
With deft fingers he fixed the knot and the collar of Shintaro’s dress shirt. He was standing much closer than was strictly necessary, close enough that Shintaro could feel the mild scent floating around him. He couldn’t tell whether it was laundry detergent, hair spray, or actual perfume, but it made him want to grab Hokuto’s shirt, pull him even closer, and press his nose against the soft spot under Hokuto’s ear.
“Go there and beat them all,” Shintaro said, his voice coming out lower and huskier than he meant it to.
“It's really not that kind of an event,” Hokuto muttered, his fingertips lingering on the lapels of Shintaro’s suit jacket. “There. Better.”
His gaze flickered between Shintaro’s eyes and lips, and Shintaro’s breath caught in his throat. His hands moved on their own, landing on Hokuto’s waist, pressing into his sides, pulling him closer. Hokuto let out a soft breath and leaned forward-
A knock on the door made them both jump backwards.
“Matsumura-san?” someone called and Hokuto rushed to open the door, leaving a bewildered Shintaro standing alone in the middle of the room.
By the door a male staff member bowed and smiled at Hokuto politely, apparently not at all astounded to find Shintaro in the same room. Shintaro flashed a tight smile at him, willing his pounding heart to calm down even though the shadow of Hokuto’s warmth still tingled in his fingertips.
The man stepped inside just enough to let the door close behind him, presumably so that the whole corridor wouldn’t hear them talking.
“Here’s the timetable and the seating chart for the evening,” he said to Hokuto, and Shintaro hummed in understanding. He had received a similar chart at the hotel reception upon his arrival. The man started to explain the important points of the timetable in detail, and Shintaro decided it was time to excuse himself.
“See you later,” he said, walking past the staff member.
“Later,” Hokuto answered, holding Shintaro’s gaze for a second too long, until Shintaro turned and left the room.
At the corridor he stopped and stared at the wall for a moment, his stomach twisting and his heart still racing in his chest.
He wandered down to the lobby slowly, using the stairs instead of the elevator so he wouldn’t need to face anyone for a moment. Nobody needed to see his burning cheeks.
Whatever had just happened in Hokuto’s room, had been in the making for a while, at least from his side. He had often wondered about Hokuto, and this time he was sure about it. He definitely hadn’t imagined Hokuto’s interest, either.
He tried not to think about what this revelation might lead to. He would meet Hokuto later, and he would be sure to meet Hokuto alone. But before that, he had a very, very long evening waiting ahead.
-
The big lobby was packed with people. Most of them were enjoying refreshments and talking in small groups, while some were answering reporters’ questions. Many were taking turns for the official interview with the gala hosts. Shintaro checked the time from his phone - he still had about twenty minutes before his own scheduled interview.
When he raised his eyes again, he happened to see Ryusei nearby and waved at him, but the man was in the middle of a conversation with some elderly actor. Interrupting her would have been incredibly rude, but Ryusei answered Shintaro’s wave with a smile, and Shintaro made a mental note to find him again at the afterparty.
Every now and then he spotted Hokuto in the crowd, talking and laughing with people, and he felt a swell of pride in his chest when he saw how many people seemed to want to meet Hokuto and come to talk to him. They definitely seemed to think Hokuto was a cool person to know. Then again, Shintaro thought gently, most people would probably have liked Hokuto even if they knew his whimsical side as well. It wasn’t like their Youtube channel or television programs were a hidden secret, anyway.
Later, he felt similar pride when he stood in the long queue to the red carpet and saw Hokuto standing at the front of the same queue together with the other male and female actors who had been nominated for the best supporting role. His pride only grew bigger when Hokuto, along with Ryusei and Yoshizawa and some others, kept having to be transported back because they had been nominated for several different categories. It was great to see Hokuto’s talent brought to light like that. And also hilarious, Shintaro added in his mind when Hokuto was guided through an inconspicuous side door between the two halls for his third round.
When it was Shintaro’s turn to walk the red carpet with the gala hosts, his stomach was fluttering with excitement. He had done this before, he knew what he was doing, and he knew Hokuto was finally waiting at his dinner table.
The next hall was sparkly and glamorous with all the gold and red in the decoration and furniture, and Shintaro couldn’t help marveling at it, even though he had already seen it the year before. The round dinner tables were placed at the front half of the hall, while the back half was packed full of guests and reporters. There must be several hundred people attending the event; probably somewhere between seven hundred and a thousand, Shintaro thought as he walked, comparing the size of the crowd to some smaller concert venues he had seen during his career.
A staff member guided him to his assigned seat at one of the dinner tables. Hokuto’s table was nearby which was great, and there was a direct line of sight to Hokuto, which was even better. When he was seated, Hokuto looked back at him and smiled so warmly, Shintaro’s heart took an extra leap. He waved at Hokuto, and Hokuto waved shortly back before turning to talk with the people at his own table again.
Hokuto's table was placed between the stage and Shintaro's table, and more than once Shintaro found himself staring at Hokuto instead of whatever was going on at the front.
Whenever they approached an award category in which Hokuto had been nominated, Hokuto seemed to tense up, his posture getting straighter, his whole body frozen and concentrated. Amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth, Shintaro fished his phone from his pocket and snapped a secret shot.
Someone’s relaxed like a nail on a plank, he wrote on the members’ LINE conversation, attached the image, and pressed send. He caught Juri’s quicker-than-quick laughing reaction sticker just before switching off the screen again, and grinned.
Interviews were held and prices were awarded, followed by teary-eyed speeches by the lucky winners.
Finally, it was Shintaro’s turn to stand up and walk to the stage. He felt like he could explode with pride when Hokuto soon walked up the stairs with Matsu-san and Tsukahara-san and met Shintaro's beaming face with a shy, controlled smile. He looked so good with the black, loose-fitting shirts and jacket, and Shintaro burned with the need to bury his hands into Hokuto's long, smooth hair.
“Congratulations,” he said and bowed as he handed Hokuto the Popularity Award prize and diploma he had earned for his role in the movie 5 Centimeters Per Second, and to Tsukahara-san the Popularity Award diploma for the First Kiss movie. People clapped their applause, and it was easy to follow up with a sincere, yet very professional comment about the movie.
“Now, some words for your group member Matsumura-san please!” the announcer asked.
Having waited for this moment for the whole day, no, the whole week, Shintaro smiled again, meeting Hokuto’s carefully composed expression that didn't deceive Shintaro for half a second. No doubt Hokuto had been waiting too, though probably with a serious taste of worry. Poor guy.
“Hi, Hokuto!” Shintaro said, beaming at Hokuto and enjoying immensely the way Hokuto squirmed in embarrassment.
“It’s Shintaro here,” he continued with a wink, then turned to speak to the audience. “Forgive me for the casualness - we are indeed working together as the members of the same group. It’s wonderful to be able to stand here like this, so we’re both very excited! Our Hokuto here will definitely keep getting better and better at acting, so please continue to follow and support him. Congrats, Hokuto!”
While talking, he turned back to Hokuto again. His face was scrunched into a tense not-quite-frown, his eyes were suspiciously bright and he was blinking a lot. He gathered himself admirably though, when given the microphone.
“I definitely didn’t expect to be able to experience this together,” he said, and Shintaro could tell he was fighting to keep his voice even. “We’ve worked together for more than ten years, and this will become one more important memory for me.”
Shintaro felt his own throat tighten up, too. He wanted so much to grab Hokuto into a crushing hug, but he couldn't. Later, he told himself. Later.
-
In the end Hokuto didn’t win any of the actual awards he was nominated for. The jury was full of idiots, Shintaro thought vehemently, though he grudgingly admitted that the competitors had been extremely talented. Still, right at the moment Shintaro sincerely wished for every member of the jury to find a cockroach or five in their beds for the next night.
Shintaro still honored Hokuto’s request for the duration of the afterparty and kept his distance. Yet, he couldn’t help being aware of Hokuto’s location at every single moment.
From a distance he admired the smooth way Hokuto mingled with famous actors. Now that the gala was over, he seemed relaxed, much more like his usual self. The manner of his speech was soft, his smiles calm and composed, as they always were when promoting his movies. He looked good out there, and he fit in perfectly.
Despite all that, Shintaro felt a deep satisfaction because he knew the true Hokuto behind that calmness; the bright guy whose eyes lit up at the sight of the ugliest Pokemon plushies and who would ramble endlessly about this or that weirdly obscure movie or book. He admired Hokuto the movie star - and he loved Hokuto the SixTONES member.
And through the whole evening the missed chance of a kiss they hadn't had still tingled on his lips.
-
Two hours later, he was comfortably buzzed with champagne, and starting to wonder if ‘later’ was getting close to ‘now’ already.
He looked across the room. Hokuto was in the middle of a conversation with someone, but it only took Shintaro one glance to notice the way he was slowly blinking, his eyes slightly glazed. Yeah, this party was definitely over for the both of them.
He slowly walked around the room, stopped behind Hokuto, and waited politely until Hokuto’s companion turned to talk to someone else. Then he leaned closer to murmur into Hokuto’s ear, “You look like you’re ready to get out of here. Let’s get going?”
Startled, Hokuto turned to look at him, blinking like Shintaro had just woken him from a nap.
“Going where?”
Shintaro didn’t hesitate. “To your room?”
Hokuto’s eyes dropped on Shintaro’s lips, lingering there until Shintaro couldn’t help a nervous lick on his lower lip. He could only hope that Hokuto was feeling as breathless as he was.
“Come on,” he said and turned to leave, needing to get some distance between himself and Hokuto before he would do something stupid in public.
-
They didn’t talk much on the way to the hotel room, first staring at the door of the elevator from the outside while they waited for it to arrive, and then from the inside, still in silence. But as soon as the door of the hotel room closed, Hokuto glanced at Shintaro rather shyly, like he wasn’t sure how to proceed.
Shintaro smiled. He took Hokuto’s hand, pulled him closer and wrapped his arms around Hokuto’s shoulders, hugging him tight. Hokuto let out a surprised noise, but he wrapped his arms around Shintaro’s waist and lowered his forehead to rest on Shintaro’s shoulder. Shintaro’s stomach did a silly little flip with how easily Hokuto let himself relax against his body.
“I was so proud of you today,” he murmured, tilting his head against Hokuto’s so that their cheeks pressed together as well. Hokuto’s hair tickled his temple.
“And you spoke well,” Hokuto answered, his voice muffled against the lapel of Shintaro’s jacket.
“I didn’t embarrass you?”
Hokuto tightened his hold. “I’m sorry. I never meant to imply you’d embarrass me.”
“I know,” Shintaro chuckled. “I’m just teasing you.”
He didn’t remember having ever hugged anyone this long. He didn’t want to let go. Hokuto was wearing some mild fragrance, and Shintaro breathed it in, feeling his own body relax into the embrace as well.
“You almost cried at the stage though.”
“I didn’t!”
“You did.”
Hokuto huffed indignantly. Shintaro smiled. He let his hold loosen a bit but didn’t let go. Instead, he cupped the back of Hokuto’s neck with his palm, stroking Hokuto’s cheek under his ear with his thumb and letting the other fingers slide into the soft strands of Hokuto’s hair at his nape. Hokuto whimpered in surprise, but his hold tightened around Shintaro’s waist, and heat pooled in Shintaro’s belly with the prolonged close contact.
Feeling bold, Shintaro tilted his head and let his nose and lips rub lightly against Hokuto’s neck from the other side. He was rewarded by a sharp inhale from Hokuto, that gave him the last crumb of very much needed courage.
“I wanted to kiss you earlier,” Shintaro whispered directly into Hokuto’s ear. “Before the gala. I would have, if that guy hadn’t come in.”
Hokuto shivered and chuckled softly. “You could kiss me now. If you still want to.”
Shintaro didn’t need any more persuasion.
Cupping Hokuto’s head from both sides, he pressed their lips together into a slow, deep kiss. He tilted his head, rubbed his fingertips against Hokuto’s scalp and slipped his tongue to stroke Hokuto’s lower lip. Hokuto opened his mouth for him, kissing him back with a similar eagerness. Shintaro felt the champagne in his breath and licked in deeper. He felt Hokuto’s hands moving up and down his back, small noises of pleasure escaping both of their throats. Shintaro wanted more.
“I want to give you another prize,” he murmured against Hokuto’s lips.
“Yeah? What is it?”
Shintaro’s stomach made impatient somersaults when he pushed Hokuto until he started to take steps backwards, and guided him to sit on the edge of the bed. Then kneeled on the floor in front of him and placed his hands on Hokuto’s knees, and Hokuto’s dark eyes flashed in understanding.
“May I?”
Hokuto nodded, and Shintaro pushed his legs apart, making room so he could settle between them. He took a slow inhale and moved his splayed hands up and down Hokuto’s thighs, letting them reach higher every time, thumbs pressing down on Hokuto’s inseam. When he reached Hokuto’s crotch, he skipped over the rapidly growing bulge and went to the button of the black dress pants. Before he could even ask, Hokuto nodded again, hastily, and lifted his butt, allowing Shintaro to pull his pants and briefs down to his ankles.
Hokuto wasn’t fully hard yet, but Shintaro’s mouth got wet just by looking at him. Unwilling to wait anymore, he leaned over and took Hokuto’s cock into his mouth. Hokuto grunted at the sudden sensation, and his hand flew into Shintaro’s hair. Shintaro tilted his head against Hokuto’s palm, encouraging him to take a proper hold on his hair.
Hokuto got the hint and tugged on Shintaro’s hair lightly, and Shintaro shuddered with the intense feeling. Then he looked directly into Hokuto’s eyes and sucked hard, drawing out a high-pitched moan from Hokuto. It was exactly what he wanted to hear, and he hummed happily, gently palming his own front where his dress pants were starting to feel too tight.
"Did you actually make plans for this?" Hokuto asked, blinking fast and staring down at him with an incredulous expression. His mouth was open and his chest was heaving, and his cheeks were red. Shintaro loved everything he saw.
"No," he said, holding Hokuto's cock in his hand and licking a long, wet line from the base to the tip, "but I hoped for the whole day for something like this to happen. You seemed," he teased the tip with his tongue, “possibly acquiescent. When we were here.”
Hokuto let out a breathy laugh, tugging gently on Shintaro’s hair again. Shintaro raised a brow, and gave Hokuto's cock a few firm strokes. Hokuto sighed and leaned backwards, supporting himself with his other hand. He stroked again, and leaned closer in order to continue sucking Hokuto again, but Hokuto stopped him with a gentle pat on the shoulder.
“Wait,” Hokuto said, breathing deeply, “actually, I. Wait. Can I ask for something?”
Shintaro pulled away both his hand and mouth and rested his cheek against Hokuto's thigh, looking up at him.
“Of course you can. What do you want?”
Hokuto glanced at the direction of the bath room and back into Shintaro’s eyes, and offered a lopsided smile that took away Shintaro’s breath. "Honestly? I was hoping to have a shower. And I wondered if you’d like to…if you’d like to join me?"
Oh. A sweet, gentle heat curled and spread in Shintaro’s chest and belly. Yes, yes he would like to join him, and he needed to kiss Hokuto again now.
Reaching out to pull Hokuto down until their lips touched again, he murmured against Hokuto’s mouth, “Can I undress you?”
“If you let me undress you too,” Hokuto laughed softly, nose touching Shintaro’s nose, and fingers lingering on Shintaro’s jacket lapels the exact same way they did earlier the same day. Grinning, Shintaro spread his arms in a ‘go ahead’ gesture, and was rewarded with another kiss.
“I’m a bit confused though,” Shintaro said when Hokuto pulled off his necktie and slid the black jacket down his arms. “You like me. You want me.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement of a fact they both knew to be true.
“Yeah, I do,” Hokuto chuckled, starting to unbutton Shintaro’s shirt. “What’s so confusing about it?”
“But you wanted me to avoid you at the gala?”
His hands stopping at the last button, Hokuto stopped and met Shintaro’s eyes with a meek little grimace.
“Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep my hands to myself? Especially when you look like this?” he asked, pushing the black dress shirt off Shintaro’s shoulders and dragging his warm hands up and down his arms, eyes glued to his bare chest.
“And like, yeah I want to keep my cool image, and I say and do all kinds of silly things when I’m with you, so it was better to stay away from each other,” he continued, smiling wryly and letting his fingertips dance on Shintaro’s skin.
Shintaro raised a brow. "So you weren't really embarrassed of what you're like when you're with us, when asking me to keep some distance?"
Hokuto's smile got even more sheepish.
“Oh I was. A bit. But mostly I was just afraid I’d cause a scandal by getting drunk on the champagne and groping you at the afterparty.”
Shintaro swallowed, unable to stop himself from leaning into Hokuto’s soft touches.
“As if you could cause a scandal anywhere ever. And did you see how many people especially wanted to talk to you? They didn't think you're weird or embarrassing. People love you.”
Hokuto’s mouth twitched with something like a short smile, but then he fell serious again.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I never meant to make you feel unwanted.” He pressed a thumb on Shintaro’s lower lip, and Shintaro closed his eyes for a moment, his whole body buzzing with the need to get his hands on Hokuto’s skin again.
“Forgiven,” he grunted and climbed to his feet, rolling his knees and ankles that had started to get stiff. “Come on! Shower, remember.”
With swift hands Hokuto opened Shintaro’s black dress pants and pulled them down. When his fingers hooked at the elastic of Shintaro’s briefs, he stopped for a few seconds to wait for Shintaro’s nod before pulling the fabric down and freeing Shintaro’s fully hard cock. His eyes had a dark, hungry look, and when Hokuto’s tongue quickly flickered out to dampen his lips, Shintaro’s belly did a funny flip, unsure whether Hokuto did that on purpose or by instinct.
“Your turn,” Hokuto said, grinning, and stood up from the bed as well. Shintaro didn’t need to be told twice, and he definitely didn’t need a full minute to get Hokuto naked. He wanted to look properly, but he could do that in the shower. They just needed to get there.
In the bath room Shintaro turned on the water first, waiting until it was warm before stepping into the bath tub and pulling Hokuto in with him. The water fell directly on Hokuto’s head, streaming down his hair and face, and he closed his eyes, smiling.
Shintaro sunk his fingers into Hokuto’s hair, pressed a kiss on Hokuto’s lips, and ruffled the hair until it was drenched to the root. Then he turned off the water, took shampoo from the dispenser, and started to rub it into Hokuto’s scalp.
“I could get used to this so easily,” Hokuto muttered, eyes still closed, and wrapped his arms loosely around Shintaro’s waist, grabbing his own wrist with the other hand, the fingers of his other hand gently brushing the small of Shintaro’s back.
“Yeah?” Shintaro said breathlessly, amazed with how absolutely beautiful Hokuto was, standing there so close to him. “I’m pretty sure that can be arranged.”
Hokuto opened his eyes and looked into his eyes. There were droplets of water in his lashes. A slow smile lit up his face. At the same time Shintaro reached his hand behind Hokuto and turned the water on again, letting it fall on him and make streams of foamy water run down his body. Shintaro wanted to follow them all with his fingers, but he made himself concentrate on rinsing the shampoo off Hokuto’s hair first.
“Now you,” Hokuto said after a while, tightening his hold on Shintaro’s waist for a moment before letting go. The bath tub was narrow, but they managed to slip past each other without falling, and Shintaro closed his own eyes just before the water streamed down his face in turn.
Hokuto’s fingers were strong and sure in his hair, and Shintaro let out a small sigh, letting his shoulders fall as he relaxed into the touch. He felt the foam on his face and tilted his head, following Hokuto’s touches.
“It’s easier to stand with your eyes closed if you hold on to me,” Hokuto murmured. “We don’t want you to lose your balance and hurt yourself.”
Following the advice, Shintaro wrapped his arms around Hokuto’s waist just like Hokuto had done.
“I’m glad you were there today,” Hokuto said, his tone quiet but almost conversational, as if they weren’t currently having the most intimate shower of Shintaro’s life. “I like the event itself, but I get nervous sometimes when I’m excited. So even though we didn’t spend time together, it was nice to know you were there. Made me feel safer.”
“I was glad to be there,” he murmured, feeling all warm and pleased, but pressed his mouth shut tight when he tasted the shampoo on his lips. Surely he must be squeaky clean already?
Hokuto seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because he quickly rinsed off the shampoo, and used his thumbs to wipe the water off Shintaro’s eyes and lips.
When Shintaro opened his eyes again, he met Hokuto’s soft gaze that made his heart do many silly things; flutter and jump and skip beats all at the same time.
“Shower gel,” Hokuto offered, and guided Shintaro’s palm under the dispenser. He pressed some gel on both their hands and splayed his hands on Shintaro’s chest, starting to rub the growing foam on Shintaro’s skin everywhere, and yeah, Shintaro too could definitely get used to this kind of showering.
When they were both soaped and rinsed clean, Shintaro pulled Hokuto closer again, pressing their bodies together from chest to toes. They had both gotten soft again while washing, but Shintaro felt an instant twinge of arousal in his crotch when he rolled his hips against Hokuto’s, and watched Hokuto bite back a moan.
“If that suits you, I’d like to make you cum now,” he said in a playful tone, “before you come up with new chores for us.”
“You call showering like this a chore?” Hokuto snorted, shaking his head. “Damn.”
“No,” Shintaro said and pressed a quick peck on Hokuto’s lips, “I just want to get my hands and mouth on you now. Bed, please.”
“Since you ask so nicely,” Hokuto said and grabbed a towel with which he quickly wiped off most of the water on their bodies before letting either of them step out of the bath tub.
In the bedroom Shintaro pushed the duvet aside, climbed on the bed and sat in the middle, waiting for Hokuto to follow. Hokuto stood at the end of the bed and looked at him in a way that made Shintaro’s belly twist with excitement and his cock stir in interest.
“What are you thinking about?” Shintaro asked, leaning backwards on his elbows and trying to sound flirty.
"That I really want to suck you too," Hokuto said bluntly, looking so damn hopeful that Shintaro couldn’t help laughing as he nodded.
The laughter turned into a whimper when Hokuto climbed on top of him and kissed him deep, licking into his mouth and pressing their naked bodies together at the same time. Hokuto was warm from the shower, skin sliding wetly against Shintaro's skin where the rudimentary toweling hadn't reached. Droplets of water fell from the ends of his wet hair, landing on Shintaro's face and neck.
“I thought I was rewarding you for your excellent work,” Shintaro muttered against Hokuto’s lips. Hokuto grinned and moved his lips to Shintaro’s chin, then marked his neck and chest with a narrow trail of kisses.
“You have no idea how rewarding this is,” Hokuto said and sucked one of Shintaro’s nipples into his mouth. Shintaro gasped loudly, grasping the back of Hokuto’s head with his hand. Hokuto’s hair fell on his face and his tongue was hot and slick against Shintaro’s sensitive skin, and Shintaro couldn’t help his whole body tensing up with the shivers of pleasure. He wanted to answer with something witty, but Hokuto leaned over to lick the other nipple too, and wrapped his fingers around Shintaro’s newly hard cock at the same time, and all Shintaro could do was groan and arch his back towards the touch.
“Close your eyes,” Hokuto whispered and Shintaro obeyed, concentrating on feeling Hokuto’s hands and lips on him as the other moved lower. He shuddered at the light touches on his belly and thighs, and spread his legs when Hokuto settled between them.
At the first touch of Hokuto’s tongue on his cock Shintaro inhaled sharply, and when Hokuto took him in his mouth, he grabbed Hokuto’s hair again, squeezing the wet strands in his fist. Hokuto’s mouth was hot and wet and so, so good. Shintaro’s breath grew heavier, chest heaving with deep inhales and exhales and he tried to relax into the sensations. But then Hokuto took his balls into his other hand and fondled them gently, and Shintaro’s body tensed up, even his toes curling in, as he gripped on Hokuto’s hair tighter, trying not to pull too much.
“F-fuck Hokuto,” Shintaro gasped, “I‘m gonna cum soon. Just- just so you know.”
Hokuto let go of him immediately, and Shintaro groaned in frustration. But then Hokuto was moving up to hover on top of Shintaro again. He supported himself with one arm and wrapped the other around both their cocks at the same time. Shintaro’s hips automatically bucked into his touch. Hokuto’s grip was tight, and Shintaro felt dizzy with arousal when he felt Hokuto’s hardness pressed so tightly against his own.
Soon Hokuto picked up the pace, letting out soft, needy noises while jerking them both off at the same time. The movement of his hand was smooth and wet, slick with his own saliva and the precum from them both, and that realization was enough to throw Shintaro over the edge. Holding Hokuto tight against him he shuddered through his orgasm and spilled himself on their cocks and Hokuto’s hand.
Hokuto must have been close too, because he only needed a few more strokes before he groaned and added his own to the mess that was already dripping from his hand to Shintaro’s lower belly.
Letting out a deep, satisfied sigh, Hokuto let himself fall limp by Shintaro’s side and pressed his face against Shintaro’s shoulder. Shintaro moved his arm, waited until Hokuto caught the hint and laid his head on it, and pulled Hokuto closer against him. For a long while neither of them moved, keeping their eyes closed and letting their breaths calm down.
When Shintaro opened his eyes again, he met Hokuto’s dark eyes so close to him, he had to squint in order to see him properly. Hokuto, warm and naked and completely relaxed against him, was smiling up at him. His hand was still resting on Shintaro’s belly, sticky with the slowly drying cum. It was simultaneously gross and arousing, and Shintaro wished they could start all over again immediately.
“I’m satisfied with my prize,” Hokuto muttered, a sly smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. “I’ll try even harder to win an award next year, if this is what I get for mere nominations.”
“And the Popularity Award,” Shintaro reminded him, and kissed Hokuto again, many times, without any hurry.
They definitely needed another shower, but that could wait. First, he wanted to clear up something.
“You know,” Shintaro murmured into Hokuto’s hair, “you don’t need any awards or nominations to do this again.”
“Yeah?” Hokuto’s voice sounded careful. Hopeful, maybe?
“Yeah,” Shintaro said, stroking Hokuto’s cheek with his thumb. “Just ask and I’ll…no, actually, you don’t even need to ask. Just say yes.”
Hokuto pulled his head back, looking at Shintaro, and Shintaro felt dazzled by the gentle, incredulous brightness of his smile.
“Yes,” Hokuto breathed, and Shintaro decided he’d do everything in his power so that Hokuto could always, always smile at him like that.