Buisiness as usual; Mikami was at the gym. thursday, nine o'clock. Right on scheduel. Sometimes Gevanni wondered how Mikami could stand living such a clockwork lifestyle. To be truthful, Gevanni thought as he showed the woman at the front desk his membership card, he loved what he did. Never knowing what might happen next. That was why he became an agent then worked under Near.
This was where Gevanni made his mistake. Normally he'd wait until after nine to follow Mikami. Today he was in the locker room with the other man.
Gevanni froze when he saw Mikami was still in the locker room, pulling his work jacket off and then his tie. And then the worst part. Mikami slowly turned his head halfway through unbuttoning his white undershirt. He seemed just as surprised as Gevanni. There was a moment of stiff silence between them before, quite suiddenly, both men began to chuckle.
"I'm sorry," Gevanni spoke first in smooth, practiced Japanese."Did I startle you?"
Mikami nodded a bit as he turned back to his locker and shrugged out of his shirt. "No one is usually here this late." His voice was soft, gentle. Gevanni felt a small shiver go down his spine and he couldn't help but wonder if Mikami's voice normally sounded seductive.
"No, I wouldn't suppose so," Gevanni replied in his deeper, slightly accented drawl. He came up beside Mikami and opened the locker, putting his own bag in it. Might as well pretend to the fullest extent, he thought as he too began to strip.
Mikami pulled his work-out clothes (a white shirt and a pair of white pants) from his bag and as he put them on asked, "Do you usually come here? I haven't ever seen you."
Gevanni raked his fingers through his hair as he looked back at Mikami. "I come during the day usually," he lied. "But I er... had some time to kill tonight."
Mikami paused as he buttoned his fly. "... You are lying," he accused in a low voice.
Shocked, Gevanni dropped the black tank-top he had been aiming to put on. "What would make you think that?" he asked uneasilly. He had forgotten that Mikami was a lawyer. But only breifly. Lawyers are usually trained to sence lies during interrigations.
"You hesitated a moment before you said you had time to kill." Mikami shrugged as he pulled his shirt over his head. "Also, you dropped your tank-top just now, as though you were surprised that I knew. Like you thought I was reading your mind."
Gevanni quickly turned his face away. He had just been thinking that exact thing. He realized he had to think quickly to reply to this. Finally, he came up wioth something and let out a hefty sigh, plopping down on the bench behind them. "You got me," he muttered. "The truth is I just had a fight with my boyfriend." It was a slip-up on his part. He had meant to say girlfriend, really, but there was no turning back now. The only thing to do now was to cringe and hope Kira's new world didn't involve killing off gays.
Mikami gave him a shocked look. "With your... boyfriend?" he asked for clarification.
"Yes. I'm sorry if that offends you or you don't agree with that, by the way," Gevani added quickly. However, he was pleasently surprised to see Mikami smile and chuckle, softly.
"Don't be sorry," Mikami replied. "To tell you the truth, I'm bisexual myself. I just think it's sad that you're fighting. But it's wonderful that you're willing to take your frustrations out at the gym rather than on your boyfriend. I'd hate to be the lawyer sending you to jail for battary."
Gevanni laughed. "Ah, so that's how you knew I was lying; you're a lawyer? But either way, I wouldn't dream of hurting him. He's so small and fragile, like a little doll."
"He sounds cute. Is he much younger than you?"
"Yes, actually. He's eighteen, but he looks about ten."
"What's his name?"
"Neville. I call him Bear, though."
"How cute!"
Gevanni began getting nervous as they entered the gym and started working out. Mikami kept asking about 'Neville' (whom Gevanni had decided would be Near if ever he were to call) but looked strangely jealous.
At fifteen to ten the thing Gevanni had been dreading happened; Near called.
"Hello?" Gevanni asked as he sat down on a bench to talk. Mikami gave him a questioning glance, to which he gently held up a finger to show he was busy.
"Gevanni, where are you? You haven't checked in for a few hours. Is everthing alright?" Near's monotonus voice filled the speakers.
"Oh, hey, Bear. Yeah, sorry I dissapeared like that. I'm at the gym, our arguement sort of heated me up."
On the other like Near was silent for a long moment during which Gevanni could hear him moving around some kind of action figure.
"About that, Gev," Near finally replied in a slight falsetto, "I don't think we should see eachother anymore."
Gevanni was taken aback by the nickname but ignored it for the moment and instead quickly made himself look upset. "You... What?"
Near dropped the falsetto quickly. "Listen to me, Gevanni. I have a plan. You should get close to Mikami so he does not try to kill you. We don't know if he will kill you today or later when you leave. You don't have to, but I don't think I could live with myself if you were to die because of my carelessness."
Gevanni was touched by this small show of concern from his employer but had to pretend he was being dumped so instead he opted to let his eyes well up with tears. "Oh... I see," he responded, his voice cracking as he did so.
"Call me once you're alone, alright?"
"Yes, I completely understand..."
"Good luck."
Gevanni pulled the phone away from his ear and turned it off, not even bothering to look at it.
Mikami sat next to him, hesitantly putting an arm around his shoulder. "What happened?" he asked, gently, though he was sure he already knew.
"... We aren't seeing eachother anymore. I guess it's only fair; I always start the arguements. I always knew I would end up alone, anyway..."
Though he hated being so melodramatic it had the effect he had hoped for. Mikami pulled him close and shifted his arms around Gevanni's waist. After a moment, Gevanni moived so he was facing Mikami, burrying his face into the lawyer's shoulder. He slowly melted into the other's embrace. For the first time in a long time, Gevanni felt at peace. As he breathed in deeply he caught the scent of the other man's sweet cologne mingled with sweat, fabric softener, and a flowery shampoo. That shampoo...
Gevanni snaked his arms around Mikami's neck, crawling into the other's lap. He felt Mikami's neck heat up against his wrists and his cheek's heat against his own cheek.
"Is there something wrong?" Mikami whispered, his heated breath brushing over Gevanni's ear and neck.
The American slowly shook his head. "Sorry. I just..." Gevanni felt his own cheeks go red. "You smell really nice," he finished in a whisper.
"Oh... Well... Thank you..."
Gevanni's heart was pounding in his chest. Surely this wasn't what Near had meant when he told Gevanni to get close to Mikami. After a few more moments of bliss he decided that this was definitely not what Near meant and pulled away. He wanted to distroy this budding romance before it really started. but Mikami held him tightly and refused to let him go.
"Don't... Please..."
The desperation in Mikami's voice was enough to stop Gevanni.
"I can't," Gevanni whispered, pleadingly. He thanked any god that was listening that no one was around, especially not Near.
"Then why... Why are you still holding me?"
Gevanni hadn't moved. And he wasn't sure why himself. He looked into Mikami's eyes, pleadingly. He begged for an answer to that very question.
Mikami snickered mockingly. "You like me," he accused, leaning closer so their lips were almost touching. Gevanni squeezed his eyes shut and he whimpered. "You like me... Stephen," Mikami breathed, the English name sliding uneasilly from his tongue as he gently pressed his lips to Gevanni's
As the two men sat there, kissing and Gevanni crying still, the American couldn't help but notice that he had never once told Mikami his name.