Kaito spluttered on his drink, coughing and snorting and choking and dripping down his face in an ugly sticky mess of synthetic green over his chin. Kei handed him a napkin without so much as a change in expression, not even a blink.

Taking it gratefully, if not rather stunned, Kaito pressed it to his mouth and wiped away the melon soda from his face and mopping up where he'd choked out a gulp of the drink onto the diner's table. He cast a quick glance around the cheap diner they were in, but other than a waitress who gave him a distasteful once over for his coughing display, nobody else paid them any heed.

"You- what?" Kaito lowered his voice a few tones and leaned closer to Kei, still unwaveringly blank in his expressions, "Are you serious?" He added as an afterthought.

Kei wasn't the sort to tell these kinds of jokes, that wasn't his humour. Kei's humour was cynical and sarcastic, to the point where Kaito wasn't actually sure Kei was trying to be funny.

It always made Kaito grin, regardless. Usually.

Kei shrugged, "You do, right? I thought..." He trailed off, letting Kaito figure out just exactly what it was that Kei thought.

Consideringly, Kaito stuck the straw back into his mouth and sucked at his drink, his mind going over various scenarios, choosing to delicately ignore the one that ended with him and Kei pleasantly high in his bedroom, lolling around on his mattress. He tried to ignore the image of Kei, giggling-

But honestly, what were the chances of that? Knowing Kei, it wouldn't even make a difference, would it, he thought darkly.

"I... do," Kaito answered slowly, hesitantly, chewing on the tip of his straw.

Kei hadn't touched his food- Had asking Kaito been his ulterior motive in asking him to hang out today?

Of course is was, Kei was as manipulative as a politician.

"I want to try it," Kei shrugged, lips puckering out and he looked wholly unconcerned about the present situation.

Kaito tapped anxiously at the table with his free hand, the other occupied with holding his glass steady.

"What changed your mind?" Kaito quipped good naturedly, an attempt to distract from the heavy thumping in his chest, "The last I heard your opinion of it wasn't exactly noble about it."

A part of Kaito has expected Kei to flush with at least a hint of shame riding red in his cheeks, but no, obviously not. Stoic and poised and aselegant as always.

Instead Kei shrugged again, "I- " But he stopped there and seemed reluctant to elaborate.

Sighing internally, Kaito figured that's all he'd get from Kei on why. He slurped the rest of his soda, grinning widely when he saw Kei's face pull up into a sneer, cringing at the obnoxious noise of the liquid and air clattering between ice cubes. Kei wasn't the only person offering him an irritated look, other patrons were too.

Sucking the drink for all it's worth, Kaito eventually stopped, much to the relief of everyone in the vicinity.

"So, we're doing this?" Kaito asked unsurely, standing up.

Kei nodded and their waitress pottered over to their table, a middle aged woman with soft features, to clean away their cups and plates. Kei told him he was going to go pay at the front, a smile saturated with synthetic sweetness put on for the person working the front.

Kaito hefted on his biking jacket on his way out, running trembling fingers along his gel-hard hair, letting out a long shuddering breath as he waited for Kei at his bike, securing the straps for his helmet under his chin and pushing up the visor as he waited.

The wind buffeted against Kei as he exited the building, attacking the hem of his coat. He scowled at the sky as if his scathing, cold eyes could change it. As Kei approached Kaito swung a leg over his motorcycle (Brand new, a birthday gift) and handed his spare helmet to Kei when he was closer.

"Ready?" Kaito asked once Kei had his feet up on the passenger footrests

"As I'll ever be," Kei replied, and Kaito seriously thought the conversation should have gone the other way around considering what Kei was asking of him.

His bed was soft and welcoming when he sank down into it, threading a hand into his damp hair. The carrier bag they'd brought back was crammed to the brim with various junk food and had been dumped on his pillow. It immediately toppled over and the contents partially spilled out over his bed.

On the way back the heavens had opened, drenching both Kaito and Kei, though his helmet and jacket protected him for the most part, so he managed to keep relatively dry.

Kei on the other hand...

Well Kei stood disgruntled in his doorway sopping wet, seeming to move as much as possible to get water all over the place. A passive aggressive attempt to get back at Kaito as if the weather had been his doing.

"Don't give me that look," Kaito teased, tossing a towel at Kei and leaning to unlace his boots.

Kei's mouth tugged in that familiar, unimpressed curve, wrapping the towel around his head and squeezing out the water. He peeled off his water-heavy coat and dumping it onto Kaito's lap, sitting next to him on the bed to kick off his own shoes.

"This is your fault," Kei told him firmly, irritated.

"Oh yeah?" Kaito chuckled, moving Kei's sodden coat off of his lap.

Kaito stood up, kicking his shoes to the corner and tugged off his shirt, rooting around in his wardrobe for dry clothes, tossing an old, soft navy top to Kei who looked at it disapprovingly, but sighed and pulled off his own shirt over his head.

"If you hadn't insisted on stopping for junk food," Kei explained as Kaito pulled down his jeans and kicked them to the corner where he was accumulating his sodden clothes, "We wouldn't be soaked."

"Yeah yeah," Kaito flicked his hand dismissively, picking out sweatpants for Kei and dry jeans for himself, keeping his back turned as he listened to the tell-tale sound of Kei changing, "You'll be thanking me when you get hungry. Which you will," He assured.

"Hmm," Kei hummed noncommittally and Kaito turned around to see him lift a finger to his mouth to chew at his nails, a habit that was uncharacteristic of Kei.

For a second Kaito wondered if that had been the correct thing to say- If perhaps he should have been more sensitive. But this was Kei, if he was uncomfortable he'd just leave.

"So," Kaito started, yanking the dark jeans up over his hips and wandering over to his bedside draw, rummaging around, "What made you want to try?"

Kei's face twitched in annoyance and didn't answer for a second, shrugging, and then- "People do it for a reason, right?"

"Mm," Kaito hummed, he took Kei's drenched clothes as he peeled them away from his body, arms getting tangled in the heavy, wet fabric.

He took the weighty pile and carried them away, disappearing to where his family kept their washing machine and dryer.

(In the bathroom, hidden away in a little closet)

Upon his return he retrieved a small tin from his drawer and climbed onto his bed, shuffling on his knees until he reached the dark painted wall and sat down, bouncing slightly on the mattress. He leaned back against the wall and popped open the tin.

The first thing Kei became aware of was the smell, pungent and strong. He couldn't decide whether it was tolerable or if it was actually revolting. But Kaito wasn't fazed as he picked out a few pieces of kit, a pouch of tobacco and a half empty bag of what Kei could only assume was weed.

Kaito spared Kei a concerned look, "So," He took a deep breath and opened the lid of his grinder, the razor teeth glinting slightly as he tilted the cylinder and inspected it, "Are you gonna tell me what this is really about?"

The pause was hard and tense, not at all comfortable. Rain beat against the window of Kaito's bedroom and Kei shuffled so he was sad next to Kaito, leaning against the wall.

In response to Kaito's question, Kei just shrugged. He probably wasn't going to get any more information than that, Kaito figured, deciding to let the subject drop.

Opening the little bag, Kaito reached in and pinched some weed, retracting his fingers slowly so he didn't drop any. He deposited it into the grinder, popping on the magnetic top and turning it clockwise. Kei watched with a sort of reserved interest, listening to the quiet hiss of the grinder spinning.

"How did you start?" Kei asked boldly, drawing his legs up to his chest to sit more comfortably.

Kaito focused his attention on turning the grinder as he answered, "Dunno, just sort of did, I guess."

"So interesting," Kei quipped, earning himself raised eyebrows and an unimpressed gaze, "What?" He responded defensively.

"Nothing," Kaito chuckled, setting the grinder aside and plucking a king size rolling paper from it's cardboard case, "You're so stuck up, y'know."

Kei grumbled something too quiet for Kaito to hear and Kaito didn't press him on it, simply dropped a pinch of tobacco into the paper and proceeded to roll the paper between his fingers until the tobacco formed a neat line down the crease.

"Won't your mum smell it?"

Kaito snorted, "Where do you think I got it from."

"Oh," Kei looked abruptly uncomfortable, a little bit shocked, "You're putting tobacco in?"

"Yeah. Some people do, some don't," Kei shrugged, tapping the weed out of the grinder along the tobacco, "Stash lasts longer and isn't so harsh, things like that. Plus I don't think a blunt is what you want for your first time."

"Mm," Kei's fingers twisted in Kaito's bed sheets.

Kaito finished rolling the joint with practiced ease and presented it to Kei with a cunning smile, his eyes narrowed in an ever so teasing way. Kei looked at it blankly before taking from Kaito's fingers, looking it over.

"Does it live up to your standards, your highness?" Kaito asked pompously, the demeaning nickname served with dramatics and flair.

"I'm not really sure what you're expecting me to say about it," Kei answered seriously, blinking.

Kaito feigned a hurt look, a hand placed on his chest in mock agony, "One day you're going to learn to appreciate a well rolled joint Nagai, one day."

"Hm," Kei turned the joint around in his hands, looking at the roach somewhat mistrustfully, "So, do I just-"

Suddenly, a lighter was being thrust at him, "You're gonna want to light it first," Kaito teased, pushing the lighter into Kei's hand.

Rolling his eyes, Kei took the lighter and held it to the tip of the joint, running his thumb over the spark wheel. It was stiff, hard to get it to light. Kaito was aware of that, wouldn't admit that it may have been on purpose, giving Kei a lighter with a sticky striker. Just to watch him falter and trip over himself.

He snickered at the concentrated look on Kei's face.

"Don't make fun of me," Kei growled, his eye's narrowing and brows drawing tight together.

"Me? Never," Kaito grinned.

Eventually, the lighter sparked like it was supposed to and Kei unsurely touched the flame to the tip of the joint which was pinched delicately between his fingers. It was a thrilling sight, Kaito nearly held his breath as he committed the unlikely, obscure, scene before him to memory.

The tip of the joint glowed a dark, glowing orange and caught alight. Kei let out a shocked, undignified cry and held it as far away from himself as possible. He all but dropped it onto the bed and fled to the opposite side of the room.

"Kai!"

"Alright, alright," Kaito chuckled, "Give it here before you set my bed on fire, yeah?"

Kei huffed angrily as he passed it to Kaito, who took it back with a smug smile. Kei glared at him, annoyed, when Kaito took the lighter and easily rolled the striker under his thumb.

Kaito touched the roach to his mouth, wrapped his lips around it and sucked it. Kei watched with an overly intense fascination. He had the eyes of both a student trying to retain information, and also of a viewer appreciating a particular piece of art.

It made Kaito perk with interest, seeing those russet eyes so focused on his actions. He decided to really turn it into a show for Kei. His eyelids dropped to half-mast as he directly caught Kei's gaze, cheeks hollowing out as he inhaled as deeply as he could.

Tilting his head back, Kaito let his eyelids slip totally closed. He resembled the human incarnation of pure bliss as he exhaled long and slow, a stormcloud billowing from his mouth. The smoke pushed it's way from his lungs towards Kei, who wrinkled his nose slightly and squinted when the haze stung at his eyes.

Again, he inhaled then blew out an impressive series of smoke rings towards Kei.

"You even know tricks," Kei spoke in monotone, "Are you going to let me try it or are you just going to blow it at me?"

Kaito snorts at him, "You know, I've not quite made up my mind on that yet. I'll get back to you."

He indulges himself in one more deep drag, feeling it lift up his soul and suddenly he was floating. The smoke that left his mouth this time wasn't directed, no tricks to show off. Kaito just opened his mouth and watched it float up in front of his face.

"So I just-" Kei held it up to his lips and prepared to breathe deeply.

"Yeaaaah," Kaito dragged out his words slowly, "Don't swallow it. Make sure you breathe it in properly, don't just hold it in your mouth."

"Well yeah," He rolled his eyes, before doing just exactly that.

He sucked the smoke into his mouth but didn't seem able to get it to pull any further into his throat.

"Com'n," Kaito smiled lazily, "Breathe it in Princess."

Kei shot Kaito an angry look and rather than actually breathing it in, he unwillingly opted to swallow it. He spluttered, an uncontrolled look of shock bulldozing over his features as he choked the smoke back out of his stomach with a series of highly undignified belches.

"Sounds like you're gonna be sick," Kaito sniggered at him.

"I might be," Kei said seriously, his face look just a little bit pale, tinged with a pallid green.

"Happens," Kaito shrugged, "You get used to it. Com'n, keep trying."

He did, garnering an identical gasping reaction to the first time. Kei's throat felt raw and scratched and he was seriously debating on just giving up. The smoke still hadn't even made it into his lungs yet and his throat already felt like he'd tried to swallow sandpaper. Just as though he was reading Kei's mind, Kaito reached for the plastic carrier bag that he'd forgotten about up until now and rummaged around inside it. He pulled out an opaque white bottle with pastel pink labeling.

He uncapped it and tossed the lid in the general direction of his bedroom wastebin, he took a long swig of the strawberry milk before passing it to Kei.

It was still somewhat cool and soothed the inside of his neck, like heaven pouring down his throat. Kei was a little bit reluctant to make another attempt at gassing his lungs, but with his throat made a little bit wetter it seemed easier to get the smoke to go where he wanted it too.

However, once it was was in his lungs he no longer had the option of soothing his burning insides with flavoured, sweetened milk. His chest convulsed, it felt like his lungs were folded in half. Like someone had kicked dirt into them, but really, isn't that basically what he was doing?

The coughs were powerful, forcing the smoke out in harsh waves, creating a thin cloud around himself.

Kaito seemed to be ignoring Kei's struggles entirely, toying with his iPod and speakers until there's a low, dulcet party beat playing out. It was something familiar, something that was popular with teenagers maybe three or four years ago, but it was easy to listen to.

"You're getting there," Kei encouraged, still with that teasing lilt to his voice.

Again, Kei tried to pull smoke into his lungs. His eyes were starting to water from his coughing fits and they lasted so long he was starting to think he might actually vomit.

Eventually Kaito plucked the joint from between Kei's lips as Kei shakily exhaled, smoke dissipating between them. Kaito's body felt like it was up in the clouds; his brain was up there somewhere too, along with all his inhibitions.

His body felt static, like soft electric running through him. Kaito was overly aware of various areas of his body, like the soles of his feet, his waist and the back of his neck. Yet other places it was like he couldn't feel them at all.

God only knows where all the sensation in his ass had gone, he wasn't even sure he still had one until he slid a hand under himself to squeeze and check. The only reason Kaito was certain he still had eyes was because he was still seeing through them.

In what felt like a fluid motion (although in reality looked much more awkward) Kaito grabbed the neck of Kei's (his, really) shirt and dragged the boy closer to himself.

"Shotgunning might feel easier," Kaito slurred.

"Oh?" Kei answered with an annoyingly bland expression.

"Just like-" Kaito trailed off, showing Kei how to cup his hands around his mouth.

Kei did, hands creating walls around his mouth and nose, his thumbs side by side under his chin and his long fingers were more than long enough to rest on the bridge of his nose.

"Mhmm," Kaito nodded approvingly, breathing out fully before inhaling on the joint as deeply as he could, sucking it for all it was worth.

His lungs were full to the brim, his body loaded with smoke. Kaito leaned towards Kei and cupped his hands around his own mouth an nose, mimicking Kei. Just like that, Kaito pressed the crescents of their hands together, creating a tunnel between their mouths, with a safe distance between them to eliminate any chance of accidental contact.

Metacarpals to metacarpals, Kaito blew the smoke into Kei's waiting mouth. Kei's chest heaved, but he was breathing in faster than Kaito was breathing out so most of what he inhaled was just oxygen. Most of the hit escaped from their fingers.

Kei pulled back and the rest of the smoke he'd neglected joined the rest of the haze around them, "That was... easier?"

"No shit," Kaito watched the wasted smoke disappear, "You barely inhaled any of it."

He took another deep hit, lungs so full it nearly hurt, and motioned for Kei to come close and cup his hands again. This time Kei matched his breathing to Kai's and he got most of the smoke actually into his lungs.

The high hit Kei abruptly and slowly at the same time. It was like syrup pushing it's way through his body, a viscous something was pouring through him, but he'd become aware of it's presence so suddenly.

"Oh," Kei breathed out, his soft noise of surprise accompanied by a thin plume of smoke.

Which for some reason Kaito found hilarious. Doubled over, Kaito giggled hard and loud, his entire body shuddering. His cheeks ached from the strain of his wide smile.

Kei wasn't sure what was so funny but he too was struck by the insane need to laugh, shriek even. He remembered with a sudden clarity, one time when he was twelve, he'd fallen from a tree and earned himself a dislocated knee. The paramedics quickly put him on nitrous oxide. Every few seconds he'd be lifted up into this weightless state, but he'd crash back down after just a few second, back into the pain.

But he'd breathe in the gas the paramedics kept feeding him, then he'd be fine again.

He laughed a whole lot back then too.

This felt just like then, except this time there was no up and down to his high, he was just up and there was no way he was coming down any time soon.

Kei took the joint from Kaito and took a deep toke. Kaito quickly took it back and tapped the ash into a well used ashtray on his bedside table. Kei still coughed but nowhere near as bad as he had been earlier.

"You're a fiend," Kaito said, looking distinctly impressed as he blew more smoke rings towards Kei.

"Mm," Was the nonchalant reply as Kei waved his hand through the smoke rings, totally entranced in watching it waft through the air.

"Damn boy," Kaito lifted his brows as Kei motioned for him to pass back the nearly finished joint, "I've created a monster. Feeling good?"

Kei thought for a moment, the joint perched between his lips. He looked almost confused when he answered with a, "Yeah," while he furrowed his brows.

"Yeah?" Kaito snickered, before dropping into another fit of barked laughter, the sound all rough around the edges.

He grabbed Kei's wrist, dragging his hand to his own mouth to take a quick puff before letting Kei take it back to finish.

Kaito grimaced, "You're slobbering all over the roach, butt sucker."

Kei stared back with a look that bordered between confused and offended, "I don't butt suck."

"No I don't literally mean- Holy shit your eyes are so bloodshot."

"Yeah," Kei agreed as if he could even see his own eyes.

Kaito wasn't even aware that eyes could even become that intense shade of red, didn't know it could safely exist in someones eyes.

Waving a hand in front of Kei's face, Kaito watched as Kei's reddened eyes followed the motion slowly, "You are so baked."

"Yeah," Kei sighed out, his head lolling around.

The ends of Kei's hair was still damp when he rolled the ends between his fingers, his skin was still clammy and rain still beat against Kaito's window.

Kaito laid down on his bed, feeling vaguely like he was in the middle of a dream. Kei stayed leaning against the wall and once Kaito had sprawled out, he rested the soles of his bare feet on the lying boy's thighs. Kaito's body undulated to the music occasionally, his eyes were closed and he looked totally blissed out, euphoric. The corners of his mouth tugged in a constant, lazy smile as he mouthed the words of the song.

Once more Kei was overwhelmed by the intense need to laugh, uncontrolled and loudly. He couldn't feel his legs, it was too much effort to move them and his hands were a mystery he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to unravel, his fingers barely twitched at his command.

Most of his thoughts refused to stay still, running wild in his brain but he just didn't have the attention to spare to chase after them. By the time he was halfway through working out a thought, it had already moved on.

One particular thought was plaguing him however.

"Why don't birds..."

"Hm?" Kaito's eyes opened, hazy and unfocused.

Kei made a vague motion with his hand, more swinging his arm than his hand, trying to figure out what he wanted to say.

There was another waved of laughter bursting from Kaito, "Your words Kei, remember your words."

"Why..." He trailed off again, seemingly getting distracted by the blank wall opposite.

"Oi," Kaito sat up and snapped his fingers in Kei's face, "Stay with me."

An awfully long time was spent on thinking about the construction of Kaito's nearby bookshelf, but Kei just couldn't figure it out.

Eventually Kei slowly turned his attention to Kaito and asked, "What?"

"What were you saying?"

"I can't remember."

Another bout of laughter from the pair of them, rolling around, feet kicking out.

"Dude if your mum knew she'd hate me even more than she already does... She'd..." Kaito trailed off, trying to think of a word appropriate to just what Kei's mother would do to him.

"She'd eviscerate you."

"Eh?"

Kei looked around for the bag of junk food. Where did it go?

"Remove your bowels."

"Oh. Yeah she'd do that."

Kei crawled forwards, clambering over Kaito's legs as he searched for food, practically toppling off of the bed and onto the floor in a tangle of badly controlled arms and legs. Kaito spared him another laughing fit and leaned over to see Kei slumped face down on the floor, his ankles still hooked on the edge of Kaito's bed. Kei tilted his head and stared blankly at Kaito with reddened eyes.

"You okay there?"

"Yeah," Kei blinked.

Kaito's mouth was trying to get him to laugh again, it was almost impossible to resist. He pursed his lips while his own pink eyes were lit with mirth.

"Looking for something?" He asked bemusedly as Kei began to look around in a daze.

"Yeah."

This time Kaito couldn't help the laughter that rumbled in his chest at Kei's repetitive responses. He probably couldn't think enough to construct anything more elaborate.

"What're you looking for?" His words were shuddery from trying to refrain from laughing.

"Food."

"Of course you are," Kaito passed Kei the bag, "Have at her."

Kei's eyes widened and he grabbed the bag. Laying back down, Kaito watched as Kei practically tore into the bag, looking for the food to fit his cravings. The need to laugh had now passed but Kaito's body remained on the same mellow level. He expected it wouldn't be long before he was joining Kei in ripping the bag apart on a quest for food.

"Hey Kei."

"Umph," Was the noise of acknowledgement from the boy who currently had three different open packets of various snacks, alternating between them.

Kaito raised his phone and quickly snapped a picture of Kei. This picture quality seemed to exaggerate his bloodshot eyes and Kaito couldn't wait to send the picture to Kou.

"Let's bong it next time."

Sin.

-SiCanFly