Fall into Place

The first night Yokozawa and Takano slept together had begun the same as any other night.

After getting back from class, Yokozawa put his bag down near the small table in his room. He flipped on the television but decided against it. A shower, some studying. Then, he'd call it a night.

His phone rang. He almost didn't answer it, for the sake of a night of peace and quiet.

It was a quick call.

"I'm coming over."

An hour later, Yokozawa was staring down at the person on his doorstep with his arms crossed.

"You sounded weird on the phone."

He raised his eyebrows. Takano was panting slightly, his eyes failing to focus on one spot for long.

"What's going on with you?"

"Nothing." But he pushed past Yokozawa into the apartment. He plopped onto the couch and put his head in his hands.

Yokozawa watched him, taking note of the subtle trembling, then silently retrieved two cans of beer from the kitchen. He placed one in front of Takano on the coffee table.

"Spill," he said, cracking open his own.

Takano looked at Yokozawa, finally, but only for a brief moment. He gave the ceiling a troubled look as he sat back, sinking into the couch cushions, and spoke in a low voice.

"Last time you found out that I'd slept with some stranger, you said something. You meant it, didn't you?"

It had been only weeks ago, and an incident that wasn't easily forgotten. Most of all, Yokozawa remembered shaking, angrier than even he expected himself to be, and pulling Takano up by the collar to yell, "If you don't care about yourself, then come to me so I can!"

"Of course I meant it, idiot." But Yokozawa hadn't given much thought to what exactly his outburst entailed. He was just sick of watching Takano, the hard-working, reliable man he'd come to know, drown his misery in alcohol and sex with whoever wanted to fuck him that night. He knew him to be better than that, and who better to be by Takano's side than he?

Yokozawa was prepared to do (nearly) anything that Takano asked of him, but that in itself was cause for concern. Since when had he become so attached, so overcome by the pull in his chest to protect the broken Takano? Recently, he found his gaze lingering on the other man. He found his feet moving in the direction of Takano's apartment, to see what mess needed cleaning up. He found his thoughts straying to Takano when the nights were long and the grip of his own hand was too much to resist.

"Well… here I am. I've come to you."

Yokozawa met the other's stare. He felt like he'd forgotten how deep of a brown Takano's eyes were; they appeared almost darker with a desperate, wordless need. The two men sat still for a long moment, breathing softly in the silence, but it was lost to the breaking of the dam – the lust between them was bursting forth and spreading like wildfire down their bodies, minds fogged in a wild haze.

Like the phone call earlier and the subsequent late night visit, it simply happened and it happened abruptly.

Yokozawa thought of the warm, sensual curves of a woman's body but wished for nothing more with Takano naked beneath him. He found himself just as enticed by the solidity of Takano's toned body, if not more. The mixed scent of cologne, cigarettes, and sweat from the toll of a long day wafting off of Takano made for an aphrodisiac of sorts and aroused Yokozawa immensely more than he thought appropriate. He felt that familiar pull, a curling in his chest as he watched Takano's expression twist, as their nude bodies fell into a broken rhythm against one another.

Takano left the apartment that night armed with a tired smirk and a casual wave.

Yokozawa fought the urge to pull the man back to him, tell him to spend the night. They could fuck their worries away all night long, if he wanted.

But Yokozawa didn't. Because this was supposed to be a fling. This was not supposed to be two men having sex while one falls for the other, like Yokozawa felt it was becoming.

Tonight was already too much and what had happened would only become more. Yokozawa had always been a man of weak moments few and far between, and he was sure this was one of them as he screwed up his face in frustration, leaning against his door with clenched fists.

The first night Yokozawa and Takano slept together had begun the same as any other night.

It ended with one man sleeping the best he had in days and the other sleeping the least he had in months.