I
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Fruehlingserwachen
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Premise Tags: Modern Day, Ex-Lovers,
Hot tub, Second chances, Manipulative Characters.
Content Warnings: Slight NonSexual Dubcon
(Implied Stalking).
Nekohiko's day neared its end. Work kept him busy until late into the night, but even work didn't last forever. The sun already left the world hours ago and night claimed its place.
The nights were unusually chilly this year. News already joked about Tokyo experiencing a little ice age, but it was neither a joke, nor funny. The situation was terribly serious.
The winds carried the frosty spirit of the mountainous through Tokyo. Winter ended and spring followed, but snow decided to pay them a late visit.
Nekohiko shivered. The icy apocalypse was near. If this atrocious weather continued, Tokyo would turn into a frozen wasteland, and he into an ice cube.
Nekohiko rubbed his gloves to generate warmth. His warm breath kept him company. The cold bite through his coat and froze his very bones. His toes and fingers went numb.
Nekohiko grumbled. His annoyance was obvious. Stupid cold. Stupid snow. Stupid ice. He slipped on the ice today and his buttocks kissed the ground. Not a pleasant experience. Not recommendable.
Nekohiko cursed the snow, but his miserable day finally ended. He arrived at home. His apartment waited for him as did a refreshing bath. The warm water would grant him strength.
Nekohiko entered a non-descriptive apartment building, his non-descriptive apartment building. Shibuya was an expensive address, but it was worth every yen.
He the took the lift as the stairs were never a viable option. He lived on the last floor and taking the stairs was akin to torture. They were murderous. Youthful naivety compelled him to try them once. He bought groceries and underestimated the stairs. He never challenged them again. Murderous stairs were a thing of the past.
The lift reached the final floor.
Nekohiko searched for his keys and opened the door ...
Nekohiko hesitated. The door opened easily. Too easily. He only turned the key once and the bolt yielded, which was ... unusual.
He always turned the lock twice. Never once. Always twice. Not this time, though.
Brightness greeted him.
Nekohiko clicked his tongue. How annoying. He forgot to switch off the lights. He usually wasn't the forgetful type, but age got him. He was growing old. Twenty-five and his best years had passed. Such a tragedy.
Nekohiko discarded his clothes. After a long strenuous day, it was time to relax. It was time to enjoy a bath.
Not only did he enjoy the luxury of a terrace, the terrace also featured a heated spa. A glass dome enclosed the pool and shielded his little kingdom against the elements.
The view from high up was breathtaking. His eyes swept across the horizon and marveled at Tokyo's nightly skyline. A sea of neon light covered the earth among silent pillars of glass and steel. Cathedrals of solitude rose in the darkness.
The view made him feel small, insignificant. The immensity of the city dwarfed him. Tokyo was cold, lonely, alien, uncaring, but such was the soul of the city. It cared little for the fate of the individual.
Nekokiho set foot into his kingdom. He longed for his bath, but fate struck. Destiny delivered an unpleasant surprise.
Nekohiko dropped his towel.
...
...
...
The door. The light. All made sense. It was him! Of course, it was! Had this man no sense of decency.
Nekohiko clenched his fists. His eyes narrowed. His anger, his frustration, his hate boiled. “You!“
Akihiko sipped on his wine. His arrival didn't bother him in the slightest. The wine tainted his lustrous lips crimson.
Akihiko grinned. He obviously relished every last piece of his confusion.
“Greetings, Neko-kun, I awaited you. I am glad my precious kitten returned to my arms. I was already worried you got lost.“
Nekohiko fumed. For the last time, he was not a kitten!
This man knew no shame. Not only did Akihiko break into his apartment, occupy his beloved pool, he was also completely ...
Nekohiko blushed. His face turned steaming red. This little rascal.
Akihiko chuckled. “Do you enjoy what you see?“
“Obviously not! And now get out of here! You have nothing lost here!“
Akihiko looked dismayed. He touched his heart. “Your words hurts me, Neko. Why do I deserve such injustice? Love guides me to this place.“
“I have to offer much, and more. My heart, my body, my soul. All can be yours if you desire so, darling.“
“Don't be stubborn, Neko. I know my little kitten.“
Nekohiko gritted his teeth. This insolence ... This arrogance ... This flamboyant attitude ... Typical Akihiko.
He didn't expect otherwise from a prime chevalier like him, but he didn't play along. He had enough of his silly little games.
He wasn't his maiden. He wasn't his damsel in distress.
“I said, get out of here!“
Akihiko sipped his wine. His fire red eyes sparkled in dark delight. His glee didn't escape Nekohiko.
Akihiko flipped his hair. His fire red strands touched his shoulder. Even after all these years, they haven't lost their gloss. They retained their intense crimson red.
“Or what? What are you going to do? Throwing me out into the cold cruel darkness? That's not like you, Neko darling.“
Nekohiko protested. “I mean it, and now get out, Aki!“
Akihiko grinned. “Oh, my, so passionate, but you are easy to read. We both know you don't have it in you to throw me out. Don't even try.“
“You will only dirty your paws. Trust me, pretending is not your forte..“
Nekohiko glared and grabbed his phone. “I will call the police. I doubt you will go on your own.“
“Go ahead, I won't hinder you.“ Akihiko refilled his glass. He didn't care, nor did he seem worried. Akihiko maintained his usual calm.
Nekohiko hid his annoyance. Ass. He would show Aki who was the boss.
His finger was tempted, but never made the call.
Why ...
Why ...
Why was he hesitating?
Akihiko tilted his chin. “Having doubts?"
"Wonderful, we can't allow the police to interrupt our lovely reunion, can we?“
Nekohiko didn't believe his ears. The audacity!
Akihiko offered him a glass. “This fragrance!“
“Might I offer you a glass? It's a excellent year. An excellent red. I can only recommend it.“
“Suave, but not too suave. Bitter, but not too bitter. Just like you, Neko.“
...
...
...
Nekohiko said nothing. He chose silence.
“Come in, Neko. Don't stand around in the open. You might catch a cold, and we don't want that.“
Neko sighed and relented. He entered the pool and Akihiko looked satisfied. The water was warm. It filled him with strength. The warmth rose from his feet to his chest and banished the accumulated stress.
Neko relaxed. He enjoyed his rest if not for Akihiko's presence. He continued to disturb his spiritual harmony.
“See, better.“ Akihiko offered him a glass and Neko accepted. The wine helped to soothe his nerves.
Neko studied the wine. It carried a vivid red. “Tell me, how did you get in here? Did you bribe the porters?“
Akihiko shook his head. “Bribing is such an unsophisticated method. Not suited for these days and age.“
“I copied your keys, and bribed the porters. Much more reliable and effective.“
“How?“
Akihiko smirked. “I have my ways. I am a resourceful man, Neko. Being from a rich and prestigious family has its perks. It opens doors that remain closed to others.“
Nekohiko frowned. “It certainly does.“ He took a sip. Akihiko didn't lie, the wine was ... superb despite its bitter aftertaste.
“You didn't change at all, Aki. You are still the same as back at university. The same Akihiko. The same habits. The same behaviour. You learned nothing.“
“You take without consideration, without asking. You take everything for granted.“
“That's who you are, Akihiko. Spoiled, conceited, rash. Your arrogance cost you dearly.“
“That's why you lost me. Our days are over and they will never return. So please, leave this apartment and stop pestering me.“
“I am sick of your advances. I am sick of you.“
Nekohiko narrowed his eyes. “I don't need you anymore.“
Akihiko remained silent. He merely nodded. “Indeed, those days are over. And I am sorry for what I did.“
A heavy sigh escaped and Akihiko shared a smile.
He didn't grin. He didn't smirk. Akihiko smiled. For the first for ages, his facade cracked. His smile expressed longing. His heart longed for the past, for the times long since lost to the sands of time.
“I had everything. I had everyone. The world was in my grasp. The world was mine to take..“
“But you Neko, you eluded me. No matter what, you slipped through my hands.“
“You resisted me. Nobody had ever done that before.“
Akihiko lowered his head. “You stole my heart, Neko, and never returned it.“
“I didn't fall in love with your little snub nose, with your blue eyes, your fluffy hair.“
“I fell in love with Neko. Your were not like the rest. You were different from the black mass of shadows. Your spirit shined brightly among all the grey.“
Akihiko looked up. “I want you back, Neko. I can't stand this pain anymore, this emptiness, this misery. It eats away at me.“
“Return to me. Only you can heal the rift in my heart.“ Akihiko offered his hand. The hand carried his hope, but Neko remained strong. Too little. Too late.
He resisted even when his heart wavered.
Neko averted his eyes. His hands trembled. “It's too late. You made your choices ...“
Akihiko rushed at him and blocked his path. It all happened too fast.
Akihiko towered over him and his arms nailed him down. Water dripped his from his chest and his strained breath caressed his skin. Desperation, madness drove the once proud Akihiko. Neko didn't recognise his old friend, his true love.
“You don't understand.“ Akihiko clenched his fists. “I need you!“
“I need you Neko!“
“You were everything for me. You are everything for me.“
“I can't live ... without you.“
Tears rolled down his cheeks. Akihiko cried. His heart broke.
“So please, Neko, forgive me! I made a mistake ...“
Nekohiko kissed. He pressed his lips against Akihiko. The kiss lasted.
...
...
...
“Don't cry, Aki, It ruins your face.“ Neko patted Akihiko's back.
Ultimately, his heart was weak as true love was beyond petty revenge. He could never hate him for long.
Nekohiko caressed his Akihiko's face. “Silly Aki, you truly never change, but I don't care.“
...
...
...
The day ended. Winter passed and spring came. Old love blossomed once again with new vigour.
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Author's Accounts:
=^.^= I hope you all had a fluffy read because I certainly. This is a short story and my first try at the ample genre of Boy Love, so please be forgiving. It's my first time, so tone, setting and interaction might be lacking.
It was a little attempt from my side as I wanted to try my hand at romance and the anthology offered an ideal opportunity.
I usually don't do romance as I am more focused on action and fantasy, but this time, I decided otherwise.
Sadly, I am not an expert when it comes to BL and I mostly rely on Queenfisher-senpai for information.
So I cant give any, *cough* check out her story *cough*, recommendations.
As for my other works, if you are interested, give them a try. =^.^= Every reader counts!
Thx for all the lovely comments here and the support. You are the best. 
I hope I don't sound too harsh, but I really didn't like it.
Let's get the writing and flow out of the way first, as always Assu you write wonderfully. It was easy to follow, the prose were beautiful and guided me into the atmosphere very well. The scene was set up like a movie director. The camera slowly gliding over the snowy scenery before it meets the main actor's expression.
But then we get to the romance. And it's the sort of romance that is the exact reason why I don't read fluff. Because it's really toxic.
The guy broke into his ex's apartment and was found naked in the bathtub while drinking his wine. Omg, if one of my exs would've ever done this I would first scream! Then I would start beating his ass with a broom while attempting to call the police.
Ughhh...
Wtf? Who does this shit? Is that supposed to be romantic? It makes me think of the way Hollywood portrays love as essentially stalking and harassing the woman until she's cornered enough to say yes.
I don't see what Akihiko's redeeming qualities are even? That he's rich? You have such mastery of prose but when it came to their chemistry I was just told it was "true love" but nothing about their interaction shows it at all. We don't really get a single insight into Nekohiko's heart.
Then Akihiko blocks his path and towers over him and nails him down forcefully.
I'm sorry Assu, all my love to you, but this was just not my cup of tea. Unless you're into writing
rape smut
or maybe CEO wns, you have a long way in regards to portraying healthy relationships, in my humble opinion.
And just to make sure I'm clear: It's ok and valid to write
rape smut
and I do enjoy those as well. The issue is the way you portray it as a healthy way to behave or "win your ex back". It's not. It's why peeps get restraining orders.
@Assurbanipal_II it reads like a satire about a genre written by someone who haven't read a single story from the genre.
@lilGoat
Such accusations.
@Assurbanipal_II Well at least I prefaced with *I hope I don't sound too harsh*
@lilGoat
Don't worry, I already suspected an apophasis behind it.
@Assurbanipal_II I don't wanna know what you'll comment on mine
@lilGoat
I will be nice and fluffy as I will have forgotten my anger until then. But still your baseless accusations hurt me. 
@Assurbanipal_II Anger??
Expand on baseless accusations, pls.
@lilGoat it reads like a satire about a genre written by someone who haven't read a single story from the genre.
And you deleted the name part.
@Assurbanipal_II Using QF's charas, yeah. i used the word abomination for your short, I thought that was too harsh, altho I wrote it in jest.
Why is it a baseless accusation, tho? You might have read a handful because of the community, but it's not a genre you actively consume.
@lilGoat
It wasn't satire. I just adapted what I gathered from various Chinese romance novels. They all featured rather abusive characters.
@Assurbanipal_II Umm...I think it reads like a satire maybe because your attitude is a little mocking?
Well you definitely resonated some well-established tropes in trashy romance novels. It just feels like you wrote them without any reflection about them that made it a condensed version of all the wrongs.
@lilGoat
But these novels are all liked and viewed in millions despite asshole love interests.
*blob fails to comprehend. Assu.exe stopped working.*
@Assurbanipal_II Well, it reminds me of when you asked me to give you feedback about your novel "Schwarz". And I was at a loss of how to provide you meaningful feedback, since Isekai is a genre I don't read. It was hard for me to comment on how well the story works in the context of its genre, because I have no real understanding for its tropes and inner workings.
You need to consider that you're talking with writers of romance/BL. Writers have usually consumed more than the average folk of the genre they write about. My approach is probably more critical than the average reader and my tolerance for the unhealthy tropes is thinner.
@lilGoat