Ichirou changed into his swimsuit in Masahiro’s spare room. He was planning on staying the night, and he hid his underwear under some of his clothes. Something about Masahiro seeing his briefs was incredibly embarrassing. They were just friends, though, so Ichirou wasn’t really sure why.

Ichirou still hadn’t gotten a new bathing suit, so he had to deal with his ass partially hanging out. He figured it would be better this way, though, instead of them going to an onsen together or something. Ichirou was not ready to see Masahiro with his cock out. Despite being incredibly turned on by Masahiro’s athletic, beefy body, Ichirou was not certain he would ever actually want to have sex with Masahiro; it seemed like he would be asking for trouble if he ever considered that.

Ichirou popped out of the room, wandering down into the dining room. Masahiro was there, waiting for his friend with a couple of towels placed onto the table next to him. He smiled as he looked at Ichirou, and if Ichirou didn’t know better, he would have thought that Masahiro looked him up and down, checking him out. Ichirou, as good of a person he was trying to be, definitely was checking out Masahiro. 

“Are you ready to head down to the pool?” Masahiro asked, straightening up a bit.

“Y- yeah! I want to get in the pool since it’s so hot out!” Ichirou proclaimed.

“Got it, got it, follow me. It’s near the gym, so, on the first floor,” Masahiro said.

“I know where the first floor is,” Ichirou proclaimed, walking on ahead.

Ichirou walked out first, waited for Masahiro, and then walked at a speedy pace to get to the elevator. He was determined not to have Masahiro go before him, lest he get lost examining Masahiro’s incredible muscles. Even just in the elevator, he was having trouble keeping his eyes to himself. Ichirou kept finding his eyes staring at the shoulders, working down the arms and torso, and then finally to the v-lines that led down to lewd places. It was at that point that he would panic and look away.

The elevator gave off a soft chime noise, indicating that they had made it down to the first floor. After being pointed in the correct direction, Ichirou walked down a hallway to an indoor pool. The scent of chlorine hit him like a brick as he entered, and memories of going to the pool made their way through his mind. The pool was somewhat small, with only a couple of people in it. There were several chairs scattered about, as well as some plants. The room had windows on three sides of it, as well as some doors to an outdoor deck.

Masahiro walked over and placed the towels on one of the seats, as well as his phone. Ichirou, meanwhile, was eager to jump into the pool. However, instead of cannon bombing into it, he took the steps into it, and went a bit off to the side so that anyone else would be able to enter via the steps as well.The pool was nice and cool, a godsend in the humid, warm weather that was so common in Japan at this time of year. He slumped into the pool, sighing. It wasn’t a particularly deep pool, and nor did they plan on staying in very long, but it was a nice way to beat the heat for a moment.

“Does it feel nice?” Masahiro asked, smiling as he slowly entered the pool.

For Ichirou, it was like the moment played in slow motion, like a movie. He watched as Masahiro walked down into the water, various muscles rippling and moving. Ichirou swallowed hard, trying his best to keep his mind out of the gutter.

“Oh, uh… uh-huh,” Ichirou said, his face turning bright red.

He found his eyes wandering all over Masahiro’s body. His biceps, his triceps, his deltoids, his abdominals, his pectorals, his back… it was all so damn hot. Who gave Masahiro the right?! It was too much! Ichirou sank further into the water, sure the heat from his face would cause the water to boil.

Little did Ichirou know that Masahiro was having his own fight in his mind. He had followed Ichirou into the pool, which meant that he had got to watch Ichirou walk down. As in, he got to keep an eye on Ichirou’s butt the whole way down from his apartment. And now, he had the opportunity to see those cute little pink nipples of Ichirou’s as well. He would absolutely never tell Ichirou this, but he really wanted to play with them.

A little child’s shrieks brought them both out of their reveries. A mom was playing in the pool with her young child. Ichirou and Masahiro looked over at the woman who appeared to be an omega, based on her size and facial features. She seemed to be very happy, holding that little child. Ichirou couldn’t help but wonder if he would ever be that happy with a little kid.

“You thinking about having a kid?” Masahiro asked with a wink.

Ichirou felt his face turning red again, and he stood up a little. “N- no! I’m definitely not!”

“It’s okay if you are,” Masahiro said with a laugh. “I was thinking about it, too.”

Ichirou flushed and looked down. “I’m… a bit nervous about having kids someday.”

“Yeah?” Masahiro asked, blinking slowly.

“Mmhm. I just… I worry that I’d be a bad mom,” Ichirou admitted, folding his arms over the edge of the pool and dropping his chin onto them.

Masahiro leaned against the rim of the pool, looking up. “Kids are hard. Not everyone can handle them. I pray to whatever gods exist that Takeru will never have kids. I think he’d be a terrible parent. But you? I’ve never once worried about that. I mean, yeah, you can have a bit of a temper sometimes, but you’re really sweet and kind and you always try your best. I think you’d make a great mom.”

Ichirou pouted. “Well, if I’d make a great mom, you would be an incredible dad. Whoever you end up marrying will be really happy to coparent with you.”

“Ichirou, you’re so nice,” Masahiro said with a laugh. “I don’t know what the future will bring, but I hope our kids can be friends.”

Ichirou felt a little bit of a tingling in his stomach at that, and he looked away, embarrassed. The idea that they would be together that long made his stomach do some flip flops. He could help but feel a little bit warm inside as well. He really liked Masahiro. Not in, like, a romantic way, but in a friendship way.

After talking and playing in the pool for over an hour, Ichirou and Masahiro went back inside of Masahiro’s apartment and had ice cream, watching the final episodes of the anime. They ordered pizza and ate it on the couch as they continued watching the anime, the contents of which got more mind bending as time went on. Ichirou was thoroughly confused by the ending, but Masahiro explained it to him. Ichirou decided that he liked it, even if he didn’t completely understand it. By that point, it was bedtime, and Ichirou went into the spare room to go to sleep.

Ichirou got dressed in his pajamas, a simple tank top and shorts, already having completed his skin routine. He threw himself into the warm bed, curling up in a little ball. He breathed in the scent of the sheets, noting that they smelled of detergent and Masahiro. It was almost enough on its own to make Ichirou hard.

Ichirou flipped over at that, face red and trying to brush away the lewd thoughts. He couldn’t have a repeat of last time. He couldn’t keep masturbating to the thought of Masahiro! It was making things harder in times like these, when he felt warm and safe and surrounded by the scent of his friend.

Ichirou kept seeing in his mind Masahiro’s massive, muscular body coming out of the water while he attempted to sleep. He rolled over this way and that way, trying to ignore the erection in his pants. He once again remembered that last time he had been here, he’d had the same exact problem. If only there was some way for him to jerk off without leaving pheromones everywhere.

Ichirou couldn’t really describe it easily, but he definitely got the feeling that there was something more to why he couldn’t stop thinking about Masahiro. It wasn’t just in his apartment, encased by his delicious pheromones, that Ichirou felt like he couldn’t stop thinking about Masahiro. It was almost as though he had a dramatic, middle school crush on him or something. It definitely wasn’t a crush, because that would mean that Ichirou liked Masahiro, but it certainly felt like it might be something like that.

After finally falling asleep, however, there were no issues. Ichirou didn’t have a sexual dream this time, and he didn’t cum in his sleep. He once again, though, did feel more refreshed after sleeping at Masahiro’s place than his own. He figured it must be a weird aftereffect of the pheromones, although he’d never heard of such a thing.

Ichirou spent the rest of the week up until the thirtieth messaging Masahiro and Yuuhei. Yuuhei was still astounded that Ichirou wasn’t romantically involved with Masahiro, wondering why Ichirou wouldn’t go for this prince that had presented himself in Ichirou’s path. However, Ichirou attempted to just brush it off; he wasn’t about to put their friendship at risk for something like that. Oh, and he didn’t like Masahiro that way.

Ichirou had sternly spoken with Ichika as well during the week, noting that she hadn’t told him Masahiro’s story. She shrugged and said it was Masahiro’s story to tell, which Ichirou couldn’t agree with more, but still. Come on. Ichirou should have been told that Masahiro was his long lost friend by someone.

Other than that, it had been a mostly quiet week. His father had to stay late at the office, so Ichirou didn’t see him much at all. His mother went to several social gatherings for mothers like herself in high society. Ichika had been hanging out with Yuri as much as possible, because the summer vacation was almost up. It was a little bit lonely, if Ichirou was being honest, but a single “ping!” from his phone stating that Masahiro had texted him back was enough to make him feel much better.

Although Masahiro had insisted that he could wear casual wear, Ichirou couldn’t find it in himself to just wear something casual to meet the uncle that Masahiro cared for so deeply, let alone seeing Masahiro’s parents again for the first time in fifteen years. He pulled on a pink pair of dress pants, and a short sleeved, button up shirt with a pink tie. It was certainly hot out, and Ichirou considered forgoing the tie, but for god’s sake, Masahiro had shown up to his parent’s house in a three piece suit. He could accept the early autumn’s heat, especially in the morning.

Ichirou made his way out to the car as soon as Masahiro texted him, flowers for the dead in hand. It filled his heart with a strange bit of warm and fuzzy feelings to see Masahiro leaning against his car, waiting for him. Today, Masahiro’s outfit was especially casual. He was wearing a fitted blue tank top and some gray joggers, as well as wearing sunglasses.

“I told you not to dress up,” Masahiro said as Ichirou quickly walked around him to the other side of the car. 

“And I told you that I’d do whatever I wanted,” Ichirou responded, hopping into the car.

Masahiro laughed as he got into the car after Ichirou, buckling up. “Here’s hoping I don’t sob like a big baby.”

“You’re allowed to sob, it’s your parents,” Ichirou said, side eyeing his friend.

“Yeah, well, then here’s hoping I don’t sob like a big baby while we’re driving,” Masahiro retorted.

Despite Ichirou and Masahiro’s banter, Ichirou could see that Masahiro was gripping the wheel extremely tightly, and that he was shaking ever so slightly. He was doing everything within his power to not show it, but he was very close to breaking down crying. Ichirou wondered if those sunglasses were hiding his puffy, red eyes.

The cemetery was surprisingly close to Ichirou’s house. He supposed it made sense. If Masahiro and Ichirou had lived close to one another, it would have been easier for them to meet every day. So, at one point or another, Masahiro had lived here. He wondered if the taller man remembered which house was his.

They parked outside the Buddhist temple in a tiny lot that could only house two cars. The other space was taken by a sleek, black car that Ichirou could only assume was Masahiro’s uncle’s. Masahiro reached into the back of the car and pulled out some incense sticks. They got out of the car together and made their way across the little street to the stairs that led into the temple grounds. While Ichirou walked up the first couple steps, he noticed that Masahiro wasn’t following him, so he turned and looked down to the other man.

“Are you okay?” Ichirou asked, eyes filled with concern.

Masahiro took a deep breath. “Um… yeah? I’m just… a little embarrassed to show this side of me to you.”

“Masahiro, you don’t need to be embarrassed. I’m not gonna make fun of you or anything. I’m here for you,” Ichirou said, holding out his hand for Masahiro. 

He honestly wasn’t sure if Masahiro was going to want to take his hand. However, it was the only thing he could really think of to help comfort the other man. To his surprise, Masahiro did walk up the couple steps that Ichirou had already gone up and grab Ichirou’s hand, somewhat tightly. Ichirou felt his heart rate increase, but he pushed that down, chiding himself for getting all up in his feelings when Masahiro needed him.

The two men walked through the gate, walking on the stone path that led into the temple. The temple was decorated with short trees and tall bushes that had been rounded, as well as some pine-like trees that soared into the air. The temple itself was white and brown, with some blue accents. On either side of the stone path there was asphalt, all of it leading to tombstones for families that Ichirou didn’t know. That is, except for one.

There was a silver haired, tall man standing before one of the graves. Ichirou remembered what Masahiro’s father looked like; tall, with silver hair. That man could only be Masahiro’s uncle. Indeed, Masahiro was guiding Ichirou over to where that man was standing.

The man turned to face them when he noticed them coming, and Ichirou’s eyes widened. This man was just as built as Masahiro, albeit a bit shorter than him. He had the same shape of eyes, and the jawbone was the exact same as well. He had silver hair that had been carefully slicked back, and rectangular glasses. He had bags under his eyes, and crow’s feet lined his eyes, but otherwise looked fantastic for fifty-five. He wore a simple black suit with a white button up shirt. He smiled at the two of them, his sky blue eyes almost sparkling.

Ichirou was struck by a thought at that point. Was this what Masahiro would like at fifty-five? He would still be hot at fifty-five? Damn, that wasn’t fair. Ichirou was extremely worried about aging poorly, because he didn’t have any omegas to compare himself with within the family. His parents looked good for their age, but wasn’t sure if that was the alpha genetics or what.

Masahiro’s uncle bowed as they approached. “Good day, you two. I’m happy to see you two have cleared up any misgivings you had.”

Ichirou felt his face flame up at that as he realized he was still holding hands with Masahiro. He wanted to rip his hand away, but he knew that would tip Masahiro’s uncle off that something was up. So, instead, he bowed, hoping the redness in his face would go away soon.

“S- so Masahiro came to you about that…?” Ichirou asked, sounding just a touch sullen.

“Naturally. I’m his closest family member, after all,” he replied, his voice’s tone just a little amused.

“Oh, um. Yeah. N- nice to meet you.” Ichirou bowed once again, realizing that he hadn’t introduced himself. “I’m Kimura Ichirou. I’m the son of the head of the Kimura Conglomerate. I’m… I’m Masahiro’s boyfriend.”

The man gave a soft laugh at that, apparently amused by Ichirou’s demeanor. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. I’m Yamashita Goro. I’m the CEO of Yamashita Hotels. I’m Masahiro’s uncle.”

“You already washed the tombstone,” Masahiro noted, lighting touching the gray, shiny rock.

“I did. It wasn’t a big deal, since Obon was only last month,” Goro said.

“And did you already put out the sake for them, Uncle?” Masahiro asked, noting the bottle at the bottom of the tombstone.

“No, not yet. I was waiting for the two of you to arrive,” he replied kindly.

“Thank you.” Masahiro looked genuinely relieved. “I’d hate for them to think I was late. Did you bring your lighter?”

“I’m still a smoker, so yes,” Goro said, pulling out a red lighter.

Masahiro released Ichirou’s hand and squatted down in front of the tombstone. Masahiro carefully placed the incense sticks into one of the two vases that were built into the tombstone. He took the lighter from his uncle, and flicked it a couple times before the flame took. He set the two sticks aflame, closed the lighter, and then blew out the incense sticks. 

“Do you wanna put your flowers in?” Masahiro murmured, standing up to Ichirou and lightly touching his wrist.

“Oh, um, yes,” Ichirou said timidly, squatting down and placing the flowers in the other vase that was on the right side of the tombstone. He carefully arranged the all white flower arrangement, moving around the daisies, the roses, the carnations, the chrysanthemums and the lilies into a pleasing pattern. He then jumped up, backing up so he was next to Masahiro.

Goro leaned over, grabbing his bottle of sake and setting it beside the flowers. He then clasped his hands together and gave them a little look, as if to imply they should do the same. He then began quietly praying for their ancestors, murmuring words of gratitude and concern for their family that had passed. After a few moments of sincere prayers, he lowered his arms with a deep sigh.

“Do you want to go first, Masahiro, or shall I?” Goro asked, looking at his nephew.

“Please, you go first,” Masahiro said, his voice a little bit shaky.

The back of Masahiro’s hand brushed against Ichirou’s. A bit hesitantly, Ichirou wrapped one of his fingers around Masahiro’s, inviting him to either hold hands again, or to pull his hands away. Masahiro wrapped his hand around Ichirou’s, interlocking their fingers. Part of Ichirou wanted to grab onto Masahiro’s arm with his free hand, but he didn’t think that would be very appropriate for the moment. Oh, and also, in general, since they weren’t actually dating.

“Reiichi, Minami. I know it’s not been that long since we last saw each other. Obon was only a month and a half ago, after all, but it’s already the autumnal equinox… even fifteen years later, it amazes me that you managed to pass away at the end of Shunbun no Hi. It seems like some sort of twisted piece of irony.” Goro let out a soft sigh.

“You know, Ryuto wanted to come today, too, but he couldn’t get the day off. It seems as though the companies will fall apart if we both take time off.” Goro chuckled at that. “He’s just as great as ever. He’s been talking about marriage more and more, but… I can’t bring myself to think positively about it. At this point, I’m just an old man… I feel like he deserves better. He’s still so young…”

“Uncle, you’d better accept that man’s engagement ring. You deserve to be loved,” Masahiro interjected. He was probably glaring at his uncle, but Ichirou couldn’t see through the sunglasses.

Goro laughed at that. “Your son is keeping me in line, you see. He keeps insisting that Ryuto is the one for me, but I guess it’s just hard for me to believe. I didn’t date for so many years, after all. But I suppose it has been six years, perhaps I should just let him after all this time. I only worry that I’ll leave him so lonely when I inevitably come join you. I am eighteen years older than him, after all.”

“Just stop worrying about that sort of thing, Uncle. He knew that would be the case when he started going after you. Just accept it and get married already. You’ve kept him worrying long enough,” Masahiro said somewhat snarkily.

“Ah, jeez, he’s putting me through the ringer. How about this? I’ll come back to visit the next equinox, and we’ll see where I’m at. Maybe I’ll have a ring on my finger, maybe I’ll try to convince him to date someone younger again. We’ll see,” Goro said, sounding amused.

His face slowly became more… regretful, perhaps? Definitely upset. “Atsuko wasn’t able to come again, either. She said something important came up with her husband’s job. I want to say I’m surprised, but… I’m not. I think it’s been three years now since she last came to visit you. I wish I knew she was like this earlier, so I could have protected Masahiro better… and maybe protect both of you better somehow. I feel as though she’s desecrated your family enough.”

Masahiro had frozen up at the mere mention of the name “Atsuko,” and Ichirou could only assume that was his aunt. Ichirou gave him a slight squeeze of reassurance, looking up to the taller man. Masahiro relaxed a little, but still hung onto his “boyfriend’s” hand.

“I don’t have much else to report. I’m still trying my best, but I can’t fulfill the work you did, Reiichi. I pray you’ll help me to continue working hard until Masahiro is of an age that he can take over. Thank you for watching over us.” Goro gave a little bow to the tombstone. He then looked to Masahiro and motioned that he should continue. 

Masahiro squeezed onto Ichirou’s hand, his voice halting as he began to speak. “Hello, Mom and Dad… it’s… it’s been a month and a half. Things have changed a little bit more for me. As you can see, I… I brought someone with me.”

Masahiro took a deep breath before continuing. “I finally was able to explain to Ichirou how we knew each other. Or rather, it did get explained to him… I know I asked for your guidance and help, but I kept chickening out, and in the end, his parents explained how we met. I should have done better, but sometimes it’s hard when you’re afraid that someone will hate you…”

Masahiro looked at Ichirou with a soft smile on his face. “Luckily, he doesn’t hate me. And, I know I kept talking to you all last time about how great he is, but he really is great. He’s so forgiving and kind and sweet. I promised him I wouldn’t lie to him anymore, as well. So, I’m letting you know so you can bring karma down on me if I ever do lie to him again.”

Ichirou let out a snort at that. Masahiro smiled just a little bit before he looked back at the tombstone, his voice shaking again. “Mom and Dad, I… I know you’re gone. I know you’ve been gone for a long time, but I can’t help but feel like you two helped guide us back together. It feels like I’ve reclaimed some of that joy from all these years ago. I’ve felt like some part of me was missing for so, so long, and now I have it back. Thank you. I’m so grateful.”

Ichirou looked up to Masahiro and saw tears beginning to drip down his face. It hurt Ichirou to see Masahiro like this, but all he could do was hold the other man’s hand. This was a difficult day, and Ichirou honestly wasn’t sure if he was the best person to be here. Still, if Masahiro wanted him here, then he would be here.

“He really has been acting so much better, now,” Goro said, laughing and crossing his arms over his chest. “Masahiro has been smiling so much more after he managed to catch Kimura as his boyfriend. It’s almost like he’s a whole different person. I don’t know what exactly it is about Kimura, but I feel like they might be soul bonded. After everything that’s happened… it just seems like fate put them together for a reason.”

Ichirou’s cheeks turned crimson at that, and he shyly looked downwards. Soul bonded again? Really? And Masahiro was that different before? It was hard for Ichirou to really understand and comprehend. He was just quietly glad that he was able to help Masahiro in any way.

Masahiro continued speaking after wiping away his tears and waiting for his uncle to finish talking. “Mom and Dad… I hope you’ll continue to bless us. I love you very much. I’m going to be starting school again next week, so I’m hopeful that you’ll continue to help me with my schoolwork. And, um…”

Masahiro looked towards Ichirou. “Ichirou? Um, do you have anything you want to say to them? If not, I’d just like a moment alone, if that’s okay.”

“Oh, um, okay. I’ll say something.” To be honest, Ichirou had practiced what he was about to say for the majority of the week. “Um, Masahiro’s mother and father… hello. I’m sure I’ve changed a lot since I was a child. I used to be a lot less guarded and I didn’t get embarrassed as easily, but I assure you, I’m the same person. I just wanted to thank you for bringing Masahiro into this world. He’s become someone really important to me and I…”

Ichirou felt his heart pounding as he struggled to be honest in his feelings in front of Masahiro. “I promise that I’ll stay beside him, no matter what. Even if we break up or something, he and I will still remain together in some form. And I… I promise to take care of him from here on out. Um, that’s all.”

Ichirou bowed his head, his face burning. When he said it like that, it really did sound like they were dating. However, it was simply the truth. From everything he had heard about Masahiro to this point, he felt as though he needed to be there for him. The pull of their old relationship and what happened when they lost each other made Ichirou feel extra protective of Masahiro, somehow.

“Come, Kimura. Let’s give Masahiro a little space,” Goro said, gently patting Ichirou’s shoulder in an attempt to guide him away from the tombstone.

Ichirou nodded, and slowly released Masahiro’s hand. He followed Goro over to the steps of the temple, looking back once to see that Masahiro had sat with his legs crossed in front of the tombstone and was speaking quietly to it.. Despite their somewhat dusty nature and the fact that Goro was in what was likely an extremely expensive suit, the man sat on the steps. Ichirou, meanwhile, could not bring himself to get his pink slacks dirty.

“It’s starting to get warm,” Goro murmured, looking up to the gray sky. “But it’s getting cooler every day.”

Ichirou nodded, clasping his hands together. “It will be October tomorrow after all.”

Goro took a brief moment to gather his thoughts. “Masahiro is a troubled child. He’s never been good at speaking his mind, or admitting when he has feelings of desire for something or someone. He never once asked me for anything during high school. I had him go to therapy almost every week for those three years, but I can’t help but feel like he was still scared to ever truly open up to me.

“But since he met up with you once again, it’s like he’s become that little boy he once was. Not completely, obviously, but he’s lost some of his guarded nature. He just seems more open. I don’t expect you to fix him, not by any means. But the fact that you’ve helped at all… it makes me grateful. Thank you for that much. Having you support him… Well, I suppose it’s something he needed. I really do hope things continue to work out well for you two.”

Ichirou flushed and looked down. “Um, I- I’m glad to help. I really feel like I’m not doing much, but you and Masahiro both keep saying that I am, so I guess I’ll just keep doing what I can.”

Goro nodded. “You’re doing great. Please don’t worry too much. I’m not asking you two to never have fights or for you to be a replacement for a psychologist. All I want from you is to stay beside him for as long as you can. I know you promised to Reiichi and Minami that you’d stay together always, but I can’t ask you to fulfill that promise. It’s a huge ask for someone you only re-met five months ago to do something like that. That’s the sort of thing that leads to divorce. But if you could continue being by his side for another five months… that would be enough for me.”

“Well, I feel like you can’t lie to dead people, so I’m going to do my best to fulfill that promise,” Ichirou said. “I will send his ass to therapy if he starts using me as his personal psychologist, though.”

Goro laughed softly. “Good, good, he needs someone who’s a bit headstrong like you.”

Ichirou hesitated before asking a question that was on his mind for the past couple of weeks. “Does Masahiro… lie to you a lot?”

“No, not unless you count the lies that he tells to keep himself safe. Things like saying that he’s okay when he feels bad, or when he’s scared to admit he enjoys things. He puts other people’s needs way ahead of his own. He’ll probably be even worse about doing it with you, though, since he really loves you,” Goro said with a wink.

Ichirou felt his face go red at that statement, and he cleared his throat. “U- um, what do you mean?”

“I mean that you’ve got to be on the lookout to see what Masahiro likes. You’re young, there’s plenty of ways you can experiment. Look up some videos online, I’m sure you’ll be able to find something to try out that he’ll end up liking,” Goro said.

His tone indicated something that made Ichirou freeze up. He thought that his brain might explode from embarrassment. Was Goro indicating that he should be focusing on pleasuring Masahiro?? To try to figure out what sort of lewd thing Masahiro would enjoy?? 

“I- I- I- I do- do- don’t know what you mean!” Ichirou cried, jumping back a little.

“Ah, you’re the shy type. It’s okay, I was that way when I first started dating Ryuto. I’m sure that as time will go on, you’ll be able to try things that will bring lots of pleasure to Masahiro,” Goro said, smiling all the while.

“T- t- t- try things?! To p- p- p- p- pleasure Ma- Ma- Ma- Masahiro?! L- like what?!” Ichirou squeaked out.

He immediately regretted asking that question, as an image appeared in his mind of Ichirou with his mouth full of Masahiro’s cock. Masahiro stroked his hair in this mini fantasy while Ichirou dutifully bobbed his head and gently held onto the base. Ichirou slapped his hands over his face, trying to erase the image from his brain. This was not the time to be fantasizing about Masahiro!

“I think you already have ideas, it seems,” Goro said, eyebrows raised and smirking.

“I just- I mean, I… !” Ichirou stammered.

“You’re an adult, Kimura. I’m just trying to give you some friendly advice,” Goro said.

Ichirou nodded, trying to breathe. He wasn’t used to being sexually open with much of anyone, let alone a man he had just met maybe forty-five minutes ago. Goro thought they were dating, and probably knew that he and Masahiro had sleepovers, so of course he’d think they had a healthy sex life. This was the difficult part of this sort of fake relationship.

“I just… am a bit nervous,” Ichirou said lamely.

Goro nodded. “Do you need some pointers?”

“I don’t think… I can handle that while I’m supposed to be visiting Masahiro’s parents,” Ichirou said haltingly.

“Understandable. Then, do you want my phone number? I’d be happy to talk to you about it anytime,” Goro said, pulling out his phone.

“Oh, um, I’m- I’m okay! I can ask the internet,” Ichirou said, sounding a bit panicked.

“Then why don’t you take it, just in case I need to talk to you about Masahiro?” Goro said.

Ichirou, seeing that there was no way out of this situation, finally gave in. He gave Goro his phone number, and Goro insisted that it was simply just in case. Ichirou really hoped it was, because he couldn’t take any sort of sexual questions. He was a complete and utter virgin, through and through.

“Um, so, do you mind telling me a bit about Masahiro? Like, uh, things I might not already know?” Ichirou asked, putting his phone back into his pants pocket.

“What sort of things do you want to know? He’s always had a thing for pink hair, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Goro said, giving him another wink.

Please, God, let Yamashita Goro stop hitting on me for Masahiro, Ichirou thought, face aflame.

“N- no, nothing like that. I’m thinking more like… what he was like as a teenager. What he acts like when I’m not around. That sort of thing,” Ichirou mumbled.

“Well, when he was a teenager, he struggled a lot with adjusting to being out of his bad environment. He was still really depressed and confused for his first year of high school. He got better in his second and third year, but he was still pretty quiet. The only time he’d really have a more excitable way about him was when he hung out with that Oda kid, but that’s because he was so irritating,” Goro said.

Ichirou chuckled softly. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Oda-san is a lot. But then, what is he like, now?”

“He’s great. He’s respectful, he’s kind, he’s hardworking, he’s smart, he’s giving… he’s just all around a good kid. He can be a little bit of a people pleaser, and he’s not good at telling you when he needs help, though. Still, I’m certain that his mother and father would be proud of him. He has his faults, we all do. But he’s a good man,” Goro said, nodding in certainty.

Ichirou nodded. To be honest, while he had chosen to trust Masahiro, he still had some worries that Masahiro would try to keep more things from him. From what Goro was saying, at least, he didn’t need to worry about that too much. He just had to keep an eye on Masahiro, in case the other man started acting weird.

“Ah, here he comes,” Goro said, looking behind Ichirou.

Ichirou turned around, seeing Masahiro walking over. Masahiro was still wearing his sunglasses, and was walking slowly over. He seemed to be a bit down, which was to be expected. In comparison with his and Goro’s talk, he was certain that Masahiro’s conversation was a lot more sad.

Ichirou silently held out his hand towards Masahiro, and the taller man grabbed onto it. Ichirou gave him a gentle squeeze of reassurance. With their fingers laced together, Masahiro let out a soft sigh, seeming to relax just a bit. 

“Thank you for waiting for me,” Masahiro said, his voice trembling. He had obviously been crying.

“Of course,” Ichirou murmured.

“Did you get everything out?” Goro asked, pulling a cigarette out of his internal jacket’s pocket. 

“Yes, I did. Lots of things to talk with them about,” Masahiro said, running a hand through his hair. “Had to admit how uncool I was being to Ichirou, and I needed to tell them about some… feelings. That I’m trying to work through.”

“Feelings you’re working through?” Ichirou asked, looking up to Masahiro in confusion.

“Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal. If it was, I’d have told you,” Masahiro reassured him.

“Are you sure?” Ichirou asked, eyebrows furrowing together.

“Yes, I’m absolutely certain,” Masahiro said with a firm nod.

Masahiro did not think it was a big deal, in fact, but it was a frustrating issue. He had found himself plagued by dreams and thoughts of Ichirou in compromising situations. Just as Ichirou had continuously found himself to be aroused by Masahiro, Masahiro was simultaneously experiencing the same thing. He felt incredibly guilty about it, as he definitely felt like, as a friend, he shouldn’t be masturbating to the idea of himself fucking Ichirou’s brains out. So, he had asked for his parents' help to keep his brain on literally anything else.

As much as he did cry over feeling shame that he felt so much sexual attraction to Ichirou, he also had cried for a wide variety of reasons, the biggest one being that this was the fifteenth anniversary of them being gone. He grieved the loss of those fifteen years, his parent’s aging peacefully, the person he could have been, the relationships he lost… 

However, that being said, some tears were of joy. He had found Ichirou after all of this time… and even if Ichirou didn’t feel the same way, the pure love and adoration he felt towards the other man caused him to feel fulfilled. He now knew that, as long as Ichirou didn’t find out how madly in love with him he was, there was not any real reason for them to be apart again. With this much, he had taken back a sliver of his joy from fifteen years ago.

Goro smoked the cigarette, breathing out the smoke. “You two lovebirds get out of here. I’ve got some other things to say to Minami and Reiichi that I forgot to say earlier. Go get yourself some cake or something, okay? After a good cry, sweets are a must.”

Masahiro laughed shakily. “Yeah, okay, Uncle. I’ll see you on Sunday for dinner, right?”

“You better. Ryuto’s been bothering me about it,” Goro said with a laugh.

“Th- thank you for allowing me to come today,” Ichirou said, awkwardly bowing. “I, um, I hope we can get along from here on out.”

Goro gave a slight nod. “I’m sure we will. Drive safe, kiddos.”

So, hand in hand, Ichirou and Masahiro walked down the small path and out of the temple. They couldn’t have been there for more than an hour, but Ichirou knew how much this had meant to Masahiro. So, until they got to the car, even when they were out of sight from Goro, Ichirou refused to let go of Masahiro’s hand.

Ichirou sat in the passenger side of the car, and buckled himself in. Masahiro buckled himself in on the driver’s side, but he hesitated to start the car. Ichirou watched his hands for a moment, before looking up at Masahiro’s face. Despite the sunglasses being on, Ichirou could see tears beginning to drip down his face.

“Masahiro,” Ichirou said, his voice wracked with concern. He reached out to Masahiro and gently wiped the tears away, gently stroking his cheek as he did so.

It was a surprisingly intimate thing for Ichirou to do, and he honestly felt a little bit embarrassed. Masahiro grabbed his hand as he tried to pull away, holding it to his cheek.

“J- just a second… just a second and I’ll be okay,” Masahiro whispered.

Ichirou felt a wash of shame overcome him after he felt some butterflies at this. Really? He was feeling those weird feelings right now, when Masahiro needed him? But, even so, he couldn’t help but feel his heart beating out of his chest as the feeling of both touching Masahiro’s face, and Masahiro’s hand overlapping his.

“Um, do you really want to get cake? I’d be happy to,” Ichirou said softly.

Masahiro laughed softly and let go of Ichirou’s hand. “Honestly, cake sounds incredible right now.

“Are you okay to drive?” Ichirou asked, drawing back his own hand. “I would offer to drive, but I literally can’t.”

Masahiro took in a few deep breaths before speaking. “It was just extras, left over from the crying I did earlier. I should be okay in just a second. Do you wanna get a cake and eat it at your place, or…?”

“I think my mom would be happy to see you back,” Ichirou said, smiling encouragingly at him.

“We’d have to fake being in a relationship some more, are you okay with that?” Masahiro asked, an eyebrow raised.

Ichirou remembered the… interesting conversation he had with Goro earlier, and felt a bit hot under the collar. “Um, yes, I think so. By the way, do you think your uncle liked me?”

“Oh, that’s hard to say. One of his few talents is faking a smile, but that being said, you’re great, so I’m not worried,” Masahiro said, turning on his car’s engine.

“Okay, now you’ve got me worried,” Ichirou said, concern written across his face.

“Good, now you know how I felt when I left your house,” Masahiro said, laughing as he began to pull out of the parking spot.