Part 2

The end of one of the most tiring weeks Jun had ever experienced had finally come to its end. It was Saturday around 2 in the morning, when he was finally reaching his floor. Earlier, Nino had invited him to go to their usual spot for drinks along with the others but he had refused. He almost never said no to a night at the bar. He enjoyed listening to music, drinking, flirting and usually ending up at the dark corridor that led to the toilets at the back with the sexy guy he had picked for the night thrown against the wall whimpering and asking for more. It was quick and fun, it caused him no problems and above all, it required no commitment. Sometimes, he had flings but nothing important.

He had other priorities than being in a relationship at that phase of his life, or at least that was what he was answering when his friends -Nino and of course, his precious Oh-chan- called him a forever teen. At the age of twenty-nine, he still liked this lifestyle. He was someone who enjoyed his freedom, cared a lot about his career combined with the fact that he was a difficult person to deal with. It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried it in the past. He had once just to realize he wasn’t meant for such a type of bonding with another person. He had felt suffocated, always having to deal with questions such as ‘where have you been?’ ‘why didn’t you answer your phone?’ or ‘why did you stare at the barman’s ass?’. His spirit was too free to be able to stay at one place… He wasn’t a bad guy… It was just who he was and he was ok with it. That night though as tempting as the idea was, he was too tired for anything else than a quick shower and his soft bed.

“Luckily it’s Saturday… I’ll sleep as long as I want!” he mumbled sleepily the moment he entered his apartment… or at least, so he thought…

---

Jun frowned in his sleep. Something loud was heard… something really similar to a… drill? He opened his eyes and yes; there was no doubt about it. Angry, he sat up and took his alarm clock to check what time it was. A little after 8 am. “What the hell?” he growled under his breath. He wore his glasses and dragged his feet to the window to see if there was a problem outside down the street. Nothing.

“You want to tell me that it comes from an apartment?” he growled angrily behind his teeth as he opened his apartment door in an attempt to localize the source. There was no way he could accept this so early in the morning. Especially when he had only slept for a couple of hours. “It’s Saturday for fuck’s sake!”

From the moment he stepped out of his apartment he could immediately tell who was causing all this mess so early in the morning. It was the new guy; the new cute guy his mind reminded him just to make him clear his throat suddenly uncomfortable with his own thoughts. “Cute or not, he’s annoying,” he mumbled to himself, as he walked towards the other’s door.

He rang the bell not caring how he looked at the moment. Normally he would, but this time, he was sleepless, he was woken up in the cruelest way, without the time loll for an hour in his bed and most importantly he still hadn’t drunk his first sip of coffee. After a few seconds, the door opened revealing the young man that his mind insisted on characterizing as cute. This time the other was wearing a rather old, baggy T-shirt and a pair of black sweatpants. Some would call these clothes unflattering… and they were… but even in these, Jun had to admit that he looked stunning. So stunning that no matter how much he tried to control himself and not scan the man in front of him from head to toe, he did it… again.

“Matsumoto-san? Uhm… did I… by any chance… wake you up?”

What do you think, smartass? was what Jun wanted to answer but for some reason didn’t. Maybe it was the little frown that had formed on the other’s forehead or maybe it was the tiny voice in which he had spoken… the result is that he couldn’t call him all the names he had thought of from the moment he opened his eyes.

“The truth is that my work schedule is a bit different to that of the majority and last night, I came back super lat-”

He didn’t have the chance to finish. “Oh! I’m so sorry! I really am!” This time the frown turned bigger and the voice louder, almost shrieky. “I wouldn’t do such a loud work this early but the thing is that I need to place a couple of shelves and since every day I come back pretty late, the only time that I could do them out of the quiet hours was this morning. I need to go to the office later you see. Most of the times I work on Saturdays, too.”

Under any other circumstances, Jun would continue but seeing the other looking worried and sounding so apologetic, made him hush.

“I only have a last one!” his neighbor hurried to add. “It’s kind of causing me problem because the wall at that part is a bit uneven but-”

“Would you like some help?” Jun asked before he even realized what he had just proposed.

“I… You… mean it?” the other asked with a large smile that made his whole face glow. “But… uhm… It’s kind of you but I’ll manage it. I wouldn’t want to-”

“I offered my help myself. Besides, that way the sound will stop earlier, so it’s a win-win situation!” Jun replied with a small smile which again hadn’t notice.

“Then, please, come in.” Jun followed the man inside. “It’s a bit messy… sorry for that… I still haven’t managed to make it look decent…” the other hurried to tell him, as if Jun would judge him.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure it wasn’t in your plans to expect visitors such early in the morning!” Jun replied, the small smile insisting on being written on his face. 

They went to the living room where Jun saw the shelves. “So, that’s the one?” he asked pointing at the one on the floor.

“Yes.”

“Alright. Let’s get to work!”

Ten minutes later, the work had been done.

“It really means a lot. Thank you, Matsumoto-san.”

“No big deal. Really.” Jun replied while keeping his eyes on the shelf. He could feel that the other was watching him while thanking him but for some reason felt the need to avoid his gaze. He put his hands into his sweatpants pockets, trying to play it indifferent. He couldn’t figure out exactly why he felt that need, he usually was cool without having to try but nothing really made sense that morning. So, he tried to push away all the questions that threatened to fill up his mind.

“Please, allow me to offer you some coffee, at least!”

“I wouldn’t-”

“As a thank you and an apology… for waking you up?”

Jun turned his gaze to the man who was watching him with agony. “Alright,” he mumbled after giving it some thought. Maybe the other felt the need to apologize.

Two minutes later, he was sitting on one of the stools the other had in front of the kitchen counter, watching him preparing the coffee with the very same smile when it hit him out of the blue. One. He wasn’t feeling annoyed or angry despite having been awaken the way he had that morning; on the contrary he had offered his help. Two. He had been smiling the whole time. And all of that without even having drunk his morning coffee. What. The. Hell?!

“Here!”

Jun looked up seeing the young man standing in front of him, handing him a cup of hot coffee. “Th… thank you…, uhm…”

“Aiba. Aiba Masaki.”

Jun cleared his throat awkwardly. He had been caught. “I… don’t remember easily people’s names. Sorry.”

The other smiled. “Don’t worry, I understand. Our minds absorb such large amounts of information every day. It’s only logical.”

“Yes…” Jun whispered and sipped some more of his coffee.

The next twenty minutes passed in total silence. A few times, Jun tried to speak, say something but couldn’t come up with anything, so he gave up.

“It was delicious. Thank you,” he whispered as he let his empty cup on the kitchen counter.

“You’re welcome. It was really kind of you to help me, Matsumoto-san. And once again, I’m sorry for having woken you up like that. From now on, I promise no such surprises!”

“It’s ok…. Have a nice day, Aiba-san,” Jun said as he came closer to the door.

“You too, Matsumoto-san.”  

Jun walked out of Aiba Masaki’s apartment and headed to his. He closed the door and leaned against it. Closing firmly his eyes, he took a deep breath. All he could think of was how the other was smiling widely the whole time; how his face was covered by a fade shade of redness due to the work he had been doing…

The only thing he could feel was his ears buzzing and his heartbeat beating fast… faster than he would like. As much as he had tried to convince himself for the opposite, there was no doubt the other had an immediate effect on him.

From the very first time he had bumped into him at the elevator. He had checked him out… his eyes trying to memorize every single part of the tall, slim man. It was the first time he was doing that so openly, at least, outside of a night club. And then it was that smile… that wide smile that was in such a contrast to the pure sexiness Jun had seen… He allowed his mind to wander back to the scene, replaying it behind his closed eyelids. It was so obvious that the other was unaware of it… well… he probably was unaware. He had looked rather embarrassed… He was a salary man after all. To Jun’s eyes, such people lived their life boringly, having everything planned, placed in small boxes within their minds, with no thrill, no excitement, no surprises… If there was something he detested, that was this type of safety.

He sighed. Why does he have to be so hot yet so… normal?

His mind then traveled back to the second time he had met, his new neighbor, when the latter was standing right in front of his doorstep. Aiba Masaki wasn’t wearing his suit but a pair of jeans and a pullover; nothing really special, that was true… yet… as Jun’s eyes moved all over him, he couldn’t help noticing the way the skinny jeans accentuated his long, thin legs… It was the reason why the moment he had been offered the sweet, he had closed the door as fast as possible. The last thing he’d needed to see was how the other’s ass looked in that hell of jeans. Now, he could finally accept it… He hadn’t paid much attention to the other… he hadn’t caught what he was saying to him. And that was because he had to try his hardest to play it cool… just like earlier when he was in his apartment.

Yet even now all he could think of was those legs… and how they would look without that pair of jeans… just like that husky voice of his… How huskier could it sound under other circumstances? And that faint blush, the other had as he offered him the sweet… Jun could only wonder how heavier it would turn if he was the one in control… if the other was underneath him writhing in pleasure completely in his mercy… and then there was that smile… making the man look even more beautiful than he already was, making him irresistible…

Jun bit his lower lip as he remembered that droplet of sweat his eyes had caught falling down the side of neck earlier that morning while the other was holding the shelf. How would that covered-in-sweat skin feel under his touch? How would it…? Abruptly, he opened his eyes. He looked down, noticing the small bulge that had formed on his crotch before he turned his gaze blankly to the wall in front of him. With a low groan he jumped into the shower and opened the water to a relatively cold temperature. Since when did he get this aroused only by fantasizing things? And since when was he fantasizing in the first place?!

“It’s because I haven’t had any lately…” he whispered as he applied a small portion of shampoo on his hair. “Yes… that’s what it is…”

Deep inside he knew he hadn’t convinced himself, yet he pretended he had. It was better this way.

“I just need to avoid him…” he mumbled as he switched off the lamp on his bedside table, ready to sleep, a few hours later.

At least he hoped so…

***

It had been two weeks since Jun had last seen his new neighbor. Aiba Masaki… Certainly, he couldn’t forget the name anymore. His standards had always been a bit too strict, never settling for something less than the best, and he knew it; even when it came to his usual one-night stands, he’d be picky. To think about someone more than during those few moments of pure lust, motivated from physical needs, required more… much more… Yet despite that, this man had somehow been stuck into his mind. He’d pop into his mind every time he heard the elevator doors opening on his floor. Jun had caught himself wonder how the other passed his free time… if he enjoyed cooking, shopping… who this Aiba Masaki really was. He wasn’t curious by nature, unlike his best friend, but this man was intriguing him. He somehow wanted to discover the man behind that polite tone and wide smile but in the same time was afraid to…

He had caught how the other had eyed him when he had brought him sweets, the same way the salary man had also done that when they had met that first time at the elevator. He was playing in his team, that was certain, and what is more wasn’t left unaffected by him… Jun could tell that the other liked him… at least, his body revealed as much. Instead of flirting or in a way being provocative towards him, though, Aiba Masaki never tried to be sexy. It was obvious that the man was oblivious to his looks and the affection they could have on others.

Perhaps it was what made him look even sexier in Jun’s eyes. There was an innocence flowing out of him strong enough to be provocative to Jun. It was what made him think about Aiba Masaki over and over again and why he hoped not to come across the other. If they met again, Jun was sure he wouldn’t control himself… he would hit on the other man and if he played his cards right, there was no way out of the trap for his neighbor.

What he was afraid of was the situation itself. The main problem though was that the other wasn’t someone who’d like that. This innocence of his told Jun so. He could swear that Aiba Masaki wasn’t someone to indulge himself in one-night stands. His bright smile made him too open for something like that. A one-night stand required a mutual silent agreement of anonymity, of closeness. There was nothing a means of relief… physical relief both parties needed. Jun wouldn’t meet them again or even if he did, he was sure neither of them would remember it thanks to the alcohol. So, everything was good. On the contrary, this specific man wasn’t a random someone he met at the bar and chose to hit on. He wasn’t nameless either. At some point, he’d be obliged to meet him again… they were neighbors after all… inevitably they’d come tête à tête and that would be awkward for both of them.

Jun picked up his phone.

To: Sho

Free for lunch? My treat.

I can pass by your office before

I go to the studio.

Jun had to chuckle when the reply came the next second.

From: Sho

Can’t refuse a food offer.

Everything ok?

Jun sighed. Of course, Sho would tell there was a reason behind.

This man…

To: Sho

Just bored…

From: Sho

I don’t believe you but I’m not Nino

to force it out of you!

I’ll be waiting!

To: Sho

Me or the bento I’ll be bringing with me?

From: Sho

Both.

Jun chuckled, knowing his friend was trying to cheer him up even if he didn’t know what exactly was the reason for this sudden self-invitation.

Fifteen minutes later, Jun was leaving his apartment. His gaze fell on the dark wooden door across the corridor. You want to avoid him not because it will be awkward but because you believe he’ll be hurt… and you don’t want to see that smile disappear… Frowning at his own thoughts, hurried to press the elevator button. He needed to get some fresh air.

---

“Mmmm…”

Jun looked up at his friend with a raised eyebrow. “Do you really have to make sex sounds while you’re eating, Sakurai?!”

The other froze almost choking because of the large amount of food he had put in his mouth.

Jun shook his head sighing.

“Sorry… It’s just that…” the other started saying once he had swallowed only to be cut off.

“you enjoy food… I know…” Jun whispered and sighed.

“What’s going on, Jun?” This time Sho’s voice sounded serious.

Jun closed his eyes for a second before he placed his bento on his friend’s desk. “Do you… do you think I could ever be serious?” he whispered, avoiding to meet his friend’s gaze.

“You are serious.”

“In my personal life I mean…”

Jun could tell his friend was looking him closely.

“Why do you even doubt it, Jun?”

“Because I’m behaving like a teen… to use our dearest Nino’s words…”

“You’re a free man and can have as much fun as you want. The reason why you choose your freedom over commitment I think it’s related to your need of control. It’s a part of yourself… you wouldn’t be you without it…”

“So, you’re calling me a control freak!” Jun threw a narrowed gaze to Sho, his hands folded in front of his chest.

Sho chuckled. “You need to feel free… to be you the one who puts the limits for yourself. You’re someone who needs to take all his decisions. But this doesn’t mean you aren’t serious… Probably you’re a bit too serious… If a special someone appears, believe me, you’ll know it… even if your mind denies it for a certain period of time, your heart will, and then at some point, voluntarily, you’ll want to change these limits you’ve set yourself so that this someone is also included. What you need is to take the risk… You always say that you hate people who live their lives trapped in their comfort zone… When the time comes, you’ll have to become the live proof of your own words!”

Jun cleared his throat as he checked his watch. “Well, it’s time for me to go. I hope you don’t expect anything else than this bento for your mini psychoanalysis, Dr. Sakurai?”

Sho chuckled. “Oh no… it was a free offer, don’t worry!”

“We’ll talk!”

“See ya!”

Jun closed the door of Sho’s office. He could tell that his friend knew he had someone specific in mind when he told him all of that… The truth was that Jun loved his freedom… loved to live every minute of his life the way he wanted… and that couldn’t be with someone else…

“Even if I tried, I’d screw up… That… I know…”

***

It was Thursday, around noon when Jun got informed that he was free that evening. After giving it some thought, he decided to visit the gym that was nearby. It would be beneficial both for his body and mind. He had way too much energy that needed to be released. Nino mocked him that he hadn’t been laid and that made him more uptight than usual but he couldn’t. He had tried to hook up in clubs a couple of times but every time things advanced a bit, his mind would fill up with the image of Aiba Masaki fixing his shelf, causing him to stop.

Since last year he had started kick-boxing. It was a profitable way to release tension and anger, and at the same time, train his muscles in a different way. Once he reached the gym, he left his personal belongings to the locker room and headed to the -1 level where there were the rooms for kick boxing and TRX training. An hour later, he was already feeling more relaxed and his mind clearer. He decided to stop, he shouldn’t overtire his muscles, he wouldn’t be able to cope the next day at work. As he took off his gloves off, he threw a quick glance at the room next to the one he was up at this hour. Inside there was a group of four people in the middle of their TRX session. He wouldn’t have paid attention if it wasn’t for the one who at the moment was doing a set of abdominal exercises. His legs stopped, his eyes goggled. He had caught a familiar figure with the corner of his eye.

“Aiba Masaki…” he whispered, still finding it hard to believe that the one who had been occupying his mind was in the same gym as him.

The sound of a whistle was heard and immediately the group changed places, Aiba Masaki going for the suspension straps. Jun was left with his mouth agape as he noticed how the other was covered in sweat, making his white T-shirt be stuck on his body like a second skin. It was that moment that Jun noticed the well-sculpted abs. The other looked super skinny but he was toned… very toned…

“Damn you… couldn’t you be any sexier?!”

He could feel getting hotter and it wasn’t due to the training. Clearing his throat, he headed to the showers, occupying the last booth. He let the water fall on him cold. He needed it. Since when did he have a reaction just from the sight of someone?! I guess I do need to get laid… he thought as he washed his hair. He was almost done when he heard water falling from the booth next to him. Two minutes later he had covered his lower part with a towel, ready to step out.

“Damn, that’s cold!” the man who had just entered in the shower booth next to him, yelled.

Jun felt his heartbeat raising. That voice was husky… and way too familiar. He took a deep breath as he put on his flip flops, holding his shampoo in hand. He would never look at other men in the shower; he wasn’t fifteen anymore… but this time, his head turned despite his tries not to. It was above his will. The sight that unveiled in front of him was breathtaking. Luckily, the other had his back on him… but that allowed him to watch and admire… Aiba Masaki was looking deliciously good… thin, firm, with soft skin -at least, Jun thought it would be soft- and with a fire-like huge birthmark on his left shoulder.

Jun felt his throat getting dry as disturbingly hot images filled his mind… his teeth burying on that skin, allowing his mouth to taste, tease, mark… his fingers to feel… his ears to hear the breathy, lustful moans of the other as he was making him his… while the water was falling on top of them… absorbing the sounds of skin slapping against skin… the fog caused by the steams of the hot water adding to the one of pleasure he was creating by the force of his thrusts deep into the… Suddenly the door opened, making Jun realize he had been standing there, in the middle of the gym showers, staring a man’s body like a creepy stalker and fantasizing about the other to the point that a half-erection had appeared in between his legs.

DAMN! he cursed inside and hurried to leave the shower room before he would get noticed.

The realization thankfully had an immediate impact on his manhood, softening it in a blink of the eye. In less than ten minutes, Jun was already walking back home. Under any other circumstances, he’d have waited outside the gym to talk… make his move… but this time he was afraid… afraid of himself. Sho had told him he’d have to escape from his comfort zone… but it was above his strength. Aiba Masaki was someone he had come to know for a couple of weeks… with whom he had passed only half an hour… There was no way he could feel something else than pure lust… his thoughts earlier were the proof… right?

He entered into his apartment and fell on the sofa, his eyes staring blankly at some blind spit on the ceiling. There was only one word that kept replaying in his mind.

DAMN!

***

“Your feet, Kisaki-kun, must be stronger at two. Don’t lose your focus! I want to see the passion in you! C’mon! One and two, three, four five aaand six!”

Jun kept clapping his hands in rhythm as loud music filled the dance studio. He knew he was pushing the dancers to their limits but that was the only way to know who were determined to take the chance that was opening up for them. The auditions were always the most difficult part. He never wished to be unfair and always paid attention to the slightest details. It had been one month that he had been chosen as the main choreographer by one of the biggest stars of the Japanese pop scene. It was a recognition of his hard work. From the difficult years he had spent in New York, living in a 25m2 apartment with other two aspiring dancers and working part-time both as a pizza delivery boy and a dancer in a small club, to his return in Japan and working as dancing instructor in a local dance school. He hadn’t been ungrateful; he was still doing what he liked. Dance had always been his way to express himself, and now being a choreographer, he was finally able to show people his point of view.

The turning point in his career had been the YouTube channel Nino’d convinced him to open. In less than half a year, he had managed to get an important number of followers and even gain a bonus amount of money. It had also been the reason for being contacted by the AllStar Agency.

The music ended allowing the heavy breaths to fill the air. Jun, sighing, went to press the stop on the CD player and announced a thirty-minute break.

“Always so strict! I pity the poor guys!”

Jun turned at the source of sound with his eyebrow raised. “First. What are you doing here? And two. How the hell did you get in?”

His friend came closer with an evil smile on his face. “How could I not be here? I’m your manager after all!”

Jun couldn’t believe his ears. “What are you…?!” he couldn’t finish his question; not when he was holding an actual card with this exact piece of information. “Are you kidding me? You want to cause me trouble?”

“Relax! I only showed it to the guy at the entrance. I didn’t introduce myself to anyone else like that! I just had to see Mr. MJ in action!”

Jun raised his eyebrow. “Why I don’t believe you?!”

“Ok… Busted… But seeing you in action is a bonus!”

“Nino. Hurry up and spill it already.”

“You know it’s my baby’s birthday coming up!”

“Yeah…?” Jun replied sounding unsure. The other had something in mind…

“I want to organize him a surprise party!”

Jun was getting annoyed. He had caught that glimpse in his friend’s eyes and that never meant good. “To the point, Ninomiya!”

“I want to do it in your place!”

“What?”

“Your apartment is bigger than mine or Oh-chan’s!”

“You have no other friends than me and Sho! I’m pretty sure there’s enough space for everyone!”

“But I’m interested in making new ones!” Nino replied with a cheeky smile, as he came closer to Jun. “And I’m sure you share this idea with me!”

Jun cleared his throat. “I’m perfectly fine the way I-”

“Don’t worry. I only intend to invite one more. Someone’s new neighbor! Now, be a good boy, Junny, and give me your keys. I have things to prepare.”

Jun was left frozen at his spot. Not only was Nino organizing a party at his apartment, but was also inviting Aiba Masaki.

Jun was about to speak when Nino leaned close enough to whisper in his ear. “You can thank me later.”

One thing was certain. Jun was deep in trouble.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Α.Ν. Sooo minna here’s part 2!! ^^ This time is almost 5k words! ;D I tried to explain why Jun is behaving like that towards Masaki as well as how much affected he is! ;) How could he not be affected, right?! xD (I had told you there would be a lot of sexual tension between them xP) Luckily, he has some good friends to count on! Sho tried to make him open his eyes and Nino took different kind of measures… more direct! xD We also had some Junba interaction! I promise you more in the next one! ^^ There’s also a party to wait for! We’ll see how things will evolve! ;)

My dear Matsuaurore, I hope you didn’t get disappointed with this chapter! As you can see, I added a lot of things! <3 

I really hope you enjoyed it and as always, your comments are <333!!!

See you soon,
Andy <3