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cmbranfordTitle: Catch
Fandom: Yellow
Length: 5515
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Spoilers for all of the manga.
Summary: Taki and Goh return from their honeymoon and settle back into their job as snatchers, but happily-ever-afters are stories for fairy tales and the two men still have a long way to go in their relationship.
Notes: This idea sprang from something I remember reading after volume 1's release. Someone at that time had suggested that the correct way for this relationship to come to fruition was for the two men to "switch." At the time I had agreed, but since then Taki had been set up to become the uke in the relationship rather decidedly and I abandoned the idea of its plausibility. This is my attempt to work through this concept. Could it ever work and if so, how? Anyway, this story is indeed the followup to In Their Own Words. There are going to be two versions: the "full" version, which I am posting first and an "edited" version which I will post next for anyone who does not want to read the graphic yaoi content. Please enjoy.
Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for Goh's randomness at the end of this chapter. Yellow is owned by Makoto Tateno; I'm just borrowing it so I can make myself feel better about the plotholes...
Morning
Taki and Goh sat quietly down to breakfast. They had just arrived back home the previous night, so late that they hadn’t even bothered to check in downstairs. They’d go down and see Tsunuga about work later today, catch up with Kanji and Mimi and feel their way back into their old routine.
Taki had been the first one up, and being that there was virtually no food in the apartment, had cooked up some rice and plain miso soup. He’d go out later to buy groceries, but since Goh still seemed to be edgy about them being apart, hadn’t wanted to leave the apartment while the other man was still in bed. Goh finally joined him in the living room about an hour after Taki had gotten up. He had either been roused by the noise Taki was making and the smell of the first traditional Japanese meal they will have consumed since leaving Japan, or more likely, by the fact that he had awoken to an empty bed. Taki seemed to have a knack for only being heard when he wanted to be, and it unnerved Goh, who had otherwise thought himself a very alert person. It wasn’t that he truly believed the other man would be gone, but he felt he needed the reassurance of seeing his partner and lover first thing in the morning. They didn’t even need to speak, just sitting next to each other on the couch, like now, was enough for him.
There was still a lot of silence shared between them. While they had been away it hadn’t really been an issue. The distractions a vacation afforded filled that void nicely. Even the long passionate nights only had to be filled in short breaks between lovemaking, and generally consisted of making plans for the next day, or discussing that day’s events.
Little discussion of the future of their relationship had occurred; both men seeming not to want to delve into that topic too deeply. It was still too new for both of them. Goh in particular seemed to not want to consider the prospect of their return to Japan. He’d managed to turn their two week tagalong with Goh’s magic teacher on his cruise liner gig to Australia into nearly a month more of touring Europe and America. He had said they weren’t finished until they had circled the globe, and they had.
The final flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo was long and tiring, especially after Goh insisted Taki join him in the “mile high” club; a prospect Taki had resisted with much force, but ultimately relented after an unfortunate incident with a flirty flight attendant made him feel obligated to sate his lover; again. It seemed wherever they had gone there was some woman willing to throw herself at Taki’s feet. It would have been funny if Goh were a less jealous man or Taki willing to rebuff their advances more coldly. It invariably ended with Goh stubbornly sulking, and Taki coaxing him out of it by initiating sex. They’d very nearly been caught in that airplane bathroom. If it were not for that “understanding” male flight attendant who covered for them they would have, not that Goh seemed to mind either way. He’d been exuding an aura of, “Taki is mine and I want everyone to know about it,” for months; much longer than the duration of their relationship.
It seemed so long ago, but really, they had only been gone about six weeks; less than two months since they had become lovers. Maybe it felt longer for both of them because they had been together for that year previous, and in love with each other for some time before either man had acted on his feelings, or even really acknowledged them.
They had settled into Taki’s room last night. This had happened more as coincidence than in any conscious choice by either man. When they had returned, Taki had gone into his room to unpack. He hadn’t really had the opportunity to do so before they had left, as Goh had “kept him busy” and then swept them away just a few days after his initial return to their home, not to mention his healing injuries and fatigue at the time. The physical wounds healed weeks earlier and Goh, eager to consummate in their “newlywed” homestead after the long flight had followed him into the room. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out how the night had gone after that.
Goh stood in the doorway to the living room watching as his lover set the bowls and chopsticks down. Taki was already dressed in some tight jeans and a button down sleeveless shirt, untucked from the pants. He always managed to look good, no matter the simplicity of the outfit. Goh had only managed to slip his pants from last night back on. His hair was still tousled, though the way it was usually styled it was hard to tell. When Taki finally turned and saw him in the doorway Goh smiled and said, “You’re up early,” the subtext apparent. Why did you get out of bed?
Taki replied, “I made breakfast.” His subtext was annoyed. I had to get up first because I didn’t want to lose a whole day in bed because of you; again.
Goh responded to this with a smile and leaned against the jamb, crossing his arms. He finally replied, “I can see that.” Don’t be a prude.
Taki walked over to the other man and kissed him lightly. “Do you want to shower first?” I know what you want and I am changing the subject.
“Do you want to join me?” Goh’s quick reply was accompanied by a light grab of Taki’s hips. I’m not going to let you change the subject.
“I already showered this morning.” Taki broke away to return to the couch. Go take a cold shower.
“I didn’t mean for a shower,” Goh teased, following and grabbing him from behind. He'd abandoned subtext in favor of a more direct approach.
“Stop it,” Taki replied, but he was being more playful than annoyed.
When Goh nuzzled his neck Taki closed his eyes; part resisting, part savoring. “Don’t you ever get enough?”
“Of you? Never.” Goh smiled again. His eyes lit mischievously as he spoke, “I’ll eat first. After all, my lovely wife cooked our first breakfast home together,” and released him, finally.
Taki was a little annoyed by this. “Cut that out. I made breakfast because I was hungry. You’re just lucky I made enough for both of us.”
Goh couldn’t pass up the chance to tease further. “Sure, I get it. You need to show your love with food. It’s okay. I understand,” to which Taki sighed impatiently and gave him a look. Goh laughed at this and they finally sat down, in silence; each pondering his next move.
Taki was getting better at reading Goh’s moods, but it seemed he still had work to do to understand his lover’s motivations. He knew Goh was uncomfortable about waking up to an empty bed, but he wasn’t willing to cede any fault for leaving to make breakfast. Sure, breakfast was an excuse, but still. Goh should understand that all that clinging is very uncomfortable for him. He also needed to set limits or they’d never get anything done. He’d admit the sex was great, but there were things like shopping and work and seeing their friends that they needed to consider. Taki hated being the responsible one.
Goh needed to figure out how to a) get Taki to sleep with him again before they did anything else today and b) try to do as little of anything else today as possible. He could tell that Taki was interested. He hadn’t gotten angry with the usual come-ons, but he seemed preoccupied with the idea of getting back to their old life, and Goh really wasn’t ready for that just yet. It wasn’t that he was uninterested in getting back to their job as snatchers, he just felt uneasy returning to a routine that had previously been devoid of their romantic relationship.
He wasn’t worried that it would end like it did with Kei. There were many unrelated issues concerning that particular relationship that this one did not suffer, not the least of which was the fact that he really was deeply in love this time. There were “other things” that he was concerned about. Though, he wasn’t really ready to even so much as acknowledge them right now, especially not at this early hour when he hadn’t even had a cup of-
“Is their coffee?” Goh's attention snapped back to reality. He couldn't help but feel a little awkward breaking the silence with a question like that, but then again, he still wasn't fully awake yet. The hour was early and the night had been very satisfyingly late. He needed some coffee, which brought his attention yet again back from its attempt at wandering away.
“We don’t have any. I’ll go downstairs and get some,” Taki said as he started to stand.
“That’s okay. I’ll get it myself,” Goh replied quickly. “You cooked, so I’ll get the coffee.” He stood then and hurried to the task himself.
“Uh, you might want to put a shirt on.” Taki looked on after his bare-chested lover.
“Oh, yeah.” Goh redirected his path to his room to acquire something more suitable for being seen in public, however briefly.
“And some shoes...” Taki called after him as Goh disappeared down the hall to his room.
Taki sat back and sighed. Awkward was an understatement this morning. Goh was definitely trying to keep him from seeing anyone else right now. How selfish, but that was typical of the other man. Taki had come to accept Goh’s jealousies, and to a point tolerated his little attempts at keeping his attentions fixed at home. He hadn’t quite found the balance between giving in and holding ground yet, though. He either risked spoiling his lover or unintentionally hurting him emotionally. If Goh were like any other of his sexual partners up until now, he would have long since gotten bored with the clinging and moved on. Having to stay and deal with the realities of not only having a steady lover, but a man, and not only that, but living with him, was a lot to take in, and all at once was even harder. Love was indeed a very difficult new reality for Taki.
Goh was halfway down the stairs before he realized that he hadn’t asked Taki if he wanted any coffee. He had assumed the other man wouldn’t, since he hadn’t gotten any himself before Goh had come in. Taki wasn’t the type to go without something he wanted, or rely on someone else to bring it to him. Goh played with the idea of bringing some anyway, but ultimately chose to keep his visit to Roost as brief as possible. The longer he stayed the more likely he was going to have to talk to everyone, and what he really wanted right now was to be alone with his lover for a few more blessedly quiet hours. In fact, he was beginning to rethink his entire decision to come down here at all, and cursing his big mouth and its going off and saying anything about coffee in the first place. Well, it wasn’t really his mouth’s fault, it was his brain, which didn’t want to function yet without any caffeine, and forcing him to having almost sent Taki downstairs with an excuse to talk to Tsunuga. Well, actually, it was Taki’s fault for denying him the stimulation he really had wanted this morning, making his brain tell his mouth to start asking about coffee. So, in all honesty, this whole trouble started in his groin, where it usually did. Damn it.
He was about to turn around and head back upstairs with some kind of half-considered excuse about Roost not being open or being out of coffee themselves when the door opened and Kanji walked through in an apron and carrying a broom. He seemed very focused on his task until he caught sight of Goh.
“Goh! You’re back! Is Taki upstairs? How was your trip? When did you get in?”
Goh had to cut him off before he woke everyone else in the neighborhood. “Kanji, pipe down. It’s too early for that.”
“Oh, sorry, sorry.” He tried to apologize with the smallest voice he could manage, but failed to maintain it just about right away. “It’s just, you know, really excited to see you guys are back!”
“Yeah, yeah, uh, is anyone else in yet?” Goh needed to change the subject quickly.
“Oh, nope. Just me until the owner comes in, in another half hour. He’s working shorter hours these days. Wants to spend more time with his daughter,” Kanji started babbling again.
Goh just wanted to get what he came for and get back upstairs and away from Mr. Chatty as quickly as possible. “Good. Uh, is there coffee?”
“Oh, yeah! Mine isn’t as good as the owner’s, but I have some ready! I’ll go get a cup for you!” Kanji replied excitedly.
“Yeah, keep it down. We got in really late last night.” Goh tried lowering his own volume in an attempt to help Kanji focus his lower.
“Oh! Sorry!” Kanji did his best interpretation of a whisper and hurried to get some coffee. He returned soon after with the cup and handed it to Goh, who took it as briskly as possible and not seem rude.
Unfortunately for Goh, Kanji was not particularly receptive to subtlety. “So, I’ll tell the owner you guys are back when he gets in! I bet there’s work for you. Mimi will be excited to see you, too!”
Goh needed to take care of this right away, or there’d be no telling who ruined his morning plans. “Uh, yeah. Listen, Kanji. Uh, will you do me a favor? Can you, sort of, you know; make sure no one bothers us for a few more hours? We just got up and we’ve got some stuff to do. We’ll come down later today, okay?”
“Oh, sure! I’ll make sure no one goes up to pester you! No problem!” Kanji grinned.
“Yeah, thanks, Kanji,” Goh replied as he turned and quickly made his way back up the stairs.
Well, that wasn’t too painful. He’d managed to avoid Tsunuga and being swept into a larger conversation with anyone. Sure, he had to promise to come back down later today, sort of ruining his plans to force Taki back into bed for the rest of the day, but that was an unrealistic goal to begin with. Right now, though, all he had to focus on was dealing with his lover’s “mood” this morning.
Taki was sitting on the couch finishing his breakfast when Goh came back in quietly sipping his coffee. Taki hadn’t cleared the bowls because he wasn’t sure if Goh wanted to pick at his rice any more or not. His lover didn’t seem to have much of an appetite this morning. He did this when he was sulking, which meant he actually was upset about waking up alone and would probably try to bed him again right now.
“What took you so long? I was getting worried.” Taki broke the silence this time.
“Oh, I ran into Kanji. You know how he can’t just keep his flap shut and hand you a cup of coffee,” Goh said as he sat down. He placed the cup on the table and picked up his chopsticks, but all he did with them was push some of the rice around in the bowl.
“Is anyone else in?” Taki asked as he watched his lover play with his food, an amused look on his face.
“Uh, no. Tsunuga’s going to be in later today,” Goh said distractedly. He hadn’t looked at Taki yet.
Taki noticed this and was further amused. Yes, Goh was being so very transparent this morning and he wondered if the other man was even aware of it. Right now he was playing at being innocent and cute, and while he succeeded in both, Taki knew it was just to get him to let his guard down. What he needed to decide was whether or not he wanted to let his guard down. Did he owe his lover an apologetic favor? Would that be an admission of guilt for this morning? How could he give Goh what he wanted without admitting fault?
But now Taki was the one who was distracted and Goh saw his chance. He dropped the chopsticks and lunged the short distance between them to capture his lover’s lips. Taki’s eyes went wide with surprise, but really, he should have expected as much. Goh managed to come at him with the old “bait and switch” ploy. Make Taki think he was playing one sideways trick and get him to over think his next move. Then, when the other man was distracted, come at him with a direct attack instead. In some things Taki was so very easy to fool.
Goh accompanied his kiss with some light groping under the bottom edge of Taki’s shirt, just barely brushing his side. Taki breathed out heavily against his lover’s kiss. He was surrendering to it, but wanted it to be clear he still objected to the ploy. Goh took this sign and smiled, breaking away only to touch Taki’s face with his free hand briefly, looking into his eyes for any hint of real resistance, finding none, and then returning to his lover’s lips gently. Before he knew it, Goh had Taki pinned under him on the cushions. He even managed to gently goad Taki’s legs up onto the couch with a light touch of his hand under the other’s upper thigh and a conditioned response to lift them.
“Not hungry then,” Taki quipped between kisses; an observation, not a question.
“Well, not for food, anyway,” Goh returned as he started to finger the other man’s shirt buttons loose.
“Mm, don’t,” Taki tried to object. “We have things to do today. I should take care of these dishes,” but Goh wasn’t listening. He already had half the buttons undone and showed no signs of slowing down. “Goh, come on,” he pleaded halfheartedly.
“Do them later,” Goh finally responded as he removed the last button and pushed the open sides of the shirt outward, exposing his lover’s gorgeous chest. He paused for a moment to enjoy the sight.
Taki tried changing tactics. “We can’t. Not on the couch. What if someone comes in?” But he was grasping by now; for reasons to stop and for his lover to continue at the same time.
“I told Kanji to leave us alone for a few hours. Besides, you almost let me on this couch once before. You owe me,” Goh reasoned while running his fingers along Taki’s now bare side.
Taki turned into the touch. “I was out of my mind that day. Goh...” Out of excuses, or rather, out of coherency after Goh began kissing down his chest, Taki surrendered to his lover’s advances. He’d draw the line later.
They were both on fire by now, desiring each other as hotly as they had their first night; only now they weren’t overwhelmed with the reality of what was happening. Goh wasn’t dumbstruck in his turnaround in luck regarding his relationship with Taki. He wasn’t half disbelieving it was actually happening, and frantically trying to make sure Taki’s first time was memorable, but not drawing it out so long that it gave the other man a chance to change his mind, or for him to wake up before being satisfied, having realized it really was a dream. Taki wasn’t worried about his choice and what it meant. He wasn’t sorrowfully looking to the next morning when he’d have to walk away from this wonderful man and this wonderful life, having just realized how important both had become to him. He also wasn’t anxious about the pleasure and pain that was to come. They’d overcome all of that, and now they could lay together like this and savor every moment in each others’ arms.
Goh, sensing Taki’s surrender, finally leaned back on his knees. He removed his tee-shirt in one swift motion, dropping it on the floor in front of the couch. Then he grasped Taki’s open shirt to lightly goad him into leaning forward as well. When Taki complied, Goh stripped him of it. He then took a moment to reward the other man with a brief kiss.
Taki, now thoroughly decided on the matter, returned the kiss with another, more passionate one. He took Goh by the shoulder and pulled him back down on top of himself. When their chests touched they both moaned and the kiss deepened further; each man grabbing at the sides of the other’s head and pulling him ever closer. Two men having sex as equals was a new experience for both of them. The passion was nearly overwhelming.
For Goh, having Taki, a newcomer to this kind of lovemaking, take the lead and even initiate on occasion was very arousing. He always chose his lovers based on their willingness to let him have his own way, but Taki was a challenge and this new and different situation was not at all unpleasant, as he had imagined it might be. What Taki lacked in experience with men, he made up for in determination, and like in everything else he shared with Goh, he was intent on giving and taking equally, and that included pleasure.
So, when Taki took the opportunity to unbutton the other man's pants, Goh nearly lost it. He groaned into the now open-mouth kiss and fumbled to return the favor to Taki’s pants. He even managed to one-up his lover by grabbing at the sides of Taki’s now unzipped jeans and pulling them down several inches. He couldn’t get them much father down because of the position they were both lying in, but he could now get his hand into their front to feel his lover’s heat.
Taki bucked into the contact, having momentarily abandoned his own attempts at further arousing the other. When Goh accompanied the touch by reinitiating his journey down the other man’s chest with his mouth, Taki leaned his head back and arched into the touch, moaning his lover’s name softly.
One hand still grasping at his lover’s groin, Goh took his other and began to finger Taki’s nipples teasingly. When Taki began running his fingertips down the other’s back, Goh decided he very much wanted to move things forward faster now. He readjusted his position higher again, pressing his straining erection into Taki’s thigh.
He broke his long silence with, “Taki...” Taki knew what this meant and as Goh leaned back to allow the other man to sit up a little, he pushed his pants down below his knees. Goh grabbed them from there and pulled at them as he leaned backwards himself until they finally came free. They were added to the pile on the floor.
Goh was glad for the ease in all of this. Taki hadn’t bothered to put shoes on yet, and he had removed his own before he came back into the living room. In addition, Taki wasn’t wearing underwear this morning. If Goh weren’t occupying his mouth on Taki’s erection right now he’d have thanked him.
Taki, whose hand was tangled in Goh’s hair, momentarily reflected upon the fine line between pleasure and pain as he tried not to writhe in the pleasure, but it didn’t last as long as he would have liked. Goh, impatient to take things even farther, pulled away, looking at him fervently. Taki recognized the hot look in the other's eyes right away. It meant he wanted to be a bit more aggressive this morning and that meant he had to turn around. It was probably to be expected. Not only was the issue from this morning hanging over him, but so was the issue from the last time Goh pursued him on this couch. He needed to assert some dominance, and really, Taki was fine with that. He'd found he wasn't nearly as uncomfortable with the position as he thought he would be. Not with this lover. His partner. His first and only man. His first and only love.
Taki took Goh’s face in one hand, sharpening his own gaze in wordless understanding and the two then engaged in the tricky task of readjusting their positions. Goh wouldn’t let go of Taki’s hips and when the other man finally managed to turn around on his hands and knees he leaned over him swiftly, took Taki’s shoulder into his mouth and wrapped one arm around his chest, breathing heavily. Without breaking that contact he took two items from his back pocket and laid them down on the table as he moved one of his legs between Taki’s.
Taki, focusing on those items, rolled his eyes and laughed. “I can’t believe you sometimes.”
“Don’t complain. You should be grateful I’m prepared,” Goh replied distractedly. He was trying to undo the cap on the lube with one hand as it lay there; the other now groping at his lover’s nipple. He finally managed to get it open and squeezed a little onto his fingers, impressively all one-handed. He then abandoned Taki’s back and chest as he wasted no time putting it to use.
One finger slid into his lover easily and was soon joined by a second. They worked quickly and efficiently, spreading and stretching Taki until he was leaning backwards into the touch and whimpering.
Goh knew he was ready and pulled back one more time to pull his own pants down. He didn’t have the patience to take them off completely and it would invariably require him to remove his proximity to Taki and that was not an option at all right now, so they didn’t go far; just enough not to be in the way. He then grabbed the condom off the table and quickly unwrapped it, wiping what excess lube was left from his hands on it as he applied it to his body.
Taking Taki’s hips he positioned himself quickly and unable to contain himself any longer, thrust forward. Once seated, both men groaned and he paused to savor the tight hotness of his lover. This couldn’t last long, though, because his imperative drove him into a swift pace.
His thrusts were quick, but not without some force. Taki rocked forward and back, meeting his lover on every stroke. They were both sweating and the sound of their panting breaths filled the room.
This position afforded Goh the ability to find Taki’s sweet spot easily and as he began hitting it over and over again Taki’s breath grew more ragged. “Nnh. Goh... I don’t want to make a mess on the couch...”
“Oh, that’s easy,” Goh replied deliriously as he pushed them both downwards so they were now laying flat on the couch. Without breaking his pace significantly he reached downward and grabbed the first soft article of clothing he could find. He then pulled his lover upwards slightly with his free arm and placed it between his now weeping erection and the cushion.
“Mnh... not... my shirt,” Taki moaned between breaths. “It’s my last... clean one.”
“Don't worry, you can wear one of mine.” Goh then took Taki’s penis in his hand and began the final climb to the height of their lovemaking. He quickened his pace further and matched that pace with his hand.
Taki, unable to contain the now double stimulation from his lover, came first with a soft cry. Goh wasn’t far behind him and with a few more desperate thrusts came as well. If they hadn’t already been lying down they would have collapsed.
After a moment of breath catching, Goh leaned back to allow his lover to position himself more comfortably. Taki used this opportunity to roll over onto his back, tossing the now soiled shirt back onto the pile on the floor. Goh then collapsed downward, avoiding crushing his lover by directing his fall to the side.
The two men now lay on the couch in their shared afterglow. It wasn’t a particularly small couch, but it was tight with two grown men nestled on it. Goh lay partially on his lover, with his head resting on the other man’s chest and his back to the window. Taki ran the fingers of one hand lightly through Goh’s hair. They quietly stayed this way for several minutes.
Of all the things that either man could break the silence with, this time it was, “Let’s get a cat.”
“...A what,” Taki asked, disbelieving that his lover had actually just said that.
“A cat. Or a kitten. Kittens are more fun,” Goh replied softly. He seemed almost like he was ready to doze off, but he was gently rubbing Taki’s free forearm with the hand that wasn’t trapped between them.
“Where did this come from?” Taki queried. Seriously, sometimes Goh was just too random for words.
“I don’t know. I just sort of want a cat. We’re a couple. Couples have pets. Let’s get a kitten,” Goh reasoned.
Taki was suddenly struck with an amusing thought, and couldn’t help himself from taking the jab at his lover. “Goh? Are you...nesting?”
“Shut up! I just want a cat, okay? Do I need a reason?” Goh freed his trapped arm at this and propped himself up to look at his lover, but seeing the amused yet loving look on Taki’s face melted any real anger Goh might have felt about the comment.
Taki returned his fallen hand to Goh’s hair, reassuring him. “I just thought you’d be more of a dog person. Aren’t cats like the ‘women’ of the animal kingdom?”
“No way. Dogs are the ones who are too much work. You have to feed them and exercise them and walk them and clean up after them. Way high maintenance; like women.”
“Mm,” Taki humored his lover. “But I seem to know this guy who spends hours in the bathroom every morning and changes his outfits several times before deciding on something to wear for the day...”
“That’s totally different,” Goh defended.
“Oh, is it?” Taki teased.
“Yeah. Dogs are loud, and they smell...”
“Women don’t smell,” Taki laughed.
“I’ll take your word for it,” Goh replied as he dropped his head back down on Taki’s chest.
“Mhm,” Taki responded, still a twinge of amusement in his voice.
“Shut up,” Goh sighed, feeling a bit embarrassed about bringing it up now.
They lay quietly again for a moment as Taki pondered how to revoice his reaction to Goh’s sudden interest in adoption. “Can we talk about this later? We need to do laundry. That was my last clean shirt, you know.”
“I told you, you can wear one of mine,” Goh replied as he reached forward on the table, nudging one of the chopsticks with his finger.
“And I need to do the dishes,” Taki said as he turned his attention to the table as well. “And you need to shower,” he said as he looked back down at the two of them. “Tsk. And I need to shower again,” but he was speaking more to himself at this point.
“My coffee is cold,” Goh said distractedly. “Hey, let’s get Mari a kitten then. Kids love kittens,” he offered as he returned his attention back to the couch, finally.
“Would you stop it about the kitten already?” Taki laughed, exasperated.
Goh lifted his head again, smiling. “Come on. Everybody likes kittens. Anyway, they practically take care of themselves. All we’d have to do is change a box every once in a while. They even catch mice.”
“We don’t have a mouse problem,” Taki argued.
“No, but maybe Tsunuga does downstairs. He runs a cafe, there could be mice or something down there.”
“You’re not going to give up about this, are you?” Taki laughed once more. “Really want to make this place a ‘home’ for the two of us, do you?”
“Hey, what about you? Making a traditional Japanese breakfast? We never have miso and rice,” Goh tried to jab back.
“Exactly. That’s why it was the only food that was left in the kitchen. What’s your excuse?” Taki countered.
“Sex makes me hazy and weird?” Goh offered.
Taki chuckled and leaned forward to kiss the man. Weird indeed. He thought maybe this morning wasn’t a total loss. They ate, made love, made pleasant, yet strange, conversation and could now very easily get to task about their day. Right now, though, he thought lying here like this for a few more minutes was okay. Goh agreed with a hum against Taki’s lips and they embraced as the sun slowly rose on their first morning home.
Fandom: Yellow
Length: 5515
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Spoilers for all of the manga.
Summary: Taki and Goh return from their honeymoon and settle back into their job as snatchers, but happily-ever-afters are stories for fairy tales and the two men still have a long way to go in their relationship.
Notes: This idea sprang from something I remember reading after volume 1's release. Someone at that time had suggested that the correct way for this relationship to come to fruition was for the two men to "switch." At the time I had agreed, but since then Taki had been set up to become the uke in the relationship rather decidedly and I abandoned the idea of its plausibility. This is my attempt to work through this concept. Could it ever work and if so, how? Anyway, this story is indeed the followup to In Their Own Words. There are going to be two versions: the "full" version, which I am posting first and an "edited" version which I will post next for anyone who does not want to read the graphic yaoi content. Please enjoy.
Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for Goh's randomness at the end of this chapter. Yellow is owned by Makoto Tateno; I'm just borrowing it so I can make myself feel better about the plotholes...
Morning
Taki and Goh sat quietly down to breakfast. They had just arrived back home the previous night, so late that they hadn’t even bothered to check in downstairs. They’d go down and see Tsunuga about work later today, catch up with Kanji and Mimi and feel their way back into their old routine.
Taki had been the first one up, and being that there was virtually no food in the apartment, had cooked up some rice and plain miso soup. He’d go out later to buy groceries, but since Goh still seemed to be edgy about them being apart, hadn’t wanted to leave the apartment while the other man was still in bed. Goh finally joined him in the living room about an hour after Taki had gotten up. He had either been roused by the noise Taki was making and the smell of the first traditional Japanese meal they will have consumed since leaving Japan, or more likely, by the fact that he had awoken to an empty bed. Taki seemed to have a knack for only being heard when he wanted to be, and it unnerved Goh, who had otherwise thought himself a very alert person. It wasn’t that he truly believed the other man would be gone, but he felt he needed the reassurance of seeing his partner and lover first thing in the morning. They didn’t even need to speak, just sitting next to each other on the couch, like now, was enough for him.
There was still a lot of silence shared between them. While they had been away it hadn’t really been an issue. The distractions a vacation afforded filled that void nicely. Even the long passionate nights only had to be filled in short breaks between lovemaking, and generally consisted of making plans for the next day, or discussing that day’s events.
Little discussion of the future of their relationship had occurred; both men seeming not to want to delve into that topic too deeply. It was still too new for both of them. Goh in particular seemed to not want to consider the prospect of their return to Japan. He’d managed to turn their two week tagalong with Goh’s magic teacher on his cruise liner gig to Australia into nearly a month more of touring Europe and America. He had said they weren’t finished until they had circled the globe, and they had.
The final flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo was long and tiring, especially after Goh insisted Taki join him in the “mile high” club; a prospect Taki had resisted with much force, but ultimately relented after an unfortunate incident with a flirty flight attendant made him feel obligated to sate his lover; again. It seemed wherever they had gone there was some woman willing to throw herself at Taki’s feet. It would have been funny if Goh were a less jealous man or Taki willing to rebuff their advances more coldly. It invariably ended with Goh stubbornly sulking, and Taki coaxing him out of it by initiating sex. They’d very nearly been caught in that airplane bathroom. If it were not for that “understanding” male flight attendant who covered for them they would have, not that Goh seemed to mind either way. He’d been exuding an aura of, “Taki is mine and I want everyone to know about it,” for months; much longer than the duration of their relationship.
It seemed so long ago, but really, they had only been gone about six weeks; less than two months since they had become lovers. Maybe it felt longer for both of them because they had been together for that year previous, and in love with each other for some time before either man had acted on his feelings, or even really acknowledged them.
They had settled into Taki’s room last night. This had happened more as coincidence than in any conscious choice by either man. When they had returned, Taki had gone into his room to unpack. He hadn’t really had the opportunity to do so before they had left, as Goh had “kept him busy” and then swept them away just a few days after his initial return to their home, not to mention his healing injuries and fatigue at the time. The physical wounds healed weeks earlier and Goh, eager to consummate in their “newlywed” homestead after the long flight had followed him into the room. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out how the night had gone after that.
Goh stood in the doorway to the living room watching as his lover set the bowls and chopsticks down. Taki was already dressed in some tight jeans and a button down sleeveless shirt, untucked from the pants. He always managed to look good, no matter the simplicity of the outfit. Goh had only managed to slip his pants from last night back on. His hair was still tousled, though the way it was usually styled it was hard to tell. When Taki finally turned and saw him in the doorway Goh smiled and said, “You’re up early,” the subtext apparent. Why did you get out of bed?
Taki replied, “I made breakfast.” His subtext was annoyed. I had to get up first because I didn’t want to lose a whole day in bed because of you; again.
Goh responded to this with a smile and leaned against the jamb, crossing his arms. He finally replied, “I can see that.” Don’t be a prude.
Taki walked over to the other man and kissed him lightly. “Do you want to shower first?” I know what you want and I am changing the subject.
“Do you want to join me?” Goh’s quick reply was accompanied by a light grab of Taki’s hips. I’m not going to let you change the subject.
“I already showered this morning.” Taki broke away to return to the couch. Go take a cold shower.
“I didn’t mean for a shower,” Goh teased, following and grabbing him from behind. He'd abandoned subtext in favor of a more direct approach.
“Stop it,” Taki replied, but he was being more playful than annoyed.
When Goh nuzzled his neck Taki closed his eyes; part resisting, part savoring. “Don’t you ever get enough?”
“Of you? Never.” Goh smiled again. His eyes lit mischievously as he spoke, “I’ll eat first. After all, my lovely wife cooked our first breakfast home together,” and released him, finally.
Taki was a little annoyed by this. “Cut that out. I made breakfast because I was hungry. You’re just lucky I made enough for both of us.”
Goh couldn’t pass up the chance to tease further. “Sure, I get it. You need to show your love with food. It’s okay. I understand,” to which Taki sighed impatiently and gave him a look. Goh laughed at this and they finally sat down, in silence; each pondering his next move.
Taki was getting better at reading Goh’s moods, but it seemed he still had work to do to understand his lover’s motivations. He knew Goh was uncomfortable about waking up to an empty bed, but he wasn’t willing to cede any fault for leaving to make breakfast. Sure, breakfast was an excuse, but still. Goh should understand that all that clinging is very uncomfortable for him. He also needed to set limits or they’d never get anything done. He’d admit the sex was great, but there were things like shopping and work and seeing their friends that they needed to consider. Taki hated being the responsible one.
Goh needed to figure out how to a) get Taki to sleep with him again before they did anything else today and b) try to do as little of anything else today as possible. He could tell that Taki was interested. He hadn’t gotten angry with the usual come-ons, but he seemed preoccupied with the idea of getting back to their old life, and Goh really wasn’t ready for that just yet. It wasn’t that he was uninterested in getting back to their job as snatchers, he just felt uneasy returning to a routine that had previously been devoid of their romantic relationship.
He wasn’t worried that it would end like it did with Kei. There were many unrelated issues concerning that particular relationship that this one did not suffer, not the least of which was the fact that he really was deeply in love this time. There were “other things” that he was concerned about. Though, he wasn’t really ready to even so much as acknowledge them right now, especially not at this early hour when he hadn’t even had a cup of-
“Is their coffee?” Goh's attention snapped back to reality. He couldn't help but feel a little awkward breaking the silence with a question like that, but then again, he still wasn't fully awake yet. The hour was early and the night had been very satisfyingly late. He needed some coffee, which brought his attention yet again back from its attempt at wandering away.
“We don’t have any. I’ll go downstairs and get some,” Taki said as he started to stand.
“That’s okay. I’ll get it myself,” Goh replied quickly. “You cooked, so I’ll get the coffee.” He stood then and hurried to the task himself.
“Uh, you might want to put a shirt on.” Taki looked on after his bare-chested lover.
“Oh, yeah.” Goh redirected his path to his room to acquire something more suitable for being seen in public, however briefly.
“And some shoes...” Taki called after him as Goh disappeared down the hall to his room.
Taki sat back and sighed. Awkward was an understatement this morning. Goh was definitely trying to keep him from seeing anyone else right now. How selfish, but that was typical of the other man. Taki had come to accept Goh’s jealousies, and to a point tolerated his little attempts at keeping his attentions fixed at home. He hadn’t quite found the balance between giving in and holding ground yet, though. He either risked spoiling his lover or unintentionally hurting him emotionally. If Goh were like any other of his sexual partners up until now, he would have long since gotten bored with the clinging and moved on. Having to stay and deal with the realities of not only having a steady lover, but a man, and not only that, but living with him, was a lot to take in, and all at once was even harder. Love was indeed a very difficult new reality for Taki.
Goh was halfway down the stairs before he realized that he hadn’t asked Taki if he wanted any coffee. He had assumed the other man wouldn’t, since he hadn’t gotten any himself before Goh had come in. Taki wasn’t the type to go without something he wanted, or rely on someone else to bring it to him. Goh played with the idea of bringing some anyway, but ultimately chose to keep his visit to Roost as brief as possible. The longer he stayed the more likely he was going to have to talk to everyone, and what he really wanted right now was to be alone with his lover for a few more blessedly quiet hours. In fact, he was beginning to rethink his entire decision to come down here at all, and cursing his big mouth and its going off and saying anything about coffee in the first place. Well, it wasn’t really his mouth’s fault, it was his brain, which didn’t want to function yet without any caffeine, and forcing him to having almost sent Taki downstairs with an excuse to talk to Tsunuga. Well, actually, it was Taki’s fault for denying him the stimulation he really had wanted this morning, making his brain tell his mouth to start asking about coffee. So, in all honesty, this whole trouble started in his groin, where it usually did. Damn it.
He was about to turn around and head back upstairs with some kind of half-considered excuse about Roost not being open or being out of coffee themselves when the door opened and Kanji walked through in an apron and carrying a broom. He seemed very focused on his task until he caught sight of Goh.
“Goh! You’re back! Is Taki upstairs? How was your trip? When did you get in?”
Goh had to cut him off before he woke everyone else in the neighborhood. “Kanji, pipe down. It’s too early for that.”
“Oh, sorry, sorry.” He tried to apologize with the smallest voice he could manage, but failed to maintain it just about right away. “It’s just, you know, really excited to see you guys are back!”
“Yeah, yeah, uh, is anyone else in yet?” Goh needed to change the subject quickly.
“Oh, nope. Just me until the owner comes in, in another half hour. He’s working shorter hours these days. Wants to spend more time with his daughter,” Kanji started babbling again.
Goh just wanted to get what he came for and get back upstairs and away from Mr. Chatty as quickly as possible. “Good. Uh, is there coffee?”
“Oh, yeah! Mine isn’t as good as the owner’s, but I have some ready! I’ll go get a cup for you!” Kanji replied excitedly.
“Yeah, keep it down. We got in really late last night.” Goh tried lowering his own volume in an attempt to help Kanji focus his lower.
“Oh! Sorry!” Kanji did his best interpretation of a whisper and hurried to get some coffee. He returned soon after with the cup and handed it to Goh, who took it as briskly as possible and not seem rude.
Unfortunately for Goh, Kanji was not particularly receptive to subtlety. “So, I’ll tell the owner you guys are back when he gets in! I bet there’s work for you. Mimi will be excited to see you, too!”
Goh needed to take care of this right away, or there’d be no telling who ruined his morning plans. “Uh, yeah. Listen, Kanji. Uh, will you do me a favor? Can you, sort of, you know; make sure no one bothers us for a few more hours? We just got up and we’ve got some stuff to do. We’ll come down later today, okay?”
“Oh, sure! I’ll make sure no one goes up to pester you! No problem!” Kanji grinned.
“Yeah, thanks, Kanji,” Goh replied as he turned and quickly made his way back up the stairs.
Well, that wasn’t too painful. He’d managed to avoid Tsunuga and being swept into a larger conversation with anyone. Sure, he had to promise to come back down later today, sort of ruining his plans to force Taki back into bed for the rest of the day, but that was an unrealistic goal to begin with. Right now, though, all he had to focus on was dealing with his lover’s “mood” this morning.
Taki was sitting on the couch finishing his breakfast when Goh came back in quietly sipping his coffee. Taki hadn’t cleared the bowls because he wasn’t sure if Goh wanted to pick at his rice any more or not. His lover didn’t seem to have much of an appetite this morning. He did this when he was sulking, which meant he actually was upset about waking up alone and would probably try to bed him again right now.
“What took you so long? I was getting worried.” Taki broke the silence this time.
“Oh, I ran into Kanji. You know how he can’t just keep his flap shut and hand you a cup of coffee,” Goh said as he sat down. He placed the cup on the table and picked up his chopsticks, but all he did with them was push some of the rice around in the bowl.
“Is anyone else in?” Taki asked as he watched his lover play with his food, an amused look on his face.
“Uh, no. Tsunuga’s going to be in later today,” Goh said distractedly. He hadn’t looked at Taki yet.
Taki noticed this and was further amused. Yes, Goh was being so very transparent this morning and he wondered if the other man was even aware of it. Right now he was playing at being innocent and cute, and while he succeeded in both, Taki knew it was just to get him to let his guard down. What he needed to decide was whether or not he wanted to let his guard down. Did he owe his lover an apologetic favor? Would that be an admission of guilt for this morning? How could he give Goh what he wanted without admitting fault?
But now Taki was the one who was distracted and Goh saw his chance. He dropped the chopsticks and lunged the short distance between them to capture his lover’s lips. Taki’s eyes went wide with surprise, but really, he should have expected as much. Goh managed to come at him with the old “bait and switch” ploy. Make Taki think he was playing one sideways trick and get him to over think his next move. Then, when the other man was distracted, come at him with a direct attack instead. In some things Taki was so very easy to fool.
Goh accompanied his kiss with some light groping under the bottom edge of Taki’s shirt, just barely brushing his side. Taki breathed out heavily against his lover’s kiss. He was surrendering to it, but wanted it to be clear he still objected to the ploy. Goh took this sign and smiled, breaking away only to touch Taki’s face with his free hand briefly, looking into his eyes for any hint of real resistance, finding none, and then returning to his lover’s lips gently. Before he knew it, Goh had Taki pinned under him on the cushions. He even managed to gently goad Taki’s legs up onto the couch with a light touch of his hand under the other’s upper thigh and a conditioned response to lift them.
“Not hungry then,” Taki quipped between kisses; an observation, not a question.
“Well, not for food, anyway,” Goh returned as he started to finger the other man’s shirt buttons loose.
“Mm, don’t,” Taki tried to object. “We have things to do today. I should take care of these dishes,” but Goh wasn’t listening. He already had half the buttons undone and showed no signs of slowing down. “Goh, come on,” he pleaded halfheartedly.
“Do them later,” Goh finally responded as he removed the last button and pushed the open sides of the shirt outward, exposing his lover’s gorgeous chest. He paused for a moment to enjoy the sight.
Taki tried changing tactics. “We can’t. Not on the couch. What if someone comes in?” But he was grasping by now; for reasons to stop and for his lover to continue at the same time.
“I told Kanji to leave us alone for a few hours. Besides, you almost let me on this couch once before. You owe me,” Goh reasoned while running his fingers along Taki’s now bare side.
Taki turned into the touch. “I was out of my mind that day. Goh...” Out of excuses, or rather, out of coherency after Goh began kissing down his chest, Taki surrendered to his lover’s advances. He’d draw the line later.
They were both on fire by now, desiring each other as hotly as they had their first night; only now they weren’t overwhelmed with the reality of what was happening. Goh wasn’t dumbstruck in his turnaround in luck regarding his relationship with Taki. He wasn’t half disbelieving it was actually happening, and frantically trying to make sure Taki’s first time was memorable, but not drawing it out so long that it gave the other man a chance to change his mind, or for him to wake up before being satisfied, having realized it really was a dream. Taki wasn’t worried about his choice and what it meant. He wasn’t sorrowfully looking to the next morning when he’d have to walk away from this wonderful man and this wonderful life, having just realized how important both had become to him. He also wasn’t anxious about the pleasure and pain that was to come. They’d overcome all of that, and now they could lay together like this and savor every moment in each others’ arms.
Goh, sensing Taki’s surrender, finally leaned back on his knees. He removed his tee-shirt in one swift motion, dropping it on the floor in front of the couch. Then he grasped Taki’s open shirt to lightly goad him into leaning forward as well. When Taki complied, Goh stripped him of it. He then took a moment to reward the other man with a brief kiss.
Taki, now thoroughly decided on the matter, returned the kiss with another, more passionate one. He took Goh by the shoulder and pulled him back down on top of himself. When their chests touched they both moaned and the kiss deepened further; each man grabbing at the sides of the other’s head and pulling him ever closer. Two men having sex as equals was a new experience for both of them. The passion was nearly overwhelming.
For Goh, having Taki, a newcomer to this kind of lovemaking, take the lead and even initiate on occasion was very arousing. He always chose his lovers based on their willingness to let him have his own way, but Taki was a challenge and this new and different situation was not at all unpleasant, as he had imagined it might be. What Taki lacked in experience with men, he made up for in determination, and like in everything else he shared with Goh, he was intent on giving and taking equally, and that included pleasure.
So, when Taki took the opportunity to unbutton the other man's pants, Goh nearly lost it. He groaned into the now open-mouth kiss and fumbled to return the favor to Taki’s pants. He even managed to one-up his lover by grabbing at the sides of Taki’s now unzipped jeans and pulling them down several inches. He couldn’t get them much father down because of the position they were both lying in, but he could now get his hand into their front to feel his lover’s heat.
Taki bucked into the contact, having momentarily abandoned his own attempts at further arousing the other. When Goh accompanied the touch by reinitiating his journey down the other man’s chest with his mouth, Taki leaned his head back and arched into the touch, moaning his lover’s name softly.
One hand still grasping at his lover’s groin, Goh took his other and began to finger Taki’s nipples teasingly. When Taki began running his fingertips down the other’s back, Goh decided he very much wanted to move things forward faster now. He readjusted his position higher again, pressing his straining erection into Taki’s thigh.
He broke his long silence with, “Taki...” Taki knew what this meant and as Goh leaned back to allow the other man to sit up a little, he pushed his pants down below his knees. Goh grabbed them from there and pulled at them as he leaned backwards himself until they finally came free. They were added to the pile on the floor.
Goh was glad for the ease in all of this. Taki hadn’t bothered to put shoes on yet, and he had removed his own before he came back into the living room. In addition, Taki wasn’t wearing underwear this morning. If Goh weren’t occupying his mouth on Taki’s erection right now he’d have thanked him.
Taki, whose hand was tangled in Goh’s hair, momentarily reflected upon the fine line between pleasure and pain as he tried not to writhe in the pleasure, but it didn’t last as long as he would have liked. Goh, impatient to take things even farther, pulled away, looking at him fervently. Taki recognized the hot look in the other's eyes right away. It meant he wanted to be a bit more aggressive this morning and that meant he had to turn around. It was probably to be expected. Not only was the issue from this morning hanging over him, but so was the issue from the last time Goh pursued him on this couch. He needed to assert some dominance, and really, Taki was fine with that. He'd found he wasn't nearly as uncomfortable with the position as he thought he would be. Not with this lover. His partner. His first and only man. His first and only love.
Taki took Goh’s face in one hand, sharpening his own gaze in wordless understanding and the two then engaged in the tricky task of readjusting their positions. Goh wouldn’t let go of Taki’s hips and when the other man finally managed to turn around on his hands and knees he leaned over him swiftly, took Taki’s shoulder into his mouth and wrapped one arm around his chest, breathing heavily. Without breaking that contact he took two items from his back pocket and laid them down on the table as he moved one of his legs between Taki’s.
Taki, focusing on those items, rolled his eyes and laughed. “I can’t believe you sometimes.”
“Don’t complain. You should be grateful I’m prepared,” Goh replied distractedly. He was trying to undo the cap on the lube with one hand as it lay there; the other now groping at his lover’s nipple. He finally managed to get it open and squeezed a little onto his fingers, impressively all one-handed. He then abandoned Taki’s back and chest as he wasted no time putting it to use.
One finger slid into his lover easily and was soon joined by a second. They worked quickly and efficiently, spreading and stretching Taki until he was leaning backwards into the touch and whimpering.
Goh knew he was ready and pulled back one more time to pull his own pants down. He didn’t have the patience to take them off completely and it would invariably require him to remove his proximity to Taki and that was not an option at all right now, so they didn’t go far; just enough not to be in the way. He then grabbed the condom off the table and quickly unwrapped it, wiping what excess lube was left from his hands on it as he applied it to his body.
Taking Taki’s hips he positioned himself quickly and unable to contain himself any longer, thrust forward. Once seated, both men groaned and he paused to savor the tight hotness of his lover. This couldn’t last long, though, because his imperative drove him into a swift pace.
His thrusts were quick, but not without some force. Taki rocked forward and back, meeting his lover on every stroke. They were both sweating and the sound of their panting breaths filled the room.
This position afforded Goh the ability to find Taki’s sweet spot easily and as he began hitting it over and over again Taki’s breath grew more ragged. “Nnh. Goh... I don’t want to make a mess on the couch...”
“Oh, that’s easy,” Goh replied deliriously as he pushed them both downwards so they were now laying flat on the couch. Without breaking his pace significantly he reached downward and grabbed the first soft article of clothing he could find. He then pulled his lover upwards slightly with his free arm and placed it between his now weeping erection and the cushion.
“Mnh... not... my shirt,” Taki moaned between breaths. “It’s my last... clean one.”
“Don't worry, you can wear one of mine.” Goh then took Taki’s penis in his hand and began the final climb to the height of their lovemaking. He quickened his pace further and matched that pace with his hand.
Taki, unable to contain the now double stimulation from his lover, came first with a soft cry. Goh wasn’t far behind him and with a few more desperate thrusts came as well. If they hadn’t already been lying down they would have collapsed.
After a moment of breath catching, Goh leaned back to allow his lover to position himself more comfortably. Taki used this opportunity to roll over onto his back, tossing the now soiled shirt back onto the pile on the floor. Goh then collapsed downward, avoiding crushing his lover by directing his fall to the side.
The two men now lay on the couch in their shared afterglow. It wasn’t a particularly small couch, but it was tight with two grown men nestled on it. Goh lay partially on his lover, with his head resting on the other man’s chest and his back to the window. Taki ran the fingers of one hand lightly through Goh’s hair. They quietly stayed this way for several minutes.
Of all the things that either man could break the silence with, this time it was, “Let’s get a cat.”
“...A what,” Taki asked, disbelieving that his lover had actually just said that.
“A cat. Or a kitten. Kittens are more fun,” Goh replied softly. He seemed almost like he was ready to doze off, but he was gently rubbing Taki’s free forearm with the hand that wasn’t trapped between them.
“Where did this come from?” Taki queried. Seriously, sometimes Goh was just too random for words.
“I don’t know. I just sort of want a cat. We’re a couple. Couples have pets. Let’s get a kitten,” Goh reasoned.
Taki was suddenly struck with an amusing thought, and couldn’t help himself from taking the jab at his lover. “Goh? Are you...nesting?”
“Shut up! I just want a cat, okay? Do I need a reason?” Goh freed his trapped arm at this and propped himself up to look at his lover, but seeing the amused yet loving look on Taki’s face melted any real anger Goh might have felt about the comment.
Taki returned his fallen hand to Goh’s hair, reassuring him. “I just thought you’d be more of a dog person. Aren’t cats like the ‘women’ of the animal kingdom?”
“No way. Dogs are the ones who are too much work. You have to feed them and exercise them and walk them and clean up after them. Way high maintenance; like women.”
“Mm,” Taki humored his lover. “But I seem to know this guy who spends hours in the bathroom every morning and changes his outfits several times before deciding on something to wear for the day...”
“That’s totally different,” Goh defended.
“Oh, is it?” Taki teased.
“Yeah. Dogs are loud, and they smell...”
“Women don’t smell,” Taki laughed.
“I’ll take your word for it,” Goh replied as he dropped his head back down on Taki’s chest.
“Mhm,” Taki responded, still a twinge of amusement in his voice.
“Shut up,” Goh sighed, feeling a bit embarrassed about bringing it up now.
They lay quietly again for a moment as Taki pondered how to revoice his reaction to Goh’s sudden interest in adoption. “Can we talk about this later? We need to do laundry. That was my last clean shirt, you know.”
“I told you, you can wear one of mine,” Goh replied as he reached forward on the table, nudging one of the chopsticks with his finger.
“And I need to do the dishes,” Taki said as he turned his attention to the table as well. “And you need to shower,” he said as he looked back down at the two of them. “Tsk. And I need to shower again,” but he was speaking more to himself at this point.
“My coffee is cold,” Goh said distractedly. “Hey, let’s get Mari a kitten then. Kids love kittens,” he offered as he returned his attention back to the couch, finally.
“Would you stop it about the kitten already?” Taki laughed, exasperated.
Goh lifted his head again, smiling. “Come on. Everybody likes kittens. Anyway, they practically take care of themselves. All we’d have to do is change a box every once in a while. They even catch mice.”
“We don’t have a mouse problem,” Taki argued.
“No, but maybe Tsunuga does downstairs. He runs a cafe, there could be mice or something down there.”
“You’re not going to give up about this, are you?” Taki laughed once more. “Really want to make this place a ‘home’ for the two of us, do you?”
“Hey, what about you? Making a traditional Japanese breakfast? We never have miso and rice,” Goh tried to jab back.
“Exactly. That’s why it was the only food that was left in the kitchen. What’s your excuse?” Taki countered.
“Sex makes me hazy and weird?” Goh offered.
Taki chuckled and leaned forward to kiss the man. Weird indeed. He thought maybe this morning wasn’t a total loss. They ate, made love, made pleasant, yet strange, conversation and could now very easily get to task about their day. Right now, though, he thought lying here like this for a few more minutes was okay. Goh agreed with a hum against Taki’s lips and they embraced as the sun slowly rose on their first morning home.
