So, do you like him? (ART)

"It looks like you messed up," Ayumi stated with a smirk as their yakuza friend walked away when his roommate couldn't respond to him. The redhead seemed happy when she followed him to the private area with a sultry smile on her lips.

"What do you mean?" Natsuo asked, suddenly feeling hollow and lost as he watched his housemate disappear.

Ayumi sighed.

"Our friend isn't trying to go against nature's norms, he just wants to be true to himself."

Natsuo frowned a bit, not understanding what she meant.

She leaned closer and lowered her voice to a whisper.

"To him, love isn't based on gender, so he doesn't care if the person is a man or a woman - or anything in between."

His mouth dropped open in shock - for a moment nothing ran through his mind and the world around him abruptly fell silent.

"So what you are saying is... he also likes..." he stammered, but couldn't finish his sentence as realization dawned on him.

"He told me it didn't matter what his partner had between their legs or who they were, as long as they were happy and in love," Ayumi laughed lightly and observed the other thoughtfully.

The teal-haired man lowered his face, hoping she wouldn't notice his red cheeks and poke fun at him.

"I mean, he is quite handsome, loyal, and kind. He is rich and will do whatever it takes for his loved ones. What's not to like?" the young woman chuckled, then continued in a hushed voice.

"So, do you like him? More than just a friend? I don't judge you."

Her words lingered in the air around them, reminding him of what he had been thinking all along but was too scared to admit. His shoulders slumped and his eyes dimmed as he finally accepted reality with a melancholic expression.

He nodded slightly, hardly noticeable, and whispered back.

"I... think so..."

"Well, let's catch him so you can say that," Ayumi declared and grabbed the young man's wrist.

Natsuo shook his head, refusing to make things worse.

After months of awkwardness, avoiding Jiro's eyes and stilted conversation, his friendship with the man gradually began to feel more natural. They talked more easily, even made jokes, and teased one another like true friends. Obviously, he didn't want to ruin all that by confessing his hidden feelings and disturbing their delicate relationship that had just begun.

"No, I don't want to mess things up," he murmured.

"What? No, you have to do it!" Ayumi snapped, trying to pull the other one out of his uncertain thoughts, but noticing how the teal-haired man was almost shaking, she sighed and softened her voice.

"Well, at least tell him you aren't as closed-minded as you implied."

"H-how?" Natsuo asked timidly.

"Take the stairs up to the patio. Let me handle the rest," she winked at him before shoving him forward with a twinkle in her eye.

(A while later)

Natsuo entered an outdoor seating area and looked around nervously. An iron fence surrounded empty tables and chairs, but none were occupied.

The night sky was decorated with a bright moon, reflecting off the nearby, neon-lit skyscrapers. Cool air carried the faint hum of the city - the honking of car horns, the whirring of sirens, and the distant voices of people on the streets.

Then another figure showed up, standing out in the darkness with his white hair.

Natsuo got even more anxious as he realized what he had to do when the pale brown eyes met his blue ones. He shifted his weight awkwardly and felt guilty that he hadn't expressed himself more clearly.

"Look, I... I understand that biology can't explain everything when it comes to... relationships, and... and I just... I just want to set things right."

He hated how weak he sounded, so he tried to steady his voice, hoping the opposite man would understand what he meant to say.

Jiro was quiet, his brows slightly furrowed as he took in the other person's words. His lips were closed together in a line and his attention was focused on the teal-haired man before him.

"I mean," Natsuo started muttering.

"I know there are cases where animals, even wild ones, can... pair up with the... same sex. It's not like I'm trying to justify what I said, I just... I want you to understand that I'm not completely ignorant."

He paused, thinking about his next words before he spoke.

His adoptive father's stern image flashed in his mind. He had always taught him that everything was absolute and without room for interpretation, based entirely on science and without emotion. He had worked hard to instill that mentality in his son and it had been planted in him since childhood - but now he felt the need to shake that off and open himself up to something more.

"I was taught such relationships are inappropriate," he continued and let out a long breath.

"I'm sorry for what I said before... I know it was wrong and... I don't want to think that way anymore."

Natsuo remembered the times in school when he tried to act cool and collected as nothing bothered him, fearing that kind of reaction he was having right there - anxious, guilt-ridden, and exposed. It felt almost as if he was standing naked, with no armor to protect him against the embarrassment he was experiencing, caused by that particular person.

The void between them stretched on like a physical entity that threatened to rip them apart. He was tempted to run away, to escape the piercing gaze directed at him, but he was rooted to the spot by an invisible force.

The taller man took steps closer to the shorter one, still looking rather emotionless.

Natsuo's throat ached with discomfort and he had trouble breathing - it was like he was on the verge of a cliff, and he knew if he took one more step, he would plunge into the unknown, never to return.

"So, it is okay with you if two men are attracted to each other?"

Natsuo nodded slowly, still having trouble describing his sincere agreement. He didn't wish to be that close-minded, but everything outside of his comfort zone made him feel insecure and uncertain.

Jiro brushed his thumb gently across the other one's blushed cheek before cupping his face. Then, he leaned in and placed his confident lips against the trembling ones.

Only the wind blew through them, sending a gentle gust that played with their hair.

The taller man's tongue slipped out and brushed over the other man's lips before sliding inside the latter's mouth.

Something burned inside Natsuo's stomach. It was like a wildfire, spreading through his veins and consuming him whole. All he could concentrate on was how Jiro's warm and wet tongue moved inside his mouth, how their lips were locked, and the way their bodies were pressed together.

As if by instinct, Natsuo tried to back away, but the taller man pressed him against the iron fence, kissing him even deeper as his fingers tangled in his hair.

It lasted seconds, but it felt like an eternity. When their mouths parted, the man in the suit smiled seductively.

"I'm glad you think that," he said softly, his eyes deep with hunger for the other man.

(art)