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Shuuichi stared intensely at his laptop but it didn't matter how much he kept trying, his mind couldn't pierce together the signs shown in the display to make it a coherent sentence.
He was worried and a bit scared. Kokichi, his boyfriend of five years, didn't ask him for a date in a month and half and they didn't have sex either… Maybe he was overthinking. Adult life gets very busy sometimes and it isn't like Kokichi ghosted him either, he just didn't have time to spend with him in person…
But Kokichi had also always made time for him before and they never had been without physical intimacy for this long without fighting, hence this prolonged absence was starting to look like some kind of red flag… While like every long-standing relationship they hit some rough patch along the way with their fair share of clashing out and making amends, this felt different.
They were happy together or at least, he was. There was no problem in sight, so this sudden distance started to nurture the seed of doubt that, maybe what he felt would last forever, was instead dying out without his notice.
Shuuichi sighed and rubbed his own temples. It looked like it didn't matter how much his friends helped him to grow his self-confidence, he always jumped to the worst conclusion before his rational mind took over to pull him out from his own personal rabbit hole. He should trust his boyfriend and really get it together since he was at work. Thankfully it was almost closing time and there weren't any cases that needed overtime work.
After Kirigiri-san opened her own detective agency, the same agency that also hired Shuuichi after his apprenticeship, the crime rate in the prefecture and those of its neighbors were steadily getting lower. While this made his job less challenging and with more paperworks, he was glad that at least the average citizen’s livelihood was getting safer.
He closed the laptop and organised his desk. He said goodbye to his colleagues before leaving and when he opened his car door, a chaotic ring tone disturbed the quietness of his surroundings. Shuuichi decided to keep this annoying ringtone, one of his boyfriend's pranks, because it made him answer remarkably fast just to stop hearing it.
“Hello? Saihara speaking”
“Hello, my beloved. I have bad news and worse news for you! Which do you want to hear first?”
“Kokichi-kun! Are you okay? Did something happen?”
“I’m perfectly well so don't worry your pretty little head! Just humour me for a bit!”
“Is this one of your games? I guess the worst news first?”
“Typical of Saihara-chan, choosing the worst one first so that he can licks his wounds with slightly better news later!”
“Are you making fun of me?” Shuuichi felt annoyed by the jab.
“Of course not! After all, I am the same! It is always better to have the worst case scenario clear in mind when plotting something, otherwise Murphy’s Law will give you your just dessert!”
Shuuichi rolled his eyes, “So what is this so-called worst news?”
“I burned your house down so Saihara-chan will be forced to live with me till death do us part!”
“What???” He wasn't serious, was he?
“Nishishi~ But this is obviously a lie!”
Shuuichi sighed in relief, “This isn't funny Kokichi-kun.” He couldn't even imagine the financial and emotional loss he would incur with a fire breaking out.
“Welp, at least I helped to pump up the blood in your heart for a bit? People need some kind of excitement to stay healthy!”
“I think this is worse for my health actually. So what is the bad news?”
“I will kidnap Saihara-chan and you will be forced to live with me till death do us part! ”
“So how is this any different from the previous news?”
“Silly Saihara-chan! With me you only get the worst news! Nishishi~ but if you really want the technicality, at least your belongings will be safe!”
Truthfully, considering the doubts that plagued Shuuichi this afternoon, this yandere role play where he would be the focus of his boyfriend’s obsession was kind of welcomed. Kokichi didn't get bored of him after all. Maybe he could also play along with it in a more private setting on closet doors. The corners of his mouth turned up, feeling reassured. “A kidnapper wouldn't inform his victim beforehand”
“This is because I’m not your average kidnapper but someone with manners! Or maybe I just want to savor your fear while you wait for the inevitable! Ah, I can already picture Saihara-chan's trembling form, chained on the bed inside the basement of my tattoo shop!”
Shuuichi laughed a bit at the absurdity of the conversation “You are too smart to try this with someone deeply involved with the law enforcement. Also your tattoo shop doesn't have a basement…”
“Woe is me! You already saw the flaw in my master plan! Guess I have to get Saihara-chan in the old fashioned way after all.”
“So, is this whole charade an invite to spend the night with you?”
“If this is how you interpret it, beloved. Meet me at my apartment for dinner!” Shuuichi could hear the anticipation in his boyfriend’s voice. Usually Kokichi would try to mask it better but he must have missed Shuuichi just as much.
“Don't stand me up, otherwise you never know I will be forced to take drastic measures like for example buying kerosene and a lighter!”
The detective didn't believe his threat one bit “Later, Kokichi-kun.”
Shuuichi pushed the red button and closed the call. His ahoge swayed with the joy engulfing his heart. His worries felt so small and silly now.
Shuuichi changed into nice casual clothes after showering to look good for his boyfriend on their long-awaited home date and combed his hair. He wore a nice cream cardigan that looked good together with his coffee coloured pants and dark shoes.
Kokichi's apartment was located above the tattoo shop he owned. After high school his boyfriend managed to buy a small old building at a very low price and with the help of his found family he managed to restore it till it was habitable and open for business. While he struggled at the beginning of his career, his talent was now recognised enough to be able to make a fair living.
Shuuichi walked the external stairs and stood in front of his boyfriend's apartment door. He couldn't wait to see the purple eyes filled with mischievous and mirth and having Kokichi tightly secured in his embrace.
Shuuichi rang the bell. The door opened and Kokichi entered his field of vision. He was wearing just simple white hoodies and white shorts and yet for the detective he was still the most captivating man that he had ever met. The detective smiled fondly and said “Hello”
“Are you going to keep ogling me like a lovestruck fool or are you coming inside?” Kokichi said with a giggling tone.
If only the tattoo artist didn't have such controversial behaviour, yet Shuuichi felt in love with him all the same. The taller man stepped inside and took out his shoes.
Kokichi smirked as he watched the man politely put his shoes away in the corner. “While I’m always up for a staring contest with you, Mr detective, tonight I have other plans for us! Nishishi” he quickly gave a glance at Shuuichi's attire. “Lucky you, I guess you won’t feel regrets about your look when you remember today!”
“What do you mean by that?” Shuuichi asked him, curious. While Kokichi liked to make even the most mundane event feel foreboding and threatening, his intuition told him not to carelessly dismiss his last comment.
“Well, Saihara-chan is usually a fashion disaster so I am impressed”
“You are lying. While I’m not a fashion icon, I never got weird stares from strangers either” At most he could be considered safe and plain, but not ridiculous!
“Nishishi~ you got me. You are cute no matter what you wear” Kokichi grabbed his hand and stepped forward. Like a threat, his face took a demonic turn, the roundness of his eyes looked like a DQ slime, making the detective’s heart skip a beat in worry. “Patient, Saihara-chan. Waiting is part of the game.”
After leading Shuuichi to sit on the couch in the living room, Kokichi moved his hands to loosen up the string of his shorts and lowered the pants. The rustle of fabric loudly resonated in his brain like an echo chamber.
The detective's face became fully red at such forwardness, his ahoge spinning out while his heart quivered for an entirely different reason. “Kokichi! Just because I missed you, it doesn't mean I want to have sex with you right at this exact moment!”
He wanted to properly catch up with him first, cuddling and being lovey dovey till the mood would naturally flow toward the more passionate activities!
Kokichi rudely laughed at him “You really have the mind in the gutter!” the purple haired man moved his finger and pointed at his now uncovered right thigh. There was a big antiseptic adhesive bandage.
Shuuichi’s heart leaped in his throat “Are you hurt?” he closed his distance, went to his knees and moved his face ridiculously near the bandage to inspect it. He felt his fingers twitching with the wish to touch it but he was well aware he shouldn't.
“Wow, such great views!” Kokichi took a hold of his boyfriend’s head to make him stay put.
“Don't worry, my beloved detective, this isn't a wound but it is art!” he petted the silky blue navy hair.
Shuuichi’s golden grey eyes beamed with relief “So you finally decided on a tattoo?”
Despite being a tattoo artist, Kokichi did not have any tattoos. He told him previously that he was so proud of his work that he wanted to make sure whatever he got was something he would want for the rest of his life, since he didn't want to erase it in regret.
Shuuichi looked at the bandage again and exactly where it was. He immediately stood up and scolded his boyfriend “The inner thigh?! Kokichi, are you crazy? The skin is so thin there! This is one of the most painful places to get a tattoo!” He took a breath after chewing him off. “I bet you did it yourself, as you wouldn't let anyone else do the job…”
The tattoo artist smirked proudly “What can I say? I like playing in Hell mode!”
It certainly must have hurt like hell, Shuuichi's heart ached just thinking about it.
Then Kokichi’s voice changed in a more serious and fonder tone. “This tattoo is for Saihara-chan’s eyes alone.”
Shuuichi melted at these words. How could his boyfriend be so rude and abrasive, yet equally savvy and romantic at the same time?
However, despite being moved by the gesture, his hardworking brain cells still connected the dots. A tattoo takes more than a month to heal…
“Did you avoid me all this time because you were hiding the tattoo from me?”
“I would say it was more a case of self-preservation! I mean Saihara-chan is so adorable and sexy! Imagine having a delicious buffet in front of you that you can't eat! I needed to wait for it to heal before I could even think about sex again!”
“Kokichi-kun… you should have just told me.” Shuuichi pouted and crossed his arms. So much anxiety for nothing!
“If we met in person you would have surely noticed it and I didn't want to ruin the surprise.” The purple eyes closed into two half moons, “And by leaving you in the dark… Your thoughts were filled with me all the time, Nishishi~”
“The last one is the real motive, isn't it?” Shuuichi sighed, typical of Kokichi-kun to toy with him like this. But he couldn't help but find this childish possessiveness cute. The fact that Shuuichi couldn't even stay mad at him, he was really whipped…
Kokichi moved past his boyfriend and sat on the black couch. Next he laid his bare legs and thighs on it. Kokichi raised his right hand and with his pointer finger he seductively invited Shuuichi to come to him “And now it is time to uncover the mystery, Detective! Do the honours!”
With some much fanfare, Shuuichi got a bit nervous as well as excited. He carefully peeled out the bandage.
The tattoo was very simple but colourful, there was a streaming coffee cup interwoven with blue and purple roses, a blue orchid, a black dahlia, white chrysanthemum, lotus, iris, lilac, hellebore and wolfsbane.
All flowers Shuuichi knew really well, since in a way or another their meanings were tied with mystery and truth.
This tattoo was all about Shuuichi. The detective was moved, his heart felt fuzzy. Kokichi thought that Shuuichi was so important that he could leave a trace of himself in Kokichi's body for the rest of his life.
“Do you remember when we first met?” Kokichi asked him while memories flowed between them.
Five years ago
After going independent from his master, Kokichi was struggling starting his own tattoo studio. Some people would shy away from this job since the traditional ties with criminals and Yakuza. However Kokichi and his family that were at the bottom of society because their orphan status, lived their whole life under their sphere of influence, so growing up watching such awe inspiring art filled with colours, Kokichi couldn't help but fall in love with tattoos. He was lucky enough to have the talent to pursue this passion as well.
Unfortunately, he had a rebellious spirit, and the Japanese were loyal to their own tattoo artists and traditions, a deadly combination.
Unless his master quitted, Kokichi couldn't count on his previous customers and because Kokichi wanted to create his own art, he often clashed with his newfound clients.
Kokichi hated coffee but he needed the caffeine to keep going on another grueling day. For the first time, he decided to enter the coffee shop nearest to his studio.
He walked past the outdoor menu and tables, opened the glass door, and went inside.
The coffee shop was filled with flowers and plants. If it wasn't for the wooden tables and the coffee counter with a display of pastry, Kokichi would have mistakenly thought he went inside a flower shop instead.
There was a very good looking guy, with smooth medium length dark hair and long eyelashes working at the counter but Kokichi didn't pay that much attention. He just wanted his damn coffee.
He took his order and sat down on the furthest table away. The atmosphere was calm and quiet, the music was cool jazz, not loud but the right volume to be a pleasurable background noise and the other costumes weren't loud. Thus Kokichi decided this was the right environment to take out his sketchbook and think about some new tattoo ideas. The coffee tasted horrible, but it wasn't the barista's fault. He just didn't like coffee, even though he dosed it with sugar.
Overall the experience was good so Kokichi decided to come again.
Soon after the tattoo artist became a regular to this place. The coffee shop came with an eyes candy as a bonus after all.
While watching the barista working surrounded by flowers with different colours and sizes, Kokichi felt he was glancing at an ikemen from some shoujo manga with flower background effect, Nishishi~ he would've sketch him if this wasn't creepy as fuck.
One day, something unexpected happened.
“This isn't my order.” Kokichi stared at the freshly brewed coffee brought by the good looking barista.
The barista said with a bit of shyness mixed with a bit of courage “I’m sorry if I am overstepping but would you like to try the coffee that I made? It is free.”
“Who am I to refuse free stuff? Nishishi~”
Kokichi took a sip of the coffee. It was creamy and sweet, but not so much to be nauseous. Kokichi drank it with the intention of lying and saying it was disgusting regardless, but he was so surprised by the taste that the truth unconsciously escaped from his mouth: "It's good... what is that?”
The barista smiled sweetly in relief “I’m glad. I mixed a slightly less strong coffee brand with coffee cream and a drop of milk as a final touch.I noticed that you didn’t seem to fare well with the bitter taste, so I wanted to help you find a type you would like.”
Gorgeous, observant and kind. Such a deadly combo. Kokichi couldn't help but flirt a little “ Do you watch all your customers like that? Or am I special?”
“Only the unusual ones that keep ordering something that they clearly don't like”
Kokichi thought he masked his disgust well. He was impressed. “My my, aren't you quite the detective?”
“Actually I am. I start my internship this September. In the meantime I am helping at my aunt’s coffee shop.”
A detective! Could this man stop getting even more interesting???? "Is this the reason why this coffee shop's theme is the mystery genre?” Kokichi moved his head to signal the many different flower pots and vases. Blue orchids, Iris, lotus flowers, blue and purple roses, black dahlia and so on.
“Did you notice that? My aunt is married to a detective so this is an homage to him. However, she didn't think the dark and gloomy atmosphere typical of noir would suit a coffee shop so she took a more subtle approach.”
"Knowing symbolic meanings, religious imagery, flower language, and such is kind of related to my job, so…”
“I see you drawing often, your work must be related to art. Your hands are often covered in ink.”
Hearing these words, Kokichi had a light bulb moment! He wanted to play with this new interesting man "So, Mr. Detective, since you are so good at observing other people, why don't you try to guess my job? But nuh nuh, no clues from me” he moved his pointer finger left and right as a sign of denial.
Kokichi was pretty confident that with so many art related jobs, the aspiring detective wouldn't be able to guess at the first try.
“I guess I can try” The barista took the challenge head on. He looked focused, he put a hand over hide mouth, deeply in though. After a bit he finally replied “I think you are a tattoo artist.”
Wow. “Right on the money. I'm shook. What did it give it away?” Kokichi was curious about how he managed to deduce that.
"Well, actually, it was the fact that you didn't give anything away. You were so sure I wouldn't get it right. It means you lack something that you normally should have. Usually, tattoo artists have their fair share of tattoos since they practiced on themselves, but you didn't get any.
“Guess you aren't just a pretty face.”
The barista blushed at the compliment, he awkwardly rubbed his neck.
Kokichi really wanted to play with the aspiring detective more. “Isn't that funny? We learned about each other's jobs before we even get to know each other's names.”
The barista golden-grey eyes widened at the realisation “You are right… My name is Saihara Shuuichi. Pleased to make your acquaintance” he bowed his head.
Kokichi snickered at the formality “Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko. Yes, The famous Yakuza boss! Scared? But this is just a lie! my name is Ouma Kokichi! Nice to meet you, Saihara-chan! Let's be friends!”
And after that, he pestered the detective so much till he got his phone contacts.
After that shared trip down memory lane, Kokichi put on his white shorts pants again and the two of them decided to have dinner. Although Kokichi didn't cook often, and even though it wasn't at a restaurant level, his dish still tasted good enough. He also put a little candle in the middle of the dining table to simulate a candlelight dinner.
“Saihara-chan, for you a cup of coffee after a meal!.” From the kitchen Kokichi brought him a cup of warm coffee, put it on the table and remained standing next to him. His eyes were like those of a mischievous cat, looking forward to his prey's next move.
Shuuichi eyed the striped cup with suspicion. He didn't touch it. “You are being uncharacteristically helpful today… also, a cup of coffee after dinner isn't good. unless you are planning to pull an all-night.”
“Well, if things are looking good, I do plan to keep you up all night long, my beloved!"
Shuuichi blushed at the innuendo. He examined the color of the coffee, a lighter shade and the texture seemed more dense than normal. He commented, “This is the coffee I usually make for you.” There was nothing wrong with that, but Kokichi knew Shuuichi had a different taste from his. Clearly something else was going on.
“What do you mean? I have always been the perfect househusband to you! I wanted to show you the fruits of my labour and if it matched up with the real thing! But Saihara-chan is so mean, doubting me like that! Waaaaah!”
Shuuichi rolled his eyes at the performance “Calm down! I will drink it, okay?” Kokichi was his boyfriend who loved him dearly so he wouldn't poison him, right?
He picked up the cup to take a sip but Kokichi quickly stopped him. “Wait wait wait! Saihara-chan! There is an etiquette you must respect! And I thought you were a gentleman!”
“I never claimed to be one.” Shuuichi replied deadpanned.
“Anyway Saihara-chan has to first stir the coffee with a teaspoon!”
The detective, mentally tired, played along, he guessed this was another one of his boyfriend’s games. However when he moved the teaspoon in circles inside the cup, he heard the sound of something else hitting the ceramic. Kokichi must have stopped him before he choked on something he should not have drunk. Curious, the navy blue haired man used the metallic teaspoon to fish it out.
Shuuichi's golden-gray eyes widened in astonishment, stupor, and incredulity. He couldn't believe it. It was a diamond ring.
All the suspicious occurrences that happened that day flashed in the detective’s mind. The weird phone call, the reveal of the tattoo, reminiscing fondly about when they first met, and now a diamond ring. Speeding up, his psyche taxi finally hit all the cubes and when he connected all the clues, he deduced the right conclusion.
A vow of a lifetime, just like Kokichi’s new tattoo.
Kokichi grinned like he had successfully pulled off a prank, and with a bit of jest in his voice, he asked “So, what do you think about my bad news Saihara-chan?”
“This is the worst marriage proposal I have ever heard.” Shuuichi's emotional state crashed to a 404 error. He felt overwhelmed.
“Thank you, I’m proud of it.” After that, the tattoo artist lost his jokester aura, his lips dropped into a thin line. He wore a serious expression. His big purple eyes ogled at his beloved, radiating heat and fervor “Do you accept it?”
Maybe it was because of the panic of an unexpected situation, the intensity of the stare, or simply the proposal just hadn't sunk in yet, Shuuichi blurted out, “We can't legally marry in Japan.”
"So what? We can sign that partnership thing in Shibuya and then get married overseas. I guess having a good chunk of the world recognize our marriage is good enough for now. It is kind of exciting if you think about being married during long holidays, like leading a double life or having a secret identity!!”
“This isn't something you can joke about Kokichi-kun, this is serious!”
Kokichi eyes narrowed at Shuuichi's accusation, “I’m being serious. I don't care about the laws here. I want to call you my husband to the people that really matter. Don't you feel the same way?”
At these words, the detective tried to picture the scenario in his mind, just a mundane conversation with his friends, a coffee date with either Kaede, Kaito or Maki, talking about their everyday life and complaining about Kokichi's latest shenanigans. Then he would bid them goodbye, saying that his husband was waiting for him at home. This image made Shuuichi’s heart flutter with warmth and happiness. He wanted that, he wanted that future so badly.
Shuuichi’s eyes became moist, his voice choked up from the joy, “Y-Yes… I do! I w-want to marry you!”
Uncaring that the diamond ring was still a bit wet from the coffee, Kokichi dropped to his knees and took Shuuichi's hand in his. He put the ring on his ring finger.
At this gesture, Shuuichi brushed his boyfriend's dark purple bangs aside fondly and gave a peck to his new fiancé’s forehead.
Purple and grey-gold eyes met, a second that lasted an eternity.
“I love you Kokichi-kun, I want to spend the rest of my life with you”
“I love you more and this is the truth… Shuuichi.”
The detective was taken aback by the change in the way he addressed him. “Shuuichi?”
“Well duh! You can't call your soon to be husband by his surname!”
Kokichi stood up. He skipped and moved in circles. He had more energy than he could handle. He looked very cute. “So where do you want to get married? USA? Naaa! Too much bs going over there, Germany? France? But since you are a detective I propose the UK, the homeland of the most famous detective in the world!”
“London does sound appealing but we can leave the planning for later.” Shuuichi’s mind was filled with something much more urgent at the moment.
“My my Shuuichi, do you want to celebrate first? Take out the champagne? However, I do recall a prior promise to keep you up all night! so I… Mmph!!!”
Drunk on his own happiness, Shuuichi abruptly kissed him to shut him up, then pulled away. He didn't feel even an ounce of shyness or patience, his golden-grey eyes were burning. Hungry for love and Kokichi. The detective chuckled, yet he made his stance firm, “Take me to the bedroom.”
In spite of being as red as a fully matured tomato, Kokichi’s face still managed to pull off a false bravado and a cheeky smile. He took hold of his beloved fiancé’s hand and rushed forward to their next very intimate destination. The sound of giggles filled the hallway.