safeword

four

From: Keigo
Good night

From: Keigo
or good morning

From: Keigo
missing you

You don't look up from your work as Touya's phone vibrates three times, but he does, flipping the screen so he could read it quickly. You've chosen to sit with him at the desk he was using to work, your feet kicked onto his lap, and his hand on your leg. 

It was morning, devastatingly so, the sounds of the city shifting into morning chaos being your alarm. You could tell you'd be fighting this jet lag for a few more days. you were just glad you had Touya around to help remind you to actually do work. Work today was taking down personal accounts of the Targets and anything they could've been hiding, but your exhausted mind could barely put pen to paper. 

To: Keigo
wow, you lasted almost two days no contact! proud of you 

To: Keigo
maybe you're finally getting over the Stockholm syndrome 

The reply is immediate, Touya doesn't even have to put his phone down. 

From: Keigo
that's not funny

To: Keigo
poor taste, my mistake.

Touya looks over his phone at you, past the smiling picture of Keigo's contact. You haven't budged for close to twenty minutes, brow furrowed as you write furiously. He slowly starts to run his hand over your calf. 

From: Keigo
whatever. I'm not going to be mad at you from across the ocean.

From: Keigo
are you at work and/or naked. wanna call and see your face. 

To: Keigo
Why would I ever be at work and naked?

"You okay if I take a call? I don't want to distract you." 

"I can just leave." 

"No, no. Do your work." He shushes low, clamping his hand over your leg for another excuse to keep you stoic. Still not taking your eyes from your file, you nod slowly, intending to block out everything forward so that you could focus. 

From: Keigo
i never know with you

As Touya begins typing out his response, his screen shifts with a new video call, which he moves to his laptop in front of him and answers. 

It takes a few seconds for the connection to stabilize, before Keigo's face is shown over the screen. It's indeed dark where he is, and it's obvious he's ready to sleep. That doesn't stop a meek smile from overcoming him as he sees Touya's face over the line. 

Nothing is said for a few seconds, and Touya spends it glancing between you and Keigo, wondering if you'd look up and notice. 

It's fine - he tells himself, you signed up for this. 

"You've looked for long enough," Touya mentions, an edge of unseriousness in his tone. 

It takes another few seconds for Keigo to respond. "Hi," 

"He speaks, oh wow." 

"Sorry... Something's different about your face. I thought I was hallucinating or something." 

"It's the piercings." He admits, still keeping his hand over your leg. He's focused on his screen, battling internally with himself trying to justify why he couldn't just... reach out and touch. Keigo wasn't here to touch, it was just a projection of him at this moment. This moment alone.  

"You took them out?" 

"Adan made me." 

"Do you still have your other one?"