Love Stage: Hidden Love

Christmas

Two days later, Rei was off work. He had some more presents to buy. He hadn't known Shougo before this, so didn't know what the other liked. He had taken Izumi out to buy gifts for his family, but Rei still needed to finish his own Christmas shopping. It was strange, he never had a family to buy gifts for, before.

"Where are you going?" a voice asked while Rei changed into his outdoor shoes. He plucked his coat from the closet as he looked up the steps.

Shougo was standing there. He was fully dressed, with an expression of ... wonder? Rei wasn't sure. He wasn't used to seeing someone look at him like that.

"Out to the shops." Rei stated looking away as he put his coat on.

"I still have a few gifts to get." He added.

Suddenly his arm was seized. He blinked, how had Shougo moved so quickly?

"Can I come? I still need to get a few things too." He pleaded looking up at the man. Why was he crouched like that.

Rei sighed. "Very well, but who will watch over Izumi while we are both out?" Rei asked hoping this would deter the other.

"Izumi!!" Shougo called out.

When the small head popped out of his door, the brothers stared at each other. Shougo was grinning hugely, while Izumi looked skeptical.

"Would you like go shopping with us?" Shougo asked.

Izumi inched out of his room. "Can I get more Lala- Lulu manga?" He asked.

"There are only a few out right now..." Rei began.

"I'll buy you all of them, plus a tee shirt!" Shougo told him.

"Ok!" Izumi ducked back into his room.

Not five seconds later he was out fully dressed, putting his shoes on. He was jabbering away about the manga Rei had given him. Something in the story really touched the child, now it was his favorite manga.

"They are going to be making it into an anime. The first episode is to air on Christmas eve." Rei told him.

Izumi looked up at him with big eyes. "Really!" He gasped. Rei couldn't help but smile down at him.

"Really." Rei confirmed.

Izumi took each of their hands as he walked out to the waiting car, apparently Shougo had already called one. They drove to the shopping district while Shougo and Izumi fanned over the manga that Izumi carried in his bag with him. Once at the shops, Rei walked behind the brothers. He loved listening to Izumi's excited voice.

Rei watched as the two went to the manga store to buy all the Lala-Lulu manga's. Here, he took his chance to duck into a different shop. He found a gold chain necklace with a music note on it. Shougo had confessed to liking karaoke at dinner that first night. Rei had the item gift wrapped before joining the brothers.

Izumi, now weighed down with his manga, walked slightly ahead of the other two. Shougo's hand kept bumping into Rei's. It was sort of annoying. Rei kept trying to move his, or hold it still in order to not have it happen.

"You don't like that, huh?" the teen purred quietly in Rei's ear.

"How about I just hold it then?" Shougo smirked.

At first Rei thought he meant holding his own hand still. He gave a curt nod at this. But, then he found out Shougo's true intentions. The teen laced their fingers together. Rei felt his cheeks warm at the contact. It was... nice. He had never had anyone to hold hands with like this.

Oh, Rei was far from inexperienced when it came to sexual situations, but courting? Dating? Things of that nature, he was as clueless as Izumi, who just bumped into the back of a fat lady. He fell backwards to land on his butt. Rei and Shougo rushed forward.