Trapped Behind Words: InuOkko

Chapter 17: Blades

It was all so odd. Inumaki seemed to accept everything Yuta told him without anything more than the occasional wince. A week prior, Yuta had been alone in the very same apartment, but there they were, next to each other on the used couch Yuta carried into his living room by himself. Their knees were practically touching.

Inumaki was quiet, but his presence wasn't. That was something that Yuta was growing to know. There were threads that followed that snake and seemed to be pulling things together. Though Inumaki seemed fine, his eyes often wandered to the razors that were jammed in the wall.

Yuta told him the truth about the blades before they entered. What was Inumaki thinking? Was he secretly repulsed by the thought? Did he view Yuta as damaged goods? That must have been why the silver-haired man jumped at the offer to meet.

Who would have wanted to stay by the side of someone like Yuta, someone stuck in the past? Without as much as a rustle, Inumaki stood from the couch. He cleared his throat, pointing to the blades. With two fingers, he made a scissoring motion and tugged at his other hand.

"Pliers?" Yuta asked.

Inumaki smiled, and for a moment Yuta thought he saw the tiny tongue of a snake emerge. The silver-haired man had a gentle demeanor. That must have been the reason that anytime he flashed a smirk, Yuta blushed.

"I have some in this tool kit Gojo loaned me. It's in the closet of my room, let me go get the kit," Yuta dashed off.

They were supposed to be fixing up the apartment. Gojo brought over spackle, sandpaper, a scraper, even a can of texturing spray. Why did the white-haired man just have it all laying around? Did he buy it all just for Yuta to fix up his place? Yuta had to pay Gojo back; there was no reason for that. Yuta might have been on the lower-income side, but he wasn't broke.

Upon reentering the living room, Yuta spotted Inumaki in a tank top rather than the baggy letterman-style jacket that was tossed across the couch. The tank was made of a thin black material that clung to Inumaki's skinny frame. It was surprising, seeing Inumaki's body so clearly.

The silver-haired man's arms were defined with well-rounded shoulders. Yuta felt himself breathing against his teeth. The black-haired man's cheeks warmed as he faced the floor. What was he thinking? They barely knew each other, and suddenly Yuta didn't want to stop staring at Inumaki's body.

Inumaki turned his head with a tilted smile. Did he know? Did he like it? Was Inumaki Toge a flirt? There were so many questions circling Yuta's mind, but he was happy. Seeing the silver-haired man's lips press with a smile only made Yuta laugh. It was a quiet giggle at first, then it grew.

Inumaki's brows moved, but he still smiled. He had the same look on his face that Rika used to have. His eyes were heavy, his cheeks perched with a slight dimple in each, and his lips barely concealing the teeth beneath. It was the smile of an old friend.

"You know, Inumaki? Sometimes you make me feel like we already knew each other. Like we are meeting in a new life. Reincarnation," Yuta muttered to himself.

Inumaki revealed his teeth with a quiet chuckle. Anyone would have been lucky to have a man like him around, Yuta shuddered. What was he even thinking? One second mentioning reincarnation, and the next imagining Inumaki's love life? He was getting too attached. What if Inumaki left, or worse, died?

Yuta inhaled, staring at the ground. It was the first time he had thought about a new death other than his own in years. Maybe that was a good sign? Yuta looked at the floor again before glancing up through his eyebrows. Inumaki blushed a deep red, and his mouth fell agape. Maybe that was why Inumaki came around so quick?