S C A N D A L

Chapter Twenty-Four

Returning to the house, they both admit that they had a lot of things to discuss. Shiro was mostly interested in the scandals involving Kurou. They didn't immediately discuss Kei and Shiro wasn't in the mood to even bring up the name of the person who caused their misunderstanding. For the man to step foot on his house meant only one thing---that he was blatantly disrespecting Shiro and his role in Kurou's life.

"This is so weird," Shiro admitted after taking a shower.

Kurou smiled and helped him rub his wet hair on a towel. "What's weird?"

"You're not at all what people said you were..."

"...and what you thought I was?" Kurou guessed, and when Shiro lowered his gaze, he chuckled. "I'm not mad. You've always been honest about what you feel about me and I appreciate that."

"But it's so wrong."

Kurou gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I've forgiven you. Let's not fight again, okay? It's not healthy. Not for me."

Shiro kissed him back. "Same for me. But what about those photos of girls coming outside the bar with you?"

"You mean the backup dancers? They came with the artist that was about to perform that night. I was walking behind them very closely with Shichiro and they all assumed they were hostess at the bar. I never even met them!"

"And that model from Peru?"

"He was drunk as fuck and his companion left him so I helped him get in the taxi. That was the first and the last time I've seen him."

"What about that drug scandal and the heavy partying?"

Kurou plopped the pillow and sat beside him on the bed. "We were invited to that party but we only stayed there for half an hour. I found a bag and surrendered it to the lost and found and they all thought I was trying to hide cocaine! FYI, that suitcase belongs to a friend of Tetsuya who was a doctor and yes, it had drugs in it. Prescription drugs! The only thing they found there are antibiotics and antihistamines..."

Most of the scandals that Shiro mentioned were the ones that have remained on the internet with additional conspiracy theories, and hearing his husband confirm everything, he couldn't help but be amused by how people developed one rumor to become a whole scandal. Shiro laughed so hard until his stomach hurt that Kurou had to put his arm on the headboard to protect him.

"You're so not what I expected!"

"Well, I'm glad that it made you happy to learn how much of a loser your husband was."

Shiro only shrugged. "Well, I think that's a good thing. So, what's with your feud with Eri Nakajima?"

Kurou rolled his eyes and it made Shiro giggle. "Oh God, she's a headcase."

"But she was friends with you before?"

"We met her during college."

"We?"

"Me and Kei..."

"Oh..." Shiro sat straight and saw how Kurou watched him slightly guardedly. "Why did you break up with him?"

"He was the one who broke up with me..." Kurou softly said while caressing his cheek. As promised, he would be honest with Shiro from now on. It wasn't a conversation that he would like to engage in after an intimate moment with him, but it felt easier being himself since he had learned how kind Shiro was. There was also the added assurance of his feelings being reciprocated that Kurou was so happy he couldn't ask for anything more. "...I found out that we were over when he announced his engagement with Eri."