A Dangerous Liaison

-16-

Akira

Friday

Akira stood quietly behind the bar in his restaurant, wiping down the table with slow, deliberate strokes. The restaurant had closed an hour ago, and the cleaning staff were close to finishing up their duties, moving chairs, wiping tables, and sweeping floors. Akira preferred to stay behind and help -  it was the least he could do for his workers - and avoided returning to his house in Sukhumvit too early until he himself closed the place up. He hated the loneliness and isolation that the move had brought him, especially as he was just beginning to process his loss, that Eddie had taken his own life, unexpectedly. 

The funeral was as grand as Pa's, and Eddie was laid to rest with grace and dignity. Akira felt that Eddie deserved that level of ceremony far more than Pa had. To him, Pa's funeral had been a disaster - it was Ma's bitter glare and cruel words that remained with him; the struggle to find the means to cry for their father had driven them apart. Her silent anger had only grew, stemming from Akira's inability to mourn Pa, but was evidently mixed with the recollection of his failures, the alcohol addiction, and his damaged reputation. She had always had a problem with Akira, though he could never quite figure out why - in the end, he realised that some bridges were supposed to burn, and that there was no use in trying to mend their relationship. 

She never really loved me, he thought.

Akira had cried for Eddie. Losing the chance to grow closer to his younger brother was something Akira regretted every day. Despite the fact that they were just too indifferent to one another, without much to share as common interests, Eddie had always been there - a reliable presence, always available to comfort his siblings. The thought of his brother, alone and desperate enough to end it all for reasons Akira still failed to understand, haunted him every night. Kita suffered the most, and Akira had watched as his younger brother withdrew into himself, refusing to talk to him. Kita was slipping away, and Akira felt powerless to stop it. 

And yet, he had been absent from Kita's life for some time, which only clouded him with guilt. 

Then there was Charlie. Eddie's death had phased him, but hardly as much as it had hurt Kita, Olivia and himself. Sure, he was upset, confused, and he even lashed out at Akira after the funeral, demanding answers that Akira just couldn't give. But lately, something had changed. He had been acting strangely - coming home late at night, looking both drowsy and inexplicably happy. Akira had seen those signs before, and he suspected Charlie was back to his old ways, sleeping around and relying on alcohol to keep his head above water. 

And when Akira tried to talk to him, Charlie brushed him off, refusing to let him in.

Akira put down the cloth and leaned against the bar, rubbing a hand over his face - the weight of these last two months had crushed him and he needed a distraction. Something or someone. His thoughts drifted back to the couple from earlier, particularly the man. There had been something about him - something dark, mysterious, and undeniably attractive. Akira had felt his heart flutter when their eyes met, a sensation he hadn't felt before. He had never reacted to anyone like that in the past, not from first glance, but the feeling was unsettling, and it was impossible to ignore. 

Just as Akira was about to push the thought out of his mind, a loud, desperate knock echoed through the restaurant. He stiffened, his first thought being Olivia - again - but he thought it unusual that she would. Shutting himself out from his own family had cost him Olivia's trust, too; he had left her stranded with Kita, and now she barely spoke to him, either. Was there still an opportunity to apologise, to prove to them that he was still there? Akira thought on it all month, but the chances of finding the right time without hurting his siblings more were slowly decreasing by the day. 

But when he looked up, it wasn't Olivia standing outside. It was the man from earlier.

One of the staff looked at Akira questioningly, waiting for a sign of approval to open the door. Akira nodded, and the door was unlocked promptly. The man rushed in, looking slightly flustered, and upon seeing Akira he quickly composed himself. "Sorry to bother you," he said, his voice low but firm. "I think I left my wallet here. Have you seen it?"

Akira scanned the bar stools and quickly spotted a brown, leather wallet on the table near where the man had been sitting. "There it is," he said, pointing it out.

Talay walked over and picked it up, brushing off some invisible dust before turning back to Akira. "Thanks. I didn't even realise I'd left it until we were halfway home," he said, peering inside to check its contents. 

"No problem," Akira replied, offering a small smile. "It happens."

Talay nodded, clearly ready to leave, but Akira found himself speaking before he could think - something about that man intrigued him. "Wait." Talay paused, looking at him curiously. Akira hesitated, momentarily intoxicated by the man's dark, enticing stare, then continued, "I feel like I should make it up to you. For the poor service, I mean. Nobody kept an eye out for your things after you left, and that's on me," his voice wavered with nerves as he spoke.

Talay shook his head, the faintest hint of a smile playing on his lips. "It's fine, really. Don't worry about it."

But Akira wasn't about to let it go that easily. "At least let me offer you something. Come back another day, and I'll make sure you're taken care of properly."

Talay raised an eyebrow, slightly shocked by the offer - by the way Akira said it. "Alone?" he asked, his tone almost cautious.

Akira's response was immediate, his voice firm but gentle. "Yes."

To make a new friend, right? Or, that's what he tried to convince himself as the words hung in the air between them. For a moment, Talay looked as if he might refuse. But then, something changed in his expression - curiosity and something else Akira couldn't quite place. Talay nodded slowly, his cheeks tinged with a faint blush. "Alright," he said quietly. "If you say so."

Akira smiled, feeling a strange warmth in his chest as he watched Talay leave. "Good night," he called after him.

"Good night," Talay replied, glancing back once before stepping out into the street.

As the door closed behind him, Akira leaned against the bar, exhaling slowly.

I still don't know your name, handsome.

+---------+

Akira + Talay sitting in a tree, K I S S I N G

omg omg omg!

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