Halloween - Volume 2

"We'd make a perfect couple. I am the white cat and you could be the black one," Jiro said eyes twinkling as he held a headband with fluffy black cat ears. He wore a white suit with cat ears and a tail around his waist, with whiskers drawn to his bare cheeks.

Natsuo was sunken on the couch, sitting with crossed hands and eyeing the headband with a skeptical look.

"And would you look the cutest, or what?" Jiro continued with a gentle laugh. His words seemed to have finally made an impact, as Natsuo's mouth curved slightly into a smirk as he uncrossed his arms.

"Maybe I can draw your whiskers as well," Rei giggled as she adjusted her witch hat in front of a mirror.

"One humiliation at a time, please," Natsuo said with a sigh.

They had gathered at their home for pre-drinks before attending a Halloween party organized by the local club. Three of them had gone all out on their costumes; Jiro purring around in his cat costume, Rei cackling as a dark witch, and Hide looking like a menacing specter with a face painted like a skull.

Even though Natsuo was sober, he had promised to come with them to the club now that he was legally entitled to visit the nightlife. Jiro had reserved a cabinet on the VIP side of the club for his classmates and sponsored their evening with his own money.

"Fine, but I'm not doing that," Natsuo snorted, his eyes lingering on the white tail. Jiro placed the headband on his brown hair and kissed the corner of his lips.

"So, can I draw whiskers?" Rei asked excitedly as she dug into her bag of cosmetics.

"You have to have whiskers if you want to be a real cat," Jiro replied as his lips turned into a smile.

Natsuo gave him a narrowing stare as Rei settled next to him and brushed the tip of a make-up pen lightly across his cheek.

"You want me to cover this situation?" Rei asked kindly as she glanced at Natsuo's overly bruised neck, which he had tried to hide with a turtleneck sweater.

He blushed instantly as embarrassment swept over him, and desperately wished he could vanish into thin air.

"Jiro, why do you have to act like a vampire? Do you have to love him so brutally?"

"I love him in every way," Jiro replied, his eyes blazing with passion as he drew Natsuo away from Rei.

"And he happens to like it, don't you honey?" He added, slyly smiling at his friend while hugging his loved one's waist in reassurance.

"One humiliation at a time... please..." Natsuo muttered with a hot face.

Jiro snatched the make-up pen from Rei's hand and finished the whiskers on his boyfriend's rosy cheeks.

"I could just stare at you all day," he whispered, leaning closer.

"Should we get moving?" Hide asked after the couple buried themselves in intimate kisses on the couch.

"Let them have their moment," Rei said with a laugh, adding more purple lipstick to her lips.

"No, he is right. Let's go," Jiro replied, reluctantly separating from the embrace.

"Do you mind if we pick someone up on the way there?" Rei asked with a sweet grin, offering her car keys to Natsuo since Jiro's sports car could only seat two.

"Not at all," he answered, taking the keys.

As they stepped outside, Natsuo froze for a moment when he saw an older car parked next to the road.

"Wait, is it manual? I have never driven one before," Natsuo said.

"Being gay should teach you how to ride a stick," Rei joked.

Natsuo gave her a wry smile, understanding the jest.

"It's okay, I can call for a ride," Jiro assured, but Hide suggested that he could just teach him as they go.

"Aw, you let another man show you how - okay, I'll stop," Rei said as she saw Natsuo's unamused face when he twisted the car door open.

(Later that evening)

Inside the hauntingly decorated cabinet, friends sat around a short-legged table playing games and sharing stories. The group of students was in high spirits, hooting and hollering as they joked and posed for photos in their creative costumes.

Despite the company of others in the room, Jiro made sure Natsuo felt special and cherished, showing his affection in both subtle and obvious gestures. When Jiro was speaking with others, he sneakily interlocked their fingers and constantly affirmed his love for Natsuo.

The drunken classmates got excited about traditional bottle spinning. Natsuo decided to stay out of it while the others performed tricks and revealed their secrets, sitting under Jiro's arm while drinking non-alcoholic beer.

When the mouth of the bottle stopped between them, Jiro offered to take the turn for the first time that evening.

He picked dare.

Horrible images were already flickering in Natsuo's eyes when he thought about what a couple of drunk girls their age would come up with. When they were arguing about humiliating him, Rei mixed a drink with various alcohols and told Jiro to drink it all in one gulp.

He took the challenge and swallowed the drink without hesitation. With a satisfied sigh, he set the glass down and smiled.

Hide's dare was to kiss the person he was most interested in. He let his gaze wander around the room for a second, before turning to kiss Rei sitting next to him, giving her a long kiss on the mouth.

"Okay, that's enough," teased the girl they picked up on their way there, pushing Hide back to his seat.

Natsuo almost choked on his drink as Rei was lovingly cuddled by the girl in a devil's costume, revealing a deeper bond than mere friendship between them.

"And you thought I was being intimate with her," Jiro whispered.

"You could have told me that!" He hissed so quietly that no one else could hear him.

Jiro couldn't help but chuckle at the situation, but Natsuo's startled expression was anything but amused.

"I didn't know she was into girls until recently."

Natsuo's shock was quickly replaced with a smile, and he couldn't help but feel happy for them both as he watched their tender moment.

"Nakashima, truth or dare?" A girl their age named Kaori asked, who was dressed as a lolita in a gothic style. There was nothing wrong with her, but she was a bit slow-witted and socially awkward sometimes.

"I'm not involved in this," Natsuo replied when the bottle was pointed at him, only to be met with a frowned look.

"We hardly know you, so don't you think - "

"Kaori, just spin the bottle," Rei sighed.

She hesitated for a moment, understanding the uncertainty in Rei's voice, and was about to do as she was told.

"Truth," Natsuo said as he suddenly sensed a strange change in the atmosphere as if people were pitying him. He didn't want to chug weird drinks, eat nauseating foods or kiss someone other than the person beside him, so he prepared himself to lie if necessary.

"What is the nastiest thing you’ve ever done to anyone?" Kaori asked, leaning against her hands and staring at him curiously.

His heart started to race as his mind struggled with creating believable stories or real events that wouldn't reveal too much about their past.

Taking the life of a person? But that bastard deserved that. Let his best friend die because of drugs? But he tried to help her. Shooting the person he loved most? But it wasn't his intention.

"Nastiest thing I've ever done..." Natsuo started quietly, barely audible before he cleared his throat.

"I was an asshole to him in elementary school," he finished and gave a downcast glance at Jiro.

The conversation of the others faded into the background as the game continued, but Natsuo was clouded with dark thoughts as the past returned to his mind. Jiro had tried to convince him that everything was fine between them, reminding him how he had grown and matured since then. Yet he could never fully shake the feeling of remorse and still felt a heavy burden of guilt weighing on his soul.

Jiro nuzzled his nose against his brown hair as his eyes became somber. As Natsuo tried to cling to his chest he was lifted into his cross-legged lap and cradled lovingly, his back against his classmates so they wouldn't notice his troubled face. Jiro held Natsuo close and pressed a gentle kiss against the top of his head, soothing him with a quiet whisper of love.

(Later that night)

In the early hours of the morning, a piercing drizzle fell from the dark sky. As the rain soaked through the city, Natsuo completed his task of driving his classmates back to their homes after their late-night party.

The nastiest things Natsuo had ever done still raced through his mind as he bolted to the wet ground. The rain did nothing to quell the shame that he felt twisting within his chest almost every day.

Jiro noticed Natsuo falling behind just as he was about to open the front door. He could tell that something was wrong; his expression was strained and his eyes held an unspoken plea.

"Come inside or you will catch a cold," he said and glanced nervously at the black clouds as if expecting them to open up and pour down more.

"I think you should spill beer on my face," Natsuo stated while letting the tickling drops wet his hair and clothes.

Jiro sighed and walked back to him. Natsuo looked him in the eye with a determined look and said firmly that he would not move until that was done.

"Where is this coming from?" Jiro asked in a faintly drunken voice.

"I know you told me not to think about it anymore... but when you frown in your sleep I can't help but think about that because of me..." Natsuo muttered, despondent that he couldn't just forget, no matter how hard he tried.

"How can I prove to you that I've forgiven you everything?" Jiro asked with a heavy heart.

"Pour beer in my face while I - "

Jiro rolled his eyes as he lifted his lover over his shoulder and carried him inside like a child. He couldn't help but smile at the absurdity of the situation, as his partner's protests for him to put him down echoed through the night.

"Listen. You need to let that stuff go already," Jiro concluded, bringing the sullen Natsuo inside and closing the door after them.

"But - "

"Now, let's move forward together. We eat, have sex, and sleep until noon," Jiro said in an authoritative tone as he stroked his discolored neck with a soft touch.

"You are not seducing me until you do what I said!" Natsuo objected but flinched when Jiro backed him into the corner, eyes hungry with lust.

"It's not a request, honey," Jiro said strongly, pushing his body close to Natsuo's.

"It's an order."

"But - !"

Jiro silenced him when he kissed him wildly and possessively. Natsuo's breath caught in his throat in response to Jiro's passionate display. A shiver spread through his body as his warm hands ran through his damp hair and caressed his wet face.

"When I frown in my sleep, I have nightmares about losing you."

Hearing his words and seeing his intense gaze ignited a fire within Natsuo. As he leapt into his strong arms, he wrapped his legs around his body, letting out all his love and devotion in a deep kiss. He felt the warmth of his body and the strength of his embrace as their lips sealed against each other.

"Change of plans. I'm sure you don't mind," Jiro murmured, leading his loving partner to their bedroom...