The Ultimates

Fifteen

In the two weeks since I'd started hosting solo, I'd had two regulars: Akane and Nekomaru and Mikan Tsumiki. Over our two sessions, I'd learned she planned to go to med school to become a nurse, and she was already taking seminars and classes in her free time to get ahead of the game. Her determination was impressive, but I found her intense shyness to be surprising. If we weren't talking about anything medical related, her confidence shook, and she became very anxious. I always tried my hardest to ease her concerns, but I was sure it was more of an overarching anxiety and not just nervousness from paying for an Ultimate.

As Mikan told me about her recent rescue trip to Uruguay, I found my eyes drifting towards Nagito. I seemed to catch him staring at me more often than before, which I never minded. Every time I looked up at him, I felt myself smiling, and I knew he was smiling even more as well.

Ever since Nagito took me to his favorite spot, I've felt my feelings for him grow even stronger. I knew I wanted to date him and be his boyfriend, but after how people kept betraying him, I didn't want to risk betraying him, too. Unless he admitted his feelings for me, I would remain just his friend. I never wanted him to think I was only after him because of money or status, and while I knew he knew that now, that didn't mean he wouldn't second guess my intentions if he knew about my feelings. I had to be careful not to hurt him, so I would keep quiet and let life take it where it wanted to take us in the meantime.

As Mikan lifted the teapot to pour herself more tea, I asked, "Do you plan to go back there or to any other rescue missions anytime soon?"

"Of course. I've actually set plans to go this- Oh, my!"

As Mikan placed the teapot back on the table, it knocked over, spilling tea all over my pants. I quickly jumped up and back and felt the eyes of everyone in the café stare at us.

"Hajime, I-I am so sorry! P-please forgive me!" she begged.

"Don't worry, Mikan," I smiled, grabbing a napkin and dabbing at my pant leg. "It was an accident. No harm done."

"Really, Hajime, I am so, so sorry."

"Hajime," Byakuya said as he approached the table, "we have a plethora of spare uniforms in the back. You can change into one of those."

"Thank you, Byakuya," I smiled gratefully.

I walked into the back locker rooms and found the closet Byakuya referred to. There were spare uniforms of all sizes in there, as well as a few costumes. I was surprised to find maid uniforms and cat suits in there. What kind of club was the café used for before it became the Ultimate Club?

"Hajime?" Nagito called out, knocking on the door.

"Come in."

He entered and closed the door behind him. "I brought some towels." He placed them on the bench. "Are your legs okay?"

"They're fine. It was a little hot, but it's not anything to worry about. I doubt it will cause any burns."

"That's good. I was worried. That tea was boiling hot."

"I'm fine," I replied, as I grabbed the uniform from the closet and shut the door.

"If you would like, I could help... c-clean your uniform for you," Nagito offered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Blushing, I asked, "A-are you sure?"

"I may not look it, but I'm actually great at getting stains out."

"Um... sure. If you're okay with it."

Nagito turned his back to me, and I quickly changed out of my uniform. His hands were held out, ready to take my uniform once I finished stripping. I placed my uniform in his hands, and he quickly scurried over to the sink in the corner of the room, washing out the stains that splattered onto my shirt.

I kept my back turned to him, knowing I would be incredibly embarrassed if I saw him look at me. Having him wash my uniform felt intimate. He was touching and washing my clothes, and I was in nothing but my boxers while he did. I didn't think ending up in this situation would have been possible.

Once my pants and shirt were on, I turned to face him. His face was bright red, and his eyes were wide as he stared down at the sink. At least I wasn't the only one who felt embarrassed.

Nagito pulled my shirt out of the sink, the stain gone. He grabbed a hanger and hung it up to dry. "I don't think Byakuya will mind if you wear that uniform tomorrow. You can get your shirt back tomorrow. I would recommend putting these clothes in the wash once you get home, though," he explained as he folded my blazer, pants, and tie.

"Thank you, Nagito," I smiled. "It was very sweet of you to help me."

"It's no problem. I taught myself how to do all kinds of household chores in my free time. Once my nanny quit, and I was on my own, I needed to learn the basics, and I kind of kept learning more and more in the meantime so I would know how to do everything."

"You felt so lonely you had to resort to doing chores to fill your boredom?" I frowned.

"It actually proved to be quite useful," he chuckled, pointing back at my shirt. "Besides, I don't feel nearly as lonely anymore." Grabbing my tie from my hands, he smirked as he reached around my neck to tie my tie for me. "Especially now that I know I can text you if I feel lonely."

Before he could pull away, I grabbed his wrist. "I will always text back the moment I can."

Nagito smiled and blushed as he stared at me through his eyelashes. "I know."

As we exited the back room, Nagito grabbed a tray of fresh tea off the counter. Before I walked back to my now clean station, I looked back at him. "Hey, Nagito?"

"Yes?"

"Would you like to come over to my house for dinner tonight? It can be my way of thanking you for helping me out."

"I'd love to," he giggled.

"I have to warn you, though, it will mostly be boxed food. I didn't set anything special aside for dinner tonight."

"That's okay. I'm good with anything."

"Mr. Hinata," Gundham spoke from behind me, and I turned back to face him. "The lovely Miss Sonia and I were hoping to take the two of you out tonight after club activities."

Biting my lip, I glanced back at Nagito, who seemed to be just as taken aback. "Really?"

"Yes. We will help you both to clean up after club activities and take you out afterwards," he stated, and walked away. "We are looking forward to it, mortal."

Glancing over at Sonia, she smiled at me, but I could see the ice in her eyes. She was not taking no for an answer.

"I guess dinner at my place will have to wait until another night."

Nagito sighed. "And I was looking forward to it, too."

"At least this will give me the chance to cook you a proper meal when I do."

"I wouldn't care if all you were serving were ice cubes and salt. I'd be happy with anything you served," he smiled before walking away to serve more customers. Now I really wished we were going back to my house instead.

Vote, comment, and share!