The Pink Rose's Promise (BL)

2. The First "Date"

 It was a Saturday morning, just before nine-thirty in the morning. Most Saturdays, Ichirou would still be asleep in his bed. It wasn't that he was a lazy young man, it was more so that he was someone who enjoyed the night more and also valued his beauty sleep. So, it was somewhat surprising to see Ichirou bustling back and forth between his bed and his walk-in closet.

Ichirou sorted through his clothes that were all over his bed, grabbing a cute neckerchief. He laid it atop the shirt, looking at the three outfits he had set out on his bed that he was considering. He was desperately trying to choose which was the best. In the end, he decided that for a first date, something cute and casual like overalls and a pastel pink, off-the-shoulder top would be the best. He pulled it on, as well as some fun, patterned tights and a pair of dreamy skater shoes. Ichirou walked over to his vanity, sat himself down, and began doing his makeup.

A knock on his door partway through his makeup did not surprise him. He figured it would be his sister, and as he called for whoever it was to enter, he was not surprised to see Ichika lumbering into his bedroom. She tossed some clothes into a pile and sat on his bed. She had an unamused, almost concerned look on her face. He knew exactly what she was going to say before she said anything, but he still patiently waited for her response.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"I told you, Ichika, I'm just giving it a shot. Besides, aren't you and mom always bugging me to find more friends, anyway?"

"Yes, but not like this!"

Ichirou had told Ichika the day after the party about the offer that Masahiro had put in. Although the siblings implicitly trusted one another, that didn't mean that Ichika completely had faith in his ability to discern a good idea from a bad one. She was absolutely certain that either Masahiro was going to be a complete creep, or their parents would find out and Ichirou would be grounded for the rest of eternity.

"I'm only doing this as a way to hold them off for a little bit," Ichirou said, dusting on a bit of blush. "I'll hang out with him for, like, six months maximum, minimum just this one time. That way I can have some room to breathe."

"But Ichiroouu, what if he does something gross? What if this is his M.O., and he's just trying to get you comfy so he can attack you?"

"Then I'll attack him first! I'll go for the genitals, and make sure he can never have any kids!"

Ichika sighed and bowed her head. "Just, promise me you'll be careful. I worry about you so much."

Ichirou hesitated, then put his brush back into its spot carefully. "I'll be careful. I know I'm an omega, so I have to be, and I've had to be my whole life. I won't take any unnecessary risks."

At that moment, his phone began to buzz, with the name "Mom" written on it. There was no way he was here, it was ten minutes early! He sat up and answered it, murmuring out a hello.

"Hello, dearest, the butler is entertaining Yamashita-kun. Please come down as soon as possible, okay?"

"H- he's early! I need to finish my makeup!"

"That's why I said as soon as possible, darling. Please hurry, or I might start talking to him!"

With that, Iwa hung up. Looking with absolute horror at his phone, Ichirou suddenly sped up his makeup, no longer caring if it looked perfect. His mom would absolutely tell stories about him when he was younger, stories that he did not want anyone to know, let alone some guy that he wasn't sure if he was ever going to meet again.

With a quick goodbye to his little sister, he sprinted out of the room, taking two stairs at a time. He ran out to the foyer and was relieved to see his mother still standing there, along with his father. No embarrassing tales had been woven yet.