Arukōru (Alcohol) Bar (BL)

Nari & Anzai (part 1/5)

(CW: Violence.) 

Dim red lighting, clinking of glass bottles, and the smell of citrus and bourbon. There was quiet chattering behind me but I barely registered the fact that there were other people in the room. I gently swung the leg that crossed over the other as I gazed at the man behind the bar counter. The light that reflected through the bottles behind him illuminated his lilac hair, reminding me of a soft field of lavender.

I couldn't count how many times I had imagined running my fingers through his lush hair and looking into his butterscotch eyes while we smiled lovingly at each other. How I had ached to brush our lips together and taste the sweetness of first love.

"You're staring again." His voice was just as handsome as the rest of him, a deepness that was just right. He wiped a glass clean with a pure white cloth.

"I know," I smiled.

"Shouldn't you head home? We're closing soon. A student shouldn't be out this late."

"It's not like anyone will notice I'm gone."

His hands paused at my words. "Still, it can be dangerous late at night."

I sighed and pushed away from the bar. "Fine, you'll keep nagging me if I don't go."

"Get home safe, Narihira." His tender smile caused butterflies to stir inside me.

"I will! You get home safe too! Bye!" I waved and ran out the door before my feelings became too much that they exploded out of my chest.

I walked down the quiet streets, turning corners to find home. The house I walked up to was an average family home, three bedrooms and two baths, with no lights on. The house felt colder than the outdoors when I swung the door open. I stood in the entryway for a moment, the darkness feeling empty. No sound was heard in the midst of that darkness. My parents weren't home as usual.

They rarely came home because they were truck drivers delivering goods across the country. They had at least sent me enough money every month to take care of the house and my personal expenses. Yet when I think about how they were rarely there even in my childhood, I have to wonder why they even decided to have a child if they couldn't ever part from their work.

I didn't bother turning on any lights as I entered farther into the house. I stopped by the kitchen to grab a midnight snack before heading upstairs to lie down for bed. I thought about that bar and him to avoid thinking about the quiet house and my absent parents.

It was summer break and I had summer homework I had been putting off. I killed time cleaning the house, buying groceries, and other knick-knacks for entertainment with the leftover money. When the bar opened, I spent the rest of my time there. I interacted with my crush and the other patrons. Everyone was so very friendly. It felt more like home there than my own house. I wanted to live there. I wanted to stay there forever. I wanted to stay with him...

I had met him a few months prior as I was bored wandering around town after school, trying to find anything else to do except go home. He caught my eye as he was tidying up the entrance of the bar he worked at. Apparently his parents owned it and he was helping out by working there mixing drinks. He welcomed me inside with a lovely smile and we chatted for a long time. By the time it started to get dark and other customers were entering, he told me to go home since this was no place for minors at night.

While I did as I was told, I visited him often after school. And my visits went deeper and deeper into the night until he could do nothing but allow me to stay. He kept the alcohol away from me but served me water and juice. I didn't care to drink, I was just there for company and him. My feelings grew more and more every day that I saw him and talked with him. He always smiled so sweetly at me, how could I not fall for him?