Astro Boy and Kitsune

Chapter 1

Akihiko drew a deep drag of his cigarette and made himself and his dignity a silent promise. Never again in his life would he submit to wear this damn thing and go stand at some street corner feeling like he was in his pajamas. A breeze brushed against places it had no business airing out in public, and Akihiko adjusted the hem of his yukata and tugged on the obi belt for the umpteenth time. No matter how much he tightened the belt around his waist, it felt like the fabric was slipping and sliding.

He tapped ashes off the smoldering tip of his cigarette and grimaced at how the yukata clung to his damp back. It had been another scorcher that day. Even though the sun was starting to set, the late-night drizzle had added humidity to the still lingering warmth. Akihiko tried to ignore the way his skin was damp and itchy under the yukata and crushed the cigarette stub on the wet pavement with his sandal.

His mother had gotten him the yukata a couple of years ago but for her great annoyance, he had always refused to put it on. She had said he would handsome in the navy-blue fabric with zig-zag patterns and black obi belt. And that had been why he was in this predicament right now. Vanity.

That and he had mentioned the yukata to Ugetsu.

"Oh?" he had said, and warning bells had immediately gone off in Akihiko's head.

Ugetsu's eyes – chocolate brown and twinkling with mischief – had squinted up at Akihiko from where Ugetsu had been sitting crouched down on the little threshold of the door that led to the school roof.

"I would love to see this handsome Aki," he had said, a coy little smile playing on his stupid lips.

And here he stood dressed up in the stupid thing and sucking in his stomach in because the belt made him feel like had a gut. And Ugetsu, the damn bastard, was – grumbling for his own weakness to chocolate eyes, Akihiko dug out his phone – almost twenty minutes late now. Fed up, he opened the messaging app and narrowed his eyes at the little green dot next to Ugetsu's profile picture in his contacts.

where r u

A couple of seconds and Ugetsu's profile picture blobbed down next to Akihiko's message. Read. Okay. Good.

Akihiko shifted on his feet and tugged on the yukata again.

Still read.

R. E. A. D.

Well?

Where were the three little dancing dots indicating that Ugetsu was scripting his written apology and that he would be there shortly, deeply sorry for the inconvenience? And for making Akihiko feel like he was standing naked for people to ogle?

Did this fucking asshole just leave him on "read"?

He growled at his phone.

"Aki."

And suddenly Ugetsu was there, all twinkly-eyed and smiling his usual teasing smile. Akihiko's name falling off his lips like it always did – like Ugetsu had a secret, but Akihiko had to guess what it was. It was infuriating. It was intriguing.

It was Ugetsu.

Akihiko swallowed and glared at him.

"You're late."

Ugetsu's eyes squinted when his little smirk deepened.

"Or you're just helplessly early. What are you, a little kid going on a trip?"

Akihiko's mouth snapped shut. He couldn't really argue with that. So, maybe he had been a little early. Sue him for not wanting to make people wait. He settled for grumbling about owning a watching, unlike some people.