— 2018
[ explicit content 2/5 ]
word count — 2950
♪
It was silent once the moment passed; silent, except for the playing music that entertained the girls along with Maki, who went back to them once Jin gave him a thumbs up on the Norio situation.
"Does she usually drink like that?" I questioned, watching Mirélle dance.
"No, just on some weekends." Jin was watching them with me. "She works really hard all week and the weekend is the one time she feels that she can actually...breathe. But the drinking really depends on her mood."
"Hm..." I took another cup. "Why aren't you drinking, Jin?"
"Designated driver," he smiled at me.
Once they returned, she was close and touchy again, hugging me from the back as she panted and turned off the music. It took another drink for me to get back into the mood she had brought with her. She relaxed by my side, taking yet another drink.
"Don't you think that's enough?" I lowered the cup from her lips. She pouted and it made me crumble.
"Je pense," she sat nearer to me, gazing at me a certain way before going back to her shenanigans as the group had a conversation. I was listening in from a distance when Maki was talking to Norio.
Her fingers were in my hair, making me feel all kinds of high, and then she was abruptly poking at my cheeks. When she laughed, it was mostly because she was manipulating my face to pull an expression she probably hadn't seen before.
"Sumie thinks you're cute," Mirélle breathed from my left, squeezing my lips that were beginning to numb out. "But I also think you're cute."
"I never said he was cute," Sumie was more aggressive when she drank. She sat on my right, frowning, mostly. "That was all you."
"Whatever," Mirélle sighed, caressing the side of my face with the tip of her finger. "He's cute. He's cute. Either way, he's going to be cute."
With a laugh, I leaned close to her, feeling her breath on my lips.
Ah...first kiss?
"Cute enough to go out with me?" I repeated, almost feeling myself kiss her if it weren't for Jin pulling her away with a grunt.
"I don't know," she giggled fleetingly, her features returning to neutral as she eyed me from the floor. "I'm just scared of getting my heart broken again. I don't want only sex anymore."
What she said made my heart pound. I blinked, at a loss for words. "Uh..."
"Mirélle," Jin demanded her attention in a voice so stern, that he even caught mine. She gazed at him before rolling over to his side. The man joined her, propping himself up on his elbow to look directly at her. From where I was sitting, I couldn't hear what he was telling her, or what she was saying to him.
But it was difficult not to notice him putting an arm around her waist. The gesture made me wonder if there was anything between them: first Norio, and now Jin, too?
Even mentioning the fact that Maki stared at Sumie and Mirélle wasn't worth it.
What a complicated group...
"Jealous?" Sumie tilted to my side, speaking to me in hushed tones as she left Hana somewhere in the middle.
"A little," I admitted, urging a smile to my face as the dizziness simmered down a bit. Trying not to make it obvious, I glanced at her briefly and then at Norio, who still often looked at me with a grimace. "Kind of wishing that was me..."
Sumie scoffed. "You, and a ton of others."
And I stared at Mirélle's legs, watching the way she moved when she laughed. At one point, Jin took off his glasses as he looked at her. My mind went off on a trip again on how close and intimate they must've been for him to be able to do that.
But I looked away when he put his hands on her knees, seeing that he was stroking her legs through my peripheral vision. Turning my back to them, I forced a grin at Sumie.
"Don't worry," it was Hana that spoke.
"Or, worry a lot." Sumie snickered.
"No," Hana continued, shaking her head. "Sure, they're close...but nothing between them."
"I'm just a bit dizzy," I scratched my head, rubbing my eyes. "It's been a while since I drank anything!"
My ears burned at the sound of Mirélle mentioning the CCG out loud. Returning to my original position, I watched her again, noticing him put on his sunglasses once more.
Not before long, Mirélle released a heavy sigh and stood up dizzily. Jin accompanied her as she strode to the shore and, abruptly, she dropped to her knees.
"Sumie-chan!" Jin called out, and the brunette beside me stood and ran to crouch beside Mirélle.
I got ready to join the trio as well, but Hana stopped me.
"Just wait here," she said quietly. "There's a reason she's crying away from us."
"Crying?" Mirélle's body language gave it away; some part of me must have known.
"It usually happens when she's beginning to sober up," Hana explained. She was more talkative when she drank. "It's like all the shit suddenly comes back to her. It's bad..."
I could only see their silhouettes from how far we were sitting, but Mirélle crouched to the floor as the two beside her rubbed her back, and probably tried to cheer her up.
When they returned with Jin's arm around her shoulder and Sumie's around her waist, Mirélle broke the connections and sat down beside me with a puff, not wasting another second to place her head on my shoulder and hold my arm.
"Hey," I half-whispered as I glanced at her. "Are you all right?"
She hummed. "I'll be fine. Please, talk more."
I began with my favorite band and some of their lyrics. Sumie returned to her position on my right, taking a hold of her phone and playing gentle music in a low volume.
"Looks like there's some movement over there," Jin muttered grimly. "I'll be back."
"More active at night, huh..."
"What?" Sumie's voice startled me.
"Ah, nothing! I must have been thinking out loud again." Mirélle stirred and it caused me to put an arm around her shoulder, lightly rubbing her. "I wonder what movement he saw."
The girl on my shoulder moaned and before I knew it, she brought her head down to my thigh, groaning slightly as she adjusted herself to face me. "It's not as good as the view from here." Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled familiarly when she looked at me, every subtle movement she made awakened my insides.
"Or here," I returned her reflective expression, gently playing with her dry, sandy hair. She shut her eyes as I told her some stories of Kaneki and me. She made a few comments and giggled now and again.
"I'd like to meet him someday," she said under her breath. "This...Kaneki Ken."
"No," I hissed playfully. "You two would get along too well! In the end, it's him you'll go out with..."
"Tais-toi. I don't get along with everyone. Besides, you're already in my sights, con."
I bit my lip when I grinned.
Jin was back soon, and it was time to leave. Mirélle stood by my bike as I sat on it, a hand on her necklace and one playing with a lock of her long hair. After cleaning up where we were sitting, everyone else went into the Jeep as they waited for her. Except for Jin, who, once again, had waltzed around the area for some time.
"I won't be sitting on your lap," she pouted adorably, allowing her fingers to intertwine.
"No," I chuckled. "You'll be more comfortable on the normal chairs! They'll be comfortable, too." A wave of emotion hit me as I scratched my head. "I've been a real inconvenience for everyone tonight..."
"Quoi? No, not at all, Hide! If it was too much trouble, Jin wouldn't have done all that...he wouldn't have insisted on you riding with us in the car."
"Still," I brought my cheeks up in a smile. "They really must have been uncomfortable at the back. And Norio..."
"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "It's one night. They'll live."
"Right!"
It fell silent for a moment before we both spoke at the same time, and followed it up with short laughter.
"Text me as soon as you reach home, all right?"
"Same goes for you, mon chou." She bowed her head and walked towards the Jeep.
That's that, then.
A sigh escaped me as I turned the wheel to my bike, but the sound of her rushing footsteps caught my attention. "Hm?"
"Ah, pardon," she mumbled, leaning forward with a hand on my arm and giving me a kiss on both cheeks. None of that la-bise thing. Just kisses.
I was magnetically attached to her as she pulled back, biting her lip and playing with her necklace. The innocence that gleamed through her gaze made it feel like I was back in grade school, courting my crush as she sent me mixed signals that even she wasn't sure of.
"It was nice being with you tonight. Thank you for staying with us."
"I'm glad I decided to stay, too! I didn't expect to have as much fun as I did."
"Come out with us more often, then."
"I think I will. Oh...don't forget that paper, Uchiyama."
"Of course, Nagakchika."
"Can I kiss you?"
Her eyes widened briefly. "Huh?"
"I asked if I could kiss you." My grip on the handles of my bike tightened. "I'm...curious..."
She covered up her face and turned away, allowing her laughter to carve into my hollow chest. "Putain, Hideyoshi. You're drunk."
"And you must be tipsy," I commented, indeed feeling out of my right mind.
"Well..."
Her words mentally made a comeback. "Wait, I'm not drunk!"
"Woah," Jin walked up from beside us. "What's going on here? Nagachika...why is your bike out? Where's everyone?"
Ah...did he want to drive me home, too?
"They're inside, mec," Miri replied, glancing at me even though she was talking to Jin. It felt like a dream. "We were just waiting for you."
"No, no; why is Nagachika's bike outside?" he appeared mad as he stomped towards the Jeep, opening its door and yelling inside. "Everyone in the back - out, now."
His commands were met with several loud complaints and groans from the three that sat in the vehicle; Sumie the most. She even began cursing - in French.
"Jin," I muttered, getting off my bike and standing beside Miri as I tried to reason with him. "It's fine, really! You brought me here, might as well get myself home, ya know!"
"No, man," his voice was strict. "You came with us, so you go back with us. Unless you've come with your own car, then I'm taking you back. How can you even bike after drinking?"
An action so humane and selfless made me feel so small; I couldn't deny or change his mind and I wasn't sure if I even wanted to anymore. Questioning his general motives still played a role, but I knew to show more appreciation.
Jin really cares about me.
Without saying another word, I walked my bike towards him; he quickly removed the first wheel, and, just like earlier, my bike was taking up space in the back of his Jeep.
"Jin..."
He waved off the tone of my voice. "C'mon, same seating arrangement, if that's all right."
"Definitely." When I turned to Miri, she was talking with a heated Sumie. It was then that I had seen some sort of resemblance between her and Norio.
Mirélle's eyes caught mine and suddenly, it was as though all her attention shifted towards me. I felt bad for Sumie, but I couldn't help but smile and before I knew it, I was walking towards her. Sumie walked past me, not without shoving my shoulder with hers as if we were in high school.
It was funny because she was a lot shorter than me.
"Looks like I'm sitting on your lap after all." Mirélle grinned.
"Looks like it." The thought made me blush, however, a part of me feared what might happen. She was tipsy—if not drunk—and was already incredibly forward when we were chilling beside each other; how would she act sitting on me?
"Right, everyone in," Jin cleared his throat and pointed a finger to Mirélle when we approached him. "You," he said and she laughed, which caused him to lose composure and chuckle along with her. After shaking his head and rubbing his temples, he cleared his throat and pointed at her again. "Yah, you. Watch yourself, you hear?"
Even though he was intimidatingly stern despite being swayed by her giggle, Mirélle playfully gave him a salute. "Yes, captain."
"Sumie," he nodded towards her as she lifted herself into the trunk. It didn't seem like she wanted to be there, judging by the way she rolled her eyes. He then turned to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Are you sober?"
With a shrug, I blinked up at him. "More or less."
He scoffed "Great," then headed towards the driver's seat.
The ride home wasn't as bad as I thought it would be; still, she was close and tipsy, and wouldn't stop staring at me.
"Jin, can you please play that song - the one that starts with the car door?" she didn't even turn when she asked him; the scent of smoke and alcohol lingered between us.
But he obliged, and the song that sounded an awful lot like a love song played.
Her left arm reached for Sumie at the back again but this time, it was because Sumie demanded that she did so; her other hand lingered at the base of my neck and rubbed me lightly.
She can probably feel my heartbeat.
The second time around, she didn't bother to adjust her position and sat right on top of me; at that point, I didn't care if she felt me get exceptionally hard.
"Is there something on my face?" I asked quietly, hoping that my breath didn't reek of alcohol or weariness.
Smiling, she shook her head. "No. You're so cute, so I can't look away."
"...Neither can I," I admitted, adding a frown. "Don't call me cute."
"What, then?" she looked dreamy.
"I don't know...but it sounds childish. I should be handsome."
"Hmm..." her smile turned sly. "You're handsome." And after guiding my hands around her soft waist, she used her free hand to touch my face again, the way she did on the sand. I unconsciously raised mine up to her shoulders and pulled her closer, waiting for an opening - for just a second, where I can kiss her.
But she began touching and squeezing my mouth; playfully at first, then her expression shifted to something along the lines of curiosity. She licked and bit her own lips, and I wished I knew what she was thinking.
I couldn't stop looking at her as my heart was beating straight out of my chest. Through my peripherals, I spotted Sumie leaning into my vision from the left, but my gaze was stuck on Miri, as was hers on me.
"What are you doing?" Sumie asked, to which Mirélle quietly replied with, "Nothing."
Sumie didn't leave, but we were both too tipsy to care - more her than me.
All we did was stare at each other, and I never knew I could be so relaxed with someone in the silence. The moonlight shone against her lashes, following them every time she blinked and painting her features so beautifully in pale blue; she was almost glowing.
I like looking at pretty girls...but this was something else.
"Nagachika, is this the right place?" Jin questioned as he pulled up into the parking. Blinking out of my trance, I glanced out the other window to see my building.
"Yep," a sadness brought my eyes back to the girl in front of me. "I gotta go."
She pouted, and I formed a fist.
I was so absorbed by the idea of kissing her that I never actually forced myself to do it.
"I'll see you soon." I smiled at her. "Don't forget to text me."
"I won't," the sadness within me had reflected in her hazel eyes, almost glazed over by fatigue and intoxication. "Don't leave me hanging...all right?"
My brows furrowed. "Of course not."
"I'll help you with that," Jin mumbled as he got out of the Jeep, and once he was out, so was everyone else. He opened my door and all but dragged Mirélle out from over me, placing her in the driver's seat before helping Maki with my bike. She never once took her eyes off me, and I only looked back.
"Thanks...and sorry," I muttered, pulling my shirt low as I grabbed the front wheel and assembled it back on the bike. "It won't happen again."
"Nagachika," Jin put a hand on my shoulder once again. "You're asking me to hit you right now. It was really no trouble and I was glad that you came along. Don't be like that, you hear? We're friends, man."
Jin's...really amazing.
Nodding, I held my bike and began walking it towards my building. "I can't thank you enough!" I called out to him.
"See you at uni!" he waved back.
If there were anything close to magic on the Earth that we live in, it was that feeling, the one that had wrapped itself tightly around me that night.
Not just Ghouls.
I received a text while I was in the shower before heading to bed, and the notification had me grinning.
Mirélle couldn't sleep, so we texted back and forth until we got sleepy.
𝙼𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒:
𝚜𝚘𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙 𝚗𝚘𝚠...𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚛...
𝙷𝚒𝚍𝚎:
𝚊𝚑! 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞: 𝚠𝚎 𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍!
𝙼𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒:
...𝚒 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝...𝚒 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚜𝚘...𝚒 𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗𝚝 𝚍𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚞𝚖𝚋.
𝙷𝚒𝚍𝚎:
𝚗𝚘, 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢! 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚔𝚜!
𝙼𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒:
𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚎 𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍
𝙷𝚒𝚍𝚎:
𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐
𝙼𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒:
𝙷𝚒𝚍𝚎..
𝙷𝚒𝚍𝚎:
𝚄𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚢𝚊𝚖𝚊
𝙼𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒:
𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚒 𝚍𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚞𝚖𝚋? 𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐...
𝙷𝚒𝚍𝚎:
𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚝! 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗𝚝. 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚜𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚠𝚠 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚎 ww
𝙼𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒:
..𝚗𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚢..
𝙷𝚒𝚍𝚎:
𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚎 wwwwww 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚎 wwww
𝙼𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚛𝚒:
𝚗𝚘 𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚜..𝚗𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚏. 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢
Once she texted me a 'goodnight', I turned my phone off and slept like a log.
Thank goodness it's the weekend.
•───────⋅☾ ☽⋅───────•
•• Translations ✎ ••
Je pense - I think
Tais-toi - Shut up
Con - Idiot // Stupid
Mec - Dude
wwww - Japanese text slang for laughter
votes & comments appreciated ♡
•───────⋅☾ ☽⋅───────•