Not Like Him

They don’t need much time to decide to live together — the weird scheduled club trips have to be a thing of the past. But they can’t agree on whose place to move into. Umi insists that his apartment is perfectly located near his office. Fox clings to the word “apartment” and argues that there’s only room for Umi’s wardrobe in his house. With his seductive maneuvers, Umi drags him over and spoils him for weeks, making Fox stay the night at his place. In retaliation, Fox takes him out on dates and then drops the sulking Umi back at his house. After a couple of days of whining, Umi realizes it isn’t so bad. Partly because the house doesn’t feel like a place where he has to tiptoe everywhere to avoid breaking something, and partly because Fox kindly gives him rides to work, even on his days off. Eventually, Umi agrees and, as an experienced designer, brings warmth and coziness into the house’s austere atmosphere. “You’re so contradictory,” Fox laughs, pulling him close. “A top-notch interior designer, and yet you’ve collected all this clutter.” “You don’t like it?” Umi asks anxiously, propping himself up on his elbows. “I can pack everything into boxes and slowly start getting rid of it. Maybe sell some things, I’m sure.” “Umi, no!” Fox protests sincerely, pulling him closer. “I don’t mean that I don’t like it. I just don’t want you to throw anything away for me. All these little things — they’re cute. Just like you…” Umi relaxes, melting against Fox and purring contentedly like a cat. After that, he stops worrying about whether Fox will dislike the changes around the house. Three months later, he completely forgets about his old life. It feels like he’s always lived there, like his favorite person has always been by his side. Then, one fine morning, news of another change arrives. “Kitten, I’ve got something important for you,” Fox calls from the doorway, rustling with bags. Umi, still half-asleep, steps out of the bedroom. He stays up late finishing a project to save the company, which has become a common occurrence lately. “Hi, Fox.” He smacks Fox lightly on the lips and takes the bags with a miserable expression. “Make us some tea,” Fox says, pulling off his jacket. “I’m heading to the shower. You get the news after.” In one of the bags, Umi finds a cake, apparently custom-made. A chocolate heart bears the inscription “Heartfelt Congratulations,” decorated with various medical odds and ends — a stethoscope, a scalpel, and the like. Apparently, doctors really do have a twisted sense of humor. “I hope no one has a heart attack from laughing. Wait. Hold on. Am I just cracking a super funny cardiologist joke right now?” Fox comes out of the shower fresh and cheerful. He’s chuckling at Umi’s bewildered expression. “You also think they’re beyond help?” “Absolutely.” Umi feels almost bad cutting into such a “work of art,” but Fox just waves him off, saying, “There’ll be plenty more like this.” It sounds rather mysterious, and Umi tenses up. Fox immediately senses his tension and gets straight to the point. “They’re offering me a chief doctor position in Boston.” At first, Umi doesn’t even grasp the meaning of his words. Fox patiently waits for his reaction. Gradually, it sinks in. “Chief doctor?” His eyes widen, and without thinking he blurts out, “Holy shit!” Fox frowns at the choice of words but smiles. “Agreed. You couldn’t have said it better!” “Oh, sorry…” Umi shyly drops his eyes. Fox loves it when he gets embarrassed. Like he’s an innocent little angel who hasn’t seen the world, not a dirty little slut. “This is amazing! I’m so proud of you!” he jumps up from his seat and hugs him tight. Fox, touched, strokes his back and waits for the big question. But his kitten is so impressed by his career leap that he keeps hugging him in silence. “My boyfriend is the boss now,” he murmurs into Fox’s neck. “And you’ll be bossing me around at home too.” “Now go on, talk about the house,” Fox thinks, nudging him mentally, but Umi keeps whispering about his achievements, which don’t matter at all right now. “Umi…,” Fox places a hand on the back of his head. “Mmm..?” “The hospital — it’s in Boston.” “That’s a wonderful city. And now it even has the best bar thanks to me.” “You don’t understand?” Fox gently pulls Umi away from him. Of course he understands. And he knows what Fox is about to say. So he has to take the chance to spend these last weeks — days? — together, before Fox waves goodbye, exhaling with relief. After that, Umi will return to his shabby little apartment — the one he once lived in. He didn’t think it was shabby before. But now he’ll have to live with that knowledge. Though he could switch his schedule, stay late at the office covering his ass for the boss, then hit the club. Maybe find someone there for fun, but after Fox, nothing will work the same. So he’ll get drunk at the bar, endure Stanley’s dumb teasing, and fend off advances from teen-loving patrons. “All right, eat the cake,” he returns to his seat. “Your slice comes with an enema topper.” Fox coughs in indignation. “Idiots… I’m a cardiologist, not a nurse. Complete jokers…” But he starts eating. Umi trembles from tension and feels a little sick, but pushes through and joins in with a smile. The silence weighs heavily on both of them — it’s obvious even without looking. Something needs to be said, or it becomes unbearable. “When are you leaving?” Umi stares at his tea. “Me?” Fox repeats in surprise, then quietly adds, “And you?” “Me?” Umi looks up. “I understand…” Fox exhales. “You’ve got a lot of work right now, and the company needs you…” “Fuck the company!” the boy snaps. “I’m tired of taking orders that tie me up hand and foot! And sitting at the office at night like an idiot who has to do everything.” “So, in two weeks you’ll be ready?” Umi stares blankly ahead. “Will you be ready for our move?” Fox asks. “I’ll scout us a place for the first weeks, and you can judge it as an expert.” “You want me to come with you?” Umi asks, his voice trembling. “What do you mean, ‘me with you’? There’s only us. And if we move, it’s together. If you’re not ready, I’ll back off.” Umi jumps up. Fox is willing to turn down something important for him and stay here? No one has ever done that for him. Does he deserve it? “Don’t talk nonsense. It’s your career, your life!” Fox stands sharply too, coming close and putting his hands on Umi’s shoulders. “You are my life. How don’t you get that? I’ll do anything for you. For us.” He strokes Umi’s hair. Umi presses his nose to Fox’s and whispers into his lips, “I’ll do anything for you.” “For us,” Fox corrects, barely leaving any space between their mouths. “For us…” Umi repeats, and kisses him first. As usual, it starts with tenderness and ends with clothes flying and clearing space on the horizontal surface. Umi gasps when the playful cake hits the floor. Fox laughs, saying it’s not the first and won’t be the last cake, and seats him bare-assed on the table. “We promised no sex outside the bedroom…” Umi whines, wriggling in Fox’s arms. “Are you going to say that every time?” Fox snorts, reaching into a drawer under the table. A very convenient invention, indeed. “Of course,” Umi lies across the table, locking his legs behind him and pulling Fox closer. “Stop teasing. We just fucked yesterday, I’m ready.” “You little slut,” Fox smirks, shocking Umi. “Can’t wait when you get fucked.” “Hey!” Umi exclaims, still not feeling him inside. “Don’t go overboard. I’m not ready for all that swearing at once.” “How much are you ready for?” Fox grins, gripping his ass and forcing his legs onto his shoulders. “For now, enough. Less talk, more action.” He moans as Fox enters almost fully. Probably shouldn’t have rushed. Fox freezes for a moment, studying Umi’s face. Umi exhales and nods. “Sure?” Fox runs a hand over his cheek. “Yes, it’s okay,” and tugs him closer by the crown of his head. Fox keeps going, and Umi flies.

✦ ✧ ✦

Now everything is different. A new city. A new job. A new home. New friends. A new life. They walk down unremarkable, empty streets of the city. They buy their first house together. Umi helps decorate it, and Fox inevitably agrees with all his ideas. They celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and their first anniversary. They watch dumb TV shows and throw popcorn at each other. They have sex in every room, in every position, and then grumble that they did it outside the bedroom again. One of them gets sick, and the other makes them drink hot tea and forces them to take the nasty syrup. They lie around with fevers, arguing over who is sicker and who should eat more honey. They get tired after work and rest by the sea. They feel sadness and joy. They are always there for each other. “There’s only us…” Fox whispers. “There’s only us…” Umi echoes.