Chapter 12 #3
Reno’s fingers squeezed Luka’s hand before he moved back just enough to say, “I can’t believe you’re here.”
Luka shook his head a bit, saying, “Me either. Everyone’s been telling me we are insane.”
Reno sat back, pushing his hair away from his face with his free hand. “Is that so bad?”
“I don’t know. What do your friends say?”
“They have always told me I am mental.” Reno cocked his head to the side, looking amused, eyes shining. “But whatever is going on up in my head that's weird is working in my favor, so I don’t fight it. It got you here, didn’t it?”
“I think that was my own insanity," Luka admitted. “If I were even just slightly more of a rational person, I don’t think I would have said yes.”
“I’m so lucky you are insane with me, then,” Reno said sagely, before cracking into laughter.
The driver pulled into a parking spot in front of a charming building with a lantern-shaped street lamp out front.
It seemed quaint to Luka, in a way that felt very British that he’d only seen in movies or TV.
Reno busied himself putting on a face mask and hat to hide his hair and got out before the driver could open Luka’s door.
Reno got there first, so the driver shrugged and went to the trunk to get Luka’s bags.
“Welcome.” Reno’s eyes curved into beautiful crescents when he smiled.
He helped Luka out of the car and then pointed down the street to the end of the block.
“My place is just a few streets down. Feel free to bother me whenever you want. This is my spare key for you to borrow.” He handed the key over and attached to it was a small keychain of a pink fox.
“Here is the key to your apartment.” He hooked a second key onto the fox keychain with a small carabiner.
“Thank you.” Luka stared at the key to Reno’s place with a very strange feeling building inside of him. “I probably won’t bother you without warning, though.”
“Oh, Luka. Don’t you know it would make my day to have you suddenly appear in my flat?”
Luka took in a big breath and wrapped his hand around the key, letting the feeling of it press into his palm. “Okay.”
The driver had all his bags on the curb, and Reno took a moment to brush his fingers, feather light, against Luka’s cheekbone before moving to lead them inside.
Between Reno and the driver, Luka didn’t have to lift a finger as they went into the building and up one flight of stairs to the apartment door.
The apartment was nicely furnished, comfortable and clean, and just big enough for one person.
The view from the window was decent, showing the street out front and the buildings across from it.
In the near distance was an area that looked like a downtown, with huge skyscrapers all clustered together.
Reno came up behind him by the window. “That one there"—he pointed to one of the buildings in the cluster—“is where I work. Easy to find me. If you come by while I am working, just ask for Jasmine at the front, and she’ll bring you to me. Including right now, if you can’t sleep and get bored. It’s about ten minutes by bus, twenty-five if you walk. ”
Reno pulled him to the kitchen counter, where he took a folded piece of paper from his pocket and smoothed it out for Luka to see. In light, sketchy lines, there was a hand-drawn map, with different squares labeled in small, cramped writing that Luka assumed was Reno’s.
“I made you a map of the neighborhood. Here’s the food market, drug store, liquor store, coffee shop, bakery, and my home.
” Reno pointed each one out even though they were labeled.
“You’re here, and the bus stop is here. I got you a pass good for a month, so you won’t risk expiring while you’re here.
” He set it on the counter next to the map.
“My address and the studio’s are both at the bottom.
Hm, did I miss anything?” Reno tapped his chin in thought, then said, “Oh, there’s food for you in the fridge. ”
Luka didn’t have the words, so he turned and kissed Reno’s temple in gratitude.
“Oh, that’s nice,” Reno practically purred as he turned to Luka and wrapped his arms around him.
The driver cleared his throat from the doorway where he still lingered by Luka’s bags. “I’ll go wait in the car. Five minutes.”
“Un2, thank you,” Reno said, and as soon as the door was closed, he pulled his mask off, and his lips crashed into Luka’s with a need Luka realized Reno had been holding back.
It matched his own, as his hands flew to Reno’s waist and backed him up against the counter.
Reno let out a happy sigh, his lips parting and tongue tracing Luka’s lips as he snuck his hands under Luka’s shirt to grasp at his back.
He turned his face away, exposing his delicate jawline, and Luka planted a series of open-mouthed kisses there, making Reno gasp quietly and hold him even tighter. “I missed you.”
“How much?” Luka said, before feeling Reno’s pulse against his tongue. He tasted sweet and earthy and smelled even better.
“Fuck," Reno swore when Luka nipped at his ear, “so much I might come untouched in my pants from you doing that.”
Luka let out a shocked laugh. “That fast?”
“Probably not," Reno admitted. He took Luka’s hand and brought it to his front. “This will be an issue, though, if you don’t stop and let me calm down.”
Luka’s head was spinning, feeling how hard Reno was just from them kissing. “Think you can come in under four minutes?”
“No.” Reno took Luka’s hand away. “I’ll be done at the studio by nine, though. Want me to come over after and take my time with you?”
“Yes.”
Reno brought Luka’s hand to his face and kissed the center of his palm.
“Good, I’ll save this for later.” He turned Luka’s hand and put the thumb against his tongue before sucking.
He popped the thumb out from between his lips and Luka felt his breath catch in his chest. He gradually moved Luka’s hand down to Luka’s side and let go with a sigh.
“Thank you,” Luka mumbled, feeling dazed.
“For saving this for later?” Reno asked.
Luka shook his head. “For everything you’ve done for me.”
“Oh, this is only the start,” Reno smirked, then leaned forward to catch the side of Luka’s jaw with a light kiss.
“Get some rest. I will call you when I’m on my way.
And if you decide you need to stay asleep, that is okay too.
I will simply spend my tomorrow morning taking you apart bit by bit instead. ”
“You—” Luka started, wanting to claim that Reno couldn’t just say things like that, but their short history together had proven that he could. He tried again. “You amaze me.”
“I hope to continue doing so; it’s only fair when you are like this.”
“Like what?” Luka asked.
“Here, in my city, for me. Also incredible. A vision come to life.”
Luka blinked a few times. “What?”
“Oh, we are not getting into this right now. I do not have time to tell you all the ways in how stunning you are. I have to go write a song.” Reno grabbed Luka by the shoulders to gently push him out of his space.
He side-stepped around Luka and made his way to the door, only to put his hand on the handle and backtrack to where Luka stood.
“One day, I’ll have you convinced," he said, then kissed Luka’s cheek.
He left then with a wink and a wave, promising to be back later before putting his mask on and darting down the stairs.
Luka watched him go then closed the door, latching the lock, and suddenly, he felt incredibly relieved to be alone.
He needed to sleep, to shower, and eat too.
He could feel the ache from the long flight and the lack of sleep from the evening before.
So, he dragged his bags into the bedroom, managed a quick shower, and collapsed into bed.
“Moshi moshi3.” Reno sounded far more chipper than Luka felt when he picked up the phone.
“Mhm.” Luka rolled over in bed and took stock of his body. He ached all over from the plane ride and could use another few hours of sleep. “You coming over?”
“Aww, you sound sooo sleepy,” Reno cooed into the phone, “Kawaii ne4.”
“Urusai5," Luka mumbled and Reno gasped.
“I can’t believe the first thing you speak to me in Japanese is ‘shut up’.” Reno was laughing. “Are you learning for me?”
“Will you get me a Red Bull?” Luka didn’t answer Reno’s question, feeling too embarrassed to admit he’d been studying a new language to impress a man.
“Of course," Reno said, “It makes me so happy you asked me for something without prompt. How is Chinese takeout? I can get you lo mein; I know somewhere authentic.”
“Sounds perfect.” Luka ran a hand through his hair and winced. He’d fallen asleep with it wet and it was a disaster. “How soon will you be here?”
“Give me forty-five minute to get the food and make my way there.”
Luka hummed an affirmation and pulled himself out of bed. “Okay, um, arigato gozaimasu6.”
“You kill me, my heart stops dead,” Reno said, and Luka could clearly picture the way Reno probably had his hand over his chest. “See you soon.”
Reno hung up and Luka let his phone fall onto the bed before he began his search for a less-wrinkled shirt and comfortable pants.
After fixing his hair, he pulled on an oversized sweatshirt and socks, too, grateful for August’s research on how cold it would be.
It was at least ten degrees warmer in Missouri than in London, and the flat was drafty.
Sooner than expected, there was a knock at the door.
Luka opened it to a wind-swept Reno, a mask over his face and his hair everywhere, holding bags of food in one hand and a wine bottle in the other.
He came inside asking, “Is the kitchen stocked? I forgot to check earlier when I made my rounds.”
“Oh, I haven’t either.” Luka closed the door, watching as Reno dumped bags on the counter and started opening cabinets.