You've known Aiku for a while now.

He's always been the way that he is; all smug smirks and gritty boyish charm. It doesn't help that he's extremely handsome, or that he's a talented footballer. He's every girl's dream guy, and he knows it- which is why he hasn't got a single shred of loyalty in his body, and you've known him long enough for that not to bother you.

After all, you're friends.

You and Aiku get along extremely well; you're as chill as they come, never seeing him as anything more than a friend and never interfering in his love life- it's simply never been your problem, and who are you to judge him?

You've never done anything even slightly romantic with him; sure, he's attractive and all, but you know better than anyone else that getting involved with Aiku is not good for a woman's heart.

As of right now, you're heading towards him at the restaurant he'd booked for one of his more prestige dates- as it turns out, she'd found out about one of his other girlfriends, and they'd both left him in tears before the date had even begun, so he'd called you over to eat with him instead.

Naturally, you'd accepted- it's free food in a fancy restaurant, so why would you say no?

"Seriously, Aiku," you laugh as you take a seat across from him. "I never thought you put this much effort into your flings."

It really is a nice restaurant; it's spacious, elegant, and well-lit, with soft chairs and glass tables. Incense burners are stationed near each table, strong enough to be noticeable but not too strong to make them overpowering, and the marble floors are so clean you could probably eat off them.

Aiku raises an eyebrow. "What do you take me for? I know how to treat a lady."

"A bit too well, I'm afraid," You joke as you smooth down the hem of your dress- you're glad you wore a nice one, because you'd hate to be judged in such a posh environment. "Now you're stuck eating with me."

"What do you mean?" He smirks, leaning down slightly in his seat. "Out of all my lady friends, you're my favourite."

"I would be flattered if I wasn't your only lady friend."

"Ah, well, you got me there."

Your eyes travel down his body as you scan him- for such a scruffy looking guy, Aiku really does know how to clean himself up. He's wearing a navy waistcoat over a crisp white shirt, complimenting his darker coloured eye whilst his lighter eye pops, paired with matching trousers and a nice watch. He's got a similar coloured blazer slung over the back of his chair.

"Liking what you see?" Aiku sounds smug as he sips from his glass. Not alcohol, you're grateful to see- you're both still 19, and regardless of how reckless you can be, breaking the law in one of Japan's finest restaurants is not in your interests.

"Hardly," You reply with a snort. "I'm just reeling from the shock that you were prepared to spend so much money on your date. You even dressed up and everything."

"Nah, man," Aiku runs a hand through his multicoloured hair, ruffling it up slightly. "She was this super cute model, you know? Proper rich. Wanted to impress her so she'd get into bed with me but I guess it wasn't meant to be."

You shake your head and sigh, used to these kinds of antics from him.

"Order whatever you like sweetheart," He pushes the menu towards you. "Might as well enjoy myself whilst I'm here, because God knows I ain't ever coming back."

You roll your eyes at the way he addresses you. Sweetheart? Please.

A young, pretty waitress arrives at your table. Aiku casually slings an arm over the back of his chair, flexing his biceps, and you force yourself not to laugh like a donkey as he winks at the poor girl.

"Hi there," She beams. "Can I get your orders?"

"Sure thing, darling." Aiku says in his smoothest voice before directing his attention towards you. "What're you getting then?"

You order one of the more expensive sushi platters, asking for all the extra garnishes regardless of price. Aiku kicks you under the table, but you smile back at him innocently.

"And you, sir?" The waitress scribbles down your order before turning her attention to him.

"After her meal I'm going to be so broke," He scratches the back of his head, index finger twirling itself around a lock of green hair. "I'm not complaining, 'cause your pretty face is plenty satisfying."

You gag silently. The waitress flushes slightly, tips of her ears turning pink, and she stammers out a thank you before leaving you.

"Smooth, Aiku, smooth." You mock applaud him. "Such a gentleman you are."

"You shut it," He replies, but it lacks bite. "You better be grateful, because you're draining my savings."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," You dismiss his complaints with a wave of your hand. "Don't act like you wouldn't buy ten of those for that model who stood you up."

"That's not the same!" Aiku replies with a shrug. "The model would've given me something much better in return. You're just gonna give me attitude."

"You deserve nothing else." You smile sweetly at him.

The waitress returns with your food. She lingers, eyes fixed on Aiku, and you raise your eyebrows at him as you dig in.

"You sure you don't want anything?" She asks. "Maybe I could get you something on the house."

"Maybe you could get me something much better," Aiku's gaze drops down pointedly to her breasts. "If you want."

The waitress' eyes flick towards you. You shake your head at her and motion for her to continue.

"Don't mind me," You assure her. "I'm just here to eat and then I'm getting my ass out of here. You can have him."

She blushes, hesitant, before scrawling something down on her notepad and ripping it out. She presses it into Aiku's palm before bowing abruptly and walking away, and you smirk at him.

"Seems like you are getting a certain something out of this, after all."

He grins and slips the paper into the pocket of his waistcoat, before picking up a pair of chopsticks and stealing a tuna sashimi from your plate, shoving it unceremoniously into his mouth.

You wrinkle your nose at him, and he laughs.

"What?" He reaches over to take something else. "You wouldn't be able to eat all this, anyway."

"Don't underestimate me," You warn, brandishing your chopsticks at him, still with a half-bitten tempura on the end of them. "This whole plate's gonna be finished in no time."

"Guess I need to be sneaky then."

You're confused for about what he means for only a second before Aiku leans forward and covers your hand with his own, his hand so large it covers yours entirely. He pulls your hand to his mouth and takes your tempura, chewing it and swallowing before smirking at you.

"You're so annoying sometimes," you huff, shaking his hand away. "Keep it in your pants, man."

The rest of your dinner goes smoothly; Aiku eats off your plate like the cheapskate he is, and he ushers you up and out of the door less than an hour later.

The cool evening breeze kisses your skin once you step outside and you let out an involuntary shiver, goosebumps prickling over the smooth skin of your exposed arms.

Aiku snorts and offers you his blazer, which you snatch from him with an ungrateful grunt. You loop your arms through the sleeves, sighing at the warmth it provides you and pointedly ignoring Aiku's smug smirk.

"You didn't have to dress up all pretty like that, you know." He says as you walk with him through the street, illuminated by bright signs and car lights.

"Please," Your heels clacking against the pavement only serve to widen the grin on Aiku's face, which you hate. "I only dressed up because I knew you did, and I'm not having people think I'm a slob. Because I'm not."

"If you say so." He bumps his shoulder against yours, and you bump him back, harder.

You shove your hands into his blazer pockets to keep them warm, mentally cursing yourself for not wearing tights to keep your legs warm.

"Going back to yours?" He brings out his phone to check the time- it's late, but not too late, with the clock reading 11:00pm.

"Think so," You respond with a shrug. "Got nothing else to do."

"What a coincidence," Aiku pockets his phone and stops walking, tilting his head as he looks at you. "Me neither."

You don't like the look he's got on his face.

"What's that got to do with me?"

Aiku chuckles, his multicoloured eyes bright with amusement. "You can be so humbling, you know that?"

"Yeah, well, you need it," You grumble, lightly kicking his shin with the tip of your heel. "You're too cocky for your own good."

"Tell you what," Aiku wraps an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close to him. "Why don't you come back to mine?"

"Come on, man," You complain, but you don't push him away- his body is deliciously warm, and your cold, shivering self delights in the comfort his arm around you is providing it with. "I know you. I'm not falling for it."

"What are you on about?" He asks you innocently. "Is it a crime to ask my dearest friend to spend some time with me?"

You sigh in exasperation.

"Alright," You agree, pointing a finger in his face. "But no funny business."

"Yes, ma'am."

-

Aiku's apartment is downright disgusting, as it has been every other time you've been. He's got clothes strewn everywhere, dirty dishes stacked up in the sink and worst of all, a random bra hanging off the side of his television.

"Really, man?" You gingerly pick the bra off his tv with the end of a wooden spoon, before flicking it into the bin. "I feel like I lose half my lifespan every time I come over."

Aiku laughs, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, my bad. I'll clean up next time, I swear."

"You say that every time."

You get to work immediately despite his protests, tidying up the junkyard of his home. You throw all his dirty laundry into the washing machine, do all the dishes, and strip his bedsheets before rustling through his drawers to find new ones. You demand for him to give you his suit once he's changed out of it, and you add that to his laundry basket, placing his blazer back in a hanger and into his wardrobe.

You only allow yourself to sit once the place is nice and tidy, satisfied with your work. Aiku digs out a T-shirt and a pair of old shorts to give you, which are far too big, but you decide they're good enough and accept them.

"You're such a grandma." Aiku remarks once you sit besides him on his sofa with a sigh. He's eating from a bag of salted popcorn that he found somewhere, and offers you some. You accept, taking a handful and tossing them into your mouth.

"Yeah, well, if being clean and exercising basic hygiene makes me a granny, then I'll proudly be one." You reply with a shrug. "Maybe you're just gross, you ever thought about that?"

"I get away with being gross though," Aiku argues. "Because you'll just clean everything up for me anyway."

"Ha ha, you're so hilarious."

"I know." He grins at you before leaning his head onto your shoulder. "That's what my mum always tells me."

"How is she, by the way?" You ask, running your fingers through his hair. You're not quite sure why you do it; all you know is that he likes it, so you keep doing it.

"Eh, she's alright." He responds, nuzzling your shoulder. "Could be better, I guess. Says she wants to see me more often, but that's near damn impossible with the way Coach Yasumori is pushing us."

"He's so annoying." You tut. "I don't like him."

"I know." Aiku chuckles softly and looks up at you, his mismatched eyes gazing up at you with something you can't quite decipher. "You're very verbal about that. I still remember that one time when you-"

"Shut up!" You interrupt, placing a hand over his mouth. "We agreed never to bring that up again!"

"Okay, okay," Aiku's words are muffled by your hand, but you refuse to move it.

"Now you have to promise again," You insist.

"I promise."

You eye him suspiciously, hand still over his mouth. You're just about to move it when his lips move, kissing the palm of your hand, and you jerk back like he's burnt you.

"What was that for?" You demand, voice several pitches too high. You rub your hand against the material of your pants- which of course, you realise, are his own shorts- fixing him with a horrified look.

He smirks at your reaction. "Come on now, you know your heart's racing."

"Come on, Aiku. You're my friend, for God's sake, so stop trying to get with me." You swat at his head, and he laughs.

"I'm not saying we gotta date or anything."

You pause.

"What are you trying to get at?"

"You know what I'm trying to get at."

He's right. You do. You know perfectly well.

And you'd be a liar if you said you aren't tempted.

"We're still gonna be friends," He continues, eyes gazing straight into yours, clouded over with pure lust. "What's gonna change? It's just a bit of fun, that's all. We don't need to date."

"Like a one-off thing?"

"Yeah, exactly."

Aiku waits for your response. You don't want to admit it, but you're more willing than you'd like to be- after all, you're both single, and you're both friends.

Hooking up just one time doesn't mean anything, so where's the harm in it?

You're friends. Friends can do things sometimes, right?

You don't bother answering him- instead, you just place your mouth over his, your hand creeping under his shirt, and he hoists you into his lap, kissing you back immediately.

Things escalate: clothes are removed, kisses become sloppier and then he's carrying you to his bedroom, placing you on top of the sheets you've just changed.

You just hope you're not going to regret this.

After all, you and Aiku are friends. And sex is just sex. It doesn't need to mean anything if you don't want it to.

...Right?