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“Well, that's the last of it.” Sweat dripped from Ryou's nose as he wheeled the vacuum to his boyfriend. Then he came to a seat, legs dangling off the edge of the U-Haul. Bakari handed him a rag, which the other promptly wiped his face with.
“Just in time too.” He inclined his head toward the sky. Dark clouds gathered overhead. “It stormed when we moved in. Thought it was an omen. Now we're being told not to leave.”
“You and omens,” Ryou chuckled. He wasn't a believer in them himself, but that never stopped him from reading tea leaves or dipping his toe in astrology to see what the Fates had in store for him. Spirits and spell books were held in much higher regard however.
“Mama had a love affair with them. Papa, on the other hand...not so much.”
A low rumble reminded them of the impending onslaught of rain. Rush hour in a storm – with a moving truck no less – didn't make for a very pleasant time. Bakari tapped Ryou's shoulder. “Lock up, will you? I'll deal with this bitch.” He patted the side wall with the back of his hand.
“Was just about to.” Ryou hopped off the truck. “I'll do a final sweep first, just in case. And of course make sure it's clean enough.”
It started sprinkling. “You said you got everything! Plus I don't think it can get any cleaner; it's probably taken us longer to clean that house than to pack it! But by all means, check everything with a fine-toothed comb!”
“A landlord's job is never done!” He shook his head in jest and hurried toward the house. “I won't be long!” 'Though I'm sure I will be,' he mused. 'Gotta make sure the new tenants feel good about their decision to move here.'
Bakari laughed as he hoisted the ramp up and into its designated slot before bringing the tailgate down. Once it was latched correctly, he didn't have anything else to do but watch the front door for signs of his boyfriend.
He was beyond grateful that Ryou was so predictable; if he hadn't gone back in, Bakari would've had to come up with a new plan. There was still the chance something could go wrong even though Ryou passed Phase 1. Everything about this sent his nerves through the roof. He considered lighting a cigarette, but he didn't want to ruin his minty-fresh breath. Besides, he couldn't bear the thought of pulling out the ol' inhaler in the middle of the most important phase. 'Fuck asthma.' He leaned against the truck, closing his eyes as the rain grew steady.
“So you've had asthma for years and you've never been treated for it?”
Ryou and Bakari sat next to each other on creaky park swings. Bakari's feet dragged through the sand, his worn-out sandals kicked off to the side.
“I was.” His eyes turned downcast and he sighed through his nose. “A foster parent took me to the doctor once. I got an inhaler and everything. Finally felt like I could breathe! I was able to keep up with other kids.” He chuckled quietly. “Mostly.” When he glanced over, he caught a small smile from his friend and had to look away.
“The next family didn't believe in medicine so that was the end of that.” He prayed Ryou wouldn't nudge him for more details. Bakari was just fine keeping this friendship at arms-length.
Ryou did no such thing. Instead, he stood up and fetched Bakari's shoes who then gaped up at him in confusion. “Put these on. We're going to my doctor. He's been a family friend since before I was born and he'll fix you up, no questions asked.”
“But I don't have-”
“Insurance?” He thrust the sandals into Bakari's arms and winked. “I did say no questions asked, didn't I?"
Bakari smiled at the memory. Ryou was just like that. A little odd maybe, but he cared about people with more intensity than Bakari could have ever imagined, and he'd barely known him then. He definitely didn't regret sticking around for as long as he had.
***
Inside the house, Ryou finished writing a note to the new tenants about what to expect with the property. He told them which key opened the shed and how the side door had a key separate of the front. He explained how best to operate the kitchen sink until he could get someone out to repair it. Trash day was every Wednesday and rent was due in two months' time. Finally, he reminded them to give him a call once they were settled in. After welcoming them to the neighborhood and signing his name, he began inspecting each of the rooms on the first floor starting with the living room.
Bakari brought two steaming mugs of tea out to Ryou who was curled up on the couch. “Thought you might like something hot to drink.” He was blushing, but Ryou didn't know why. Whatever the reason, it was cute, and just thinking about it made him blush, which was worse because he knew Bakari would be able to tell much easier.
And he could. “You haven't taken a sip and you're already red in the face. What gives, sahib almakan?”
Ryou about choked on his own spit at that remark. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Hey, I don't call you by your job title every other sentence.” 'Deflection achieved.'
Bakari carefully sat down and propped his feet up over Ryou's legs just to irritate the man further. “'Grocery clerk' doesn't have the same ring to it, ya' know?” He took a big gulp of tea.“So, what's on your mind, Ryou? You've been sighing in annoyance ever since you stepped out for that call.”
“I'm okay, really.”
“Normally you would've shoved my legs off by now.”
“Do you want hot tea all over them?” Bakari shrugged and took another sip.
“No, but you could tell me what's wrong.” He paused. “You don't lie well. Except when it comes to pranks and Monster World.”
That got a smile out of Ryou. “Alright. I guess I didn't want to start ranting about something that's not your problem, but maybe it'd be better if I vented a little. You see, I was on the phone with a tenant of mine. He was listing off all these problems with the apartment like he was waiting for them to amass all at once, because most of them could've been solved earlier. Easy and inexpensive fixes, right?”
“Sure.”
“Yeah, well now some of the issues have gotten worse and more costly. I've always been cordial with him and have even extended his due date several times when he was struggling financially. But he always paid me back in a reasonable amount of time. All around nice person until today. This time he was shouting profanities and threatening to leave before the lease is up if I don't get it all done immediately! If he'd been civil, we could've worked this out properly.” He sighed deeply into his mug. “I don't know what to do.”
In a show of good faith, Bakari tried to slide his legs off Ryou's, but the latter had rested his forearms on them and Bakari thought it best not to disturb him. He frowned. “Evict him.”
“I think I'd rather-”
“He's trying to screw you over. You blow a fuckton of money on this and he leaves you high and dry. You'd be better off evicting him and working on repairs as you're able. In the meantime, you can find a new tenant whose willing to put up with some of the issues for a while, maybe lower the rent until it's better.”
Ryou furrowed his brow. “I'd hate to evict someone without talking it out first.”
“Once they threaten to leave when you're willing to help, there's no 'talking it out'.”
“Maybe you're right, but if it's as bad as he says it is, why would anyone want to live there, even with lowered rent? There are nicer places out there.”
“Some people have no choice, habibi,” Bakari said softly.
Ryou's face reddened again when he remembered some of the areas Bakari had mentioned living in over the years. “You must think I sound like an ass. I'm sorry.”
“Nah, you're just naive.” He smirked. “So, wanna get some frustration out on some innocent NPCs?”
Ryou shook his head as he climbed down the steps to the basement. He was glad Bakari was always there to give him perspective without chastising him. His boyfriend was an intimidating figure; scars and burn marks marred his skin and the tough-guy exterior didn't win him any charisma points. However, Ryou had been one of the few people in Bakari's life to break through the impenetrable tomb keeping Bakari's heart safe. Slipping past each guard was no easy feat and yet, the challenge had been worth it.
The basement flooded with light when Ryou tugged on the chain that attached to a light bulb. He originally wanted to replace it with a Medieval-style chandelier and set up his campaign table underneath, but it would've set him back too much. He hoped he could turn this fantasy into reality with the new house.
“I'll work doubles if it means we can have the atmosphere of a real dungeon. Hell, I'll work triples!”
“Ah, you don't have to do that, Bakari! You'd become a spirit haunting the dungeon after so much work!”
Upon initial inspection, Ryou felt like they really had gotten everything; not even one basement dwelling insect could be seen, alive or dead. Still, he moved on to the laundry area, which was hidden behind slatted doors under the stairs. 'Bakari must've forgotten I wanted these left open.'
The doors opened to top loading laundry machines that stood side by side. To the right of them was a small counter for folding clothes. Below that was a set of shelves and a step stool Bakari made frequent use of. Ryou wasn't sure why it hadn't been grabbed, but at least he would have something to show for his lengthy time spent in the house. He lifted the stool and right as he was turning around to go back upstairs, he caught a glimpse of something shiny in his peripheral vision. 'Huh?' He spun on his heel and bent down to investigate.
On the floor was a thick, gold ring under where one of the stool's legs had been. It was in the shape of an ouroboros. Tiny rubies had been intricately placed within the lines surrounding the scales. The serpent's eyes were a fierce, emerald green. Golden fangs protruded from its open mouth, a detail most rings of this kind omitted. By all accounts, it was a beautiful piece of jewelry that didn't deserve to be left in this dimly lit basement.
“Now, what's this ring doing here? Bakari never takes it off! He'd be devastated if...”
“This one?” He pointed to a silver ring on his pinkie finger.
Ryou rolled his eyes. “You know I didn't mean that one. It was won in a gumball machine. I was there. I want to know about the ouroboros.”
“Yeah, I know.” Bakari sighed heavily as he stared at the ring. “It was my mama's ring. She always took it off at night so she wasn't wearing it when...” Ryou leaned in and placed a hand on his boyfriend's knee, which was shaking a little. “It's one of the few things that survived the...”
Bakari couldn't bring himself to talk about the details (Ryou already knew them anyway). “I've lost other items bouncing from one home to the next, but if I lose this, I lose everything.” Ryou cupped Bakari's cheek and kissed him on the lips.
“You'd still have me.”
***
The rain hadn't let up for a moment, yet there Bakari was, stubbornly waiting outside the truck, absolutely drenched. His fingers twitched when he saw Ryou finally emerge. The latter shifted the step stool so he could lock up and store the key in a security box near the door. He started down the pathway. “Why didn't you get out of the rain??” Ryou had to yell through the deafening noise.
Bakari chose not to answer the query. “I see you have the stool!” He tried to ignore the pounding sensation in his chest. 'But did he...'
“Guess what else you forgot!”
“I didn't forget anything!” 'Good, he passed Phase 2!'
Ryou was closer to Bakari so he fished out the ring and held it up. “What do you call this then??”
Lightning cracked like a whip in the sky and the thunder was earth shattering. Even though they stood a little more than a foot apart, they practically had to shout everything.
“Ah, you found it! But it wasn't lost!”
“You're not making sense, but here, take it!” Ryou attempted to hand it to him. “We should get going!” Bakari shook his head.
“I think it would look better on you!”
“Huh??” He gasped when Bakari wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him forward. The ring didn't leave Ryou's grip, but the stool fell unceremoniously. He stared at Bakari in bewilderment. 'What on Earth...'
'Okay, here goes...Phase 3.'
If Ryou reached out to touch Bakari's face, he would've felt intense heat despite the icy rain. However, he could feel the fingers on his waist twitching. Bakari was also chewing his bottom lip and if he wasn't careful, blood would pool from it.
Bakari let go of Ryou's middle and took his hands into his own. He squeezed them gently. “Hayati, hal tatazawajani??”
When the other didn't respond right away, he wasn't sure if Ryou had heard him correctly, or he had and was trying to come up with a kind way to decline. “Ryou??”
“I...” He knew that first word. They called each other that many times. Ryou was always trying to learn more and he had the basics down for the most part, but he hadn't come across this specific phrase. “...don't know what that means, but it sounds romantic!”
“Son of a...” It dawned on Bakari that he'd spoken in Arabic because he was so anxious. He was about to try again or back out completely when Ryou interrupted his thoughts.
“It's really getting...”
“Ah, you found it! But it wasn't lost!”
Ryou's eyes went wide. “...bad out here...” He understood now. Bakari had planted that ring for Ryou to find. And now he wanted to give him his most cherished possession, all the while getting more and more flustered. “Sorry, but um...are you maybe asking me to marry you??”
Bakari grinned from ear to ear. “I am! So, will you??” He waited with bated breath.
“Yes!”
Bakari took the ring and slid it onto Ryou's finger. He pulled him in tight and they kissed one another as lightning flashed and water streamed down their faces. Bakari wanted this moment to last forever, but the loudest thunderclap yet told them it could wait.
“C'mon fiancé, we can continue kissing at the new place.”
“We should probably dry up first!”
“Yeah, yeah...”
As they drove away from their old home, Bakari and Ryou watched it from the rearview mirror until it was out of sight. The memories of their time there (and elsewhere) would stay with them for years to come. And they couldn't wait to make new ones.