"Do you need some help there?" Togi asks behind me, his breath tickling the back of my neck; terrified, I turn around, his presence seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
"Holy fuckballsshit!" My heart pounds in my chest, and my breath quickens before relaxing at the sight of him. He's even more impressive in the sunlight than he is in my bedroom, the green in his eyes accentuated by the rays of light. As he stands before me, a 7 o'clock shadow falls across his smooth face, and his dirty blond hair is styled messily and effortlessly on the top of his head. I scowl at him as I raise my head to meet his smile.
You've got a thing for showing up when I don't even know you're there!" My heart rate returns to normal, I exclaim. "Dickhead, just grab a fu*king bag."
"I prefer Togi than dickhead, but whatever..." He mutters as he tears a garbage bag from the pile and begins collecting cans. "Hey, thanks for the bed last night. That was so random, I can't remember anything."
"I'd say you're welcome, but I never offered you anything. So please accept my gratitude. Thank you for robbing me of my bed. And you didn't even make it before you ran out of gas." I complain, and my forced scowl is met with a chuckle - a chuckle with enough warmth to melt the icebergs.
"I'm sorry, I had to go to church."
Why does everyone have to go to a phony church nowadays? Where is my invitation to the phony church? "So, what's your name again? I must have forgotten about it?"
"It's Christian." As I tie another bag, I respond. He extends his hand for a handshake, his firm grip remaining a little too long as his thumb slowly traces back and forth.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Christian." The front door opens, and he quickly retracts his hand, revealing my ecstatic older brother, proudly holding his three large trash bags.
"What are you doing here, bro?" My brother yells, dropping his garbage bags and spilling them on the ground. He pushes me out of the way and fist pumps Togi's hand.
"How could I not be here?" His uncomplicated grin remains on his face. My gaze falls down his face, strong dimples just above his smile - oh God, his smile, it shines into the world, drowning his surroundings in a natural swagger. He looks at me, stealing my attention; locked, he's not difficult to keep looking at.
First and foremost, you never assist me in cleaning up. As if ever. And now you're here, assisting my dweeb brother?" I blush a little. I'm not a m*ron. "Andddd you were desperate to see your girlfriend Thea?" My brother responds jokingly. When I hear girlfriend, my smile fades and the tone shifts, imploding the dazed atmosphere between us. Togi looks at me, but I avoid his gaze, my eyes hidden. Of course he has a girlfriend; he's stunning. I'm sure she's lovely, as well. She is a lovely lady. Do you know how much I adore beautiful women? I adore attractive women! So why should I care?
"Yes, she would not stop calling.
I awoke to 100 missed calls, bro..." He responds, sending my brother into a fit of laughter, his gaze returning to me.
'Well, then, the s*x must have been fantastic when you met up with her, aye? Nothing compares to the insane ones. My brother winks at him and nudges him with his elbow. He agrees with a laugh and looks at me, but no words come out of his mouth. I take off my gloves and toss them into Megumi's garbage can, then rush back into the house, the door slamming behind me.
As I power through three seasons of Brooklyn Nine Nine - a pregnant Anna on screen pretending to be a cop - midday turns into night. My marathon is cut short when my brother knocks on my door before barging in. What was the point of knocking if he wasn't going to wait for permission?
"What?" I ask, pausing the television.
"Okay, Togi and I are going to a party. So don't wait up." I re-connect to the television. and nod, returning to my program. Togi makes a distinct wave from my peripheral vision, to which I respond by ignoring him, his grin fading. My brother announces that he needs to pee before leaving my room, leaving Togi alone in the doorframe, his eyes alternating between watching me and watching the show.
Togi's frown morphs into his signature grin as I get up and walk towards my door. "Oh, my goodness! I thought you were upset with m-" Before he can finish his sentence, I slam the door in his face. Hopefully, the adage "actions speak louder than words" is true, and Togi understands that he needs to leave. I like my brother, but I don't think we'd be friends in the real world if I wasn't related to him, and I'd never be near someone as ignorant, rude, and/or dumb as his friend Togi.
With the house to myself, I decided to take advantage of my free time and...ie on the couch in the living6 room watching Netflix; doing the same thing I was doing in my bedroom, but on a larger screen. While my brother is out having a good time, I'm having my own party: a Stranger Things binge party. Maybe the wildest Saturday night I've ever had in my entire life. A new season has begun. A brand-new bowl of popcorn. A fur throw. It just doesn't get any better than this. Midnight arrives, and I'm halfway through Season 3 when my phone begins to buzz, Megumi's name flashing across my screen.
"BRO! BRO BRO! I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP TO PICK ME UP, I-" My brother yells into my ear, startling me awake as I pause Dusty on the television. "What do you mean?" Wasn't Blyth supposed to be bringing you back? Or is it impossible for Togi to transport you? He must be able to look after you after staying here the night before."