Satoru Gojo & Suguru Geto | The Invitation

Dinner with Satoru and Suguru had never been a particularly formal affair.

Expensive, occasionally. Excessive, frequently. Formal, no.

Tonight, however, there were candles.

That was suspicious.

So was the fact that Satoru had answered the door wearing an ivory brocade corset.

Not over a shirt.

Just the corset, fitted white trousers, several rings, and the expression of a man who considered this a completely reasonable outfit for answering his own front door.

"You're staring."

From somewhere behind him, Suguru called, "You answered the door dressed like that. What exactly were you expecting?"

"Appreciation."

"Then stop fishing for it."

Satoru looked over his shoulder. "Jealous."

"Devastated."

Suguru appeared from the kitchen carrying a bottle of wine, his long dark hair partially tied back. His own corset was darker—black and bronze brocade beneath layered pearls, paired with black trousers.

Apparently, this was coordinated.

Or worse, normal.

Satoru stepped aside to let you in.

"Ignore him. He spent twenty minutes deciding which necklace looked least like he'd spent twenty minutes deciding."

Suguru handed you a glass.

"Twenty minutes I'm never getting back because someone kept offering opinions."

"They were excellent opinions."

"You suggested diamonds."

"Diamonds are always an excellent opinion."

Dinner itself did nothing to explain the corsets.

The food was good. The wine was better. Satoru stole something from Suguru's plate and received a fork against the back of his hand for the attempt. Suguru complained about one of Satoru's recent purchases. Satoru defended it entirely on the grounds that it was "objectively hilarious."

It was familiar.

Comfortable.

Which made it increasingly obvious that something else was going on.

The first clue was the occasional glance exchanged across the table.

Not secretive.

Just deliberate.

The third time it happened, Satoru caught you noticing.

"Oh, thank fuck."

Suguru closed his eyes briefly.

"Satoru."

"What? She noticed."

"I was going to bring it up."

"You've been going to bring it up since dessert."

"We haven't had dessert."

"Exactly. This could take hours."

Suguru looked at him for a long moment.

Then he laughed despite himself and reached for his wine.

"Fine. You do it."

Satoru's eyebrows lifted.

"Really?"

"No."

"Too late."

Suguru sighed.

Satoru turned toward you.

For once, the joke didn't arrive immediately.

"Suguru and I occasionally invite someone to spend the night with us."

There it was.

Direct. Almost startlingly so.

Beside him, Suguru set his glass down.

"Occasionally," he emphasized. "And only when we're both interested."

Satoru nodded.

"We're both interested."

Suguru gave him a sideways look.

"Subtle."

"You had your chance."

"I regret giving it to you."

"No, you don't."

"No. Unfortunately."

The affection between them was obvious even through the argument. Satoru's knee had been resting casually against Suguru's beneath the table for most of dinner; Suguru hadn't moved it away once.

Then Suguru's attention returned to you.

His expression was composed, but there was nothing casual about the question now.

"We've discussed asking you."

Satoru leaned back in his chair.

"This isn't us offering you some bizarre relationship contract, by the way."

"Thank you for clarifying that."

"I thought it was important."

"It became important when you said 'spend the night' like we were collecting people."

Satoru considered that.

"Fair."

Suguru's mouth twitched before he continued.

"We like you. We're attracted to you. And we thought there might be enough mutual curiosity to ask."

A pause.

"If we're wrong, we're wrong. You finish your wine, Satoru embarrasses himself over dessert, and nothing changes."

"I object to the assumption that I'll embarrass myself."

"You bought a chocolate fountain."

"It was on sale."

"You spent four hundred euros."

"It was an expensive sale."

Suguru ignored him.

"But if we're not wrong..."

Satoru's grin returned.

"Then we have considerably better plans for after dessert."

Suguru reached over and caught Satoru lightly by the chin, turning his face toward him.

"We were doing so well."

"I think I'm doing wonderfully."

"You would."

Suguru released him, then looked back at you.

"So."

Satoru picked up his wine.

"No wager. No pressure. No clever catch."

His blue eyes flicked briefly toward Suguru before returning to you.

"Just an invitation."

Suguru leaned back beside him, one hand resting casually on Satoru's thigh.

"And entirely your choice what happens to it."