[ He balls the tissue in his hand once he's finished wiping the two of them down. After tossing it into a trash bin beside the bed, Nishikiyama straightens his back to keep himself planked over Mine on the sheets. It feels intimate that way. Mine isn't avoiding his eyes either. ]
You want me still? Knowing we're similar then?
[ He asksβ ]
I don't trust anyone anymore, but I want you. You could show me your other self more too. I didn't mind it.
[ Nishikiyama traps him there, both physically and emotionally. Mine wants it, though. His pulse picks up. His hand on Nishikiyama's rear adjusts to his new position with a soft touch along the outer curve. ]
I still do.
[ Whatever happened to make Nishikiyama not trust, Mine is struck with the notion that he wants to find out. Eventually. What if he shares more of himself meanwhile...? ]
You didn't? [ Distance that briefly reappears in his answer doesn't really belong after having fucked, but there's depth to Mine's caution too. ] I'm glad... It's new for me.
[ Nishikiyama's chest tightens and flutters when Mine answers. He'd been met with honesty. The resoluteness and certainty of it reminds him of his former oath brother. While Nishikiyama takes Mine's response for what it is, the touch slipping along his rear and all, he realizes he'd held his breath.
He exhales when the conversation continues past the point where it'd flustered him. ]
I liked it better that way. It was more exciting.
[ Even this is embarrassing to admit. Though he'd enjoyed the affection, he now rolls off of Mine and onto his belly beside him, tattoo up. ]
[ Mine feels embarrassed in his own small way. He digs into the fact that Nishikiyama gives him a kind of praise he hasnβt ever received.
He leans over when Nishikiyama rolls off, just enough to tilt his hips and pull his leg over. Naturally it makes him lean in closer. The back of his head is untidy. Mine smoothes his hand against his hair and ends up leaning on it in a way. There's no doubt about where his gaze trails in that position, looking at Nishikiyama beside him.
Talking into the pillow makes the other man sound almost sullen. In his own office Mine has the power to just cancel a meeting. Being honest, he doesnβt care to share Nishikiyamaβs company with other people either; even less now.
[ He feels Mine's gaze fall against the fish on his back. Not that he minds. When Mine looks at him, it's with admiration rather than spite or disappointment. The latter two he'd grown more used to in recent years. Nishikiyama turns his head on his arm to peer over his bicep. ]
And you probably don't want to make it too obvious to the men gunning for that family captain spot. Just a word of advice.
[ Mine looks at him, seeming almost critical with his eyebrows knit together. Now theirs is a secret best kept, meanwhile Shindo and Kanda don't leave their ambition hidden. Along with the advice Nishikiyama gave him in the car, however, Mine sees himself playing a different act altogether. ]
I want us to keep meeting privately. [ After a moments pause he finds Nishikiyama's peeking gaze. ] I intend to be discreet...
[ He trails off before calling it their relationship, unsure about a label. It's when Mine's eyes move back over Nishikiyama's body. ]
[ And Nishikiyama's not sure if Mine can hold his own yet. Most of the men in the yakuza have gone their whole lives fightingβ himself included. As Nishikiyama recalls the reality they're in, he watches Mine with some semblance of almost patronizing affection in his eyes. It's the way someone perceives a baby animal or similar; not mocking, but also failing to see a threat. ]
βHave you ever been in a fight before? Decked someone at a bar or something?
[ He stretches his back and legs when he sees Mine watching lower on him. ]
[ It's similar to what Nishikiyama'd said about his tattoo and in the end leaves Mine to brood over his involvementβ And ever more likely than not, his competition. He arrives at the thought of it getting physical just before Nishikiyama says it out loud. The other man's look becomes unreadable, not because it's concealed but because Mine's mind briefly clouds with ambition.
Trailing the koi's winding spine, Mine arrives at its red face and eyes that don't focus him, unlike Nishikiyama's. ]
No, never. [ He doesn't live in the capacity for getting in street fights. Even when he says no, though, Mine separates from that doubt placed by his answer, eager to appear confident. ] βBut I can fight.
[ Nishikiyama is curious about the answer. He rolls onto his side to face Mine again. With his tattoo out of sight, there's only uninked skin and muscle to look at instead. His cheek lowers, pressing against a silk pillow. ]
[ With Nishikiyama turning around Mine has little choice but to look up and meet him there. The way he leans against the pillow makes his question sound more mischievous than it probably is, but Mine can't imagine it's entirely without another idea behind it either. ]
What do you mean by that?
[ Wrinkles remain across the bridge of his nose. ]
[ The reality is that there's nothing else hiding in Nishikiyama's expression, yet Mine can't help looking for it. It's because he wants to be impressive, to put his foot forward even before Nishikiyama asks him to take a step. ]
As I said beforeβ
[ Though the kirin on his back's also facing away now, Mine's serious look shifts ever so slightly to display his determination instead. ]
I don't expect to go under, not within the Nishikiyama Family and not by myself.
[ It's up to Mine to prove himself. Nishikiyama's response is vague, but he isn't displeased. Sliding up from where he'd laid himself, he looks back over his shoulder to the bathroom of the suite. ]
I'm going to wash up before we leave. Let's at least have a couple of drinks while we're still here.
[ Champagne, wine. Nishikiyama's certain it'll be better than the highballs served at the yakiniku restaurant. It's just as inevitable that they'll fuck themselves over by mixing alcohols tonight, but like hell will Nishikiyama surrender the full luxury of Mine's rented space without at least sampling that much.
Two legs slip off the ledge and Nishikiyama stands on his feet with his naked form exposed. He's not sure if Mine will follow him to the shower, but there's a suspiciously enough time for him to invite himself or follow should he be bold enough to do so. ]
[ Feeling the idea'd been sprung on him, Mine doesn't know what Nishikiyama expects him to do. He'll be thinking about it, but there's little for him to follow up on when Nishikiyama withdraws by getting up.
Mine comes out of his pose leaning on his hand, that'd even made him look comfortable in their shared, closed off space on the bed. He gets another glimpse of the koi on Nishikiyama's back, now swimming back upstream. He doesn't end up following, though. Just like lying down together, Mine feels unsure to join himβ Absurd, considering their time spent together.
He ends fixing himself up out here and by himself, as best Mine can between paper tissues and the separate toilet. No doubt he'll do more as soon as he gets home for a stint, but there's enough time to fix a few loose hairs and get dressed again. Pants, shirt and tie, no jacket. While going around, he'd put Nishikiyama's clothes on the bed. ]
The food might be cold by now.
[ When he gets out, Mine is pouring white wine, on the cusp of getting warm obversely. ]
[ When he's out. Nishikiyama hadn't heard or noticed Mine shuffling about over the sound of the water running, and only now notices that Mine is up and tidy. Hm. Maybe he'd used the sink?
Wine is more interesting than an answer, and despite a lesser state of dress, with his hair still dry (he'd avoided the commitment of washing it) and a towel wrapped about his hips, he moves closer to the table that'd been prepared for him. He doesn't care to put his own clothes back on just yet. ]
Food is whatever. We'll eat eventually.
[ He reaches for the first glass that Mine pours out. ]
[ Not together... Nishikiyama gets an answer even though he doesn't much care for one. Mine leaves the implication that he'll still freshen up.
That he looks down, then back up Nishikiyama's washed body isn't something he may conceal. In comparison Mine certainly looks and feels overdressed right now. Like he'd hurried.
Pouring a second glass, Mine considers that he still has to drive. Nishikiyama has only just placed the dinner celebration back on his mind and mention of it doesn't leave room for him to want to try the lunch set for them. Mine seeks balance between what he'd just said about their time in this room and his position in the yakuzaβ ]
Of course. I look forward to it.
[ He ought to say it too, Mine figures, but he'd enjoyed one thing more. ]
He lowers into the nearest chair with the wine glass in hand and takes a drink of it. There's a reflection of his half-naked self reflected in the silver plate dome when he pulls it off the dish with his free hand. Beneath it is the meal that'd been prepared for them: expensive-looking fish that's been meticulously garnished. Maybe it's French cooking? It looks European enoughβ not that Nishikiyama had known specifics deeply enough to distinguish one from another. He'd known the basics like that paella is from Spain and tomato pastas are from Italy, but fish is just fish at the end of the day. The cuisine before him is simply too ambiguous.
He curiously takes a bite of it. ]
It's good cold.
[ Palate unrefined, Nishikiyama might even argue that it's enjoyed better at this temperature. ]
[ Mine looks on, kept unsure until Nishikiyama takes a forkful and tries the fish. Certainly what he'd implied was that it wouldn't be as nice to have cold, thinking as far as that they'd only come here to eat. ]
Ah. [ He'd gotten stuck on that idea. Mine sits down, too, opposite of Nishikiyama. He's left quietly satisfied, that Nishikiyama'd still seemed to like every meal he'd invited him to. ] Then, please enjoy it.
[ βAnd even the invitation to linger. While he won't eat, Mine sips his wine, not too shy to let his gaze flicker into contact. ]
[ With that answer, does Nishikiyama intend to serve himself? Mine can't tell by only following his sight line. He puts his fingers along the edge of his plate, though, and nudges it a centimeter or so closer to the center. ]
[ Nishikiyama's comment causes Mine a pang and his brows lower. ]
We work hard to eat good mealsβ [ Mine readily extends his own ethic, not breaking eye contact. ] Why compromise?
[ In the end he doesn't do so well to hide that Nishikiyama has hit a nerve, though. Something obstinate slips into his expression, quietly defensive. ]
... [ What'd he saidβ? ] That isn't what I meant.
[ Nishikiyama probes in a way that makes Mine feel anxious for no good reason, unanticipated in a moment he'd indulged in. He flounders in a way and tenses in his brow against his imbalance. The wine glass remains on the table, even though he surely wants to take a drink. ]
Maybe not, but there's still no way you can get yourself out of that corner you've talked yourself into.
[ Nishikiyama relaxes in a way that shows he'd been toying with Mine. With his eyes falling back to his food, a dish now unworthy of Mine's tastebuds by a only some amount of time, he helps himself to the remainder of the dish without worrying about how it comes off. He huffs and rolls his eyes. ]
Give me yours. I can't stand seeing it sit there like that.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2023-12-19 02:33 pm (UTC)You want me still? Knowing we're similar then?
[ He asksβ ]
I don't trust anyone anymore, but I want you. You could show me your other self more too. I didn't mind it.
no subject
Date: 2023-12-20 07:22 am (UTC)I still do.
[ Whatever happened to make Nishikiyama not trust, Mine is struck with the notion that he wants to find out. Eventually. What if he shares more of himself meanwhile...? ]
You didn't? [ Distance that briefly reappears in his answer doesn't really belong after having fucked, but there's depth to Mine's caution too. ] I'm glad... It's new for me.
no subject
Date: 2023-12-20 04:47 pm (UTC)He exhales when the conversation continues past the point where it'd flustered him. ]
I liked it better that way. It was more exciting.
[ Even this is embarrassing to admit. Though he'd enjoyed the affection, he now rolls off of Mine and onto his belly beside him, tattoo up. ]
βI don't want to see the other guys now.
[ His voice is a little muffled by pillow. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-21 09:57 am (UTC)He leans over when Nishikiyama rolls off, just enough to tilt his hips and pull his leg over. Naturally it makes him lean in closer. The back of his head is untidy. Mine smoothes his hand against his hair and ends up leaning on it in a way. There's no doubt about where his gaze trails in that position, looking at Nishikiyama beside him.
Talking into the pillow makes the other man sound almost sullen. In his own office Mine has the power to just cancel a meeting. Being honest, he doesnβt care to share Nishikiyamaβs company with other people either; even less now.
After a long time his brow creases again. ]
This shouldnβt be our only time.
no subject
Date: 2023-12-21 11:45 am (UTC)[ He feels Mine's gaze fall against the fish on his back. Not that he minds. When Mine looks at him, it's with admiration rather than spite or disappointment. The latter two he'd grown more used to in recent years. Nishikiyama turns his head on his arm to peer over his bicep. ]
And you probably don't want to make it too obvious to the men gunning for that family captain spot. Just a word of advice.
no subject
Date: 2023-12-22 02:10 pm (UTC)I want us to keep meeting privately. [ After a moments pause he finds Nishikiyama's peeking gaze. ] I intend to be discreet...
[ He trails off before calling it their relationship, unsure about a label. It's when Mine's eyes move back over Nishikiyama's body. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-22 02:30 pm (UTC)[ And Nishikiyama's not sure if Mine can hold his own yet. Most of the men in the yakuza have gone their whole lives fightingβ himself included. As Nishikiyama recalls the reality they're in, he watches Mine with some semblance of almost patronizing affection in his eyes. It's the way someone perceives a baby animal or similar; not mocking, but also failing to see a threat. ]
βHave you ever been in a fight before? Decked someone at a bar or something?
[ He stretches his back and legs when he sees Mine watching lower on him. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-23 11:55 am (UTC)Trailing the koi's winding spine, Mine arrives at its red face and eyes that don't focus him, unlike Nishikiyama's. ]
No, never. [ He doesn't live in the capacity for getting in street fights. Even when he says no, though, Mine separates from that doubt placed by his answer, eager to appear confident. ] βBut I can fight.
no subject
Date: 2023-12-23 12:08 pm (UTC)[ Nishikiyama is curious about the answer. He rolls onto his side to face Mine again. With his tattoo out of sight, there's only uninked skin and muscle to look at instead. His cheek lowers, pressing against a silk pillow. ]
I want to see.
no subject
Date: 2023-12-24 08:53 am (UTC)What do you mean by that?
[ Wrinkles remain across the bridge of his nose. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-24 03:22 pm (UTC)[ Nishikiyama watches the wrinkles crease across Mine's expression, his own relaxed where he lays. ]
I want to be there to see if you're bluffing. You better not lose.
no subject
Date: 2023-12-24 11:16 pm (UTC)As I said beforeβ
[ Though the kirin on his back's also facing away now, Mine's serious look shifts ever so slightly to display his determination instead. ]
I don't expect to go under, not within the Nishikiyama Family and not by myself.
no subject
Date: 2023-12-25 07:23 am (UTC)[ It's up to Mine to prove himself. Nishikiyama's response is vague, but he isn't displeased. Sliding up from where he'd laid himself, he looks back over his shoulder to the bathroom of the suite. ]
I'm going to wash up before we leave. Let's at least have a couple of drinks while we're still here.
[ Champagne, wine. Nishikiyama's certain it'll be better than the highballs served at the yakiniku restaurant. It's just as inevitable that they'll fuck themselves over by mixing alcohols tonight, but like hell will Nishikiyama surrender the full luxury of Mine's rented space without at least sampling that much.
Two legs slip off the ledge and Nishikiyama stands on his feet with his naked form exposed. He's not sure if Mine will follow him to the shower, but there's a suspiciously enough time for him to invite himself or follow should he be bold enough to do so. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-26 08:49 am (UTC)Mine comes out of his pose leaning on his hand, that'd even made him look comfortable in their shared, closed off space on the bed. He gets another glimpse of the koi on Nishikiyama's back, now swimming back upstream. He doesn't end up following, though. Just like lying down together, Mine feels unsure to join himβ Absurd, considering their time spent together.
He ends fixing himself up out here and by himself, as best Mine can between paper tissues and the separate toilet. No doubt he'll do more as soon as he gets home for a stint, but there's enough time to fix a few loose hairs and get dressed again. Pants, shirt and tie, no jacket. While going around, he'd put Nishikiyama's clothes on the bed. ]
The food might be cold by now.
[ When he gets out, Mine is pouring white wine, on the cusp of getting warm obversely. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-26 09:16 am (UTC)[ When he's out. Nishikiyama hadn't heard or noticed Mine shuffling about over the sound of the water running, and only now notices that Mine is up and tidy. Hm. Maybe he'd used the sink?
Wine is more interesting than an answer, and despite a lesser state of dress, with his hair still dry (he'd avoided the commitment of washing it) and a towel wrapped about his hips, he moves closer to the table that'd been prepared for him. He doesn't care to put his own clothes back on just yet. ]
Food is whatever. We'll eat eventually.
[ He reaches for the first glass that Mine pours out. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-26 02:50 pm (UTC)[ Not together... Nishikiyama gets an answer even though he doesn't much care for one. Mine leaves the implication that he'll still freshen up.
That he looks down, then back up Nishikiyama's washed body isn't something he may conceal. In comparison Mine certainly looks and feels overdressed right now. Like he'd hurried.
Pouring a second glass, Mine considers that he still has to drive. Nishikiyama has only just placed the dinner celebration back on his mind and mention of it doesn't leave room for him to want to try the lunch set for them. Mine seeks balance between what he'd just said about their time in this room and his position in the yakuzaβ ]
Of course. I look forward to it.
[ He ought to say it too, Mine figures, but he'd enjoyed one thing more. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-26 03:05 pm (UTC)He lowers into the nearest chair with the wine glass in hand and takes a drink of it. There's a reflection of his half-naked self reflected in the silver plate dome when he pulls it off the dish with his free hand. Beneath it is the meal that'd been prepared for them: expensive-looking fish that's been meticulously garnished. Maybe it's French cooking? It looks European enoughβ not that Nishikiyama had known specifics deeply enough to distinguish one from another. He'd known the basics like that paella is from Spain and tomato pastas are from Italy, but fish is just fish at the end of the day. The cuisine before him is simply too ambiguous.
He curiously takes a bite of it. ]
It's good cold.
[ Palate unrefined, Nishikiyama might even argue that it's enjoyed better at this temperature. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-26 10:49 pm (UTC)Ah. [ He'd gotten stuck on that idea. Mine sits down, too, opposite of Nishikiyama. He's left quietly satisfied, that Nishikiyama'd still seemed to like every meal he'd invited him to. ] Then, please enjoy it.
[ βAnd even the invitation to linger. While he won't eat, Mine sips his wine, not too shy to let his gaze flicker into contact. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-27 01:36 pm (UTC)You won't?
[ He indicates Mine's portion with the same eyes. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-27 01:55 pm (UTC)βNo.
[ With that answer, does Nishikiyama intend to serve himself? Mine can't tell by only following his sight line. He puts his fingers along the edge of his plate, though, and nudges it a centimeter or so closer to the center. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-27 02:04 pm (UTC)[ He feels as if he's speaking to Yuko when he says it, eyeballing the plate and then Mine once more. ]
It tastes just the same as it would warm. It's refreshing now.
[ He takes another bite of fish. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-27 03:44 pm (UTC)We work hard to eat good mealsβ [ Mine readily extends his own ethic, not breaking eye contact. ] Why compromise?
[ In the end he doesn't do so well to hide that Nishikiyama has hit a nerve, though. Something obstinate slips into his expression, quietly defensive. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-27 05:07 pm (UTC)[ Nishikiyama tests Mine now, facial expression and intent unreadable. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-12-27 05:21 pm (UTC)[ Nishikiyama probes in a way that makes Mine feel anxious for no good reason, unanticipated in a moment he'd indulged in. He flounders in a way and tenses in his brow against his imbalance. The wine glass remains on the table, even though he surely wants to take a drink. ]
βIf you enjoy it, I'm glad.
no subject
Date: 2023-12-27 05:27 pm (UTC)[ Nishikiyama relaxes in a way that shows he'd been toying with Mine. With his eyes falling back to his food, a dish now unworthy of Mine's tastebuds by a only some amount of time, he helps himself to the remainder of the dish without worrying about how it comes off. He huffs and rolls his eyes. ]
Give me yours. I can't stand seeing it sit there like that.
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