[ Down the way, Shindo tells Nishikiyama a dirty joke that makes him laugh. Thereās a tidal wave of echoed laughter that follows the patriarch across the men to Mine and Kandaās own table. All the which makes Kanda grumble into his drink after realizing Shindo had wound up sitting down that way when someone had (apparently?) left for the bathroom. ]
The fuck? Whenād he get over thereā¦
[ His emotions clumsily sort themselves, and deciding heās offended that his perceived competition for captain is gone from this table to that, he squints past the rim of his mug. ]
He thinks Iām an idiot and donāt know what heās doingā¦
[ Unhappy Kanda. He looks at Mine who, while drunk, is much more receptive to his company. Eyes out of focus, and posture beginning to wobble. ]
Heās a rat! Iām gonna beat his ass next time weāre alone for this. Watch me, Mine!
[ Terribly timed, Nishikiyama makes a joke and pats Shindoās shoulder. As his rival can be seen blossoming proudly before his peers, Kanda bristles like a blowfish. ]
Tch. Look at him, gettinā too big for his pants! That motherfucker. Iām gonna wring his skinny neck.
[ That ripple of laughter thus breaks in front of Mine. He can only watch the corners of Nishikiyama's mouth when the sound of it mixes with every other man's across the distance. There's a sliver of jealousy to match Kanda's as Mine looks on; same but different.
Then, Mine gathers his senses to realize that Kanda's readily looking for a fight. He brings his gaze back to him, slowly because looking around makes his head spin dangerously, as Kanda's voice booms with a threat. Inadvertently he ends up doing as Kanda tells him to. ]
Kanda-aniki...ā [ Mine doesn't have the capacity to scold him. ] Just what are you doing?
[ Haphazard first, then suddenly enough Mine's question edges on provocation, when they both watch Shindo revel in the attention. Inebriated and uninhibited, Mine isn't as diplomatic as he was an hour ago, and while he's jealous for a different reason, looking over at Nishikiyama, Kanda has to noticeā Does he want in on that future fight? ]
[ The lead-up from before is the only hint that Kanda grants Mine. With little other warning, he stands abruptly from his seat, or he would if it didn't mean he'd have to wriggle out of a narrow space he'd hardly wedged into in the first place. Eventually, though, he's on his feet, and his socks deafen the thuds of his feet when he moves over to Nishikiyama's end of the table to squawk at Shindo.
He's too drunk to make sense, and similarly, Nishikiyama is too drunk to be offended. As Kanda swings an arm over Shindo's shoulders to wrangle him, the patriarch ducks and dips out of the way of Kanda's elbow and pulls his knees up to leave where he's sitting. ]
[ Nishikiyama's eyes cast some judgment on the chaos of the other men before he moves, sliding a screen door out of his way and going to the mouth of the restaurant. He pulls the door of their private room shut behind himself before standing in the hallway. The movement from here to there summons a brief wave of self-brought-on nausea that leaves him wondering if he should head for the restroom instead, and he stills himself by touching a nearby wall. ]
[ As much as Kanda makes an effort to get up, Mine finds himself without the capacity to physically stop him and without real volition to want to. When he's drunk, everything moves at a slower speed the farther it is awayā He watches Kanda's arm swing in sluggish slow-motion and Shindo's defense, grabbing his wrist and elbow, equally drawn out.
There's noise, too, but Nishikiyama's footfalls passing by take over. Mine turns his head to follow. Then he stands there behind him, just past the door. ]
Bossā.
[ Mine's head spins and he's without a lucid recollection of how he got up and walked behind Nishikiyama. What is clear even to himself, though, is that he'd seen a moment of opportunity just as the others had.
Initially seeming sure of his balance on his own two feet, Mine suddenly sways when he takes to retracing his steps. Getting up and going here, now his senses catch up to so much movement. There's an ill feeling climbing up beneath his sternum and he swallows dryly. If Nishikiyama's been watching his intake of highballs, he won't be surprised by the color across Mine's cheeks fading. Mine tears at the distance he'd carefully kept all evening, stumbling closer. ]
[ Nishikiyama, similarly intoxicated, had curled himself closer to the wall to keep it from moving. Even with eyes shut the yakiniku restaurant is swirling, but he somehow manages to recognize Mineās voice despite how loud his yakuza family is through the thin door behind them.
He thinks itās funny that Mine followed him. Sort of like a pet? Itās not good to think of others like animals and a laugh, like a cough, falls through Nishikiyamaās throat as he wonders whether or not Mine would try holding his hair back while he vomits. It brings back a memory of Kiryu and sours quickly. ]
You can walk.
[ A strange observation that makes sense. After that many highballs in both of them, itās a feat. ]
Iām shitfaced, Mine.
[ He doesnāt see the other man when he looks at him, eyes moving between his figure and the sign for the restroom once more. Will he? Hmā¦ no. No, heās all right for now. Reallyā¦
Everyoneās loud so ] I want to sit outside.
[ He doesnāt realize he hadnāt said the first part. ]
[ Heās gonna hurl. Mine braces himself against it while waiting for Nishikiyamaās answer. Sour, but unlike the flavor of thought that comes up for the other man, is the taste that gathers at the back of his throat.
The signage for the restroom blurs in front of his eyes. Maybe itās a mistake to keep them open in the first place. Nishikiyamaās cough shuffles under the noise spilling out of the Familyās private room. He doesnāt get the angle of humor running beneath, so Mineās face just scrunches up with a mix of confusion and abject nausea.
With more presence of mind Mineād take the compliment in Nishikiyamaās remark, but had he sat to think about it he wouldnāt have stood up, he thinks now. Mineās so drunk that sobering up seems impossible. ]
Yeahā¦
[ Whatever heās agreeing to, honestly. To take another step, with the intention to follow Nsihikiyama outside, he also needs the wall for support. For a moment Mineās stomach seems to tolerate the movement, but then it lurches about at double the speed. He retches without ever considering a move to the toilet. ]
[ Nishikiyamaās voice is low as Mine retches, and his features cringe with displeasure. The other manās movements echo his own too much. Inelegant, sloppy, vulnerable; all of them descriptors that are no match for what Nishikiyama knows. ]
Why did you follow me out here?
[ It would have been more exciting for them to steal a private kiss again, but their circumstances have killed the prospect. Had Mine really come out just to be sick? While frowning deeply, Nishikiyama tries herding Mine closer to the bathroom door with an out-of-it facial expression of his own. ]
[ Mine's quickly brought a hand up to his mouth to catchāthankfullyānothing yet. He must look miserable, putting all those attributes under one umbrella, when Mine's gaze shifts upwards, trying to find Nishikiyama again. He wants to say why, inhibitions gone that'd make him skirt the subject: Mine saw his opportunity for a moment alone between them. ]
Itās becauseā
[ He tries to answerā Is there a point? Nishikiyama pushes against the back of his knees and Mine finds himself scooting between the urging of his patriarch and the wall until there's a gap to let him into the restroom.
Just as Mine pushes the first stall open his stomach clenches hard a second time. He feels full, as if there's simply too much liquid in it, and with its release Mine throws up the contents into the bowl. At the end of it, he wipes his mouth on the back of his hand. He feels better after, before awkwardness flushes his clammy face. ]
[ As if thereās some kind of pride in saying so. Nishikiyama is careful not to let his own stomach lurch in turn, his eyes shutting and nostrils not letting any air in through them. A leg outstretches along Mineās side motion lazily in front of the automatic flush sensor, and before seeing what Mineād emptied, a loud jet carries it out of sight and mind. A higher end bathroom. Better to vomit here than at the rundown dive bars heād used to frequent.
Nishikiyama moves away from Mineās bathroom stall to sit on the edge of the sink instead. With a hop, he balances himself and then fishes his pocket for cigarettes. His gaze still fails to linger on any specific place. ]
Better?
[ He remembers he has breath mints while searching and draws a Mintia case out alongside the box if hi-lites. Both boxes are set on the counter. ]
[ Mine watches the swirl of water drain down and away in the porcelain, all clear with one final gulp. Against what heād consider his better judgment, Nishikiyamaās proclaimed foresight settles him with gratitude. The only thing more unfortunate than throwing up in front of his patriarch here wouldāve been puking outside.
He thinks another wave of nauseaās about to hit him, but rather than that itās Mineās return to his senses, realizing heās still got reason to feel flustered. He goes to the second sink, removed from where Nishikiyamaād sat himself, to wash his mouth out. A nod after he spits. ]
Thank you.
[ Mine blinks a watery blur out of his eyes. He looks at the box of mints, the cigarettes as well, at Nishikiyamaās knee right beside them. Itās the Mintia he decides on, slipping one in his mouth to cover up the bitter taste left behind. Mine doesnāt turn his head, keeping it down, but his gaze shifts over to Nishikiyama further. ]
Some fresh air, maybe.
[ He suggests, tone unsure of making it an invitation though. If Nishikiyama doesnāt accept he doesnāt want to have asked. ]
[ Nishikiyama responds with his eyes shut and an unlit cigarette between his lips. He takes a slow, even breath, but doesnāt make and motion to retrieve his lighter. While Mine begins settling back into his reality, Nishikiyama is still swaying around while seated on the sink. ]
If I move, Iāll puke too.
[ Clumsily though, while the sink beside him is running, Nishikiyama catches some water in cupped fingers and pulls it through his hair. Like a (very drunk) bird in a birdbath.
He waits indefinitely. The moment alone with him Mine had hoped for, maybe. ]
[ Watching the cigarette bounce with speech, it takes Mine too long to remember where his lighter is on his person, sluggish when he checks mentally. He stands bracing against the countertop, then slides his right hand into the matching front pocket of his pants. He places the lighter by the sink.
Mine sways slightly, back and forth against his chosen support. This is what heād come looking for. A sober mindās been enough to impede him for some part of the evening, but because Nishikiyama stays there, says he will, Mine finds time to act.
He lifts his eyes to watch water droplets be combed into slicked hair. Forming a real thought around it is too much, but he places his hand on Nishikiyamaās knee, firm to propose itās more than just him holding on. ]
[ Nishikiyama's eyes find the touch on his leg, formerly without target or focus but now with something to process. He lets them stay there in thoughtful quiet, his stomach still dipping and head still light. What Mine wants of him now, the very reason he'd been followed into the hallway is as anticipated; yet, the patriarch won't say anything about it.
The cigarette falls from his mouth because he's too intoxicated to hold it there properly. It bounces somewhere in the still wet bowl of the other sink when he shifts to lean forward. He touches the backs of Mine's knuckles with one of his hands. The other stays in his slick hair, steadying and cradling his head against the nearest wall while he melts against it like a slab of sick butter. ]
What is it?
[ He asks, quieter. The room seems to spin less than it had been when he does. An idle thumb strokes a masculine tendon on the back of Mine's hand. ]
[ Mine submits his actions to the confines of the restroom and abandons his idea of stepping outā or he's simply too wasted to keep up even with his own suggestion. With the breath mint under his tongue his mouth's kept in a tense line. His hand also doesn't move. He looks indecisive in any way, Nishikiyama's question to match.
For another moment Mine just watches him, head in his hand to steady himself. As opposed to Kanda moving slow when far away, after getting rid of the nausea everything seems to have slowed down. Mine sways between feeling calm and languid, gaze having drifted to Nishikiyama's hand on his. Mine's moves to stretch the web of his hand along his thigh, halfway to respond to Nishikiyama's gesture. ]
[ The heat that finds Nishikiyamaās face is either from alcohol or bashfulness at the frank nature of Mineās words. He doesnāt know, itās only been a few hours since their relationship had shifted; heās yet to understand how things will be between them when theyāre in private. Maybe this, though, is a hint at what Mine wants.
As Nishikiyama finds the other manās face, he tiredly but fondly thinks that Mine is needyā if itās even the right word. Needy doesnāt feel correct because it implies an unnecessarily high demand for attention. Needy annoys Nishikiyama. It suits the hostesses that spam his text messages when they want a sales boost, or the failed excuses for ārelationshipsā attempted on the outskirts of his prior affections for Yumi.
Mine isnāt needy, heās something else. His hand is on Nishikiyamaās leg, and Nishikiyama doesnāt hate or resent it. ]
Too many drinks.
[ He says this regretting the decision. Nishikiyamaās stomach is still stirring. He wouldnāt be surprised if it leaped suddenly. His fingers stop tracing the back of Mineās hand. He likes having it on his thigh. ]
I was just going to go home after.
[ Perhaps itās unclear what he means. ]
But Iāll be alone then, if thatās what you want.
[ Less vaguely now, thereās the implication of an invite. ]
[ Needy... Mine finds himself asking for privacy in a way he, abstinent, thinks is too forward to do. At least, until now it had been, impolite in the way it wasn't shrouded in vague words and good excuses. What'd happened hours before, though, and the alcohol now precede his sentiment.
Mine isn't that, aimless and helpless without Nishikiyama's attention, but what he wantsāwhat he does needāis still an answer to his question much earlier. Finally, he keeps asking even when a sober mind would not. Of course it's unrefined, he can't even spell it out, but it's what's there. The same way and far from conscious thought he remembers that Nishikiyama liked his touch, so even when his hand stops Mine keeps it there but stops too.
His mind tries to jump the gaps of Nishikiyama's offer. His brow creases. ]
I can't drink any more.
[Ā His body language is apathetic to the remoteness he usually keeps. He hesitates, but sways again and leans closer when he shifts his stance.
Too much to drinkā the bad taste lingers at the back of his throat, not fully masked by the mint. Mine doesn't see himself continuing either, but despite that he doesn't know what to expect at Nishikiyama's place. ]
[ It's added as a reason for Mine to accept. His words had implied it an obstacle, but Nishikiyama doesn't want him to refuse the offer. As the other man leans closer to the sink, his patriarch's hand moves to settle somewhere on his shoulder and squeeze. It's now that he remembers that Mine's jacket, generally there, is off again. He feels the thick sculpt of collarbone and shoulder muscle beneath the pads of his fingers. His thumb finds a dip in the shape that he likes. ]
We don't have to do anything.
[ Um, maybe Mine hadn't suspected Nishikiyama might want to, but there's still a blunt subtext in the drunken sentence that the sentiments are passing through. Mine's appearance tails in Nishikiyama's eyes, and knowing that he's about to be sick, he tries to hop down from the sink and stumble for the same stall Mine had thrown up in. ]
[ Assurance that Nishikiyama extends makes Mine forget that heās been the one ordering drinks seemingly without an end in the first place. Thereās strange comfort in it thus, as well as real one from the hand on his shoulder. Mine leans heaviness into Nishikiyamaās touch, that kind no longer an unknown. It steadies him; maybe as intended?
Itās true that he hasnāt thought of anything since the motions stopped when he vomited, not much before either. Half-assed intentionsād been enough to walk out. Mine leans more, as though short-sighted when heās drunk, trying to read Nishikiyamaās answer. If they didnāt do anything what would they do?
But him asking out loud is interrupted by Nishikiyama pushing away. ]
[ Without explaining, Nishikiyama stabilizes himself crookedly with one hand braced against the stall. He doesn't respond verbally to Mine, instead only groaning once and then throwing up into the toilet without lifting his head.
His anticipation from before means that it's fairly neat. He barely makes any noise either. As Nishikiyama vomits, there's a bizarrely practiced method he'd developed in his early 20s, and it shows in the fleeting moment of vulnerability. Relief washes over him; he feels like he's back on Earth again. He shuts his eyes when his throat clenches and strains. He coughs and forgets Mine is there to witness. ]
[ Mineās stomach rumbles in sympathy, threatening to empty itself again. Itās dangerous when heās in no position to get to the bowl, so he turns his head slightly, not to aim elsewhere but just to keep himself from gagging. While Nishikiyamaās so focused, Mineās throat still clenches with short spasm.
Then he takes a deep, settling breath. Mine feels like heās found sobriety for a moment when his own urge disappears, but with Nishikiyama still at the edge of his vision he sees strands of just wetted hair fall in front of his ear. Reacting more than thinking, for once, Mine reaches forward and combs his fingers into it, pulling back what he can grab across the top of Nishikiyamaās head. He leans over the other man, still off balance, dizzy, a wince across his face. ]
[ Nishikiyama takes a moment to recognize there are fingers in his hair. With the locks pulled out of the way, his throat parts a couple of more times even without anything else left to deposit. Eventually, though, the spasms subside with a sharp, finished breath. Sweat collects on the back of his nape and he sags emptily. Rubbing his lips with the back of his wrist, he tiredly reaches ahead with the hand that'd held himself steady in the stall to flush.
And then it's gone. His tested method tried and true, all the signs of anything having been off in the first place. His eyes pass back to Mine and realize he's there. ]
[ And then he laughs quietly. He laughs because he's gross and mirrored what he'd bullied Mine about only moments before. Collecting his posture upright, he twists around to face Mine to try to return to the sinkā only, Mine is large and obstructs him. He pushes on his chest in a (still drunk) way. ]
Mintā
[ Like the word alone and the context makes enough sense for Mine to figure out. ]
You're really big.
[ It's easier to verbalize outright when he isn't as sober to feel emasculated by it. ]
[ Occupying that small a space together, as two adult men, Mine's knees almost touch the back of Nishikiyama's thighs and somewhere halfway up the wall he's also braced himself with his other hand. He's too drunk to repeat a dissonant thought he'd had before, with Nishikiyama between his legs. He cages him awkwardly, as the other man lifts his head dark locks spill from between Mine's fingers easily.
With Nishikiyama going unlax after finishing, Mine's expression does the same. The haze of too much alcohol remains, Nishikiyama's laugh replays muffled in his ears as the patriarch stands. In that cramped setting Mine tries to clue in on his reply. ]
Bigā?
[ Just repeating makes his lack of stepping aside look more oafish. Mine sways, but being shoved atāmovementādoesn't make him nauseous this time. Ahā ]
My bad. [ Not his apologies.
He looks at Nishikiyama, like he's surprised that the man isn't much shorter than himself. Rather than stepping out, though, Mine defaults to stand to one side of the tiny stall, thinking he's done something. ]
[ As if Mine had said the phrase "I'm sorry" itself to him. That's how Nishikiyama interprets it despite, and stuck within the confines of the stall, he shifts his weight restlessly from one leg to another without skirting the thin space where Mine stands. Lacking too much will to resist, he reaches up to push on Mine's shoulder instead this time. ]
Look at you. See? ...You're totally not.
[ He hardly knows what he's accusing Mine of at all. He feels a chalky aftertaste in his mouth, recalling that he'd just vomited, and then tries to peek around Mine's figure. ]
I need a breath mint. At least give me a breath mint.
[ His voice becomes pitchy with complaint, sort of like a dog whining. ]
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Date: 2024-01-07 08:04 am (UTC)The fuck? Whenād he get over thereā¦
[ His emotions clumsily sort themselves, and deciding heās offended that his perceived competition for captain is gone from this table to that, he squints past the rim of his mug. ]
He thinks Iām an idiot and donāt know what heās doingā¦
[ Unhappy Kanda. He looks at Mine who, while drunk, is much more receptive to his company. Eyes out of focus, and posture beginning to wobble. ]
Heās a rat! Iām gonna beat his ass next time weāre alone for this. Watch me, Mine!
[ Terribly timed, Nishikiyama makes a joke and pats Shindoās shoulder. As his rival can be seen blossoming proudly before his peers, Kanda bristles like a blowfish. ]
Tch. Look at him, gettinā too big for his pants! That motherfucker. Iām gonna wring his skinny neck.
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Date: 2024-01-07 08:21 pm (UTC)Then, Mine gathers his senses to realize that Kanda's readily looking for a fight. He brings his gaze back to him, slowly because looking around makes his head spin dangerously, as Kanda's voice booms with a threat. Inadvertently he ends up doing as Kanda tells him to. ]
Kanda-aniki...ā [ Mine doesn't have the capacity to scold him. ] Just what are you doing?
[ Haphazard first, then suddenly enough Mine's question edges on provocation, when they both watch Shindo revel in the attention. Inebriated and uninhibited, Mine isn't as diplomatic as he was an hour ago, and while he's jealous for a different reason, looking over at Nishikiyama, Kanda has to noticeā Does he want in on that future fight? ]
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Date: 2024-01-08 08:16 am (UTC)He's too drunk to make sense, and similarly, Nishikiyama is too drunk to be offended. As Kanda swings an arm over Shindo's shoulders to wrangle him, the patriarch ducks and dips out of the way of Kanda's elbow and pulls his knees up to leave where he's sitting. ]
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Date: 2024-01-08 08:22 am (UTC)[ Nishikiyama's eyes cast some judgment on the chaos of the other men before he moves, sliding a screen door out of his way and going to the mouth of the restaurant. He pulls the door of their private room shut behind himself before standing in the hallway. The movement from here to there summons a brief wave of self-brought-on nausea that leaves him wondering if he should head for the restroom instead, and he stills himself by touching a nearby wall. ]
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Date: 2024-01-08 09:39 pm (UTC)There's noise, too, but Nishikiyama's footfalls passing by take over. Mine turns his head to follow. Then he stands there behind him, just past the door. ]
Bossā.
[ Mine's head spins and he's without a lucid recollection of how he got up and walked behind Nishikiyama. What is clear even to himself, though, is that he'd seen a moment of opportunity just as the others had.
Initially seeming sure of his balance on his own two feet, Mine suddenly sways when he takes to retracing his steps. Getting up and going here, now his senses catch up to so much movement. There's an ill feeling climbing up beneath his sternum and he swallows dryly. If Nishikiyama's been watching his intake of highballs, he won't be surprised by the color across Mine's cheeks fading. Mine tears at the distance he'd carefully kept all evening, stumbling closer. ]
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Date: 2024-01-09 08:47 am (UTC)He thinks itās funny that Mine followed him. Sort of like a pet? Itās not good to think of others like animals and a laugh, like a cough, falls through Nishikiyamaās throat as he wonders whether or not Mine would try holding his hair back while he vomits. It brings back a memory of Kiryu and sours quickly. ]
You can walk.
[ A strange observation that makes sense. After that many highballs in both of them, itās a feat. ]
Iām shitfaced, Mine.
[ He doesnāt see the other man when he looks at him, eyes moving between his figure and the sign for the restroom once more. Will he? Hmā¦ no. No, heās all right for now. Reallyā¦
Everyoneās loud so ] I want to sit outside.
[ He doesnāt realize he hadnāt said the first part. ]
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Date: 2024-01-09 09:52 am (UTC)The signage for the restroom blurs in front of his eyes. Maybe itās a mistake to keep them open in the first place. Nishikiyamaās cough shuffles under the noise spilling out of the Familyās private room. He doesnāt get the angle of humor running beneath, so Mineās face just scrunches up with a mix of confusion and abject nausea.
With more presence of mind Mineād take the compliment in Nishikiyamaās remark, but had he sat to think about it he wouldnāt have stood up, he thinks now. Mineās so drunk that sobering up seems impossible. ]
Yeahā¦
[ Whatever heās agreeing to, honestly. To take another step, with the intention to follow Nsihikiyama outside, he also needs the wall for support. For a moment Mineās stomach seems to tolerate the movement, but then it lurches about at double the speed. He retches without ever considering a move to the toilet. ]
Hnā
no subject
Date: 2024-01-09 02:43 pm (UTC)[ Nishikiyamaās voice is low as Mine retches, and his features cringe with displeasure. The other manās movements echo his own too much. Inelegant, sloppy, vulnerable; all of them descriptors that are no match for what Nishikiyama knows. ]
Why did you follow me out here?
[ It would have been more exciting for them to steal a private kiss again, but their circumstances have killed the prospect. Had Mine really come out just to be sick? While frowning deeply, Nishikiyama tries herding Mine closer to the bathroom door with an out-of-it facial expression of his own. ]
Not in the hallway. Thereās a toilet.
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Date: 2024-01-09 10:39 pm (UTC)[ Mine's quickly brought a hand up to his mouth to catchāthankfullyānothing yet. He must look miserable, putting all those attributes under one umbrella, when Mine's gaze shifts upwards, trying to find Nishikiyama again. He wants to say why, inhibitions gone that'd make him skirt the subject: Mine saw his opportunity for a moment alone between them. ]
Itās becauseā
[ He tries to answerā Is there a point? Nishikiyama pushes against the back of his knees and Mine finds himself scooting between the urging of his patriarch and the wall until there's a gap to let him into the restroom.
Just as Mine pushes the first stall open his stomach clenches hard a second time. He feels full, as if there's simply too much liquid in it, and with its release Mine throws up the contents into the bowl. At the end of it, he wipes his mouth on the back of his hand. He feels better after, before awkwardness flushes his clammy face. ]
I'm sorry.
no subject
Date: 2024-01-10 10:55 am (UTC)[ As if thereās some kind of pride in saying so. Nishikiyama is careful not to let his own stomach lurch in turn, his eyes shutting and nostrils not letting any air in through them. A leg outstretches along Mineās side motion lazily in front of the automatic flush sensor, and before seeing what Mineād emptied, a loud jet carries it out of sight and mind. A higher end bathroom. Better to vomit here than at the rundown dive bars heād used to frequent.
Nishikiyama moves away from Mineās bathroom stall to sit on the edge of the sink instead. With a hop, he balances himself and then fishes his pocket for cigarettes. His gaze still fails to linger on any specific place. ]
Better?
[ He remembers he has breath mints while searching and draws a Mintia case out alongside the box if hi-lites. Both boxes are set on the counter. ]
Here.
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Date: 2024-01-10 11:46 am (UTC)He thinks another wave of nauseaās about to hit him, but rather than that itās Mineās return to his senses, realizing heās still got reason to feel flustered. He goes to the second sink, removed from where Nishikiyamaād sat himself, to wash his mouth out. A nod after he spits. ]
Thank you.
[ Mine blinks a watery blur out of his eyes. He looks at the box of mints, the cigarettes as well, at Nishikiyamaās knee right beside them. Itās the Mintia he decides on, slipping one in his mouth to cover up the bitter taste left behind. Mine doesnāt turn his head, keeping it down, but his gaze shifts over to Nishikiyama further. ]
Some fresh air, maybe.
[ He suggests, tone unsure of making it an invitation though. If Nishikiyama doesnāt accept he doesnāt want to have asked. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-01-10 11:57 am (UTC)[ Nishikiyama responds with his eyes shut and an unlit cigarette between his lips. He takes a slow, even breath, but doesnāt make and motion to retrieve his lighter. While Mine begins settling back into his reality, Nishikiyama is still swaying around while seated on the sink. ]
If I move, Iāll puke too.
[ Clumsily though, while the sink beside him is running, Nishikiyama catches some water in cupped fingers and pulls it through his hair. Like a (very drunk) bird in a birdbath.
He waits indefinitely. The moment alone with him Mine had hoped for, maybe. ]
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Date: 2024-01-10 12:51 pm (UTC)[ Watching the cigarette bounce with speech, it takes Mine too long to remember where his lighter is on his person, sluggish when he checks mentally. He stands bracing against the countertop, then slides his right hand into the matching front pocket of his pants. He places the lighter by the sink.
Mine sways slightly, back and forth against his chosen support. This is what heād come looking for. A sober mindās been enough to impede him for some part of the evening, but because Nishikiyama stays there, says he will, Mine finds time to act.
He lifts his eyes to watch water droplets be combed into slicked hair. Forming a real thought around it is too much, but he places his hand on Nishikiyamaās knee, firm to propose itās more than just him holding on. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-01-10 10:50 pm (UTC)The cigarette falls from his mouth because he's too intoxicated to hold it there properly. It bounces somewhere in the still wet bowl of the other sink when he shifts to lean forward. He touches the backs of Mine's knuckles with one of his hands. The other stays in his slick hair, steadying and cradling his head against the nearest wall while he melts against it like a slab of sick butter. ]
What is it?
[ He asks, quieter. The room seems to spin less than it had been when he does. An idle thumb strokes a masculine tendon on the back of Mine's hand. ]
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Date: 2024-01-11 09:18 am (UTC)For another moment Mine just watches him, head in his hand to steady himself. As opposed to Kanda moving slow when far away, after getting rid of the nausea everything seems to have slowed down. Mine sways between feeling calm and languid, gaze having drifted to Nishikiyama's hand on his. Mine's moves to stretch the web of his hand along his thigh, halfway to respond to Nishikiyama's gesture. ]
I wanted to be alone.
[ āWell, with him. ]
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Date: 2024-01-11 05:23 pm (UTC)As Nishikiyama finds the other manās face, he tiredly but fondly thinks that Mine is needyā if itās even the right word. Needy doesnāt feel correct because it implies an unnecessarily high demand for attention. Needy annoys Nishikiyama. It suits the hostesses that spam his text messages when they want a sales boost, or the failed excuses for ārelationshipsā attempted on the outskirts of his prior affections for Yumi.
Mine isnāt needy, heās something else. His hand is on Nishikiyamaās leg, and Nishikiyama doesnāt hate or resent it. ]
Too many drinks.
[ He says this regretting the decision. Nishikiyamaās stomach is still stirring. He wouldnāt be surprised if it leaped suddenly. His fingers stop tracing the back of Mineās hand. He likes having it on his thigh. ]
I was just going to go home after.
[ Perhaps itās unclear what he means. ]
But Iāll be alone then, if thatās what you want.
[ Less vaguely now, thereās the implication of an invite. ]
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Date: 2024-01-11 10:41 pm (UTC)Mine isn't that, aimless and helpless without Nishikiyama's attention, but what he wantsāwhat he does needāis still an answer to his question much earlier. Finally, he keeps asking even when a sober mind would not. Of course it's unrefined, he can't even spell it out, but it's what's there. The same way and far from conscious thought he remembers that Nishikiyama liked his touch, so even when his hand stops Mine keeps it there but stops too.
His mind tries to jump the gaps of Nishikiyama's offer. His brow creases. ]
I can't drink any more.
[Ā His body language is apathetic to the remoteness he usually keeps. He hesitates, but sways again and leans closer when he shifts his stance.
Too much to drinkā the bad taste lingers at the back of his throat, not fully masked by the mint. Mine doesn't see himself continuing either, but despite that he doesn't know what to expect at Nishikiyama's place. ]
Are you sure?
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Date: 2024-01-12 07:22 am (UTC)[ It's added as a reason for Mine to accept. His words had implied it an obstacle, but Nishikiyama doesn't want him to refuse the offer. As the other man leans closer to the sink, his patriarch's hand moves to settle somewhere on his shoulder and squeeze. It's now that he remembers that Mine's jacket, generally there, is off again. He feels the thick sculpt of collarbone and shoulder muscle beneath the pads of his fingers. His thumb finds a dip in the shape that he likes. ]
We don't have to do anything.
[ Um, maybe Mine hadn't suspected Nishikiyama might want to, but there's still a blunt subtext in the drunken sentence that the sentiments are passing through. Mine's appearance tails in Nishikiyama's eyes, and knowing that he's about to be sick, he tries to hop down from the sink and stumble for the same stall Mine had thrown up in. ]
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Date: 2024-01-12 05:57 pm (UTC)Itās true that he hasnāt thought of anything since the motions stopped when he vomited, not much before either. Half-assed intentionsād been enough to walk out. Mine leans more, as though short-sighted when heās drunk, trying to read Nishikiyamaās answer. If they didnāt do anything what would they do?
But him asking out loud is interrupted by Nishikiyama pushing away. ]
Bossā
[ Mine shuffles behind him, too close. ]
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Date: 2024-01-12 09:19 pm (UTC)His anticipation from before means that it's fairly neat. He barely makes any noise either. As Nishikiyama vomits, there's a bizarrely practiced method he'd developed in his early 20s, and it shows in the fleeting moment of vulnerability. Relief washes over him; he feels like he's back on Earth again. He shuts his eyes when his throat clenches and strains. He coughs and forgets Mine is there to witness. ]
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Date: 2024-01-13 03:50 am (UTC)Then he takes a deep, settling breath. Mine feels like heās found sobriety for a moment when his own urge disappears, but with Nishikiyama still at the edge of his vision he sees strands of just wetted hair fall in front of his ear. Reacting more than thinking, for once, Mine reaches forward and combs his fingers into it, pulling back what he can grab across the top of Nishikiyamaās head. He leans over the other man, still off balance, dizzy, a wince across his face. ]
1/2
Date: 2024-01-14 11:54 am (UTC)And then it's gone. His tested method tried and true, all the signs of anything having been off in the first place. His eyes pass back to Mine and realize he's there. ]
2/2
Date: 2024-01-14 11:59 am (UTC)Mintā
[ Like the word alone and the context makes enough sense for Mine to figure out. ]
You're really big.
[ It's easier to verbalize outright when he isn't as sober to feel emasculated by it. ]
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Date: 2024-01-15 10:32 am (UTC)With Nishikiyama going unlax after finishing, Mine's expression does the same. The haze of too much alcohol remains, Nishikiyama's laugh replays muffled in his ears as the patriarch stands. In that cramped setting Mine tries to clue in on his reply. ]
Bigā?
[ Just repeating makes his lack of stepping aside look more oafish. Mine sways, but being shoved atāmovementādoesn't make him nauseous this time. Ahā ]
My bad. [ Not his apologies.
He looks at Nishikiyama, like he's surprised that the man isn't much shorter than himself. Rather than stepping out, though, Mine defaults to stand to one side of the tiny stall, thinking he's done something. ]
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Date: 2024-01-15 02:18 pm (UTC)[ As if Mine had said the phrase "I'm sorry" itself to him. That's how Nishikiyama interprets it despite, and stuck within the confines of the stall, he shifts his weight restlessly from one leg to another without skirting the thin space where Mine stands. Lacking too much will to resist, he reaches up to push on Mine's shoulder instead this time. ]
Look at you. See? ...You're totally not.
[ He hardly knows what he's accusing Mine of at all. He feels a chalky aftertaste in his mouth, recalling that he'd just vomited, and then tries to peek around Mine's figure. ]
I need a breath mint. At least give me a breath mint.
[ His voice becomes pitchy with complaint, sort of like a dog whining. ]
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