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FIC: Unmasked, Part 2 of 25
Title: Unmasked, Part 2 of 25
Rating: NC-17 overall
Fandom: Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love)
Pairing: Kikuchi/Onozuka
Characters: Kikuchi, Onozuka, Okumura from Love Control
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Word count: ~7,285
Sequel to: Unexpected Opportunities, Comeback (Part 1 and Part 2), Forgiveness, Firsts, First Date (Part 1 and Part 2), Going Steady (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Audition (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Cookout (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Press Conference (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Sanctuary, The Prince vs. the Groupie (Part 1, Part 2), Family Visit: Tokyo (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Gigolo (Part 1, Part 2), Yoshizumi's Night Out (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Family Visit: Okinawa (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), and Interlude. The series also includes two side-stories that are outside of the main timeline: Valentine's Day Surprise and Strictly Business.
Summary: This chapter is a crossover with the Love Control manga (see afterword for details). Kikuchi reminisces about a past lover while he tries to patch things up with Onozuka.
Part 1
***
Kikuchi cooked dinner for Onozuka that night as a further apology. He considered making omuraisu, since Onozuka seemed to be fond of it, but he wanted to show off his skills and prepare something a little more impressive this time. As he thought about what he could make, he suddenly remembered a salmon and basil pasta dish that a friend had once made for him.
Kikuchi grinned, thinking to himself that Onozuka might not appreciate it if he knew that Kikuchi was using a recipe given to him by a former lover...although he didn't really think of Okumura as a lover, just a friend that he'd happened to sleep with a few times. Not that Onozuka would appreciate the distinction, of course.
He had met Okumura about five years ago, when a film he was working on had a celebratory party at the first American branch of the Jiri restaurant chain...
***
It was ironic, Kikuchi thought as he sipped a glass of champagne and circulated around the room, making polite small talk with sponsors and reporters and studio bigwigs. He had fled scandal in Japan and escaped to America, only to find himself at a party hosted at an Italian restaurant owned by a Japanese corporation.
It had been quite a coup for them to host a party for a major Hollywood movie on their opening night, and the director of the Jiri Group had flown in personally to attend. He was surprisingly young, appearing to be in his late twenties or early thirties at most. Kikuchi eyed the man with interest from across the room--he was almost handsome enough to be a movie star himself, and seemed perfectly composed and at ease among the Hollywood elite, even as he was currently shaking the hand of the leading actor, who was a huge star worldwide, including Japan and not just in America.
Kikuchi's lips curved in a mirthless smile. He, of course, was merely the supporting actor in this film. He had worked hard at his new career and achieved a measure of respect, along with a number of good reviews and even a few acting awards. But he had slowly come to the bitter realization that he was never going to achieve the kind of stardom here that he'd had in Japan, and that he was never going to be anything more than a respected supporting actor.
Those bitter thoughts soured his mood. Kikuchi had been toying with the idea of hitting on the handsome Jiri director, but with his luck, the man would probably not only turn out to be straight, but to be one of the many former fans who had been disgusted by the revelation that Kikuchi was gay.
He drained his glass and was about to get another when one of the movie producers beckoned for Kikuchi to come over and join him and the Jiri director. Kikuchi sighed, then pasted a polite smile on his face and went over to join them.
"Katsuya!" the producer said heartily. "I'd like to introduce you to Takashi Okumura, the head of Jiri."
Okumura smiled at Kikuchi without any sign of disgust or disapproval. He held out his hand and said in fluent, only slightly accented English, "It is an honor to meet you, Kikuchi-san. I'm a big fan of your movies."
Kikuchi relaxed slightly and shook the other man's hand; Okumura gripped Kikuchi's hand firmly before releasing it--there was no hesitation or squeamishness over physical contact with a gay man. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Director Okumura," Kikuchi said.
"Please, there's no need for formality, Kikuchi-san," Okumura said. "'Director' sounds so stiff--please just call me by name."
"As you wish, Okumura-san," Kikuchi replied, his bad mood lifting. Maybe he wasn't out of luck, after all, although he silently cautioned himself that just because Okumura was a fan didn't necessarily mean that he wanted to sleep with Kikuchi.
"Well, I'm sure the two of you must have a lot to talk about," the producer said with a smile and excused himself.
"It's a relief to be able to speak Japanese with someone," Kikuchi said, switching to that language. "Although you speak English very well."
"It was always my ambition to expand overseas someday," Okumura replied matter of factly. "So learning English was a necessity."
"So you're the ambitious type," Kikuchi said lightly, regarding Okumura with interest and liking what he saw. Up close, he was even better looking than he had appeared at first glance, and Kikuchi revised his original opinion upwards a bit: Okumura was more than handsome enough to be a movie star (or at least a model, since Kikuchi had no idea whether or not he could actually act). He was tall, with wavy dark brown hair that fell into his eyes--a deliberate affectation, Kikuchi was sure, since he was otherwise immaculately groomed and dressed in a very expensive suit that looked as though it had been tailored to fit him precisely.
But what really caught Kikuchi's attention were Okumura's eyes: they were an unusual shade of light golden-brown, almost like honey or amber. They were very captivating, and even more so was the almost wolfish glint of hunger in them as he met and held Kikuchi's gaze boldly, without any sign of shyness or intimidation. Not so much in America, but in Japan, he'd been used to people being nervous about meeting him, due to both his stardom and the bad boy reputation he had cultivated. Part of him thought he should be a little insulted, but he was actually more amused that the younger man didn't seem the least bit awed or intimidated by the infamous Kikuchi Katsuya.
And from the way Okumura was looking at him, he obviously wasn't straight, as Kikuchi had assumed--or at least, not entirely straight, and that was enough for Kikuchi. He grinned widely; his luck was definitely getting better! And actually, a casual encounter would provide a welcome distraction. Kikuchi had recently ended his last relationship, which had lasted longer than it should have, mostly because of the passionate make-up sex that their frequent arguments had inspired, but eventually Kikuchi had tired of dealing with the constant melodrama both at work and in his personal life. Perhaps it was an inevitable by-product of two actors dating, but on the other hand, he didn't have much chance to meet people outside of show business.
He'd just met a handsome business executive, but obviously it couldn't develop into anything long term since Okumura was only here for the restaurant's opening. Still, the idea of a night of no-strings-attached sex was appealing enough, and Kikuchi wasn't ready to jump into a serious relationship so soon after the break-up, anyway.
He leaned in closer and purred into Okumura's ear, "Parties like this bore the hell out of me, Okumura-san. Isn't it the same for you?"
"Well, it's a requirement of the business," Okumura replied philosophically. "But yes, I am a little bored."
"Then why don't we get out of here?" Kikuchi suggested, smiling at the other man seductively. "I'm sure that I could think of something much more entertaining to do."
"Oh, I'm sure you can, Kikuchi-san," Okumura drawled in a sensual, enticing voice that aroused a flare of heat in Kikuchi's groin.
He was strongly tempted to drag Okumura into the nearest restroom, supply closet, or whatever unoccupied space he could find, but Kikuchi manfully restrained himself and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Let's go, then."
Okumura gestured with his hand, and a young Japanese man instantly appeared at his side--an assistant or secretary, Kikuchi assumed. "Director," he said, bowing slightly.
"I'm leaving, Shiki," Okumura said.
"The party isn't over yet," Shiki replied in a reproachful voice.
"I've already paid my respects to everyone," Okumura defended himself. "If anyone asks, tell them I had some urgent business to attend to."
Shiki glanced at Kikuchi; his face remained bland and expressionless, but there was a faint hint of sarcasm in his voice as he said, "Yes, I can see that."
"You can call me on my cell if there's an emergency," Okumura said, ignoring the sarcasm. "But with so many famous people at the party, I doubt that I'll be missed."
"Perhaps Kikuchi-san will be, since he's one of the stars of the movie," Shiki pointed out.
"I think they'll manage without me somehow," Kikuchi said dryly. The leading man and lady were regaling a crowd of admirers across the room, and no one seemed to notice Kikuchi standing off in a corner conversing with two of his countrymen.
"Your place or mine?" Kikuchi asked as he and Okumura slipped out of the restaurant and got into Kikuchi's car.
"Yours," Okumura replied. "If we go back to my hotel room, Shiki might show up with some work for me to do."
"Who's the boss--you or him?" Kikuchi joked.
Okumura laughed, then said in a more serious voice, "I couldn't manage without Shiki. It's his job to keep the boss organized and on track."
"Should we really be running away from the party, then?" Kikuchi teased. "Shiki-kun seemed to disapprove."
"Well, it's all right to play around once in awhile, as long as the work gets done," Okumura chuckled.
Once they were inside Kikuchi's apartment, he grabbed Okumura's tie, pulling the other man closer to him until their lips were almost touching. "So tell me, Okumura-kun," Kikuchi purred, deliberately shifting to a more casual form of address. "Are you really a fan, or was that just an excuse to get into my pants?"
"Does it matter?" Okumura countered, with a faint glint of humor in his amber eyes.
"Not really, although my ego would be a little hurt," Kikuchi replied, yanking on the tie a little harder to bring Okumura's mouth in contact with his. Okumura kissed him gently at first, and then more aggressively, taking control of the kiss and pushing his tongue between Kikuchi's lips.
"I really am a fan," Okumura said when they pulled apart to catch their breath. "You deserved that Best Actor award for 'Tokyo Countdown,' but I like you better as a villain than a hero. My favorite movie of yours was actually 'Blood Brothers,' where you played a yakuza whose younger brother was a cop."
Kikuchi threw back his head and laughed out loud. "So you like bad boys, Okumura-kun?" he murmured, leaning in to nibble on Okumura's earlobe.
"I like interesting people," Okumura retorted good-naturedly.
"Well, I suppose villains are often more interesting than heroes," Kikuchi said, grinning as he reached up to loosen Okumura's tie.
Kikuchi was wearing a collared shirt, no tie, with the first few buttons undone, and Okumura asked, "Do you not like to wear ties, Kikuchi-san?"
"I'll wear one if I have to, for a role or an awards show or a black-tie party," Kikuchi replied. "But otherwise, no. I find it too confining, like wearing a dog collar."
"Now I'm trying to picture you in a dog collar," Okumura said with a grin.
"Ah, so you're the kinky type, are you, Okumura-kun?" Kikuchi asked slyly.
"But seriously, I think there's something very sensual about taking another's man tie off--or to let him take your tie off," Okumura said.
"Really?" Kikuchi murmured as he slowly unknotted Okumura's tie. "How so?"
Okumura reached up and gently brushed his fingers against Kikuchi's throat. "There's something erotic about being touched here, don't you think?" Okumura asked in a velvety voice.
"Yes," Kikuchi admitted, shivering slightly.
"You just slip a finger into the knot and slowly pull," Okumura continued. "Your skin feels warm as the tie drags across the back of your neck, and you're not sure if it's only the friction or something more..."
"Like this?" Kikuchi whispered as he pulled on Okumura's tie, the silk cloth making a faint hissing noise as it slid across Okumura's shirt.
"Yes, just like that," Okumura sighed, his eyes half-closed with pleasure. If he made an expression that sexy just from having his tie taken off, Kikuchi couldn't wait to see what he was like in bed.
"Well, normally I don't care for ties, but you may have converted me, Okumura-kun," Kikuchi chuckled, unbuttoning the other man's shirt so that he could kiss Okumura's throat. Okumura growled softly and pulled Kikuchi's face up so that he could kiss Kikuchi hungrily.
Kikuchi led Okumura to the bedroom and started unbuttoning his own shirt, but Okumura said, "Let me," and reached up to do it instead. As with the tie, Okumura obviously considered it a form of foreplay and took his time about it. And yes, it was pretty hot to undress a man and to be undressed by him, although Kikuchi was eager to have Okumura naked and in his bed, and would have preferred to move things along at a quicker pace. However, his pride wouldn't allow him to show that he was more affected than Okumura seemed to be, so he used his acting skills to hide his impatience and played it cool, undressing Okumura in the same leisurely manner.
"One would think that you sleep with movie stars all the time, Okumura-kun," Kikuchi said lightly, although his joking words covered up a seed of insecurity and discontent. It was a real stretch of the word to call himself a "star" in America, outside of a small circle of film critics and foreign film buffs, and he had been absent from Japan for half a decade, so maybe he couldn't be considered a star there anymore, either.
Okumura looked startled, then smiled and asked, "Do I seem blasé about the whole thing? If so, I must be doing something wrong if my desire for you isn't coming across, because I assure you that I want you very much, Kikuchi-san."
He gave Kikuchi a long, deep kiss as he pressed his body against Kikuchi's--his arousal was quite evident, leaving little doubt as to the extent of his desire.
"Not so much blasé," Kikuchi admitted when they finally pulled apart. "Just very composed and sure of yourself." His lips quirked in a wry grin as he added, "Almost arrogant--which ironically enough, is how people describe me, usually without the 'almost' qualifier."
"When I see something I want, I go after it," Okumura said serenely. "If that makes me arrogant, so be it." Then he grinned back at Kikuchi and said, "Would it help if I asked for an autograph afterwards?"
Kikuchi threw back his head and roared with laughter, his brief fit of pique vanishing. "Ah, you are an arrogant bastard, Okumura-kun, but I like that about you!" He nipped at Okumura's ear and whispered huskily, "I'll give you an autograph, but only if you satisfy me in bed tonight."
"Well then, I'll just have to rise to the challenge," Okumura purred.
They finished undressing with a little more haste and fell into the bed, kissing and caressing each other. Okumura's hands and mouth moved on Kikuchi's body with enough skill and confidence to justify his arrogance, and of course Kikuchi couldn't let himself be shown up by a young businessman, so he returned as good as he got until they were both gasping and panting.
"What would you like to do, Okumura-kun?" Kikuchi asked breathlessly.
"You, Kikuchi-san," Okumura replied without hesitation, and Kikuchi burst into laughter again.
Actually, he'd been thinking more along the lines of him doing Okumura, but with the younger man staring at him with those lust-filled honey-colored eyes, he found that he wasn't at all adverse to a slight change in plans.
"Fine," Kikuchi said, still laughing. "There's some condoms and lube in the nightstand drawer."
Okumura definitely had at least some past experience with men, Kikuchi thought to himself as Okumura's fingers moved deftly inside him a few minutes later. Even now, Okumura was moving slowly and teasingly, as he had while they were undressing, but his flushed face and heavy breathing hinted that he was reaching the limits of his self-control.
So Kikuchi deliberately let out a loud moan, arching his body up against Okumura's hand, and Okumura gasped and let out a muffled curse, withdrawing his hand to reach over and fumble hastily with the condom--it took him a couple of tries to successfully tear the wrapper off while Kikuchi tried not to laugh.
However, when Okumura pushed apart his legs, preparing to enter him, Kikuchi rolled over and shoved the other man down onto the bed, reversing their positions.
"Kikuchi-san?" Okumura asked, looking a little startled. "If you're not into this, we can do something else, but I thought--"
"Oh, I'm very into this, Okumura-kun," Kikuchi assured him with a grin. "I just wanted to change things up a bit." He swung one leg across Okumura's body, straddling him, and slowly lowered himself down onto Okumura's erection.
"Ah...Kikuchi-san!" Okumura gasped. Then he laughed good-naturedly, "How can I expect to win against the infamous Kikuchi Katsuya?"
The "infamous" comment made Kikuchi grin wider. "It's not a competition, Okumura-kun," he said, although of course it was, in a playful sort of way. He raised himself up and then down again, relishing the low moan that escaped Okumura's parted lips. "As far as I'm concerned, it's a win-win situation."
"I can't argue against that," Okumura admitted, sliding his hands up along Kikuchi's thighs until they came to rest on his hips, gripping them tightly as if to urge him on.
Kikuchi moved with deliberate slowness, though, until Okumura groaned impatiently and thrust up into Kikuchi urgently. After that, Kikuchi matched Okumura's pace, riding him hard and fast.
"I really...can't win...against you," Okumura gasped, sitting up and wrapping one arm around Kikuchi to pull him close and incidentally--or perhaps not so incidentally--pressing his stomach against Kikuchi's erect cock. Kikuchi didn't really care either way, enjoying the sensation of Okumura moving against him and inside him. They kissed, tongues entwining, and Okumura slipped his free hand between their bodies and wrapped it around Kikuchi's cock, causing him to break off the kiss and groan loudly. In retaliation, Kikuchi ground against Okumura harder, and leaned forward slightly to catch Okumura's earlobe between his teeth, biting down sharply. Okumura cried out and a shudder wracked his body; Kikuchi came a few seconds later, and they rested in each other's arms, gasping for breath.
Kikuchi figured that their playful competition had ended more or less in a draw, and had been a very satisfying end to what he had thought would be another boring Hollywood party.
"I think you owe me an autograph, Kikuchi-san," Okumura whispered into his ear.
Kikuchi burst into laughter and replied, "Well, I can't deny that you've earned it!"
Later, as they got dressed, Kikuchi grinned and said, "I don't know about you, but I've really worked up an appetite--I'm starving!"
"Me too," Okumura admitted, chuckling. "I was too busy meeting people and paying my respects at the party to have time to eat anything."
"Same here, other than a few appetizers," Kikuchi said. "Did you want to order some take-out? Or I could try and whip up something, although I hesitate to offer my humble efforts to Jiri's director."
"There's nothing humble about you, Kikuchi-san," Okumura retorted with a grin. "I'm sure you're a fine cook, but to thank you for being such an entertaining host, will you allow me to cook for you?"
"Sure," Kikuchi replied. "But I haven't had time to go shopping, so I don't have many ingredients on hand."
"Well, let's take a look at the kitchen and see what we can come up with," Okumura suggested. There wasn't much in the fridge other than some condiments, a few eggs, and a wedge of cheese that was starting to get moldy, but he did find a forgotten package of smoked salmon at the back of the fridge that wasn't quite past its expiration date. Okumura rummaged through the cupboards and found that the non-perishable items were better stocked. He selected a box of pasta, a bottle of olive oil, and some spices, then announced, "Okay, I can work with this. It'll be simple, but I hope you'll enjoy it."
Kikuchi watched with interest as Okumura prepared the pasta. "I know that you run a restaurant chain, but I didn't think you could actually cook yourself."
"I started off as a chef when I was younger, then transferred over to management," Okumura replied. "But I still enjoy cooking in my free time, for myself and for my friends..." He smiled mischievously at Kikuchi. "...and my lovers." Kikuchi laughed, and Okumura continued, "And what about you, Kikuchi-san? It's true that your fridge was almost empty, but your staples and your spices are pretty well stocked for a bachelor actor."
"It started off as a matter of pure practicality," Kikuchi said, grinning. "As a starving young actor, I couldn't afford to eat out, so I had to learn how to cook out of necessity, but I found that I enjoyed it, and it's become a hobby for me."
"Well, perhaps you can cook for me next time," Okumura laughed.
He placed the finished pasta on plates and Kikuchi brought out a bottle of wine, and they sat down together at the kitchen table to eat. "It's delicious!" Kikuchi exclaimed after he took a bite.
"You don't have to sound so surprised," Okumura said dryly, but he looked pleased. "I did tell you that I used to be a chef, after all."
"No offense was intended, Okumura-kun," Kikuchi assured him. "I'm just surprised that you were able to prepare such a wonderful meal with the limited ingredients I had on hand."
Okumura sampled some pasta from his own plate, frowning critically. "It's not bad, but it would be better with with fresh basil instead of dried."
"Now you're just showing off," Kikuchi teased. "Because it's delicious and you know it! This is better than meals I've eaten in many restaurants."
"Then you need to try the food at Jiri sometime, because those restaurants must not be up to our standards," Okumura retorted with a grin. "But thank you, Kikuchi-san; I'm glad that you like it."
After they finished dinner, Okumura pulled on his coat and asked, "Will you call a taxi to take me back to the hotel, Kikuchi-san?"
"Sure, but you can stay over tonight if you want," Kikuchi replied, then coaxed, "I'll even make breakfast for you tomorrow morning."
"That's a very tempting offer," Okumura said with a smile. "But I'm afraid I can't fall sleep with someone else in the room--it's an odd personal quirk of mine."
"That must complicate your love life," Kikuchi observed.
"It does, sometimes," Okumura laughed, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "In any case, I need to be up early to handle some business at the restaurant, and I wouldn't want to interrupt your rest." He planted a kiss on Kikuchi's mouth and added, "But I'd be honored if you'd join me for lunch or dinner at Jiri tomorrow--in a private room, of course."
"An actor never passes up a free meal," Kikuchi quipped, returning the kiss. He thought there was something more to the issue than a mere quirk, but it was none of his business, so he didn't pursue it further.
***
Okumura had stayed in town for a few more days, and they had gotten together twice more to have sex that was just as good as the first time. After Okumura returned to Japan, they had kept in touch sporadically through e-mails and occasional phone calls, settling into a casual and distant friendship. Maybe if Okumura had stayed in the U.S., or if Kikuchi had gone back to Japan earlier, it could have developed into something more serious, but Kikuchi doubted it. They were a little too similar for a long-term relationship to work out: they were both controlling and competitive, and while that had made for a few hot bouts of casual sex, they probably would have clashed and grated on each other's nerves eventually if they had dated on a serious basis.
Of course, Onozuka was hardly meek or submissive (however much he pretended to be when it amused him), and Kikuchi wouldn't have liked him if he was. But the Prince's sense of control and competitiveness was much more subtle and low-key than Okumura's: he preferred to manipulate people behind the scenes instead of confronting them directly. Once again Kikuchi thought to himself that he would never want to make an enemy out of Onozuka, who would smile sweetly to his enemy's face, then stab them in the back when they weren't looking. No--on second thought, he'd probably use an untraceable poison and be sure to be far away and in the company of a dozen witnesses when his unfortunate victim keeled over.
And besides, Okumura was smitten with a beautiful young lover of his own now, an interior designer that he'd met through work, or so he had told Kikuchi when they had last talked. Although Yamashiro-kun sounded a bit too much like Okumura for comfort, too: proud, stubborn, and controlling. Still, his friend seemed to relish the challenge--he had sounded both exasperated and fascinated when he'd talked about his lover, saying, "When I'm with him, I enjoy myself so much I can't stand it." Kikuchi could sympathize; he often felt the same about Onozuka. But what really gave away the fact that Okumura was serious about his current lover was that he refused to introduce him to Kikuchi.
Kikuchi grinned. He supposed it was flattering that Okumura found him threatening enough competition that he didn't want Yamashiro to meet him. Or, like Kikuchi, he simply wanted to keep his lover to himself and not share him with anyone else.
Maybe Okumura would feel less threatened if Kikuchi told him that he had a lover, too; he hadn't wanted to tell Okumura about Onozuka without the latter's permission. But he'd met Onozuka's friends, so there was no reason why Onozuka shouldn't meet one of his--maybe they could go on a double date to one of Okumura's restaurants or bars. Onozuka would probably be a little suspicious about whether or not his friendship with Okumura had always been platonic, but Kikuchi enjoyed it when his lover got a little jealous.
He was getting a little ahead of himself, though: he needed to mend things between himself and Onozuka before he started planning any introductions or double dates.
Things started off well enough. Kikuchi had been a little afraid that Onozuka would stand him up, but he arrived at Kikuchi's apartment on time, smiling pleasantly. Kikuchi did his best to make the evening romantic: he served dinner by candlelight, along with Onozuka's favorite brand of wine, and for dessert, there were fresh strawberries and melted dark chocolate to dip them in. Onozuka had mentioned before that he didn't care for sweets, but Kikuchi had noticed that only seemed to apply to wagashi and that he didn't have a problem with eating Western confections.
Onozuka thanked him for the meal, and they had very good sex afterwards, making creative use of the leftover chocolate. However, there was still a slight distance between them that Kikuchi couldn't manage to close--partly because Onozuka refused to admit that anything was wrong. He insisted that he wasn't angry and had in fact forgotten about Kikuchi's "silly little joke"--which Kikuchi didn't believe for a minute, but he couldn't argue about it further without essentially calling Onozuka a liar, which probably would make him angry.
And actually, Onozuka didn't really seem angry, as he had over the incident with the groupie. He was charming and flirtatious and witty as always, except that he was wearing the mask of the Prince the entire time, not letting it slip even the little bit that he usually allowed when they were alone together. Kikuchi almost wished Onozuka would be angry with him, because at least then he'd be seeing Onozuka's true feelings.
It was incredibly frustrating, because Onozuka had slowly begun to open up to him, little by little: dropping tidbits of information about his family, introducing Kikuchi to his trusted friends, being surprisingly touched by the simple dish of omuraisu that Kikuchi had made for him. Taken individually, the events were insignificant, but viewed collectively, Kikuchi thought they showed that his relationship with Onozuka was slowly but steadily growing into something more serious. He had even met Onozuka's Okinawan relatives and won the matriarch's guarded approval.
Everything had been progressing very nicely, but now it seemed like all of that progress and all Kikuchi's careful plotting and scheming had been undone by a few ill-thought words. It was going to take a lot of work to win back the trust he had lost, and Kikuchi cursed himself once again for that stupid remark. As a child, his father had often scolded him for speaking or acting without thinking, and it was rather galling to know that his father was right. Still, he never would have imagined that his cynical prince could be so sensitive...
Kikuchi frowned thoughtfully. On the other hand, maybe Onozuka's overreaction to a casual joke was actually a sign of progress? Maybe he was pulling back and putting some distance between them precisely because their growing closeness had scared him.
To go back to the fishing metaphor, Onozuka had realized he was hooked and was now fighting the line. If Kikuchi tried to reel him in too quickly, he'd fight back even harder and maybe break free. It was better to give Onozuka some leeway, Kikuchi decided: play it cool and pretend that nothing was wrong, and let Onozuka settle down and grow complacent before he started reeling in the line again. Basically, he just needed to give Onozuka some time to get over his cold feet and accept his fate--which was actually more pleasant than a real fish's would be, so there was no reason for him to fight so hard. Surely becoming Kikuchi's permanent lover was much preferable to being served up and eaten for dinner? Although he certainly enjoyed devouring his lover--Kikuchi grinned, recalling how he'd gone down on Onozuka in the hotel bathroom in Okinawa.
I'll play it by ear and see how it goes, Kikuchi decided. If things didn't return to normal after a week or so, then he'd consider taking further action, but there was no need to panic just yet. And at least he'd have an official excuse to see Onozuka at the tea house next weekend. He smiled again, wondering how his lover would handle the situation and whether Onozuka's childhood training would give himself away as it had at Kikuchi's parents' house, or if he would be able to cover it up and pretend ignorance. Personally, Kikuchi found tea ceremonies tedious and boring, but he'd enjoy watching the Prince perform the ritual gracefully. He wondered if he could get Onozuka to wear a kimono to the outing, then regretfully decided not to push his luck.
***
Ever since their brief argument in the dressing room, Kikuchi had been unusually solicitous, not acting like his normal arrogant-but-charming self who was smugly certain of Onozuka's desire for him, but more like a suitor trying very hard to woo a reluctant lover. He had even gone to the effort of preparing a romantic dinner, which had been delicious, and the sex following it even more so. Onozuka shivered as he recalled the sensation of melted chocolate being painted on his skin with playful fingers, and the even more pleasurable sensation of Kikuchi's tongue licking the chocolate off his body.
Part of him enjoyed all the attention, but another part was made uneasy by it. It frightened him a little, how deeply Kikuchi had gotten under his skin, to have upset him so much with a stupid, joking remark. This was only supposed to be a casual relationship, right? Except that they'd been exclusively dating for quite some time, even if it was supposedly because neither of them "happened" to be seeing anyone else. And except that Onozuka found himself filled with an irrational jealous rage whenever another man flirted with Kikuchi. He had never felt that way before in his life--sure, he got a little jealous when Katou and Miyasaka fussed over Iwaki, but that was more of a muted resentment, not the hot surge of anger he'd felt when that groupie had come on to Kikuchi in the pub, or when the groupies on the beach had propositioned him.
"I cannot be turning into an idiot like Katou!" Onozuka groaned, then noted that talking out loud to himself was another sure sign of idiocy. He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, and repeated that a few more times until he'd calmed down. Reminding himself that he didn't want to turn into a nauseatingly lovesick idiot like Katou helped. He even snickered a little when he remembered how Kikuchi had found his Katou-imitation to be a little too close to the real thing for comfort.
Onozuka reminded himself that Kikuchi enjoyed provoking him, and that it was foolish to play into his hands and give him the satisfaction of reacting. However, since Kikuchi seemed to feel guilty about that last joke, he ought to turn it to his advantage and milk it for all it was worth: act hurt, maybe with a touch of that Katou-style puppy eyes look, and let Kikuchi fuss over and spoil him, the way that Katou always did to Iwaki. At least until Kikuchi figured out that he was faking it, and then things would return to normal.
By the time Onozuka was done with his silent pep-talk, he had almost convinced himself that Kikuchi's remark and all the fawning groupies didn't bother him at all, and that he was very clever for turning the situation to his own advantage.
Almost.
***
Kikuchi noticed that Onozuka's distant mood had thawed just slightly. In public, he was the same as always: polite and professional, with just enough mischievous charm to make people laugh without annoying them (unless that person happened to be Asano). In private, when they were having their usual "English lessons" in Kikuchi's dressing room one day, he was a little sulky, complaining about how Kikuchi had flirted with some male fans hanging around outside the studio, but that sulkiness seemed a bit contrived, almost playful.
At the same time, it still felt like this too was a role that Onozuka was playing rather than his real self. But it was an improvement over Onozuka's previous coolness towards him, and Kikuchi hoped this was a sign that Onozuka was working his way towards forgiving him.
"I was just being polite," Kikuchi defended himself, wrapping an arm around Onozuka's waist and nuzzling his neck. "I wasn't trying to flirt with them." Onozuka gave him a skeptical look and turned away, but didn't pull completely out of Kikuchi's embrace, which was even more encouraging. "What can I do to make it up to you, my Prince?" Kikuchi whispered, nibbling on Onozuka's earlobe.
Onozuka made a show of thinking it over, then commanded, "Cook dinner for me tonight."
Kikuchi bowed deeply, with a courtly flourish, and replied, "Whatever your Highness commands," and that actually won a small smile from Onozuka. "Is there something in particular that your Highness would like?"
"I'll leave it to your discretion," Onozuka said with a careless wave of his hand.
Kikuchi wondered if this was a test of sorts, then decided that even if it was, he was up to the challenge. "As you wish, my Prince," he replied, bowing again.
As far as Kikuchi could tell, Onozuka wasn't a picky eater: when Kikuchi cooked at home or when they went out to eat with the cast, it didn't seem to matter to him if they ate Japanese or Western cuisine (or Chinese or Korean, for that matter), as long as the food was of good quality. In a pinch, when they were working late and nothing else was available, he'd even eat a convenience store bento or onigiri without complaint.
The only time he'd ever really expressed a preference was the time that he'd asked Kikuchi to make him omuraisu after the Gigolo photo shoot, and it seemed to hold some sentimental memories for him. And Kikuchi remembered the way that Onozuka had smiled at him with an almost childlike delight when he had presented Onozuka with the finished meal. He had cooked for his Prince many times, and while Onozuka always thanked him and complimented his cooking skills, only the omuraisu had produced that unique reaction. Kikuchi still wasn't sure what was so special about it--it seemed like it had to be more than just nostalgic memories about his early acting career. But since few things touched Onozuka deeply enough for him to let it show, Kikuchi decided on the omuraisu this time, rather than a more fancy gourmet meal.
He did, however, want to do something special with the simple dish, so instead of ketchup, he flavored and topped it with a demi-glace sauce. Then he started worrying that maybe Onozuka preferred the simplicity of standard ketchup-flavored omuraisu, and then he started wondering why he was getting so worked up over a goddamned dish of eggs and rice, like some lovesick teenager.
Maybe it was because he'd never had to pursue and woo anyone as persistently as he had Onozuka. Kikuchi hadn't had many serious relationships aside from Kenji and Daniel, and finding willing partners for a brief affair or one night stand had never been a problem for him, not even as a relatively unknown actor in America. Kikuchi smiled ruefully; he had initially been attracted to Onozuka because of the challenge that the beautiful and devious young actor presented, so he couldn't really complain now that Onozuka was turning out to be a bit more of a challenge than he'd expected!
In any case, it was too late to change the menu now, so Kikuchi laid the plates out on the table, smiling confidently and showing no sign of his misgivings. Onozuka took a bite, then slowly chewed it with a thoughtful expression on his face, deliberately stretching out the moment while Kikuchi tried not to look impatient.
Finally, Onozuka swallowed and declared with a sweet smile, "It's delicious, Katsuya."
Kikuchi inclined his head graciously and replied, "I'm so glad that it pleases your Highness."
For dessert, instead fruit or sweets, he brought out a bottle of Eiswein that had been a gift from a friend. Onozuka wasn't a picky eater, but he was more discerning about what he drank, and liked to fancy himself as a bit of an amateur connoisseur. Eiswein was actually a little too sweet for Kikuchi's tastes, but he thought that Onozuka might like it.
When Kikuchi brought out the bottle and started pouring the wine, Onozuka threw back his head and let out a startled burst of genuine laughter--the first that Kikuchi had heard from him since their not-quite argument.
"What's so funny?" Kikuchi asked, feeling puzzled but relieved that for whatever reason, Onozuka had relaxed enough to let down his guard a little.
Grinning widely, Onozuka replied, "It's just that it reminds me of a story Katou told me and Miya-chan, about how he went to a ski resort with his precious Iwaki-san and shared a bottle of Eiswein with him. You know that it's made from grapes that are frozen on the vine, right?"
Kikuchi nodded. "From what I understand, freezing the grapes concentrates the sugar, which makes the wine sweeter."
"Exactly," Onozuka said. "Katou told Iwaki, and I quote: 'It started out being cold, but became sweet over time, just like us.'"
"God, Yoshizumi is right--they really are nauseating!" Kikuchi groaned.
"But the story doesn't end there," Onozuka said impishly. "Apparently, Katou caught a fever from being out in the snow all day, and on top of that, the power went out at the lodge that night. So he and Iwaki bundled up together under some blankets, and Iwaki held Katou in his arms and kept him warm all night with his body heat. Anyway, I've been wanting to try some Eiswein ever since then, but never had the opportunity." He raised his glass in salute and added, "So thank you, Katsuya."
Kikuchi glared at Onozuka and growled, "What's even more nauseating than that story is the way you can't seem to stop talking about your dear friend Katou...even when you're in the middle of a romantic dinner that your lover cooked just for you."
Onozuka sipped his wine, smiling coyly at Kikuchi over the glass. "Ooh, are you jealous, Katsuya?" he asked.
"You know that I always get jealous when you talk about other men in front of me, your Highness," Kikuchi said huskily, and felt a sense of satisfaction when Onozuka flushed in response to his voice.
Onozuka licked a stray droplet of wine off his lower lip in a deliberately provocative manner, then said airily, "You're being silly, Katsuya. There's zero possibility of me and Katou getting together--you know that he doesn't have eyes for anyone but Iwaki."
"I'm not jealous because I think Katou wants you," Kikuchi replied bluntly. "I'm jealous because I think you have a bit of an unrequited crush on Katou."
Onozuka let out another burst of laughter, although this one sounded a bit more artificial than the first. "That's ridiculous!" he scoffed. "Katou and Miya-chan are my playthings--they provide me with endless hours of amusement. But sleeping with them, or even just fantasizing about it, would just be incestuous...like screwing my own brothers--if I had any, that is."
"If you say so," Kikuchi said skeptically. He suspected that talking about Katou was Onozuka's way of getting revenge on him, but if it would help return things to normal between them, then he didn't really mind. Well, not too much, anyway, although it did irk him to think that he indirectly owed Katou a debt for Onozuka softening towards him.
"I say so," Onozuka said firmly. He took another sip of his wine and said, "Mmm, this really is as good as Katou said it was--I had thought that maybe he just liked the wine because it had pleasant Iwaki-associations."
Kikuchi scowled, and Onozuka laughed merrily. That sound, and the mischievous smile on his face were enough to melt away Kikuchi's irritation. He sighed in resignation, then smiled back at Onozuka. "Does this mean that I'm forgiven?" Kikuchi asked.
"I suppose so, since the meal and the wine were so delicious," Onozuka replied, leaning across the table to kiss Kikuchi, who savored the sweet taste of the wine in his lover's mouth.
When they pulled apart, Kikuchi licked his lips and purred, "You're right--the wine is very good," and Onozuka laughed. Encouraged, Kikuchi said, "Say, Yuu...about Mizutani's tea ceremony thing..."
"Yes?" Onozuka asked.
"Is there any way that I could convince you to wear a kimono?" Kikuchi asked hopefully.
"Don't push your luck, Katsuya," Onozuka cautioned him.
"Oh well, it was worth a try," Kikuchi sighed regretfully.
Part 3
***
Afterword: The long flashback scene is a crossover with the Love Control manga by Ai Hasukawa, which I reviewed here. In the manga, Okumura cooks a dish of basil-salmon pasta for his love interest, which is actually what inspired the crossover. I was trying to think of a dish for Kikuchi to cook for Onozuka, and that reminded me of the pasta in the manga, which in turn made me think, "Well, what if Kikuchi actually got the recipe directly from Okumura...?" and once I got the idea of those two having a past fling, my imagination wouldn't let go of it until I wrote it down.
It doesn't say in the manga that Jiri has any overseas branches, but on the other hand, it doesn't say that they don't, either. Jiri is described as being a very successful corporation, so it seemed reasonable that they could have expanded to the U.S., and anyway, I needed an excuse for Kikuchi and Okumura to meet.
The fictional "Blood Brothers" movie that Okumura mentioned was inspired by the Hong Kong action flick "A Better Tomorrow," which I saw years ago billed as starring Chow Yun-Fat, although he actually plays more of a supporting role. The story is about two brothers: the older one is a gangster, and the younger one is a cop, who bitterly turns against his brother after their father is killed by a rival in the older brother's gang. The older brother isn't really a villain, though. He tries to go straight, but gets pulled back into conflict with the gang, partly due to an old friend played by Chow, and partly due to the younger brother's obsession with taking down the gang leader. Anyway, I was picturing a Japanese version with Kikuchi in the older brother role.
The scene with the tie is borrowed from a similar scene in Love Control, which is one of my favorite moments in the manga. It's a really good example of how a scene can be sensual without being explicit--although there are some nice explicit moments in the manga as well.
Sometime in the future, after Kikuchi and Onozuka are "out" to the public, I would like to write another crossover where Kikuchi and Okumura get together and introduce their lovers to each other. Onozuka and Okumura's lover Yamashiro are both the jealous type, and I think it would be fun to watch them wonder about just how close Kikuchi and Okumura were in the past.
In my mind, the unnamed American boyfriend that Kikuchi had just broken up with in the flashback is the full-of-himself actor ex that Kikuchi-mama didn't like (in Family Visit: Tokyo, Part 4).
The Eiswein reference, of course, comes from the "Eiswein" chapter in Book 8 of the Haru manga. I don't drink alcohol very much myself, but a friend told me that I might like Eiswein because it's so sweet, and that immediately reminded me of the Haru story, and I thought, "Hey, I could use that in my K/O fanfic!" You know you're obsessed when random RL moments inspire slashy thoughts. ^_^
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as they say, love goes through the stomach, ne? XD
hm, at least Onozuka is conscious he's turning into a Katou clone when he's getting upset like this.. but if he gets mischievous instead of hysterical, it's ok ^^
i don't drink much either, and i'm not into wine at all. except eiswein. at family gatherings, we often have this as a dessert wine - and i'm the one waving her empty glass for refills! XDD it's soooo delicious! *_*
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And now I really want to try some Eiswein!
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Let's see if everything continues to improve for Kikuchi. I'm beginning to see another type of unmasing unfolding.
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