![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
FIC: Unmasked, Part 8 of 25
Title: Unmasked, Part 8 of 25
Rating: NC-17 overall
Fandom: Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love)
Pairing: Kikuchi/Onozuka
Characters: Kikuchi, Onozuka, Miyasaka
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Word count: ~7,040
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: Onozuka and Kikuchi both scheme to outsmart each other, and end up with more than they bargained for.
Translation note: Shabu-shabu is a type of nabemono (often referred to as "hotpot" or "hot pot" in English), which is a dish where the entire meal (usually meat and vegetables, and sometimes tofu and/or noodles) is cooked in a single pot, usually on a portable burner at the dining table. See afterword for more details.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
***
Onozuka was half-expecting some tension to remain between himself and Yoshizumi, but Yoshizumi was as friendly and professional as always--which in hindsight, shouldn't have surprised him. Of course Yoshizumi wouldn't allow his personal feelings to affect his behavior on the set.
So Onozuka decided that if Yoshizumi was willing to let bygones be bygones, he would do the same--although he unwittingly managed to get a little payback when he saw that Yoshizumi was dressed in designer brand clothing that morning. It wasn't immediately noticeable; the clothes were of conservative cut and sober in color, nothing too flashy, but upon closer inspection, they were obviously of high quality, and his shirt was made of silk instead of cotton or linen. Also, Onozuka had done a bit of modeling for that company once, so he was familiar with their look, although he hadn't received any freebies for that job.
He whistled and exclaimed with a grin, "Wow, you're looking sharp today, Yoshizumi-san! Is it a special occasion?" He winked and added, "Maybe you have a big date tonight after work?"
To his surprise, Yoshizumi blushed and replied, "Er...no, nothing like that. It's just...everything else either needs to be washed or is at the cleaner's, so I grabbed this." He laughed nervously and said almost apologetically, "It's a gift from a friend. I normally don't spend that much on clothes for myself."
Onozuka's grin widened. For such a good actor, Yoshizumi was a very bad liar, or maybe Onozuka had managed to catch him off-guard. He pretended to accept Yoshizumi's transparent excuse with a casual "Oh, I see," but his mind quickly analyzed the situation. Showing up in someone else's clothes meant that Yoshizumi had spent the night somewhere other than at home--unexpectedly, since he hadn't brought a change of clothes with him. And since that person had a spare set of men's clothing on hand, his companion for the evening had probably been male--although it was possible that Yoshizumi could be having an affair with a married woman while her husband was away, and he had borrowed some of the husband's clothes. But Onozuka considered that a remote possibility, since a paragon of virtue like Yoshizumi wasn't likely to sleep with another man's wife. Still, one never knew--people sometimes did uncharacteristic things when caught up in the throes of love or lust, or maybe Yoshizumi's virtue extended only to filmmaking and not marital fidelity. And whomever Yoshizumi's mysterious lover was, he or she must be wealthy, because the brand he was wearing did not come cheap.
"Well, it's a shame to waste such a nice suit on a day at work," Onozuka told Yoshizumi. "We should all go out sometime--Katou was just saying that he wanted to throw a party for us after the film is done. He wanted you to come over and see the house, or maybe we could all go out drinking."
"Sure, that sounds great," Yoshizumi said, still smiling nervously. "Well, I've got to get ready for the next scene--I'll talk to you later, Onozuka-kun."
"See you," Onozuka said, waving at him cheerfully, as he filed away the information in what he privately thought of as the "blackmail book" that he kept in his head. He had a very good memory, and it was safer than writing things down on paper or in a computer where they could be lost or stolen. Although sometimes it was good to have hard evidence on hand to back up one's claims, just in case.
That, along with his plans for tonight, brightened up Onozuka's day a little. And the press coverage also shifted in his favor, becoming more sympathetic. Asano glared at him hatefully whenever they crossed paths, and Onozuka would smile innocently at him in return, which only seemed to infuriate Asano more, which in turn made Onozuka's revenge even sweeter. Despite the glares and sulking, Asano behaved himself otherwise, and was positively meek and subdued when Yoshizumi was around--and that was rather interesting as well, that Yoshizumi was able to cow Asano so effectively.
All in all, it was a very good day for Onozuka.
After work, he went straight home, then showered and dressed up in nice clothes as if he were going out on a date. He left the apartment building, making sure that the reporters spotted him getting into the cab he had called beforehand. He smirked as he saw them hastily starting up their cars, or in some cases, jumping onto motorbikes to follow him.
He called Kikuchi and said, "I'm leading them away now. Just wait a few more minutes to make sure the coast is clear before you go in."
"Okay," Kikuchi replied. "Where are you taking them?"
"Oh, I'm going to give them something to distract them from my family for just a little while," Onozuka said casually. "I'm going to let them see me out on a date."
"A date?!" Kikuchi exclaimed, suspicion and outrage mingled in his voice. "With whom?!"
Onozuka grinned as he hung up without answering, imagining the profanities Kikuchi must be shouting on the other end. He did have a pretty colorful vocabulary, being able to swear in two different languages.
The cab dropped him off at a trendy café in the Meguro area, and the waitress led him to a table by the window where an attractive young woman was waiting for him. She stood up and said, "Thank you for meeting me, Onozuka-san. I'm Kawashima from Junon Magazine." She ceremoniously presented him with her business card and bowed, and he accepted it graciously, bowing in return.
"Thank you, Kawashima-san, I'm very pleased to meet you."
The waitress hovered over them, looking thrilled to be waiting on the Prince, and he ordered a coffee after making sure that Kawashima had been taken care of--she had already ordered an iced tea while waiting for him to arrive.
"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting," Onozuka apologized.
"Oh, not at all," the reporter assured him. "I'm very grateful that you were able to make time in your busy schedule to meet with me. I didn't think that you were going to give any more interviews after your press conference."
"Well, I asked the media to direct their questions towards me instead of my family, which means that I need to make myself available for interviews," Onozuka replied with a charming smile. "I chose your magazine to start with because you've always been very supportive of me in my career."
"Yes, I remember that we put you on our list of rising young stars to watch for back when you were in the baseball drama 'Home Run.' Even though you only had a supporting role, you really stole the show!"
"Oh, you're much too kind," Onozuka laughed modestly, and then Kawashima let out a startled gasp as a crowd of paparazzi suddenly appeared outside the window and began snapping photos of them. Onozuka pretended to be startled as well, then said apologetically, "I'm so sorry to put you through that. The paparazzi have been following me around ever since I started working on 'Love Reborn,' and it's only gotten worse with the recent story about my family."
"But meeting with a reporter is hardly breaking news," Kawashima said, looking puzzled.
"Well, when they see me meeting with a beautiful woman, they probably assume that I'm out on a date," Onozuka replied gallantly.
"You're such a flatterer, Onozuka-san," Kawashima laughed, blushing with pleasure. "I can see why they call you 'the Prince'!"
"I'm only speaking the truth," Onozuka protested.
Kawashima grinned at him and said, "Perhaps I can call the article 'My Date with the Golden Prince'!"
The interview went well; the magazine's main audience was teenage girls, so it would be counterproductive to write a negative article about the Prince that the fans doted on. The reporter asked him questions about his family and Kikuchi, but accepted his version of events without pressing too hard. The result would be an article with enough gossip to excite the fans, while still keeping Onozuka's princely image intact. The magazine would sell a lot of copies while Onozuka got some positive press, and everyone would be happy.
When the interview was over, he signed a few autographs for some fans in the café who had recognized him, and was confronted outside by the paparazzi lying in wait, demanding to know about his "date." Onozuka cheerfully introduced them to Kawashima, explaining that she was a reporter he'd met for an interview, and they groaned in disgust. Even so, Onozuka suspected that a few of the tabloids would still run photos of "the Prince's mystery date" in their next issue, since most of their articles had only a passing relation with the truth, anyway.
On the way back home, he called Kikuchi, who confirmed that he'd made it into the apartment unseen. "I'm just starting dinner now," Kikuchi said, in a low, suggestive voice that held the promise of something much more tempting than a meal. "I look forward to your return, Highness."
"So do I," Onozuka replied with a grin, feeling smugly certain that everything was going according to plan.
***
Kikuchi had decided to make shabu-shabu for dinner--it was simple, but would allow him to show off his cooking skills, and was suited to a playfully romantic dinner for lovers. While he was waiting for Onozuka to return, he put on a pot of rice to cook, and began slicing vegetables for dinner: Chinese cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and carrots, along with some tofu. To go with it, he'd bought top-quality wagyū beef, thinly sliced and heavily marbled with fat. The meat and vegetables wouldn't take more than a few minutes to cook, so he set them aside and prepared the sesame seed dipping sauce, while the broth simmered in a hotpot on the kitchen table. It was fortunate that Onozuka and Miyasaka had a pot and portable burner tucked away in a cupboard under the sink, slightly dusty from disuse. Kikuchi hadn't thought to check with Onozuka beforehand, and from a casual glance around the kitchen, it didn't seem like either of the young men did much cooking--except maybe heating up frozen dinners in the microwave. He could have cooked dinner on the stove in a pinch, of course, but the whole point of making a dish like this was for the participants to have fun cooking and eating it together at the table.
With perfect timing, Onozuka arrived home just as the rice was done and the broth was beginning to boil. "Wow, I haven't had a hotpot in ages!" he exclaimed with what sounded like genuine surprise and pleasure.
"Do you do any cooking at all, your Highness?" Kikuchi asked as he set out the plates of raw meat and vegetables on the table. "It doesn't look like you guys make much use of anything in the kitchen other than the coffee pot and microwave."
Onozuka shrugged and replied, "Miyasaka's a lousy cook, and I don't really like to cook, although I can put together something edible if I have to. Besides, we're both so busy that it's easier to order take-out or delivery. But once in awhile when it's cold and we have some free time, we'll throw together a hotpot." He gave Kikuchi a charming smile and said, "Lately, though, the only time I get a home-cooked meal is when you make it for me."
"Then I'll be happy to cook for you, my Prince," Kikuchi said, pulling out a chair and bowing with a courtly flourish as Onozuka seated himself. He sat down next to Onozuka and added, "Even if you did go out on a date with someone else while I was working hard preparing dinner for you."
He pretended to glare at his lover, and Onozuka grinned at him, looking pleased. "Aw, come on, you know I was just kidding," Onozuka said placatingly. "I had an interview with a reporter from Junon--a female reporter. At first glance, it probably looked like I was out on a date, but it's hardly my fault if the paparazzi jumped to conclusions. They felt pretty foolish when they found out that it was a perfectly innocent meeting."
"You are a devious prince, Yuu," Kikuchi chuckled. He glanced at the pot and said, "Well, the broth looks ready. Shall we eat?"
"Sure," Onozuka replied. "I'm starving, and everything looks great."
He picked up his chopsticks and started to reach for a piece of meat, but Kikuchi stopped him, saying, "Allow me." He picked up a slice of beef with his own chopsticks and gently swirled it through the hot broth, just barely browning the surface, then dipped it in the dish of sesame sauce and placed it on Onozuka's plate. "Try that and tell me what you think," he said.
Onozuka looked startled for a moment, then smiled at Kikuchi with a look of almost childlike delight--the same one he'd given Kikuchi the first time that Kikuchi had made omuraisu for him after the Gigolo photo shoot. It made him look sweet and vulnerable--without any princely artificiality--and Kikuchi was both touched and intrigued.
Kikuchi was very glad that he'd splurged on the expensive beef when Onozuka popped the piece of meat into his mouth and a look of almost orgasmic ecstasy filled his face. "Oh God, that's so good!" Onozuka exclaimed. "You don't even need to chew it, really--it just melts in your mouth!"
That look made Kikuchi want to skip dessert and drag Onozuka straight into the bedroom--or hell, maybe even just do him right here on the kitchen floor. But that would spoil his plans for tonight, and might annoy the Prince, who had only just forgiven him. Besides, Onozuka had let his guard down a little just now, and Kikuchi wanted to see if he could keep that look of delight on his lover's face.
"You should try some veggies, too," Kikuchi suggested, and placed some of the vegetables and tofu in the pot to simmer. While they were cooking, Kikuchi dipped another piece of meat in the broth, then held it up to Onozuka's lips and playfully said, "Say 'ah.'"
Onozuka grinned at him a bit sheepishly, but played along and obediently said, "Ahhhh," opening his mouth expectantly. Kikuchi fed him the meat and watched appreciatively as he ate it with another look of orgasmic pleasure.
"Mmm, the sesame sauce is great, too," Onozuka sighed happily.
"I made it myself," Kikuchi said without any false modesty.
"You're so humble," Onozuka teased.
"I just tell it like it is," Kikuchi retorted, and Onozuka laughed and kissed him.
Kikuchi continued feeding Onozuka bits of food like a doting lover--which wasn't really that far off from the truth. He enjoyed seeing the pleasure that Onozuka took in the food, and the rare look of unguarded happiness on his face. Kikuchi was sure that for once, it wasn't just an act, and Onozuka seemed to soften further towards him with each tidbit that Kikuchi fed him. He was reasonably certain that by the end of dinner, he would finally be completely forgiven for his earlier deception.
So...maybe it wasn't the omuraisu specifically that had touched Onozuka the first time, but just the act of being pampered and fussed over, Kikuchi mused. Which was a little odd, since a popular actor like Onozuka should be used to being flattered and catered to. But on the other hand, there was a difference between being fawned over by a fan or a sycophantic reporter and being sincerely spoiled by a lover...or a friend. Kikuchi suddenly remembered Onozuka's frequent complaints about how Katou and Miyasaka always fawned over Iwaki but didn't appreciate him.
Kikuchi frowned slightly at that reminder of Onozuka's Katou-Miyasaka obsession, but quickly smiled again before Onozuka noticed. Well, fine--Kikuchi would turn Onozuka's hurt feelings to his advantage and show him how much more Kikuchi appreciated him than his ungrateful friends did.
The vegetables were done now, and Kikuchi deftly twirled a cabbage leaf around a slice of beef and dipped it in the sauce. "Try it like this," he murmured, and Onozuka leaned forward to take the food from his chopsticks. A bit of the sauce stained his lips, and Onozuka made a show of reaching for his napkin, which seemed like a blatant invitation for Kikuchi to kiss him and lick the sauce from his mouth. At least, that was how Kikuchi interpreted it, and Onozuka allowed the kiss to go on for quite some time before pushing Kikuchi away and laughingly scolding him, "You're being very naughty, Katsuya!"
"I can't help it when you look so tempting, your Highness," Kikuchi protested, leaning in for another kiss. Onozuka lifted his hand to fend off Kikuchi, so Kikuchi gently kissed and nibbled on his fingers instead.
Onozuka flushed and his breath quickened for a moment, but then he recovered and said firmly, "Dinner before dessert."
"As you wish, Highness," Kikuchi gave in with a sigh of resignation.
Onozuka smiled, looking pleased that Kikuchi had given in so meekly--which perhaps was a sign of how much the food, or the act of being fed, had disarmed him, since he normally would have been much more suspicious.
"You haven't eaten anything, Katsuya," Onozuka observed, being solicitous now that he'd gotten his way. "Aren't you hungry?"
"I take pleasure in watching you enjoy your meal," Kikuchi replied truthfully.
"That's very nice of you, but you have to keep your strength up for...dessert," Onozuka said with a seductive smile that promised unspoken rewards for Kikuchi's good behavior.
"As my Prince commands," Kikuchi replied meekly, allowing Onozuka to return the favor by feeding him a bite of meat, and after that, they took turns feeding each other like a couple of newlyweds on their honeymoon.
After dinner was over, Kikuchi brought out the real dessert he had planned--another bottle of Eiswein, which caused Onozuka to burst into laughter. Seeming completely relaxed now, he took a couple of wineglasses out of the kitchen cupboard and said invitingly, "Why don't we relax on the couch and enjoy the wine?"
"Sure," Kikuchi agreed with a grin. They moved over onto the couch, and Kikuchi poured out the wine while Onozuka turned on the television. They traded kisses between sips of wine, not really paying attention to the TV, which was playing some silly celebrity game show.
And then the game show ended and Miyasaka's sitcom came on--and that definitely caught Kikuchi's attention. "Do you have to watch that now?" Kikuchi demanded indignantly. "You said we could have some privacy since Miyasaka-kun is on location, but with that on, it's like he's right here with us."
"You're being silly, Katsuya," Onozuka laughed. "It's just a TV show, after all, and anyway, I promised Miya-chan that I'd tape it for him. We both tape all our drama episodes so that we can study our performances later."
Kikuchi thought he'd been forgiven, but this must be part of Onozuka's revenge. He decided to play along for now, acting the part of the jealous lover--which didn't require much acting at all. But later, he'd take pleasure in turning the tables on his devious prince and showing him that a master manipulator couldn't be tricked that easily.
"You can let the recorder run with the monitor off," Kikuchi grumbled, picking up the remote control and turning off the TV. It seemed that Onozuka was satisfied--at least for the moment--with Kikuchi's show of jealousy, because he didn't try to turn the TV back on.
"You're cute when you're jealous, Katsuya," Onozuka teased, wrapping his arms around Kikuchi's neck and kissing him.
You have yet to see just how jealous I can get, Kikuchi thought as he returned the kiss.
They continued making out on the couch, but Kikuchi kept the pace more leisurely than usual, since his plan wouldn't be as effective if brought to a climax too soon--pun fully intended. But after awhile, the mood heated up and Kikuchi found it difficult to stick to his careful plan.
He pushed Onozuka down on the couch, and far from objecting, Onozuka kissed him with even more passion and writhed under him eagerly. Kikuchi unbuttoned Onozuka's shirt and licked and sucked on a nipple, producing a gratifyingly loud moan from Onozuka. His mouth moved to the other nipple while his hands began to unbutton and unzip Onozuka's jeans, and Onozuka gasped, "Katsuya, wait!"
"For what?" Kikuchi purred, sliding one hand inside Onozuka's jeans.
Onozuka let out another moan before managing to reply, "Shouldn't we take this into the bedroom?"
So the Prince is shy, after all? Kikuchi thought with amusement. Maybe Onozuka had only intended for Miyasaka to see them making out, or to hear them behind the closed bedroom door--not to see them actually having sex. However, Kikuchi wanted to stake his claim on his Prince obviously enough that even the sometimes dense Miyasaka wouldn't be able to mistake it.
"What's the problem?" Kikuchi asked. "You said that Miyasaka-kun isn't coming home tonight, so it's not like anyone will walk in on us if we do it on the couch."
"Well, yes, but..." Onozuka temporized, obviously searching for a believable excuse. To his credit, the Prince recovered quickly and finished, "...it would be much more comfortable on the bed, right?"
"Oh, I don't know," Kikuchi replied, pretending to think it over. "Sometimes a little discomfort can spice things up."
"Well, I want to be comfortable," Onozuka said, pouting.
Kikuchi decided that if he continued to resist, Onozuka might get suspicious. Besides, he was growing impatient and he wanted Onozuka now, whether Miyasaka was there to see it or not. He rationalized that they could always do it a second time, or that it might be enough for Miyasaka to see them lying together in bed in post-coital bliss, although that wouldn't be nearly as satisfying. And even if Kikuchi had mistaken Onozuka's intentions and Miyasaka really did stay out all night, the evening still wouldn't be a total loss. At least Kikuchi would be back in the Prince's good graces, and making love to Onozuka was never a waste of time.
"Far be it from me to deny my prince his comfort," Kikuchi said. "Let's go to the bedroom, then." He stood up and allowed Onozuka to lead him towards the bedroom, but kissed and groped at his lover, keeping Onozuka distracted so he didn't notice that Kikuchi had left the bedroom door slightly ajar.
They frantically undressed each other, somehow managing not to tear their clothes, and tumbled into the bed, with Kikuchi landing on top of Onozuka.
"I missed you last night, Yuu," Kikuchi panted.
"Yes, you made that clear in your e-mail," Onozuka replied, trying to sound sarcastic, but the effect was ruined when he couldn't hold back a moan as Kikuchi's hands caressed his body. He grabbed Kikuchi's head, pulling it down to capture Kikuchi's mouth in a fierce kiss. "You got me all worked up with that damned e-mail, so now you're going to make good on all those promises you made!"
"Your wish is my command, your Highness," Kikuchi purred.
***
Miyasaka arrived home feeling tired but satisfied after a hard day (or rather, night's) work. It had been a difficult scene, but the end result had turned out well and the director had praised his performance. He felt like celebrating, and was pleasantly surprised when he saw that the lights were on in the apartment, which meant that Onozuka must be home. Miyasaka had thought that his friend would probably be over at Kikuchi's place after neglecting him last night, but maybe Onozuka was trying to lay low and avoid further scandal now that the paparazzi's attention was focused on him.
Great, we can celebrate with a few drinks, Miyasaka thought happily as he stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind him. He was about to announce that he was home when he heard Onozuka cry out in what sounded like pain.
He rushed towards the sound, which seemed to be coming from Onozuka's room, and pushed open the door, shouting, "Onozuka, are you all right?!" It was only then that he realized that the sounds coming out of Onozuka's mouth were cries of pleasure, not pain.
Miyasaka knew that he ought to back out and close the door, mumbling a hasty apology, but he found himself frozen in place and unable to move, spellbound by the sight of Onozuka sprawled out naked on the bed, his body glistening with a thin sheen of sweat, his gold hair fanned out against the white sheets, except for a few stray locks clinging to his face as if they'd artfully been arranged there. It certainly wasn't the first time that he'd seen Onozuka naked--they had lived together for the past several months and worked together at the agency for the past few years, sharing a dressing room on more than one occasion. And of course he was aware that Onozuka was a good-looking guy--it was constantly thrown in his face with all the "Golden Prince" stuff that the media spouted. But for the first time, Miyasaka realized--really realized, on a more than intellectual level--that Onozuka was...well...beautiful.
But it wasn't just the sight of Onozuka's beautiful body that entranced him. It was the sight of his legs wrapped around Kikuchi's waist, and the way his face was contorted into an expression of ecstasy that seemed almost agonizing, and most of all the sound of his voice--the cries and moans that spilled out of his mouth as Kikuchi thrust into him. Miyasaka was suddenly reminded of the time that he'd overheard them in Iwaki and Katou's bathroom, and how disturbing and yet hot it had been to hear Onozuka making such desperate noises, to hear his cool and collected friend losing control.
Miyasaka found himself wondering, with a sudden pang of envy, if he could ever make Onozuka lose control like that...
Before Miyasaka had time to be appalled by that thought, Onozuka finally became aware of his presence--or no, not so belatedly; only a few seconds had passed since he'd burst into the room, although time had seemed to slow and stretch, the way people sometimes claimed it did in a life-threatening emergency.
"Mi...Miya-chan?" Onozuka gasped, and started to push himself up off the bed with one arm. But then Kikuchi thrust into him hard with a quick snap of his hips, and Onozuka fell back onto the bed, moaning helplessly, and Miyasaka felt his face grow hot with embarrassment...and maybe something more?
Kikuchi glanced over his shoulder and gave Miyasaka an unmistakably malicious smile that caused Miyasaka to take an involuntary step back, and he was reminded of how well Kikuchi played villains and anti-heroes...except that he didn't think Kikuchi was acting a role right now.
"Do you like what you see, Miyasaka-kun?" Kikuchi purred in a seductive voice as he continued to thrust into Onozuka, but the malice in his eyes was sharp and cold. "Maybe you'd like to join us?"
That finally broke the spell, and Miyasaka bolted out of the room, and out of the apartment altogether, fleeing in terror of...he wasn't exactly sure what.
***
Onozuka abruptly came to his senses and pushed Kikuchi off of him, with such force that Kikuchi fell off the bed and hit the floor with a loud thud and a grunt of pain. Onozuka sat up, ignoring the protests of his own body, which was still very much aroused and aching to have his lover back inside him.
"What the hell was that about?!" Onozuka shouted. "Was that supposed to be a joke, or do you really want a threesome--with Miyasaka, of all people?!" He found himself filled with a jealous rage at the thought of sharing Kikuchi with anyone, even his own best friend. Not to mention how incredibly awkward it would be to share a bed with Miyasaka, even with a third party as an intermediary.
Kikuchi rose to his feet, casually rubbing his bruised rump with one hand, looking quite calm and unselfconscious despite his nudity and state of arousal. Onozuka found his eyes drifting down to Kikuchi's crotch, then hastily jerked his gaze back up to eye-level, but not before Kikuchi noticed and gave him a self-satisfied little smirk, which only increased Onozuka's anger.
"It wasn't a joke, Yuu," Kikuchi said, meeting Onozuka's gaze without hesitation. There was a fierce, feral gleam in his eyes that might have unnerved Onozuka if he hadn't been filled with such an overwhelming sense of rage.
"Then you do want Miyasaka!" Onozuka accused, but Kikuchi shook his head. "Then...why?" Onozuka asked, confusion beginning to dissipate his anger, just a little.
"I don't want Miyasaka," Kikuchi replied, putting a careful emphasis on that first word. "But I thought maybe you did."
"M-me?" Onozuka stammered, with a touch of guilt. He had long ago decided that a relationship with Miyasaka would be impossible, so he had suppressed his attraction to his friend and carried on as if nothing had changed. In time, Onozuka had been able to almost completely forget about it--except for those occasions when Miyasaka's obsession with Iwaki stirred up jealous sparks--and no one seemed to notice that his affection for best friends was anything but platonic. Except maybe Kikuchi, Onozuka now realized. Almost from the start, he had expressed jealousy towards Katou and Miyasaka--something Onozuka had taken as a joke, but maybe he had been more serious and more perceptive than Onozuka had given him credit for.
"You're being silly, Katsuya!" Onozuka scoffed, attempting to laugh it off. "Miya-chan and I are friends, nothing more. The thought of us being together is ridiculous! He doesn't even like men, except for Iwaki-san."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Kikuchi replied, giving Onozuka a penetrating look that seemed to see right through his flimsy protests. "I nearly slept with him, remember, and I don't think he's as straight as he likes to think he is."
That reminder of the time they had met, when Kikuchi had almost had a one night stand with Miyasaka, brought out another surge of jealousy in Onozuka and he snapped, "Well, it doesn't matter whether Miyasaka is gay or straight! He doesn't want to sleep with me, and I don't want to sleep with him, so there's no reason to suggest a threesome!" He gave Kikuchi a suspicious look and asked, "Why would you even bring it up, anyway, unless you really do want Miyasaka? You're the one who's always complaining that I talk about him too much and how jealous you are, so why would you want to share me with him?"
"I don't," Kikuchi replied with a triumphant smile. Suddenly common sense reasserted itself over anger, and Onozuka shifted nervously on the bed. He had the uneasy feeling that they were heading into dangerous territory, and he tried, a little too late, to steer the conversation back onto safer ground.
"Look, it was a really bad joke, but I'll forgive you this one time," Onozuka said, attempting a light-hearted tone of voice that fell a little flat. "It was pretty funny how quickly Miyasaka tore out of here--"
"It's not a joke," Kikuchi interrupted, kneeling on the bed in front of Onozuka, and Onozuka found himself hastily scooting backwards before he could stop himself. "And I don't want to share you with anyone. I would never have made that offer if I thought that Miyasaka had the guts to take me up on it."
"Then why do it in the first place?!" Onozuka demanded.
Kikuchi's hand reached out to caress Onozuka's face in a gesture that was both tender and possessive. "Because I wanted to show him that you belong to me."
"Hey," Onozuka laughed nervously, "you're starting to sound a little stalker-ish, Katsuya!"
Kikuchi ignored him, continuing, "And because I want you to admit that you belong to me."
"I don't belong to anyone but myself!" Onozuka snapped, his voice sharpening with anger to cover the sense of fear that he was getting in way over his head.
Kikuchi's hand moved on his face soothingly, as if to calm him. "And of course I belong to you as well," Kikuchi added in a gentler voice, kissing Onozuka.
"Wait a minute!" Onozuka protested desperately. "You said that you didn't want a serious relationship!"
"I never said that," Kikuchi replied calmly.
"You did!" Onozuka insisted. "I heard you! You told Miya-chan that..." His voice trailed off as he became aware of the trap that he'd fallen into.
Kikuchi realized it, too, and smiled with satisfaction as he said, "I wasn't interested in a serious relationship with Miyasaka. I never said that I wasn't interested in a serious relationship with you."
"That's not fair!" Onozuka protested. "You knew what I assumed and you deliberately misled me, just like you did about my family!"
"Oh, come on!" Kikuchi retorted impatiently. "You're not stupid, Yuu--I gave you plenty of hints along the way. We got HIV tests and we've been dating exclusively for months. Do you really think it's because I 'just happened' not to be seeing anyone else? Do you really think that I give every guy I fuck a key to my place, or that I introduce my family to every one night stand that I bring home?"
"But...you tricked me," Onozuka protested weakly, hating how plaintive he sounded. He was angry at Kikuchi, but also angry at himself, because he knew that Kikuchi was right--all the signs had been there, but he'd conveniently ignored what he didn't want to see. "If you were serious, why not just say so?" Onozuka demanded in a sharper voice. "Why play these stupid games with me?"
"Because I didn't want to scare you off!" Kikuchi shouted, and Onozuka took a small satisfaction in knowing that he wasn't the only one whose nerves were frayed. "Can you honestly say that you wouldn't have run for the hills if I told you from the start that I was serious about you?!"
"Wait a minute," Onozuka said, staring at Kikuchi in shock. "You were serious about me from the start? Just how long has this been going on?"
"Ah...well..." Kikuchi's impatience eased as he smiled at Onozuka sheepishly. "When I first met you, I wasn't looking for anything serious," he admitted. "You were just Miyasaka's cute roommate, but there was a slyness about you that I found intriguing. But once we started dating, I knew right away that I wanted more than just a casual fling with you."
"So...you've been planning this all along," Onozuka said, his emotions a jumbled mess of confusion: he felt flattered, chagrined, and terrified all at once. "You've been manipulating me from the start?"
"I wouldn't put it that away," Kikuchi defended himself, beginning to look a little alarmed. Good; at least that made two of them. "It just seemed a little premature to declare my intentions from the start."
"And you thought that inviting Miyasaka into bed with us was a good way to 'declare your intentions'?!" Onozuka shouted.
"I told you I didn't really mean it!" Kikuchi shouted back at him.
"You know, Katou was saying last night that lovers don't play games with each other's feelings if they really care about each other," Onozuka said accusingly, giving in to his rising temper because it was easier to be angry than to examine the other emotions that Kikuchi's "declaration" had awakened. "I thought he was just being annoyingly idealistic as always, but maybe there's something to what he said. How many times have you lied to me, Katsuya? You tricked me into meeting your family; you lied to me about not knowing about my family--" Kikuchi opened his mouth to protest, but Onozuka cut him off. "You lied by omission if nothing else, and you know it! And now I find out that you've lied--or if you're going to be picky about it, misled me into thinking that you only wanted a casual relationship. Now you say that you want to get serious, but how do I know that it's not just another lie? How do I know that it's not just another trick in some complicated scheme that you've cooked up?"
"What would be the point?" Kikuchi retorted. "Why would I go to all this trouble if I didn't really want you?" While Onozuka tried to think of a good comeback, Kikuchi narrowed his eyes and said in a quieter voice, "And while we're on the subject of games, your Highness, you're not exactly blameless yourself. Isn't this a case of the pot calling the kettle black?"
There was an edge to the deceptively soft tone of Kikuchi's voice that immediately caused Onozuka's guard to go up. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said coolly, although he knew that Kikuchi wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.
"You knew all along that Miyasaka was going to come home early, didn't you?" Kikuchi accused, still in that quiet voice.
"I didn't--" Onozuka tried to protest, but Kikuchi cut him off, a bit more heatedly this time.
"You wanted him to catch us together! So it's rather unfair of you to act all offended when you got what you wanted, don't you think?" Kikuchi leaned in closer, his eyes glittering with...anger, or maybe jealousy? Or possibly a mixture of both? Either way, Onozuka found himself starting to cringe away from Kikuchi until he caught himself and then defiantly held his ground. "Which one of us were you trying to make jealous?" Kikuchi hissed. "Me or Miyasaka?"
"Neither of you!" Onozuka lied. All he'd wanted to do was to get Miyasaka a little flustered and make Kikuchi a little jealous. And okay, maybe he had wanted to make Miyasaka a little jealous, too--but just enough so that he wouldn't take Onozuka for granted as he had in the past. He certainly hadn't intended for everything to blow up in his face the way that it had.
"You're a liar, Yuu," Kikuchi accused. "I think you wanted to make both of us jealous, and guess what? It worked."
Onozuka stared into Kikuchi's eyes, feeling like a deer trapped under the gaze of a wolf. He didn't like feeling weak, and he didn't like having control of his carefully laid out plan wrested away from him like this. He shook his head slightly to break the spell, then snarled defiantly, "Fine, you caught me out--I wanted to play a little prank on both of you, and it backfired. Ha ha, the joke's on me." He got out of bed and picked up Kikuchi's clothes, then flung them at Kikuchi. "Dinner was great, but I'm not in the mood for anything else now. Go home, Katsuya."
Kikuchi got up and grabbed Onozuka's arm, saying, "This isn't a joke to me, Yuu!"
Onozuka jerked free and snapped, "Then what is it? What the hell do you want from me?!"
He should have known better than to ask a question that he didn't really want to hear the answer to. Kikuchi leaned in so close that Onozuka could feel Kikuchi's breath on his face. "You," Kikuchi whispered. "I want you. I want you to stop playing games--no, I want us to stop playing games with each other. I want you to admit that you want me, too. I want you to choose me over Miyasaka, and to do that, I need you to admit that you have unrequited feelings for him instead of pretending that they don't exist." His voice took on a tone that was half demanding and half pleading. "I want you to consciously give up on him and choose me." His voice deepened into a growl as he said, "You belong to me, Yuu, and I won't share you--not with Miyasaka, not with Katou, not with anyone!"
Kikuchi grabbed Onozuka and kissed him with a hunger and intensity that far surpassed anything he'd experienced before--even during their past lovemaking sessions, which had been quite passionate indeed. It excited Onozuka and frightened him at the same time; he felt like he might get swept away and lost in such intensity, like a little fishing boat caught in a storm at sea, with the waves threatening to drag him under.
It would be easy to give in, with Kikuchi's mouth devouring his, and Kikuchi's body, still aroused, pressed up against his own, but a rising sense of fear cut through the desire, and Onozuka pulled free of Kikuchi's embrace. "I belong to myself and no one else!" he shouted almost hysterically. "Not to you, not to Miyasaka or Katou, not to my family--not to anyone!"
Kikuchi was beginning to look a bit panicked himself, which only unnerved Onozuka further. "Yuu," Kikuchi said with some of his old wheedling charm, and reached out to run his hand down Onozuka's chest.
"No!" Onozuka shouted, slapping Kikuchi's hand away. "You are not going to make everything okay with food and sex--not this time!"
"But Yuu--" Kikuchi pleaded.
"Get out!" Onozuka shouted, blindly reaching for the first object that came to hand, which happened to be his pillow. He flung it at Kikuchi, and it bounced off him harmlessly in a comical fashion, but neither of them laughed.
"Yuu--"
"I said get out!" Onozuka screamed, snatching the alarm clock off the nightstand. Kikuchi ducked just in time as it sailed over his head and smashed against the wall. This time Kikuchi took the hint and fled, pausing only to grab his clothes before he left, and Onozuka sank down onto the bed, burying his head in his hands.
Part 9
***
Afterword: I searched the web for real-life Japanese entertainment magazines for the scene about Onozuka's "date" with the reporter. There were several likely possibilities, but I finally decided on Junon after seeing this product description on CD Japan. The sample index included "Questionnaire to 1000 readers about their princes," so I figured it had to be fate! ^_^ I should add that I haven't actually read the magazine, but it seems to be the type of fluffy entertainment mag that I had in mind.
The fictional drama "Home Run" that the reporter mentions is based on the J-drama Rookies, about a high school baseball team. I had mentioned it before on this youka_nitta IJ thread because one of the actors, Shirota Yuu, reminded me of Onozuka because of his blond hair, and also because like my fanon version of Onozuka, Shirota is part Caucasian (although Spanish instead of American). Although he played a supporting character, I thought he was quite striking and charismatic, and he really stood out among the cast for me as the gruff, angry delinquent who is really a good guy and a loyal friend deep down. So I thought maybe Onozuka's breakout role that won him the acting award could have been something like this.
When I was thinking about what Kikuchi could cook for Onozuka, I was thinking about sukiyaki, partly because of Bronze Ribbons' No Life Save When the Swords Clash fic (mentioned in the previous afterword), which made me remember a Japanese travel/food show I had seen--I don't remember which one, but there are a number of TV shows where celebrities travel around Japan seeking out delicious food. In this one, the guest hostess was trying some fabulously expensive and tender beef--the cook swirled it through some hot broth a couple of times, just barely browning the meat, and the hostess went into raptures about how melt-in-the-mouth delicious it was. She made it sound so good that I was practically drooling myself!
However, that cooking technique sounded more like shabu-shabu than sukiyaki, so I went with that instead. There's a recipe here if you'd like to try it at home. The famed Kobe beef is a type of wagyū beef, known for its flavor, tenderness, and extensive fat marbling.
Onozuka's orgasmic expression while eating the shabu-shabu was also partially inspired by Count D in the Petshop of Horrors manga and anime, in which the Count goes into orgasmic ecstasies when presented with his favorite sweets. ^_^
no subject
no subject
no subject
And Onozuka being so scared... perfect!
no subject
no subject
Just dashing back to the "sex scene" they filmed because that gas to be the hottest non-sex sex scene I've ever read!
no subject
Haha, I'm glad the sex scene came across as hot!