FIC: First Date, Part 1

[geri_chan]

Title: First Date, Part 1
Rating: NC-17
Fandom: Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love)
Pairing: Kikuchi/Onozuka
Word count: ~6,260
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Unexpected Opportunities, Comeback (Part 1 and Part 2), Forgiveness, and Firsts
Summary: Onozuka's first date with Kikuchi does not quite go according to plan.


Author's note: "kantoku" = "director"; in Japan, a director is usually referred to by his title, e.g. "Mochimune-kantoku," or just "kantoku-san".

***

Onozuka finished shooting early, with plenty of time to go home, shower, and change clothes before heading over to Kikuchi's place. He dressed casually, throwing on his favorite black coat over a nice shirt and a pair of jeans, wanting to make a good impression without looking like he was trying too hard to impress. He called a cab and stopped along the way at a liquor store to buy a not-too-cheap but not-too-expensive bottle of wine, and arrived at Kikuchi's apartment building at about ten minutes after seven, not so late as to be rude, but not so early as to seem like an overeager groupie. Not surprisingly, it was a secure building, so he had to call up Kikuchi's apartment for entry.

"Perfect timing," Kikuchi said, buzzing him through. "Dinner's just about ready; come on up."

When Onozuka got up to the apartment, Kikuchi opened the door, his gaze lingering on Onozuka admiringly for a gratifyingly long moment. "Come in," he said with a smile. "You look great, Onozuka-kun."

"Thanks," Onozuka replied, willing himself not to flush with pleasure. He wasn't quite sure if he succeeded; his cheeks did feel a little warm. "So do you," Onozuka added, and it wasn't empty flattery--Kikuchi was clad even more casually than he was, in a t-shirt and jeans, but both clung to his body snugly enough to prove that he'd kept himself in great shape over the last ten years. He had starred mainly in action films before the scandal and he'd had the physique to match, although he had also been praised by the critics for his acting skills. He really didn't look much different now, except for a new air of maturity and gravity that only made him even more attractive, at least in Onozuka's eyes.

Kikuchi took a step back, leaving just enough room for Onozuka to enter the apartment, but still partially blocking the doorway so that Onozuka couldn't help but brush against him as he passed by. Onozuka felt his skin tingle at that brief contact, and repressed a smile of triumph. He was sure that it was a deliberate move on Kikuchi's part, since there was plenty of room in the foyer, so if he was playing these little flirtatious games, it boded well for Onozuka's chances of getting laid tonight.

"I didn't want to come empty-handed," Onozuka said lightly, playing it cool as he handed the bottle of wine to Kikuchi.

"Thanks, we can have it with dinner tonight," Kikuchi replied. "Hope you don't mind eating in the kitchen; I haven't really been doing much entertaining since I moved back to Japan."

"No problem," Onozuka said, finding that piece of information encouraging, since it meant that Kikuchi probably hadn't been entertaining a succession of lovers here. Even his encounter with Miyasaka seemed to be an unplanned, impulsive move instigated by Miyasaka rather than Kikuchi himself.

Onozuka followed Kikuchi into the kitchen, which was divided from the living room by a counter rather than a full wall. He took a seat at the kitchen table, draping his coat over the back of his chair. The table was already set with plates filled with steak, rice, and salad, and while Kikuchi searched for a couple of glasses and opened the bottle of wine, Onozuka stole a quick glance at the living room over the countertop. It was sparsely furnished, except for a couch and an expensive-looking entertainment center, and there didn't seem to be any personal touches, like posters or paintings or plants. He was disappointed; he had been hoping to get a better sense of whom Kikuchi was. Maybe Kikuchi's bedroom would be more personalized, if things between them progressed far enough for Onozuka to see it.

He quickly snapped his attention back to Kikuchi, who was pouring out the wine and setting a glass in front of him. Kikuchi poured another glass for himself, then took a seat across the table from Onozuka.

"Everything looks delicious," Onozuka said, and Kikuchi chuckled, in that rich, deep voice of his that sounded like sex personified. Or maybe it was just way too long since Onozuka had been with a man.

"It's funny," Kikuchi said, still chuckling. "When I was living in America, I missed the Japanese food, but now that I'm in Japan, I kind of miss having a good steak. Well, not that you can't get steak in Japan, but it's a lot more expensive."

Onozuka nodded sympathetically. He'd heard that Americans ate a lot more beef than the Japanese did, which was only logical. In an island nation, there was very limited room to raise cattle, so the price of beef was correspondingly expensive.

"Although I guess you could say that this is the best of both worlds," Kikuchi added, motioning towards his plate with his fork. "It's hard to get Kobe beef in America."

Onozuka looked down at his steak with more appreciation. "Wow, I haven't had Kobe beef since..." His voice faltered for a moment as he realized that the last time had been at a family party, before he'd run away from home to become an actor. He noticed Kikuchi staring at him curiously, and quickly recovered. "Since I don't know when," he laughed, lying glibly. "It must have been years. I'm only just now getting used to not being a starving actor." He gave Kikuchi his most charming smile and said, "I'm very flattered that you bought Kobe beef for our dinner; it makes me feel very special."

"Well, I'm afraid that I can't take the credit for that," Kikuchi admitted. "Not that you aren't special, Onozuka-kun, but the steaks were a gift from Kitamura-kantoku."

"Then I'll just feel flattered that you decided to share them with me," Onozuka laughed. "Were they a thank-you for the success of 'Future Wars'?"

"In a sense," Kikuchi replied. "Kitamura-kantoku has received a very lucrative offer from one of the big studios, and he says that it's because 'Future Wars' was a big hit, and he was kind enough to attribute the movie's success to my performance."

"You made that movie, Kikuchi-san," Onozuka said, and he meant it. Kitamura was a talented director with an innovative style, but Onozuka felt that the script had been overly melodramatic, and it was really Kikuchi's performance that had made the movie shine.

"It's kind of you to say so," Kikuchi said with a smile.

"I mean it," Onozuka insisted. "Are you going to be working on his next film, too?"

"Possibly," Kikuchi replied. "He hasn't told me what it will be yet, but he says that he has a part in mind for me. I guess I'll get a formal offer when he's finished negotiating the contract with the studio."

"Then here's to the success of your next movie," Onozuka said, raising his glass.

"Thanks," Kikuchi said, clinking his glass against Onozuka's. "And here's to your success, too, Onozuka-kun. I've been told that you're a rising young star, and that the press calls you 'the golden prince'."

"Oh, it's just some silly nickname that a women's magazine made up," Onozuka laughed, ducking his head as if to hide his embarrassment, but he was actually pleased that Kikuchi had gone to the trouble of doing some research on him. "I'll count myself successful if I'm able to work alongside you someday."

"I look forward to it," Kikuchi said, giving him a warm smile that heated Onozuka's blood, and he quickly took a sip of wine to try and cool himself down. "Come on, let's dig in."

The food was delicious, and the beef lived up to its reputation; it practically melted on Onozuka's tongue with no need for chewing. He sighed with pleasure, and Kikuchi smiled, looking amused.

"I'm glad that you're enjoying the food, Onozuka-kun."

"You're a great cook, Kikuchi-san."

"Thanks, but it's easy when you have good ingredients to work with."

They made small talk about the industry and projects they had worked on, Onozuka only half paying attention to their conversation. He was distracted by the sight of Kikuchi, by how well he filled out that tight t-shirt, and by the way that his hands moved, boldly but gracefully, as he cut his meat or gestured emphatically to make a point as he spoke. Onozuka noticed that Kikuchi wore a bracelet on his left wrist, a surprisingly delicate-looking chain of gold links that seemed a little incongruous, and yet somehow complemented the musculature of his arm by drawing attention to the contrast between the two.

And then there was the sound of Kikuchi's voice as he laughed at an anecdote he was telling about some idiotic prank that Miyasaka had played on the set of their TV series--a rich timbre with a delightfully wicked edge that brought to mind all sorts of equally wicked and delightful possibilities, most of them involving sex.

Oh, damn, Onozuka thought, as he realized that he was already rock-hard and they'd just barely started eating dinner. He fully expected that the evening would eventually move in the direction of the bedroom, since he doubted that Kikuchi had invited him over just because he wanted someone to eat steak with. But it was one thing to be willing, even eager to bed a date, and another thing entirely to seem like an oversexed teenager with a raging hard-on. His erection was concealed now while they were still seated, but it would be painfully obvious as soon as he stood up.

Onozuka forced himself to laugh at Kikuchi's story, then took a gulp of wine, but that only made him feel even more flushed. He desperately tried to conjure up the most un-sexy images that he could think of...Miyasaka's landlady came to mind. She was a shriveled old crone with a sour disposition to match; maybe picturing her naked would have the same effect as a cold shower.

Ugh, Onozuka thought; maybe that was a little too un-sexy. His mind shifted to a memory of Miyasaka raving about how "polished" and "dazzling" Iwaki was, and then to Iwaki himself. Onozuka had to admit that physically, Iwaki had a sort of elegant beauty, but it was a beauty that left Onozuka cold. Iwaki caused so much trouble, leading Miyasaka on and then innocently claiming that he had only meant to "be kind". He had caused trouble with Katou, too, fighting over that stupid orgy party when it was clear that Katou was head over heels for him and had eyes for no one else. Iwaki was such a troublemaker, and yet Katou and Miyasaka were so quick to forgive him, even to apologize and say that they were the ones at fault. They treated Iwaki like a precious treasure, but were cold to Onozuka. He was the one who had reconciled everyone, after all, and no one had thanked him for it...except Iwaki, damn him. It just wasn't fair.

"...kun? Onozuka-kun?"

Onozuka belatedly realized that Kikuchi was calling his name, and he hastily said, "Oh, sorry! My mind drifted off for a moment..."

"Am I boring you?" Kikuchi asked with a smile. "One of my American friends, a cameraman, used to say that there's nothing that actors love to hear more than the sound of their own voices."

Kikuchi seemed to be amused rather than offended, but it gave a bad impression for Onozuka to be spacing out in the middle of a conversation, especially on their first date. "Oh no, I'm not bored at all!" he protested, then decided that the situation required further salvaging. He flashed a sheepish but charming smile at Kikuchi and said, "I was just thinking to myself that this is all a little surreal...me having dinner with you. I was a huge fan of yours when I was a teenager--I even had a poster of you on my bedroom wall." Onozuka figured that it was better to appear a little groupie-ish than to let Kikuchi think that he was bored.

"Now you're making me feel old, Onozuka-kun!" Kikuchi laughed, but he looked pleased.

"Oh, it wasn't all that long ago," Onozuka said, although it had been more than a decade ago, not long before Kikuchi's gay scandal had driven him out of the country.

"Did you really have a poster of me on your wall?" Kikuchi asked, grinning. "You aren't just trying to flatter an old man?"

"You're not old at all, Kikuchi-san," Onozuka said firmly. "And yes, I really did have a poster of you. It was the one from 'Tokyo Countdown,' where you were standing like this." Onozuka struck the pose from the poster, arms extended with his hands clasped together, index fingers pointing outwards to mimic a gun. The movie had been Kikuchi's last big hit before the scandal, a thriller in which he had played a detective trying to catch a serial bomber who'd hidden bombs all over Tokyo.

"Oh, that brings back memories," Kikuchi chuckled. "I'm very flattered, Onozuka-kun."

Onozuka relaxed, feeling that the situation was under control again. His rampant lust had ebbed slightly and become more manageable as well, although his jeans still felt uncomfortably tight across the crotch. Still, he felt like he should be able to stand up without embarrassing himself by the time that dinner was over. He ate a bite of his steak, then lifted his glass to his lips.

Kikuchi smiled at him slyly and asked casually, "So...did you ever jerk off to that poster?"

Onozuka choked, spluttered, and sprayed a mouthful of wine all over his dinner plate--and the table. At least he hadn't sprayed it on Kikuchi, although the bastard deserved it. Onozuka coughed uncontrollably for a few moments; the wine that he hadn't spat out had gone down his windpipe, but fortunately, there wasn't much of it. When he finally got himself under control, he glared at Kikuchi accusingly and wheezed, "Kikuchi-san, you are a very evil man."

"I'm sorry," Kikuchi said with a wide grin, not looking the least bit repentant. "That was a bit evil, wasn't it?"

He handed Onozuka a napkin, and Onozuka used it to wipe his mouth and clean up the wine that had splattered on the table. "Yes, it was," he replied in a reproachful voice.

"You never answered my question, though," Kikuchi added, still grinning.

"I'll leave it up to your imagination," Onozuka said archly. "Which I'm sure can come up with something much more lurid than the reality."

Actually, by the time that Onozuka had admitted to himself that he was gay, the poster had come down, not because he hadn't still admired Kikuchi, but because it would have aroused unwanted speculation and gossip among his friends if he had kept a poster of a gay actor on his wall. But he hadn't thrown it away; it was still rolled up and stored in his closet back home, assuming that his family hadn't thrown out his things after he'd left.

And Kikuchi had figured into some of his teenage masturbatory fantasies, along with a few other male celebrities who had caught the young Onozuka's fancy, as well as a handsome boy on the school soccer team.

Although Onozuka would rather submit to torture than admit that to Kikuchi.

Kikuchi smiled lasciviously, as if he really was imagining something lurid involving a teenage Onozuka and the movie poster, and Onozuka felt his face grow hot. However, the older actor finally took pity on him and said, "All right, let's change the subject. Tell me about your friend Miyasaka-kun."

Onozuka was not really pleased to have his date asking him about another man, but he said lightly, "What did you want to know about Miya-chan?"

"What's the deal with Miyasaka and Iwaki and Katou?" Kikuchi asked bluntly. "You implied that Miyasaka and I both 'laid hands' on Iwaki, and you said that you had to patch things up between Miyasaka and Katou." He smiled slyly. "And I'm also curious about something you said about Miyasaka watching Katou do Iwaki. I thought those two had left their porn star days behind them, or do they still put on private performances for their friends?"

Onozuka hesitated. He wanted to gain Kikuchi's favor, but on the other hand, he didn't want to betray his friends, and he'd be giving Kikuchi a powerful weapon over them by telling the story about Miyasaka's unrequited love and attempted rape. He liked Kikuchi, but he didn't necessarily trust him, especially when there seemed to be some sort of grudge between him and Katou.

Then he smiled, feeling confident again. On the other hand, if he had blackmail material over Kikuchi, then it would be a stalemate, and Kikuchi wouldn't be able to make trouble for Katou or Miyasaka. (Onozuka didn't really care what happened to Iwaki, except for how it affected his friends.) And it would give Onozuka additional power to hold over Katou and Iwaki if he could find out exactly what had happened to force Kikuchi to drop out of Katou's movie. He was fond of Katou, and he didn't really intend to use the information against him, but he liked the feeling of knowing that Katou was at his mercy. Besides, if Iwaki ever caused trouble for Katou again, he could use the blackmail material to bring Iwaki back in line.

"You're asking me to divulge a very personal and sensitive matter," Onozuka told Kikuchi, feigning reluctance. "I'd need some reassurances that you wouldn't use this information against my friends."

"It's only to satisfy my own personal curiosity," Kikuchi replied innocently--or as innocently as a devious, devilishly sexy man could look, which wasn't very. "But I suppose that you need more than just my word?"

Onozuka nodded. "I want a fair trade of information, Kikuchi-san. I'll tell you what happened between Miyasaka, Iwaki, and Katou, but only if you tell me the truth about why you dropped out of Katou's movie." He smiled in a deliberately insolent manner and leaned back in his chair, tipping it so that it balanced on the two back legs. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Kikuchi paused to consider his offer, and Onozuka could almost see the wheels turning in his mind, weighing the risks against the possible rewards. Finally, he said, "All right, I suppose that's fair enough."

"You first," Onozuka said, tipping his chair forward so that all four legs fell back to the floor again.

"What, don't you trust me?" Kikuchi asked with a grin.

"No farther than I can throw you, Kikuchi-san," Onozuka replied matter-of-factly.

Kikuchi laughed, unoffended. "I knew that you were a clever young man, Onozuka-kun," he said approvingly. "Okay, so when I got the offer for the film, I was happy to have the chance to make a comeback in Japan, but outraged by Katou and Iwaki's popularity." He scowled at the memory, and the tone of his voice also changed from joking to serious. "I couldn't understand why the press and the public were so accepting of them, when they'd been so disgusted by me."

Onozuka shrugged. "I suppose because they think it's romantic, a case of life imitating art, two actors playing lovers who fall in love for real?"

"Exactly," Kikuchi said with bitter satisfaction. "It's not that the public likes the idea of gay lovers, it's because Iwaki and Katou's relationship is marketed as 'true love'--a love that transcends even gender. They're two straight guys who love each other in spite of the fact that they're male, not because of it. That's the crucial point. I bet that they wouldn't be nearly so popular if they broke up and started sleeping with other men. The mainstream is disgusted by men who make love to other men--at least, that's what I told Iwaki."

"Hmm...maybe, but maybe not," Onozuka said thoughtfully. "There's a pretty big niche market for yaoi manga and anime among women, and I'd say that most of Katou and Iwaki's fans are female. Straight guys get off on seeing two women together, so why shouldn't women get off on seeing two hot guys together?"

"What's sauce for the gander is also sauce for the goose, eh?" Kikuchi said, with a slightly bitter laugh. "Maybe. But at the time, I wanted revenge. I wanted to ruin their image as faithful lovers. So at the celebration party for the film, I lured Iwaki away from Katou's side. They made it laughably easy for me: Katou was off chatting with some of the film's sponsors, and Iwaki was standing alone in a corner, looking neglected and forlorn. I would have expected a former porn star to be more cynical, but instead Iwaki was naive and trusting as a child. He told me that he was a big fan of mine and had seen all my movies...kind of like you, Onozuka-kun, except that he didn't say that he had a poster of me on his wall."

Kikuchi flashed a quick, mischievous smile at Onozuka, then continued, "So I flattered him, telling him what a good actor he was, and I asked him if we could go somewhere to talk in private. He looked around for Katou, but his boy-toy was still busy making nice with the sponsors, so he agreed, and I whisked him off to a private room in a secluded restaurant."

"Of course that's exactly what Iwaki would do," Onozuka groaned disgustedly. "He'd never stop to think that it might not be a good idea to go off alone with a total stranger, and a gay man at that. Just because you're a good actor, he assumes that you're a good person as well, and it never occurs to him that you might have ulterior motives. So he runs blindly into peril like a stupid heroine in a bad horror movie, and then needs to be rescued. I can't figure out why Katou and Miyasaka like such a big troublemaker so much!"

Kikuchi seemed amused by Onozuka's rant. "Well, that might be the appeal," he chuckled. "Some people like being the rescuer--they like to feel needed, or they get off on playing the hero. Anyway, I told Iwaki what I really thought of him and Katou, and--get this--he said that he was 'disappointed' in me, that he had always admired me for the way that I lived. I guess he had this image of me as the noble gay man, carrying on bravely in spite of the scandal." He shook his head. "An actor should know better, but just like a common fan, he believed in this illusion of me that he'd invented rather than the reality."

Onozuka grinned and said, "I like you, Kikuchi-san, and I do think you were brave, but I would never call you 'noble'--no offense. Actually, if you really were noble, I probably wouldn't like you so much."

"Noble people are boring and tedious," Kikuchi agreed, unoffended.

"So what happened at the restaurant?" Onozuka prompted. "You told Miyasaka that you made a pass at Iwaki, but you did more than that, didn't you?"

"And what makes you say that?" Kikuchi asked with a grin, not so much feigning innocence as looking amused, and perhaps a bit impressed by Onozuka's insight.

"The fact that you were forced to leave the film," Onozuka replied. "Katou is possessive enough to get you fired over a mere pass, but Iwaki is one of those tedious noble types. Iwaki has Katou wrapped around his little finger, and he wouldn't allow Katou to exact that kind of revenge over petty jealousy, so you must have done something to wrong him, too."

"Well, I did say that you were clever, Onozuka-kun," Kikuchi said with a rueful smile. "Just remember not to be too clever for your own good someday." Onozuka wondered if that was supposed to be a veiled threat or merely a well-meant warning, but Kikuchi was already continuing with his story.

"I admit it; I forced myself on Iwaki." Onozuka raised his eyebrows, and Kikuchi added, "Don't get me wrong; I didn't rape him. I'm not the type who gets off on an unwilling partner. But I pushed him down to the floor and kissed and groped him against his will." Kikuchi's expression darkened with both anger and shame. "I wanted to cause trouble for the two lovebirds, to cause them to doubt each other and to make the press doubt them, too."

"You wanted to ruin them, as the press ruined you," Onozuka said quietly.

"Yes, and I almost succeeded, too," Kikuchi replied. A malicious smile flashed across his face for just a moment. "I wish I could have been there to see Katou's face when Iwaki arrived at home, hair and clothes disheveled, and lips swollen from kissing."

Onozuka frowned, struck by a sudden stab of jealousy at the thought of Kikuchi being with Iwaki, even though he knew that Kikuchi had been motivated by revenge rather than lust. Or had there been a little lust mixed in with the revenge? It wasn't fair that Iwaki should captivate all the men that Onozuka liked.

"Iwaki isn't my type," Kikuchi said, as if to reassure Onozuka. "His self-righteous manner turns me off; I was only trying to teach him and Katou a lesson, though it backfired on me."

Onozuka flushed; had his jealousy been that obvious? He usually wasn't that easy to read, and he resolved to be more careful in the future. "So what went wrong?" he asked to change the subject, although he had already guessed that Kikuchi had seriously underestimated the strength of the bond between Katou and Iwaki.

"Katou showed up on the set the next morning, eyes puffy and red, like he'd been up all night worrying about his lover," Kikuchi replied. "Then he lost it and punched me a good one, right here." Kikuchi tapped his left cheek, looking almost proud about it. "It really hurt, too; I didn't think a pampered star like him could hit that hard." He grinned, with such a rakish charm that Onozuka couldn't help but laugh. "Then he stormed off the set saying that if they didn't fire me, he'd quit the film. Naturally, the director and producers were angry, thinking that he'd let his brief stardom go to his head." He sighed regretfully. "Things seemed to be going so well, but then it turned out that some sneaky little photographer had followed Iwaki and me to the restaurant and taken pictures of the attack. He sent them to the studio, saying that the public would turn against them if they fired Katou for trying to protect his lover." He shook his head in disgust and confusion. "Maybe I've been away from Japan too long, but I never thought I'd see actors and the paparazzi siding together."

"What did this photographer look like?" Onozuka asked suspiciously.

"He kind of looked like a younger version of Iwaki, come to think of it," Kikuchi replied. "He was barely more than a kid, but he was a pretty cunning bastard. I wonder why he helped them...maybe they promised him an exclusive in return?"

"Oh, that's Urushizaki," Onozuka said. "He's a stalker fanboy who has a thing for Katou. He wouldn't care about Iwaki, but he'd go after you if he thought you were trying to hurt Katou."

"Well, thanks to him, there was nothing I could do," Kikuchi said with a sigh of resignation. "If the pictures were published, I'd look like the bad guy, so I agreed to step down voluntarily, and the studio agreed to call it 'creative differences' to avoid a scandal."

"I can understand why you would be angry, Kikuchi-san," Onozuka said. "But you should know that their relationship isn't a marketing ploy. They really are madly, desperately in love with each other." He rolled his eyes. "They're so lovey-dovey that it's downright nauseating at times."

Kikuchi laughed. "Yes, I did eventually figure that out. And maybe I wouldn't have succeeded in breaking them up even if that Urushizaki hadn't interfered. They've managed to stick together all this time, and they even weathered out that scandal about Iwaki's manager's sleepover."

"Another example of Iwaki being stupid and not thinking about the consequences of his actions!" Onozuka exclaimed, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "I swear, he's such a little drama queen!"

"I thought that Katou was the more dramatic one, actually," Kikuchi laughed. "All right, I've confessed my sordid tale. Now it's your turn, Onozuka-kun."

"Okay, but I just want to make one thing clear," Onozuka said, looking Kikuchi right in the eye and fixing him with a steady gaze. "I don't give a damn about Iwaki, but if you mess with Katou, you'll make an enemy out of me, too."

"I wouldn't want that," Kikuchi said. He was smiling, but there seemed to be genuine respect in his eyes. "I think you'd be a formidable opponent, and besides..." His voice took on a more seductive tone. "...I'd much rather have you as a friend than an enemy, Onozuka-kun."

Onozuka relaxed--well, most of him relaxed, anyway; his jeans were feeling uncomfortably tight again. He shifted slightly in his seat and said, "Okay then, as long as we understand each other." He explained about how he and Miyasaka had pestered Katou into introducing Iwaki to them, and how Miyasaka had found himself oddly attracted to Iwaki.

"Still, it might not have gone beyond teasing and flirtation if Katou hadn't been such a jealous idiot," Onozuka sighed. "Katou cut that visit short after we started flirting with Iwaki--it was all in fun on my part, of course. Iwaki felt bad about that, so he invited us over to his house later, when Katou wasn't home. When Katou found out, he went crazy with jealousy and rushed back home." Onozuka deliberately left out the part about the orgy party that had actually started the fight between Iwaki and Katou. That would be a bit too much potential blackmail material to hand over to Kikuchi, and it would implicate Onozuka as well as Miyasaka and Katou. Onozuka hadn't actually participated in the orgy, but if people knew that he'd been there, they would assume the worst, and it would hurt his reputation.

"He and Iwaki went into the other room and started arguing," Onozuka said, continuing with his sanitized version of events. "And then he started making love to Iwaki right there on the couch, with such passionate intensity that Iwaki completely forgot that Miyasaka and I were there. But Katou didn't--he gave us this fierce look, as if to say, 'You see? Iwaki-san belongs only to me!' He was staking his claim on Iwaki, like..." He paused to think of a good analogy.

"Like a dog pissing to mark its territory?" Kikuchi suggested, looking amused.

"A bit crudely put, but yes," Onozuka agreed. "And even if I don't like Iwaki, I have to admit, that was a pretty hot sight, watching the two of them go at it. But Miyasaka...he was completely captivated. I'd always thought he was straight, and he'd certainly had plenty of girlfriends during all the time that I've known him. But once he saw Iwaki being taken by Katou, he couldn't get that image out of his mind. He kept raving about how beautiful Iwaki was, and how every woman that he met seemed to pale in comparison."

"So ironically, Katou's attempt to scare you guys off had the opposite effect on Miyasaka," Kikuchi said.

"Like I said, Katou's an idiot," Onozuka sighed. "Fruit of the forbidden tree is always more enticing, right? Miyasaka couldn't stop obsessing about Iwaki, and Iwaki made things worse by unintentionally leading him on. Instead of rejecting Miyasaka outright, he tried to be kind to him for Katou's sake, but that only encouraged Miya-chan further. He started saying alarming things, like he couldn't give up unless he made Iwaki hate him. I told him to be sensible and not do anything drastic, but..."

"But Miyasaka is impulsive and hot-headed," Kikuchi finished. "I don't know him well, but I picked up that much from working with him on our series."

Onozuka nodded. "And then Miyasaka was a guest on a talk show that arranged for Iwaki to fly in to Tokyo and visit him--that was while Iwaki and Katou were still shooting 'Winter Cicadas' in Kyoto. There was a big snowstorm, and Iwaki's flight back to Kyoto was cancelled."

"I think I see where this is going," Kikuchi said knowingly. "Miyasaka invited Iwaki to stay with him, right?"

"No, even Iwaki isn't dumb enough to stay over at Miyasaka's place overnight," Onozuka replied. "But he let Miyasaka rent him a hotel room, not knowing that Miyasaka had kept a spare key for himself. Miyasaka snuck into the room later that night, and...well, he tried to force himself on Iwaki. Iwaki was able to fight him off, but obviously that changed everything between him and Miyasaka and Katou, and I sort of got caught in the middle." He sighed dramatically. "I don't know why I have the bad luck to be friends with two big idiots!"

Kikuchi smiled. "Because they're amusing, right?"

"Right," Onozuka replied with a grin. "So of course I had to fix things to keep my playmates happy. But seriously, Katou was really angry--enough that he might really have killed Miyasaka if he laid eyes on him. So he and Iwaki cut off all contact with Miyasaka, but Iwaki and I both knew that wasn't a practical long-term solution. We all work in the same business, and eventually, they'd be bound to cross paths with Miyasaka again in the future. Meanwhile, even though Miyasaka had said he wanted to make Iwaki hate him, it turned out that he couldn't stand being hated, after all, and he was going crazy, being unable to talk to Iwaki and try to apologize or justify himself. So I came up with a plan..."

He leaned over and whispered into Kikuchi's ear, and the other actor exclaimed, "What?! To let himself be fucked by Iwaki in front of Katou?!" Then Kikuchi burst into laughter. "Ah, you're a sly one, Onozuka-kun! Yes, I remember the other night, Miyasaka was talking about being 'the man' or 'the woman'."

"I was gambling that his macho pride wouldn't allow himself to be taken like a woman, and I was right," Onozuka replied. He continued with the rest of the story, about how Iwaki had made love to Katou in front of them, and how Miyasaka had realized the true depth of their love, and how ashamed he was that he had tried to destroy it.

"Miyasaka is dimwitted, but he's not really a bad guy deep down," Onozuka said. "He did an unforgivable thing, of course, but his obsession with Iwaki drove him a little crazy. I don't think anything like that will ever happen again."

"It's very generous of Iwaki to forgive him," Kikuchi said, a little skeptically. "I know I said that Iwaki is the noble type, but to forgive an attempted rape seems almost impossibly generous."

"Well, in a way, it was easier for Iwaki to forgive Miyasaka than it was for Katou," Onozuka mused. "Katou was betrayed by a friend, while Iwaki had no connection to Miyasaka except through Katou. I think that Iwaki did it mostly for Katou's sake, because he didn't want Katou to go through the pain of losing his friend. And Katou forgave Miyasaka for Iwaki's sake, when left to his own devices, he would have killed him." Onozuka sighed again. "Of course, no one cared about how much this whole mess inconvenienced me."

Kikuchi chuckled, reaching over to take Onozuka's hand and lift it to his lips. "Poor Onozuka-kun," he murmured. "You're noble in your own way, too, aren't you? It's too bad that your friends don't appreciate you more."

The light touch of Kikuchi's lips against the back of his hand seemed to burn with a searing heat that shot straight to Onozuka's groin. His throat felt suddenly dry, and he had to take a sip of wine before he managed to reply lightly, "Ah well, it's my fate to be unappreciated, I suppose."

Kikuchi released his hand, and Onozuka glanced at it, half-expecting to see a blister or at least a reddened mark, but his skin was smooth and unblemished. The only physical evidence of that heated kiss was his half-hard cock, straining against the fabric of his jeans. He smiled at Kikuchi and tried to think of un-sexy things again without losing track of their conversation.

They made more industry small-talk, sharing the latest gossip they'd heard about their peers, and by the time they finished eating, Onozuka had managed to get that uncooperative part of his anatomy under control.

They put the dishes in the sink, and Kikuchi waved off Onozuka's offer to help him clean up. "Don't worry about it; I'll take care of it later. Why don't we relax on the couch and finish this wine?"

"Sure," Onozuka agreed, feeling an increasing sense of anticipation as they moved into the living room.

Part 2