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FIC: First Date, Part 2
Title: First Date, Part 2
Rating: NC-17
Fandom: Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love)
Pairing: Kikuchi/Onozuka
Word count: ~5,565
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".
Part 1
***
Kikuchi set their glasses down on the coffee table and refilled them, and Onozuka noticed a stack of videos sitting on one side of the table. He glanced at the labels and saw they were tapes of his past series, including the one where he'd played Iwaki's younger brother.
"You've been doing research on me, Kikuchi-san," Onozuka said with a grin.
"I admit that I was curious, so I asked my manager to get me these tapes," Kikuchi replied, unabashed. "I can see why you won that award; I'm really impressed by your acting." He smiled slyly at Onozuka. "Especially the show that you starred in with Iwaki--you convincingly portrayed love for your brother, when I know that in reality you can't stand Iwaki."
"Well, that's why they call it acting, right?" Onozuka laughed. In that show he had played a rebellious younger brother who resented living in the shadow of his seemingly perfect older brother, whom their parents favored. However, at the same time, there was a deep underlying bond of love between the brothers that had become a little frayed but had never broken. It was easy for Onozuka to act out the resentment, which he knew only too well, but it had been much harder for him to act like he actually loved his "brother". But Onozuka prided himself on his acting skills and his ability to change roles as easily as a chameleon changes the color of its skin, and in the end, he had done his job so well that most of the cast and crew assumed that he and Iwaki were good friends in real life--if they only knew!
"Do you want to watch one of these?" Kikuchi asked with a grin, motioning towards the videotapes.
Onozuka was pretty sure that Kikuchi was joking, so he laughed and replied, "I'm not so vain that I sit around watching myself in my free time."
"Well, as an actor, I think it's important to review your performances to see what you did right and wrong, but maybe now is not the right time for that," Kikuchi chuckled. "How about some music?" Onozuka nodded, and Kikuchi picked up a remote control and turned the stereo on. A lushly sensual jazz song started playing, an instrumental that managed to exude passion, lust, and love without any words. Kikuchi picked up his wineglass and sipped at it, while he casually draped his free arm across the back of the couch, behind Onozuka though not quite touching him.
Onozuka's skin seemed to prickle from Kikuchi's proximity, as if the other man were exuding some kind of static electricity and Onozuka leaned back against the couch, taking a sip from his own glass.
"I like the music," he said.
"They're an American band who are managed by a friend of mine in L.A.," Kikuchi replied. "I'll get you a copy of their CD."
"Thank you, I'd appreciate that."
They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, drinking their wine and letting the music wash over them, and then Kikuchi's arm dropped down and slipped around Onozuka's shoulders. Onozuka took that as permission to slide across the few inches of space separating them to lean against Kikuchi's side, and Kikuchi tightened his arm around Onozuka, pulling him even closer. Onozuka turned his head to face Kikuchi, and Kikuchi leaned in and pressed his mouth against Onozuka's.
This kiss was different from the quick, heated one he'd given Kikuchi the other night while seeing him off in the cab. Like the music, it started off slowly, their lips barely touching, then gradually intensified as the kiss deepened and Kikuchi's tongue slid between Onozuka's lips.
He tasted of wine, but the kiss was much more intoxicating than the alcohol. Kikuchi's tongue leisurely, languidly explored Onozuka's mouth, and Onozuka couldn't hold back a muffled, impatient little whimper as his own tongue darted forward to entwine itself with Kikuchi's.
Kikuchi pulled away as Onozuka groaned in protest, then the older actor pressed his mouth against Onozuka's ear and whispered in his rich, enticing voice, "Patience, Onozuka-kun. We have all night."
But Onozuka wanted him now, damn it! It had been years since that hasty, furtive encounter in the gay bar, and all that repressed desire had built up to the point where he was ready to explode. His skin felt taut, as if it were stretched so tightly over his body that he would burst like a balloon at the slightest increase of pressure. His hands were trembling and he had to set the wineglass down on the coffee table before he spilled it all over the couch or the expensive carpet on the floor.
Kikuchi's glass was already on the table, and he used both hands to caress Onozuka's body as his mouth shifted slightly to nip at Onozuka's earlobe and then moved down lower to kiss and nip at his neck.
Onozuka had just enough presence of mind left to order, "Don't leave any marks." A hickey could be covered with make-up, but it would cause gossip among the cast and crew that might leak out to the press, and he didn't want anyone prying into his private life. As Kikuchi had noted, he had been dubbed "the golden prince," thanks to his blond hair and good looks, but some of his detractors used the less-flattering nickname of "ice prince" due to his near-celibacy. He dated sporadically, only just enough to ward off any rumors that he might be gay, and he never dated the same woman more than once or twice. He told the women and the press that he didn't have time for a serious relationship because he was concentrating on his career, and his manager approved because it increased his popularity among his female fans. As long as he remained single and technically available, they could fantasize that one of them might win his heart someday. Thanks to Iwaki and Katou, it was possible that his career might survive being outed, but he didn't really want to put it to the test, at least not just yet.
"All right," Kikuchi chuckled, and instead captured Onozuka's mouth in another deep kiss while his hands unbuttoned Onozuka's shirt and began caressing his chest. Onozuka gasped, involuntarily breaking off the kiss as Kikuchi's fingers tweaked at one of his nipples, sending a little jolt of mingled pleasure and pain through his body.
Two could play at that game, he decided, tugging Kikuchi's shirt loose from his jeans and slipping his hands under it to slide up and down Kikuchi's back, reveling in the expanse of smooth, warm skin beneath his hands. Onozuka experimentally ran a finger down Kikuchi's spine, and was pleased when it was Kikuchi who gasped this time.
Growing bolder, he kissed Kikuchi while his hands explored Kikuchi's chest. Onozuka had slept with women in the past, but those encounters had always left him feeling unsatisfied. This was what he had craved: the flat planes of a man's chest instead of a woman's soft curves, and the faint scrape of stubble against his mouth instead of a woman's full, pliant lips.
Onozuka caught one of Kikuchi's nipples between his thumb and forefinger; he figured that since Kikuchi had done that to him, maybe he might enjoy it, too. He must have guessed right, because Kikuchi growled in pleasure and shoved Onozuka down on the couch, kissing him hard and covering him with the full length and weight of his body.
Kikuchi ground his hips down against Onozuka's, rubbing their erections together; in a dim corner of his mind, Onozuka noted that Kikuchi was just as hard as he was. Then he cried out wildly, his own hips bucking upwards to increase the friction.
Kikuchi laughed, in that lovely wicked voice of his, and ground against Onozuka with even more vigor. Onozuka moaned and writhed beneath him, wrapping one leg around Kikuchi's waist to draw him closer. (The other was pinned between Kikuchi's body and the back of the couch, and was probably going to be numb by the time this was over, but at the moment, Onozuka didn't care.) He was hovering on the brink of orgasm, and he was vaguely aware that maybe he should suggest that they stop and move to the bedroom, or at least get undressed, but he couldn't bring himself to tear his body away from Kikuchi's, even for a few minutes. Not even the humiliating thought of soiling his clothing was enough to stop him. Besides, that would give them a chance to strip down and explore each other's bodies in more leisure while their clothes ran through the washer and dryer...
The melancholy strains of an Enka ballad suddenly rang out over the background of jazz music and interrupted Onozuka's thoughts. "Fuck!" he swore, placing a hand on Kikuchi's chest to push the other man away from him.
"Just let it go to voice mail," Kikuchi cajoled.
"I can't," Onozuka groaned. "That's my manager's ringtone, and he wouldn't be calling at this time of night unless it was important." He planted a quick peck on Kikuchi's lips and wriggled out from beneath him, saying, "Sorry, I'll be right back."
Kikuchi muttered something under his breath about phones being the bane of his lovelife, and Onozuka ran over to the kitchen and pulled his cell phone out of his coat pocket. He flipped it open and barked out, "What?!"
"My, my, aren't we touchy tonight?" his manager Fujimoto replied in a coolly amused voice. "Am I interrupting something?"
Fujimoto had sleek good looks and a slightly oily sort of charm that might have served him well if he'd decided to become an actor instead of remaining behind the scenes. But he would have been limited to villain-type roles, because there was a cold ruthlessness in his eyes that no amount of charm could hide. He was very good at his job, and the only reason that he'd been stuck with a rookie client like Onozuka a few years back was because he had offended the starlet who had been his previous client, a spoiled diva who required more pampering and ego-stroking than Fujimoto was capable of giving.
Onozuka and Fujimoto got along well enough, since Onozuka didn't require a lot of pampering and he didn't mind Fujimoto's ruthlessness as long as it was employed on his own behalf. It would have been nice to have a manager like Shimizu, who was both kind and efficient, but the latter was much more important than the former to Onozuka. He and Fujimoto respected each other and for the most part, let the other carry out his job without any interference.
Right now, however, Onozuka wasn't feeling very respectful. "Yes, you are," he replied curtly to his manager's question. "Just tell me what you want and get it over with."
"Are you on a date?" Fujimoto asked curiously. "There's nothing wrong with that, unless it's someone inappropriate, like a porn star or a married woman. Though even a porn star might not be too scandalous these days, thanks to your friends Iwaki and Katou. Just let me know if it's something that the tabloids might pick up on, so I can be prepared to do damage control."
"I'm just having dinner with a friend," Onozuka said, trying not to sound too defensive.
"You sound kind of grumpy for someone who's 'just having dinner with a friend,'" Fujimoto observed skeptically.
"I assure you, I am not with a married woman or a porn star," Onozuka sighed impatiently. "I'm very careful about my career."
"Yes, that's true," Fujimoto conceded, with genuine respect. "You're the most sensible client I've ever had; I suppose I can trust you, of all people, not to get into trouble."
Onozuka smiled; it was a good thing that Fujimoto didn't know the identity of his dinner partner. "I'm sorry I snapped at you," he said in a conciliatory tone. "I've had a busy schedule lately, so I was looking forward to having a night off."
"I'm sorry to bother you during your free time," Fujimoto said politely. He didn't sound particularly sorry, but Onozuka appreciated the effort. "I was just informed of a schedule change, so I had to call you right away. You'll be shooting on location tomorrow, so I'll be picking you up first thing in the morning."
"What?!" Onozuka exclaimed. "But I thought we weren't going on location until Friday!"
"There was a screw-up with the permits for the site," Fujimoto replied. "It turns out that there's a public event there on Friday and we won't be able to shoot that day, so filming was moved up to tomorrow. The director is furious, and someone's probably going to be fired over this, but at least it won't be you or me. It's a long drive, so be ready by five a.m."
Onozuka groaned, and Fujimoto said heartlessly, "I warned you that it wasn't going to be all glamor and glitz when you signed up with the agency. Make sure that you're ready on time; the director is just itching to bite the head off the next person who screws up." He paused, then added, "I'll bring coffee," and hung up without waiting for a reply.
The promise of coffee was a surprisingly kind gesture on Fujimoto's part, or maybe it was mere practicality--it would reflect poorly on him if his client wasn't alert and ready to work by the time they reached the location. Either way, Onozuka found himself feeling rather unappreciative, and he scowled at the phone as he turned it off and put it away.
"Bad news?" Kikuchi asked.
"A last-minute change in schedule," Onozuka grumbled as he dropped down on the couch beside Kikuchi and explained what Fujimoto had told him.
"Then I guess you should go home soon and get some rest," Kikuchi said regretfully. "But maybe you can stay just a little longer?"
"A little longer," Onozuka agreed. He was damned if he was going to go home without getting his rocks off, early wake-up call or not.
"Then let's take care of this," Kikuchi purred, reaching out to lay a hand over Onozuka's crotch. His erection had flagged slightly during his conversation with Fujimoto, but was still hard enough to leave a noticeable bulge in his jeans.
Kikuchi slid off the couch onto the floor, then gently pushed Onozuka's legs apart so that he could kneel between them. He unzipped Onozuka's jeans and reached inside to pull out his cock, which was rapidly gaining interest in the proceedings. A few strokes of Kikuchi's hand had Onozuka fully erect again and helplessly moaning.
"Don't stop," he panted when Kikuchi released him.
Kikuchi planted a quick kiss on his thigh and said, "Just hang on a sec; I promise that you'll like this," then reached into his pocket and pulled out a condom.
"I see that you're prepared," Onozuka said jokingly, managing a smile although his body was screaming for release.
"I'm always prepared," Kikuchi replied with a grin. "Especially when I have a handsome young man over for dinner. A veteran actor is always prepared for any eventuality."
"Of course," Onozuka agreed, although he wanted to tell Kikuchi to just shut up and get on with it.
Kikuchi tore off the wrapper and deftly unrolled the condom down the length of Onozuka's cock until it was fully encased. It felt odd to have someone else put it on him, and the ease with which Kikuchi performed the task made him feel a little jealous, because it meant that he must have had plenty of experience doing this to other guys.
Not that there was any reason to feel jealous, Onozuka reminded himself. Kikuchi's apartment showed no signs of a lover, and there hadn't been even the slightest rumor in the press about him seeing anyone. Besides, he barely knew Kikuchi, and they'd made no promises or commitments to each other, beyond having dinner tonight.
Then any thoughts of jealousy that he might've had flew right out of his head as he felt himself being drawn into the heat of Kikuchi's mouth.
"Ah...Kikuchi-san," he gasped. It felt incredible--so much better than any blow job he'd ever received from a woman. He moaned, thinking to himself that it would feel even better to have Kikuchi's lips and tongue on his bare flesh, without that intervening thin layer of rubber. Even so, it felt so good to be inside a man's mouth--to be inside Kikuchi's mouth--that he came in an embarrassingly short time, measured in seconds rather than minutes.
He groaned and collapsed on the couch, that brief but intense orgasm leaving him feeling as limp and boneless as a jellyfish. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.
"Why?" Kikuchi asked, sitting back on his heels as he grinned up at Onozuka, looking extremely pleased with himself. "Didn't it feel good?"
"Oh yes," Onozuka replied fervently. "It's just that, well...I didn't last very long."
"That's perfectly natural," Kikuchi said matter-of-factly. "You were already, shall we say...excited, and..." He hesitated, then continued, "It's been a long time since you've been with a man, right?"
"Yeah," Onozuka replied, blushing. It wasn't a lie, but he didn't elaborate further, not wanting to say that he'd only been with a man once before. "I had to be careful, because of my career."
"I know that better than anyone," Kikuchi said, but he looked more rueful than bitter. "I'm glad that you learned from my mistakes." There was a brief, awkward silence, and then Kikuchi grinned and said lightly, "Besides, it's flattering to know that you find me so desirable that you can't contain yourself."
Onozuka turned even redder, and Kikuchi chuckled. As deftly as he'd put it on, Kikuchi peeled off the condom and tossed it in a nearby wastebasket, then even tucked Onozuka back in and zipped his jeans back up. Onozuka just lay there passively, still feeling too dazed to attempt to assist him, but Kikuchi didn't seem to mind. He sat down beside Onozuka again and kissed him.
Onozuka roused himself enough to return the kiss, and he noticed that Kikuchi's erection was still very visible, although he hadn't asked Onozuka to do anything about it. "Do you, uh, want me to return the favor?" Onozuka asked tentatively, then blushed again and silently cursed himself. Oh yeah, that was real smooth--even Miyasaka could do better than that!
Kikuchi gave him a smile that made him feel warm all over, although his body wasn't quite ready for round two yet, and replied, "Of course, if you want to. But you don't have to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable."
It seemed like Kikuchi was trying to be considerate, but it only irked Onozuka slightly and embarrassed him further, since it made him feel like an inexperienced schoolboy--never mind that he was as inexperienced as a schoolboy, at least when it came to sleeping with men.
Still, he'd looked at plenty of porn on the internet, and god only knew that he'd done everything he could imagine in his fantasies, so blowing another guy couldn't really be all that hard, could it? He'd been on the receiving end before--just a few minutes ago, as a matter of fact--so he knew how it ought to be done. Theoretically.
"Sure, I want to," Onozuka said, trying to sound blasé about it. "Do you have another...?"
Kikuchi produced a second condom, and Onozuka took it, kneeling on the floor in front of Kikuchi, who was already unzipping his pants. Kikuchi's obvious eagerness made Onozuka feel more confident, although he still fumbled a bit putting the condom on. Kikuchi was patient with his clumsiness, but Onozuka had to repress a sigh; there was never any need for protection in his wet dreams and fantasies.
Then he thought to himself that maybe he should have taken longer with the condom, after all, as he stared at Kikuchi's erect cock, torn between desire and a sudden, irrational fear. I'm not like Miyasaka, he told himself firmly. I'm not going to restrict myself to making love to a guy the same way that I'd make love to a woman, just so I can pretend that I'm not really gay.
He hesitantly ran his tongue along the underside of Kikuchi's cock, from base to tip, grimacing slightly at the taste of latex. But that minor unpleasantness was easily ignored when Kikuchi groaned in a low, hungry voice. Encouraged, Onozuka took Kikuchi's cock into his mouth, starting with the head and slowly working his way down the shaft.
It felt a little strange, but it excited Onozuka to feel Kikuchi's hard flesh in his mouth, and to know that he was the one who had made Kikuchi that hard. He thought of what would please himself best, and tried to do the same to Kikuchi, which must have worked, because Kikuchi groaned again and threaded his fingers through Onozuka's hair, urging him on.
With more confidence now, Onozuka suckled harder, feeling a sense of triumph as Kikuchi groaned louder, tangling his fingers so tightly in Onozuka's hair that it tugged painfully at his scalp. He didn't mind, though, because as Kikuchi had said earlier, it was flattering to know that he had excited his partner that much. But then Kikuchi's hands pushed a little too hard on the back of his head, and he gagged and choked as he took in a bit more of Kikuchi than he was prepared to.
Kikuchi instantly released him and pulled back, and Onozuka coughed, trying to get his breath back. "Sorry," Kikuchi apologized. "I guess I got a little carried away."
"It's okay," Onozuka said, flushing and feeling like an idiot schoolboy again. "You just caught me by surprise, that's all. I...I'm not really used to this kind of thing."
"Like anything else, it takes practice," Kikuchi reassured him. "I did the same thing my first time." Onozuka supposed that Kikuchi's words were kindly meant, but they still made him feel like a kid compared to the older, more experienced man. But then Kikuchi grinned at him and said, "But I have a feeling that you're a quick learner, Onozuka-kun."
That made Onozuka feel a little better. Sex was just another physical activity that one got better at the more one did it, the same as biking or swimming, right? He smiled sweetly up at Kikuchi, affecting a demure look that he thought would amuse the other actor, and asked, "Then I need someone to practice on, don't I?"
Kikuchi laughed as he'd intended, and reached down to take Onozuka's right hand and wrap it around the base of his cock. "It might be a little easier if you try it like this," he suggested.
Onozuka took Kikuchi into his mouth again, and it was more manageable that way, although he still found it a bit humiliating to have to be instructed on what to do. But since it didn't seem to be bothering Kikuchi, he tried not to let it bother himself, and concentrated on giving his lover as much pleasure as possible.
Maybe practice did make perfect, because soon Kikuchi was moaning urgently, tangling his fingers in Onozuka's hair again, although more gently this time. Then he cried out and fell back against the couch, letting his hands drop back to his sides.
Onozuka assumed that meant he had come, and he pulled away from Kikuchi, wiping his mouth against the back of his hand as he grimaced again at the lingering aftertaste of latex. He took a quick sip of wine to wash the taste out of his mouth, then climbed up onto the couch to kiss Kikuchi.
"Was that good for you?" he asked, hoping that he sounded more playfully humorous, which was what he was trying for, rather than pathetically anxious.
"You were great, Onozuka-kun," Kikuchi replied in a voice that seemed to leave no room for doubt, and as if to prove it, gave Onozuka a long, deep kiss that left him breathless and dizzy.
"So were you," he said faintly, watching as Kikuchi rid himself of the condom and zipped himself up. He wondered if he should have helped with that, but Kikuchi wasn't complaining and it was Kikuchi's fault anyway, for giving him that dizzying kiss. Or maybe the dizziness was partly from drinking all that wine; the bottle was nearly empty--nah, he'd drunk more than that with Miyasaka and Katou without as much effect, so it must be the kiss. Or maybe the kiss in combination with the sex and the wine.
"I suppose I should be going," Onozuka said reluctantly. He didn't really want to leave, but he knew he had to go home and get some sleep if he was going to be up and ready by five tomorrow morning.
"Okay, I'll call you a cab," Kikuchi said, giving him a briefer and less dizzying kiss. "Why don't you call me when you have some free time?"
Onozuka perked up at that, relieved that Kikuchi wanted to see him again in spite of tonight's awkwardness and interruptions. "Sure, but I'll need your number," he said.
"Give me your phone," Kikuchi said, and Onozuka jumped up to fetch it. Kikuchi programmed his number into the cell and handed it back to Onozuka, who slipped it back into his coat pocket, feeling elated. When he'd been a thirteen or fourteen-year-old kid sitting spellbound in a movie theater watching Kikuchi on the screen, he could never have guessed that someday he'd have Kikuchi's personal cell number on speed dial. On a more adult note, it also meant a second chance at getting laid, in what would hopefully be a more lengthy encounter.
They kissed goodnight one last time before Onozuka went downstairs to wait for his cab. Kikuchi didn't offer to accompany him, and Onozuka didn't ask him to; they both knew that it would be a bad idea if someone saw them leaving the building together late at night.
"Be careful," Kikuchi warned him. "I don't think the paparazzi are watching me that closely, but take a look around to make sure no one's lying in wait." It would be almost as bad if Onozuka was photographed leaving a building where Kikuchi was known to live.
"I'll be careful," Onozuka promised as he left. He spied out the street from the lobby first before leaving the building, and saw no one. There were no cars parked on the street, and no nearby bushes or trees where a paparazzi might be hiding, so he figured he was safe. The cab arrived, and he got in it without anything untoward happening.
"Where to, sir?"
"Meguro," Onozuka replied, giving the driver his--or rather, Miyasaka's address. He leaned back against the seat and flipped his cell phone open, gazing at Kikuchi's number for the simple pleasure of knowing that he had it. He smiled, already fantasizing about their next date, which he was sure would go much more smoothly than the first...
***
Kikuchi closed the door behind Onozuka as he left, grinning to himself. He was glad that Miyasaka had invited him home--if only because it had allowed him to meet his co-star's roommate. Miyasaka was cute, but he was too simple-minded for Kikuchi to be interested in him as anything but a quick lay. Onozuka, on the other hand, was charming and clever and devious, someone who could provide Kikuchi with a challenge, maybe even become his equal someday. But not quite yet--Onozuka was devious, but he was still young, and Kikuchi had the edge on him in experience. There was a saying in the West, that old age and treachery would always win out over youth and skill.
Still, Onozuka had done pretty well matching wits with Kikuchi tonight, he had to admit. He'd thought it would be easy to coax the story of Miyasaka's conflict with Katou out of Onozuka with a little flattery and the promise of sex, but instead, Onozuka had challenged him and demanded equal compensation. It was a bit risky, giving Onozuka such damaging information about himself, but Kikuchi was impressed by his audacity and quick thinking, and besides, he sensed a kindred spirit in the younger man. Both of them had obviously struggled with hiding their sexuality in order to protect their careers.
And Kikuchi had gotten some pretty juicy information in exchange: a love triangle and attempted rape, although he suspected that Onozuka was holding back on something. He wasn't sure exactly what, but he had let it pass, since he felt that he'd still gotten a pretty fair value in the trade. Maybe he could worm the complete story out of Onozuka at a later date, after they'd gotten to know each other better.
It was a pity that he couldn't actually use the information that he'd gotten due to their stalemate, but Kikuchi didn't really want to wreck Miyasaka's career, anyway, and he supposed that he didn't really want to split up Iwaki and Katou anymore, even though he still didn't like them. All the same, he felt a sense of satisfaction in having the blackmail material; just letting them know that he had it might be enough to keep them in line if he ever needed to, even if he couldn't really follow through on the threat to reveal it. And it might turn out to be even more valuable if Miyasaka became a star someday.
Onozuka had surprised Kikuchi in other ways, too. There was a kind of sweetness in the young actor's sexual inexperience, something that Kikuchi hadn't expected. He had long ago outgrown the urge to deflower virgins, since it was usually more trouble than it was worth, especially the post-sex angst with young men who were still struggling with the idea of being gay.
But Onozuka was different. His bravado during their first meeting had led Kikuchi to believe that he was more experienced with men than he really was, and the combination of sly cunning and shy awkwardness was somehow both enticing and endearing. Onozuka obviously wasn't suffering any angst over his sexual identity, though his caution regarding his career had contributed to his lack of experience, and Kikuchi found that he liked the idea of being the one to teach the young man about sex. He was quite sure that Onozuka would indeed turn out to be a quick learner and an adept student.
Onozuka was a bundle of contradictions: inexperienced and wanton at the same time; cynical and calculating, yet idealistically loyal, at least towards select friends. Kikuchi had never met anyone so complicated and intriguing before.
He'd told Miyasaka that he wasn't looking for a serious relationship, and that had been true, but now he thought that he might be interested in more than a casual affair with Onozuka. That sweetly devious young man was just too good a catch for Kikuchi to let slip away without trying to see if things could work out, in spite of the complications of protecting Onozuka's career.
He frowned; Miyasaka would be a problem, though. Onozuka was obviously at least a little in love with him, whether he was consciously aware of it or not. He had a deep loyalty to his hotheaded friend that wouldn't easily be broken--and also to Katou, but Kikuchi didn't see him as competition, since he was already safely married to Iwaki, for all practical purposes.
But there was no way that Miyasaka could compete with him in the long run, Kikuchi reassured himself. Eventually, Onozuka would get bored with someone that straightforward and one-dimensional. He needed someone that would push him and challenge him, someone who could be his equal in guile and ambition, someone like...Kikuchi.
Onozuka was attached to Miyasaka in the way that he might be to a childhood friend. They were both about the same age; they worked for the same agency and had come up through the ranks together, and the acting award they'd won had further bonded them together. Onozuka was attached to Miyasaka because he provided a sense of comfortable familiarity; when friendship got mixed up with lust, it was easy to mistake it for love, as Kikuchi had done with his American lover, Daniel.
So he was sure that he could eventually win Onozuka away from Miyasaka, but he'd have to be careful about it. He didn't want to scare Onozuka off by coming on too strong too soon. It would be easy enough to bed him, but a loyalty like the one he had for Miyasaka would not be so easily won from someone that calculating and distrustful. Besides, if he showed all his cards at once, he'd give Onozuka the upper hand by revealing that he was more interested in Onozuka than Onozuka was in him. No, he'd have to cast the bait out carefully and let the line play out so that the fish wouldn't even know he was hooked, then reel him in slowly.
Kikuchi laughed as he finished off the last of the wine, savoring the challenge to come.
THE END.
Next story in the series: Going Steady, Part 1
***
Afterword: Onozuka and Kikuchi's relationship is turning out a little different from the way I'd originally planned it. When I wrote Comeback, I was picturing Onozuka as being a little more experienced with men, but when I wrote the Onozuka-centric Firsts, he somehow ended up being almost completely (though not quite) inexperienced--it was just one of those things where the character seems to take over and go in another direction, and it's always interesting to see where they take me.
In hindsight, I liked the idea. Onozuka strikes me as someone who's a little detached from life; almost like a voyeur who likes to watch the people and events around him, and sometimes manipulate them to see what happens without directly involving himself, although he sort of does with the Iwaki/Katou/Miyasaka thing. I mean, he's involved in that he plans the whole thing and lectures Miyasaka about what he did wrong, but he's also standing back and watching what happens with the other three.
So the idea of him not really having much sex seemed logical in that respect. He doesn't really like to get close to people, except for a select few. Maybe occasionally he'd indulge in physical pleasure without any emotional commitments. I also thought the idea of the "untouchable prince" image would appeal to his female fans--that grew out of Miyasaka's remark in "Emergency Door" in Book 11, where he says, "Won't that ruin your image as that of a prince?" when Onozuka brings him the porn magazine as a get-well gift.
Incidentally, that chapter also lets us know that Miyasaka lives in Meguro, a ward of Tokyo; apparently quite a few celebrities live in this area, according to Wikipedia, including heartthrob singer and actor Kimura Takuya, so it seems like a good place for an actor to live. That same chapter seems to indicate that Onozuka lives in Mita, the address that he first gives to the cab driver before changing his mind and asking him to go to Meguro. There are actually two neighborhoods called "Mita" in Tokyo, including one in Meguro, but the reference to Keidai Seimon indicates that it's the Mita in Minato, Tokyo. Not that it's really important to the fic, but since I went to the trouble of doing the research, I decided to throw in the reference to Meguro. Any Harudaki fanfic writers out there, feel free to use the info if you think it might be helpful. (In my universe, the lease on Onozuka's apartment expired and he moved in temporarily with Miyasaka, since I needed an excuse to have both of them meet with Kikuchi. I haven't decided which specific neighborhood Kikuchi resides in, although I picture it as fairly well-off and quiet.)
Onozuka's manager is based vaguely on a character from the Penguin Revolution manga series, which revolves around the Peacock Talent Agency, and I was thinking of tying it in as a crossover. However, I couldn't remember the character's name and I don't have the earlier books anymore, so I just decided to go with an OC. But I just thought that I should acknowledge that Fujimoto was inspired by the sometimes cutthroat behind-the-scenes rivalry in that series. He may make another appearance later, but I don't intend him to be a central character. Incidentally, I notice in Harudaki that the managers are more hands-on than I expected. I may have been mistaken in my idea of what a manager does, but I had pictured them more as working in an office, negotiating contracts and scheduling interviews and appointments. Shimizu and Kaneko seem to do some of that, but they also function as very hands-on personal assistants, accompanying Iwaki and Katou to the set, keeping track of their appointments, and chauffeuring them around. (The managers in Penguin Revolution and another showbiz-related manga called Skip Beat also seem to operate in this manner.) I'm not sure if this is a cultural or translation difference, or if I may be getting a manager's duties mixed up with those of an agent's.
I wrote that Fujimoto's ringtone is an Enka song--a type of melancholy, melodramatic ballad. It's a type of music that appeals mostly to older people, and I thought of it as a little personal quirk of Fujimoto's, that he likes old-fashioned music instead of pop.
I noticed that Onozuka and Miyasaka don't seem to have managers following them around as closely as Iwaki and Katou do. Maybe this is just because we don't really see them very much in their work environment, or maybe lower-ranking actors don't rate such hands-on treatment. I see Onozuka as being more independent anyway, and not really wanting a manager around him 24-7.
I threw in a couple of little hints about things that will appear in future stories: the fact that my version of Onozuka ran away from home to become an actor (I have a whole family history for him mapped out in my head), and Kikuchi's bracelet. I noticed that in the scene where Katou punches out Kikuchi in Book 2, he's wearing a bracelet on his wrist, and that spawned a little plot bunny about its origins. (I'm not ready to reveal it just yet, though. ^_^)
And finally, I'd just like to say "thank you" to
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snapelike
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i would say you went into Kikuchi and Onozuka's brain and figure out what they're thinking and how their brains work.. well, they're the member of i-hate/dislike-iwaki club, i can't help but felt a little sorry for Iwaki while reading their conversation.. XXDD
the idea of an inexperience and flushed Onozuka is well matched with his personality too! like what you say, he's unwilling to take part in the social circle except with the people he felt comfortable and familiar with, so it's make sense that he is unexperience in sexual relationship..and i actually cursed his manager for interrupt them..LOL
i like the "ice prince" title! very suit him! XD want to read your Onozuka history! can't wait to see what you've plan for him!
ivy
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I'm glad that you liked the story, and that you felt Onozuka was in character--we'll hear a little more about his family in the next story. Thanks for reading!
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but how cruel of you geri-chan to interrupt the "development" of the evening *drools* XDD
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Thanks for reading!
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*gobbles it up*
Will continue reading tomorrow! Thank you for writing such awesome fic! (And the public health nurse part of me approves of those condoms!)
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I'm glad you're enjoying the fics, and also glad that you approve of the condoms. When I'm reading yaoi, I understand that it's a fantasy and maybe the writer doesn't want to interrupt the flow of the love scenes, but occasionally I find myself thinking, "Dudes, haven't you ever heard of STDS or safe sex?" ~_^
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I love the interaction -comparing their little sins was priceless- and must confess I'm a sucker for a good awkward first time story, and this is one.
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