"Ready?" Yazoo asked, flipping his long, silver braid over his shoulder and shaking his head a little to make it fall down his back. He turned those exquisite, light-jade eyes to Reno and smiled at him, his feline mouth curving enticingly.
"Don't smile like that at me, yo," Reno scolded, yanking the laces of his boot and tying it hurriedly. "We got places to be."
"You don't have to go," Yazoo purred, walking lazily closer, close enough to give Reno's wild red hair a gentle tug.
"Like I'd let you go alone," the man snorted, standing up and shaking his leg a bit so that the leg of his pants fell over the top of his boot. He lifted the other to be sure he'd tied it before turning his attention back to his lover.
Blue eyes met jade, both men of the same height with Reno just a shade taller, but it didn't really make a difference—they were still perfectly matched.
"Reno, they just want to meet with me to see if I'm what they're wanting," Yazoo sighed, cocking his head a little in exasperation.
"Yeah, and I'm going to make sure they don't decide to pull an impromptu test, yo," Reno said, concern evident on his lean, handsome face. He poked Yazoo in the chest once for emphasis and added, "You're my girl, got it? I take care of you, yo."
Yazoo dimpled at him, a sweet smile on his lips, and he poked Reno right back, saying, "Yeah, right. Come on."
He headed for the door, pausing at the mirror to recheck his appearance. He was fussy to the point of obsessive, but it wasn't vanity that prompted it. Yazoo used his impeccable appearance to keep people at a distance, the same way Reno used his own sloppiness. Both of them were master manipulators in their own ways.
"You look fine, baby, get over it already," Reno sighed, giving him a shove. "You always look perfect, Yazoo, fuck."
"Oh, leave me alone," Yazoo scolded, turning his back to the mirror to be sure his jacket fell just so. He had donned his favorite suit for the occasion, a black affair with light silver pinstripes only visible up close. He knew what colors suited his fairness and how to dress his slender, lithe body becomingly. Still, he had to admit that Reno looked absolutely edible in his half-unbuttoned dress shirt and open suit jacket. At least these had been tailored, so now he looked rakishly disheveled and enticing.
"I could just eat you up," Yazoo sighed, looking at him in the mirror.
Reno shot him a grin and waggled his eyebrows in an exaggerated leer.
"Don't tempt me, yo, or I won't be the only one looking like hell on toast," he warned, making Yazoo sigh ruefully.
"Come on, they said the car would be here at seven," Yazoo said, tugging once on the hem of his jacket and heading for the door, Reno right at his heels.
The car was already parked out front and the driver graciously opened the door for them, Reno tipping him a wink as he slid into the cool, spacious interior. As soon as the door was closed he looked at Yazoo and grinned.
"Don't even think about it, fox-face," Yazoo warned, seeing that light in his blue eyes and protectively touching his pressed jacket.
"Too late for that," Reno said, looking slyly at the smoked glass that kept the driver from seeing into the backseat. "Come closer."
"No way," Yazoo crooned back to him, shaking his head emphatically. "You're drunk and I need to make a good impression."
"What's me being drunk got to do with it, gorgeous?" Reno asked, still grinning because he knew he would win. Eventually.
Yazoo shot him a withering look and said, "Honestly, Reno—when you're drunk you're that much hornier—they'll be waiting for hours. You can manage until we get home."
"On the way home?" he asked, his voice hopeful.
Yazoo merely glared at him, but he sniggered because he knew he'd won. His beautiful lover could be a hardcase when he needed to be, but he very, very rarely ever denied Reno anything. Because he loved him so much and because Reno simply refused to take no for an answer to anything.
"Love you, lady," he sweetly said.
Yazoo sighed and smirked at him but didn't get any closer. He merely rolled his eyes and said, "Fine, you can smoke in the car."
Reno grinned with victory and promptly lit up, cracking the window on his side and watching the dark city roll by.
"Where we going again, yo?" he questioned, the street looking rather familiar.
"To Stripes," Yazoo told him, inspecting his buffed nails and frowning a little at one that seemed somehow less perfect than the others.
"Stripes, yo?" Reno repeated, puffing away on his cigarette. "Shit, Yazoo, Rufus owns that motherfucker—they stupid or something?"
Yazoo shrugged and smiled, saying, "Guess they like to live dangerously."
Reno scowled and sharply said, "Yeah, well, if you're gonna be working for them they'd better start being a whole lot less dangerous. I ain't letting you work for someplace that's gonna get you killed, yo!"
"Letting me?" Yazoo echoed, brows rising in indignation. "I beg your pardon? Did you just imply that I only do the things you allow?"
"I didn't imply it," Reno smartly replied. "I said it! You're the best thing I ever had and I'm not gonna let some prick company get you wiped, got it?"
Yazoo smiled at him, touched, and murmured, "We'll see…"
"'See' nothing," Reno muttered, irritated. "You ain't working for anybody who's gonna get you killed, yo. They can take their money and shove it up their ass! You don't even need to work!"
"Reno, I can hardly play housewife all day long," Yazoo patiently sighed, having the conversation for the thousandth time. "I would lose my mind."
"I'd rather have you batshit than dead, baby," Reno said, and smoked in stubborn silence for the rest of the car ride.
Yazoo waited until the car stopped before leaning over and giving him a kiss on his sharp cheek, sighing, "I do love you an awful lot, Reno."
Startled out of his grouchy mood, Reno grinned slyly at him and said, "Of course you do, yo—I'm Reno, baby!"
"That you certainly are," Yazoo smirked, and got out of the car.
