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Twenty Random Facts You May or May Not Know About Mai and Ryuuji.
1. The first time they meet is on a plane. Mai's flying First Class to Paris for a dueling tournament, and Ryuuji, at fourteen, is going to open up a new branch of Black Crown. His father's busy with something, he says, and toasts Mai with a glass of complimentary champagne that he only takes a bare sip from. Mai finishes it for him, then they chatter through the rest of the flight. When they land, Mai scrawls her phone number on the back of his hand, and Ryuuji promises to call her and act as her tour guide. When he does call, Mai's not surprised. She knew that he'd be different. He takes her to Black Crown and she poses with him for the opening, then puts her hands over his to hold the oversized scissors that are used to snip through the red ribbon over the entrance.
2. That's the first time that a photograph of them together is splashed over the papers but it's far from the last. The articles grow kinder as the years go by, since the idea of a twenty-year-old woman seducing a fourteen-year-old male is shocking to the world's sensibilities, but an eighteen-year-old with a twenty-four-year-old is quite permissible. Especially when the eighteen-year-old's father has died, and the teenager is running a large corporation on his own. That makes him seem older than he is, aged by the burden of premature responsibility.
3. Mai's the only one who knows how much easier Ryuuji's life has got since his father died. She's the only one to know how hard it was while he was alive. Ryuuji and Mai both know that the world is wrong, because they're not sleeping together, but they never bother to contradict the media. When they're having so much fun gossiping about a four-year-long relationship, why fight back? It's not as if either of them find the idea repulsive in any way. If anything, Mai thinks that a session in the sack with Ryuuji would be fun, even if only to see if he's as good as everyone seems to think he'll be. She hasn't brought it up with Ryuuji yet, though, just because when they're together, they're so focused on the moment that it's hard to think of anything else.
4. Mai and Ryuuji have matching bracelets, because broken best-friend heart pendents would just be too cliché for them. Thin bands of platinum, both bracelets have heart-clasps. Mai's is made of glittering red rubies and Ryuuji's is made of hollow gold. The trick to the bracelets is that the clasp of Mai's can fit inside the clasp of Ryuuji's, turning the paired bracelets into handcuffs. Mai locks herself to Ryuuji during movies, or when they're cuddled together, and Ryuuji locks himself to her while they're walking, then laces his fingers through hers, but only the backs. Anything more might be clingy, and Ryuuji doesn't need to cling to Mai. He knows she'll always be there.
5. She's there when he stumbles in on a winter evening, cheeks stung to a pinkness by the cold, carrying two brown paper bags of groceries and laughing. He says that he's decided to make Mai dinner, because he loves her, and insists that she sits down at the kitchen table and talk to him while he cooks. Mai pours herself a glass of wine, then does exactly that. She watches him chop up tomatoes deftly, the thunk thunk of the knife hitting wood an undertone to the conversation, and samples the Bolognese sauce fresh from the pot, then advises him to put in more basil. He does as she says, and she wraps both arms around his waist, hugs Ryuuji from behind and pulls on his ponytail lightly. When he turns his head to pout at her, she kisses him instead, and dinner's forgotten in favor of the living room couch.
6. He calls her beautiful in fifteen languages that Mai recognizes, then in another six that she doesn't. He kisses her collarbone, and lets his lips rest in the hollow of her throat as her pulse jumps. They kiss in the living room, a slow tangle of arms and legs, then stagger to the kitchen to get him a glass of wine, toast each other and kiss again. He's drunk enough (from only one glass, he really doesn't drink enough) that he spills the red liquid on her shoulder, somehow. When he starts to try to lick her skin clean, she asks him if it was really an accident or just a ploy. He laughs and doesn't reply but kisses her again.
7. They kiss in the bathroom as well, because Mai keeps her condoms there when she's not expecting to get laid and Ryuuji's her best friend, why bother sending him to bed while she gets ready on her own? Modesty's not an issue between those two. She ends up on the counter, back against the mirror with her knees spread while he places both hands on her thighs and presses them further apart, then bows his head. She hits her head back against the mirror, and her fingers scrabble over the tiles until he puts his hands over hers, covers them and presses them down to keep her still.
8. When he's done, he has to carry her to the bedroom, because there is no way that Mai's legs are steady enough to let her stand after that. There's more wine in the bedroom, and more kissing as well. Ryuuji's lips are stained red by this point, and Mai exchanges messy kisses with him, trying to give him mouthfuls of wine directly from her lips. They spill a lot, but that doesn't matter. It's not like he can't afford to buy her new carpets and so far, this night has been good enough that Mai wouldn't mind paying for the new carpeting herself.
9. Most girls would only have satin sheets and lace underwear on if they were planning on seducing someone; for Mai, both of those are thankfully normal. Ryuuji knows that, which is why he doesn't do so much as arch an eyebrow at her red, lacy bra when he finally unlaces her corset top and helps her slide out of it. Arms above her head, she lets him pull it off her, trusting him to be careful with the delicate fabric, then rethinks her trust in him when he drops it carelessly to the floor. She forgets all about her top when he pulls her on to her lap and kisses her again, slow and skilled and thorough, like he could spend all night kissing her and still be content when morning rolled around.
10. Her skirt is rucked up to her waist, and has been like that ever since their sidetrip to the bathroom. It's easy for Ryuuji to slide a hand up her thigh, then brush his fingers through the soft, damp curls that his mouth had touched only a short while ago. Her panties are on the bathroom floor, discarded there as carelessly as her top was. Mai moans, and pushes back against his shoulders impatiently, eyes falling shut as his fingers slide inside her. He laughs again, the sound soft and amused, ragged with lust, and traces his lips over the edge of her bra, licking at the swell of her breasts just next to the scarlet lace. He touches her with infinite tenderness, not as if she is fragile and will break under his hands, but as if he loves her so much and so well that he is helpless to be anything but gentle where she is concerned.
11. By the time that they're both lying on the bed instead of seated on the edge of it, Mai has got enough of her breath back to tell Ryuuji that if she'd known all the rumors were true, they'd have done this much sooner. Ryuuji's reply is teasing, an amused query as to why she thinks that he'd have agreed to this any sooner, and Mai's is every bit as casual when she points out that he certainly seems to have no problem now. And because he's been controlling everything so far, choosing what to do and what to ignore, and been so focused on her pleasure, Mai takes over now.
12. She pushes him to lie on his back, then wriggles out of her skirt and throws it off the side of the bed. Somewhere. She finds that concern over her clothing is really not appropriate when she's got such a beautiful boy in her bed, lying back and watching her appreciatively with that devastatingly cocky smirk on his face. Devastating, because she loves his arrogance and loves him for being able to smirk like that even when drunk, but there's still something about it that makes her stop her impromptu striptease to lean down and kiss him again. His hands come to rest on her back, and his fingertips drag against her spine as he traces up to the straps of her bra, then unhooks it easily. Boys usually fumble with bras, Mai's heard, but that's why she prefers men (and the occasional woman) who know what they're doing. And Ryuuji's proven that he does, so it's Mai's turn to show off her skills.
13. Just because they're friends, after all, doesn't mean that they don't compete against each other and Mai wants Ryuuji to enjoy this just as much as she has not just for her pride, but also because he's her friend and she loves him. She's not in love with him, otherwise this wouldn't be happening (he pulls away from people that fall in love with him, he knows how easy it is to hurt them and doesn't want to), but she loves him as a friend and as her second skin, just as he loves her in return. Legs parted, she kneels above him, grabs his cock with one hand – his wince is reflexive, her hold is just tight enough to be painful but Mai needed to make sure that all the wine they drank hasn't put him out of action – and lowers herself slowly, accepting him into her body.
14. Mai's apartment is a penthouse one; there's a skylight positioned just a little behind her bed. The moonlight filters down through the clear glass, and the slant that it's set in makes it fall over the bed. Ryuuji can't look directly up at Mai, because the silvery light goes into his eyes, but when he tries, she's haloed against it, beautiful even in the darkness of the night and the reflected light of the moon. The light twists among the gold strands of her hair to turn them platinum, and leeches the pink from her skin. Her breasts are marble, her eyes the palest violet, and the sigh that spills from her rosepink lips is too soft a sound to be made by the Mai Ryuuji knows, a Mai of fearless laughter and quick, sharp words.
15. He props himself up on his elbows, and reaches up with one hand, tangles his fingers in her hair to draw her head down so he can press his lips against hers. He calls her beautiful again in a language that is not made up for words but instead, of the feel of his tongue tracing over her lips and licking at the inside of her mouth. Mai laughs, breathless, and pushes him to lie back down again, satisfaction and hunger twisting together to darken her eyes as she starts to ride him.
16. In the morning, Mai wakes up to the scent of coffee. Ryuuji's in bed, lounging next to her, but there are two mugs of steaming-hot coffee on the bedside table (which is littered with old tickets, a tube of lipstick, a glass of water, tablets) and a plate of biscotti. He shoots her a quick grin, then passes her a mug, recommending that she down it before her hangover hits. The hangover slams into her just as she's about to raise the mug to her lips, and her hand trembles. Ryuuji holds the mug for her and helps her drink, then mentions casually that he's made reservations at the Marriott for lunch, since it's far too late for breakfast. Mai quirks an eyebrow at him, head pounding, and asks him what makes him think he'll be able to drag her out of bed?
17. He kisses her by way of reply, tasting like toothpaste and coffee (he's already dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, he's left clothing over at her place for when he's crashed over at hers before, it's just that this is the first time they've had sex), and Mai protests once the kiss is done that as far as arguments go, that's a reason to stay in bed, not leave it. Ryuuji replies that part of the fun of leaving bed is returning to it, and that a good lunch, followed by a casual evening of shopping, then a nice dinner, will make their eventual retreat to bed that much more enjoyable.
18. Mai's convinced. When she walks across the room to the bathroom, she doesn't bother taking the blankets with her – beautiful, and aware of it, she has no shame in her nudity, nor any self-consciousness in front of her best friend. She dresses in front of him as well, and asks Ryuuji for help closing her bra. When she sits down at her dressing table, he's the one that combs her hair, and they walk out of the apartment arm-in-arm, laughing and talking blithely.
19. This continues. They are still friends and escorts in public. Mai dresses up nicely, and Ryuuji takes her for all the latest premieres, and when the media come calling, Mai laughs and dismisses Ryuuji as her best friend and the world's best lover. For certain magazines, she goes into explicit detail about why exactly that's so, and Ryuuji usually finds himself laughing when he reads her glowing praise of his skills. There's no jealousy or possessiveness between them, and they still live in separate apartments and fly all over the world, often alone, occasionally with someone else.
20. Ryuuji teaches her magic, and Mai learns fast. He stays on the phone and does business, while Mai tries to keep his pens levitated in front of him. Ryuuji turns them into roses and strings them into a wreath for Mai's hair. Mai laughs and kisses him, and whoever Ryuuji is talking to splutters out a protest at only having half his attention. Ryuuji apologizes and says that he's just proposed to his girlfriend. Mai laughs because this is the first she's heard of that, but Ryuuji smiles at her and slips his hand into hers, locks their bracelets together. A ring presses into her palm, and Mai doesn't stop laughing, but instead asks him if he can ever do things the normal way. Ryuuji replies that would take all the fun out of being him, and Mai can't help but agree. Ryuuji wants to know if that's a yes, Mai pretends to debate a little and Ryuuji hangs up on his business partner because, he says, the suspense would kill him otherwise. It's Mai's turn to kiss him instead of replying, and by the time the kiss ends, she's already wearing the ring.
They're still not in love, but that's not what matters between them.
Ryuuji knows how fairytales go wrong, and Mai's not a damsel in distress. It's better like this, when they're friends and lovers and everything is casual and easy and playful.
They don't get married for love, but for the hell of it, and with them, that's the best reason to do anything.
Fin.