Disclaimer: The characters within this story all belong to CLAMP.
Warnings: Implied sex, yaoi, cursing, subtext.
Summary: Kakei acquires a fondue pot and invites them to partake, but then Kazahaya drops a strawberry and has to face the consequences.
Completed: January 12, 2010
Plotted Fondue
by: Kagome-reincarnation
Both Kazahaya and Rikuo had been innocently minding their own businesses, one stocking the shelves with women's shampoo and the other wiping a set of shelves down to get rid of dust before replacing the items that had originally been removed.
It had been a peaceful morning. Kazahaya had woken on time – no shoe to the stomach or other cruel awakening – and Rikuo had cooked breakfast and even let him shower first! They'd been several minutes early, so they'd be allowed out several minutes early and not once today had Saiga snuck up on him!
When you speak of the devil, he'll answer your call, and though Kazahaya had heard the saying, he'd never really considered that it might apply to thoughts as well. As it was, when the arm snaked around his waist to grab him, he squeaked, turning red as Rikuo turned to spectate.
"I know what you're thinking," Saiga teased, taking the dust cloth away from him.
"Y-you do not!" Kazahaya protested, stretching his arm out to regain the cloth, even as Saiga's arm held him still. Oversized oaf version two was even worse than the oversized oaf version one. It was as though Saiga was an upgraded form of Rikuo, except that he had a more physical need to tease rather than a verbal one. He was always grabbing him!
"Give it back!" Kazahaya couldn't help the whine that entered his voice as he continued to attempt and fail to reclaim the tool necessary to continue on with his task.
"Go on," Saiga said teasingly, "Take it."
Bastard. He was still holding it out of reach!
Kazahaya frowned, biting his lower lip as he thought of how to retake the dust cloth. Finally, he gave a mental shrug before stomping on Saiga's foot to distract him as he attempted to swipe the cloth. Needless to say, he failed.
What's worse?
Saiga hadn't even noticed that he'd stepped on him.
Kazahaya grumbled to himself as Kakei entered the drugstore. He'd come from the backroom, and as soon as he caught sight of him, Saiga relinquished the dust cloth.
"Rikuo, Kudo-kun," Kakei called them towards him. Obedient, Kazahaya set his things down before gravitating towards the Seer.
He was expecting word of another job or something equally fearsome, but found, to his relief, that the reason Kakei had called them over was entirely domestic.
"I recently acquired a fondue pot," the drugstore owner explained. "But it's too big for just two people. I thought it would be nice if you two could join us…?"
Kazahaya nodded his head vigorously. "Of course!" He'd never had fondue before – it was a western tradition as opposed to an eastern one, and so he'd never been given the opportunity. He was eager to try it.
Rikuo simply shrugged – it was the same thing as an approval from him.
Pleased, Kakei clapped his hands together, cheerful. "Wonderful!" he all but chirped. "Come to the backroom as soon as you're done. We should have the cuts and fondue ready by then."
Kazahaya cheered, pleased with this new turn of events. His day was getting even better! He wondered if he'd been visited by the dream fairy in his sleep, but quickly returned to his work. He couldn't wait to try the Switzerland-based treat that Kakei and Saiga had waiting for him. He'd heard a lot of about fondue. You were supposed to dip pieces of bread into a pot of melted cheese and eat it. Kazahaya hummed as he worked, never realizing that he was getting odd looks from Rikuo and, occasionally, customers.
Later, when everything had been cleaned and finished and the cash had been counted, and the doors had been locked…. Kazahaya and Rikuo entered the backroom. As soon as Rikuo opened the door, they'd been hit with a warm, bittersweet smelling air.
Kazahaya sniffed, puzzled. Was cheese really so sweet? He waited for Rikuo to move, but when the great lug remained still, he finally punched the back of a shoulder.
"Oi, aren't we going in?" he prompted him.
Rikuo, having returned to himself, simply nodded before proceeding into the room. And then Kazahaya understood why Rikuo had stopped.
Where there should have been a hot pot of melted cheese, there was a hot pot of melted chocolate. Creamy, delicious looking chocolate. It looked great, but Kazahaya was confused.
"Kakei-san?" he looked to the other man for an explanation.
"We decided that chocolate would be more fun," he said with a smile. "If you like, we can try cheese the day after tomorrow."
Kazahaya immediately smiled with a nod. Then he frowned, a bit confused. "Why not tomorrow?" he asked curiously.
Saiga snaked an arm around the teenager's chest, his rumbling laugh annoying Kazahaya. "What?" he demanded with a frown.
"You won't be able to walk tomorrow, much less eat," he said with a broad grin.
Kazahaya's eyes went wide. "Wh-why not?" he asked, a bit fearful now. "Is this going to make me sick?"
Nervous, his eyes went towards the door. Which Kakei was blocking.
"Of course not," the Seer assured him. "You won't get sick." Kazahaya trusted the promise, but there was an evil grin in place on the man's face. Before he could protest, he felt himself being steered to a seat, a washed strawberry being placed in his hand.
"Go on," Saiga urged. "You might as well get first dip, little lord that you are."
Kazahaya childishly stuck his tongue at him before dipping the strawberry into the chocolate. Bringing it back to his lips, he bit into the succulent fruit, his tongue easily enjoying the bittersweet and creamy taste of the sauce even as the sweetness of the strawberry beneath sent his taste buds onto miniature roller coasters of bliss.
"It's delicious!" he exclaimed happily before finishing off the rest. He watched as both Saiga and Kakei had strawberries, but frowned when Rikuo made no move to follow suit. "Rikuo?"
The black-haired teen looked at him with piercing eyes – for a moment, Kazahaya was frightened that Rikuo was going to attack him – before returning to his neutral gaze.
"What is it?"
"Aren't you going to have any?" Kazahaya inquired, his confusion obvious on his face.
"I don't feel like eating chocolate," the other teenager said coolly.
Kazahaya frowned at the curt answer. "See if I try and be nice to you again," he mumbled under his breath, reaching for another strawberry. Kakei and Saiga exchanged mischievous looks, and poor Kazahaya's strawberry collided with Saiga's – both fell into the pot.
"Ah!" Kazahaya immediately reacted, nearly catching the strawberry, but instead accidentally dipping his own hand into the lukewarm chocolate. Immediately, he pulled his hand back, not wanting to ruin the fondue. He held a cupped hand beneath the chocolate coated one to keep the chocolate from dripping all over the place and stood to head for the sink.
He was intercepted by Rikuo, who was looking at him predatorily again. Nervous, Kazahaya took a step back. "R-Rikuo?"
Without warning, he was tossed over the larger teen's shoulder and easily carried off to their apartment. He could only stare wide-eyed at Kakei and Saiga, his eyes both puzzled and pleading for help. But they'd simply laughed, Kakei even waving as they returned to their fondue.
The next morning, Rikuo was whistling and reported in that Kazahaya wouldn't be able to work that day.
