A/N: Warning, this is another X-rated chapter.
Chapter Fourteen: Morning After
Ivory light poured over the bed from a crack between the curtains. Blue shadows fell in valley of Nagisa's warm, pale back and over the snow-white sheets. His naked torso was draped over his boyfriend's, tied firmly in place by his unrelenting arms. With a sleepy hum, he peeked up through his lashes only to find that he was quite awake himself. The blond's pretty lips opened in a delicate smile.
"Were you just watching me?" he teased drowsily, plopping his head back down on Rei's broad chest.
"Revenge," he justified, as the younger man had already had his turn many nights ago. "Now, up you go," he insisted, shimmying away from his weight. "It's about time we got breakfast." The attorney rolled out of bed, leaving his partner cold and pouting, and searched the floor for his discarded underwear and pants. Disgustedly, he came across the evening's used condom. He shook his head and tossed it out as the younger man tried to push himself up.
"Ooooh , ow, ow, ow," the blond moaned before Rei could criticize his cleaning habits as he tried and failed to flex his muscles into standing. His boyfriend shot him a worried look.
"Are you all right? Did I hurt you? I probably didn't prepare sufficiently..." he scolded himself, sitting by the edge of the bed and taking his hand.
"I'm fine," he murmured, slipping back onto the sheets with a grimace. "There was no way to avoid it, I haven't been fucked in forever. It's been about six months, so I just haven't had my muscles stretched in a while." Rei leaned over to kiss his nose pleasantly.
"You stay here then, I'll make us some breakfast." Nagisa fluttered his lashes teasingly.
"A morning in! Are you sure you've got the time?"
"This is the one day I do," he insisted, leaving the blond on his own with the promise to return with something tasty. In the meantime, however, the poor writer had to cope with being on his own! He buried himself in the pillows, tugging a thin sheet over his sore body (what a workout it had been), and vanished into memories of the night.
Nagisa hadn't a clue what had made Rei give in to the idea of sex, considering his previous reluctance, but he could let that go if it wouldn't stand in their way now. The gentle way he'd embraced him, those wondrous blue eyes stroking his body as hotly as his hands ever could...! Even now he was rose red from his ears to his shoulders in a pleased blush. He'd had some amazing sex in his lifetime, but somehow he couldn't picture anything better than that night. And, as the dorky brunet himself entered the room with a tray, backing through the doorway, he realized that perhaps it wasn't the sex that had been important that night, but the love.
"Here we are," Rei told him, interrupting one of his rare, introspective moments to place the meal over his lap. He joined him a moment later, pants thankfully discarded (though he couldn't say the same for the boxers, what a pity). He'd composed it beautifully of toast, some pieces with different kinds of jams and others with butter, some fatty pieces of bacon, and some fresh-squeezed orange juice (the blond liked to treat himself around the winter time - oranges were harvested in the cold season, after all). He was surprised when he noticed a couple wet perennials in a vase. "I didn't want the snow to kill them, so I picked some - I hope you don't mind..."
"It snowed?" Nagisa enthused, automatically trying to rush to the window to see. He didn't get far. "Ugh ouch, nevermind. Would you?" The blond gestured to his curtains and Rei obligingly left and opened them to reveal a glittering landscape, coated in head to toe, and likely near a meter deep! "Oh my God!"
"The weight would've crushed them otherwise. I haven't seen this much snow since I lived in Essex."
"An early Christmas miracle, then," he giggled as the lawyer rejoined him on the bed and they munched around the breakfast. Near his glass were a couple of ibuprofen tablets - Rei was honestly the best - and he took them for what relief they could offer. The older man took and cleaned the dishes once they'd finished, but returned to keep the bed-bound blond company, of course. And with that came an opportunity to talk. "So," Nagisa stated, curling into his boyfriend's chest, "we had sex last night."
"So we did," the brunet agreed, awkwardly pushing his retrieved glasses up his nose.
"You seemed pretty adamantly against it at first. What's with the sudden change?" he wondered. Now that he'd had a taste of what it'd be like with his lover, he wasn't certain how patient he could be until next time - he would, of course, try though, no matter what.
"I was not adamantly against it, I was simply -"
"You're changing the subject," he pointed out in a sing-song voice. Rei snorted, mentioning that he hadn't meant to. How detailed he was, Nagisa noted, doing things like giving him flowers and breakfast in bed, but being so nit-picky over a word!
"It's quite a story, to be honest," Rei confessed, twirling a pattern over the pale boy's shoulder. Meekly, he met the lawyer's blue eyes, and the silence prompted him to continue. "Don't hold it against him when you meet him, but my brother used to take me to all sorts of... unsavory functions while he was in university. When I was sixteen, he brought me to a particularly rowdy party after I'd been feeling down in school - I was being bullied without him around, see." His eyes took on a sad hue in their depths, but he did not turn away from his love. "There was a girl there and with some convincing, we slept together. It was entirely consensual, of course, but I've always regretted it, losing my virginity like that." He sifted through tangled, golden locks with his hand, careful not to hurt the younger man more than he already had. After a lapse in speech, he was able to continue wistfully, "She just left me in the morning. I didn't know her name and I never saw her again. Ever since then, I've had trouble having sex with people that I'm unsure about. I like to know that I love my partner - and that he loves me."
"Oh, Rei - I'm sorry," he apologized, rolling onto the man's stomach and hugging him like he might a teddy bear. "I promise I'll always be there when you wake up," he vowed. In response, the man chuckled, embracing his beau in return, and informed him, "I may regret it, but it's not a bad memory. Not good, but not bad, either. And honestly," he blushed deeply, "I might've been convinced sooner if it weren't for my ex. I, erm, mentioned him the other day." Curious, Nagisa's downy head propped up, inviting another explanation. "I actually thought that we would get married," he admitted, making his current boyfriend's blood run cold, "and we'd certainly talked about it. We'd been together for two years, but he broke up with me because he said I didn't really satisfy his needs."
"You didn't? God, how? Last night was incredible! " he interjected, crossing his arms over Rei's chest and placing his chin on them. Red in the cheeks, the brunet thanked him and replied he felt the same.
"To be honest," he disclosed, "I'm worried you might leave me for the same reason." Immediately shedding his playful, exaggerated tone, and instinctively gripping him tighter, Nagisa declared, "I won't do that, you know. You were perfect."
"Well, you thought so this time, but I'm apparently quite uncreative," he revealed, shyly eyeing him to gauge a reaction. "You just seemed so fun and teasing that I wasn't really sure how you'd put up with repetition." Relieved, the blond heaved a great sigh, relinquishing his hold on his pectoral muscles.
"Oh, definitely don't worry then, I'm plenty creative for the both of us," he assured, kissing the man's jaw flirtatiously. "But if you were really that committed, why didn't you talk about it? Seems like he was just looking for a way out," he pointed out, turning up his nose at the idea of anyone else loving Rei like he did.
"We did," the older man replied emphatically, "we tried new positions, but it wasn't enough, I guess." Like the flip of a coin, the blond's mood flipped from haughty to insecure and, biting his bottom slightly, he proceeded with much less certainty.
"Doesn't it make you sad? You could've been married now, but instead you're here." The attorney needed less than a moment to think.
"It used to," he replied easily, "and I used to think that all the time, even with the next couple men I dated. Obviously, they didn't last long. But it was funny - I stopped thinking about him when I met you." The blond's heart glowed deeply and he prompted a quick 'really?' with a nod from Rei. "I didn't even realize it at first, but when I did, I was more shocked at just how easy it was for you. In fact," he laughed, "I was only realizing it last night. Even when I did, the first thing on my mind wasn't that I missed him - it was that you had completely monopolized my thoughts!" He brushed aside the sunny blond's bangs and informed him, "That's why I said I was fortunate to have you - I could be stuck in a miserable marriage, but I've got you instead." He soaked up the praise like light and showered his lover with kisses.
"If you want, we can get creative now," Nagisa offered up in reply, partially in thanks, but mostly because he had a deep ache that begged to be filled. The only way to stop the pain was to keep on exercising those muscles, right? Rei colored at the prospect, kissing the top of his head, but explained, "Maybe later - right now I'm rather concerned about the snow, in fact... We both have work tomorrow, after all, but you live far away from my house and your workplace."
"Oh, I guess you're right," Nagisa acknowledged, clearly miffed by the circumstances. "I guess you should go before it gets worse, huh?"
"I was thinking more along the lines of we should go, actually," he pointed out, glancing uncertainly out the window. "You can just stay at my place until this lets up, can't you? It is closer after all, and I have a car. It's easier than public transport, a bit more reliable, you know?" Nagisa rolled over onto his stomach and gave a teasing grin.
"Oooh, you just wanna get naughty for a few days, don't you? Using the weather as an excuse, how terrible."
"I mean no such thing -"
"And here I was, thinking you were honest!" Rei thumped himself on the bed, mockingly irritated, and pinned his boyfriend down, using a free arm to tickle his bare sides.
"What's that you're saying?" he joked as the boy beneath him squirmed and squealed, "I'm afraid I didn't catch it." He wriggled himself out from the man's grasp, sticking out his tongue, and sat by the pillows.
"You're dirtier than you look," he told him, his face having gone red with mild arousal. He noted that his lover's face was exceptionally pink as well and that his glasses had gone crooked. Rei straightened them.
"If that's what you think," he shrugged, standing up and picking his clothes up from the floor. "I need to dig out my car. Why don't you pack a bag and then we'll be right over there."
The blond snorted. "There's no way anything'll be moving in this weather. We should just call a cab." The brunet gave a frustrated sigh, tossing his sweater over a partially buttoned shirt, and began searching the house for a shovel.
"While I'm working, then, go ahead and get your stuff together, won't you? It might be a few days that you're there, after all."
"Don't be an ass, I can't move after you pounded me last night," Nagisa insisted, clutching his naked bum in mock pain. The attorney shot him a vexed glance.
"I swear, you're such a child sometimes." He got ahold of a shovel and dug out some of the snow around his car, then busied himself with the dishes all while his boyfriend splayed himself out naked on the bed, using his laptop to begin brainstorming for his January article. Once Rei finished all of the chores, he dug through the younger man's closet and found a seldom-used gym bag which he tossed on the bed. "I'll just... erm, pull out some clothes, then? Does it matter?" The blond laughed, for lack of any better way to express his horror without offending his boyfriend.
"Yes ," he replied emphatically, "it does." He though for a moment, thinking up some versatile pieces, and told Rei, "Okay, first outfit - find my three-quarter sleeve dusty-pink shirt, brown pleated skirt, a thin black belt, and my stockings with black polka dots. Also my rain hat, it's wide-brimmed and brown. Oh, also there's a necklace in the bathroom that should be the same color as the shirt. That too." Slightly overwhelmed, the brunet nodded and repeated the list back, turning back to the closet while his boyfriend twirled himself up in the sheets, watching with amusement. He was impressed that the man managed to find his skirt rather quickly, but the rest, not so much. "No, no, that's red, it's a pink shirt. Cotton, you know? Form-fitting, no buttons," he informed the lawyer as he pulled out another ridiculous article of clothing. "Ugh, who could wear that with brown?" he commented offhandedly as the man put it back where it belonged.
"Why wouldn't you? I thought it looked fine," he replied uncertainly.
"Red looks better with black, first of all - that's a totally classy combo. And my skirt had a really, like, colorful brown color, you know? The red and the brown would be too clashing. It looks good with camel, though. But I have to dress down the color of the skirt."
"Oh," he said, clearly not understanding a word that was just said. He shrugged, finally pulled out the right shirt and tossed it over before looking for the next thing on the list. Nagisa folded it, stuffing it beside the skirt and belt and wedging a pair of scrunch boots in. After that one, Rei brought him black slacks, a black shirt with white polka dots, and some red accessories (he was learning!). He tossed in a few pairs of underwear, a practical sweater or two, and toiletries, finishing up with his laptop and charger. "Get dressed," he told his boyfriend who whined but complied nonetheless - his sweats, sneakers, a long-sleeved tee, and a fashionable coat didn't quite make the perfect outfit, but he could tolerate it, he figured, when Rei noticed his wincing steps and carried him bridal-style to the car. "All right, if you insist on being that way," he said, "then up you go."
"You're a romantic after all," the blond praised as he bent over to open the door for his burdened boyfriend. The attorney shuffled through the snow, placing his beau gently in the seat before returning for Nagisa's bag. He took care to lock the door behind him (and if Haruka needed to get in, well, he had his own key).
In the end, it took them more than twice the time as usual to get even remotely close and by the time they'd reached the Kensington Gardens, they'd given up, parking as close as they could to Rei's home, and decided to walk the rest of the way.
Well, Rei had walked anyhow. Poor Nagisa was still feeling sore (all right, maybe he stretched the truth a bit ) and had to be carried. They agreed piggyback was easier, and the smaller man took the liberty to cuddle particularly close, rubbing himself against his hard-working boyfriend, whispering soft sweet nothings in his ear and kissing his neck gently.
The world around them was quiet, drowsy, without anyone around to disturb the glittering landscape. All sounds of traffic had stopped to be replaced with the music box melody of falling snowflakes. The blond felt that Rei had not heard his compliments and, not holding it against him, looked into the white sky with the grey snow like a dream. The brunet had a lot to think about, he realized, and he ought not distract from it. Silence was the best gift he could give at this time for Rei. A shade of anxiety fell on his heart - the lawyer didn't regret it, did he? - and he buried his face in the crook of the man's neck to chase the thoughts away.
When they reached the complex, they found the doorman diligently clearing out a path by the sidewalk. He greeted them, abandoning his work to open the door for the couple, and left them be with that.
"All right," Rei said, unhooking his arms from the blond's legs and letting him hit the floor. "I can't carry you up the stairs. I'll take your bag, though."
They struggled through the halls and into the attorney's flat, making no small amount of noise, try as he might to silence the blond's giggles. Nagisa was about to make good on his promise of creativity when his boyfriend received an interrupting call.
"Oh, it's my brother, I ought to take this," he mumbled, collapsing from exhaustion onto his couch, never mind the fact that they hadn't even begun talking. He answered it in Japanese with a wary, "Hello, this is Rei speaking." Curious, Nagisa leaned over the back of the couch, massaging Rei's shoulders with his mischievous little fingers. A moment later, he wished he hadn't. A loud, crackling shout from the other end caused him to jump back in surprise, while poor Rei already seemed terribly used to it. Upon hearing a staticky cry of "Tanjoubiomedetou, Rei-chan! " Nagisa realized, with the blood draining from his face, that today was the brunet's birthday.
"Rei, why didn't you tell me?!" he burst with no regard for the conversation at hand. The attorney moved the phone away and guiltily plead, "Not now, Nagisa." The blond no longer picked up any individual words, but it sounded as though Rei's brother had turned inquiring and he piped down with a pout. His boyfriend grimaced at what seemed like a barrage of questions. Begrudgingly, he answered, "Yes, that was him." He paused, and when he continued he sounded quite affronted. "No, you certainly cannot!" Curious, Nagisa inched up in an attempt to eavesdrop on the conversation, earning a scolding glance from Rei as he listened to his brother's protests. Eventually, the crackling voice on the other end grew so loud that not even the attorney could withstand it. "All right, fine! But just for a minute." He turned to face Nagisa, obviously irritated, and said, "He wants to talk to you."
"Really?!" He stole the phone in a flash, his face creased with concentration. Meeting his family was a big step, even if it wasn't in person. "Hello? Nagisa Hazuki speaking!" he greeted in a chipper tone.
"So you're the new guy, huh?" came a slurred, cheerful voice. "He taking good care of you?"
"Absolutely, Mr. Ryuugazaki!" Nagisa smiled widely and Rei peeked over, appearing most suspicious of the whole ordeal. "There's just one problem," he continued teasingly, meeting his boyfriend's gaze. "He didn't tell me today was his birthday."
"Really? What a dick," he joked. "Do you have a present?" The blond grinned mischievously and he saw Rei stiffen considerably.
"You better believe I have the best gift; it's called punishment." He hung up, his declaration followed by prolonged silence from Rei.
"... Well, it was a rude way to do it, but I suppose I should thank you for getting rid of him," he concluded wryly, relaxing back into the sofa. Nagisa ignored him, a scheming grin upon his face as he approached his boyfriend with a sway in his hips, sore as they may have been.
"Rei, it's freezing in here," the blond complained, tossing his arms around his boyfriend's neck. "Let's warm up!" The attorney arched an eyebrow.
"And in what way do you intend to do that?" he interrogated, resisting the younger man's wiles and causing him quite the frustration.
"Well, how about a bath? C'mon, your bathroom is huge, I bet we can both fit," he begged. His lovely lashes trembled prettily, and reluctantly, the older man allowed himself to be pulled up the stairs by his forward little beau.
"This is not - hah - not what I had in mmm - mind when you said we should take a bath," Rei protested weakly as Nagisa tenderly lapped at the sweaty skin on his neck. The steam made their faces twice as hot, but blurred them to be half as rosy from a distance.
"Really? It's exactly what I had in mind when I said let's get creative," the blond quipped in reply, licking his pink lips. His boyfriend had his head thrown back over the edge of the tub, his arms encircling the rim, pressed tightly up against the cold marble surface to keep the arousing temperature at bay. From his vantage point atop Rei's lap, Nagisa could feel that he was unsuccessful. With fervor, he tucked himself back into the crook of his neck and continued his attentions.
"We are completely unprepared, we don't even have a cond- hmm! " The smaller man cut him off with a roll of his hips against that hint of an erection, and the scalding water sloshed around the quiet room. Rei refused to let out more than a murmur in moans, and the blond was far too busy kissing away the salt on his dark skin to bother with any of his own - after all, he was determined that the lawyer feel all the pleasures he could provide on his birthday. As his hands toyed with the strands of Rei's dark, dark hair, cooling drops slid down his fingers to spare him some relief from the heat. The lawyer's mouth slipped open in a silent cry of pleasure and, hungrily, Nagisa moved away from his neck and kissed him, wet and sloppy and with no hint of relenting. Easily, the brunet submitted to the pleasure and his moans vibrated softly through his boyfriend's throat. Their eyes fluttered shut, savoring the contrast of hot and cool, friction and moisture.
When they finally broke apart, gentle breaths stirring the steam, Nagisa reached over to the fogged up window sill and grabbed a jar of bath oils. He propped himself up opposite of Rei, exposing his flushed back to the air.
"Just use this," he implored, sending a lewd glance his way.
"I don't think that's very safe," he replied skeptically, eyeing the blue bottle warily. Nagisa let out a breathy, high moan.
"It'll be fine, I've used it loads of times. It just doesn't work with condoms, but we don't have one anyways." Before he could protest to that, he whined, "And we're both clean, so we don't need one now, do we?" He glanced back, his rose colored eyes imploring and wanton, as he wiggled his shimmering behind.
"If it won't hurt you, then," Rei agreed. The blond settled down, his eyes sleepily drifting shut. A soft pop and plip told him that his boyfriend had begun slicking up his fingers, but he let out a soft yelp when they prodded at his entrance. Quickly as they were there, the fingers pulled back. "Are you all right?" the lawyer asked, stroking his hips with his dry hand.
"Yeah, it was just much colder than I thought it'd be." Satisfied that it had been nothing serious, he slipped his long, gentle digits back to his ass. The first two slid in with considerable ease - Nagisa was still fairly stretched from the night before - and the third brought no pain, only a comfortable feeling of being filled. When Rei began to scissor him out slowly, there was a hint of a burn, but in the warm bathtub, he was so relaxed that it hardly mattered to him.
"You feel ready to me," the brunet assessed, pulling out. Nagisa 'hmm 'ed in agreement and peeked over his shoulder to ask, "Do you wanna do it like this, or how we were before? I want you to feel your best today." Rei passed him a small smile. "I rather liked you in my lap, but I'll consider myself happy when we're both feeling our best, if you don't mind."
"You're so sweet," the blond commended as he turned around. With the older man's guiding hands upon his waist, he slipped comfortably onto his member. He tossed his head back, breathing in the steam, and Rei wrapped his arms around his back to keep him pressed close. His hips rolled gently in a circular motion, sending a relaxed sort of pleasure pulsing through Nagisa's smaller body. He reckoned it felt something like a massage in a sauna - the height of luxurious love.
As they picked up a lazy, gentle rhythm, the hot water stirred around, occasionally spilling into the blond's well-stretched hole. He found he didn't mind the sensation either, and each time a little more poured in, he sighed. Rei must have been enjoying as well; he kissed Nagisa's slick neck tender, sweet, practically drinking the water from his skin.
"I love you," the lawyer murmured, his thumbs rubbing circles into his back, but his beau could only moan his agreement. The brunet opened his mouth to speak again - Nagisa could feel it - but stopped himself before he did.
"What?" the younger man breathed, gently moving Rei's head away from his neck, cupping his cheeks. Their eyes met. Unnaturally red, Rei blurted, "Can I cum inside you?" Not used to his lover being demanding of him in any way, Nagisa laughed gently and smiled.
"Of course you can! Honestly, it's your birthday, you think I'd say no to you today?" He tapped their foreheads together and his fingers stroked the soft edges of the lawyer's cheeks. Rei didn't speed up, but each thrust was deliberate and strong, making the blond want to melt into the bath. They kept their eyes on one another. Both of them were red from heat, from embarrassment, but Nagisa had never experienced such a unique sense of intimacy, looking into those dark midnight eyes.
It didn't take long until he felt a thicker, hotter substance pouring from his boyfriend's dick in contrast to the water. Nagisa allowed him to rest a few moments, affectionately running his hands through his hair, before the two of them finally stumbled out of the bath and onto the cold marble floor.
"Now just one more detail," Rei hummed, having recovered his energy.
"What's that?" the blond asked, his hot body at last quite comfortable. The lawyer smirked, his large hand wrapping around Nagisa's still quite-active erection.
"I think I'll enjoy taking care of this," he replied, removing his hands and pushing his smaller boyfriend onto the cold tiled floor. A moment later, the brunet's mouth was on his dick, causing him to tense up.
"O-oh ..." he sighed, the damp strands of his curly hair slapping the ground. The lawyer gave it a few preliminary licks before commenting, "Feel free to cum inside if you want to as well," and getting down to business.
He was a tease; that much Nagisa could determine. Rei kissed and licked and lapped, using the soft sensations to spark the arousal further and leave him squirming. When at last his lips fully enveloped the blond's erection, he couldn't help but thrust up slightly, scraping the back of his boyfriend's throat.
"Oh my God, Rei," he moaned, one hand tangling itself as well as it possibly could into a fallen towel and the other reaching to cover his mouth. Both the cold marble floor and the droplets evaporating on his skin caused goosebumps all over, but he couldn't bring himself to feel the cold with his boyfriend's hot attention. The brunet's hand reached up to his nipples, rolling them around in time with his tongue. The contrasting sensations were too much. With another involuntary thrust, he came in the back of Rei's throat, his face warm and red as he watched the lawyer swallow, deliberately looking into Nagisa's rosy eyes as he did. The blond's hand flew from his mouth to his eyes.
"Rei," he whined, "why do you have to be so sexy?" He heard a deep laugh, and in a moment his cooling body was wrapped in a towel and in a pair of strong arms. He opened his eyes.
"I could ask the same of you." The older man's expression was erotic, his lips shining and his cheeks painted red.
"Ugh, stop, " Nagisa begged, burying his blushing face in Rei's naked chest. His complaints were followed by a rumble in his stomach which only served to embarrass him more, and only caused his boyfriend to laugh more.
"All right, let's have a late lunch then. Are you okay to dry yourself off?" he asked as he gently placed the blond on his feet. "I can make us a quick something while you do that," he offered, already shaking his shorter hair dry and starting for his room to get dressed.
The blond took his time drying his longer curly locks, combing them out to prevent the tangles that often came with air drying or sex on the bathroom floor. By the time he finished, he was rather sleepy and a bit chilled, but couldn't be bothered to nap when there was food waiting for him. He assumed he'd have sex with Rei after replenishing his energy, however, so he didn't dress before heading down the stairs.
"Darling, I turned up the thermostat, it really was chill - good gracious , Nagisa, why haven't you put on your clothes?!" the attorney demanded as he brought over a food-laden tray. The blond sprawled himself on the couch, pulling the deer-patterned throw over his body.
"We're just gonna fuck again later, what would be the point?" he replied lazily. Nagisa peered over the edge of the blanket and saw that Rei had brought over melted dark and milk chocolate, strawberries, matcha, oranges... all kinds of sweet treats!
"Ooooh, that's just lovely," he sighed with more stars in his eyes than when he ever looked at Rei - but lucky for him, his boyfriend just laughed the look off.
"I was thinking back on our first date and thought it might be nice share dessert like we did then," the lawyer confessed, settling in beside his beau. He turned the TV onto his old movie channel - tonight's film was White Christmas - and wrapped an arm around Nagisa. The blond dipped a piece of matcha into the melted dark chocolate, having learned that his boyfriend preferred bitter flavors to sweet, and offered it up to him. Rei glanced away from the screen and, eyes focused on Nagisa's, wrapped his lips around his fingers to eat the dessert. Finding an immediate rhythm, he returned the favor with a chocolate soaked strawberry, his fingers softly stroking the younger man's mouth. Now, the blond couldn't let himself be outdone. Red in the face, he rolled a strawberry in dark chocolate and placed it between his teeth, leaning into his boyfriend with a pleading look on his face. The molten liquid burned his lips. Rei was pulled in by the black, gold, and crimson image, and they shared a bittersweet kiss. Every ploy pulled by Nagisa Rei eagerly fell into, and the delectable treats fast ran low. By the time they were finished, the blond's cherubic face was filthy, giving him the appearance of a misbehaved child. His growling stomach didn't improve the mood much either, and gave the attorney a laugh.
"We have to do something else about dinner," he chuckled, pulling away from their embrace.
"No we don't," Nagisa protested, ignoring the low rumble in his stomach and Rei's subsequent raise of an eyebrow. The brunet shocked him by kissing him hard and fast, nearly toppling him over in the meantime.
"If you want energy for the rest of the night, then yes, we do." Rei got up, turned towards the kitchen, and left his boyfriend to pout, a blush blossoming over his entire body. That certainly wasn't fair, the blond thought, dipping his fingers into the remaining milk chocolate.
A rattle in the doorway startled Nagisa away from the food. His soft blanket slipped away from his shoulders slightly and who should he come face to face with, as he peeked over the sofa's edge, but an older couple that appeared as shocked as he felt. He had the decency to recall that underneath the throw, he was naked. His jaw went slack. Theirs did as well.
"Nagisa, what did you want to - Mum?! " The dumbfounded trio turned to Rei, who appeared nothing short of horrified. "Dad? What on earth are you two doing here?"
"These are your parents?! " Nagisa blurted, heat prickling uncomfortably from his toes to his ears. Mortified, he tugged the morsel of protection over his shoulders and made a mad dash upstairs, shouting something along the lines of an 'excuse me' . Behind him he heard a muffled "that was Nagisa", causing him to dive headfirst into humiliation like it was a dumpster. Did Rei have to say it like that? He practically slammed the bedroom door in an attempt to create a wall, no matter how flimsy, between him and his embarrassment. Collapsing against it, the blond heaved a shaky sigh, cast his gaze about the room, and promptly realized he'd left his bag downstairs in the doorway.
A few moments later, a knock sounded behind him and he heard his boyfriend speak. "I've got your bag - do you want to get changed?"
"Yes," he groaned miserably, rolling aside as the brunet opened the door. Rei appeared somewhat sheepish himself as he handed the bag over.
"Sorry," he apologized, "I completely forgot they were coming. My reminder went off when we were, um... in the bathroom. They're just spending the night and then they're off to the airport. They got an early morning flight, you see..."
"It's all right, it's not your fault. I just made an ass of myself, as per usual." Nagisa took the bag and rummaged through, finding an appropriate sweater and jeans combo - he wasn't sure how Rei's parents would feel about the dresses and skirts and leggings and jewelry... He took the time to tame his sex-tussled hair and wipe down his face before rejoining Rei in the hallway and descending the stairway to hell.
If their first meeting was awkward, there wasn't even a word for their second.
"Mum, Dad, this is my boyfriend, Nagisa," Rei said, stammering over his words slightly. The blond took the cue to offer up his hand and noticed that his boyfriend strongly favored his mother in coloring and complexion. She wore a loose headscarf over her hair, dusted lightly with silver stars. The rest of her was impeccably dressed as well, considerably more fashionable than her son but with the same eye for detail. "Nagisa, this is my mother Amira, and my father Yoshiro."
"Pleasure to meet you both," Nagisa told the couple meekly. Rei's nice height obviously came from his father who, though stopped with age, stood taller still than the young blond. He wore thick rimmed glasses with a funny shape in a way that Nagisa found charmingly familiar. When it became clear that no one would break the silence, the blond quickly found an excuse to escape the oppressive atmosphere.
"I'm sure you all have a lot to catch up on. Why don't I make some pasta for dinner?" he offered, picking the only dish he could serve. At least it was easy to pretty up with the presence of parsley. "It's your birthday after all, dear, and we haven't eaten yet."
"That sounds lovely," Rei replied, guiding his parents to the living room. Once they were out of sight, Nagisa slumped against the counter. He could not have made a worse impression. He moped as he filled a pot with water and tossed it on the stove, sprinkling it with some salt for added flavor. They probably thought he was a cheap whore. He tossed in an absurd amount of pasta. There was no way he could possibly recover his dignity. Except for maybe this dish - he could at least show that he was responsible and could provide for Rei in his own way, though the lawyer and his family were obviously well off on their own. How could he hope to fit into that? Nagisa paused as his hand hovered over a particularly nice plate. Why did he want to fit into the Ryuugazaki family? His face went red as he continued his gathering. Surely it was too early to be thinking such thoughts - but he could indulge in a private fantasy, if only to make himself feel better... In his mind's eye, Nagisa pictured himself in an elegant wedding dress by Rei's side in a Gothic cathedral - or maybe a tea length garden party dress and a Hyde Park ceremony... The distraction improved his mood by quite a bit as he went about preparing dinner, and the red blush of embarrassment faded to the pink dust of pleasure as intimate thoughts teased his mind.
Nagisa did his best to artfully arrange the pasta on a large white plate, being cautious about where he poured the sauce he'd found. Instead of grating parmesan, he carefully hand cut it with a knife straight from the block, creating artfully thick furls of cheese atop the mountain of pasta. It looked like a dinner from Pinterest, and he snapped a quick picture of his victory, unusually pleased with himself. He ought to learn to cook - maybe a couples' cooking class with Rei would be a fun Christmas gift?
For a bit of greens to go with their menu, he tossed a winter salad together with balsamic vinegar and nuts that he found in the pantry. Overall, it was nothing terribly fancy, but it looked like it could be, and that was the important part, wasn't it? He set his creation out on the table, quickly making up four places, and grabbed a Cabernet Sauvignon, hoping that the peppery undertones of the particular bottle would complement the salad and pasta well. Once everything was set up to his satisfaction, the blond popped over to the living room, for once taking care to ensure he wasn't interrupting anything.
"Dinner is ready," he announced. "It's not much, but I didn't want to keep you waiting too long. You must be quite chilly, what with the snow. Dreadful weather for travel," he rambled, his eyes refusing to meet theirs. The older couple murmured their assent, and then left a silence for a moment too long before Rei contributed.
"Let's all have a seat, then."
The situation didn't much improve from there. In the fine dining room, all that could be heard was the gentle scrape of the chairs against the floor and the soft clack of utensils as each person served themself. Nagisa's sexed-out muscles screamed as he forced himself to sit rigidly straight and proper, wrists balanced neatly on the table, to demonstrate what few good manners his mother had managed to pass onto him. Rei took the liberty to pour the wine in each of their glasses - goodness knew the blond needed a drink about now.
"This wine pairs nicely with the salad," Rei's mother praised lightly, elegantly sipping at her glass.
"Thank you," the writer replied, "Rei and I are both really fond of wine, so we're both usually well-stocked." She nodded, and said nothing more. Way to make yourself seem like an alcoholic, Nagisa scolded himself, wanting to slam his blond locks on the table. He shoveled a forkful of spaghetti to give himself an excuse to shut his mouth.
"Did Daiki speak with you today?" Amira proceeded, turning her attention away from the young man across from her and to her son.
"Briefly. He had enough time to say happy birthday, but..." To Nagisa's dismay, his boyfriend caught his eye, colored obviously, and glanced away in a manner that could not have been more obvious. Yoshiro, his father, seemed to notice and blushed himself, but neither one could have been as cherry red as Nagisa.
"But?" Amira prompted, and the blond wanted to crawl in a hole and never come out.
"... He had practice, he couldn't stay on the line long," Rei lied quickly. In a very familiar way, the older woman arched a brow impeccably as she read the mood of the situation.
"I see." They lapsed into silence once more. Each party seemed to search for a safe topic to broach, and for once Nagisa's natural charisma gave way to quiet and caution in the face of his humiliation.
"So, did you come to, erm, celebrate Rei's birthday...?" Yoshiro prompted after a few moments, eyeing the young blond.
"Yes! Well... no, not really," he responded automatically. "Rei didn't say it was his birthday, but I was just spending a few nights until the weather clears up. My house is pretty far from my workplace, but I work close to Rei, so he offered..."
"Do you work in law as well?" Amira probed, leaving Nagisa feeling distinctly uncomfortable. He didn't suppose this was the time for the cross-dressing conversation.
"No, I write a column," the younger man replied as vaguely as possible, but he was quickly corrected by his boyfriend.
"He's in charge of an accessories column in Elite, Mother," he replied, a note of pride easily distinguishable in his voice. The blond glowed and perked up hopefully - Rei had said previously that she was a stylish woman, and looking at her now indicated the same thing.
"Oh, indeed? I'm quite fond of that magazine. I was going to bring the English copy to Satsuki." Rei's mother glanced back at Nagisa, her dark eyes reappraising the young man. "How long have you been writing for them?"
"I only have two articles published," he confessed, setting his finished dinner aside. "I only recently got the opportunity to write, but before that I was an intern and assistant for a few years, so I've always worked for them." The elegant woman nodded thoughtfully.
"I'll be sure to look for your work." A glance around the room showed that they had all finished their pretty though rather meager dinner, and the blond hopped up to clear the table.
"Why don't I take care of the dishes? Rei, we don't have any dessert, do we?" Nagisa collected the plates and silverware and began to make his way to the kitchen when his boyfriend stupidly replied, "There isn't any chocolate left over from earlier, is there?" The awkward atmosphere returned in an instant. When he met the lawyer's eyes, the blond realized he was perfectly aware that he'd stuck his foot in his mouth once again.
"Oh, I don't think dessert is necessary," Amira cut in quickly. "We should go to bed soon - our flight leaves quite early." Nagisa quickly backed out of the conversation, face as crimson as holly, and got to washing dishes. Through the murmur of rushing water, he heard Rei excuse himself to make up the guest bedroom.
When he finished loading and starting the dishwasher, Nagisa hurried up the stairs and scampered into Rei's bedroom where the brunet was collapsed upon the sheets with his glasses off and eyes closed. Making sure the door was closed behind him, the blond changed quickly into his pajamas and flung himself onto the bed with a hearty 'poof'. Unsurprised by the conduct, the attorney opened one of his eyes.
"That could not have gone any worse," Nagisa declared, trapping his boyfriend below him. The older man's hands gripped his hips, and he offered a sympathetic grin.
"Considering the circumstances, I actually believe it couldn't have been better - but I'll admit the circumstances were awful," he conceded as he sat up, pulling the blond into an embrace. "Your behavior was exemplary - you were a polite and graceful host, and this isn't even your house." Nagisa's pout gave way to a slight grin at the praise, and the couple looked into one another's eyes. They leaned in for a chaste kiss at the same time.
"I guess we aren't gonna pick up where we left off, huh?" the writer asked regretfully. Not that he particularly minded - it had been a long day filled with one too many surprises. Rei smiled at him.
"Not tonight. I think we're both exhausted." Rei disentangled himself from his young beau and pulled back the soft duvet, patting the space by his side invitingly. The blond eagerly cuddled up to him, nestling in the crook of his arm. The brunet turned off the lamp at their side.
Nagisa's heart beat pleasantly fast, half apprehensive to be sharing such an intimate space with Rei without having sex, and half relaxed and safe in a way he'd never felt before. Curious and gentle, his fingers drifted down Rei's chest and felt that his pulse was quite similar. The blond leaned his ear against his boyfriend's heart, and it was that steady and slow rhythm that eased him to sleep.