[closed] i think i'll breathe again

[ringwizard]

Date & Time: August 12th, evening
Location: Some in-town restaurant, Apartment 701
Characters: Haruto Souma & Kousuke Nitoh
Summary: Birthdays.
Warnings: Kissing???? I'll update if it needs it.

He'd actually made reservations--for six o'clock, with a restaurant he knew would take Transports, because he'd asked. (It had taken fewer than he'd thought--perhaps his good reputation was getting around?) He skips out on training, wanting to avoid exhaustion from mana overuse, and asks Oriko to help him bake a cake. He even locates birthday candles, though he doesn't decorate or anything.

He's dressed up enough to look nice. Not so nice he's afraid to get any of it wet, but there's a button-down shirt tucked properly into his pants, at least. His hair is, as always, impeccable, and he's picked up an umbrella actually big enough for two, instead of his small, lopsided usual.

"Kousuke," he calls, holding the small wrapped box holding Nitoh's present between his palms. "Are you ready to go?"

Comments

[ringwizard]

"Yeah, nuclear winter is a lot chillier than dinoland," Haruto agrees, and raises his eyebrows as Nitoh turns around.

"Hmmm... our reservation is at six, so not long at all," he says, finally, genuine regret in his voice. He leans forward in Nitoh's grip to kiss him slowly for half a minute, long enough to be clear without, well, inciting boners. They'd miss dinner for sure.

"Come on," he says, pulling back, and offers Nitoh his upturned palm. He shifts on his toes, nervously.

[ringbeast]

He follows Haruto's head with his, not wanting to let go. Their lips make a pleasant noise as they pull apart. "Ahh... I spose." He sighs. But it's his birthday, so he's pretty sure he's not gonna end up left wanting. He reminds himself not to eat anything that'll screw things up, after what happened with the whole spice challenge thing... Insult to injury, that was.

He's still a little nervous about holding hands, not cos he's worried anyone will see them so much as it feels so intense when he's doing it. He puts his hand in Haruto's anyhow, and grips it. "All right! So what's this place we're going to like?"

[ringwizard]

If Haruto's plans come to fruition, Nitoh won't have to worry about satisfaction at all. He would certainly hope to avoid a repeat of the spice challenge, but he's barely even thinking of it as he squeezes Nitoh's hand. He doesn't move right away. "I found a place that makes Japanese food--properly. They're mostly Indian food, but they had a Japanese guy on staff, and everything." Everywhere in Exsilium is a specific brand of shabby, he finds, but this place was clean, and repaired. And the smell of udon had been perfect. So that was good enough

He shifts on his toes to move toward the door, slow enough that he's not dragging Nitoh along or anything.

[ringbeast]

"Really?? That's awesome!!" He bounces up and down a bit and follows. The necklace moves on his chest and he's quietly pleased. Birthday in a strange dystopian future notwithstanding, it was pretty good so far.

[ringwizard]

"It was a lucky find, but I'm glad I made it," Haruto agrees. Honestly, he'd initially gotten a tip, from one of the Exiles who didn't hate him. Networking had its benefits, apparently. In the doorway, he lets Nitoh go, to pull on his knee-length raincoat and pluck the umbrella free from the holder in the foyer.

Oriko had announced she was going to hang out with Kirika, a mark of her true wisdom (or, perhaps, her foresight, but Haruto's not going to ask), so he holds the door open and trails Nitoh leaving with his hand low on Nitoh's back. He pauses to lock the door and then catches up, tangling his fingers in Nitoh as he taps at the elevator button. "It even manages to be on this end of town," he says, which isn't entirely unexpected given how much business the Transports could potentially drum up, but is still a boon.

[ringbeast]

Nitoh doesn't really get Haruto's raincoat/umbrella combo, sure it rains all the time, but never very hard. But sharing an umbrella is kind of romance manga cute. He grins, pressing his shoulder into Haruto's with a sigh.

"Sweet. I'm lookin' forward to seeing what they've got...! Wish it was easier to get stuff like soba noodles here... It's just not the same with western noodles." If he weren't dating Haruto, he'd definitely be crowding him. He feels sort of aggressively affectionate. His usual birthday stuff was casual... A karaoke room that people come in and out of, maybe an underclassman giving him a little gift during school...

He kisses Haruto suddenly, feeling happy and good. His kiss is a little more aggressive than Haruto's earlier one, he presses their bodies so close that it sandwiches the gift between the two of them.

[ringwizard]

Haruto would have things to say about Nitoh's opinion of his rain preparations, mostly 'I care about the state of my hair', and 'have you never been outside when the rain gets worse, because it does that sometimes, you idiot'. Instead, he's distracted, because Nitoh is pressed up against him in exactly the way he was trying to avoid, because self control was hard in a situation like this. He kisses back, leaning against Nitoh with a half-sigh.

The elevator door opens with a 'ding', and he backs off enough to pant against the corner of Nitoh's mouth. "Kousuke," he says, with an edge. Then he twists his head to look at the elevator--empty. Good. He shifts, pulling his hand from Nitoh's to get his grip in the fabric of Nitoh's sweater, and tugs, moving toward it. Seven floors of shoving Nitoh up against a corner and kissing him--not his idea of a bad birthday, really.

[ringbeast]

He grins and licks his lips as he follows along, perfectly willing to be pushed into a corner if it means he gets to have birthday kisses. Of course, he can't let things go without pushing back, he starts to let his hands roam and unbutton Haruto's goofy raincoat.

"Bet this thing's too hot right now..." he mutters against Haruto's lips.

[ringwizard]

"Everything is too hot right now," Haruto answers, unwilling to give Nitoh the satisfaction of getting him to say the raincoat was unnecessary. What's really unnecessary right now is, in his opinion, pants. And dignity that prevented handjobs in an elevator. Regardless, he leans into Nitoh's hands, one of his own settling quite firmly on Nitoh's derriere.

[ringbeast]

Nitoh very reluctantly pulls his face away, resting his head back on the wall of the elevator. "Hehe. Yeah, I am too hot, I know," he says good-naturedly. He presses his hand to Haruto's chest. "I guess I should be more responsible. I really wanna see what they got at that restaurant, I can't be runnin' us back up to the apartment just cos I'm in a good mood."

[ringwizard]

"Well, it's your birthday," Haruto says, slowly unraveling from Nitoh until his hands are set gently against Nitoh's hips, but they're otherwise at least a few inches apart. "And what you want, you get--for today." Clarification is probably necessary.

The elevator comes to a stop, and he takes a deep breath before he pulls away, umbrella hooked over his forearm. He lingers in the doorway, looking back over his shoulder. "You going to be able to walk?" he teases.

[ringbeast]

He definitely doesn't see the allure in getting with Haruto in an elevator where they could get caught. Making out is one thing, but any further than that's just too far.

He laughs. "I'm fine! I'm totally fine. I barely got a semi, and I'm like the king of hiding boners." He grins, walking freely out of the elevator. "You shoulda seen me in high school."

[ringwizard]

Haruto doesn't find much allure in getting caught, either, and with a deep breath, he re-settles his composure. (And his libido.) "I'm sure your highschool boner days were something to behold," he drawls, swallowing laughter. "Come on, we're getting side-tracked again." He pauses in the doorway out of the apartment building to open his umbrella. It's not pouring--yet--but the skies have darkened some. He doesn't intend on taking any chances, and winding up at the restaurant soaking wet. He pauses, to rearrange the umbrella in his hands and make sure Nitoh's at least partially under it, before he steps out of the building and onto the sidewalk, turning left.

[ringbeast]

He grins and walks out next to Haruto, not entirely bothered by his outside shoulder getting sprinkled on. "How far's the place?" He asks, only now considering exactly what Haruto might have meant by 'what you want, you get.'

He bumps Haruto's shoulders, partly a function of his gait and partly just to touch on him. "We're gonna get cake or whatever, too, right?"

[ringwizard]

"Three blocks up and then six in that direction," Haruto recites, from memory, gesturing toward their right with his free hand. He knocks his elbow against Nitoh's when he starts bumping into him. "There's a cake at home already," he says, looking away. His baking session with Oriko had been enlightening. And full of too much mayonnaise. Besides his slightly lopsided frosting job, the cake had seemed okay, though. "But if you want dessert, I won't stop you."

[ringbeast]

He raises his eyebrows, "Is that what you were doin' that made the house all smell good?!" he hops in front of Haruto, walking backwards enthusiastically, not paying attention to the other people on the street. He grins. "You made me a cake yourself?"

He hops a little, backwards. "I'm totally gonna leave room for it! You gotta eat a cake that the person you like makes for you, cos wow if you don't you're a huge jerk." He reaches forward and ruffles Haruto's hair.

[ringwizard]

"Nitoh," Haruto grumbles, batting at Nitoh hand and finally catching his wrist. "Stop that," he says, and then releases Nitoh's wrist so he can fix it.

"Oriko helped," he continues, as he finger-combs the front down again. "But yes, I made you a cake. ...a mayonnaise cake." He feels that that part of the process needs to be highlighted. He's pleased, though, that Nitoh has enough faith to want to eat it.

[ringbeast]

"Aaaah, you're so cute!" He fists his hands and raises them into the air, grinning and turning under the sprinkling water. "Man, how'd I never realize you were so cute?!"

He pauses to let Haruto catch up and rolls his arm over his shoulder, nestling under the umbrella with him. "Oh, good, if Oriko helped there's no way she let you screw it up."

[ringwizard]

Haruto laughs, really laughs, rolling his eyes. "I am not," he says, but when Nitoh drapes himself over his shoulders, he leans easily against him, with that warm sense of familiarity. He turns his head to scowl, despite it. "I'm not that bad," he grumbles, sounding a little put out. "But she did make it better," he finally concedes.

[ringbeast]

"Nah you totally are, you just try to hide it." He squeezes Haruto's shoulder. "That's my favorite part."

He laughs. "I'm sure you coulda made a great cake all on your own too. We should make one together next time someone else has a birthday. Like Oriko. Or maybe just for fun! You don't always gotta have a reason."

[ringwizard]

"Whatever you say," Haruto says, humoring him. Carefully, he shifts the umbrella into his outside hand, to curl his arm low around Nitoh's back.

"We can make a cake whenever you want," he says, "as long as you give me a couple hours' advance warning." Carefully, he tugs Nitoh toward the upcoming right turn. "We should probably give Oriko some advance warning, too. Otherwise Kirika will eat half the batter and we won't have enough for a cake." He feels warm, in his chest, and it makes him smile, small but genuine, at Nitoh.

[ringbeast]

He takes that as a win, honestly. He's pleased and warm and a little sprinkled with water.

"Yeah, we better be careful to make double the batter if Kirika's gonna be there." He smirks. The smile Haruto's giving him is one of those rare non-mocking smiles, and that feels good too. Things have been... a bit better between him and Oriko. On her end it's as cordial as ever, but he's been chatting with her a little more. Even if he didn't still like her, even though her mercenary parts scared him, it'd be worth it to make up for Haruto's sake, he's pretty sure.

[ringwizard]

"If we put you on 'adding mayonnaise to the batter' duty, we might end up with twice as much just from you getting over-enthusiastic," he drawls, as they round the corner and continue on down.

He hasn't missed the slight change in the atmosphere at their apartment. It's gratifying, to see Nitoh trying to make it work. "Let's hope the rain doesn't get any worse while we're out, huh?"

[ringbeast]

He grins. "Then you better put me on that duty." As if he wasn't always on that duty.

He shrugs. "Doesn't bother me, and you got your umbrella. I'll just hang on you if I get super wet."

[ringwizard]

"As if you even need to be put on that duty?" Haruto teases. "You'd find a way to mayo-bomb homemade mayonnaise." It's fond.

"You are not hanging on me if you're soaking wet," he says, making a face. He just hopes they don't get a storm. Those always make him melancholy, and he'd like to avoid that, for Nitoh.

[ringbeast]

"That's my full time job til I find a new one. And I have mayo bombed mayonnaise, because have you ever tasted western mayonnaise? It's really gross." He is dead serious, as he always is about mayonnaise.

"I gotta hang on you to get under the umbrella, so I don't get soaking wet!" He hangs over Haruto's shoulders as if to illustrate.

[ringwizard]

"I hope employment offers open soon, then," Haruto drawls--"I avoid all mayonnaise. It's a reflex by now."

He groans as Nitoh leans all over him, wiggling in Nitoh's grip. Not hard enough to break free, but enough to register his displeasure. His hand fists in the back of Nitoh's shirt. "We're going to fall over."

[ringbeast]

"Haha, me too. Mayonnaise isn't cheap!" He leans in to kiss Haruto quick on the lips, "And you don't avoid mayonnaise that hard or you wouldn't be with me, right??"

"No, you're gonna fall over and I'm gonna fall with you." But he lets up, leaning away a little more. "Man, this is a pretty awesome birthday already, though."

[ringwizard]

"It's part of the Nitoh package deal," Haruto answers, kissing back.

"Same thing in the end, isn't it?" he asks, straightening up. "You think so?" A beat. "It'll get better, later." If he has any say in it, anyway.

[ringbeast]

"Haha, it sure is!!" He grins.

"I guess, but if you fall first, I win." At the- not ominous, that's not the right word... PROMISING, that's it - pause, he blinks owlishly at Haruto. "You got more plans? More surprises?"

[ringwizard]

"That's not how that works," Haruto answers, elbowing at him. His expression turns smug as they come up on the restaurant.

"Maybe," he drawls. "I think you'll like it. You've liked the other installments." God, he hopes Nitoh doesn't think he means a book.

[ringbeast]

He grins and peers into the restaurant like a kid in a candy store. But Haruto's doing his sexy voice, and Nitoh can always pick that out.

He blushes faintly. "Ah, yeah? Yeah? Um... Cool... Awesome, then. You wanna- you wanna eat, though? We're here and all..."

[ringwizard]

Ah. Good. "We came all the way over here," he says, and reaches to pull the door open. "So yes, I do. C'mon, birthday boy."

[ringbeast]

Nitoh's blushing a little harder now. "Good, okay, great. Awesome." He's definitely going to be buzzing with anticipation and trying to figure out exactly what Haruto's plans are throughout dinner.

Well, at least until the food comes. "All right, birthday boy's boyfriend!" he shouts, brightly, laughing. He grabs Haruto by the wrist and drags him in, greeting the owners loudly.