Day 91 | log | [CLOSED]

[individuates]

Who: Kaoru Hitachiin (individuates ), Abe no Seimei (yinyangfox )
Open: Closed
When: Day 91
Where: Seimei's pad
What: Bribing Seimei with cake.
Format: Log
Warnings: None! Just two guys eating cake.


Kaoru had to admit it. As dubious as he had been in the beginning about Seimei’s little house, once all its walls were erected, and its insides (mostly) furnished… it actually hadn’t turned out so bad.

He could give himself a pat on the back for some of the work, too. Not that he had sourced all the wood himself. Or lacquered it. Or fit it together in a house-shape. But he had slaved away on the furnishings, which had definitely helped with the effort. He had managed to figure out how to quilt blankets from his scraps – they were easy – but he had no idea how to make a futon other than to sew together his blankets. Which was precisely what he did.

Well it was the best he could do, with the resources at his disposal. In hindsight, he could have just bought one with shards and saved himself the trouble, but never mind. He had delivered the futons the previous day – if Seimei had had a terrible night’s sleep on them, he could always run back to the Monument and buy real ones.

He had finally made his first purchase from the Monument with the shards he had been holding onto – a small strawberry shortcake and forks and plates to eat it with. Nothing as grand as they had eaten or used at the host club – and not antique either, or if they were, certainly not antiques he recognized. But they looked good and, really, they were fit for purpose. And the cake smelled simply heavenly.

So with the bag of cake in one hand and one hand resting on Tama-chan slung across his chest, he started down to Seimei’s. The egg had been rocking since a few days ago, tapping sounds coming from within. Perhaps it would hatch soon – until then, Kaoru was keeping a careful eye out.

He stepped into the small gardens around Seimei’s house, raising the bag and giving a bright, slightly teasing smile.

“Sei-chan~!”

Comments

[yinyangfox]

His own heart had been a steady thud, calm enough, since the admittance had been more cathartic than alarming or stressful. That changed when lips touched his cheek.
Something so chaste might have only amused someone else but for Seimei it was considerably more personal. His space was actively invaded and for a gesture that was really impossible to mistake for anything other than what it was. His heart skipped and lashes rose from his cheeks as dark eyes flicked open and rolled to fix on Kaoru's face.
In that moment he didn't even think about his tessen. Even if it had been in his hands he wouldn't have had the presence of mind to open it.

He raised a hand, sleeve sliding away from where it tended to conceal his palms, and moved to touch the red heads's face only to curl his fingers closed at the last moment. Regardless of Kaoru's leap forward Seimei was unwilling to push, though he obviously wanted more for all that he was politely distant and delicate; in that moment his younger companion could see past the veil of courtesy to someone who was emotional, lonely and not nearly so bland as he presented himself.

Searchign Kaoru's face for several moments, panicked thoughts rushing behind his gaze as he tried to figure out what to do that would neither push too far or seem like he was pulling away or dissatisfied in some way, the onmyoji at last chewed his bottom lip and leaned forward. A little push off the floor to give him more leverage - was Kaoru taller than him? He hadn't noticed before - and he pressed his lips gently against the boy's forehead, lingering a few seconds before pulling away and sitting back down.

For once, he wasn't blushing. No, instead he was pale and wide-eyed and under the distinct impression he was about to find out exactly what being slapped felt like.

[individuates]

...it was moments like this he missed Hikaru the most. The moment between him sitting back and Seimei reciprocating, the almost agonising wait, because although he knew how Seimei felt, Kaoru had never quite believed it, at least not until the onmyoji had leaned in to kiss him back, albeit just as chastely.

Then and there, all his worry, all his caution faded, and he was hopelessly lost.

He lifted one slightly trembling hand, almost mirroring the motion Seimei made, but gently, softly running his knuckles along the onmyoji's cheek. With the other, he carefully pushed the fan back across the floor towards Seimei - who well and truly had Kaoru's permission to use it, even if he didn't say it in as many words.

[yinyangfox]

He allowed the touch, though his skin was chilled beneath it and his throat worked hard to swallow against the dryness therein. eyes tilting down at the scrape of the fan on the floor, he reached to pick it up, only to leave it in his lap.
Pulling the fan open slowly, each fold a rasp and click sounding off the seconds where no words were spoken, the onmyoji finally closed it completely and set it aside once more. Heat at last rose to his cheeks, color trickling in to banish the previously unhealthy pallor. At least he didn't feel quite like fainting anymore.
It took a moment longer for the frozen surprise to relax from his face enough to allow the flutter of an arrogant smile.

"Heh...I...knew you would eventually fail to resist my elegant charms," he fairly croaked, oblivious to how obvious it was that his usual confidence had fled, along with his ability to conjure witty repartee.

[individuates]

Kaoru couldn't resist a burst of slightly nervous laughter, leaning forward slightly and wrapping his arms around Tama-chan, trying to get himself under control.

"...do you even realise how not elegant you sound right now?! You sound like I mortally wounded you!"

Well, they still had a little cake left. Cake could fix a lot of things.

[yinyangfox]

"Do I?" he asked, sounding genuinely perplexed. Clearing his throat and adjusting his robes, the onmyoji tried to look and sound more collected.

"It is terribly cruel to bring a man's sudden disorganization into question. I was trying to behave in a dignified manner. You do not think it a bit discourteous to point out that I was not particularly prepared for...that?"

He pursed his lips, pouting visibly and gesturing at the cake vaguely.

"Perhaps we ought to finish before the food spoils? Distract ourselves from...things."

[individuates]

"Well. I quite like it when you're suddenly disorganised. It's cute." He reached for the cake, to cut it into equal pieces and serve it. It was a knack he had developed, to be able to do it elegantly but without taking his attention off his companion. "I don't mean to be discourteous. I was just... stating my preferences?"

[yinyangfox]

"You prefer me in a state of distress?" he asked, looking up questioningly as he took the offered pastry.

"I could not imagine why. I find it difficult to speak and flutter without direction like a butterfly caught on a strong wind cast by your passing. It cannot possibly be dignified in any manner. I look a fool," he muttered, taking a moment with the fork once more before scooping a bite into his mouth. Fortunately the sugary confection was enough to relax some of his growing unease and he appeared significantly less antsy.

[individuates]

"You're cute distress." Kaoru corrected gently, depositing his berries on Seimei's plate again. The Strawberry Strategy worked before - hopefully it would appease him again. "And did you say something before, about how you enjoy changing the colour of a person's face? It's a little unfair that you get all the fun."

He popped a bite of cake into his mouth as nonchalantly as possible. Truth be told, he was still a touch flustered over the whole thing himself. He was just used to doing this sort of thing on a daily basis.

[yinyangfox]

Another purse-lipped stare before he huffed and poked a strawberry, eating it in grudging silence. There was no easy way to argue that and he'd only make himself sound even more petulant which was frustrating on its own.

Glancing down at his tessen he sighed, tilting his head to regard Kaoru with narrowed eyes. Eventually he relented and smirked softly, setting his plate aside to free up his hands.

"You have outdone me again. I am a complete fool with you. I lose all sense. You make me want to behave indecently."

[individuates]

"...I know."

A fond smile over the top of his own plate. He didn't even mind if Seimei sounded a little childish from time to time. Kaoru often resorted to that particular tactic himself.

"I think you'll find I have a tendancy to win." He needled gently, still smiling, "And I can make myself very difficult to refuse..."

[yinyangfox]

"Kaoru I find that statement entirely unfair and to a degree, inaccurate," Seimei replied with a faint snort and chuckle, eating another mouthful of cake before finishing his thought.

"Since I have no desire to refuse you, there is no use suggesting you are difficult to refuse. And since I cannot refuse your demands, you are automatically correct in your ability to win. I will unfortunately fall defeated to the wayside at every turn for the sheer enjoyment of doting upon you."

[individuates]

He laughed softly, trying not to snort into his cake himself.

"I only wanted to warn you! Just in case you ever had plans to resist me. But as you know, I'm mostly very gentle. And I can supply sweet things for you."

He finished up the last of his piece, setting the plate down delicately.

"It's good to know these things though. So about this party...!"

[yinyangfox]

He stared for a moment, a brow arching ever so slowly as a sly smile curled the corner of his lips. And there was that fox-face of his as he looked down at his cake, cut a piece off and asked, "I hope you are not too gentle when you are supplying those sweet things."

Closing his lips around the fork, he chewed the bit of cake and swallowed before adding, "I really don't plan on resisting," with a smug look.

[individuates]

For just a second, a look of surprise crossed Kaoru's face. It wasn't that he didn't already think there was more to Seimei than there appeared but... that didn't mean he couldn't be startled to see it.

Another gentle laugh, leaning forward for his tea-cup.

"I see, I see. So that's how it is? You're assuming I'm capable of playing rough..."

[yinyangfox]

"Oh? I suppose that is assuming a bit much. You are rather young," he drawled, finding much more ease and comfort in the playfully barbed banter, even if it was significantly more mature, loaded as it was with double entendre.

"I imagine your experience is limited and thereby your imagination."

[individuates]

"Younger and less experienced, I'll allow." Kaoru raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "But less imaginative, never."

And if Seimei thought for a second Kaoru hadn't... well, researched this area at all, he was certainly in for a shock.

[yinyangfox]

The universe was laughing at them there, with the child of a modern age being educated in such a manner while the adult of a bygone era was hopelessly naive. He had a good idea, certainly, but there was a difference from growing up where the most racy things were woodprints and paintings and a place where the most graphic acts were a few keystrokes away.

The look on Kaoru's face coupled with the words threw the onmyoji off his rails, and he found himself looking away first, eyes down as he finished his cake in silence, focusing on the last strawberries instead of the prickle on his spine.

[individuates]

He gave another light chuckle at Seimei's expression, and took a victory sip of tea.

"I win." He flashed an innocent smile. Gosh, he was going to need to un-prude Seimei a little, but at least he had all the time in the world to work on him. "Do I get a prize?"

[yinyangfox]

"You always will win," he complained, sighing and looking back up as he set his plate down and held out his cup expectantly. Earlier he had let it slide, but now he wasn't giving Kaoru slack on the proper form. He needed a bit of balance and etiquette tended to help.

"Why?" he asked, cocking a brow and leaning back slightly with a suspicious look. "What do you want?"

[individuates]

"You can win occasionally!" Perhaps not where Kaoru was involved, but occasionally. Kaoru made a mental note to let him, on occasion. Just in case.

Where did Seimei put the tea? Certainly not within Kaoru's reach - he set Tama-chan aside and slipped off his cushion to get it, kneeling by Seimei to fill his cup. Setting the pot down, he remained where he was, hands folded in his lap as he looked Seimei up and down for a moment.

"...may I see you with your hair down? Or would that be dreadfully forward of me?"

[yinyangfox]

"My...what? My hair? Why on earth would you..." he blinked, leaning to the side away from Kaoru slightly, head tilted down and eyes up in a dubious expression. After a moment of twitching jaw-muscles he finally turned away and cleared his throat.

"I suppose there is no harm in it. I cannot imagine why you want that, but you are entitled to it in your "winnings"," he admitted. "Do you want to do it, or should I?"

[individuates]

"Because! Just because!"

Because his hair was like a little mystery of its own, all wrapped up like that. It was hard to tell how long it was, or how thick, how soft and shiny. Kaoru was almost bouncing at the thought of almost having permission.

"Y-you're giving me the choice? I'd like to, but only if you feel comfortable with it..."

[yinyangfox]

Jaw tensing again, Seimei nodded slowly, head bobbing up and down once.

"Yes. I can handle someone taking down my hair, thank you," he grunted, shifting on his cushion and resting his hands against his knees. "Normally Mitsumushi would do my hair for me every day. It is considerably easier, due to the length, to have someone else manage it."

He didn't flinch or move a muscle as Kaoru worked, though his back was rigid and his chin completely straight as he stared out at the garden. His hair was pulled up, wrapped in intricate layers, one sheet of black silk woven over the next and twisted up into the total looped over length of the top-knot.
As the panels of liquid night came down, the light of the Bastion caught in them, highlighting shades more appropriate in the wings of ravens than on the heads of men. His hair was incredibly long as well, and despite being maintained in a slightly layered cut, much of it fell well past his waist to rest on the wood floor.
One the hair was unwound and freed of the tight leather wrap, it fell out on its own, slithering down around his shoulders and framing his face. With it down, Seimei looked much less authoritative, and much younger.

[individuates]

Kaoru gently combed his fingers through Seimei's hair to help it down - not that it was strictly necessary, as it seemed to fall perfectly into place, but it was a decent enough excuse to be able to run his fingers through the silk dark tresses a little enviously, leaving the bindings in his lap.

The urge to play with it was hard to resist, but Kaoru had to content himself with stroking it for the meantime.

"Doesn't your scalp ever feel tight and uncomfortable, having to keep it pulled back like this every day?"

[yinyangfox]

Still tense, but relaxing slowly with each stroke in much the same way an animal would, the onmyoji shook his head.

"No. Not really. It is considered unfashionable for most men of high station to have their hair down, so I have always kept it up. You never really think about something as particularly uncomfortable when it is a standard of everyday life. Besides that, it is easier to wear it up with the hat, you see? Just habit, and before long, you hardly notice."