Plausible deniability. Or the equivalent of holding your nose before doing something you don't want to do.
So wait, were you trapped somewhere together?
I guess I offered because it's kind of the opposite of an impersonal act. It can be submissive or dominant imo. And whatever, if I did think it was a submissive act I might like doing it just to piss off the powers that be.
[ You know what? Not gonna question that part, knowing Yusuke's frugality. Though there will always be that niggling worry that Yusuke will follow the next candy trail that he happens upon.
He's also somewhat grateful that Yusuke is still over there and Akechi is gone because now he can mutter a red-faced What the fuck, Yusuke? in peace. ]
You are nothing if not thorough. I suppose we've got nothing but time on our hands here anyways, so sure.
No, not really. He scolded me for accepting a box of chocolates. He was right to do so, as they were drugged, but that did not stop him from eating them off the floor like a dog.
[ The next ones come out slowly, Yusuke thinking to himself in the tub about every word. ]
Ren. I hope you know that I have not been intimate with you for the sake of acclimating to this place.
I have justified my existence in this place a journey that will help me better depict passion and desire, so that I don't go mad.
But it is not so academic with you. There's no motive besides enjoying the way you make me feel. Emotionally, as well as the obvious. I hope you know that I am not just using you to check sex acts off a list for research.
[ All true, of course, but would he be in such a rush to clarify himself if that never happened with Akechi? Of course not. He can sit in that tub until the water gets cold and he'll still feel guilty and dirty over it. Maybe he's just stating the obvious to make himself feel better. ]
Dog might be harsh. A shit bird, probably. Crows are scavengers, right?
But I regret to inform you that Akechi was right. Be a little more careful here on out and you can dodge more
awkward situations.
[ What Yusuke might notice about the next several minutes is that the bubble indicating that a response is being written will jauntily animate for a while, then stop for longer stretches before resuming. Yusuke - the thing about -
Ren thought he had internalized what a terrifyingly sincere person Yusuke is. Right up until the point that he's saying the sort of things Ren could wish were in person, pulse a triphammer of anxiety and affection, a nauseous urge to reassure and return. ]
Yusuke, you can be pretty single-minded and maybe even oblivious, but I never thought I was being used.
And I know you think well of me almost no matter what I do, and I'm grateful to have earned your implicit trust. But it bears saying that I'd never abuse that, and I don't and wouldn't think less of you if you did something you didn't feel good about. If it was strictly academic I'd still help you.
[ He does notice. All he does is notice, watch the bubble on the screen bounce as the bubbles in his tub slowly fade away. Feeling this anxious is so rare for him when it comes to Ren, it's usually so easy, knowing that he'll be accepted, that whatever he says won't be misinterpreted and twisted against him. These nerves aren't even warranted, it wasn't a love confession. It was more like a hint.
And yet, the longer it takes, the more his foot taps against the tub, agitating the water into little splashes. ]
Good. I'm glad
[ What is he doing sitting around in a hotel miles from Ren? He hits the call button immediately, jumping out and splashing water everywhere, barely taking the time to towel off before pulling his clothes back on. ]
Ren. Are you free tonight? I want to talk to you about this at home.
[ It's probably Ren's fault for laying down while texting, but maybe he also shouldn't have been staring at the screen waiting for a response since once the phone does start buzzing, whoops, there it falls out of his hand and thankfully breaks its momentum harmlessly across the bridge of Ren's nose. ]
Huh? Oh, yeah, I was gonna eat like half a gallon of ice cream because no one was gonna be here to judge me. [ Akechi. ]
I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't eat too much, I want you awake.
[ Click. That was fast. But the longer he spends chatting, the less time he spends moving. Yusuke dashes out the door, barely stopping to stuff the pajamas he liked in his bag, and certainly not stopping to properly check out. To get to Ren, he even endures the indignity of kneeling on public transport. Usually, he just walks, but his heart is already pounding so hard it could escape from behind his ribcage, he isn't sure he could take it.
Ren likes him. As a lover, and not not just a friend. He's always wanted to hear (or read, good enough) those words from him, but even here, with new problems and stressors to replace the ones back home, it seems ridiculous. Of all the people he could give his affection to, he would offer it to Yusuke, who's done nothing to earn it but cling to his side and make a mess of his living room. He isn't about to talk him out of it, but these are the thoughts that threaten to sabotage him as he waits on the bus, head down and looking at his hands to avoid any unnecessary drama from citizens of the Up.
Yusuke races up the stairs as soon as he gets back, too impatient to wait for the elevator, and bursts through the door, already panting, with sweat on his brow and his hair a damp, unstraightened mess from his bath. None of that matters to him, he doesn't even take off his shoes (scandal!), the artist's one track mind only cares about one thing - getting to where Ren is. Without even a greeting, he leans down and steals a kiss, hands clasped to the side of Ren's face to make sure he gets it. He can't help himself but to open his mouth and poke at his lips with his tongue immediately, desperate with the need to make his feelings known. It's passionate, it's demanding, it's minty.
[ The moue Ren makes is audible over the line, followed closely by the sound of a container thudding softly on the hardwood floor. ]
I wasn't gonna fall asleep...
[ The problem, then, is that now that Ren is at the final destination in question and in addition he is forbidden from sneaking off to Nap Town, Ren therefore has no outlet for the sudden pressure bearing down on him than to pace the living room and count spoonfuls of minty goodness that he's going to make himself accountable to Yusuke for. He is currently at six since the call ended.
And so what if Ren is nervous about this when he's sorta had hookups with a lot of different folks across the last half year here. Yusuke is Yusuke and there is something fundamentally separate about admitting his deep affection for the artist as opposed to wading through the conflicted mire that he and Akechi are firmly stuck in. Should he feel guilty? Relieved to simply have that direct exchange, love for love, and let it be that - or develop that, as he's sure that the case will be when Yusuke walks through the front door. Is that just? Or is it folly to try and ascribe justice where the heart asserts its reality?
No, it's not guilt that Ren feels when Yusuke bursts in. It's a shift in the chest, it's opening a door that already had Yusuke's name carved into it, inside a home with many such doors and many such names, some open and some closed. Some halfway and stubbornly refusing to budge either way. Ren finishes closing the freezer and rubs the back of his neck, a crooked tilt to his mouth. ]
Hey.
[ God he's a douchebag. Why does Yusuke -
Oh okay, hi, yes, Ren can work with this. It's all a bit dramatic, isn't it? A little romance novel? Whatever, take in Yusuke's heaving bosoms and respond in kind, Amamiya. Ren's mouth opens immediately and enthusiastically as Ren is pushed back into the kitchen island, carried by momentum. The usual sleek look of Yusuke's hair is gone and in its place Ren gets to be fascinated with the untidy tangles that his fingers can slowly tease out once he coaxes the initial passion into steady and glorious give and take. His lizard brain certainly enjoys the somatic portion, all sensory input overwhelmed with Yusuke's taste and feel, his presence, his ardor and inexpert domination of the kiss lighting up Ren's consciousness.
It's far too late for him to be worrying about the ice cream. When he feels close to just letting Yusuke grind him to completion right then and there Ren instead eases their makeshift makeout session to a brief stop. Ren breathes hard, resting his forehead on Yusuke's and scratching blunt nails lightly down the back of his friend's neck. ]
Can I get one of those every time I say I like you?
[ He feels no guilt whatsoever, even knowing that whatever is going on with Akechi has been going on longer than this. It's the furthest thing from his mind, where the horny teenager, completely (hopelessly, recklessly) in love, base instinct brain has completely taken over. Any functional synapse that can fire in any direction but touchkisstaste is indeed caught up in the over-the-top romance of it. This can't just be a kiss, it has to be a statement, a declaration of feeling and intent. Even if that's not how it usually works, Yusuke will bend reality to his will, if he needs to. Or at least trust Ren to understand how significant this is to him.
It's a different kind of kiss. Not their first, but everything until now has been quiet, accompanied by amateur fumbling in the dark and everything important left unsaid, the assumption on Yusuke's part that this is just filling the quota. He could lie to himself then, but the passion can't be ignored tonight, running hot in the tiny pockets of space Yusuke allows between them. There's fire in the air between their chests where they're not completely flush, in their mouths when Yusuke breaks for air and sucks at Ren's lower lip, between their knees until he plugs the space, wiggling a knee between the other boy's legs, one hand bracing on the countertop behind them. ]
Yes.
[ One word, falling out too fast and in a puff of breath, the speaker barely disconnected from Ren's face. He can have one any time he says anything, as far as Yusuke's concerned. Hello. Kiss. Good morning. Kiss. What time is it? Kiss. Doesn't he understand yet that Yusuke would do anything for him? ]
I like you, too. I have for a long time.
[ He's too preoccupied with the chills Ren's fingernails are sending down his spine to wonder if that's totally obvious or not. There will always be time to regret not saying so sooner, it's time for Yusuke to focus on right now. It's easy to do, with a warm, beautiful body pressed against him, getting him excited without the help of any tainted treats this time. ]
[ No complaints will be forthcoming; Yusuke kisses like a man dying from heartache, a focused determination that speaks of a desire that had been muzzled for whatever reason you could name. Funny if it was for the Phantom Thieves - for a group that they had built to model their society for outsiders. What justice could there be in outsiders rejecting outsiders, simply for who they might love?
Ren doesn't doubt Yusuke. It's cheesy but Ren has never felt like a precious, valued thing quite like he does in Yusuke's delicate hands. The monstrous urge to never let that feeling go wells up underneath the sharp spike of pained adoration he feels slip its restraints the moment Yusuke confesses. Ren shuts his eyes against it, dark lashes stark on his flushed face as it tips into the softness of Yusuke's palm, sandwiched on the other side with his own hand.
Declaration received. ]
Well that's a relief. That could've gone a lot worse after I told you I wanted to contract you, too.
[ Yusuke's slight height advantage over him just isn't fair, but it does allow Ren a criminally coy angle at which to peer up at the other boy through his eyelashes. His hips shift, a minute ah drifting out of him as it comes to light that, yep, super turned on as well. So the next logical step seems to be to use the arm still draped around Yusuke to pull him closer by the shoulders and commit to a slow, dirty grind on Yusuke's thigh oh-so-conveniently situated just so.
Ren's mouth parts around a soft gasp, a promise in how he presses a few kisses to Yusuke's palm and doesn't miss a beat in then slipping his thumb in and sucking it down to the base.
Let me keep you safe from this place seems a lot less compelling a reason than cutting it down to Let me keep you.
Removing his mouth, Ren is all jittery teen excitement when his hands fly to Yusuke's zip to make quick work of it, a threadiness to his normally deep voice. ]
[ Yusuke is an observer. An outsider even within their band of misfits, he watched them, saw the girls looking at Ren the same way he did, like the whole world opened and closed on the smile of one part-time barista. Yes, it was for the Phantom Thieves, in part, whether it was worth worrying about or not, but a bigger part was the voice drilled into his head long before they'd even met, so deep and so often that it won't unscrew. It says nobody will want him, nobody will care about him, he's no use to anyone beyond what he creates. The same refrains that kept him from crying for help all those years haunted him then, and they follow him now, even with their maker out of his life and a world away.
Hence, the prison of heartache that Ren seems hell-bent on breaking him out of, taking bolt cutters to every bar until he becomes this. A lovesick mess looking down at the other boy, his mouth open and lips wet, wondering if he feels the same warmth all over as he does, if that's even possible without them both melting into a puddle onto the vinyl flooring. ]
Yes, of course. We'll sort it out first thing in the morning.
[ He returns the gesture, not quite in sync, but with a weighty breath that's part sensation and half marveling at the fact that Ren is as hard as he is. Just as it's sinking in that he really wants him, he watches him take his thumb into his mouth. Such a wanton display of desire that makes him flush up to his ears and grind again against Ren's inner thigh, that he's almost thankful that it ends, so he can stop fantasizing about those pretty lips being wrapped around him for real and just make it happen. ]
I want you, all of you.
[ Yusuke's hands meet his between them, working on getting Ren's pants off, too. His hands are nimble, which is useful, in the time it takes to press another kiss to his partner's lips, he'd already gotten a smooth grope of his ass. His attention turns back to the front though, cupping his bulge and looking down between them (he prefers it in the light, he thinks) before propositioning him further. ]
Even after being told over and over what it is that Ren's presence means to the lives of those around him, he still doesn't know what that looks like from the outside. Half-smiles and relative silence serve dual purposes in allowing Ren to keep his counsel, a concession to an ingrained self-defense instinct that is nonetheless anchored by his tendency to showboat or wait for the right moment for a joke out of left field. The allure is even intentional, outside the inner ring of the Phantom Thieves. People are more willing to share their information if they are interested in leveraging it for the attention of someone that they place on a pedestal, for whatever reason, and if there wasn't a reason then Ren would have to make them form one. At its core it is a transactional modus operandi.
Ren made one such contract with Yusuke, but like so many it developed into something far more freeform and personal. The pedestal is uncomfortable beneath him, but while Yusuke's hands have insisted upon worship late at night Ren also feels earthly and present. Alongside Yusuke, not above. Maybe it's because they've finally gotten far ahead of the days that the artist needed grand rescue, and that Ren recognizes that the way to save him now is found in smaller moments of camaraderie and care and, at least for Ren, chipping out the rusted-shut hinges that have kept him from opening up to others.
Maybe it's also because you can't help but acknowledge the absurdity someone politely asking to suck your dick in the middle of the kitchen and you need to give yourself permission to laugh. Ren's arms drape about Yusuke's shoulders as he snorts (happily) into the bend of his neck, heart swelling with his astronomical fondness for a ridiculous, beautiful, and ridiculously beautiful human being like Yusuke Kitagawa, and god is he going to rake himself over the coals later for thinking something so unforgivably saccharine. ]
You may. Although we might want to move somewhere that won't murder your knees.
[ Yusuke typically isn't one to take teasing very well, so much time without the care a young person needs will do that to you. He's so self-serious to the point of absurdity, always sure that his schoolmates are laughing at him instead of with him because he wouldn't dare to make a joke. It's just another thing that makes Ren different, because that laughter sounds like music to him, uplifting like a prayer that pulls his feet off the ground, levitating towards heaven. It's a goofy, affectionate, laugh, and Yusuke can't help but meet it with a light huff of air into his neck. ]
Always considerate.
[ Ren has a point, but it's hard to pull himself away when he's all revved up to go, pants halfway off, dick fully hard, and face full of the lingering scent of his partner's hair. He pulls off him enough for one more fiery kiss, upping the intensity with the hand between Ren's legs, slow strokes up and down for a few moments until the artist just can't take anymore. ]
The bedroom?
[ The hand retreats so that Yusuke can pull off his shoes. They're dropped harshly onto the floor, tumbling against the cabinets and leaving a tripping hazard to be dealt with in the morning. In their respective states of disarray, he drags them to the bedroom, where he tries to coax Ren onto the edge of the bed. ]
Mnn. [ His hand slides to interlock briefly with the other boy's around Ren's cock. It's not conducive to intelligent decision making.
The potency of that kiss and Yusuke's own, ah, consideration has Ren dimly wondering if he can't just, you know, be carried to the bedroom, for all the good his legs are to him at the moment. His laughter is smothered and twisted up into something altogether lusty and eager, hands interjecting at Yusuke's attempts to disrobe because 1) Ren can't won't help himself be a polite guy with the miles of skin being unveiled right there, and 2) since Yusuke is getting his way Ren isn't going to get the chance to touch him how he wants to until later, and why leave for later what he can grope now?
SIGH, fine, he'll move. But only because Yusuke has a nice ass to watch while he's dragged onward. He might as well have grabbed some water bottles because he doesn't think they'll be inclined to crawl out of bed unless absolutely necessary in the near future. ]
This is fine right here, relax. Mostly wondering what got you so interested in - [ What happened earlier tonight, again? ] - ah, yeah.
[ Dumb. Ren smiles sheepishly and bends to peel off his socks-slash-kiss Yusuke's stupid, handsome face. ]
You know you don't have to jump into the deep end for me, right? [ Kiss. ] Just because [ Kiss. ] You just got here. [ Etc. ]
[ His words are muffled against Ren's lips, between frantic kisses, lips clashing together around his words. It's true that he has, in secret fantasies he did his best to pay no mind to, but sometimes, on lonely nights in the Kosei dorm...
Doesn't matter. It's time to touch Ren now, not himself. If his strange encounter with Akechi was the push he needed to make his desire known, then he'll have to thank him. Whatever the reason, he's here now, and he won't regret it. ]
I know. [ Kiss. ] I want to. [ Kiss. ] I want to feel closer to you.
[ Kiss. But this one lingers, taking one more chance to explore his mouth before Yusuke sinks to his knees to explore elsewhere. He finished his work at pulling the dominant's pants down, but doesn't start in all the way. Before, with the quiet touching under covers, he hadn't gotten a chance to see him up close the way he wants to, so he'll take his time. Looking up at Ren, watching him from the carpet, he smooths his hands up and down his legs, reaches around to palm the soft flesh of his ass, long, delicate fingers tracing the crease where it meets his leg.
He hasn't even started, and he's so riled up he has to pull himself out of his pants to keep from aching in his skinny jeans. ]
You are so beautiful, Ren.
[ He doesn't even flinch at the sincerity, whispering the affirmation against his thigh before punctuating it with a kiss. It's followed by a dozen more, dotted along his skin, taking his time admiring before he gets to the point. ]
[ It's gusted against Yusuke's heated skin, a secret for a secret. Soft so that it hides Ren's genuine bashfulness over being, in so many words, fantasy fodder that he has to deflect or risk burning up into ash, and that's good for no one and nothing. He finds that he loves and fears so close a scrutiny of some who, as mentioned, is this terrifyingly sincere in his attentions and Ren shivers for the passion of his kisses, the sheer adoration in his gentle explorations.
It's one thing to admit that he lay awake at night wishing that a particular person were in his bed, helping fight the quiet and isolation. The reality of him, the pressure of Yusuke narrowing his world down to him is just the alchemic mix of hot and scary to turn the whole thing into a thrilling jolt that shoots down his spine and sends goosebumps far and wide. Ren is not being examined. Ren is being committed to memory.
When he can't reach Yusuke Ren sits on the edge of the mattress and curls his fingers loosely atop his thighs, shifting when prompted to shed his pants. When he can reach Yusuke it's with utmost care that he cards a touch through his dark hair, gently straightening the strands so as to distract himself from the rampant arousal wreaking havoc on him from Yusuke's careful study. The categorization. ]
That's high praise coming from someone who'd know.
[ And there's little that Ren can do but sit there and take it, squirming on the bed with a bit of discomfort mostly having to do with being painfully hard. But Ren uses every inch of his restraint to run encouraging fingers down Yusuke's pale neck and across his shoulders, at one point nudging the top of his foot up against the other boy's heavy cock and letting the light friction work its magic.
But a guy can only take so much, you know? Ren is still gentle the whole while, letting Yusuke see what he wants to while his cock aches for relief, but Ren can only ignore it so long. At length his nails scrape lightly up the back of the submissive's neck and if Yusuke wants to look up at Ren there would be the familiar quiet affection Ren holds for them all, but cut sharply with a heat that is Yusuke's alone. Like fire that wouldn't hurt him to touch. ]
I expect a good painting to come out of all that study. [ He already has the best subject, of course. Ren's hand cups the other boy's nape, not insistent, but a guiding pressure ready to help with the task at hand. Ren's voice is little more than a rumbling storm cloud, a downpour in want of the first drop to fall. ] Or at least an interesting few pages in your sketchbook.
[ His gaze fixes on the rosy tint of Yusuke's mouth, a wetness that speaks of a taste yet unfulfilled and god does Ren want him to slake his curiosity. His free hand stirs, coming off his thigh to draw across that red bottom lip. ]
[ The fear in Yusuke has been compartmentalized. It's been stuffed into a neat little box, out of sight and out of mind, waiting to be opened on a sleepless night, or creep up on him like a jack-in-the-box springing to attention the next time he stares at a blank canvas.
He doesn't have time for that right now, and certainly doesn't have the attention span for it, with Ren's soft touch urging him on. Still, he resists, working on his own time, nudging the other man's knees further apart to leave wet, suckling kisses on the inside of his thigh. If it's driving Ren crazy, then that's just a byproduct of his own selfish urges - he likes this, the way he tastes, the way he smells, the rare role-reversal, where it's his precious leader who's vulnerable, and not him.
The pleading pressure against his cock snaps him out of it, drawing his eyes up to the look of pure desire getting beamed down on him. Yusuke returns the look with a dark smirk, filled with self-satisfaction he hasn't felt since slaying demons in the Metaverse, much less shown. ]
I'm not sure that I could do that. [ He hums, pleased with himself, and especially pleased with the sensation of scraping nails. Yusuke shifts, looking up through dark lashes to meet the other's eyes, finally getting to the point and wrapping his hand around Ren's cock, thumb pressed into the vein on the underside as he begins to move. ] How does one capture such a natural allure? A pure, effortless beauty, without looking like a shallow copy?
[ He's no sure he can, but for Ren, he'll gladly try anything. Yusuke has more than gotten the hint, and finally darts out his tongue, pink and wet, to lap at the dot of wetness gathering at the tip of his cock. The artist braces himself for an unpleasant taste, and finds that it's just the opposite. So he speeds things along, wrapping his lips around him with a soft, excited groan. ]
[ It is not lost on Ren how the both of them are jockeying to set the pace. He's of a mind to have a nice giggle about it were it not for the fact that Yusuke's teeth are very close to vulnerable areas that could easily be bitten, if Yusuke found the proper motivation. Although...Ren might be into that too. He let himself get involved with a certain unhinged detective for that kind of thing.
Not that Ren has room to think of anyone except the beautiful thing in front of him right now, not anything but the luxurious heat being kissed inside his legs and thighs, begging surrender. Yeah, Ren is at Yusuke's mercy, gasping softly, muscles tensing instinctively when Yusuke takes him in hand properly and sends shivers up his spine. ]
Effortless? I'm thinking you're overestimating my skincare routi- ah-
[ God, god, fuck Ren is never going to get used to that. Or maybe it's because from the moment he laid eyes on Yusuke on his knees Ren hasn't been able to tear away from the lethal slash of his eyes at this angle, slicing as keenly and clean as Fox's sword. A flesh wound, Ren convinces himself, a first sweet taste that his friend has taken and he couldn't dull the sensitivity. A flash of pleasure cracks up his spine like lightning from the sight him beginning to slip into Yusuke's mouth.
All stark lights and darks, a fantastic painting himself, the artist. Ren will be his greatest work yet if he can last, scooting subtly closer to the edge of the bed, to Yusuke
He pants, waiting for ruin to come with Yusuke's effusive words taking him impossibly high, staining his face and chest with bright red. Confused flattery, a near death scrape with naked honesty, an early grave dug with Yusuke's praise, undeserved relative to what Ren's done. ]
un: jokerswild
He stopped by but he left just as fast.
Did something happen? Need me to come get you?
no subject
I did not force him to, or even request it, but I believe he is quite distressed about it anyway.
no subject
That's surprising.
Not his reaction - that's pretty normal when he does something that he didn't expect he'd do.
no subject
I was sure you would be the first to offer. This place holds many surprises.
no subject
I'm almost sure he didn't intend it himself. Akechi rarely if ever allows himself to be submissive, designation be damned.
I think technically I still can be? It didn't sound like he offered before. IF YOU WANT.
no subject
Hmm.
Do you think such an act is innately submissive? Is that why you jump at the opportunity?
no subject
So wait, were you trapped somewhere together?
I guess I offered because it's kind of the opposite of an impersonal act. It can be submissive or dominant imo. And whatever, if I did think it was a submissive act I might like doing it just to piss off the powers that be.
no subject
I think I agree, in theory, though I lack the hands-on knowledge to say for sure. We will have to try it different ways, to test that theory.
no subject
He's also somewhat grateful that Yusuke is still over there and Akechi is gone because now he can mutter a red-faced What the fuck, Yusuke? in peace. ]
You are nothing if not thorough. I suppose we've got nothing but time on our hands here anyways, so sure.
So you two didn't fight or anything..?
no subject
[ The next ones come out slowly, Yusuke thinking to himself in the tub about every word. ]
Ren. I hope you know that I have not been intimate with you for the sake of acclimating to this place.
I have justified my existence in this place a journey that will help me better depict passion and desire, so that I don't go mad.
But it is not so academic with you. There's no motive besides enjoying the way you make me feel. Emotionally, as well as the obvious. I hope you know that I am not just using you to check sex acts off a list for research.
[ All true, of course, but would he be in such a rush to clarify himself if that never happened with Akechi? Of course not. He can sit in that tub until the water gets cold and he'll still feel guilty and dirty over it. Maybe he's just stating the obvious to make himself feel better. ]
no subject
But I regret to inform you that Akechi was right. Be a little more careful here on out and you can dodge more
awkward situations.
[ What Yusuke might notice about the next several minutes is that the bubble indicating that a response is being written will jauntily animate for a while, then stop for longer stretches before resuming. Yusuke - the thing about -
Ren thought he had internalized what a terrifyingly sincere person Yusuke is. Right up until the point that he's saying the sort of things Ren could wish were in person, pulse a triphammer of anxiety and affection, a nauseous urge to reassure and return. ]
Yusuke, you can be pretty single-minded and maybe even oblivious, but I never thought I was being used.
And I know you think well of me almost no matter what I do, and I'm grateful to have earned your implicit trust. But it bears saying that I'd never abuse that, and I don't and wouldn't think less of you if you did something you didn't feel good about. If it was strictly academic I'd still help you.
Since it isn't, I'll say I like you too, Yusuke.
no subject
[ He does notice. All he does is notice, watch the bubble on the screen bounce as the bubbles in his tub slowly fade away. Feeling this anxious is so rare for him when it comes to Ren, it's usually so easy, knowing that he'll be accepted, that whatever he says won't be misinterpreted and twisted against him. These nerves aren't even warranted, it wasn't a love confession. It was more like a hint.
And yet, the longer it takes, the more his foot taps against the tub, agitating the water into little splashes. ]
Good. I'm glad
[ What is he doing sitting around in a hotel miles from Ren? He hits the call button immediately, jumping out and splashing water everywhere, barely taking the time to towel off before pulling his clothes back on. ]
Ren. Are you free tonight? I want to talk to you about this at home.
no subject
Huh? Oh, yeah, I was gonna eat like half a gallon of ice cream because no one was gonna be here to judge me. [ Akechi. ]
You're welcome to join me, of course.
no subject
[ Click. That was fast. But the longer he spends chatting, the less time he spends moving. Yusuke dashes out the door, barely stopping to stuff the pajamas he liked in his bag, and certainly not stopping to properly check out. To get to Ren, he even endures the indignity of kneeling on public transport. Usually, he just walks, but his heart is already pounding so hard it could escape from behind his ribcage, he isn't sure he could take it.
Ren likes him. As a lover, and not not just a friend. He's always wanted to hear (or read, good enough) those words from him, but even here, with new problems and stressors to replace the ones back home, it seems ridiculous. Of all the people he could give his affection to, he would offer it to Yusuke, who's done nothing to earn it but cling to his side and make a mess of his living room. He isn't about to talk him out of it, but these are the thoughts that threaten to sabotage him as he waits on the bus, head down and looking at his hands to avoid any unnecessary drama from citizens of the Up.
Yusuke races up the stairs as soon as he gets back, too impatient to wait for the elevator, and bursts through the door, already panting, with sweat on his brow and his hair a damp, unstraightened mess from his bath. None of that matters to him, he doesn't even take off his shoes (scandal!), the artist's one track mind only cares about one thing - getting to where Ren is. Without even a greeting, he leans down and steals a kiss, hands clasped to the side of Ren's face to make sure he gets it. He can't help himself but to open his mouth and poke at his lips with his tongue immediately, desperate with the need to make his feelings known. It's passionate, it's demanding, it's minty.
Must be the ice cream. ]
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I wasn't gonna fall asleep...
[ The problem, then, is that now that Ren is at the final destination in question and in addition he is forbidden from sneaking off to Nap Town, Ren therefore has no outlet for the sudden pressure bearing down on him than to pace the living room and count spoonfuls of minty goodness that he's going to make himself accountable to Yusuke for. He is currently at six since the call ended.
And so what if Ren is nervous about this when he's sorta had hookups with a lot of different folks across the last half year here. Yusuke is Yusuke and there is something fundamentally separate about admitting his deep affection for the artist as opposed to wading through the conflicted mire that he and Akechi are firmly stuck in. Should he feel guilty? Relieved to simply have that direct exchange, love for love, and let it be that - or develop that, as he's sure that the case will be when Yusuke walks through the front door. Is that just? Or is it folly to try and ascribe justice where the heart asserts its reality?
No, it's not guilt that Ren feels when Yusuke bursts in. It's a shift in the chest, it's opening a door that already had Yusuke's name carved into it, inside a home with many such doors and many such names, some open and some closed. Some halfway and stubbornly refusing to budge either way. Ren finishes closing the freezer and rubs the back of his neck, a crooked tilt to his mouth. ]
Hey.
[ God he's a douchebag. Why does Yusuke -
Oh okay, hi, yes, Ren can work with this. It's all a bit dramatic, isn't it? A little romance novel? Whatever, take in Yusuke's heaving bosoms and respond in kind, Amamiya. Ren's mouth opens immediately and enthusiastically as Ren is pushed back into the kitchen island, carried by momentum. The usual sleek look of Yusuke's hair is gone and in its place Ren gets to be fascinated with the untidy tangles that his fingers can slowly tease out once he coaxes the initial passion into steady and glorious give and take. His lizard brain certainly enjoys the somatic portion, all sensory input overwhelmed with Yusuke's taste and feel, his presence, his ardor and inexpert domination of the kiss lighting up Ren's consciousness.
It's far too late for him to be worrying about the ice cream. When he feels close to just letting Yusuke grind him to completion right then and there Ren instead eases their makeshift makeout session to a brief stop. Ren breathes hard, resting his forehead on Yusuke's and scratching blunt nails lightly down the back of his friend's neck. ]
Can I get one of those every time I say I like you?
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It's a different kind of kiss. Not their first, but everything until now has been quiet, accompanied by amateur fumbling in the dark and everything important left unsaid, the assumption on Yusuke's part that this is just filling the quota. He could lie to himself then, but the passion can't be ignored tonight, running hot in the tiny pockets of space Yusuke allows between them. There's fire in the air between their chests where they're not completely flush, in their mouths when Yusuke breaks for air and sucks at Ren's lower lip, between their knees until he plugs the space, wiggling a knee between the other boy's legs, one hand bracing on the countertop behind them. ]
Yes.
[ One word, falling out too fast and in a puff of breath, the speaker barely disconnected from Ren's face. He can have one any time he says anything, as far as Yusuke's concerned. Hello. Kiss. Good morning. Kiss. What time is it? Kiss. Doesn't he understand yet that Yusuke would do anything for him? ]
I like you, too. I have for a long time.
[ He's too preoccupied with the chills Ren's fingernails are sending down his spine to wonder if that's totally obvious or not. There will always be time to regret not saying so sooner, it's time for Yusuke to focus on right now. It's easy to do, with a warm, beautiful body pressed against him, getting him excited without the help of any tainted treats this time. ]
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Ren doesn't doubt Yusuke. It's cheesy but Ren has never felt like a precious, valued thing quite like he does in Yusuke's delicate hands. The monstrous urge to never let that feeling go wells up underneath the sharp spike of pained adoration he feels slip its restraints the moment Yusuke confesses. Ren shuts his eyes against it, dark lashes stark on his flushed face as it tips into the softness of Yusuke's palm, sandwiched on the other side with his own hand.
Declaration received. ]
Well that's a relief. That could've gone a lot worse after I told you I wanted to contract you, too.
[ Yusuke's slight height advantage over him just isn't fair, but it does allow Ren a criminally coy angle at which to peer up at the other boy through his eyelashes. His hips shift, a minute ah drifting out of him as it comes to light that, yep, super turned on as well. So the next logical step seems to be to use the arm still draped around Yusuke to pull him closer by the shoulders and commit to a slow, dirty grind on Yusuke's thigh oh-so-conveniently situated just so.
Ren's mouth parts around a soft gasp, a promise in how he presses a few kisses to Yusuke's palm and doesn't miss a beat in then slipping his thumb in and sucking it down to the base.
Let me keep you safe from this place seems a lot less compelling a reason than cutting it down to Let me keep you.
Removing his mouth, Ren is all jittery teen excitement when his hands fly to Yusuke's zip to make quick work of it, a threadiness to his normally deep voice. ]
Anything you want, it's yours.
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Hence, the prison of heartache that Ren seems hell-bent on breaking him out of, taking bolt cutters to every bar until he becomes this. A lovesick mess looking down at the other boy, his mouth open and lips wet, wondering if he feels the same warmth all over as he does, if that's even possible without them both melting into a puddle onto the vinyl flooring. ]
Yes, of course. We'll sort it out first thing in the morning.
[ He returns the gesture, not quite in sync, but with a weighty breath that's part sensation and half marveling at the fact that Ren is as hard as he is. Just as it's sinking in that he really wants him, he watches him take his thumb into his mouth. Such a wanton display of desire that makes him flush up to his ears and grind again against Ren's inner thigh, that he's almost thankful that it ends, so he can stop fantasizing about those pretty lips being wrapped around him for real and just make it happen. ]
I want you, all of you.
[ Yusuke's hands meet his between them, working on getting Ren's pants off, too. His hands are nimble, which is useful, in the time it takes to press another kiss to his partner's lips, he'd already gotten a smooth grope of his ass. His attention turns back to the front though, cupping his bulge and looking down between them (he prefers it in the light, he thinks) before propositioning him further. ]
I want to try pleasing you with my mouth. May I?
[ Not great at dirty talk, this one. ]
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Even after being told over and over what it is that Ren's presence means to the lives of those around him, he still doesn't know what that looks like from the outside. Half-smiles and relative silence serve dual purposes in allowing Ren to keep his counsel, a concession to an ingrained self-defense instinct that is nonetheless anchored by his tendency to showboat or wait for the right moment for a joke out of left field. The allure is even intentional, outside the inner ring of the Phantom Thieves. People are more willing to share their information if they are interested in leveraging it for the attention of someone that they place on a pedestal, for whatever reason, and if there wasn't a reason then Ren would have to make them form one. At its core it is a transactional modus operandi.
Ren made one such contract with Yusuke, but like so many it developed into something far more freeform and personal. The pedestal is uncomfortable beneath him, but while Yusuke's hands have insisted upon worship late at night Ren also feels earthly and present. Alongside Yusuke, not above. Maybe it's because they've finally gotten far ahead of the days that the artist needed grand rescue, and that Ren recognizes that the way to save him now is found in smaller moments of camaraderie and care and, at least for Ren, chipping out the rusted-shut hinges that have kept him from opening up to others.
Maybe it's also because you can't help but acknowledge the absurdity someone politely asking to suck your dick in the middle of the kitchen and you need to give yourself permission to laugh. Ren's arms drape about Yusuke's shoulders as he snorts (happily) into the bend of his neck, heart swelling with his astronomical fondness for a ridiculous, beautiful, and ridiculously beautiful human being like Yusuke Kitagawa, and god is he going to rake himself over the coals later for thinking something so unforgivably saccharine. ]
You may. Although we might want to move somewhere that won't murder your knees.
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Always considerate.
[ Ren has a point, but it's hard to pull himself away when he's all revved up to go, pants halfway off, dick fully hard, and face full of the lingering scent of his partner's hair. He pulls off him enough for one more fiery kiss, upping the intensity with the hand between Ren's legs, slow strokes up and down for a few moments until the artist just can't take anymore. ]
The bedroom?
[ The hand retreats so that Yusuke can pull off his shoes. They're dropped harshly onto the floor, tumbling against the cabinets and leaving a tripping hazard to be dealt with in the morning. In their respective states of disarray, he drags them to the bedroom, where he tries to coax Ren onto the edge of the bed. ]
Sit. I want you to be comfortable.
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The potency of that kiss and Yusuke's own, ah, consideration has Ren dimly wondering if he can't just, you know, be carried to the bedroom, for all the good his legs are to him at the moment. His laughter is smothered and twisted up into something altogether lusty and eager, hands interjecting at Yusuke's attempts to disrobe because 1) Ren
can'twon't help himself be a polite guy with the miles of skin being unveiled right there, and 2) since Yusuke is getting his way Ren isn't going to get the chance to touch him how he wants to until later, and why leave for later what he can grope now?SIGH, fine, he'll move. But only because Yusuke has a nice ass to watch while he's dragged onward. He might as well have grabbed some water bottles because he doesn't think they'll be inclined to crawl out of bed unless absolutely necessary in the near future. ]
This is fine right here, relax. Mostly wondering what got you so interested in - [ What happened earlier tonight, again? ] - ah, yeah.
[ Dumb. Ren smiles sheepishly and bends to peel off his socks-slash-kiss Yusuke's stupid, handsome face. ]
You know you don't have to jump into the deep end for me, right? [ Kiss. ] Just because [ Kiss. ] You just got here. [ Etc. ]
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[ His words are muffled against Ren's lips, between frantic kisses, lips clashing together around his words. It's true that he has, in secret fantasies he did his best to pay no mind to, but sometimes, on lonely nights in the Kosei dorm...
Doesn't matter. It's time to touch Ren now, not himself. If his strange encounter with Akechi was the push he needed to make his desire known, then he'll have to thank him. Whatever the reason, he's here now, and he won't regret it. ]
I know. [ Kiss. ] I want to. [ Kiss. ] I want to feel closer to you.
[ Kiss. But this one lingers, taking one more chance to explore his mouth before Yusuke sinks to his knees to explore elsewhere. He finished his work at pulling the dominant's pants down, but doesn't start in all the way. Before, with the quiet touching under covers, he hadn't gotten a chance to see him up close the way he wants to, so he'll take his time. Looking up at Ren, watching him from the carpet, he smooths his hands up and down his legs, reaches around to palm the soft flesh of his ass, long, delicate fingers tracing the crease where it meets his leg.
He hasn't even started, and he's so riled up he has to pull himself out of his pants to keep from aching in his skinny jeans. ]
You are so beautiful, Ren.
[ He doesn't even flinch at the sincerity, whispering the affirmation against his thigh before punctuating it with a kiss. It's followed by a dozen more, dotted along his skin, taking his time admiring before he gets to the point. ]
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[ It's gusted against Yusuke's heated skin, a secret for a secret. Soft so that it hides Ren's genuine bashfulness over being, in so many words, fantasy fodder that he has to deflect or risk burning up into ash, and that's good for no one and nothing. He finds that he loves and fears so close a scrutiny of some who, as mentioned, is this terrifyingly sincere in his attentions and Ren shivers for the passion of his kisses, the sheer adoration in his gentle explorations.
It's one thing to admit that he lay awake at night wishing that a particular person were in his bed, helping fight the quiet and isolation. The reality of him, the pressure of Yusuke narrowing his world down to him is just the alchemic mix of hot and scary to turn the whole thing into a thrilling jolt that shoots down his spine and sends goosebumps far and wide. Ren is not being examined. Ren is being committed to memory.
When he can't reach Yusuke Ren sits on the edge of the mattress and curls his fingers loosely atop his thighs, shifting when prompted to shed his pants. When he can reach Yusuke it's with utmost care that he cards a touch through his dark hair, gently straightening the strands so as to distract himself from the rampant arousal wreaking havoc on him from Yusuke's careful study. The categorization. ]
That's high praise coming from someone who'd know.
[ And there's little that Ren can do but sit there and take it, squirming on the bed with a bit of discomfort mostly having to do with being painfully hard. But Ren uses every inch of his restraint to run encouraging fingers down Yusuke's pale neck and across his shoulders, at one point nudging the top of his foot up against the other boy's heavy cock and letting the light friction work its magic.
But a guy can only take so much, you know? Ren is still gentle the whole while, letting Yusuke see what he wants to while his cock aches for relief, but Ren can only ignore it so long. At length his nails scrape lightly up the back of the submissive's neck and if Yusuke wants to look up at Ren there would be the familiar quiet affection Ren holds for them all, but cut sharply with a heat that is Yusuke's alone. Like fire that wouldn't hurt him to touch. ]
I expect a good painting to come out of all that study. [ He already has the best subject, of course. Ren's hand cups the other boy's nape, not insistent, but a guiding pressure ready to help with the task at hand. Ren's voice is little more than a rumbling storm cloud, a downpour in want of the first drop to fall. ] Or at least an interesting few pages in your sketchbook.
[ His gaze fixes on the rosy tint of Yusuke's mouth, a wetness that speaks of a taste yet unfulfilled and god does Ren want him to slake his curiosity. His free hand stirs, coming off his thigh to draw across that red bottom lip. ]
Gorgeous.
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He doesn't have time for that right now, and certainly doesn't have the attention span for it, with Ren's soft touch urging him on. Still, he resists, working on his own time, nudging the other man's knees further apart to leave wet, suckling kisses on the inside of his thigh. If it's driving Ren crazy, then that's just a byproduct of his own selfish urges - he likes this, the way he tastes, the way he smells, the rare role-reversal, where it's his precious leader who's vulnerable, and not him.
The pleading pressure against his cock snaps him out of it, drawing his eyes up to the look of pure desire getting beamed down on him. Yusuke returns the look with a dark smirk, filled with self-satisfaction he hasn't felt since slaying demons in the Metaverse, much less shown. ]
I'm not sure that I could do that. [ He hums, pleased with himself, and especially pleased with the sensation of scraping nails. Yusuke shifts, looking up through dark lashes to meet the other's eyes, finally getting to the point and wrapping his hand around Ren's cock, thumb pressed into the vein on the underside as he begins to move. ] How does one capture such a natural allure? A pure, effortless beauty, without looking like a shallow copy?
[ He's no sure he can, but for Ren, he'll gladly try anything. Yusuke has more than gotten the hint, and finally darts out his tongue, pink and wet, to lap at the dot of wetness gathering at the tip of his cock. The artist braces himself for an unpleasant taste, and finds that it's just the opposite. So he speeds things along, wrapping his lips around him with a soft, excited groan. ]
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Not that Ren has room to think of anyone except the beautiful thing in front of him right now, not anything but the luxurious heat being kissed inside his legs and thighs, begging surrender. Yeah, Ren is at Yusuke's mercy, gasping softly, muscles tensing instinctively when Yusuke takes him in hand properly and sends shivers up his spine. ]
Effortless? I'm thinking you're overestimating my skincare routi- ah-
[ God, god, fuck Ren is never going to get used to that. Or maybe it's because from the moment he laid eyes on Yusuke on his knees Ren hasn't been able to tear away from the lethal slash of his eyes at this angle, slicing as keenly and clean as Fox's sword. A flesh wound, Ren convinces himself, a first sweet taste that his friend has taken and he couldn't dull the sensitivity. A flash of pleasure cracks up his spine like lightning from the sight him beginning to slip into Yusuke's mouth.
All stark lights and darks, a fantastic painting himself, the artist. Ren will be his greatest work yet if he can last, scooting subtly closer to the edge of the bed, to Yusuke
He pants, waiting for ruin to come with Yusuke's effusive words taking him impossibly high, staining his face and chest with bright red. Confused flattery, a near death scrape with naked honesty, an early grave dug with Yusuke's praise, undeserved relative to what Ren's done. ]
Yusuke, please.
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