[ The Thai restaurant is Byakuya's fault through and through. Well, sure, Ichigo picked the place and guided them there (it was a couple of blocks over), but if Byakuya hadn't insisted they had something to eat in the first place, Ichigo's pretty sure they'd be in a hotel somewhere now, banging like rabbits.
Instead, they're sitting opposite each other at the small table by the window, a nice-looking guy having served them a bottle of medium-priced sake, chilled, because it's exactly expensive enough for that, right? Ichigo wraps his fingers around the small cup, tipping it a bit restlessly back and forth, glimpsing the liquid within at every tilt towards himself. His hands feel restless, eager to touch... other things. He looks over at Byakuya. They've had red curry for dinner, it was good, but honestly - neither of them is here for the curry, even if they at least agree on tastes, huh.
Some years back, he'd never have thought he'd even think something like that.
Shifting in his seat, he extends his legs beneath the table, the nose of his shoe brushing against Byakuya's ankle and he pauses, lips pursed, before pushing against him more insistently. Feeling how he doesn't give.
That's both really freakin' aggravating and really enticing at the same time. So, he comments, kinda off-handedly, kinda not off-handedly at all, ]
You didn't say how you liked the picture. [ There's a slight blush to his cheeks, though it fades quickly, almost forcibly, when he quickly adds, like making a deal or an offer: ] I'll go first, for the sake of fairness.
[ With a lick of his lips, he takes a sip of his sake and watches Byakuya over the rim of it. It's the best sake he'd had in a long time, but hell - he's a university student, he would ration his food, if he didn't still live at home. ]
The only thing I thought about, when you sent that picture of the koi, was how I'm glad you gotta look at that vase every day. [ Silence for a while. ] Even if it's for my mom, it feels a bit like it represents me, too.
[ The restaurant is acceptable - he's found that in the world of the living, luxury doesn't necessarily dictate quality as much as is true for the Sereitei. Going to any of the poorer districts in Rukongai will not, unfortunately, yield you hidden treasures of high or decent quality food. In Karakura Town, everything seems more... equalized. Cheaper food is still adequate, medium restaurants offer at least semi-proper sake - yes, it's quite different. It matches the impression he has cultivated from listening to Rukia's stories about the world of the living, though she rarely puts as much emphasis on how the contrasts differ. To Byakuya, it seems as if the people in Karakura Town are just... broadly speaking, wealthier overall, perhaps, than those who live in Rukongai.
It comes down, at least in part, to the way the noble families have handled the distribution of power.
He's glad not to get political about it but he notices, all the same, just as he notices that the sake they're drinking is of a good quality, despite the relatively low pricing.
Ichigo, opposite him, is getting restless. He's been less than enthused about taking the time to feed himself but obviously, whether Shinigami or human or hybrids thereof, they all need food to preserve and replenish energy. It's the logical sequence of things. Particularly if they wish to do more than just fall asleep when they get to the hotel they've booked. Regardless, of course, Ichigo thinks he can skip all necessities - the man who achieved bankai in three (3!) days, who rushed straight into Hueco Mundo without taking even the most basic, competent back-up (he's thinking about Renji and Rukia here, though Rukia is obviously not basic), then proceeded to face God knows how many top-tier Espada before getting his arse well and truly handed to him by a very unworthy opponent - of course, he will run himself ragged before he admits that he needs anything.
In retrospect, it's all very obvious.
Byakuya nudges him back with his foot, unconcerned. Sips his sake, one eyebrow quirking very slightly as Ichigo proceeds to tell him what he'd thought of the (mild, very harmless) picture Byakuya had sent him earlier, clearly expecting a conversational trade-off in return. Except, the picture he sent back... Byakuya pauses. Looks down at his sake, his gaze blank, seemingly unbothered. Inside, though, his mind cheerfully parades half-naked Ichigo in front of his inner eye, his body growing warmer almost instantly at the thought alone.
His lips twists for a moment. He could get around this with ease, of course - it would be as easy as to say, I appreciated the composition of your picture and the fact that you at least wore trousers but he's in the mood for something different. The sake is good, his blood feels lighter because of it. And Ichigo's foot is solid and strong against his ankle. Present.
So he says, voice as bland as always: ]
When I received your picture, I was mid-walk in my gardens, which was quite unfortunate. [ He keeps his gaze down-turned, though he isn't truly looking at the sake anymore. ] It was a long way back to my bedroom with a hard-on.
[ They do end up trading, one observation for another. Though, what Ichigo gets in turn is... did Byakuya just use... the word... Did Ichigo seriously just hear him say...? Here??
Opening his mouth to counter with something wry, instead Ichigo just stares dumbfounded at the other man with his sake cup kinda dangling uselessly between his fingers, the sole of his shoe pressing a bit too hard in against the side of Byakuya's foot. After a moment, he catches himself and eases up, straightening up as well in his chair and unceremoniously downing the rest of his alcohol in one go, eyes on Byakuya the whole way.
They're playing, and Ichigo was the one to start the game, right? Still he's the one currently feeling tingly from his knees to his navel, and shit - if he's gonna sit around here in this freakin' place much longer, knowing that Byakuya came to him because he made him horny, he's gonna die, pretty much, and it's not gonna be a good death. It's gonna be violent and ultimately, really stupid, when they could literally be doing what Byakuya apparently came to do and what Ichigo wants them to do right now.
He scoffs as he puts down the sake cup, pushing it a bit carelessly aside and looking furtively aside, trying not to look and to look at the other man at the same time, his cheeks bright pink from a mix of excitement and embarrassment. His foot slips further up Byakuya's leg for a moment before withdrawing entirely.
A bit sullenly, he points out, ]
We could be fucking right now, you know.
[ Keeping his voice down, so it's only audible to Byakuya, Ichigo slowly turns his attention back on the other man, his gaze direct and challenging. If you can, so can I, it means.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
saviorcomplexed) wrote2025-03-17 12:16 pm
no subject
Instead, they're sitting opposite each other at the small table by the window, a nice-looking guy having served them a bottle of medium-priced sake, chilled, because it's exactly expensive enough for that, right? Ichigo wraps his fingers around the small cup, tipping it a bit restlessly back and forth, glimpsing the liquid within at every tilt towards himself. His hands feel restless, eager to touch... other things. He looks over at Byakuya. They've had red curry for dinner, it was good, but honestly - neither of them is here for the curry, even if they at least agree on tastes, huh.
Some years back, he'd never have thought he'd even think something like that.
Shifting in his seat, he extends his legs beneath the table, the nose of his shoe brushing against Byakuya's ankle and he pauses, lips pursed, before pushing against him more insistently. Feeling how he doesn't give.
That's both really freakin' aggravating and really enticing at the same time. So, he comments, kinda off-handedly, kinda not off-handedly at all, ]
You didn't say how you liked the picture. [ There's a slight blush to his cheeks, though it fades quickly, almost forcibly, when he quickly adds, like making a deal or an offer: ] I'll go first, for the sake of fairness.
[ With a lick of his lips, he takes a sip of his sake and watches Byakuya over the rim of it. It's the best sake he'd had in a long time, but hell - he's a university student, he would ration his food, if he didn't still live at home. ]
The only thing I thought about, when you sent that picture of the koi, was how I'm glad you gotta look at that vase every day. [ Silence for a while. ] Even if it's for my mom, it feels a bit like it represents me, too.
no subject
It comes down, at least in part, to the way the noble families have handled the distribution of power.
He's glad not to get political about it but he notices, all the same, just as he notices that the sake they're drinking is of a good quality, despite the relatively low pricing.
Ichigo, opposite him, is getting restless. He's been less than enthused about taking the time to feed himself but obviously, whether Shinigami or human or hybrids thereof, they all need food to preserve and replenish energy. It's the logical sequence of things. Particularly if they wish to do more than just fall asleep when they get to the hotel they've booked. Regardless, of course, Ichigo thinks he can skip all necessities - the man who achieved bankai in three (3!) days, who rushed straight into Hueco Mundo without taking even the most basic, competent back-up (he's thinking about Renji and Rukia here, though Rukia is obviously not basic), then proceeded to face God knows how many top-tier Espada before getting his arse well and truly handed to him by a very unworthy opponent - of course, he will run himself ragged before he admits that he needs anything.
In retrospect, it's all very obvious.
Byakuya nudges him back with his foot, unconcerned. Sips his sake, one eyebrow quirking very slightly as Ichigo proceeds to tell him what he'd thought of the (mild, very harmless) picture Byakuya had sent him earlier, clearly expecting a conversational trade-off in return. Except, the picture he sent back... Byakuya pauses. Looks down at his sake, his gaze blank, seemingly unbothered. Inside, though, his mind cheerfully parades half-naked Ichigo in front of his inner eye, his body growing warmer almost instantly at the thought alone.
His lips twists for a moment. He could get around this with ease, of course - it would be as easy as to say, I appreciated the composition of your picture and the fact that you at least wore trousers but he's in the mood for something different. The sake is good, his blood feels lighter because of it. And Ichigo's foot is solid and strong against his ankle. Present.
So he says, voice as bland as always: ]
When I received your picture, I was mid-walk in my gardens, which was quite unfortunate. [ He keeps his gaze down-turned, though he isn't truly looking at the sake anymore. ] It was a long way back to my bedroom with a hard-on.
[ Another sip. ]
no subject
Opening his mouth to counter with something wry, instead Ichigo just stares dumbfounded at the other man with his sake cup kinda dangling uselessly between his fingers, the sole of his shoe pressing a bit too hard in against the side of Byakuya's foot. After a moment, he catches himself and eases up, straightening up as well in his chair and unceremoniously downing the rest of his alcohol in one go, eyes on Byakuya the whole way.
They're playing, and Ichigo was the one to start the game, right? Still he's the one currently feeling tingly from his knees to his navel, and shit - if he's gonna sit around here in this freakin' place much longer, knowing that Byakuya came to him because he made him horny, he's gonna die, pretty much, and it's not gonna be a good death. It's gonna be violent and ultimately, really stupid, when they could literally be doing what Byakuya apparently came to do and what Ichigo wants them to do right now.
He scoffs as he puts down the sake cup, pushing it a bit carelessly aside and looking furtively aside, trying not to look and to look at the other man at the same time, his cheeks bright pink from a mix of excitement and embarrassment. His foot slips further up Byakuya's leg for a moment before withdrawing entirely.
A bit sullenly, he points out, ]
We could be fucking right now, you know.
[ Keeping his voice down, so it's only audible to Byakuya, Ichigo slowly turns his attention back on the other man, his gaze direct and challenging. If you can, so can I, it means.
I'm even upping the stakes. ]