[Log] Gin, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Shirosaki (Party Log)
Title: Ring Around the Gin
Characters: Gin (
formative), Ikkaku (
ratherbe4gotten), Shirosaki (
gogodgene), Yumichika (
day_eight)
Timeline: September 1, 2007
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Gin and Yumi get in a... confrontation. Ikkaku steps in to make matters worse help out. Shirosaki ends up having to break it up.
Gin had found his way back to the bar after several interesting encounters with… people and was ready to take a break when his eyes spotted the pretty little flower work its way towards the bar. Now, where had he been hiding all evening?
The publicist hid in the crowd until Yumi had placed his order before he closed in on his target. The designer had turned his back to the crowd which made it so much easier for the blond to seemingly appear out of thin air.
“Ain’t got anyone to play with, lil blossom?” he chirped, slinging an arm around Yumi’s neck and leaned his head against the other man’s. “Maybe yer just too pretty for the normal folk ‘round here. They're so easily intimidated.”
After prying himself away from a particularly annoying person, Yumi sighed and headed over to the bar for another martini. Although he had managed to drink quite a bit during the course of the evening, the alcohol was still failing to dull his irritation at the random idiots who found it necessary to speak to him. He only had intentions on speaking with beautiful people… why couldn’t those crude morons realize that? Their incessant voices went straight through his head, giving him an instant headache. He needed a drink… a strong drink… Then maybe he’d be able to go and make some more rounds without having to grit his teeth.
He had just given his order when a chipper voice sounded in his ear, followed by a steely arm sliding over his shoulder. His eyes widened slightly in alarm and he turned his head, only to be met with the sight of bright azure eyes glinting back at him.
Oh, fucking hell…
Fighting the urge to knee the man in the stomach and remove that heavy arm from his neck, he smiled stiffly and turned his face away. Being nose to nose with Gin Ichimaru wasn’t exactly something he was fond of.
“Mr. Ichimaru,” he said dryly, “It seems as if you’re enjoying yourself.” Yeah, enjoying himself at Yumi’s expense. This was so not what he needed at the moment. He wished his drink would hurry up and get there so he could gulp it down and order another.
“That’s a very accurate assessment, Mr Ayasegawa. I’m impressed by yer exceptionally well developed observation skills. Makes me wonder what other skills ya might have.” Chuckling softly, Gin brushed his nose against Yumi’s and made sure his grip on the designer was tight enough to prevent him from bolting.
A martini was placed in front of them and the publicist snatched the olives out before the other man could reach for his drink. “Aww, don’t make such a gloomy face. It ain’t a pretty sight and ya’ll get all wrinkly and then Mr Aizen’ll have to fire ya ‘cause a heinous lookin’ designer just ain’t gonna do.” He slipped the first olive between his lips, sucked it into his mouth and sucked harder until it came off the stick.
Ah… so Gin wanted to play that game, did he? To be honest, Yumi was a bit fed up at getting bullied around by the quirky publicist. It wasn’t like him to get squeamish over such simple taunts, even if they did come from someone as… odd… as Gin. His fingers clenched on the bar tightly when the other man decided to invade his personal space... even more than he already had.
He watched as the blonde stole the olives from his drink, tilting his head and trying to look indifferent. Instead of the angry quip that rose at his throat at the ‘heinous’ comment, he smiled (almost sweetly) and relaxed into Gin’s arm around him.
“Of course,” he said, chuckling softly. “We definitely wouldn’t want that, now would we?” Smirking, he reached up and took the cocktail stick from Gin’s hand, running his fingers over the other man’s lightly before moving away. He rolled the olive between his teeth for a moment before moving it to the side of his mouth and chewing.
If the publicist wanted to play, then Yumi was ready to give what he received. Perhaps he just might scare the nosy blonde away in the process. If not… it was still much better than cowering.
Ikkaku made his way to the bar. It wasn’t like he had any trouble getting through the crowds. Years of practise in packed clubs had taught him that most people would move out of his way, if he asked nicely and smiled. It wasn’t his fault if people found his grin somewhat intimidating.
He had arrived late. This really wasn’t his sort of place, but if he was going to be here for the night he intended on making the most of the open bar.
Leaning over the bar, so that the red headed bartender could hear him, he ordered a bottle of beer and took a look around. He had already seen a few faces he recognised, seen a few more that he would rather not have to deal with outside of work. Speaking of which, the brunette hanging all over Gin Ichimaru looked somewhat familiar. Whoever it was must have had a few too many drinks, that or they just didn’t have any fucking sense.
The bartender dropped off his beer and he thanked her with a wink. It always paid the get the bar staff on your side. Turning around to lean on the bar, the brunette caught his eye again and he bit off a laugh. It was the poncy designer from work, he would swear to it, Yumichika or whatever his name was. The guy was way too full of himself for his own good. He knocked back a gulp of his beer and let out a contented a sigh. This could be interesting…
Yumi’s mellowing under his arm wasn’t the reaction Gin had expected. He’d been prepared for a bitchy remark, an elbow to his ribs, anything hostile actually. The situation now was unfamiliar and new and thus utterly… delightful.
“Definitely not. It’d be a shame to lose such a pretty face so early.” The publicist purred and hooked a finger under the designer’s chin. “If ya continue to steal my food, however, I can’t guarantee for yer well-bein’.” He leaned in wondering how far the little blossom was willing to take this little game.
Gin would go the whole nine yards if he had to, just to get a good laugh out of it.
Yumi’s eyes widened slightly when the publicist put a finger under his chin and moved closer. Apparently, the blonde wasn’t easily deterred. He smiled again and let his eyelashes flutter once or twice before reaching for his martini and taking a sip.
“You forget whose drink they came from the first place,” he replied, holding the glass up in front of Gin’s face and giving it the slightest of shakes. Smirking, he brought it back to his lips and drank the remaining liquid before setting it back down on the bar. He made a show of licking the alcohol off his lips before catching the bartender's eye to let her know that he'd like (another) refill.
“I’m not too sure what you mean about my well-being, Mr. Ichimaru. I assure you that I’m perfectly capable of defending myself against any…” he let his eyes flicker over the blonde’s body briefly, “…attacks.”
Yumi’s eyes widened slightly when the publicist put a finger under his chin and moved closer. Apparently, the blonde wasn’t easily deterred. He smiled again and let his eyelashes flutter once or twice before reaching for his martini and taking a sip.
“You forget whose drink they came from the first place,” he replied, holding the glass up in front of Gin’s face and giving it the slightest of shakes. Smirking, he brought it back to his lips and drank the remaining liquid before setting it back down on the bar. He made a show of licking the alcohol off his lips before catching the bartender's eye to let her know that he'd like (another) refill.
“I’m not too sure what you mean about my well-being, Mr. Ichimaru. I assure you that I’m perfectly capable of defending myself against any…” he let his eyes flicker over the blonde’s body briefly, “…attacks.”
He was acutely aware of Gin’s hand on his hip, and tried his best to resist the urge to squirm away from the publicist’s touch. Perhaps he was in a little over his head, but there was no way he was going to back down and run away like some… girl. He was going to stick this out to the end-whatever that might be.
If he was determined to stand up to the blonde before, he became absolutely adamant after that little remark about ’the big boys.’ Just who the hell did this guy think he was?
The light flicker of Gin’s tongue on his ear simultaneously caused a shiver to run down his spine and his stomach to churn. He was about to make some snide remark about being able to ’play’ with any and all contestants when the blonde’s last comment hit him.
“Takes all?” he asked, a slight sneer forming on his face. “Takes all of what?”
Ikkaku finished his beer and dumped the bottle on the bar. It took a few moments to get another one; the Ash Cat was heaving. He probably should go and do the requisite social networking, before he offended some big wig, but it was going to take a few more drinks before he was ready to deal politely with the suits. They might be a necessity, but that didn’t mean he had to like them, or want to spend time in their company, on what was, officially, one of few nights off.
Speaking of suits... leaning back on the bar, his eyes wandered over to where he had seen Hougyoku’s publicist and his little friend. His eyes widen as he saw Gin’s hand on Yumichika’s hip. The blond was whispering in Yumichika’s ear - he had to be whispering, there was no way the man had just licked his ear.
The designer didn’t look what you might call... pleased with the situation. The idea brought a grin to his face. Looked like the over dressed, little shit was getting some of his own medicine. Not that he would wish Gin on his worse enemy, not when he was in one of his em... moods.
“How can ya play if ya don’t even know the stakes, my little daisy?” Gin’s hand wormed its way under Yumi’s shirt and slid up. Cold fingers encountered warm skin and fluttered across the small of the designer’s back.
The little petal looked annoyed which elicited a soft chuckle from the publicist. “Are ya givin’ up already?” he asked, mouth still hovering a breath away from Yumi’s ear.
Icy fingers crept up his back, chilling him to the core and making his stomach plunge. This was getting to be a little... ridiculous. But, there was no way in hell he was going to let Gin gain the upper hand. He was going to put an end to this absurdity... once and for all.
Ever since he had first started working at Hougyoku Records, he had been slightly intimidated and thoroughly perturbed by the publicist. To think, someone like him getting worked up over such ridiculous antics. It was... embarrassing, to say the least. There was no sense in it... and it had to end. Now. He was going to prove to the blonde that he could stand his ground.
"Never," he replied, trying not to tense as that cold hand lingered on his skin. Turning his head slightly, he looked at Gin's face out of the corner of his eye.
"Did you really think I would be so easily frightened?" he asked, a smirk curving his mouth as the thrill of the challenge began to take hold. Disturbed? Yes. Scared? No way in hell...
Someone was feeling bold tonight. How sweet! Pulling back a little, Gin studied Yumi’s face. The boy looked determined. “Yes, I did,” he replied honestly, “but this here is more interestin’.” He slid his hand slid around the designer’s waist to pull him closer and dipped two fingers under the waistband.
“Especially with all the people 'round.”
Yumi's eyes widened fractionally at the publicist's remark, and he turned to scan his surroundings. Oh god, please don't let anyone important see this... He did not want anyone to get the wrong impression. All he needed was for someone to think that he was actually enjoying this little... encounter.
He looked around warily and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't spot anyone of significance in the vicinity. Assuming that he was safe, he turned back to Gin and rubbed his leg against the other man's.
"People? There's no one around besides... oh no..." Something slightly familiar caught his eye, and he craned his neck a touch to get a better look. Was that... oh, shit. There was no mistaking that bald head as it moved closer, the soft lights of the bar reflecting off its glossy surface. Of all the people... it had to be him.
Scowling, Yumi turned his head and tried to ignore the bald man, hoping against hope that Ikkaku would not notice him. The designer certainly didn't feel like dealing with the shiny topped imbecile at the present moment.
He did not get along with the brash A&R rep for Hougyoku. Although they were coworkers, they had pretty much avoided each other since the time they had first met. Adding Ikkaku to his current... situation... would be like throwing dynamite in a fire.
Yumi's eyes widened fractionally at the publicist's remark, and he turned to scan his surroundings. Oh god, please don't let anyone important see this... He did not want anyone to get the wrong impression. All he needed was for someone to think that he was actually enjoying this little... encounter.
He looked around warily and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't spot anyone of significance in the vicinity. Assuming that he was safe, he turned back to Gin and rubbed his leg against the other man's.
"People? There's no one around besides... oh no..." Something slightly familiar caught his eye, and he craned his neck a touch to get a better look. Was that... oh, shit. There was no mistaking that bald head as it moved closer, the soft lights of the bar reflecting off its glossy surface. Of all the people... it had to be him.
Scowling, Yumi turned his head and tried to ignore the bald man, hoping against hope that Ikkaku would not notice him. The designer certainly didn't feel like dealing with the shiny topped imbecile at the present moment.
He did not get along with the brash A&R rep for Hougyoku. Although they were coworkers, they had pretty much avoided each other since the time they had first met. Adding Ikkaku to his current... situation... would be like throwing dynamite in a fire.
The words ‘oh, no’ rang in Gin’s ears and made his eyes sparkle with excitement. Nothing - not even a choir of the heavenly host - could sound sweeter. He didn’t bother to look around to pinpoint the source of Yumichika’s dismay because all he cared about was the little bird in his grasp and because he had no sense of shame. His reputation couldn’t get any worse than it already was. While no one would doubt the quality of his work, everyone knew that the level of his moral depravation had hit rock bottom a very long time ago. It was disgusting. Really.
“What’s the matter? Yer feathers’re rufflin’ up and yer losin’ focus. No good.” The publicist twirled a strand of black hair around his finger and tugged sharply to get the younger man’s attention back.
A familiar sounding voice prevented the blond from any further action which was slightly irritating. Letting the strand uncurl from his finger, Gin lifted his gaze to see who had dared to interrupt him. Audience was welcome, active participants were not.
“Aww, look who we’ve got here,” he piped, keeping the irritation out of his sing-song voice. “Yer friendly neighbourhood skinhead in shinin’ armour’s come to rescue ya. How romantic!” Flashing a toothy grin at Ikkaku, he released his hold on Yumi and leaned back against the bar to keep the newly arrived third party in his line of view.
“Ya should’ve told me ya were spoken for, sweetheart. Wouldn’t wanna be the cause for trouble in yer lil paradise. There’s one thing I’ve always wanted to know, though, but never asked ‘cause I didn’t wanna come off as offensive,” he paused and tilted his head. “On a scale of one to ten, how accurate are the prophecies of that thing, hm?”
‘That thing’ obviously referred to the talent scout’s bald head.
The abrupt pull to his hair caught Yumi's attention, and he turned quickly to give Gin an icy glare. No one touched his hair and got away with it. He was just about to swat the publicist's hand away and tell him to keep his filthy paws to himself when an amused voice cut through his irritation, replacing it with... more irritation.
Whipping his head around, he took his cold stare off of Gin and directed it at the baldy. Surely the man must be joking. Even someone as dull as Ikkaku would realize that there was no way in hell Yumi would even consider 'getting a room' with someone like Gin.
His disposition switched from irritated to appalled when he heard Gin's little comments that heavily insinuated that he and Ikkaku were a couple. Now that was just too much. Being accused of being interested in two absolutely despicable characters within the course of one minute was a bit unnerving-even for someone as self-assured as Yumi.
The bartender brought over his drink and he grabbed it, bringing it to his lips and drinking the whole thing in one fluid motion. Even in his frustration, he still managed to not spill a drop. He set it back on the bar, leaving the olives in the glass, and regarded the two men warily. It was a perilous situation. There was no taking sides, really... he hated both men equally. Setting his jaw, he decided that he would have to stand up for himself against both of the nitwits.
"You both must have had a bit too much to drink," he said, smoothing down the lock of hair that Gin had pulled on and taking a step back from the publicist. "It's simply ludicrous to think that I'd be involved with either one of you."
He was feeling a touch better now that Gin had stepped out of his personal space, and the alcohol was starting to relax him. He even allowed himself to smirk at the publicist's comment. "Yes, do tell," he said in mock interest. "If its accuracy is higher than a seven, you could always get a side job as a fortune teller."
Ikkaku laughed at the idea of Gin insinuating that he would go anywhere near the prissy designer with a ten-foot barge pole, but the dig about his hair riled him, it always did. He swallowed the snarl that wanted to form and grinned. “The bald joke is old, really old. I guess I shouldn’t have expected much more from the pretty boy, but Gin, I’m disappointed, really.”
He knew he really should try to get on better with his colleagues. It wasn’t like he didn’t get the idea that appearances were important to a bands success, but something about the way the two men went about their jobs seemed rub him the wrong way. It was like they thought image and the right publicity could be a substitute for real talent, hard graft and practice. The kids he pulled in for Hougyoku Records needed to learn, the only way they were going to have a chance of making their 'big chance' into more than a one hit wonder was to fight for it, but after a few sessions with Yumichika, or the publicity team, they tended to start believing their own hype.
He was trying to remember why he had wandered over here in the first place. It couldn’t have been that he had actually felt bad for Yumichika getting caught up one of Gin’s little attempts to amuse himself. Oh well, while he was here he might as well see where this led. It wasn’t like there was much else going on that interested him.
He took a mouthful from his beer and turned his attention back to the overdressed designer. “Look sweetheart,” he offered, making sure the sarcasm came through in his words this time. Sometimes he forgot just how pigheaded stupid some Americans could be. “You were the one hanging all over blondie. All I was saying, was if you didn’t want people to get the impression that you had drunk enough to throw yourself at the first guy to look your way, maybe you should have taken it outside?”
Ugh. There were so many things wrong with that statement that Yumi didn’t even know where to begin. He hoped his hesitance didn’t come off as shock, or worse-speechlessness. It took him a second or two to choose which one of the ludicrous things to address first.
“I’m hardly throwing myself at anyone,” he snapped, his eyes flashing dangerously. “Don’t just walk into a situation and assume you have all the facts. Of course, even if you did have them, you still wouldn’t be able to understand unless it was spelled out for you word for word… very slowly.”
He sneered and leaned against the bar. “Plus, I am not drunk. Even if I was, I’d have the class not get caught up with the first guy to look my way. The first guy to look my way happened to do so the moment I walked in the bar… as to be expected of someone as beautiful as myself. But, of course, you wouldn’t know anything of that, either.”
Taking a step forward, he held his head high and straightened his shoulders. He wasn’t scared of Ikkaku… and it just so happened that he was a little more than irritated from the encounter he had just had with Gin. If Ikkaku wanted a fight, he'd sure as hell get one.
His pulse sped up and a spike of adrenaline shot through him. It had been a while since he had gotten into an... altercation. The prospect of it was... somewhat thrilling. “And lastly, don’t think that I’m afraid to step outside. Any time you’re ready, just say the word and I’ll show you that even a ‘pretty boy’ can kick your ass.”
“Gettin’ old.” Gin shrugged, knowing that it wasn’t the most original statement ever but he wasn’t under any pressure to deliver good lines. He wasn’t a court jester after all - at least not to those two. Propping his butt against one of the stools he snatched Yumi’s olives which looked rather sad in the empty glass and sucked one off of the toothpick just as the designer got worked up.
The blond chewed happily while he watched the birdie bitch at Ikkaku. Birdie had spirit! And sharp claws maybe?
"Atta boy!" the publicist cheered before he devoured the second olive.
Ikkaku bit off a laugh. He knew he really should think about what was going to come out of his mouth before he opened it, but right now he really didn’t feel like it.
“Not throwing yourself, really? Are you really telling me that you were accidentally rubbing your leg up against his, like a dog in heat?” Some of the snarl he had been holding back earlier rose to the surface. “I don’t need to know much more than that. It doesn’t even need really small words Yumichika, it’s like a picture book for everyone to see.”
He tipped up his beer and drained the last of the bottle. Damn, now he needed another one... and things were just getting fun.
“Class?" he laughed. "Of course they look, they are trying to work out if you are a guy or a girl.” Now he was pissed off, he didn’t even believe that himself. The guy had seriously grated against his nerves.
Walking past the brunette to the bar, he threw a smirk over his shoulder. “I’m sure you don’t want to start something that will mess up that pretty face of yours, seeing as it’s what you seem to live by.”
Leaning over the bar he deliberately kept his back to the other man. Not that he couldn’t see Yumichika in the refection across the way; he wasn’t that stupid.
A low growl rose from his throat at the other man's infuriating comments. This guy... was absolutely ridiculous. He clenched his teeth a bit and tried to calm his nerves. Getting all worked up wouldn't help matters at all... But still, there was something about the bald prick that really got under his skin-sort of like a virus... or something equally irritating.
Rolling his eyes, he crossed his arms and smiled darkly. "A picture book?" he asked, his voice a lot more calm and steady than he was feeling. "Suprised you can even understand that. Must be some pretty simple pictures. Stick figures, perhaps?"
It was a bit troubling that Ikkaku was still insisting that Yumi's little interaction with Gin had appeared to be more than what it actually was. Not that Yumi would ever admit it, of course. Instead, he opted to shift his weight and stare harder at the man. "Besides, I could care less what someone as tasteless as you thinks," he said, pulling on the edges of his blazer. "I have better things to do than fret over the thoughts of morons."
The remark about people trying to discern whether he was male or female was amusing. It was something he heard all the time. Really, he had been expecting a harsher jab from the insulting man with a cue ball for a head. "Well," he said, his annoyance seeping out through his voice, "I don't mind if people think I'm feminine. Many women are much more beautiful than men." He scoffed, flipping his hair from his face and narrowing his eyes. "When people look at you, they're probably trying to figure out if you're actually human and not some over-sized bowling ball that mutated and sprouted a body."
When Ikkaku walked past him and gave him that god-awful smirk, Yumi could think of little else but taking the empty bottle and smashing it over the grinning idiot's head. Normally, he didn't allow himself to get so flustered, but the combined efforts of Gin and the pinhead had really pissed him off. He wanted to lash out... hard... at whoever would be dumb enough to make the next inane remark.
A blind man could see that Gin was having a great time. If he had known how much fun Yumi and Ikka could be, he would have played with them more often. It was very entertaining. Reaching out languidly, he hooked two fingers under the designer’s belt and pulled him against his chest. He wrapped his arms loosely around the raven haired man.
”Ya shouldn’t let penis-head over there get a raise outta ya that easily,” the publicist purred, chin coming to a rest on Yumi’s shoulder. Blue eyes sparkling with laughter settled on Ikkaku’s back. “If ya two keep goin’ like that, someone’s gonna get hurt. And I wouldn’t wanna explain to Mista Aizen why his employees were behavin’ so gracelessly at the big Soul Society anniversary bash.”
No, if anything happened, the blond would swear that he had had nothing to do with it. Which at least to him was the truth. He'd just been having a nice chat with two co-workers. Aizen would probably just sigh; he did that a lot. Strange.
Ikkaku let Yumichika’s comments wash over him. He wasn’t gona say another word until he had a beer in his hand, that way he might be able to hold back from rearranging the prissy designer’s nose all over his face. He could deal with digs at his intelligence - like the poncy designer looked like he was some kind of fucking Einstein - and he might not like it, but he could bite his tongue over the feminine comment, he had pretty much walked into that, but the stupid little shit would keep digging at the bald thing.
The bartender handed over his drink and he winked, tossing a couple of dollars tip on the bar. Angling the bottle up, he let a good few mouthfuls of the cold liquid run down his throat, cooling his temper somewhat, before he looked up and caught Yumichika’s reflection again. You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me...
Turning around he fixed the other two with a glare and waited to see what shit was going to hit the fan now.
Yumi tensed and gritted his teeth as he was drawn into Gin's uninvited embrace. Talk about a very wrong thing at an equally wrong moment... He wasn't sure what bothered him more, the publicist's arms around him or the fact that Ikkaku seemed to be ignoring him. It seriously pissed him off when someone refused to acknowledge him-even more so during a verbal confrontation. It was just bad manners... infuriatingly bad manners. Although he didn't exactly like to fight with words, he had to admit he was getting a vague sense of satisfaction while lashing out at the bald man.
Spinning around, he pinned Gin with a hard glare and seriously considered decking the grinning man. However, the blonde's comment about talking to Aizen halted him in his tracks. He couldn't just strike out at Aizen's pet unless he had a damn good reason. Although Gin's incessant pawing ranked pretty high among his top reasons to attack someone, he wasn't sure his boss would feel the same way.
Taking a step or two backwards, he straightened his blazer and squared his shoulders. "If anyone is acting gracelessly, it would be him," he said, sending Ikkaku an icy look. "But of course, you can't expect anything else from someone so uncouth."
He returned his gaze to the publicist and narrowed his eyes. "And, unless you want to be the one getting hurt, I suggest you keep your filthy hands off of me," he spat, trembling a bit in indignation. The thought of where Gin's hands might have been over the course of the night made him want to cringe.
The smile remained firmly on Gin’s lips but the amusement drained from his eyes, leaving two chips of ice behind. He knew that Yumi’s reaction was the natural response to his being obnoxious, irritating and offensive and it wouldn’t have been a big deal if the designer had just told him to fuck off. The blond would have brushed off with a laugh and left the younger men alone but Yumichika just had to take it a step further and add a threat to the insult, didn’t he?
The publicist didn’t react well to that kind of treatment from little nobodies and if that uppity little snot expected him to simply sit back and take it, he’d better think again. He slid off his stool, his demeanour reminiscent of a predator ready to pounce and caught the designer’s chin in a very tight grip.
“Give that slippery little tongue of yours a rest before ya pull somethin’, lil petal,” he purred silkily.
A bitch, a meathead, and a douche all get into a fight...
To Shiro, it sounded like a bad joke, but in actuality, watching the shit unfold was hilarious. He had been keeping an interested eye on it when it started; the creepy dude fondling the stuck-up priss. Of course, from the looks of it, the albino figured they were both enjoying it.
And then Mr. Knight in Shining Armor (emphasis on the shining) came over to rescue the damsel in distress. Either Mr. Priss was having an affair, or two morons were fighting over something not even worth it.
That didn't mean that Shiro hadn't watched intently of course, even adding in his own soap opera dialogue for laughs.
Although, just when he thought it couldn't get any better, Mr. Priss and Cue Ball looked like they were going to square off right then and there. As funny as it would've been to let them have their fight, Shiro did have a job to do, and was forced to high-tail it over there.
Which he did, very slowly. Like double-timing, only in the negatives.
By the time he got there, the creepy guy had the priss' face in his hand in what looked like a hard grip. Alright, sexual harassment is where Shiro drew the line.
"Hey, you ladies got a problem over here? Were there no apple martinis left, or somethin'?" The albino waited a whole two seconds for an answer to a rhetorical question.
"No problems? Okay then. Kindly shut your noise holes and sit 'ur asses down before I have to bounce them outta this club."
Ikkaku grunted as Gin took a hold of Yumichika’s face. This was going to get out of hand pretty fucking fast at this rate. Not that he had a problem with that, but there was a time and a place for a punch up... and the middle of the bar, at Soul Society’s birthday bash, probably wasn’t one. He had to give the pretty boy credit though, he had barely flinched at the icy glare Gin had thrown at him - the blonde was creepy enough to give Rasputin a run for his money. Then again, maybe the guy really was too stupid to recognise the menace radiating off the publicist. Either way, if they were going to get their arses bounced out the door for fighting, he wasn’t going to miss out on the fun. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, before putting his bottle of beer back down on the bar.
Just as he was about to tell the other two what he thought of their little display, when someone caught his attention out the corner of his eye. He spent enough time in clubs and venues around the city to recognise the way the guy was moving. The newcomer was suited and booted, and had ‘trouble’ and ‘security’ written all over him in equal measure. He got a better look at the glint in the guy’s freaky red eyes and decided that trouble was probably higher up his list of pastimes.
Part of him was still itching for the fight that he knew would be easier enough to start. If this party hadn’t been work related he might have pushed his luck, but as it was, his job meant a whole fuck lot more to him than what would probably be a second rate punch up and a few moments of amusement.
Reaching back he picked up his beer, his eyes never leaving the anaemic skinned bouncer. “Whatever you say mate.”
Yumi blinked and winced ever so slightly as Gin's fingers latched onto his chin, hard. It wasn't on his agenda to get in a physical altercation with the wiry publicist, but Gin was making it pretty damn difficult... Regaining his composure, he returned the blonde's cold glaze and clenched his fists. He was trying to get his anger under control when a harsh voice cut through his concentration. Looking to the side, he caught a glimpse of skin so shockingly white that it could only mean one thing...
Shirosaki.
Ah, yes. Yumi knew enough about Byakuya's pale assistant (aka drug dealer) to make him bite back any smart remarks he may have had. Although he had never seen the man except in passing, he had figured out long ago that Shiro's bad side was not where he wanted to be.
Now the situation was way out of control. Adding the battle-ready albino to the scenario was not favorable for the irritated designer. He reached up and pried Gin's fingers off his face, stepping back quickly once he was free. Turning around, he fixed his gaze on the newcomer, noticing with a bit of surprise that Shirosaki's suit was actually pretty tasteful. He shrugged it off, guessing that Byakuya had probably insisted on the man wearing something decent in public. Giving the three men one last glare, he straightened his blazer and smoothed his hair.
"Fine by me," he said, feigning calmness. "There's nothing here worth staying for, anyways."
Brushing by Ikkaku, he gave the bald man one final, low growl before walking off in the direction of the bathrooms. He needed to make sure Gin's fingers hadn't left any marks on his flawless complexion. After that... he'd need a drink. Or maybe six.
Sighing Gin slumped back against the bar and chuckled softly as he watched Yumi’s retreating back. He was half hoping that he’d left a mark on that pretty little jaw. It’d be too funny if the designer showed up to work with finger shaped bruises on his face. “Couldn’t have waited another two minutes, could ya, Mr Bouncer? Such a spoilsport ya are.”
The publicist ordered a bottle of water and asked innocently if he could get an apple martini to go with it which earned him a funny look and a firm ‘no’. Too bad. “Well, this was fun but now I’ll have to take my leave from the brave knights,” he said, snatching the bottle from the counter and pushed away from the bar. “See ya at work, Madarame.”
The blond sauntered past Shiro and briefly thought about patting the albino's cheek. However, since he wasn't too keen on getting his ass kicked, which Shiro undoubtedly would, crowd or no crowd, he resorted to a pat on the shoulder and disappeared.
Ikkaku ignored Yumichika’s parting grumbling, turning his attention back to Gin and the bouncer who had decided that it was his place to stick his nose in. Well maybe the guy had a point, but he didn’t feel like conceding that, or anything else right then. The designer he could get, they were just irritatingly different enough to rub each other the wrong way, but there was something about the Hougyoku Records publicist that creeped him out. The feeling made his fists itch, like he was walking away from a fight... and that just didn’t sit right with him.
With the man gone and the bouncer’s attention already on another potential fight, he turned back to the bar and ordered another drink. He was knocking them back fast tonight, but it was possibly the only thing that was going to make this party anything other than a complete waste of time.
Characters: Gin (
formative), Ikkaku (
ratherbe4gotten), Shirosaki (
gogodgene), Yumichika (
day_eight)
Timeline: September 1, 2007
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Gin and Yumi get in a... confrontation. Ikkaku steps in to make matters worse help out. Shirosaki ends up having to break it up.
Gin had found his way back to the bar after several interesting encounters with… people and was ready to take a break when his eyes spotted the pretty little flower work its way towards the bar. Now, where had he been hiding all evening?
The publicist hid in the crowd until Yumi had placed his order before he closed in on his target. The designer had turned his back to the crowd which made it so much easier for the blond to seemingly appear out of thin air.
“Ain’t got anyone to play with, lil blossom?” he chirped, slinging an arm around Yumi’s neck and leaned his head against the other man’s. “Maybe yer just too pretty for the normal folk ‘round here. They're so easily intimidated.”
After prying himself away from a particularly annoying person, Yumi sighed and headed over to the bar for another martini. Although he had managed to drink quite a bit during the course of the evening, the alcohol was still failing to dull his irritation at the random idiots who found it necessary to speak to him. He only had intentions on speaking with beautiful people… why couldn’t those crude morons realize that? Their incessant voices went straight through his head, giving him an instant headache. He needed a drink… a strong drink… Then maybe he’d be able to go and make some more rounds without having to grit his teeth.
He had just given his order when a chipper voice sounded in his ear, followed by a steely arm sliding over his shoulder. His eyes widened slightly in alarm and he turned his head, only to be met with the sight of bright azure eyes glinting back at him.
Oh, fucking hell…
Fighting the urge to knee the man in the stomach and remove that heavy arm from his neck, he smiled stiffly and turned his face away. Being nose to nose with Gin Ichimaru wasn’t exactly something he was fond of.
“Mr. Ichimaru,” he said dryly, “It seems as if you’re enjoying yourself.” Yeah, enjoying himself at Yumi’s expense. This was so not what he needed at the moment. He wished his drink would hurry up and get there so he could gulp it down and order another.
“That’s a very accurate assessment, Mr Ayasegawa. I’m impressed by yer exceptionally well developed observation skills. Makes me wonder what other skills ya might have.” Chuckling softly, Gin brushed his nose against Yumi’s and made sure his grip on the designer was tight enough to prevent him from bolting.
A martini was placed in front of them and the publicist snatched the olives out before the other man could reach for his drink. “Aww, don’t make such a gloomy face. It ain’t a pretty sight and ya’ll get all wrinkly and then Mr Aizen’ll have to fire ya ‘cause a heinous lookin’ designer just ain’t gonna do.” He slipped the first olive between his lips, sucked it into his mouth and sucked harder until it came off the stick.
Ah… so Gin wanted to play that game, did he? To be honest, Yumi was a bit fed up at getting bullied around by the quirky publicist. It wasn’t like him to get squeamish over such simple taunts, even if they did come from someone as… odd… as Gin. His fingers clenched on the bar tightly when the other man decided to invade his personal space... even more than he already had.
He watched as the blonde stole the olives from his drink, tilting his head and trying to look indifferent. Instead of the angry quip that rose at his throat at the ‘heinous’ comment, he smiled (almost sweetly) and relaxed into Gin’s arm around him.
“Of course,” he said, chuckling softly. “We definitely wouldn’t want that, now would we?” Smirking, he reached up and took the cocktail stick from Gin’s hand, running his fingers over the other man’s lightly before moving away. He rolled the olive between his teeth for a moment before moving it to the side of his mouth and chewing.
If the publicist wanted to play, then Yumi was ready to give what he received. Perhaps he just might scare the nosy blonde away in the process. If not… it was still much better than cowering.
Ikkaku made his way to the bar. It wasn’t like he had any trouble getting through the crowds. Years of practise in packed clubs had taught him that most people would move out of his way, if he asked nicely and smiled. It wasn’t his fault if people found his grin somewhat intimidating.
He had arrived late. This really wasn’t his sort of place, but if he was going to be here for the night he intended on making the most of the open bar.
Leaning over the bar, so that the red headed bartender could hear him, he ordered a bottle of beer and took a look around. He had already seen a few faces he recognised, seen a few more that he would rather not have to deal with outside of work. Speaking of which, the brunette hanging all over Gin Ichimaru looked somewhat familiar. Whoever it was must have had a few too many drinks, that or they just didn’t have any fucking sense.
The bartender dropped off his beer and he thanked her with a wink. It always paid the get the bar staff on your side. Turning around to lean on the bar, the brunette caught his eye again and he bit off a laugh. It was the poncy designer from work, he would swear to it, Yumichika or whatever his name was. The guy was way too full of himself for his own good. He knocked back a gulp of his beer and let out a contented a sigh. This could be interesting…
Yumi’s mellowing under his arm wasn’t the reaction Gin had expected. He’d been prepared for a bitchy remark, an elbow to his ribs, anything hostile actually. The situation now was unfamiliar and new and thus utterly… delightful.
“Definitely not. It’d be a shame to lose such a pretty face so early.” The publicist purred and hooked a finger under the designer’s chin. “If ya continue to steal my food, however, I can’t guarantee for yer well-bein’.” He leaned in wondering how far the little blossom was willing to take this little game.
Gin would go the whole nine yards if he had to, just to get a good laugh out of it.
Yumi’s eyes widened slightly when the publicist put a finger under his chin and moved closer. Apparently, the blonde wasn’t easily deterred. He smiled again and let his eyelashes flutter once or twice before reaching for his martini and taking a sip.
“You forget whose drink they came from the first place,” he replied, holding the glass up in front of Gin’s face and giving it the slightest of shakes. Smirking, he brought it back to his lips and drank the remaining liquid before setting it back down on the bar. He made a show of licking the alcohol off his lips before catching the bartender's eye to let her know that he'd like (another) refill.
“I’m not too sure what you mean about my well-being, Mr. Ichimaru. I assure you that I’m perfectly capable of defending myself against any…” he let his eyes flicker over the blonde’s body briefly, “…attacks.”
Yumi’s eyes widened slightly when the publicist put a finger under his chin and moved closer. Apparently, the blonde wasn’t easily deterred. He smiled again and let his eyelashes flutter once or twice before reaching for his martini and taking a sip.
“You forget whose drink they came from the first place,” he replied, holding the glass up in front of Gin’s face and giving it the slightest of shakes. Smirking, he brought it back to his lips and drank the remaining liquid before setting it back down on the bar. He made a show of licking the alcohol off his lips before catching the bartender's eye to let her know that he'd like (another) refill.
“I’m not too sure what you mean about my well-being, Mr. Ichimaru. I assure you that I’m perfectly capable of defending myself against any…” he let his eyes flicker over the blonde’s body briefly, “…attacks.”
He was acutely aware of Gin’s hand on his hip, and tried his best to resist the urge to squirm away from the publicist’s touch. Perhaps he was in a little over his head, but there was no way he was going to back down and run away like some… girl. He was going to stick this out to the end-whatever that might be.
If he was determined to stand up to the blonde before, he became absolutely adamant after that little remark about ’the big boys.’ Just who the hell did this guy think he was?
The light flicker of Gin’s tongue on his ear simultaneously caused a shiver to run down his spine and his stomach to churn. He was about to make some snide remark about being able to ’play’ with any and all contestants when the blonde’s last comment hit him.
“Takes all?” he asked, a slight sneer forming on his face. “Takes all of what?”
Ikkaku finished his beer and dumped the bottle on the bar. It took a few moments to get another one; the Ash Cat was heaving. He probably should go and do the requisite social networking, before he offended some big wig, but it was going to take a few more drinks before he was ready to deal politely with the suits. They might be a necessity, but that didn’t mean he had to like them, or want to spend time in their company, on what was, officially, one of few nights off.
Speaking of suits... leaning back on the bar, his eyes wandered over to where he had seen Hougyoku’s publicist and his little friend. His eyes widen as he saw Gin’s hand on Yumichika’s hip. The blond was whispering in Yumichika’s ear - he had to be whispering, there was no way the man had just licked his ear.
The designer didn’t look what you might call... pleased with the situation. The idea brought a grin to his face. Looked like the over dressed, little shit was getting some of his own medicine. Not that he would wish Gin on his worse enemy, not when he was in one of his em... moods.
“How can ya play if ya don’t even know the stakes, my little daisy?” Gin’s hand wormed its way under Yumi’s shirt and slid up. Cold fingers encountered warm skin and fluttered across the small of the designer’s back.
The little petal looked annoyed which elicited a soft chuckle from the publicist. “Are ya givin’ up already?” he asked, mouth still hovering a breath away from Yumi’s ear.
Icy fingers crept up his back, chilling him to the core and making his stomach plunge. This was getting to be a little... ridiculous. But, there was no way in hell he was going to let Gin gain the upper hand. He was going to put an end to this absurdity... once and for all.
Ever since he had first started working at Hougyoku Records, he had been slightly intimidated and thoroughly perturbed by the publicist. To think, someone like him getting worked up over such ridiculous antics. It was... embarrassing, to say the least. There was no sense in it... and it had to end. Now. He was going to prove to the blonde that he could stand his ground.
"Never," he replied, trying not to tense as that cold hand lingered on his skin. Turning his head slightly, he looked at Gin's face out of the corner of his eye.
"Did you really think I would be so easily frightened?" he asked, a smirk curving his mouth as the thrill of the challenge began to take hold. Disturbed? Yes. Scared? No way in hell...
Someone was feeling bold tonight. How sweet! Pulling back a little, Gin studied Yumi’s face. The boy looked determined. “Yes, I did,” he replied honestly, “but this here is more interestin’.” He slid his hand slid around the designer’s waist to pull him closer and dipped two fingers under the waistband.
“Especially with all the people 'round.”
Yumi's eyes widened fractionally at the publicist's remark, and he turned to scan his surroundings. Oh god, please don't let anyone important see this... He did not want anyone to get the wrong impression. All he needed was for someone to think that he was actually enjoying this little... encounter.
He looked around warily and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't spot anyone of significance in the vicinity. Assuming that he was safe, he turned back to Gin and rubbed his leg against the other man's.
"People? There's no one around besides... oh no..." Something slightly familiar caught his eye, and he craned his neck a touch to get a better look. Was that... oh, shit. There was no mistaking that bald head as it moved closer, the soft lights of the bar reflecting off its glossy surface. Of all the people... it had to be him.
Scowling, Yumi turned his head and tried to ignore the bald man, hoping against hope that Ikkaku would not notice him. The designer certainly didn't feel like dealing with the shiny topped imbecile at the present moment.
He did not get along with the brash A&R rep for Hougyoku. Although they were coworkers, they had pretty much avoided each other since the time they had first met. Adding Ikkaku to his current... situation... would be like throwing dynamite in a fire.
Yumi's eyes widened fractionally at the publicist's remark, and he turned to scan his surroundings. Oh god, please don't let anyone important see this... He did not want anyone to get the wrong impression. All he needed was for someone to think that he was actually enjoying this little... encounter.
He looked around warily and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't spot anyone of significance in the vicinity. Assuming that he was safe, he turned back to Gin and rubbed his leg against the other man's.
"People? There's no one around besides... oh no..." Something slightly familiar caught his eye, and he craned his neck a touch to get a better look. Was that... oh, shit. There was no mistaking that bald head as it moved closer, the soft lights of the bar reflecting off its glossy surface. Of all the people... it had to be him.
Scowling, Yumi turned his head and tried to ignore the bald man, hoping against hope that Ikkaku would not notice him. The designer certainly didn't feel like dealing with the shiny topped imbecile at the present moment.
He did not get along with the brash A&R rep for Hougyoku. Although they were coworkers, they had pretty much avoided each other since the time they had first met. Adding Ikkaku to his current... situation... would be like throwing dynamite in a fire.
The words ‘oh, no’ rang in Gin’s ears and made his eyes sparkle with excitement. Nothing - not even a choir of the heavenly host - could sound sweeter. He didn’t bother to look around to pinpoint the source of Yumichika’s dismay because all he cared about was the little bird in his grasp and because he had no sense of shame. His reputation couldn’t get any worse than it already was. While no one would doubt the quality of his work, everyone knew that the level of his moral depravation had hit rock bottom a very long time ago. It was disgusting. Really.
“What’s the matter? Yer feathers’re rufflin’ up and yer losin’ focus. No good.” The publicist twirled a strand of black hair around his finger and tugged sharply to get the younger man’s attention back.
A familiar sounding voice prevented the blond from any further action which was slightly irritating. Letting the strand uncurl from his finger, Gin lifted his gaze to see who had dared to interrupt him. Audience was welcome, active participants were not.
“Aww, look who we’ve got here,” he piped, keeping the irritation out of his sing-song voice. “Yer friendly neighbourhood skinhead in shinin’ armour’s come to rescue ya. How romantic!” Flashing a toothy grin at Ikkaku, he released his hold on Yumi and leaned back against the bar to keep the newly arrived third party in his line of view.
“Ya should’ve told me ya were spoken for, sweetheart. Wouldn’t wanna be the cause for trouble in yer lil paradise. There’s one thing I’ve always wanted to know, though, but never asked ‘cause I didn’t wanna come off as offensive,” he paused and tilted his head. “On a scale of one to ten, how accurate are the prophecies of that thing, hm?”
‘That thing’ obviously referred to the talent scout’s bald head.
The abrupt pull to his hair caught Yumi's attention, and he turned quickly to give Gin an icy glare. No one touched his hair and got away with it. He was just about to swat the publicist's hand away and tell him to keep his filthy paws to himself when an amused voice cut through his irritation, replacing it with... more irritation.
Whipping his head around, he took his cold stare off of Gin and directed it at the baldy. Surely the man must be joking. Even someone as dull as Ikkaku would realize that there was no way in hell Yumi would even consider 'getting a room' with someone like Gin.
His disposition switched from irritated to appalled when he heard Gin's little comments that heavily insinuated that he and Ikkaku were a couple. Now that was just too much. Being accused of being interested in two absolutely despicable characters within the course of one minute was a bit unnerving-even for someone as self-assured as Yumi.
The bartender brought over his drink and he grabbed it, bringing it to his lips and drinking the whole thing in one fluid motion. Even in his frustration, he still managed to not spill a drop. He set it back on the bar, leaving the olives in the glass, and regarded the two men warily. It was a perilous situation. There was no taking sides, really... he hated both men equally. Setting his jaw, he decided that he would have to stand up for himself against both of the nitwits.
"You both must have had a bit too much to drink," he said, smoothing down the lock of hair that Gin had pulled on and taking a step back from the publicist. "It's simply ludicrous to think that I'd be involved with either one of you."
He was feeling a touch better now that Gin had stepped out of his personal space, and the alcohol was starting to relax him. He even allowed himself to smirk at the publicist's comment. "Yes, do tell," he said in mock interest. "If its accuracy is higher than a seven, you could always get a side job as a fortune teller."
Ikkaku laughed at the idea of Gin insinuating that he would go anywhere near the prissy designer with a ten-foot barge pole, but the dig about his hair riled him, it always did. He swallowed the snarl that wanted to form and grinned. “The bald joke is old, really old. I guess I shouldn’t have expected much more from the pretty boy, but Gin, I’m disappointed, really.”
He knew he really should try to get on better with his colleagues. It wasn’t like he didn’t get the idea that appearances were important to a bands success, but something about the way the two men went about their jobs seemed rub him the wrong way. It was like they thought image and the right publicity could be a substitute for real talent, hard graft and practice. The kids he pulled in for Hougyoku Records needed to learn, the only way they were going to have a chance of making their 'big chance' into more than a one hit wonder was to fight for it, but after a few sessions with Yumichika, or the publicity team, they tended to start believing their own hype.
He was trying to remember why he had wandered over here in the first place. It couldn’t have been that he had actually felt bad for Yumichika getting caught up one of Gin’s little attempts to amuse himself. Oh well, while he was here he might as well see where this led. It wasn’t like there was much else going on that interested him.
He took a mouthful from his beer and turned his attention back to the overdressed designer. “Look sweetheart,” he offered, making sure the sarcasm came through in his words this time. Sometimes he forgot just how pigheaded stupid some Americans could be. “You were the one hanging all over blondie. All I was saying, was if you didn’t want people to get the impression that you had drunk enough to throw yourself at the first guy to look your way, maybe you should have taken it outside?”
Ugh. There were so many things wrong with that statement that Yumi didn’t even know where to begin. He hoped his hesitance didn’t come off as shock, or worse-speechlessness. It took him a second or two to choose which one of the ludicrous things to address first.
“I’m hardly throwing myself at anyone,” he snapped, his eyes flashing dangerously. “Don’t just walk into a situation and assume you have all the facts. Of course, even if you did have them, you still wouldn’t be able to understand unless it was spelled out for you word for word… very slowly.”
He sneered and leaned against the bar. “Plus, I am not drunk. Even if I was, I’d have the class not get caught up with the first guy to look my way. The first guy to look my way happened to do so the moment I walked in the bar… as to be expected of someone as beautiful as myself. But, of course, you wouldn’t know anything of that, either.”
Taking a step forward, he held his head high and straightened his shoulders. He wasn’t scared of Ikkaku… and it just so happened that he was a little more than irritated from the encounter he had just had with Gin. If Ikkaku wanted a fight, he'd sure as hell get one.
His pulse sped up and a spike of adrenaline shot through him. It had been a while since he had gotten into an... altercation. The prospect of it was... somewhat thrilling. “And lastly, don’t think that I’m afraid to step outside. Any time you’re ready, just say the word and I’ll show you that even a ‘pretty boy’ can kick your ass.”
“Gettin’ old.” Gin shrugged, knowing that it wasn’t the most original statement ever but he wasn’t under any pressure to deliver good lines. He wasn’t a court jester after all - at least not to those two. Propping his butt against one of the stools he snatched Yumi’s olives which looked rather sad in the empty glass and sucked one off of the toothpick just as the designer got worked up.
The blond chewed happily while he watched the birdie bitch at Ikkaku. Birdie had spirit! And sharp claws maybe?
"Atta boy!" the publicist cheered before he devoured the second olive.
Ikkaku bit off a laugh. He knew he really should think about what was going to come out of his mouth before he opened it, but right now he really didn’t feel like it.
“Not throwing yourself, really? Are you really telling me that you were accidentally rubbing your leg up against his, like a dog in heat?” Some of the snarl he had been holding back earlier rose to the surface. “I don’t need to know much more than that. It doesn’t even need really small words Yumichika, it’s like a picture book for everyone to see.”
He tipped up his beer and drained the last of the bottle. Damn, now he needed another one... and things were just getting fun.
“Class?" he laughed. "Of course they look, they are trying to work out if you are a guy or a girl.” Now he was pissed off, he didn’t even believe that himself. The guy had seriously grated against his nerves.
Walking past the brunette to the bar, he threw a smirk over his shoulder. “I’m sure you don’t want to start something that will mess up that pretty face of yours, seeing as it’s what you seem to live by.”
Leaning over the bar he deliberately kept his back to the other man. Not that he couldn’t see Yumichika in the refection across the way; he wasn’t that stupid.
A low growl rose from his throat at the other man's infuriating comments. This guy... was absolutely ridiculous. He clenched his teeth a bit and tried to calm his nerves. Getting all worked up wouldn't help matters at all... But still, there was something about the bald prick that really got under his skin-sort of like a virus... or something equally irritating.
Rolling his eyes, he crossed his arms and smiled darkly. "A picture book?" he asked, his voice a lot more calm and steady than he was feeling. "Suprised you can even understand that. Must be some pretty simple pictures. Stick figures, perhaps?"
It was a bit troubling that Ikkaku was still insisting that Yumi's little interaction with Gin had appeared to be more than what it actually was. Not that Yumi would ever admit it, of course. Instead, he opted to shift his weight and stare harder at the man. "Besides, I could care less what someone as tasteless as you thinks," he said, pulling on the edges of his blazer. "I have better things to do than fret over the thoughts of morons."
The remark about people trying to discern whether he was male or female was amusing. It was something he heard all the time. Really, he had been expecting a harsher jab from the insulting man with a cue ball for a head. "Well," he said, his annoyance seeping out through his voice, "I don't mind if people think I'm feminine. Many women are much more beautiful than men." He scoffed, flipping his hair from his face and narrowing his eyes. "When people look at you, they're probably trying to figure out if you're actually human and not some over-sized bowling ball that mutated and sprouted a body."
When Ikkaku walked past him and gave him that god-awful smirk, Yumi could think of little else but taking the empty bottle and smashing it over the grinning idiot's head. Normally, he didn't allow himself to get so flustered, but the combined efforts of Gin and the pinhead had really pissed him off. He wanted to lash out... hard... at whoever would be dumb enough to make the next inane remark.
A blind man could see that Gin was having a great time. If he had known how much fun Yumi and Ikka could be, he would have played with them more often. It was very entertaining. Reaching out languidly, he hooked two fingers under the designer’s belt and pulled him against his chest. He wrapped his arms loosely around the raven haired man.
”Ya shouldn’t let penis-head over there get a raise outta ya that easily,” the publicist purred, chin coming to a rest on Yumi’s shoulder. Blue eyes sparkling with laughter settled on Ikkaku’s back. “If ya two keep goin’ like that, someone’s gonna get hurt. And I wouldn’t wanna explain to Mista Aizen why his employees were behavin’ so gracelessly at the big Soul Society anniversary bash.”
No, if anything happened, the blond would swear that he had had nothing to do with it. Which at least to him was the truth. He'd just been having a nice chat with two co-workers. Aizen would probably just sigh; he did that a lot. Strange.
Ikkaku let Yumichika’s comments wash over him. He wasn’t gona say another word until he had a beer in his hand, that way he might be able to hold back from rearranging the prissy designer’s nose all over his face. He could deal with digs at his intelligence - like the poncy designer looked like he was some kind of fucking Einstein - and he might not like it, but he could bite his tongue over the feminine comment, he had pretty much walked into that, but the stupid little shit would keep digging at the bald thing.
The bartender handed over his drink and he winked, tossing a couple of dollars tip on the bar. Angling the bottle up, he let a good few mouthfuls of the cold liquid run down his throat, cooling his temper somewhat, before he looked up and caught Yumichika’s reflection again. You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me...
Turning around he fixed the other two with a glare and waited to see what shit was going to hit the fan now.
Yumi tensed and gritted his teeth as he was drawn into Gin's uninvited embrace. Talk about a very wrong thing at an equally wrong moment... He wasn't sure what bothered him more, the publicist's arms around him or the fact that Ikkaku seemed to be ignoring him. It seriously pissed him off when someone refused to acknowledge him-even more so during a verbal confrontation. It was just bad manners... infuriatingly bad manners. Although he didn't exactly like to fight with words, he had to admit he was getting a vague sense of satisfaction while lashing out at the bald man.
Spinning around, he pinned Gin with a hard glare and seriously considered decking the grinning man. However, the blonde's comment about talking to Aizen halted him in his tracks. He couldn't just strike out at Aizen's pet unless he had a damn good reason. Although Gin's incessant pawing ranked pretty high among his top reasons to attack someone, he wasn't sure his boss would feel the same way.
Taking a step or two backwards, he straightened his blazer and squared his shoulders. "If anyone is acting gracelessly, it would be him," he said, sending Ikkaku an icy look. "But of course, you can't expect anything else from someone so uncouth."
He returned his gaze to the publicist and narrowed his eyes. "And, unless you want to be the one getting hurt, I suggest you keep your filthy hands off of me," he spat, trembling a bit in indignation. The thought of where Gin's hands might have been over the course of the night made him want to cringe.
The smile remained firmly on Gin’s lips but the amusement drained from his eyes, leaving two chips of ice behind. He knew that Yumi’s reaction was the natural response to his being obnoxious, irritating and offensive and it wouldn’t have been a big deal if the designer had just told him to fuck off. The blond would have brushed off with a laugh and left the younger men alone but Yumichika just had to take it a step further and add a threat to the insult, didn’t he?
The publicist didn’t react well to that kind of treatment from little nobodies and if that uppity little snot expected him to simply sit back and take it, he’d better think again. He slid off his stool, his demeanour reminiscent of a predator ready to pounce and caught the designer’s chin in a very tight grip.
“Give that slippery little tongue of yours a rest before ya pull somethin’, lil petal,” he purred silkily.
A bitch, a meathead, and a douche all get into a fight...
To Shiro, it sounded like a bad joke, but in actuality, watching the shit unfold was hilarious. He had been keeping an interested eye on it when it started; the creepy dude fondling the stuck-up priss. Of course, from the looks of it, the albino figured they were both enjoying it.
And then Mr. Knight in Shining Armor (emphasis on the shining) came over to rescue the damsel in distress. Either Mr. Priss was having an affair, or two morons were fighting over something not even worth it.
That didn't mean that Shiro hadn't watched intently of course, even adding in his own soap opera dialogue for laughs.
Although, just when he thought it couldn't get any better, Mr. Priss and Cue Ball looked like they were going to square off right then and there. As funny as it would've been to let them have their fight, Shiro did have a job to do, and was forced to high-tail it over there.
Which he did, very slowly. Like double-timing, only in the negatives.
By the time he got there, the creepy guy had the priss' face in his hand in what looked like a hard grip. Alright, sexual harassment is where Shiro drew the line.
"Hey, you ladies got a problem over here? Were there no apple martinis left, or somethin'?" The albino waited a whole two seconds for an answer to a rhetorical question.
"No problems? Okay then. Kindly shut your noise holes and sit 'ur asses down before I have to bounce them outta this club."
Ikkaku grunted as Gin took a hold of Yumichika’s face. This was going to get out of hand pretty fucking fast at this rate. Not that he had a problem with that, but there was a time and a place for a punch up... and the middle of the bar, at Soul Society’s birthday bash, probably wasn’t one. He had to give the pretty boy credit though, he had barely flinched at the icy glare Gin had thrown at him - the blonde was creepy enough to give Rasputin a run for his money. Then again, maybe the guy really was too stupid to recognise the menace radiating off the publicist. Either way, if they were going to get their arses bounced out the door for fighting, he wasn’t going to miss out on the fun. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, before putting his bottle of beer back down on the bar.
Just as he was about to tell the other two what he thought of their little display, when someone caught his attention out the corner of his eye. He spent enough time in clubs and venues around the city to recognise the way the guy was moving. The newcomer was suited and booted, and had ‘trouble’ and ‘security’ written all over him in equal measure. He got a better look at the glint in the guy’s freaky red eyes and decided that trouble was probably higher up his list of pastimes.
Part of him was still itching for the fight that he knew would be easier enough to start. If this party hadn’t been work related he might have pushed his luck, but as it was, his job meant a whole fuck lot more to him than what would probably be a second rate punch up and a few moments of amusement.
Reaching back he picked up his beer, his eyes never leaving the anaemic skinned bouncer. “Whatever you say mate.”
Yumi blinked and winced ever so slightly as Gin's fingers latched onto his chin, hard. It wasn't on his agenda to get in a physical altercation with the wiry publicist, but Gin was making it pretty damn difficult... Regaining his composure, he returned the blonde's cold glaze and clenched his fists. He was trying to get his anger under control when a harsh voice cut through his concentration. Looking to the side, he caught a glimpse of skin so shockingly white that it could only mean one thing...
Shirosaki.
Ah, yes. Yumi knew enough about Byakuya's pale assistant (aka drug dealer) to make him bite back any smart remarks he may have had. Although he had never seen the man except in passing, he had figured out long ago that Shiro's bad side was not where he wanted to be.
Now the situation was way out of control. Adding the battle-ready albino to the scenario was not favorable for the irritated designer. He reached up and pried Gin's fingers off his face, stepping back quickly once he was free. Turning around, he fixed his gaze on the newcomer, noticing with a bit of surprise that Shirosaki's suit was actually pretty tasteful. He shrugged it off, guessing that Byakuya had probably insisted on the man wearing something decent in public. Giving the three men one last glare, he straightened his blazer and smoothed his hair.
"Fine by me," he said, feigning calmness. "There's nothing here worth staying for, anyways."
Brushing by Ikkaku, he gave the bald man one final, low growl before walking off in the direction of the bathrooms. He needed to make sure Gin's fingers hadn't left any marks on his flawless complexion. After that... he'd need a drink. Or maybe six.
Sighing Gin slumped back against the bar and chuckled softly as he watched Yumi’s retreating back. He was half hoping that he’d left a mark on that pretty little jaw. It’d be too funny if the designer showed up to work with finger shaped bruises on his face. “Couldn’t have waited another two minutes, could ya, Mr Bouncer? Such a spoilsport ya are.”
The publicist ordered a bottle of water and asked innocently if he could get an apple martini to go with it which earned him a funny look and a firm ‘no’. Too bad. “Well, this was fun but now I’ll have to take my leave from the brave knights,” he said, snatching the bottle from the counter and pushed away from the bar. “See ya at work, Madarame.”
The blond sauntered past Shiro and briefly thought about patting the albino's cheek. However, since he wasn't too keen on getting his ass kicked, which Shiro undoubtedly would, crowd or no crowd, he resorted to a pat on the shoulder and disappeared.
Ikkaku ignored Yumichika’s parting grumbling, turning his attention back to Gin and the bouncer who had decided that it was his place to stick his nose in. Well maybe the guy had a point, but he didn’t feel like conceding that, or anything else right then. The designer he could get, they were just irritatingly different enough to rub each other the wrong way, but there was something about the Hougyoku Records publicist that creeped him out. The feeling made his fists itch, like he was walking away from a fight... and that just didn’t sit right with him.
With the man gone and the bouncer’s attention already on another potential fight, he turned back to the bar and ordered another drink. He was knocking them back fast tonight, but it was possibly the only thing that was going to make this party anything other than a complete waste of time.