[Log] Inui Sadaharu and Mizuki Hajime

[tennis_no_elite]

Who: Inui and Mizuki
What:Mizuki decides to show off how much more he knows help Inui learn the fine art of making out...by the most egotistical way possible. Inui doesn't find it very helpful at first, but something does come out of it in the end..
When: Er...back near the end of October
Where:Mizuki and Inui's dorm room
Warning:PG-13 for sexual themes and language



After his first encounter with Dan, Inui had realized that you could not just live on experience alone. The same was applicable to data. It was the combination of both data and experience that seemed to create the ideal environment... it was just getting there that was the problem at this point. Yes, the experience was good, nice and everything else... but Inui felt he was entirely lacking. It was rather embarrassing after all.. to have to admit to a 13 year old that you had just as little an idea of how to kiss as he did.

Thus, in light of his situation, Inui decided to remedy it by the means of the most wonderful creation in the universe: the information super highway. Tilting his head to the side a little as he looked at the latest site he'd opened, he blinked, reading over the step-by-step instructions. "...so you're meant to put.. what in where now?"

Though Mizuki was still spending his nights in Yuuta's room, he was becoming less and less afraid of returning to his own during the day. (After all, his clothes were still there.) However, that never took away from his level of relief at finding Inui wasn't in the room, or the amount of annoyance when he was--like right now for example.

Mizuki held back a sigh and continued to enter anyway--It was still his room too, damn it!--shutting the door behind himself as he wandered over to his desk, completely ignoring the taller boy. Or as best he could.

A frustrated sigh came from Inui as he closed that page. It had been completely no help. He knew Mizuki was in the room, but it didn't really matter to him, it's not like he was going to do anything to provoke the wrath of unintelligible, egomaniacal bullshit that would sprout forth from the other's mouth if he so much as sniffed in the wrong direction. So he just tried to concentrate on finding another site that could possibly help him to understand just how he was meant to go about being a regular teenage boy (though, for some reason - not surprisingly - he didn't think there was a high percentage of it happening).

The search for anything beyond teen girl sites on this kind of topic was utterly useless, he'd found. How did people learn all of this? What did they do to become privy to such information? Movies were hardly accurate and Inui wasn't enough of a degenerate to resort to trying to watch porn for help.. so what in the world was he supposed to do to get out of his predicament?

"This is utterly pointless." he grunted softly, sitting back in his chair a little and running a hand through his hair. "There's just no solid data anywhere..."

Naturally, Mizuki had been stealing glances over at his roommate every now and then as he fiddled with some things on his desk, completely bypassing the book he was looking for the first time. His interest was piqued now by the other's frustrated tone and he briefly wondered if he'd have the data in this case to maybe lord over Inui a little. It would be a welcome change from the past weeks.

"Hm? What is?" He asked as casually as he could, not looking away from pretending he was filing through things, though he already knew where the item he needed was.

"Detailed relationship data. There's none of it. It's all just teen girl quizzes about 'how hot are you' or 'does he dig you'." Inui replied, not really registering that this was Mizuki he was talking to and he really just should have kept his mouth well and truly shut. Too late for that now though, not that he realized, due to his avid frustration at the mound of shit that was the internet.

"It's driving me insane." he muttered, rubbing at his temple a little, opening up another tab to look at what the next site had to say.

Mizuki couldn't help but chuckle, remembering the last conversation they'd had...even if it had been online. "Nfu~ Trying to impress Dan-chan?" He finally looked over, his smirk widening at the useless information that Inui kept stumbling across. "Well you certainly won't find anything useful from a book or website. Those kinds of things require experience. That's all." Oh yes, he definitely had the upper hand in this section of data, and it was sooo very nice.

"Practice doesn't mean anything if you don't know how to approach it in the first place." Inui pointed out rather dryly. It was true, Inui really couldn't make his and Dan's last encounter... well... go anywhere. He had no clue what he was doing and what's worse - neither did Dan. Though Inui surmised the fact it didn't really go that far was due to a number of reasons that had nothing to do with Inui's lack of experience with kissing or otherwise. He had a lot to think about and a lot of personal issues as well.

The dataman sighed softly, closing down the web browser. "Or so I've found.."

"I disagree. I have plenty of experience in this now, but when I first dated Oshitari-kun I had to learn on my own. It's possible." He shook his head, smiling as if Inui was hopeless. "Then again, maybe it's not if you're so eager to give up at the first sign of frustration~ Maa, I guess you're just not cut out for a romantic relationship right now...or ever at this rate."

"I hardly believe you're one to talk about romance of any kind." Inui swiftly retorted. "You have all the romantic ability of a gutted fish, as far as I've seen." Oh yes, Inui was indeed frustrated. Frustrated that he couldn't seem to jump over that first barrier of his intimacy issues, frustrated because he didn't know if he liked Dan or Fuji more, frustrated because he just didn't know things when his entire life revolved around just that - knowing things.

"In addition, you're practically a compulsive liar and since you seem to deem second and third-hand information as perfectly acceptable, I would doubt that what you're boasting has any form of real merit." The boy raised a brow, green eyes narrowing as they slid to the side to look at Mizuki for the first time.

"Nfu~I figured you'd try and pull something like that. You're just too frustrated to admit that I'm genuinely more learned in something than you are, aren't you?" The look he was giving Inui could no longer be described as a mere smirk. No, by this point it was much more of a content yet rather malicious smile, boarding on a grin. "So tell me something," he continued, clearly pleased with what this was doing to his ego, and sitting in the chair at his side of the desk, straddling it backwards, "If I'm so bad at romance, why have I had 2 boyfriends in one semester? Obviously I'm doing something right~"

He rested one arm on the back of the chair and the other came to twist a strand of stick straight hair. (Oh, how he missed his styling gel...) "My data in this case is purely first hand."

"If there has been two in such a short period, I simply gather that you can't quite hang onto them, once you've obtained them." Inui stated, moving to adjust his glasses that he'd forgotten weren't there again. Dropping his hand back down, he rested it on his stomach.

"The amount of times Yuuta-kun has wanted to break it off with you is rather alarming also. Whatever the case, I don't believe your data - even if you have it - is useful at all. You're not a good example."

Mizuki's eyebrow twitched a bit at the less than subtle insults but thankfully it was hidden behind his bangs, which were a tad longer than usual thanks to his lack of styling. He absently noted that he should probably schedule a haircut soon, as it was more than a little annoying it have his bangs interfere with his vision more than normal. Glaring, he gathered his attention once more and countered, "Have you ever thought that maybe I just didn't want to be with the first one? Maybe I'm a little too good for him. As for Yuuta-kun," he waved a hand dismissively as if it was no big deal, "He's been treated better than anyone in the last few days, your data is old."

His expression became cocky once more almost immediately, "I do have data, however, acting like that won't get you any tips or information what so ever."

"If that was the case, you should have officially broken it off when Yuuta came along, don't you think? Instead of trying to date them both at the same time." Inui smirked right back, watching Mizuki. Really, how was Mizuki of all people going to help him anyway? The word 'help' wasn't even in that boy's vocabulary. It was more like 'I'll take course of action A to get me this goal B, whether or not the other person in question C, gets what they want, or anything at all, has no value in the end as long as A = C, everything is perfectly fine'.

"Mn, and you assume I want your information and tips? Didn't I already say that I thought your 'experience' was worthless? If you think otherwise, then that's your prerogative - I know your superiority complex will demand it of you - though please tell me how you intend to prove your data is at all of worth? I doubt you can."

Mizuki was quickly become irritated and barely managed to fight the almost subconscious drive to prove his point. That had gotten him in trouble far too many times already and he kept Yuuta in the back of his mind constantly nowadays. "If you weren't already so biased, you might consider the possibility that my data is relevant and extensive in this case. You did say that we could compare research at any time-- or does that no longer stand?"

"I thought your almost adamant avoidance of me made that null and void?" Sighing, Inui ran a hand through his hair. Mizuki was actually being reasonable for once, even if Inui knew it was only to fuel the other boy's own over-active ego. Though of course, Inui wasn't going to concede that, admitting Mizuki was right was the worst tactical move any person ever could make. You'd never be able to live it down and Mizuki wouldn't let you forget it.

Inui shuddered at the sudden mental image of himself in a retirement home, wheeling himself away from Mizuki in his wheelchair, trying to ignore him while the other decrepit old man lay in hot pursuit (as hot a pursuit as you could get for two electronic wheelchairs) babbling about 'that time in highschool where you admitted I was RIGHT NFUNFUNFU-HACK-COUGH-WHEEZE-N..FU~'

"You're saying that in this case, you're willing to share your findings with me? At what cost?"

Mizuki raised a brow, "I never said I'd share all of them with you, but I'm willing to give a few pointers, yes." Hm, everything came with a price, didn't it? He paused, looking thoughtful for a moment, his index finger absently twirling that wisp of hair again and again, though it never got any curlier. "...Stop interfering with Yuuta-kun." Oh, but wasn't that always his price lately?

"It's up to him whether or not he wants to see me, Mizuki, you can't make that decision yourself, and it's not something I can just hand you. If you like I can promise I won't go out of my way to make him feel better when you're a prick to him - will that do?" Inui offered, resting a hand on his chin, having already known Mizuki would spout something like that as his price.

He was really that insecure, after all? Well, with Mizuki's personality and his complex, Inui figured it was practically a given.

"That's fine then," Mizuki answered with the air of someone who'd been offered something second rate but accepted it out of the sheer good grace of their heart and that Inui should feel almost honored by his willingness to compromise. He smirked and leaned forward slightly, resting both hands on the top of the chair now. "So what is it you want to know~?"

Somewhat irritated by the tone, Inui rubbed at his temple once more, not particularly wanting to discuss particulars with Mizuki in any way, shape or form. It was dangerous to do so at the best of times.

"Let's start with the basics. That way we can be sure all bases are covered." he started in a somewhat analytical tone, pulling across a notebook and a pen.

Mizuki gave a curt nod, his eyes shining a bit in eagerness, as if he held all the answers in the world over Inui's head and it gave him some sort of feeling of supreme power...even if he was only a step or two ahead of the other. "So, kissing." He began as if it was the most common information in life. "Have you figured out your preference yet? Do you have a specific partner in mind?"

"Let's leave out specifics. Beyond initial contact, how should a kiss progress?" Inui asked rather matter-of-factly, starting to make neat headings in his book to an almost compulsive level. It wasn't personal, it was information. This was the take that Inui had on the situation. They were sharing data - that was all.

"As for preferences, my theory still hasn't been proven otherwise, so male."

"Ah, well a lot of it depends on your partner and their preferences as well--and by that I mean, how rough or gentle they usually are in this sort of situation. But I guess since we're just sticking to basics, I'll go with the average then." He tapped a finger to his lips in thought, "A kiss usually progresses slowly--considering you're not too over excited to begin with-- and it develops at a gradual pace."

It really was hard to show such a thing without a demonstration...Damn, he wished Yuuta was here now. "A visual really would be better... I suppose I could show you on my hand-- which, another thing, you can always practice on yourself. Or the mirror--Oh!" He practically beamed at the idea, as if kissing himself was the best thing he could do, "I could show you on the mirror~"

Inui nodded and took his notes as Mizuki explained, that is until he quirked an eyebrow in question at the suggestion of... making out with himself? Though if that wasn't weird enough for him - oh no, it just had to get better - the other boy had offered to simply show him, by making out with himself in a mirror.

Now of all things to think when faced with a thought like that, Inui could only seem to think of two. One: Wouldn't that taste foul? and Two: What sane person would sit and watch an egomaniac suck face with his own reflection?

For some reason, there were no words for that. Inui just kind of had to sit there with a deadpan expression, somewhat frozen in mortification. There was a downside to this you see - he couldn't find a way to express his distaste, so it seemed like he was simply waiting for Mizuki, when what he really wanted to do was run like hell.

Taking the fact that he'd gotten no objections to mean 'go right ahead', Mizuki gave a pleased smile and stood, walking over to his full length mirror near the small closet on his side of the room. One might think it incredibly vain and a touch ridiculous to haul a full mirror to boarding school, but he'd had it at St. Rudolph and he sure as hell was going to bring it here too. Knowing Inui was watching, he gave the order without looking back to check, "Now would be a good time to take notes." He waved to the edge of his nearby bed, not taking his eyes off his reflection. "You'd have a better view from there."

Without waiting for a signal to start he caressed the glass where his face was shown, gently touching the skin on his reflection's cheek as if it was a real lover. Slowly, he leaned forward, one hand pressed against the wall, the other continuing its loving touch. His eyes slipped shut and his lips met the cold glass softly, carefully, and from where Inui was instructed to sit (if one ignored the frame of the mirror) it looked as if Mizuki was, quite literally, making out with himself--or an identical twin.

Curiosity. Curse his curiosity. He knew that he had an abnormally large sense of curiosity and that he loved to learn new things, but really? Somewhere in his head was a little version of himself trying to kick his actual self in the head right then. Why? WHY? you ask? Because he'd actually moved to watch this retarded demonstration of 'intimacy'!

Moving to sit where he was instructed, brows actually furrowed in concentration. It was like a train wreck - he couldn't look away from it. Watching the way Mizuki slid his fingers over the glass and pressed against it... it was certainly the most affectionate he'd ever seen the boy, that was certain. He didn't quite know how he felt about it though. Was he disgusted? Was he objective (somehow this wasn't quite likely) - did he like watching this? Inui didn't know the answers to any of those (except maybe the one about his own objectivity), and simply continued to look upon (what he is dubbing) 'the intricacies of self love, as demonstrated by Mizuki Hajime, the world's most prominent expert'.

This was without a doubt the most affection he'd displayed in front of anyone--even he and Yuuta hadn't kissed long enough for Mizuki to get this open with his actions. Which was...pretty sad actually, to think that he was getting further with a reflection of himself than he was with his boyfriend. Then again... his reflection really was good looking, even without the hair gel, and he couldn't deny that he was probably more in love with himself sometimes than even Yuuta was.

So, really, this was nice. A real ego boost. As if he needed one. His hand wandered slowly from caressing his image's cheek to sliding down its neck and chest, all the while his mouth working against the glass lazily. Somehow, seamlessly, his initial kiss had developed into slow, drawn out, open mouth kisses that left a patch of fog on the glass--only to be wiped away by his lips again.

Inui sat, watching the display with a slowly growing interest - not that he hadn't been morbidly curious at first - but now there was an actual spark of interest. Something that he hadn't ever seen before in Mizuki. He didn't know when he'd forgot about the actual act of kissing, which was what he was meant to be watching (even if he was still technically watching it), and starting paying more attention to the way Mizuki acted instead.

It was like watching a completely different person, he concluded. It looked like Mizuki, and certainly had Mizuki's ego.. but.. The dataman blinked. But what? There wasn't meant to be a 'but' there. There wasn't meant to be anything there! It was meant to be a scientific demonstration of a technique, not an act for Inui to take a personal interest in. Personal.. interest...?

The mouth that moved over the mirror lazily seemed like such a waste... there wasn't anyone on the recieving end of that affection. There wasn't anyone really there for Mizuki to touch like that, or to kiss like that. Why did Inui think that it was sad... moreover... why was there a compulsion to be on the other end of that? It scared him to think about that. Or how he was starting to react without realising it.

If Mizuki had known about Inui's current train of thought, he probably would have stopped and promptly excused himself to retreat back to Yuuta's room. However, he had to admit he was far too wrapped up in himself at the moment. Sure he was demonstrating a technique, but at the same time he was acting on impulse now, absorbed in his actions and getting a little lost in the mood created by them.

His kisses became progressively shorter, more passionate and rough. His lips were pressing firmly against his reflection now, tongue visible every now and then as the heat caused more of the glass to fog up. The hand that was traveling over his mirror image's body came to rest on it's hips and he subconsciously pressed against the pane a little more fully, not really surprised to find he'd turned himself on slightly--after all, he was attracted to himself to a degree.

If that was a little lost, Inui didn't know what completely lost was meant to look like. He was making out with himself - and not only that, Mizuki just seemed to be enjoying it that tad too much. At least Inui got to see how it progressed? That was one thing that was good about Mizuki getting all into himself like that. It wasn't just a 'here you go that's what it looks like, try and learn from it' kind of deal.

The dataman shook his head out a little, trying to clear it of thoughts of how Mizuki was acting and just simply watch him. It was science after all. All for the sake of science and data exchange. Yes. It was. Really. Inui felt the compulsion to somehow slap that ':|' emote he'd discovered online on his face - he wished that was actually possible. He really did.

Though still baffled, he wondered how Mizuki could actually get that.. well.. in that state while doing it in a mirror. Was that normal, at all? Inui wasn't quite so sure... and the thought of there being two Mizuki's in the world scared him even more.

"You know... I think it's kind of sad you can be that affectionate with your own reflection and no one else..." he murmured, leaning against the wall as he continued to watch Mizuki kiss himself.

Mizuki's breath was choppy at best and each pant was marked with a flutter of fog on the glass. "...Eh?" He asked, trying to make sense of what Inui was implying just then, his mind still lost in itself. Or more, himself The way he was looking over the reflection could only be described as an unmistakable fondness that bordered on admiration. Yeah, this kind of narcissism wasn't normal--but then again, when had Mizuki ever been categorized as 'normal'?

To make the situation even more narcissistic than it already was, he'd managed to make himself rather hot, just from kissing a pane of reflective glass. Even more so when he looked over the flushed face that stared back at him in the mirror. If that wasn't self-love, nothing was. If Inui hadn't interrupted him, he probably would've been content forgetting the other was even there and just completely indulging in his actions...to himself. Because he sure as hell seemed to be heading that way, his hips pressed firmly against the glass. They were stilled now, but a moment ago, they certainly had been giving into the temptation of moving into whatever his imagination had come up with in replace of another person's touch.

"I said..." Inui continued, now standing behind Mizuki looking at the both of them in the mirror, "..that it's sad you can get yourself so hot and bothered with a mirror, as opposed to a real person." The dataman could only look at Mizuki's flushed reflection in the mirror, almost purring his response into Mizuki's ear. He could only wonder how he could actually get that way... to the point of being pressed up against it like that, panting and seemingly not giving two shits whether someone he hated was in the room, watching him.

"Though I will concede, you certainly know how to give a demonstration, though. You might want to wipe the mirror..." he chuckled slightly.

Mizuki flushed a bit more, though this time from a shred of embarrassment rather than the previous haze of desire. So what if he was turned on by himself? Anyone who could love themselves as much as he did should be proud! It sure beat the hell out of self-loathing and self consciousness.

He shot Inui a glare through the mirror but didn't move from his intimate position with it, body still mostly pressed against the glass and one hand resting against his reflection's chest. "This is...just a demonstration after all-- if I didn't play it..properly, then you wouldn't learn anything." His breath was still rather short but he was regaining control of his previously cluttered mind. "Did you take notes?" He asked, ignoring the suggestion of cleaning the glass.

"I was somewhat distracted." Inui said, eyes running up and down Mizuki's form in the mirror. "Mind showing me again? I'm a little slow, you know." Where did that come from? Just what in the hell was he saying? That wasn't what was supposed to be coming out of his mouth. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he wasn't meant to be saying things like that - especially not to Mizuki. Why the hell were they coming out then? Of course this was a situation he'd never encountered before.. so he had no personal data on it... that made it difficult to figure out what was going on, even for him.

The smaller boy narrowed his eyes and turned his head to rest his cheek against the cooler surface of the mirror. As much as it would've been nice to continue, he was made aware of Inui's presence once more and he wasn't willing to lose himself to the point of completely getting off in front of someone. He had much more dignity than that.

"I don't repeat things, Inui-kun," he almost drawled, "You should have paid better attention."

"Mn... probably." Came the reply, the tone somewhat deeper than what it normally was. "Though you can't blame me, it's not every day you get to see someone start getting off to themselves." Another soft chuckle fell off his lips, deep green orbs connecting with Mizuki's gaze weighted... but not intimidating so.

"I fall asleep in class a surprising amount for someone with the highest marks in our grade." It was true, Inui did sleep in his classes. Why? They were boring that's why. Once he read the textbook once, he knew it all. There was nothing the teacher said that made any difference to him whatsoever. In all truthfulness, Inui was the perfect delinquent. The teachers couldn't say anything if he got good grades, it didn't matter if he slept or paid attention, the result was always the same.

"I'm much better with hands on training. Didn't you say I was meant to practice to get it right?"

"Tch, I wasn't getting off to myself." Mizuki's glare intensified as he cut his eyes to the side, face still pressed up against his reflection. "I was just demonstrating how a kiss progresses, like I said earlier." From his point of view, Inui just sounded like an idiot and he'd done nothing short of a damn fine demonstration. So what if he got hot by it? He was a teenage boy, for crying out loud! It was practically expected.

"You do need to practice," he agreed, finally pushing himself away from the mirror enough so he could wipe at the fading patch of heat and spit. "I'll clean the mirror and you can practice here. I'll tell you how you're doing."

"It was a rather good show, actually. Too bad my reflection isn't as pretty as yours." Inui smirked. That was meant to be an insult. It didn't sound like an insult. Why didn't it sound like an insult? Nothing was coming out right anymore. There weren't stresses on the right words, there was barely a scathing hint in his voice. Instead it was kind of replaced by this.. fuzziness. Like lines had been blurred and so had reality.

Really, did he actually want to make out with Mizuki's reflection? He had no clue. Things had just started coming out of his mouth without there being a filtering process anymore. Maybe this was the result of being hormonally repressed? Not that Inui saw himself as such, or even considered it in that moment, not moving from where he was, still watching Mizuki intently.

Did he really want to see more of that Mizuki? If he did - why? Morbid curiosity? That could be it. Maybe it was just so out of character... or so in character... WHATEVER it was, it fascinated Inui. Like strange little boys were fascinated with bugs and things. Yes. Mizuki was like a strange bug. A strange bug he wanted to make out wi- observe. Observe.

Mizuki arched a brow, turning to look back at the other male as if he wasn't quite sure how to take the compliment. Was it a compliment? Wasn't it meant to be a mockery? But it hadn't come out that way. Mizuki was sure it should have--he'd expected it too. Oh predictability...where had you gone?

"...Thank you," he responded curtly, before adding, "I know." He moved from the mirror and side stepped around the other boy to search across his desk for a handkerchief, fully prepared to go wet it under the sink in the bathroom and properly clean the smudging on the glass where his chapstick and spit had left marks.

Why did the related thought of indirect kissing come into his head at this point? Somewhere on those stupid websites he'd read forum posts about that - and how girls got all wibbly over them. It's not like they actually kissed anyone, but it was through an indirect touching of lips that it happened. It was a strange notion to him, though looking at the mirror, that was what came to mind.

There was also a problem with Inui kissing a mirror. A rather major one. He couldn't look at himself in one without his glasses - at least not for more than a mere passing glance. There was just no way he was going to be able to do it. "It would be a good plan... practicing in the mirror..." Inui said, turning to look at Mizuki. "It's unfortunate it won't work for me."

"Eh?" Mizuki paused in his search, straightening back up and looking over at the other boy, "Why not?" He waved a hand dismissively after a moment, as if he'd already known the answer. He turned back to his desk and snatched up the small square of fabric he'd been looking for before heading toward the door, fumbling in his pocket for something and pausing by Inui.

He drew his lip balm out of his pocket casually, looking up at the other as he spoke, "I'll be right back, I'm going to wet this so I can clean off the mirror." He applied the slightly creamy substance just as casually, the air around him smelling of cherry now. "And it's ok if you don't like looking at yourself. Just close your eyes. Nfu~" He smirked as he returned the gloss to his pocket, "No one is as good looking as me after all, so I understand your self-consciousness~"

"I wish it was just self consciousness." Inui stated. "However, something like that wouldn't stop me." The smell of cherry infiltrated his senses, the sweet smell wafting over from where Mizuki stood to where he was. Everything was mixing together. Trauma, lust, sweetness, dislike, discomfort, curiosity... the control Inui wished he had just wasn't there anymore. Really, he wished he'd been able to muster it.

Mizuki gave yet another dismissive gesture and headed toward the door, "Well I'm sure you can ignore it if you close your eyes. You're not a complete idiot, you can pretend it's Fuji-kun or Dan-chan or something." He left the other without another look back and returned less than a minute or two later, handkerchief dampened at one side. "Move," he ordered flatly, noticing that Inui was still standing there in his way of the mirror. He pursed his lips slightly, the smell of cherry returning when he did.

"To be honest, I doubt that would make my performance increase any." With a slight lean to the side, Inui stepped and moved out of Mizuki's way. "From what I gathered, you're meant to be relaxed when you do it, aren't you? Thinking about that's only going to make me smack my head against it or something similar." After all, when Inui thought about Fuji he practically curled up in a ball of nervousness - and he was still somewhat unsure about his age difference with Dan, even if the younger boy was the one that initiated absolutely everything.

"It'd be easier to kiss someone I hated than to-" Inui shut his mouth right then and shuffled back a little further. The horrible things was... it was the truth. He hated the truth right then. It was a bastard sometimes.

It's be easier to...what? Mizuki's brows furrowed at the less than subtle implication that was just presented to him, whether consciously or subconsciously. His eyes narrowed and he moved around the other as if he hadn't heard that. But he had. His silence made it obvious that he wasn't quite sure what to say, or was too awkward feeling now.

Quietly, he wiped at the smudging on the glass and then folded the cloth to use the dry side to remove the water. As discreetly as he could, he watched Inui through the mirror, uncertain of how to continue without being expected to act as a practice object. Really, if Inui had been Yuuta, that would've been a more than welcome thought, but right now it just made him nervous.

"Let's just move on, shall we?" Inui murmured, moving over to pick up his book and his pen. There was a look of sheer agony at the situation he was in for a fleeting moment before it was replaced with something.. less expressive. Or at least what he hoped was less expressive. "I'll skip practice." he said, jaw tightened as a rather.. well what was the word for it? Unusual? Charming..? shade of pink spread across his cheeks. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Inui wasn't inclined to do it in front of Mizuki.

Mizuki moved the set the handkerchief on the edge of his desk before looking the taller boy over. "Continue?" he repeated, keeping his voice rather calm despite the awkwardness he felt. "With what? I already showed you the technique, the only way you can improve now is to practice it yourself."

"Ah, well then you're less thorough in your explanations than I expected." Inui said, wandering over to his own bed to sit on it, leaning against the wall. "For someone to cover 'basics' only meaning kissing, well.. I would have thought your 'superior knowledge' would have been a lot broader. I'm sorry I was mistaken."

The smaller boy was clearly irritated by the implication that he didn't know what he was talking about or that he didn't have nearly enough data as he claimed. How dare Inui even assume that! Mizuki folded his arms and one hand came to tug at his straight wisps of hair, desperately trying to curl them even though it was impossible without his styling gel. "....My knowledge is a lot broader, but you specifically asked to start with the basics. So I did."

He glared, "And don't expect that just because I'm unwilling to demonstrate more doesn't mean I'm ignorant to it." Because, really, he wasn't. He just didn't want to display more, because a lot of it involved having another person involved, and they were the only ones here.... And, yes, despite popular belief, he really did respect Yuuta enough not to go off making out with anyone who left themselves open for it. Even if they were seriously asking for it and pissing him off.

"Well I hardly consider kissing to be the only thing that could be classed as basic." Inui pointed out. This was the truth. There were other things, like those subtle touches, or general nuances that baffled and confused him. He wasn't speaking of things beyond kissing.. more like the things that went along with it and came before it.

"I really don't know what you're alluding to, but I was referring to the things that happen while kissing and before it." he decided to clarify. "It's not like you can just walk up to someone and start.. going at it." he muttered the last part, running a hand through his hair. It was at times like these, Mizuki made him feel even more retarded than he actually was - not only that but even more misunderstood than he already seemed to be.

Things that happened before hand? Mizuki raised a brow, hand pausing in it's twisting of hair. "Usually those things...caresses...looks..and the like, are all nervous or impulsive. They don't have much of a meaning." His eyes shifted upward in a expression of consideration. "Usually," he repeated, thinking back to the times with Oshitari, as he and Yuuta hadn't had nearly enough experience in this subject, "...before kissing like that, there's a soft touch to the face or hair...something slow and gentle, to show that you're affectionate and not just lusty." After further consideration, he added, "Eye contact is important too."

Shifting slightly, Inui took this into consideration, eyes closing for a moment so he could contemplate how he would go about doing such a thing. There was the hitch. Who would he do it to? His confusion with his subject matter led to irreversible problems in visualization. Again, as had become a habit, a hand came to rub at his right temple, letting go a sigh of frustration. How was he meant to try and figure it out, if he couldn't visualize anything?

"Mizuki. Come here for a moment. Humour me." he muttered, not happy about asking for help from this boy, but not finding any other alternative at present.

Mizuki let out an audible sigh of irritation. It was as if Inui couldn't do anything right, at least that's what it seemed to imply. Nevertheless, he moved to where the other sat, dragging his desk chair along with him and sitting down on it directly in front of the other boy. As much as he hated the other boy the last few days, he did kind of pity him...to an extent.

Pity that he was so ignorant in basic life interactions. He gave Inui a look that said, 'Go on--but if you touch me with anything other than your hand I'll kill you.'

"I'm not going to molest you. Don't look at me like that." Inui said, green eyes opening to look at Mizuki, already knowing the expression the other was wearing. He could feel it. "I have issues, all right? Let me try and process this. I'm admitting I know nothing about it, be happy you can gloat and hold it over my head later like I have no doubt you're going to."

So.. how was he going to do this? He had to figure it out sometime in his life - that's what he'd said the last time with Dan, too... somehow Inui still couldn't quite get over it. If it was Mizuki, there was a higher possibility he wouldn't be nervous - mainly because he had no really worry about fucking it up with him.

Taking a rather deep inward breath, Inui finally brought his eyes up to meet Mizuki's. Seconds slowly dragged on before his hesitant hand lifted, what would have been a still expressionless face with glasses, easily readable as utterly terrified without them. The first touch of his fingertips to Mizuki's face was feather light, and as soon as they made contact, instinctively they were pulled back - even if Inui tried to force that reaction to stop. Another breath and another pause saw contact be made, fingertips tracing their way down the almost elegant curve of Mizuki's cheek, still somewhat unsure.

Somehow he hoped Mizuki wouldn't yell at him right then. Or say something nasty. He didn't know if he'd ever really have the courage to try it again if he was that bad at it.

Somehow, Mizuki had figured this was coming. He'd ended up being a practice object after all, but at least the predictability had returned. And it wasn't like they were doing anything affectionate anyway, because he honestly felt nothing but light touches--though he was certain if that hand had belonged to Yuuta, it would have caused him to feel something.

So, he guessed that meant Inui was doing a good enough job, even if he was so obviously nervous beyond belief. Knowing he was the smarter one in this situation for once, he had the decency to keep his mouth shut, letting Inui practice all he needed. He let his eyes fall shut to block out the 'touch me too much and die' look he might've been taking on in order for Inui to be able to practice a bit more confidently.

There was something inside Inui that made him feel strange about touching someone that he wasn't meant to be comforting. It was like he had all the affection in the world for people he was trying to help in a completely platonic manner and yet when it came to actually feeling affection for them... well everything just stopped. Touching someone became a chore. Speaking became difficult. Everything in his mind and body kind of just clamped down like a vice and screamed 'no' to such an outrageous extent that it had constantly made Inui's life hell since he came to Evergreen and started interacting with people. He was jumpy constantly. Even he hated it... rather than it just being irritating to everyone else as well.

Though somewhere inside himself right then he was thanking Mizuki for not calling him pathetic. Inui already knew he was. Mizuki just always seemed to like reminding him of it when it came to this issue.. but he didn't just then. With a soft swallow, he shifted forward a little more, now cupping the other boy's cheek with what had to be one of the most gentle touches one could experience. Yes, Inui was a giant, intimidating, very misunderstood and very lonely teddy bear. He knew a lot of things but was kind of stupid in other ways... even if he always meant well. Truth be told, it wasn't a touch that would harm anyone.

Tilting his head to the side a little, as if now becoming slightly more at ease - not by much, but enough for some of his curiosity to return - he thumbed over Mizuki's cheekbone. "Thank you.." It kind of slipped out without him realizing it, his gratitude for Mizuki right then apparent. "..for not calling me names."

Though he was surprised at being thanked suddenly, Mizuki kept his eyes shut and decided to gently lean into the touch, pressing his cheek more fully against the hand, much like a lover would. Well, the touch was like a lover's touch after all, so it would be good practice for Inui on how to react to, well, reactions caused by his affection. Mizuki still felt nothing in terms of romance or desire, but he did feel a small amount of mercy well up in his chest.

He could be nice. He really could. Much like he was surprised at how gentle Inui could be, he was sure people were surprised by the fact that Mizuki Hajime did have a heart. He felt things. He had emotions, even if they were limited to a few prevalent ones (most unpleasant to others). And he could be nice. Like now--quiet and helpful, whether out of pity or just because it somehow made him feel like a better person.

Why was it that Mizuki could be this way now? This was a question that seemed to float around in Inui's mind as his thumb travelled down that smooth cheek, and over Mizuki's chin. He was sure that the other could have said something egotistical right then, or flat out insulted him... but he didn't. Not before he'd thanked him and not after, either. Even as that smell of cherry came back to hit him as he got closer, that thought lingered... washing around in his mind and mixing with that smell, almost associating it.

Was it his preoccupation with this new found side of Mizuki that made it easy for him to gently glide his pads of his fingers over the other's jawbone as his touch was leaned into? Was he so distracted by the thought of why that he didn't realize the other hand had come up to gently brush some of the other's hair to the side?

What was it... that compelled him to say, "Why... aren't you ever like this normally?" It was barely audible, but had an air of almost disbelief about it. Disbelief and... what could border on wonderment.

"Why aren't you? ...when it's so beautiful? Before and now.. why isn't it the way you are?"

Why wasn't he like what? Mizuki's brow wrinkled a bit in confusion, though his eyes remained closed. The hand on his face was warm and it was a rather nice sensation, even if it didn't provoke any feelings in his chest, like Yuuta had done with nothing but an awkward peck on the lips or a hug from behind.

Only a moment later he was met with clarification-- beautiful?? How was this beautiful, of all things? He was quiet and being nice, because that's how he was when the two needs of privacy and attention were met at the same time. Privately, no one else could see this side of him--which allowed him to loosen up more--and attention...well, he just loved attention. It was good to his ego. Which, by the way, had made him smile a little against the hand as it grew.

Yes, he was beautiful, he knew that. He had a nice facial structure, his skin was pale, smooth, and unmarred (well, right now it had a few remaining cuts from one Kikumaru Eiji, but they were light) and he always made sure to keep his figure fit and attractive. But, was that what Inui had meant? Surely it was, because this actual state of passiveness wasn't attractive to him at all. It was a part of himself that he kept hidden. Clearly, if he thought it was worth bragging about, he wouldn't have hidden it in the first place. Situations like this, however, made it hard not to unwind. He was comfortable after all, almost forgetting his dislike for the other boy.

"I don't know," he mumbled, giving a light shrug as if to further say 'and I don't really care. It's not important.'

He didn't know? Why not? There had to be a reason, didn't there? There had to be a reason why Mizuki wasn't being overly insulting, completely snide and egomaniacal like only minutes before this entire thing started. Of course Inui could concede that Mizuki was physically attractive, but this isn't at all what he meant by 'beautiful'. It was the fact that he didn't seem to be covering for himself as much. How slowly, the pretence seemed to fall like a velvet curtain, revealing something he shouldn't have seen. Something no one thinks is there -- well no, not really-- something Inui knew was there, but something Mizuki seemed to guard so closely that most people didn't care whether it existed one way or another because of his usual behaviour.

Letting the hand that had brushed part of Mizuki's hair back slide a strand of it behind an ear, Inui could only sit there and look. Sit and not imagine someone else. He was just left there. Him and this... this version of Mizuki. Just as Mizuki had done in the mirror, Inui let a soft caress grace the pale skin just under Mizuki's ear, continuing down his neck just a little. It seemed almost reverent. As if he didn't want whatever reality bubble or alternate universe he'd stepped into to disappear just yet.

"It's nice," he stated, though his voice was still barely a whisper. "I think... this side of you is nice."

Mizuki had to disagree. Wholeheartedly. Vulnerability wasn't something to be shown to others--not that he was completely vulnerable right now anyway, but he was more open than normal-- and submissiveness just didn't suit his style. He was only willing to be fully overtaken by those he loved. As much as he loved control, he'd let Yuuta take the lead any day, especially in this kind of situation, and while he'd never really been sure if he had almost developed feelings for Oshitari, he had still let the blue haired boy take charge from time to time.

Other than that, no one was allowed total control over Mizuki. He made sure to keep it that way, painstakingly so. "I don't think so," he admitted in much the same, soft yet apathetic tone that said he really wasn't interested in 'this side of himself'. "It's boring."

Submissive? That wasn't the right word at all. Inui didn't think it was. It wasn't that Mizuki was submissive at all. It's that he wasn't a fucking asshole. He wasn't so damn preoccupied with putting forth an image that was so downright obviously a cover for something he didn't want people seeing. It was because Mizuki felt more like a human being, now more than ever before. That is why it was a beautiful thing. Like seeing mathematical equations make fractals or refractions of light in crystals. It was something profound... but why was Mizuki so blind to it?

"You're more like a person... even if that's boring to you, I think it's beautiful." To Inui that kind of humanity was something to cherish --even if Mizuki wasn't completely open. "Even if.." slowly a thumb traced under Mizuki's bottom lip, sliding into that small dip just under the centre of it and then back over the other side as his spoke, "..you dislike me entirely, I can say I like you right now. Even if I will go back to being insulted by you.. made fun of by you... being irritated by you... the you as you are right now - I can say I like you. The more human part of you."

More...human? More human?? What had he been before then? A complete and total, heartless creature that didn't have feelings or emotions? Mizuki was insulted. He almost wanted to jerk away, smack that hand away, smack Inui, period... but he didn't. Perhaps because he was slightly caught off guard by the offensive statement after just receiving praise.

Or maybe it was the way Inui had said it, without any hint of malice or mockery at all. Didn't that only make it look like Inui meant it even more? That was worse! Mizuki opened his eyes finally, narrowing them in a more familiar guarded expression of displeasure. His lips turned downward in a small frown to match his glare. "You like me for the moment?" he attempted to clarify, as that point made his mind practically scream what the fuckin' hell. "What, so you found a little beauty in the fact that I can keep my mouth shut for five minutes? How does that make me more human?"

Desperate. He was so desperately covering up that side of himself again, as if it had been hurt by something and he had to shield it once more to keep it from harm's way. "Don't be so surprised that I can be nice," he muttered a tad less defensive than before, though he was on more defense than ever.

"No, it's the fact you're actually showing what I already know is there." Inui said, eyes meeting Mizuki's, still no trace of any kind of malice or mockery. He was serious. What Mizuki tried to cover up, didn't deserve to be covered up at all. "It's true, I dislike it when you're insulting and overly egotistical, but that doesn't mean I don't think you have feelings. The beauty is that you showed it a little... to me." Inui smiled somewhat ironically, the slight tremble in his fingers against Mizuki's cheek not stopped in time to be unnoticeable at first. Well, he supposed that Mizuki wouldn't want to see any common ground between them. Mizuki hated him after all.

"So thank you for letting me see it."

"You certainly have an odd taste in beauty, Inui-kun," Mizuki replied softly, though no less guarded. He noticed the unsteadiness of the taller boy's hand against his cheek, but decided not to harp on it for now. He sighed in the slightly theatrical way he was prone to doing when he was tired of something. "Nevertheless, you did well for your first practice. I think you should be fine with the touching part next time you come across the chance."

However, he didn't move to push Inui's hand from his cheek, purely because he didn't want to touch hands. It felt intimate to him in this atmosphere and true intimacies were, as much as he pretended not to be bothered by them, generally things he avoided if he could. "...You're welcome then," he muttered, perhaps a bit reluctantly, hoping that it would be interpreted at he meant it. Yeah, so you make me sick sometimes, but you're not that bad of a person either.

Of course, it was a stretch for anyone to find that in 'you're welcome.' But Mizuki could always console himself with the thought that at least he knew.

At the sigh, Inui simply let his eyes close and dropped his hand away. "Most often than not it's the things that you don't see often, or that you wish you could see often, that you find most beautiful." he replied simply, not opening his eyes yet. It would start again soon. Not that it partially hadn't already. It'd go back to snarky remarks back and forth. Things that Inui didn't really want to say, but would say anyway because Mizuki seemed to just prod them out of him. Acting in ways he didn't particularly want to, but did, because Mizuki was the kind of person that could rip him to shreds in an instant... and he didn't want to be reduced to it, let alone have Mizuki able to lord it over him.

"Then again, I suppose I've never been normal. So what would it matter if I found it beautiful? Me finding it so means nothing to you, no matter how serious I am when I say it."

Oddly enough, Mizuki found himself wanting to object to that. It meant something. He wasn't sure what, but it did count for something, even if it was as trivial as an ego boost. Sometimes, he noted, he was such a hypocrite.

"I didn't say anything bad about you directly. I was just noting that your preferences were different than mine. Don't act like I just kicked sand in your face." He folded his arms once more, a finger coming to twirl with the strand of hair that Inui had so neatly tucked behind one ear. His tongue touched at the bottom lip as if to removing the feeling of another person having touched him there, the taste of cherries mingling with the scent of it.

"It's strange though...seeing you lacking so much confidence. Maybe it's just because I can actually see what you're feeling now. Nfu~" His lips curled into a half smirk, though albeit a forced one. He wasn't in much of a mood to taunt tonight. He'd been with Yuuta earlier that day and without any conflict, so he had been in a relatively good mood all evening. No sense in ruining it by being a jerk to someone, even if it was the easiest way to cover himself.

"I know you didn't." Inui chuckled just a little, though it was soft as he leaned back against the wall. "Though, somehow, I really don't know if anything I ever said would actually matter to you." As far as Inui knew, Mizuki only wanted things to hold over him. Even if he got to see a part of the other boy that he wished he could see more of, the probability of it happening? Let's just say if it was slim to none, then whatever factor that was above zero was entirely negligible. "I could be wrong about it, but I doubt I am."

Opening his eyes again, Inui looked to Mizuki once more. No, there was nowhere left for Inui to hide. He'd lost his glasses. He was readable. All of his emotions on a platter for the world. For Mizuki to prod at. "Yes, with the loss of my glasses I'm easily readable," Inui admitted with a small nod, "I'm sure you're gathering good data on all of my reactions." There was still no fight in his voice. He didn't want to fight with Mizuki. He didn't want to insult him. So all he did was just answer to the affirmative, stating the facts quite politely.

"I lack confidence because I'm afraid of people. You're the last person I should tell that to, because you can rip me apart-" His eyes had connected with Mizuki's in earnest. What Inui had managed to do with Mizuki had been impossible outside of certain emotionally detached situations... but he'd still managed it. He'd touched him, albeit not overly confidently but how long had he kept his hands on him? How long had they been talking while it went on? Even if it was secondary to the things he'd been saying there was still the fact that Inui had accomplished it. "-and maybe, playing against the odds and putting faith in the fact you won't, will only lead to such a thing... but I suppose no one gets anywhere without taking any risks in their lives."

There it was. It was like he had 'Open season' tattooed on his forehead. It was more than enough for Mizuki to mock or jab at, Inui was just hoping that he would once again, decide not to. To see what would happen, should someone actually put faith in his nature beyond doubting him.

Mizuki arched a delicate brow, looking the other boy over in scrutiny and frowning thoughtfully. It was too easy to take the upper hand, if he didn't already have it, and Inui had practically set himself up for the multitudes of comments already collecting at the back of Mizuki's mind. They reached his tongue and yet they stayed there, threatening to roll off the tip but becoming bitter and being swallowed back down. It was the first time Mizuki actually thought that biting back words physically left a foul taste in his mouth.

He sighed again and his eyes slid shut as he shook his head. "You're leaving yourself completely open for criticism and I'm in too good of a mood to take it." He'd regret this later, some other time when Inui managed to piss him off. He'll regret it and wish that he had ripped into the other boy, made him cry or break. But for now, he didn't want to see that, it was too easy. Boring.

That's what he told himself at least.

"Hopefully we can both be in this kind of mood more often." That would be nice, Inui thought. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if this is how they were. Though it was somewhat late, now that he'd already put in his transfer papers. It wasn't likely that he'd go running to withdraw them either, even as much as the way Mizuki was right then was both intriguing and.. at least somewhat pleasant.

"It's nice not to insult you. Despite everything, it's not something I like doing, and you proved my point by not taking advantage and ripping me to shreds. Sure, it may not stop you from doing it later, but when I tell you something honestly and in earnest, knowing exactly what you could choose to do with the information in a situation like this - it's good to know I didn't misplace my trust in that you wouldn't, even if logic dictates I shouldn't give you that kind of chance."

Mizuki scoffed slightly, trying once again to cover up what he could only see as a weakness. "It has nothing to do with trust or whether or not I dislike or like you, or want to hurt or not hurt you." He rolled his eyes, index finger still twirling at that wisp that just refused to stay curled without gel.

"If I had insulted you now, it would have been boring--because it was too easy. If there's not challenge, where is the fun? Nfu." For being thought up on the spot, his words sounded rather convincing to him. Or at least like damn fine excuses.

"So you do it to amuse yourself?" Inui asked, wondering if that was really the reason why Mizuki chose to be that way. It seemed to him that it wasn't all that likely, that Mizuki would just try and rip him apart because it was a challenge. Of course, he and Mizuki always butted heads ? and their personalities clashed something fierce... but only because it was fun?

Mizuki gave a light shrug before answering with an apathetic, "Perhaps." He looked the other over once more, a bored look fixed neatly on his features. "You should be happy I'm not in the mood to be cruel. If I wanted to hurt something, I would have gone ahead and said something by now. Don't keep on it like you want me to change my mind." Though that wasn't what Inui was doing, it was certainly making him irritated.

"All right." The reply came simply as Inui moved to get one of the pillows off his bed. Tucking it under his arm in a manner that could only really be labeled systematic, Inui shifted to the edge of his bed, coming face to face with the other for a few moments. "I doubt I'm going to get cut the same deal as Kikumaru with you, but just so you know, I don't think you're a bad person. I have issues with your defense mechanisms, but you are not your defense mechanisms alone, no matter how overpowering they may be."

The corner of one side of his mouth tugged into a small half smile. "You should also smile like you did before more often. It suits you." With that, Inui shifted off the bed and down to the floor, placing his pillow under it and starting to make his bed.

After watching quietly for a moment, the words sinking in rather slowly, as if he had to pick them apart first, Mizuki rolled his eyes and returned his chair to his desk. What had he come in here for to begin with? Ah, that's right. He snatched up the book that he'd forgotten some time ago and paused once more before heading to the door.

His eyes narrowed as he watched the other boy. There was the urge to say something, but he wasn't sure what...or how kind it would be. Right now, he didn't want to say anything too terribly nice or mean. "....Oyasuminasai," he finally mumbled, twisting the doorknob and pushing open the door.

Well it was the middle of the afternoon, but the lack of sleep because of various things had started to get to him. He knew it wasn't at all healthy to sleep so erratically, but, well he had to get what sleep he could and Mizuki was one person that could sap his energy like nothing else. Though, as that one final gesture echoed across the room between them, Inui smiled and looked over at the other boy.

"Good night, Mizuki." Inui surmised that some things had to be broken before they were rebuilt. There wasn't a high possibility that he and Mizuki would ever go back to being on an even keel, but the possibility of finding some space amongst everything to be civil? It just might work.

Well.. maybe...