[log] Bane and Sae : The Talk
Who: Kurobane Harukaze + Saeki Koujirou
When: Tuesday 6th July
Where: Sae's backyard
Summary: The pair finally talk about what happened and replace the awkwardness with something a little unexpected on both sides.
Warning/Rating: PG-13 to be safe
Player Comments: It's amazing what Bane can achieve when he stops thinking. And feel free to have characters question the awkwardness and now lack thereof.
Comments/Crits Allowed: Go for it.
Saeki was still grouchy. Maybe he should have told Ryou, or Davide, about the whole issue. Maybe then he'd have sorted himself out a bit and wouldn't have gotten so pissed when Bane called, let it ring once, and hung up. That was just so...so.... GRR.
He wasn't going to think about it. He was going to go out in the backyard and tan. That's what he was going to do. Maybe turn on the radio, if he could find a decent station. And turn it up loud enough that he wouldn't hear the stupid phone if it did ring. He'd already gathered the stuff, so he went out to the fenced-in backyard and proceeded to shuck off his clothes, bit by bit. He then made sure there was no shade where he was going to be lying, turned on the radio and, after finding a relatively decent station, lay down on the blanket, face-down. "Mph. Stupid Bane," he muttered, closing his eyes and trying to focus only on whatever the radio was playing.
If this turned out badly, it was all Shindo's fault, Bane decided. The Saeki household wasn't on the route he normally walked his dogs, yet somehow he had ended up standing outside it with the black puppy sitting at his feet. But, dog's fault or not, he knew he needed to at least talk to Sae. That was what Kenta had said, at least. Sure, his conversation with his cousin had been more centered on current family issues, but Kenta had always been a bit more perceptive and figured out there was something else bugging his little cousin. So Bane had cracked and told him the basic outline of what had happened - no way in hell was he going to tell him his best friend had given him a damn blowjob - and the simple piece of advice had been: talk.
Trying to talk over the phone hadn't exactly worked. So it had to be done in person. At least this way he wouldn't be able to bring himself to run away. Hopefully. Taking a deep breath, Bane stepped up to the door and lifted his hand, knocking loud on the wood.
Saeki lie there, enjoying the warmth of the sun. The radio wasn't terrible, this time, so he hummed along with the song. It was relaxing, to be doing nothing, thinking about nothing... At least until he thought he heard a knock. ... No. Not answering. Don't care. It could be leader of Japan, for all he cared.
Or it could be Bane. Or Davide or Ryou...but probably most likely Bane.
Saeki turned the music up.
Bane knocked again, louder this time, before sighing. How was he meant to talk to the guy if he wasn't home? ... Was he home? Maybe he just wasn't answering. He glanced down at his dog before crouching and unclipping the leash from Shindo's collar. "Go find Sae, boy," he urged. The first thing he had taught Shindo - after the basics, of course - was how to recognize and find his friends. It was more a precautionary thing in case anything happened down on the beach, but he figured it could come in use here.
Unfortunately, because they were at Sae's house, it made things a little harder. Shindo gave up after a minute or two of sniffing around and looked up at Bane with wide eyes. With a sad smile, he pet the dog's head before looking around. "Maybe..."
Stepping away from the front door, Bane headed around the side and down to the back of the house, his dog hot on his heels. The sound of music got louder and louder. <>He is home. "Sae!"
This time, Saeki was sure he heard his name above the music, so with a grumble he reached over and turned it back down. Stupid whoever it was that was interrupting his nice, relaxing day of tanning in the sun. "WHAT?" he grumped, not bothering to look up. Whoever it was could talk to his bare-naked ass.
Sae was alive and at home. And grumpy. Bane easily climbed over the fence, quietly told Shindo to stay put on the outside of the fence before turning around to face his friend. And blushed. Why does he have to tan naked? Very carefully focusing his gaze on everything but his butt-naked friend, he made is way closer, crouching down near Saeki's head.
"Can we talk?"
Oh. It was Bane. .... And he was naked. Staring at the blanket, Saeki had a brief moment of wanting to cover himself up, but he quickly decided that, fuck it, he was naked before Bane showed up and the man knew he tanned naked, so he was taking his own risk. "Yeah, sure. Go ahead. Talk," he muttered, crossing his arms beneath his head, but still keeping his face to the blanket. Whatever expression Bane had, he wasn't sure he could face it.
I said we, but... whatever. Bane rocked back and sat down, crossing his legs in front of him and leaning forward rest his elbows on his knees and his head on his hands. "Look, about what happened..." he trailed off, eyes wandering around the backyard. Funny how things were always easier said than done in these situations. Or rather thought than said, as the case may be. The flush rising on his cheeks again wasn't helping much either. "I... I liked it..." Really liked it... "And... I'd do it again... but not if it's going to cost our friendship..."
Okay, now that surprised Saeki, and he couldn't help turning his head to look at Bane. "I know you liked it. That much you don't have to tell me." He propped his head on a hand. "But no, you wouldn't do it again. Just like you never do anything like that, so don't lie to me." He wasn't teasing, this time. Normally, he'd say words like that with a grin and a teasing tone, followed by a comment about Bane's lazy-ass hormones... but today he was guarded, defensive... Not how he should be around one of his closest friends.
It sucked ass, and not the fun way.
Bane didn't say anything, resting the side of his head in the palm of one hand and let the other arm fall to rest across his lap. He kept his gaze on Saeki's face, finding that easier to look at than anything else right now. "Sae, I hate this," He said finally, rubbing his face.
Saeki wanted to get up and storm around the yard. He wanted to punch Bane for being an idiot. He wanted to kiss him again. He wanted to demand Bane return the favor to make them even. Instead of all of that, he settled for smacking Bane's hand away from his face. "You think I don't? I'm the idiot here. If I hadn't......done that... we wouldn't be here. Everything would have just gone on as normal and everything would be just peachy. But no. Instead of hearing your yes as your usual way of testing to see just how far I'll go and leaving it at that, I had to actually go and do it." The easiest solution would be for Bane to just date him already. But no. It wasn't going to happen. They'd find a way to go back to their regularly scheduled programming, because Bane wouldn't date him, and Saeki wasn't going to confess. ...Of course, by this point, Bane had to know Saeki liked him like that. Right?
"Who says I was just testing how far you would go?" Bane was still trying to work on that brain-mouth filter thing. Things had a habit of coming out before he'd thought about what he was actually saying. He slowly brought his hand back up to rest his head on it, not looking away from Sae. "Maybe I really did what you to do it." Bane wasn't quite sure of it himself, to be honest. He had said 'yes' then without thinking and then just hadn't taken it back. Even in the weeks since it had happened, he had never really spent any time thinking on whether he had originally wanted it to happen or whether he was just pushing the limits; seeing what his friend would and wouldn't do. "Maybe I really do want you to do it again."
"You always test to see how far I'll go!" Saeki couldn't just lay there, so he got up and started pacing around the back yard, as completely at home being naked as he would be wearing clothes. "I tease you, you tease back, we both keep poking and prodding at each other until one of us backs down! That's how we work, Bane!" And neither of them backed down or put an end to it that time. That was why they were exactly where they were right now. He hung his head and ran his fingers through his hair, pausing in his pacing. "And even if you really do want me to do it again..." He sighed. "I won't do it, and you wouldn't let me. You're too afraid of changing things."
Bane stayed seated, just following his friend with his eyes. The discomfort with his friend patrolling around naked seemed to have passed, either due to being used to it - they'd been changing in the same clubroom for how many years now - or because he had something else to worry about. "I am afraid of changing things," he said quietly, finally pulling himself to his feet and walking towards Sae. He lifted a hand to pull Sae's hand from his hair and used his other to try and lift the guy's head to look at him. "Sae, look at me... I'm afraid of changing things because I don't want to lose you."
Saeki blinked, staring up at Bane for a moment. His heart was racing partly because he was already worked up and partly because of what Bane had said. The stupid thing was, Bane was an idiot. "Bane..." Saeki took a step back, putting distance between them, but he didn't break the eye contact. Hell, establishing it was half the battle. "Not being willing to change things is probably the one thing that has even a chance of making you lose me." Even if Bane told him to quit the flirting...he would. It wouldn't change that Saeki liked him, as a friend, and as more, and it wouldn't push him away. It would change things, but they'd still be friends.
There was an urge to look away, but Bane fought it; fought to keep the eye contact he hadn't able to hold in so long. How could not changing what he'd always done make him lose someone? But things had already changed between them, hadn't they? That was why they were here. People changed, and they themselves were getting older and changing as they did so...
Bane decided there was no point in thinking anymore. It was just giving him a headache and confusing him. Brain out of order, he stepped closer to Saeki and leaned forward a little. He hesitated, a hand hanging at his side curling into the material of his pants, before finally pushing forward and pressing his lips to Sae's.
Saeki watched the confusion flicker across Bane's face. He knew it might not make sense, but he'd said the truth, and if he had to, he'd explain it a million times. But Bane said nothing....and everything he did seemed like a weird mix of slow-mo and fast-forward. He saw Bane stepping close, leaning in...and had no idea how Bane's lips ended up on his.
For a moment, he was too stunned to do anything. But then instinct took over and Saeki kissed back, one hand grabbing Bane's wrist, the other slinging up around Bane's shoulders to make sure that even if he pulled back, he wasn't getting away.
Bane didn't have any plans to pull away soon, let alone try to get away. The arm not being held looped around Saeki's waist and his eyes fell closed. The other hand awkwardly tried to move to pull Sae's hand off his wrist, trying to grab a hold of the hand.
Saeki groaned against Bane's mouth, his own parting just enough for Saeki to touch his tongue to Bane's lips. His hand stayed firmly in place, and a corner of Saeki's mind wondered if he'd end up bruising him...but the more carnal side didn't care. He leaned into it, his kiss a little rough as he turned them around and pinned Bane's back against the fence. "MMhh..."
The feeling of something solid behind him jolted Bane's brain into working again and he took a moment to assess just what he had dropped himself into. He was well aware that Sae was still naked, the feeling of bare skin beneath the arm around his friend not letting him forget. It didn't change anything, and he only tightened his hold to try and pull Saeki even closer.
It was a little strange, being the one doing the pinning, but kissing someone taller... But it was Bane. Hell if he could be arsed to care about technicalities right now. Saeki's whole body pressed against Bane's as he bit at Bane's lips, determined to leave them bruised, to leave evidence that this had not been some kind of crazy dream he'd had while lying out in the sun. This was real, somehow... and whatever it meant, he was going to make it last as long as he could.
Bane gasped a little at the sudden pain in his lip, no matter how minor it was. It had surprised him enough to make his eyes open again before the simply fell closed again. His other hand moved to rest on Saeki's hip, the one already around him sliding up a bit, fingers splayed on his back. Bane mumbled something against the lips on his, the words lost into the kiss.
Saeki let his hand - the one that had been holding Bane's wrist - travel up Bane's chest, touching just because he could. There was a sound, something in Bane's voice.... Ah, hey now. No fair talking against his mouth like that... Saeki kind of needed to breathe anyway, so he pulled back just a bit - still close enough that their lips touched, but not close enough to still be kissing. "What...was that...?" he panted softly, curiosity getting the best of him. Ha. And he'd complained about Ryou's curiosity.
"I said..." Okay... Talking without breath is kind of hard. Bane took a moment to just breath slowly, in through his mouth and out through his nose just like his uncle had taught him when he had learned to swim as a way to regulate his breathing. "You'll need... to turn over." Sae's back was warm under his hand, heated by the sun, while his front seemed ice cold in comparison. Possibly the most random detail Bane could've pointed out considering their current situation, but the flush on his cheeks and his still slightly heaving chest were enough evidence that his mind wasn't quite working right.
Saeki blinked. Turn over... He arched an eyebrow as he thought about having his backside against Bane......until his mind caught up and reminded him that this was Bane, which meant he wasn't talking about what Saeki thought he was talking about. A second later, he realized what it was. His back had gotten quite warm from the sun. His front (while warm from other things) had not. "...You're an idiot," he chuckled, rolling his eyes and turning around in Bane's arms for a moment. It felt good, like this......which was exactly why he stepped away. "Lay down next to me for a while, then, while I even out?" he suggested, making his way back to the abandoned blanket.
"Yeah, alright," Bane followed after him, slipping his hands into the pockets of his shorts as he walked. He was about to settle down beside his friend when something caught his attention. A whimper. But whimpering.... Holy crap. Shindo. Bane tended to forget that Shindo wasn't like Jak and Daxter. Where the two older golden retrievers would head home if told to stay in one spot by Bane and he didn't return after a certain length of time, Shindo would stay exactly where he was told to and wouldn't move until Bane came to collect him. "I should... go get Shindo..."
Saeki laughed, settling onto his back on the blanket and closing his eyes against the sun. Bane and his dogs... "Just as long as you bring him back in here with you. No disappearing. We're not finished yet." A lot of the awkwardness was gone, but... Bane had been the one to start that kiss... That had to mean something, and damn it if he'd let Bane get away without talking about it.
Bane nodded and climbed back over the fence where he had left his dog and spent a good few minutes just showering him with affection in apology for almost forgetting about him. Not that he actually admitted to Shindo that he had almost forgotten about him. A few minutes later, and he was leading the puppy back into the garden and sitting down beside Saeki. "Can't believe I almost forgot about him," he mumbled, pushing the dog away playfully and watching him sniff around the back yard.
"Well, you were a little distracted~" Saeki teased, listening to Bane settling beside him and the dog running around in the grass. He kept his eyes shut, but he turned his face towards where he knew Bane was. "So....before any awkwardness erupts... What does it mean that you kissed me, this time? Aside from the fact that I apparently underestimated your balls..." Might as well get right to it, get everything figured out and get back to normal as soon as possible.
Well, if he was perfectly honest... "I kinda just... stopped thinking," Bane admitted, watching Shindo for a moment more before settling on his back, one hand behind his head. He closed his eyes and let the other rest on his stomach. "Things have already changed... so why not push it a little more? It's what we do, right? Push until someone backs down." Okay, so maybe the latter part hadn't had anything to do with his original excuse and he was just making it up on the fly, but damn, it sounded good.
If Saeki didn't know better, he'd swear Bane was suggesting..... But this was Bane. Bane didn't suggest things like that... "Then lay out some ground rules. What's allowed, what's not...how far I can push before you put your foot down and say no." Kissing? Handjobs? Blowjobs? Sex? Just so Saeki knew what to expect, since Bane kept surprising him.
"How can I tell you if I haven't been pushed there before?" Bane pointed out, sitting up to pull his shirt off before placing it under his head as a make shift pillow. He wasn't nearly as vain about his tan as Saeki was but he figured he might as well make good use of the sun.
"..." Oh yeah. Bane had zero experience, save what Saeki had done to him. Well then. In that case, he'd have to make his own ground rules. "Well then. So. You sure you're okay with me doing....that....again? And...you know. stuff like that?" He'd have to go slow with Bane........assuming he was even on the right track.
Bane nodded slowly. "Yeah," He said, turning his head to the side and cracking open the eye closer to the ground so he could see Saeki without being blinded by the sun. "Yeah, I'm sure."
Saeki cracked an eye open, just enough to actually see Bane. The guy
seemed serious... He couldn't help but wonder about Davide, what to
tell him, if this would change things there too...but he just vowed to
do everything he could not to let it change for the worse. "Okay
then."
"Just... keep it between us," Even if he was managing to seem serious - even if he looked and sounded like he knew what he was doing - Bane still had that fear in his gut of changing things. It was enough that he was even considering pushing things even further with Sae. He didn't quite want to have to face how this was going to affect everyone else - Ryou and Davide, the team, the kids, family...
Saeki nodded. That...was probably best. "I still get to flirt with you, though. People will think it's weird if I don't. But I'll make sure it sounds like the same old teasing I've been doing for ages..." And only they would know there was more than simple teasing behind it. "We'll just have to tell them we sorted out the problem... Remind me. Do they know I kissed you that one time? We could just use that if they press for details..."
Bane shook his head slightly. "I didn't tell anyone," He said slowly. "I almost want to blame the tournament. The stress from it or something." As buchou and fukubuchou, it was almost a given that they were going to spend a lot of time together close to a tournament, sorting things out as a pair for the good of the team. And something like that was stressful. "Petty argument or something like that..."
"Mm, but if it was petty, we wouldn't have avoided looking at each other for that long. We're too good of friends for that. Something out of the ordinary would have had to have happened." Saeki raised a hand to shield his eyes and opened both, looking over at Bane. "Maybe....we were arguing over the lineup and got pretty heated, and, in the heat of that moment, somehow I just found you so ridiculously sexy that I hauled off and kissed you...." Hey, it could have happened.
Bane raised an eyebrow at his friend, a slightly amused smile on his lips. "Only you, Sae," he said before rolling onto his stomach, folding his arms under his head to use them as a pillow. "Only you would come up with an explanation like that." It really was a plausible option... "But that might raise a few eyebrows about why you kissed me in the first place."
Saeki grinned and laughed. "Yeah, I would. But it's no secret I find you sexy, Bane. Everybody knows....or they're really dense and I've been giving them too much credit." He shrugged, unoccupied hand reaching over to poke Bane in the shoulder. "But it's realistic. It totally sounds like something I would do. And if anybody asks, I decided that sexy as you are normally, you're really sexy when you're arguing, and you were lucky that kissing is all I did."
"Dude, Sae. Everyone finds me sexy~ I often get mistaken for a Greek God when I take my shirt off," Bane looked smug for a moment before settling his head down, face slightly hidden by his arm and his eyes closed. "If you wanna use that, then I'm cool with that. Not that you've ever actually seen me properly arguing~" And hopefully never would. That side of him - the quick to rile up side that would just debate and fight until the bitter end - was reserved for one purpose and purpose only: ensuring that that man stayed behind bars where he belonged.
But Bane didn't want to think about that, so instead he propped himself up on his arms just enough to lean over and brush his lips on Saeki's in the briefest of kisses before laying back down in time for Shindo to curl up into his side.
"Mhm. Didn't I tell you to check the ego at the door?" Saeki blinked, surprised by the tiny kiss, but he smiled and returned it with a tiny one of his own. He'd have to start getting used to that... "Besides...they don't know I've never seen you arguing. For all they know, I said something that inadvertently pushed a wrong button and ticked you off." He reached over and scratched Shindo behind the ears, smiling at the puppy. "Your master's a big ol' cuddly teddy bear, isn't he?"
"If you managed to do that, I think people would be asking what exactly you said," There wasn't a lot that could make Bane lose his cool. Saeki knew better than to say anything bad about the kids, so that didn't leave much for him to say that could possibly get under Bane's skin. "I'm not a teddy bear. Mom says the only difference between me and the dogs is that I am at least physically capable of cleaning up after myself."
Saeki chuckled and wiggled over, as close to Bane as he could get. "I'd tell them I don't remember. That we were arguing and saying things we didn't mean and it all just happened so fast~~" Though if possible, he'd try to avoid getting into detail about what he said to "tick off" Bane. Mostly he'd just leave it at they argued and he ended up kissing him. "And yes you are. You're a big, cuddly, warm, comforting teddy bear."
At least Bane couldn't complain about being cold. Saeki's skin was warm against his, heated by the sun, and the dog curled into his was the same, the black fur trapping more heat. "'Comforting'? Do you need some comforting, Saeki?" He didn't open his eyes, content with how he was. Enough so that he felt almost ready to just fall asleep then and there.
Saeki chuckled softly. "Sometimes, yeah. But right now...." Right now, he had everything he needed. The sun was out and warm, Bane was hanging out with him, and best of all, they'd talked. They'd sorted things out and....things had changed, but in a good - and very unexpected - way. "Right now...I think I'm good."
"Good, because I'm going to have a nap," Face buried into arms and Bane's chest fell slowly as he breathed out. The sun really was warm - comfortably warm - and with a lot less weighing on his mind, it was that little bit easier to just relax now. "If I get sunburn, it's your fault."
Saeki grinned. "Don't worry. I'll roll you over, so at least you'll burn evenly~" he teased, promising himself to wake Bane up and get him inside if the guy started to look red. "And I'll be just as sunburned, so no worries. We can help each other with the aloe." He pressed a little kiss to Bane's shoulder, then settled back to work on his own tan. Unfortunately, he'd probably end up falling asleep too. "Sleep well, Bane," he murmured.
Bane just hummed in acknowledgement. No awkwardness. No worrying. Just relaxing and enjoying the company of an old friend. This was how things were meant to be between them.
When: Tuesday 6th July
Where: Sae's backyard
Summary: The pair finally talk about what happened and replace the awkwardness with something a little unexpected on both sides.
Warning/Rating: PG-13 to be safe
Player Comments: It's amazing what Bane can achieve when he stops thinking. And feel free to have characters question the awkwardness and now lack thereof.
Comments/Crits Allowed: Go for it.
Saeki was still grouchy. Maybe he should have told Ryou, or Davide, about the whole issue. Maybe then he'd have sorted himself out a bit and wouldn't have gotten so pissed when Bane called, let it ring once, and hung up. That was just so...so.... GRR.
He wasn't going to think about it. He was going to go out in the backyard and tan. That's what he was going to do. Maybe turn on the radio, if he could find a decent station. And turn it up loud enough that he wouldn't hear the stupid phone if it did ring. He'd already gathered the stuff, so he went out to the fenced-in backyard and proceeded to shuck off his clothes, bit by bit. He then made sure there was no shade where he was going to be lying, turned on the radio and, after finding a relatively decent station, lay down on the blanket, face-down. "Mph. Stupid Bane," he muttered, closing his eyes and trying to focus only on whatever the radio was playing.
If this turned out badly, it was all Shindo's fault, Bane decided. The Saeki household wasn't on the route he normally walked his dogs, yet somehow he had ended up standing outside it with the black puppy sitting at his feet. But, dog's fault or not, he knew he needed to at least talk to Sae. That was what Kenta had said, at least. Sure, his conversation with his cousin had been more centered on current family issues, but Kenta had always been a bit more perceptive and figured out there was something else bugging his little cousin. So Bane had cracked and told him the basic outline of what had happened - no way in hell was he going to tell him his best friend had given him a damn blowjob - and the simple piece of advice had been: talk.
Trying to talk over the phone hadn't exactly worked. So it had to be done in person. At least this way he wouldn't be able to bring himself to run away. Hopefully. Taking a deep breath, Bane stepped up to the door and lifted his hand, knocking loud on the wood.
Saeki lie there, enjoying the warmth of the sun. The radio wasn't terrible, this time, so he hummed along with the song. It was relaxing, to be doing nothing, thinking about nothing... At least until he thought he heard a knock. ... No. Not answering. Don't care. It could be leader of Japan, for all he cared.
Or it could be Bane. Or Davide or Ryou...but probably most likely Bane.
Saeki turned the music up.
Bane knocked again, louder this time, before sighing. How was he meant to talk to the guy if he wasn't home? ... Was he home? Maybe he just wasn't answering. He glanced down at his dog before crouching and unclipping the leash from Shindo's collar. "Go find Sae, boy," he urged. The first thing he had taught Shindo - after the basics, of course - was how to recognize and find his friends. It was more a precautionary thing in case anything happened down on the beach, but he figured it could come in use here.
Unfortunately, because they were at Sae's house, it made things a little harder. Shindo gave up after a minute or two of sniffing around and looked up at Bane with wide eyes. With a sad smile, he pet the dog's head before looking around. "Maybe..."
Stepping away from the front door, Bane headed around the side and down to the back of the house, his dog hot on his heels. The sound of music got louder and louder. <>He is home. "Sae!"
This time, Saeki was sure he heard his name above the music, so with a grumble he reached over and turned it back down. Stupid whoever it was that was interrupting his nice, relaxing day of tanning in the sun. "WHAT?" he grumped, not bothering to look up. Whoever it was could talk to his bare-naked ass.
Sae was alive and at home. And grumpy. Bane easily climbed over the fence, quietly told Shindo to stay put on the outside of the fence before turning around to face his friend. And blushed. Why does he have to tan naked? Very carefully focusing his gaze on everything but his butt-naked friend, he made is way closer, crouching down near Saeki's head.
"Can we talk?"
Oh. It was Bane. .... And he was naked. Staring at the blanket, Saeki had a brief moment of wanting to cover himself up, but he quickly decided that, fuck it, he was naked before Bane showed up and the man knew he tanned naked, so he was taking his own risk. "Yeah, sure. Go ahead. Talk," he muttered, crossing his arms beneath his head, but still keeping his face to the blanket. Whatever expression Bane had, he wasn't sure he could face it.
I said we, but... whatever. Bane rocked back and sat down, crossing his legs in front of him and leaning forward rest his elbows on his knees and his head on his hands. "Look, about what happened..." he trailed off, eyes wandering around the backyard. Funny how things were always easier said than done in these situations. Or rather thought than said, as the case may be. The flush rising on his cheeks again wasn't helping much either. "I... I liked it..." Really liked it... "And... I'd do it again... but not if it's going to cost our friendship..."
Okay, now that surprised Saeki, and he couldn't help turning his head to look at Bane. "I know you liked it. That much you don't have to tell me." He propped his head on a hand. "But no, you wouldn't do it again. Just like you never do anything like that, so don't lie to me." He wasn't teasing, this time. Normally, he'd say words like that with a grin and a teasing tone, followed by a comment about Bane's lazy-ass hormones... but today he was guarded, defensive... Not how he should be around one of his closest friends.
It sucked ass, and not the fun way.
Bane didn't say anything, resting the side of his head in the palm of one hand and let the other arm fall to rest across his lap. He kept his gaze on Saeki's face, finding that easier to look at than anything else right now. "Sae, I hate this," He said finally, rubbing his face.
Saeki wanted to get up and storm around the yard. He wanted to punch Bane for being an idiot. He wanted to kiss him again. He wanted to demand Bane return the favor to make them even. Instead of all of that, he settled for smacking Bane's hand away from his face. "You think I don't? I'm the idiot here. If I hadn't......done that... we wouldn't be here. Everything would have just gone on as normal and everything would be just peachy. But no. Instead of hearing your yes as your usual way of testing to see just how far I'll go and leaving it at that, I had to actually go and do it." The easiest solution would be for Bane to just date him already. But no. It wasn't going to happen. They'd find a way to go back to their regularly scheduled programming, because Bane wouldn't date him, and Saeki wasn't going to confess. ...Of course, by this point, Bane had to know Saeki liked him like that. Right?
"Who says I was just testing how far you would go?" Bane was still trying to work on that brain-mouth filter thing. Things had a habit of coming out before he'd thought about what he was actually saying. He slowly brought his hand back up to rest his head on it, not looking away from Sae. "Maybe I really did what you to do it." Bane wasn't quite sure of it himself, to be honest. He had said 'yes' then without thinking and then just hadn't taken it back. Even in the weeks since it had happened, he had never really spent any time thinking on whether he had originally wanted it to happen or whether he was just pushing the limits; seeing what his friend would and wouldn't do. "Maybe I really do want you to do it again."
"You always test to see how far I'll go!" Saeki couldn't just lay there, so he got up and started pacing around the back yard, as completely at home being naked as he would be wearing clothes. "I tease you, you tease back, we both keep poking and prodding at each other until one of us backs down! That's how we work, Bane!" And neither of them backed down or put an end to it that time. That was why they were exactly where they were right now. He hung his head and ran his fingers through his hair, pausing in his pacing. "And even if you really do want me to do it again..." He sighed. "I won't do it, and you wouldn't let me. You're too afraid of changing things."
Bane stayed seated, just following his friend with his eyes. The discomfort with his friend patrolling around naked seemed to have passed, either due to being used to it - they'd been changing in the same clubroom for how many years now - or because he had something else to worry about. "I am afraid of changing things," he said quietly, finally pulling himself to his feet and walking towards Sae. He lifted a hand to pull Sae's hand from his hair and used his other to try and lift the guy's head to look at him. "Sae, look at me... I'm afraid of changing things because I don't want to lose you."
Saeki blinked, staring up at Bane for a moment. His heart was racing partly because he was already worked up and partly because of what Bane had said. The stupid thing was, Bane was an idiot. "Bane..." Saeki took a step back, putting distance between them, but he didn't break the eye contact. Hell, establishing it was half the battle. "Not being willing to change things is probably the one thing that has even a chance of making you lose me." Even if Bane told him to quit the flirting...he would. It wouldn't change that Saeki liked him, as a friend, and as more, and it wouldn't push him away. It would change things, but they'd still be friends.
There was an urge to look away, but Bane fought it; fought to keep the eye contact he hadn't able to hold in so long. How could not changing what he'd always done make him lose someone? But things had already changed between them, hadn't they? That was why they were here. People changed, and they themselves were getting older and changing as they did so...
Bane decided there was no point in thinking anymore. It was just giving him a headache and confusing him. Brain out of order, he stepped closer to Saeki and leaned forward a little. He hesitated, a hand hanging at his side curling into the material of his pants, before finally pushing forward and pressing his lips to Sae's.
Saeki watched the confusion flicker across Bane's face. He knew it might not make sense, but he'd said the truth, and if he had to, he'd explain it a million times. But Bane said nothing....and everything he did seemed like a weird mix of slow-mo and fast-forward. He saw Bane stepping close, leaning in...and had no idea how Bane's lips ended up on his.
For a moment, he was too stunned to do anything. But then instinct took over and Saeki kissed back, one hand grabbing Bane's wrist, the other slinging up around Bane's shoulders to make sure that even if he pulled back, he wasn't getting away.
Bane didn't have any plans to pull away soon, let alone try to get away. The arm not being held looped around Saeki's waist and his eyes fell closed. The other hand awkwardly tried to move to pull Sae's hand off his wrist, trying to grab a hold of the hand.
Saeki groaned against Bane's mouth, his own parting just enough for Saeki to touch his tongue to Bane's lips. His hand stayed firmly in place, and a corner of Saeki's mind wondered if he'd end up bruising him...but the more carnal side didn't care. He leaned into it, his kiss a little rough as he turned them around and pinned Bane's back against the fence. "MMhh..."
The feeling of something solid behind him jolted Bane's brain into working again and he took a moment to assess just what he had dropped himself into. He was well aware that Sae was still naked, the feeling of bare skin beneath the arm around his friend not letting him forget. It didn't change anything, and he only tightened his hold to try and pull Saeki even closer.
It was a little strange, being the one doing the pinning, but kissing someone taller... But it was Bane. Hell if he could be arsed to care about technicalities right now. Saeki's whole body pressed against Bane's as he bit at Bane's lips, determined to leave them bruised, to leave evidence that this had not been some kind of crazy dream he'd had while lying out in the sun. This was real, somehow... and whatever it meant, he was going to make it last as long as he could.
Bane gasped a little at the sudden pain in his lip, no matter how minor it was. It had surprised him enough to make his eyes open again before the simply fell closed again. His other hand moved to rest on Saeki's hip, the one already around him sliding up a bit, fingers splayed on his back. Bane mumbled something against the lips on his, the words lost into the kiss.
Saeki let his hand - the one that had been holding Bane's wrist - travel up Bane's chest, touching just because he could. There was a sound, something in Bane's voice.... Ah, hey now. No fair talking against his mouth like that... Saeki kind of needed to breathe anyway, so he pulled back just a bit - still close enough that their lips touched, but not close enough to still be kissing. "What...was that...?" he panted softly, curiosity getting the best of him. Ha. And he'd complained about Ryou's curiosity.
"I said..." Okay... Talking without breath is kind of hard. Bane took a moment to just breath slowly, in through his mouth and out through his nose just like his uncle had taught him when he had learned to swim as a way to regulate his breathing. "You'll need... to turn over." Sae's back was warm under his hand, heated by the sun, while his front seemed ice cold in comparison. Possibly the most random detail Bane could've pointed out considering their current situation, but the flush on his cheeks and his still slightly heaving chest were enough evidence that his mind wasn't quite working right.
Saeki blinked. Turn over... He arched an eyebrow as he thought about having his backside against Bane......until his mind caught up and reminded him that this was Bane, which meant he wasn't talking about what Saeki thought he was talking about. A second later, he realized what it was. His back had gotten quite warm from the sun. His front (while warm from other things) had not. "...You're an idiot," he chuckled, rolling his eyes and turning around in Bane's arms for a moment. It felt good, like this......which was exactly why he stepped away. "Lay down next to me for a while, then, while I even out?" he suggested, making his way back to the abandoned blanket.
"Yeah, alright," Bane followed after him, slipping his hands into the pockets of his shorts as he walked. He was about to settle down beside his friend when something caught his attention. A whimper. But whimpering.... Holy crap. Shindo. Bane tended to forget that Shindo wasn't like Jak and Daxter. Where the two older golden retrievers would head home if told to stay in one spot by Bane and he didn't return after a certain length of time, Shindo would stay exactly where he was told to and wouldn't move until Bane came to collect him. "I should... go get Shindo..."
Saeki laughed, settling onto his back on the blanket and closing his eyes against the sun. Bane and his dogs... "Just as long as you bring him back in here with you. No disappearing. We're not finished yet." A lot of the awkwardness was gone, but... Bane had been the one to start that kiss... That had to mean something, and damn it if he'd let Bane get away without talking about it.
Bane nodded and climbed back over the fence where he had left his dog and spent a good few minutes just showering him with affection in apology for almost forgetting about him. Not that he actually admitted to Shindo that he had almost forgotten about him. A few minutes later, and he was leading the puppy back into the garden and sitting down beside Saeki. "Can't believe I almost forgot about him," he mumbled, pushing the dog away playfully and watching him sniff around the back yard.
"Well, you were a little distracted~" Saeki teased, listening to Bane settling beside him and the dog running around in the grass. He kept his eyes shut, but he turned his face towards where he knew Bane was. "So....before any awkwardness erupts... What does it mean that you kissed me, this time? Aside from the fact that I apparently underestimated your balls..." Might as well get right to it, get everything figured out and get back to normal as soon as possible.
Well, if he was perfectly honest... "I kinda just... stopped thinking," Bane admitted, watching Shindo for a moment more before settling on his back, one hand behind his head. He closed his eyes and let the other rest on his stomach. "Things have already changed... so why not push it a little more? It's what we do, right? Push until someone backs down." Okay, so maybe the latter part hadn't had anything to do with his original excuse and he was just making it up on the fly, but damn, it sounded good.
If Saeki didn't know better, he'd swear Bane was suggesting..... But this was Bane. Bane didn't suggest things like that... "Then lay out some ground rules. What's allowed, what's not...how far I can push before you put your foot down and say no." Kissing? Handjobs? Blowjobs? Sex? Just so Saeki knew what to expect, since Bane kept surprising him.
"How can I tell you if I haven't been pushed there before?" Bane pointed out, sitting up to pull his shirt off before placing it under his head as a make shift pillow. He wasn't nearly as vain about his tan as Saeki was but he figured he might as well make good use of the sun.
"..." Oh yeah. Bane had zero experience, save what Saeki had done to him. Well then. In that case, he'd have to make his own ground rules. "Well then. So. You sure you're okay with me doing....that....again? And...you know. stuff like that?" He'd have to go slow with Bane........assuming he was even on the right track.
Bane nodded slowly. "Yeah," He said, turning his head to the side and cracking open the eye closer to the ground so he could see Saeki without being blinded by the sun. "Yeah, I'm sure."
Saeki cracked an eye open, just enough to actually see Bane. The guy
seemed serious... He couldn't help but wonder about Davide, what to
tell him, if this would change things there too...but he just vowed to
do everything he could not to let it change for the worse. "Okay
then."
"Just... keep it between us," Even if he was managing to seem serious - even if he looked and sounded like he knew what he was doing - Bane still had that fear in his gut of changing things. It was enough that he was even considering pushing things even further with Sae. He didn't quite want to have to face how this was going to affect everyone else - Ryou and Davide, the team, the kids, family...
Saeki nodded. That...was probably best. "I still get to flirt with you, though. People will think it's weird if I don't. But I'll make sure it sounds like the same old teasing I've been doing for ages..." And only they would know there was more than simple teasing behind it. "We'll just have to tell them we sorted out the problem... Remind me. Do they know I kissed you that one time? We could just use that if they press for details..."
Bane shook his head slightly. "I didn't tell anyone," He said slowly. "I almost want to blame the tournament. The stress from it or something." As buchou and fukubuchou, it was almost a given that they were going to spend a lot of time together close to a tournament, sorting things out as a pair for the good of the team. And something like that was stressful. "Petty argument or something like that..."
"Mm, but if it was petty, we wouldn't have avoided looking at each other for that long. We're too good of friends for that. Something out of the ordinary would have had to have happened." Saeki raised a hand to shield his eyes and opened both, looking over at Bane. "Maybe....we were arguing over the lineup and got pretty heated, and, in the heat of that moment, somehow I just found you so ridiculously sexy that I hauled off and kissed you...." Hey, it could have happened.
Bane raised an eyebrow at his friend, a slightly amused smile on his lips. "Only you, Sae," he said before rolling onto his stomach, folding his arms under his head to use them as a pillow. "Only you would come up with an explanation like that." It really was a plausible option... "But that might raise a few eyebrows about why you kissed me in the first place."
Saeki grinned and laughed. "Yeah, I would. But it's no secret I find you sexy, Bane. Everybody knows....or they're really dense and I've been giving them too much credit." He shrugged, unoccupied hand reaching over to poke Bane in the shoulder. "But it's realistic. It totally sounds like something I would do. And if anybody asks, I decided that sexy as you are normally, you're really sexy when you're arguing, and you were lucky that kissing is all I did."
"Dude, Sae. Everyone finds me sexy~ I often get mistaken for a Greek God when I take my shirt off," Bane looked smug for a moment before settling his head down, face slightly hidden by his arm and his eyes closed. "If you wanna use that, then I'm cool with that. Not that you've ever actually seen me properly arguing~" And hopefully never would. That side of him - the quick to rile up side that would just debate and fight until the bitter end - was reserved for one purpose and purpose only: ensuring that that man stayed behind bars where he belonged.
But Bane didn't want to think about that, so instead he propped himself up on his arms just enough to lean over and brush his lips on Saeki's in the briefest of kisses before laying back down in time for Shindo to curl up into his side.
"Mhm. Didn't I tell you to check the ego at the door?" Saeki blinked, surprised by the tiny kiss, but he smiled and returned it with a tiny one of his own. He'd have to start getting used to that... "Besides...they don't know I've never seen you arguing. For all they know, I said something that inadvertently pushed a wrong button and ticked you off." He reached over and scratched Shindo behind the ears, smiling at the puppy. "Your master's a big ol' cuddly teddy bear, isn't he?"
"If you managed to do that, I think people would be asking what exactly you said," There wasn't a lot that could make Bane lose his cool. Saeki knew better than to say anything bad about the kids, so that didn't leave much for him to say that could possibly get under Bane's skin. "I'm not a teddy bear. Mom says the only difference between me and the dogs is that I am at least physically capable of cleaning up after myself."
Saeki chuckled and wiggled over, as close to Bane as he could get. "I'd tell them I don't remember. That we were arguing and saying things we didn't mean and it all just happened so fast~~" Though if possible, he'd try to avoid getting into detail about what he said to "tick off" Bane. Mostly he'd just leave it at they argued and he ended up kissing him. "And yes you are. You're a big, cuddly, warm, comforting teddy bear."
At least Bane couldn't complain about being cold. Saeki's skin was warm against his, heated by the sun, and the dog curled into his was the same, the black fur trapping more heat. "'Comforting'? Do you need some comforting, Saeki?" He didn't open his eyes, content with how he was. Enough so that he felt almost ready to just fall asleep then and there.
Saeki chuckled softly. "Sometimes, yeah. But right now...." Right now, he had everything he needed. The sun was out and warm, Bane was hanging out with him, and best of all, they'd talked. They'd sorted things out and....things had changed, but in a good - and very unexpected - way. "Right now...I think I'm good."
"Good, because I'm going to have a nap," Face buried into arms and Bane's chest fell slowly as he breathed out. The sun really was warm - comfortably warm - and with a lot less weighing on his mind, it was that little bit easier to just relax now. "If I get sunburn, it's your fault."
Saeki grinned. "Don't worry. I'll roll you over, so at least you'll burn evenly~" he teased, promising himself to wake Bane up and get him inside if the guy started to look red. "And I'll be just as sunburned, so no worries. We can help each other with the aloe." He pressed a little kiss to Bane's shoulder, then settled back to work on his own tan. Unfortunately, he'd probably end up falling asleep too. "Sleep well, Bane," he murmured.
Bane just hummed in acknowledgement. No awkwardness. No worrying. Just relaxing and enjoying the company of an old friend. This was how things were meant to be between them.