RP Log: Saeki, Davide: Auld lang syne

[davida_loca]

Date: Dec. 8th.
Rating: G-ish?
Summary: Saeki and Davide run into each other at a club downtown. With Saeki tipsy and Davide sober, the meeting soon becomes an orgy in probing Saeki's mind. They both learn things about Saeki's issues, Davide still hedges around the main reason why he vanished so suddenly back in hich school, and nothing is really resolved by the time Saeki goes to whine at Bane and Davide goes home.



It was nearly a week since his visit to Bane and the following out-of-control tiff that had culminated in Saeki suckerpunching him in the jaw. Davide was still sporting a sore lip, but the rest of the damage had faded. After that wonderful bit of not being as much in control of his faculties as he should, Davide had kept to himself. He had meant to keep to himself by his river, fishing pole in hand, but Ryou had managed to kill that plan, stating that the chill of winter and water was not appropriate for a recovering flu victim.

Ryou had been right, of course, but Davide would admit that on his death bed. Maybe. And only if he was feeling particularly mellow. The fussing had done wonders for the speed of recovery, though, so by now Davide was more than ready for an evening on the town. The spectacle at Bane's place, with the sniping and the ever-so-damned-by-God kissing stupidity had send his mind into all kinds of unrest. More than a little of it was hormonal, if he was any judge, so it was high time to go on the prowl for some short-term company of the female persuation.

This battle plan was what sent Davide out into the streets of Dublin, meandering from club to pub, looking for someone to get cozy with. Preferably a curvy, experienced and older than him someone. It was fairly late in the evening, and the partying crowds were hard at work at the very serious business of having fun. Thanks to his grave demeanor and mature face, Davide didn't even get carded upon entering his latest stop and made his way to the bar unmolested.

The club was slightly on the hectic side to his tastes, with dance music pounding from the speakers and a throng of people crowding the dance floor. Davide got a non-alcoholic cider from the bartender and turned around to lean on the bar, cider in hand, and survey the place.

Kojirou Saeki was in his element and had been for a couple hours now. He was at one of his favourite clubs in Dublin, had already danced with several of his favourite regulars, had a few drinks and was looking for some new dance partners. He loved the care-free attitudes on the dance floor with everyone there to have a good time, move to the music, perhaps get to know someone new or their own someone a little better and enjoy some drinks while at it. All of which Saeki was doing like an expert, though perhaps one or two drinks more than he should have been having that quickly and close together since he didn't eat much that day (his damn housemates and their weird Asian dishes he didn't like!) but that wasn't slowing down his good times or the way he worked his way across the floor to get another drink, stopping to dance with a girl here and there when their attention turned to him as he passed by.

Davide spotted him coming and reviewed his options. He could turn around and ignore Saeki, pretend he hadn't seen him and perhaps Saeki wouldn't notice him. He could walk away from the club immediately, raising the chance that Saeki would never know he'd even been there. He could stay where he was and acknowledge Saeki's presence, but do and say nothing more and make a show of being completely uninterested in any interaction. Or he could have a tad more style and manners and not act like a complete git.

Right. Saeki's display at Bane's had indicated strongly that Saeki had a ton of issues centering on Davide, and damn it -- Davide didn't like to leave shit unsettled. Perhaps he should change his mind when it came to giving Sae a wide berth. Perhaps it was time to be a tad more visible on the radar. Thus, Davide opted for the last solution and let the bartender know that whatever drink Saeki was coming to get would be on him.

With that message conveyed and noted, he went back to leaning on the bar desk, waiting for Saeki to butterfly his way over.

When he finally made it to the bar a couple minutes later, his drink of the night was ordered and as he reached for his wallet to pay he paused and gave the tender an odd look before brightening a bit at someone saying they would pay for his next round. Normally, Saeki insisted he be the one to treat, but sometimes a guy had to take a step back when he was being admired and spoiled and asked who the mystery buyer was. When the tender nodded to his side to the man a few stools down with red hair, Saeki grabbed his drink ready to acknowledge and thank his admirer but froze when the girl blocking his view pushed away and left a clear sight of that redhead.

Fuck.

He knew that redhead and even in his fuzzy state of mind knew that he wasn't on good terms with the man and should have just turned away leaving the drink behind--or not, since it was a damn good mix. But that didn't happen and instead Saeki sauntered over to Davide, far too curious as to the motive behind the action considering how not even a week earlier saw him hitting the taller man. Leaning against the bar with his usual confident grin in place, Saeki held up his drink as he gave in and spoke. "Apparently I owe you a thank you for buying my drink."

Davide gave a slight nod in acknowledgment once Saeki caught his eye and begun his saunter. With his patented inscrutable expression, Davide eyed Saeki's drink. Man, it was gaudy. "Not really," he almost-shouted to be heard over the music. "It's me who owe you an apology, mate. I crossed the line with yer sister's man, so I'm thinking you earned that . . . " He eyed the drink again, dubiously. ". . . whatever that is."

Saeki glanced down at his drink wondering what was wrong with it and thinking it was perfectly recognisable to anyone who knew a thing or two about drinks. "It's a Sex on the Beach." He stated matter-of-factly, thinking Davide was clueless and needed to get out more if he couldn't recognise the pink drink. It wasn't necessarily the strongest drink out there, but it was damn tasty and went well with the shots of various alcohols he had been doing in between each round.

"But you're damn right you crossed a line. Maybe even two or three." Saeki turned his attention back to the redhead, eyes narrowing slightly in anger that was starting to surface as he the events that led to his sucker-punch replayed in his mind.

Davide took a sip from his bottle and turned around to face Saeki completely, ignoring the rest of the place for now. He hoped his leaning would neutralise all suggestions of looming over the shorter man. Looming was as bad as Saeki's choice of words was interesting.

"Hm. I think we have one line sorted out, but would you mind pointing out the other two?" Davide was curious and he hoped the alcohol bubbling around in Sae's system would help keep his former friend candid.

No, he wouldn't mind telling Davide what was on his mind and was damn close to doing so too but that seldom listened to voice had a point in some things were better left unmentioned. So he took a large swig of his drink to occupy his mouth while he thought over what more Davide needed to know. When half the glass was downed, Saeki licked his lips as he tried forming sentences that wouldn't get him or Bane in trouble. "You kissed my sister's fiancée," something that had already been established but a good place to start, "who is also my best friend and didn't need that sort of thing coming up at him like that when you walked out on us and especially him and now he's moved on but you don't seem to want him to." He paused to breathe, rambling too much again which he blamed entirely on the drinks and his rising anger mingling.

Ah. Protective. It made sense, Davide figured. Especially given Bane's notorious tendency to keep shit bottled up and share it with exactly no one. Not even his closest friends. Apparently, he had managed to get away with that with Saeki, and that left Davide in an awkward position right here. Discussing Bane with Saeki wasn't the optimal course of action, but . . . No. No, Saeki was not that stupid.

Davide gave up and let an ever so slightly sardonic smile tug at one corner of his mouth. "Bane's moved on, has he? Mate, that is a load of bull and we both know it." He paused to march up his argument in proper formation. "If he had, he wouldn't have spent that entire time I was there trying to needle you and me into having a go, nor would he have done what he did two seconds before I locked onto him."

He lifted a hand to stay Saeki's temper until he was done talking. "Don't get me wrong, Saeki. I want a closure to all of this, for me and for him. In fact, I'd like to have one for us as well," he added, indicating Saeki and himself. "But I freely admit that falling into his provocation trap was a damn bad tactic."

Davide was lucky he held up that hand when he did because Saeki was ready to either attack with words or his fist again, though the fist idea probably would have had him banned from the club and sitting in jail for the night. Besides, hitting the git obviously didn't have the desired effect Saeki was hoping for in that Davide would stay the hell away from him and maybe even Bane. "He bloody well better have moved on since he's marrying my sister in a month!" He called out over the loud thumping bass of the new song starting up before turning to the bar, sliding the remainder of his drink to the side and ordering for a double shot of whiskey.

He needed something strong and needed it now. He did not want to think further on the suspicion he had had since Davide returned to their lives with Bane still harbouring feelings for him and seeing the redhead renewed interest. He could possibly deal with that, but what bothered Saeki the most was he didn't know if he was jealous of that thought because he now held so much of Bane's interest or if he was still being protective and guarding his sister who was set to marry a guy who was hung up on the one that got away.

When the tender set down the glass, Saeki slid over his money and downed the strong, burning alcohol in one go before setting the empty glass back down and turning back to Davide. "And why the hell do you want closure with me? Or how do you think you're going to go about getting it? Like this, perhaps?" He had enough alcohol in his system to think his idea was great and closed the small gap between them, leaning up on tip toes with sheer magic as he was starting to feel light headed and didn't think his balance would hold in such a state which explained the hand grabbing onto the front of Davide's shirt. "Should we kiss and make up?" He whispered right before sealing his lips over Davide's in a hard kiss though it lacked any real passion like the kisses they both had shared with Bane.

Later that night, Davide would take time to thank the moon and the stars and the Buddha himself that he wasn't a drinking man. That he was, in fact, one hundred percent sober. After a mental facepalm (because this attack was far less of a surprise than the one from Bane), he put his bottle on the counter, brought his hands up to cradle Saeki's face and then gently but firmly broke the "kiss". Then he took a fraction of a step back and released Saeki's face, hands dropping away leaving only the ghost of a caress in their wake.

"I don't think kissing is necessary," Davide commented, trying not to lick or suck at the sore spot on his lip from last weekend. "I think a closure for the two of us might -- I'm not sayin' will -- might be helped along if you talk more about yourself and less about a third person." Which was as far as Davide would go for now in suggesting that Sae was using Bane as a smoke screen to hide his own issues with the redhead.

He had been rejected. The look of devastation and hurt was clear in blue eyes as Saeki tried to swallow what just happened. He should have figured as much given what had caused the rift in all their friendships and the less than warm welcome back he gave Davide, but to be pushed away and have someone actually not interested in even a kiss from him was hard for his ego to take. That move of Davide's helped his reeling mind to confirm that his fear of Davide asking him for those lessons in kissing and sex wasn't because they were friends and he trusted Saeki but because of the reputation he had of being a player, a flirt, a lover of sex… he just wasn't desired at all and was only used because he was a whore in the redhead's eyes and now Davide wanted nothing to do with him.

Normally, Saeki would have jumped at the offer to talk about himself and gladly done so for hours but what Davide wanted of him were answers that were too personal and better kept to himself like they always would be. "Clearly I don't meet your standards, so why waste my time further?" He didn't like being called out for hiding behind excuses like he was doing with using Bane as his reason for being mad and he definitely didn't like the way Davide rejected him and was now expecting proper answers. Because of that, Saeki gave up on the remainder of his night at that club, turned from Davide, and began weaving his way through the crowd for the door.

With an inaudible (in the din from the speakers) curse, Davide pushed away from the bar and stalked after Saeki. Just when he thought he had some inclination about what made a person tick, spanners got thrown and landed smack dab in the middle of the works. What on earth was that look in Sae's eyes?! What the fuck? What the hell?? And what was up with standards? Why was his own potential standards being brought into the conversation and why was Saeki . . . . argh!

While Saeki was lither and smaller, and therefore moved through the crowd like a little fish through kelp, Davide had the combination of build and speed to help him push his way through to catch up with Saeki. He didn't say anything until they were outside, where it was finally possible to hear oneself think.

"Saeki. What the hell is going on?" he demanded, plainly confused.

Just like that strong drink, he was now in need of air and getting away from Davide, only it seemed only half of his wish would be granted. Once outside, Saeki debated where to go, having left his car at home knowing he would be having some drinks that night. The best option was walking home but that seemed much too far away for his buzzing mind to handle for the moment and instead stalked off to a bench a couple buildings down and plopped himself there to wait and think. Naturally Davide followed, intent on getting answers that Saeki was close to giving just to be rid of the redheaded gnat driving him insane, and figured what more did he have to lose? His ego was already destroyed by that man, why not let him loose on his remaining insecurities? Besides, he did so love to talk about himself and that whiskey and fresh air was making him a bit more agreeable in following what was asked of him.

"You of all people should already know what's going on. For starters, you rejected me just now, I need some time to process that. But you took off and left us all behind. At least when Ryou runs off he gives some warning and calls or writes with updates even though the last time he took off for Africa he made sure to shatter my heart first, so maybe you two are the same after all in liking to hurt people before disappearing." He really didn't mean to say that much about Ryou or the fact that his imp had been sure to break up with him before he left which Saeki later realized was to give him freedom to play with anyone he wanted, but god that hurt.

He drew his legs up under him and hunched over a little already feeling the night air and having a chill run through his body. "But at least now I fully know your reasoning for walking out of my life. I'm not good enough for you. I'm just a friend you grew up with that ended up loving sex which gave you an opening to ask for help but in the end you decided that was enough of a reason to walk out and leave me behind." He stopped himself there, not wanting to think any further on why it did bother him so much that Davide left just like Ryou and even Bane had. He hated feeling abandoned and being left alone and no matter how drunk he got he swore he wouldn't tell his ex-friend about that, making him seem all the more pathetic than he already was for taking such offence to being rejected.

That . . . did not make sense. Davide spoke his confusion out loud. "Sae, you're not making any sense." It all sounded like layers upon layers of issues, heaped up like a stack of pancakes. "Well, okay. The first one I get. I know I hurt you guys when I ran off without a word. I hurt my family, too, even though I did stop by home first. If I'd been able to, I wouldn't have talked to them, either. You're just going to have to believe me when I say that I would've hurt you all worse by not going. A lost worse." And that, Davide thought grimly to himself, was all he intended to say about that.

The rest of Saeki's rambling, though... He resisted the urge to pull his hair in frustration. Instead, he took a seat next to Saeki on the bench and debated whether or not to touch his old comrade. In the end, the touchy-feely genes inherited from his mum won out and he placed his hand on Sae's arm, squeezing lightly. "The rest I don't get, mate. Do you really think I just used you like a . . . some kind of convenience kissomat? If you do, then you're wrong. There is no such thing as 'just a friend', for starters. And second, have you any idea how much blind trust it took to even ask for your help?"

He frowned and shook his head, remembering how nervous and scared he had been about the whole thing with Bane back then. And how Saeki had stood out as the one person he could trust with his insecurities and removing them, despite the other boy's love for mischief and teasing. They were mates, so he knew Saeki would come through for him. "I am sorry I hurt you again, Sae. And . . . I need to ask you something now..." He closed his eyes and prayed that Saeki would say no to this.

"Have you been carrying a torch for me all these years?"

"What?!" Saeki nearly fell off the bench, so startled from that question that caught him completely off guard and left him reeling from it. "No, I haven't." Saeki stated firmly with the shock still resonating in his eyes, wondering where that idea even came from, though he figured it was his rambling that led Davide down that path. "You were a mate." And belonged to Bane, but he wasn't going there, still insisting that was better left dead given his own new attachment to his best friend and that bloody wedding that was coming up. "It's just no one's rejected me or found the idea of kissing me so repulsive before." Yes, he was still stuck on that fact and couldn't let it go without a good reason to, even if Davide tried to tell him he wasn't just a convenient guy to practice making out on.

"Look, you want closure? Fine, whatever, you're forgiven, all right? Now just go back to leaving me alone." He sighed, knowing he couldn't handle this conversation while drunk, far too close to saying more to clarify that rambling mess he thought made perfect sense and stood to start making that long trek home.

Davide's first reaction was intense relief. The sudden thought that Sae might have been interested in him had been scary as hell. Things were more than complicated enough, with plenty of hurt to go round several times. They really, truly didn't need any more factors in the already messed up equations that he was now trying to make a dent in solving.

However, Saeki was still very upset over getting rejected, and Davide wondered what that was all about. It wasn't as if Sae had even tried to come on to him in there. That bit of planting lips against lips did not fit Davide's definitions of kisses, it was more like . . . an act of agression. It belonged to the same continuum of asserting sexual control over another person that rape did, only at the far end from the latter. There were capital-aye Issues there, but Davide didn't quite dare to venture any guesses.

Davide got up and set his pace to match Saeki's. They were not done talking, besides he didn't want Sae to walk home alone when he was this drunk. "You're not repulsive and I didn't reject you. I don't have a crush on you, though. And even if I did, I would still have stepped back in there. Because one, that was the coldest, most insincere kiss since the days of the Soviet Union; and two, you belong to another mate. And I've grown up enough to actually understand that bit, now."

Saeki was almost amused by that thought though he knew Ryou owned the whole of his heart and Bane had claimed his ass, but as a whole he didn't think he belonged to anyone but himself and told Davide exactly that. "I don't belong to anyone, mate, though parts of my body have been claimed and I've of no mind to argue over any of it." He had to agree with Davide on the other part, however, about the kiss lacking anything but perhaps spite and anger. He could admit to finding the redhead attractive as he wasn't blind, but he never found himself desiring the man and crushing on him except for maybe back in high school when they played their stupid game of teaching the naïve teen about sex. "People usually line up to kiss me, hell, even to dance with me or get a smile, so yes. I'm taking this hard even if it was a bland kiss to get some point across. Now let me sulk about it!" He was whining and trying to demand at the same time and with the slurred and heavy accent coming out, it was just a mess and left Saeki more annoyed.

Not that it would stop him from talking. Oh no, now that Davide had insisted he talk by not going away and continuing to press for answers, Saeki was starting to feel inclined to oblige. "Sorry I'm not Bane. Actually, no I'm not sorry. Stay away from him." Saeki shot a glare Davide's way, hoping it would get across that it wasn't the friend part Davide wanted back that he had a problem with but the sparking of old flames and ruining Rivalee's life as well as trampling all over his weird and complicated feelings for Bane. "And what do you really understand about me, or any of us? You've been gone for almost three years."

"Hnh. I understand far less than I would like to," Davide answered honestly and buried his hands in his pockets. It was kind of cold outside, and a glance at Saeki's attire made him almost-frown. That was really all they needed, for Saeki to catch a cold, or even the flu, and blame it on Davide. "Least of all about you," he added.

"You're just plain old weird, mate. Saeki Koujirou, mister sunshine and top of the world himself -- you've always been that, for as long as I've known you. Yet you don't -- or didn't, at least -- have many really close friends. That part I get, and so I have no trouble understanding how you're still furious and hurting over how I left."

Davide paused and frowned up at a street light, his expression radiating Deep Thought(TM) just like in the old days. "But anyone who lives his life to the fullest, like you do, knows that you can't win 'em all, so where that fragility that gets you stabbed through the heart when someone doesn't want to be kissed by you comes from, I don't understand." He turned his head to look at Saeki again, green eyes thoughful and perhaps a tad melancholic. "You hate to be alone, is that it? Is that what it all comes down to?"

Well, Saeki had posed a question that sounded like an invitation to go all hobby-psychologist on his brain.

Saeki came to an abrupt stop at that final statement, a whole new wave of coldness that had nothing to do with the weather washed over him as he stared at Davide. He couldn't deny the accusation that he didn't have many close friends since while he had more than plenty of people he called friends and had one hell of an active social life, not many earned the title of best friend or learned every layer and secret to him like only a select handful did. But being called out on his greatest fear just like that and almost so easily had Saeki shivering though he would insist on anyone who asked that he couldn't take the cold autumn weather and needed cocoa to warm up.

"Everyone fears being left alone. You don't have to make it sound like I'm the only one on the planet." He tried to sound calm and un-phased but didn't think the annoying git would be that easily fooled with how far he had already followed him from the club and hadn't relented on the probing for answers. "And I can be alone just fine." And he would swear he could too since when he was having one of his fits and feeling like his world was ending his choice action was to hide away in his room for a few days until he was all sunshine and feeling on top of the world again, just like everyone knew him for being and he wasn't one to disappoint.

"Humans are pack animals, of course everyone fears being left completely alone. Loneliness is not fun. But some hate the idea far more than others," Davide pointed out, studying Saeki and taking not of each and every little reaction that his drunk ex-friend let slip. And they were plenty.

"And of course you can be alone, but I sincerely doubt it's 'just fine'. I'm guessing you go hide when you're wallowing, just like I do. Because God forbid you share your misery with a friend. He, or she, might drop you like yesterday's newspaper and not want to know. They would certainly never understand."

Davide shook his head. Man, he was technically talking about Saeki here, but he might as well have been presenting his own bad habits in the light of dry self irony. Maybe he was, too.

"I talk with Takahisa and Kaze-Bane." Saeki replied sharply though the impact was lost by using his childhood nickname he gave Bane that still slipped out when he was feeling down or hurt--a good indicator for the redhead who should probably be studying psychology or something with the way he was spouting crap off and reading Saeki so well to know his statements were hitting home and leaving an impact on a spinning drunken mind. Of course while he tried to lead Davide into believing he had people to talk to and understand him, Saeki was also trying to guide them away from the fact that he tried not to share his deeper pain and secrets, not wanting to burden others with it or show that he possibly had weaknesses just like everyone else.

He tried to shake off the verbal attack and rubbed his hands over bare arms thanks to the choice of wearing a t-shirt that night and while he still hugged himself for warmth as well as comfort, he started walking forward again, half-tempted to go to Bane's to whine about Davide's harassment and look for that friend to reassure him and remind him he wasn't alone and cheer him up because going home to Ryou and having him see him looking so down and shaken wouldn't do as his imp would be full of his own round of questions and possibly blame himself for it all.

"You shouldn't say I have such an intense fear of being alone when I have and always will purposely push people away when they start getting too close to me." He had done it in the past and suspected that was something that wouldn't change any time soon, though most couldn't understand why the guy who flirted with anyone and was so social didn't want people to get too close. He had always said it was to keep them safe as he was devoid of strong emotions that centred on love or caring deeply and when people got clingy, he would viciously attack with words to get them to hate him or to at least back off. He was a walking contradiction and maybe only two or three people knew how deeply that ran.

Davide eyed him, silently doubting that Saeki was being one hundred percent truthful, but reluctant to push further. It wasn't like Davide really had a right to all these answers, was it? They had somehow moved beyond the original scope of the talk Davide wanted to have with Saeki, and now it was up to him to keep it from going wrong or too far.

"So you're a contrary bastard, what else is new?" he commented at Sae's attempt to wave the Defense's Exhibit B around. "Taking preemptive action to hurt yourself a little, so that you won't get hurt a lot when someone leaves you after you're really let them inside is hardly a novel technique. Behold my running off to Ireland after junior high." Not to mention the entire farce of a school year in Ireland, he silently added to himself.

He eyed Saeki again, particularly the bare arms where all the hairs were standing on end in a futile attempt to create some isolation from the cold. That didn't look very comfy at all, so Davide took off his warmed-up, thick leather jacket and offered it. "Here, borrow my jacket until we're at your place. If you catch a cold there will be no end to the wailing." He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, and tended to be less frozen than many of his friends on the whole.

Saeki had meant to protest and shrug the coat away but he was a sucker for heat and ended up slipping his arms in the sleeves and wrapping the heavy and warm coat around him with something that may have passed as a thank you being muttered. The analysis of him was starting to get old. Sure he loved to talk about himself and have others discuss him as well, but this was getting ridiculous and prodding inside his head way too much and needed a stop put to it, especially since he couldn't remember how they even got to that point in conversation.

"M not going home yet. Bane's is closer." At least, in his current state he thought it was but he wasn't about to start counting steps to see if it was or not. Then again, Bane could have been three towns over and the idea to walk there would still sound appealing just so he could wallow in his misery for a little while before curling up in bed beside Ryou, snuggle in close and pretend he was fine again, if he even made it that far and didn't curl up in Bane's bed, laying claim to it like he had a week earlier when Davide showed up.

Davide looked up and around, calculating distances. "It's about fifteen minutes longer to Bane's from here," he pointed out. But if Saeki needed someone to talk to, whine at or whatever, Davide was hardly going to stop him. "Speaking of the devil -- would you like to hear what I actually have planned on that account? Right now you've a lot of fears and suspicions, but no facts. Would you like some?"

"So?" He didn't think it was actually that much further and really didn't care because if that was where his feet wanted to take him then he wasn't going to stop them. As to Davide's offer to clarify things for him, Saeki wasn't too sure he wanted to hear it. Then again, maybe it was needed just to put his suspicions to rest or at least give him more ammunition for their next go around. "Since you're being annoyingly persistent in following me and I can't seem to get rid of you, talk all you want. Just doesn't mean I'll listen to it."

Shrugging, Davide once again buried his hands in his pockets (trouser pockets this time) and decided to give Saeki the bullet point version. Whether this was a good or a bad idea, he wasn't sure, but what the heck. Certainly there would be gods out there who'd get a good laugh if Saeki's inebriated mind messed it all up and drew dumbass conclusions later.

"I mean to push him into a final confrontation so he can lay into me and be done with it. Hopefully, a complete eruption will enable him to let go and move on to raise his family in peace. No, this wasn't the original plan, but it became that when he told me he was engaged to Riv. So you can quit yer bellyachin', Sae. I'm not out to take him away from your sister. But I do want to rid him -- us -- of this festering boil of a past we can't let go of."

"Not the original plan?" Saeki huddled into the borrowed coat a little more still conveniently ignoring the fact it came from the man he sent another glare to. "What was the original one? You waltzing back in and getting welcomed back with open arms by everyone and maybe Bane dragging you to bed and confessing his feelings and being only with you?" He didn't like that thought overly much, wondering if he didn't give his blessing to Bane's crazy idea about marrying Rivalee what things would be like now. But more than that, he wondered if Davide did still have something akin to an undying love for Bane and could one day act on it regardless of his sister's involvement, since he himself was already sneaking around with the wolf-like bastard.

"Close, but no cigar." Okay, telling Saeki this would be opening himself up for all kinds of gory attacks on some level or other. Davide felt extremely reluctant to answer that question, given the edge in Sae's voice. Again, he made a mental shrug. It wasn't as if this was a big secret he must keep buried at all costs. All it was, was a former option, made invalid by Bane's engagement. So...

"I planned re-introduce myself exactly as I have done, but in Bane's case, after the first meeting I would do one of two things depending on his reaction and signals: Either a) bury my feelings and try to re-establish a friendship, or b) drag him to bed and never letting him out of my sight ever again. "

The irony of life, the universe and everything tugged at the corners of his lips. "Heh. I guess what I'm now working with is a variant of option a, adjusted to work in real life." Yes, he had every intention of letting Bane go, somehow. It would be the hardest thing ever, but it had to be done now that things stood as they did.

"Dragging Bane to bed is fun." Saeki mumbled, more to himself and with a grin and would be kicking himself later for being so loose lipped about that little secret if Davide caught it and dove immediately into sexual accusations. But still Davide had pretty much said he harboured feelings for Bane which didn't sit well with Saeki and again he was left wondering if that was because he was being protective of his sister and not wanting her to get hurt or jealousy in knowing the redhead insistent on walking him home could end up taking away Bane's attention he held and even the spot as secret lover.

"Are we done here yet?"

"Is it, now," Davide answered, voice quiet and neutral. He was so not going to let Saeki needle his temper, better to stay inscrutable and impervious.

"Mm hmm." Saeki stated his approval of Bane and a bed mingling once more though his mind was telling him that perhaps he better quit while he was ahead before he said way too much and let it be known exactly in what capacity he had experienced Bane and a bed. "You saw how easily I take over his bed and am comfortable in it like it's my bed and try to get Bane to stop studying or fussing over this and that and to relax with me on it." Yeah, that was believable enough and should keep the prying redhead away from his and Bane's secret.

Tiny little warning bells went off at the back of Davide's mind, but he shook them off as being too damn stupid. But he couldn't help himself from commenting that, "Sheesh, mate. You make it sound like you're his girlfriend."

"Whatever." Saeki gave the cop out answer as thinking of witty comebacks and tricky twisted replies with the truth buried deep within was taking too much effort at the moment. He just wanted to get to a warm house and find someone to whine at about the redheaded pest beside him and since he was certain Ryou had easily accepted Davide's return and was being all friendly with him again, that only left Bane as someone who would let him whine and complain to his heart's content without jumping to defend their absentee friend.

They lapsed into silence for a while, trudging steadiy toward the house Bane shared with several other souls. Davide privately assessed that this chance meeting had gone neither well nor bad, for the most part. He had a better idea of Saeki's issues now, but it was also clear to him that there were still things Saeki wasn't saying. Unsurprisingly. Whether Saeki had managed to get any better ideas about Davide, was totally up in the air. That all depended on whether Saeki wanted to have them, or not. Davide rather thought he didn't, not yet.

He was still sorry for upsetting Saeki, though. The stricken look in Sae's eyes when Davide withdrew from the spiteful kiss would haunt him, he knew, because he didn't like to see even former friends stung like that. Unless said person was on his hate-list, but Saeki was far from it. Well, it couldn't be helped. He'd done the right thing, but he didn't have to like it.

As they rounded the corner to Bane's street and block, Davide finally found his voice again and asked, idly, "How's your hand, by the way?"

At that question, Saeki wiggled his hand free of the coat sleeve he had drawn up into to keep his fingers warm and looked down at the ring-clad pale hand that emerged. The swelling of his fingers had gone down the following day from all the ice and careful attention he had given it right after the punch he threw and the day after that everything seemed well enough to wear a ring or two. "It's fine." He wouldn't ask about Davide's jaw since that would show he may have been concerned about the other and doing some damage and he most certainly was not worried about the git that seemed intent on playing escort to the very end.

"I'm not drunk enough to get lost in this area, you know." He knew the way between his house and Bane's both by foot and car and had the path practically engraved in his mind and could find either on auto-pilot if he had to. He also just wanted to get rid of Davide, having more than enough of precious talk time with him and with the question about his hand being posed, Saeki had to wonder if he was going to get a nice return on the punch he gave the taller man and he really wasn't keen on that idea or wanting to suffer through pain at the moment.

Davide tilted his head and inspected the wriggling fingers from aloft. The hand certainly looked just fine, so he nodded. "Good. Next time, take the rings off first so you don't break your fingers."

At Saeki's next utterance, he simply shrugged. "I'm not worried about you getting lost anywhere in town, you've lived here long enough." He was, however, not about to desert a drunk comrade or whatever the hell you'd call it, in the middle of the night to trot through an autumn-cold town in short sleeves, at the risk of getting sick or into fights or both. And if Sae objected, Davide wasn't caring and he was also happily ignoring the fact that he himself was getting more than a little frozen around the edges.

"But now that we're here, I guess you don't need my coat anymore," he added as they walked the last few yards to Bane's house.

"Right, because next time a simple 'could you wait one moment while I take my rings off so I can properly hit you without hurting myself?' is really going to go over well with the guy I want to hit. Takes the advantage away." Seriously, what the hell was with Davide and Kenya both with telling him to take the rings off before he got into a fight? It's not like he ever planned on getting into one, especially with that punch at Davide. That was one hundred percent spontaneous and even a reflex with how his temper boiled and his need to protect his friend (even if Bane was taller and stronger than him) so it wasn't like he could casually take off his ring and still end up with the connection he had to that jaw.

But damn if brooding in silence and pretending the guy you didn't want to talk to yet still spilled most of your secrets to didn't have the time and blocks fly by. Saeki stared up at the house Bane shared with Niou and their respective kids and gave a nod as he slipped off the coat with a pout and a shiver when the cool air hit him again and held the piece of warmth back to its rightful owner. "So have you said all that you wanted to say and heard what you wanted?" Because he wasn't quite sure what he had said now and if it was too much, but maybe if it sent Davide on his way and gave the drunk and chilled Aussie some space to ponder over things, then it may have been worth it.

Davide shrugged his coat on, basking in the sudden warmth. "Probably not," he answered calmly, "but until you decide you have questions you want answered from me, this is probably as far as we'll get. Now get inside before you freeze to death, it's colder than a witche's tit out here."

Saeki couldn't argue about the cold but wanted to argue about having questions for Davide since he was certain he had nothing left to say and didn't want to hear anything again. But, there was that nagging question he had asked when he was first confronted by the surprise visitor at his front door months ago and he felt he needed to ask it again, this time without the anger and guards up, but just as a question from a guy whose pride was wounded by that rejection and being called on by his fears.

"Why did you leave? Why wasn't I good enough to earn a good-bye? Why was I abandoned?" His voice faded on the last question, finally a step closer to the real issues Saeki had. Davide was the first to reject him, and not just tonight with the kiss but back then when he left without a word, showing he didn't need or want Saeki around and that he was disposable.

And like that, out from nowhere, Saeki produced a question that Davide really didn't want to answer. In fact, that there was the least wanted of all the questions Saeki and Bane could ask him. Because how could he answer that one without letting them know just how fucked up he had been back then, and at worst run the risk of giving them a burden they had no business carrying.

He swallowed, and his frown became a pained expression. "Oh, man. You ask the hardest questions. I--" Just how was he supposed to say thing?

"When I left, I was scared out of my mind. I didn't say anything to any of you, because I was deathly afraid that you'd try to talk me into staying. I wasn't even within shouting distance of a healthy mindset at the time, so you have got to believe me: There was nothing wrong with you that had me jetting. Something was very wrong with me, and it took me two years to fix it."

"Thought as much." Saeki replied as he fished his cell phone from his pocket. That felt like a cop-out answer to him and he had sort of expected it though he hadn't counted on Davide trying to drill home that it was his fault and not Saeki's that he took off. He wanted to believe him and maybe deep down he did, but right then, the brunette wanted nothing more than a warm bed to curl up in and emo over the entire night.

"I guess we're done here then. Thanks for walking me, or something." With that brush off, Saeki plopped himself down on the front step and flipped through his list of contacts to find Bane's number and dialled. He was right there at the door but didn't want to bother any sleeping kid by knocking and even while not in a sober mind frame knew that calling his friend's cell was a far less risky way and could avoid more of Bane's irritation at being disturbed.

Davide blew out a soft sigh. It was obvious that Saeki wasn't impressed with the answer, but . . . Maybe, maybe if he was guaranteed that the information would never reach Bane's ears, he might consider telling Saeki. But the chances of that kind of guarantee being given and kept up were close to nil. So be it.

"Good night, Saeki. And take care." Davide nodded at him and started walking away. But only as far as around the next corner, so he could listen and make sure Saeki made it inside before he trundled off.