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“You’ve never slept with anyone else in Eden?” Hiyori asked. Ibara was on his stomach, just like Hiyori, cheek pressed against the mattress that they were laying across. Ibara’s bare shoulder was pressed against Hiyori’s.
“Nope.”
“Not once? Ever, in all these years?”
“Your disbelief is more telling of your own history than mine.”
Hiyori shoved against Ibara’s shoulder a little.
Their faces were so close. They were nearly whispering. And Hiyori could see the smile in Ibara's eyes.
“Spindly little snake. Look, now that we’ve slept together, it’s only natural for us to share some secrets!”
“I should think our sleeping together would be secret enough to satisfy you, Your Highness.”
"Back to calling me that again."
"Hiyori."
It was almost annoying. The way the grin spread across his face.
Hiyori turned his head away from Ibara and huffed to cover his happy little giggle.
If he were sober, he might be a bit more concerned. If either of them were sober.
But for the moment, maybe he did want Ibara to love him.
Maybe. Just a bit.
Ibara had changed over the years. Grown. Still the same two-faced opportunistic businessman with too much ambition. But now that they were in their twenties, he’d calmed down some. Or rather, he was better at staying calm.
His emotions didn’t really get the better of him anymore. Which was a little scary, somehow.
Maybe it was because Hiyori understood how calculating Ibara could be. How his expression and demeanor could communicate something entirely fabricated.
Hiyori should know. He and Ibara wore similar masks. And after this many years in the industry, they’d grown quite comfortable in their outfits.
But then again, after this many years, Hiyori also knew… Ibara was kind. In his own way. He cared. Maybe more than anyone else.
He cared so much that he would do just about anything to protect what was his.
Maybe that was what Hiyori liked.
Being at the center of that…
His.
Hiyori turned his head to face Ibara again.
“But you are lying about never having slept with the other members of Eden, right?”
Ibara blinked once and said, “Well of course I am.”
“I knew it! Out with it— which one? Or was it both? Ooh, now that I know—“
“I’m not telling you.”
“Why not!”
“Because I know very well how possessive you already are. Why would I feed into that?”
“Me, possessive! Look who’s talking! That’s bold, coming from you, of all people,” Hiyori laughed.
“I’m well aware. Which is why I understand you so well. And why you can surely imagine how I feel, and why I’m not asking you about your sexual history with Jun and His Excellency. So stop doing it with me, because I think we can both guess–”
Hiyori interrupted with a loud gasp, and he rolled onto his side to reach out and cup Ibara’s cheeks, whisper-yelling, “You're jealous!”
"Please."
"Being possessive isn't the same thing as being jealous!"
“A foreign emotion to one so blessed as yourself, I’m sure, but…” Ibara pulled Hiyori’s hands away from his face. “I don't know. Perhaps you're right. I, myself, am not above jealousy. Though, I don't particularly enjoy admitting it.”
“That’s so romantic,” Hiyori gushed without thinking, and he laughed because he felt so light. So happy.
“I wasn’t trying to be romantic.”
“But it was! You were!”
“This— our sleeping together isn’t romantic— I think we’ve established that we only did this because we’re high—“
“Oh, come on, that was just our icebreaker!”
“Your Highness, we didn’t need an icebreaker.”
"An excuse! You and I– Come, Ibara, you must admit we've had our moments, haven't we? There was tension for a reason."
Ibara exhaled as he replied, "Yes, and now we've resolved that tension. We agreed beforehand, didn't we? One time. I have no intention of romancing you."
Hiyori pouted. "I was just thinking to myself about how kind you are, but I take it back now."
"You're taking back your thoughts?"
"That's what I said, isn't it! You've gone and created such awful weather! Apologize!"
"For what!"
"Anyone else would leap at the chance to romance me! How dare you!"
Ibara pushed against the mattress and sat up. He pulled the sheets around his waist and rubbed his face before looking back down at Hiyori. And then he snorted a little. Laughed into his hand.
"What."
Ibara shook his head a bit. "I apologize. I'm… fucked up. I'm too fucked up for this, Your Highness."
"Don't talk like that, Ibara, it's so crude."
"Then what about all the things I said to you a little earlier?"
Hiyori paused. And he thought about the things Ibara had said to him earlier.
When they were pressed together. And moaning. And rubbing, and licking. And biting.
"It was appropriate for the occasion," Hiyori replied.
"I see."
Ibara smiled and looked away.
After a moment of silence– comfortable, warm silence, somehow– Hiyori sat up, too.
"It was good, though, wasn't it?" he asked.
"What, the sex? Of course it was."
Hiyori bit his lip and smiled before asking in a quiet voice, "Better than them?"
"Oh, no, not at all."
Hiyori reached over to grab a pillow so that he could smack Ibara over the head with it, and he yelled, "Why would you say that, you vile serpent!"
Ibara caught the pillow when Hiyori swung it at him, and he was laughing as he said, "Because you can tell when I'm lying!"
Hiyori processed and released his grip on the pillow to slap a hand against his own chest.
He was so high.
Maybe he was falling in love.
Ibara looked young when he laughed.
He always had.
Hiyori leaned forward and paused inches from Ibara's face. Centimeters from his lips.
Big, big blue eyes. So pretty without the glasses.
Ibara stopped laughing.
They hadn't kissed at all. Not when they were having sex, not… ever.
"Your Highness…"
Ibara leaned away a little.
Hiyori followed, hand on Ibara's neck, and kissed him.
The hesitation in Ibara's movements made Hiyori smile against his lips.
The mask cracked. Both of them did, didn't they.
Cracked and broke and slipped away. If only for a moment.
Ibara pressed forward, and he kissed Hiyori so perfectly. Lips parted and tongues rolled together, and Ibara was on top of Hiyori all over again.
Nipping and biting, and it was all perfect.
Hiyori wrapped his arms around Ibara's shoulders, and he pulled away a bit to say, "I don't care what you say. I'm not letting you go just yet."
Ibara kissed him again.
So much for one time.
Hiyori said as much, when Ibara was above him minutes later, panting and sweating with him, rocking against him. Ibara pressed his hand over Hiyori's mouth.
And Hiyori loved that, too.
And later on that night, when they were back to laying next to each other, out of breath all over again, Hiyori grinned over at Ibara.
"Your Highness," Ibara mumbled in exhausted anticipation.
"We're in trouble. Don't you think?"
Ibara pressed his face into the mattress. And Hiyori laughed.
He felt higher than he had hours ago when they'd started all this.
The masks were gone.
Some time passed.
Hiyori didn't want the night to end. He dreaded the thought of the sun rising.
Ibara was laying so peacefully. His eyes were closed.
"I know you smoke."
Ibara opened one eye and looked at him. "Really."
"Mhm. I know a lot more about you than you think."
"Why are you bringing it up?"
"Because… I know you probably want one really badly right now. But you're not having one because I'm here. But…" Hiyori smiled at him. "I don't mind. You know?"
Ibara opened his other eye and blinked at him a couple times.
And then he smirked and said, "You want one, too."
Hiyori laughed.
Yeah.
Wow.
That did sum it up, didn't it.
The hotel room they'd booked for the night had a little balcony attached. And luckily it was covered, because it'd been raining all night, and by the looks of it, hadn't let up at all.
Hiyori followed Ibara out there, and they both sat on a cute little art deco bench seat that'd been arranged at one side of the balcony.
Ibara took the outside spot. Shielded Hiyori against the bit of rain that did make it past the covering.
And like a gentleman, Ibara lit Hiyori's cigarette for him.
One time. As if.
"How did you find out about my smoking habit? When, even?" Ibara asked while he looked out at the city.
"Ages ago. I only found out by accident– I'd grabbed your suit jacket, thinking it was mine, and I found a pack in the inner pocket."
Ibara nodded.
"Nagisa-kun knows, too. You know how good his sense of smell is."
"I usually can't hide anything from His Excellency, so that isn't very surprising. What about Jun?"
"Oh," Hiyori snorted, "he has no idea."
"That tracks, yeah."
They laughed while thunder rolled above them.
There was something about Ibara. When he was like this— sitting there with Hiyori, both of them in their boxer briefs with their hotel bathrobes wrapped around them— it was… comfortable.
Because Ibara had always seen through Hiyori’s mask, too.
They knew each other in a way that didn’t need words. Even though they came from such different worlds. They navigated the same way.
Hiyori only shivered for a moment before Ibara extended an arm. And without having to say a word, Hiyori scooted into him and let Ibara wrap around him a little.
He was warm. Alive.
It was that sort of thing.
“You’re not cold?” Hiyori asked. Ibara’s arm was around his shoulder.
“No. The cold doesn’t really bother me. Actually, when I’m not stuck in it… I really like the rain.”
“What’s your favorite kind of weather, then?”
Ibara glanced over at him and smiled.
Hiyori opened his mouth, but then he stopped. Instead, he grinned.