Queer as Tachi – Chapter 90
Alastair walked briskly through the hallways of his place of employment with a cool smirk on his lips, his calm confidence sending salarymen and tech support geeks scurrying out of his path. He ignored them all and went straight to his office, closing the door behind him and fetching his cell phone from his coat before going to stand by the window and gaze out at the downtown cityscape while making a call. Prepared to leave a message, he only smirked even more intensely when it was actually answered. “Hey. Good news. I got the days off.”
“Oh?” came the bored voice on the other end. “How did you manage that?”
“Tell you later. It’s a funny story.” Alastair folded his arms and leaned on the window so he could see the KaibaCorp tower from there. “So what’s the plan?”
“Meet me at my office at one tomorrow. Pack a weekend’s worth.” Seto Kaiba’s rich voice chuckled sneakily. “If you think you’ll need that much.”
Alastair chuckled back. “I might. I hear Hokkaido is cold this time of year.” He turned so his back was resting against the window instead and frowned a little. “Why the hell are we going there? There aren’t better resorts much closer?”
“I’ve scheduled a meeting with a composer up there, to see if he’s any good. I want him do the music for Legendary Heroes.”
“Ah…” Alastair nodded with a little eye-roll. “A working vacation. I should have known.”
“I could just go up there for the day, meet the composer, and come back,” Kaiba said irritably. “I wouldn’t drag it out for an entire weekend unless I wanted to, for some particular reason.”
“All right, all right,” Alastair quickly said to placate him. “It’s fine, really. I could use a weekend away – though I had to promise to take my laptop along in case I can squeeze in a little work on the side. And a weekend with you,” he added in a much quieter, deeper tone, “is worth it.”
They made all arrangements for meeting up at KaibaCorp and ended the call quickly, before anyone could intrude into either office to conduct proper business. Alastair had gotten the call about possibly going away with Kaiba to Hokkaido earlier in the week, but had to take care of getting the time off in his own way so as not to rouse suspicion. The sudden decision to take a weekend together made a lot more sense now that he had learned of the potential composer for the video game, it was just like Kaiba to mix work and play so as not to waste a single minute of his precious time. It didn’t matter – they were still going away, just the two of them, and would have the rest of the weekend after said meeting to themselves. Kaiba remained deliberately vague on what he intended for that portion of the trip, but as Alastair sat back down at his computer and resumed his daily grind, he smiled to himself with the assumption that their two most favorite things, privacy and sex, would be involved. It was definitely not a vacation time of year for going to Hokkaido – he had already gone online to look up tourist information. While it was merely chilly in Domino, there was already snow up on the northern island in late November. Wherever they were going, it would be indoors and well away from prying eyes, just the kind of vacation Kaiba could expect to take. Not that Alastair had any argument with the concept.
The following day Kaiba spent most of his time on Legendary Heroes before bringing in Roland to take over certain duties in order to allow himself a couple of days away. Mokuba was in good hands at home, with the house staff on full alert, so all he had to do was make sure his company was left in the same state before jetting off. Close to his scheduled departure time, he was still in his office packing important materials into his briefcase and making orders over his shoulder, while Roland took notes and affirmed his complete compliance. He closed the case and snapped the locks shut just as the intercom buzzed to let him know that the garage had called up, and the visitor on a blue motorcycle he had been expecting had arrived. Kaiba swiftly leaned over to reply. “Tell him to meet me on the roof. That’s all.” He then gave Roland one last authoritative glare. “No word to anyone who I met.”
“None whatsoever, sir,” Roland assured with a bow. “Everything should be ready for you to take off.”
“Good.” Kaiba took his briefcase off the desk and picked up the small carryon bag that had been sitting beside his chair. “As of right now, I’m out of the office until Monday. No contact except in extreme emergencies – and by that I value Mokuba’s status well above that of the company.”
“Yes, sir.” His assistant stepped aside as the CEO swept from behind his desk and strode for the door, paused to repeat his out-of-office status order to the secretary, and disappeared. Roland considered following for a moment, but he couldn’t do anything helpful up on the helipad, and so settled for clasping his hands behind his back and gazing out at Domino instead.
Kaiba took the executive elevator up to the rooftop helipad, and smirked as the doors parted to reveal the exact scene he had expected: Alastair leaning on the wall of the elevator foyer waiting, shrouded in his long, dark coat and wearing sunglasses. He smirked in return at the arrival of his partner. “We’re taking off from here, are we?” he wondered idly as Seto stepped through the door with his luggage.
“Give the man a prize,” Kaiba snorted, shouldering past him and leading the way out onto the tarmac. Alastair picked up his backpack and laptop case and followed. Kaiba spoke over his shoulder, having to shout a little over the wind. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy the choice of transportation.”
Alastair’s eyes widened behind his glasses at the craft dominating the helipad, which couldn’t be missed particularly with the sun gleaming along its brushed metal contours like that. “Holy shit,” he breathed to himself. “I’ve heard a lot about it, but this is the first time I’ve gotten to see it for myself…”
Kaiba grinned smugly as they came to a stop beside the cockpit of his custom-built Blue Eyes jet – the utter awe on his partner’s face was worth the trip already. “The weather can be rough this time of year,” he said daringly. “I’d rather have my flight under my own control.”
Alastair muttered a few more expletives as he circled around the aircraft, impressed with the incorporation of the cosmetic design into the functionality of the jet. He ended up back at Kaiba’s side in time to toss his bags into the cargo compartment, which he was assured was climate-controlled so as not to damage the sensitive computer equipment both of them had loaded. The KaibaCorp air staff waited to see them off, so they climbed into the cockpit and settled in for the ride. Alastair was perfectly content with the rear seat, for he still had access to copilot controls if necessary and could at least look over the pilot’s shoulder while Kaiba handled the flying. Being a skilled pilot himself, he snapped instantly into business mode as the canopy closed over them, assisting with the pre-flight check and giving his back-seat assurance that everything looked to be in order. The helipad staff cleared them for takeoff, and the high-tech jet rose slowly on its vertical trajectory until it cleared the building and airspace and could zoom off into the pale blue sky.
The flight to the northern island wouldn’t take long with a craft like this, but the weather was, as expected, something of a factor, thanks to strong winds aloft riding ahead of early-winter storms. Kaiba decided to keep his hands on the controls and not rely on the autopilot, even though it was working fine. Even some distance into the flight, he could still hear Alastair chuckling with glee now and then. “What?” he asked snidely after one such outburst.
“Nothing,” Alastair replied casually. “I’m just impressed by the handling. This is a sweet little bird you’ve got here. Top of the line.”
“I don’t settle for second-best in anything,” Kaiba darkly reminded him. He glanced over his shoulder, even though he couldn’t see his copilot from there – and could only hear him through the radio headset – and after a long pause, added, “You want to take the controls for a bit?”
Surprise rendered Alastair unable to answer for a moment. He finally stammered out, “You’d let me fly your jet?”
“You’re a pilot,” Kaiba snorted. “We’ve reached cruising altitude, I could use a few minutes to take a break.”
“All right,” Alastair agreed with a snicker, easing his hands onto the controls. Kaiba trusted that he hadn’t delayed and let go at the same time, providing a smooth transition from one to the other. Alastair practically purred with delight at the powerful craft now under his guidance. “You want me to keep it level,” he asked slyly, “or can I play a little?”
“Just don’t deviate from our flight plan,” Kaiba retorted.
“Fair enough.” The slightest twitch of a wrist banked the jet to the right, sending it soaring on effortless trajectories around the clouds or tracing the undulating coastline of Japan far below them. Alastair only played a little bit before straightening the jet back onto its course and settling down to cruise in style. “Beautiful,” he complimented. “I’ve honestly never flown a nicer craft. Military grade, isn’t it?”
Kaiba snorted indignantly. “Better than that. I didn’t need another military plane, I wanted something top of the line. This jet is state-of-the-art, there are some militaries in the world who would kill for the technology it’s got.”
“So nice to see you using your powers for good,” Alastair snidely taunted. “Let me know when you want to take over, so I don’t fight you for the controls.”
“I’m in no hurry.” Kaiba settled back into his seat and folded his arms over his chest, smiling smugly to himself. “It’s useful to have a qualified copilot for once.”
“Yeah, but I bet you still have your eyes on the instruments,” Alastair grinned. “Nice to know I’m a convenience to exploit. Thanks.”
“Anytime.” A long silence passed between them, during which Kaiba monitored the instrument panel in front of him and debated internally just how long to allow Alastair to have control of the jet before taking it back. While it was indeed nice to have a copilot, he was still too dominant of a personality to let anyone do what he could perfectly well be doing himself. “What can I say?” he went on after a bit, trying to sound casual. “You know more than a thing or two about flying. It’s about time I made use of that fact.”
“That I do,” Alastair blithely acknowledged. “About the only nice thing I can say about having been trained by Dartz to serve him is that I received the utmost education in computers and airplanes. It would be nice not to let those skills get rusty.”
Bringing up the past always got Kaiba just uncomfortable enough to change the subject, and the best way to do so was to take back the controls. Alastair let him without protest, so he could in turn sit back and gaze out the clear canopy of the cockpit at the cloud-studded sky or the green and brown patchwork of coastline below. They hardly spoke the rest of the flight, apart from sharing any minor, practical information about what they had been up to since last speaking. It didn’t mean anything, merely that Kaiba was not the type to engage in conversation and his attention was better spent on keeping the jet on course. Alastair had gotten in a half day’s work before leaving, but there wasn’t anything interesting about it worth relating, so he closed his eyes and silently admired the jet’s comfort and stability for a while. All cares and concerns faded away with the sun sinking in the west beneath the rim of the ocean.
The November night was cold and biting as they landed at the Hokkaido airport, had the jet stored safely in a corporate hanger, and caught transportation to the traditional inn that Kaiba had booked for the weekend. It was, in fact, the finest establishment around even during the off-season, more expensive and high-class than some luxury hotels. Alastair stood aside while his partner flashed a credit card and checked in, trying not to stare too much like a tourist at the understated opulence. The middle-aged woman in full kimono who attended them did not bat an eye at the two tall, young men in long coats as she led them down the wood-paneled hallway to their room, pointing out features along the way. They had arrived just in time for dinner, which was being served in a main hall with all the other guests, and the baths were open until late if they chose to avail themselves of them. Alastair quirked an eyebrow at that, but didn’t say anything until he and Kaiba had been left alone in their room to settle in. Only then, upon setting down his bags, did he turn and give his partner a droll grin. “This isn’t just a fancy inn,” he noted, “it’s a…”
“Yes, it’s an onsen,” Kaiba muttered. “Why do you think it’s so expensive, and still open at this time of year?”
“Cool,” the red-haired young man enthused. “I’ve never been to one. This should be fun.”
Kaiba nodded to him. “Take off your coat and let’s go. As long as they’re serving dinner, we shouldn’t be late.”
Alastair shrugged and complied, leaving his coat draped over a chair. They had already removed and stashed their shoes at the door of the inn, making for a quiet, sock-footed prowl back up the sequence of hallways to the main rooms. Kaiba also left his coat in the room, opting not to call attention to himself for once. There wasn’t anyone there who would particularly know him, but he was treading into extremely dangerous personal territory now and wanted to keep things as low-key as possible. No one could suspect that his dinner companion was also his lover. They were treated to a very fine meal, and returned to their room to find that it had been set up for the night, with a thick futon spread with piles of warm blankets. Between the late hour, the sound of other guests passing up the hall to enjoy the baths, and the early meeting in the morning, Kaiba decided – and his partner agreed – to stay in their room and indulge in the privacy for tonight and save the delights of the onsen for tomorrow. Kaiba’s meeting was scheduled for nine in the morning, but once it was over, he expected to have the rest of the weekend to enjoy the good food and hot springs, to say nothing of lots of interrupted private time with his lover – who at the moment had thrown himself onto the bed and laid grinning up at Seto. “I gotta say, this is pretty nice. They really know how to make a guest comfy. I could get used to this.”
Kaiba stood at the foot of the bed, hands on hips, smirking down at him. “It won’t be so nice when we have to be up early in the morning.”
“What’s this ‘we’ stuff?” Alastair taunted, clasping his hands behind his head. “You’re the one with the meeting. I’m staying in bed until you get back.” His gray eyes briefly traveled the length of his partner’s body. “And well after, I would assume.”
Kaiba just gave him a superior look in return. “This is a traditional onsen. That means they’ll wake everyone up early in order to put away the beds and clean the room.”
“What? Damn!” Alastair sat up in a huff. “This is supposed to be a vacation, not a prep school! Fine,” he sighed, knowing there was nothing he could do about it. “I guess I’ll sit around and work on those server protections I brought along just in case, while you’re at your meeting.” He sat back on his hands, his irritation rapidly ebbing as he gazed up at his companion all clad in body-hugging black. “But I promise to put my work away after that, as long as you do the same.”
“Deal.” Kaiba swiftly removed his card locket, setting it aside on top of his briefcase before stepping onto the bed and sinking down to meet Alastair, who grinned in anticipation. They caught each other up and kissed, and then Seto murmured, “That doesn’t mean we can’t get started tonight.”
Alastair’s sultry smile said he agreed with that idea. “We may as well get to it – so we can still get a good night’s sleep before we’re forced to abandon the bed.” His hand glided down Kaiba’s neck, his fingers insinuating themselves under the collar of his shirt. “If you can tire me out, that is…”
“That’s one challenge I’m willing to take.” He swung one leg over Alastair and settled himself aggressively on top of him, pinning him down while leaning in to meet the voracious kiss headed his way. Alastair never simply acquiesced to him, he always fought back with just enough of a degree of defiance to make each kiss between them hard, hot, and enticing. He snuck his hands under Kaiba’s shirt, and in between kisses managed to work it off of him, at which point he stopped to admire. A flicker of emotion wavered in his eyes as he noticed the silver necklace dangling around Kaiba’s neck – he had been wearing it under his shirt all that time. Kaiba’s hand curled around his neck, then, tilting his face up so he could be thoroughly kissed. The briefest of looks passed between them before they both lunged in for more, wrapping themselves up in each other and tumbling onto the bed. The rest of the world faded into obscurity as they wrestled each other to arousal and subsequently burrowed under the blankets to protect from the slight chill, having only one thing on their minds. They made love heatedly that first night, but gave it a rest before completely exhausting themselves because of what was to come tomorrow. For the sake of discretion, Kaiba managed to get up and retrieve some pajamas, and after he had come back to bed and nestled warmly into the blankets, the idea sounded too good for Alastair to pass up. Once both were dressed and comfortable, it wasn’t long before they fell sound asleep sprawled on top of each other.
Being rousted out of bed early in the morning had no effect on Kaiba, he was usually up at that time or earlier and rarely deviated from his basic routine even when he didn’t have to go into the office. He dressed and then preened in the bathroom before coming out and double-checking his briefcase to make sure he had all the materials he would need for the meeting with the composer. While he bustled around the room, Alastair lounged beside the low table with what was left of breakfast, wrapped in the inn’s complementary yukata, sipping hot tea and looking positively ravishing in the glow of the morning sun. He already had his laptop set up on the table, but was only idly poking at it for now while warming himself with the tea and casually watching his partner pass back and forth at his usual brisk, businesslike pace. His gray eyes flicked up with a keen, alluring gaze to watch Kaiba bundle himself up in a different coat – a black wool coat – and gloves. “Looks nice,” Alastair murmured in interest.
Blue eyes darted sharply in his direction, narrowing in a sly smile. “The view isn’t bad from where I’m standing, either.”
Alastair tossed his hair a little and smiled. “It’s all a ploy to keep you from letting this meeting drag on too long. Just so you know what you’ll have waiting for you to come back to.”
“I figured.” Kaiba finished tugging on his second glove and picked up his briefcase. “I don’t intend for it to take long. I’ll be back.”
Alastair dragged his fingertip along the touch pad on his laptop, pretending to find it more interesting than his companion’s departure. “I’ll be here,” he sighed. “Hurry up and rescue me from my work. Hope it goes well,” he added distractedly at the end. Kaiba just nodded his acceptance and swept out the door.
After investigating several different possibilities, Kaiba had opened up his search for a composer for the game’s background music to include unheard-of or untested musicians for the sake of getting something entirely unique for Legendary Heroes. He wanted someone who hadn’t spent years working on video game scores, someone untainted by the expectations of the video game market, who could understand his vision of the game and mold the sonic landscape that would mesh perfectly with the visual one he had created. A demo from this composer from up north had crossed his desk, and he was interested enough to schedule this meeting and fly all the way to Hokkaido for an interview and in-person demonstration of his skills. The meeting didn’t take long after all, but still required enough of Kaiba’s time to get everything he wanted out of it. He listened to the composer ramble for a bit about his personal attitudes on music and philosophy before demanding an exposition of his performing talent and an explanation on why he thought he would be the best choice to score Legendary Heroes. He was a young man, not particularly interested in video games per se but always open to exploring new, exciting places where music could be used to tickle the senses and evoke the right mood in the listener. In the end, Kaiba was impressed enough by the composer to agree to work with him, and arranged for another meeting in Domino to go over the game in full and lay out every last scene requiring the slightest note of music. Only then and there would he consider the man hired, so long as the daunting task of creating the perfect musical score for this magical world still appealed to him. With that taken care of, Kaiba coolly bid good day to the man and his agent and breezed back to the inn where he could retreat from work and the world and pass the time in the way he most desired.
Alastair was still at the table with his laptop when Kaiba returned, the tea gone and the sun no longer gleaming through the window to set his red hair on fire. Rather, he had his chin on a fist and was scowling at his computer. He barely glanced up when he heard someone enter, though he did sigh, “You’re back. How’d it go?”
“Fine,” Kaiba responded blandly. “I have a composer.”
“Oh? Good.” One last growl, and Alastair decided to shut down his laptop and close it. “That’s enough. I can’t do anything else about it from here, and I really don’t care enough to try.” He snapped the cover shut and pushed it away. “Over and done. The rest of the weekend is mine.”
By that time Kaiba had taken off his thick coat and gloves and prowled over to him, gazing down at him. He had the yukata tied loosely around him, leaving it gapping open from neck to navel to reveal plenty of his trim chest and stomach. “I don’t think I need to ask how your work went,” he murmured wryly.
“I’m just annoyed at having to clean up after other idiots’ messes,” Alastair muttered. “I figured that’s what half my job would be when I signed on, but it still pisses me off.” He glanced up and favored his companion with a sly grin. “At least, covering for the president’s secret bad habit of looking at porn on the network is what allowed me to have these few days off on such short notice.”
“Is that so?” Kaiba raised an eyebrow, and then shook his head. “I had no idea.”
“Yep. I’ve tried telling him to stop doing it, I’ve tried installing trackers and other tricks to block the sites, but he just can’t stop himself. So I told him I needed a few days to step back and clean out all the damn viruses he keeps bringing in, or I’d make it so certain investors found out about his habit.” He smirked darkly. “It’s nice to have blackmail on the boss so early in my career.”
“I’ll raise a toast later to old men and their perversions,” Kaiba sniffed. “Right now, I intend to put work behind me and relax.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Alastair rose gracefully and wrapped his yukata a little better before taking his laptop to be stashed safely in its bag. “What are you up for?”
“It seems quiet around here,” Kaiba noted. “Might be a good time to hit the baths.”
“It is,” his partner nodded. “I took a short walk around the place, a little bit ago. All the guests who were here last night have already left, there’s hardly anybody here. You and me, and maybe a few tourists who are out on the town during daylight.”
It took Kaiba only a few minutes to change out of his business attire and into another complementary yukata meant for any guest intent on lounging around or going to the baths or hot springs. Alastair plodded a step behind him all the way to the bath, smiling quietly to himself as he noted that the halls of the inn were still as dead silent as they had been earlier. If there were any guests staying another night there, they were all out at this point in the day. The inn featured both indoor baths and outdoor springs so they could stay open year-round, though at this time the chilly weather and approaching winter limited the choices for guests. The matronly hostess of the inn was just coming out of the washroom as the two tall young men arrived, perhaps stocking it for their use. She smiled kindly and bowed in respect to them. “Welcome,” she said politely. “The bath is ready, if that is your intention, sirs.”
Kaiba only nodded to acknowledge her. Alastair was curious enough to ask her about what he had noticed. “Are we the only ones here right now?”
“It is the off season, sir,” the hostess noted. She glanced back and forth between them and let a knowing sort of look further curve her smile. “Please enjoy the bath, but be aware of the house policies for your safety. We advise everyone not to get carried away in the hot water, lest they be overcome by the heat and faint. We wish your comfort and health.”
Kaiba gave her a narrow-eyed stare. “I wasn’t exactly planning on swimming laps, if that’s what you mean.”
“Of course, sir,” the hostess said with another bow. “If there is anything we may provide you, the staff is at your service.” She gave a discreet nod to them both before whisking away and leaving them to their bath. Kaiba eyed her warily, but said nothing as he pushed open the door.
Alastair took in the row of bath stools and washbasins lined up and giggled a little. Kaiba gave him an annoyed look. “What? Do I have to explain to you what to do?” he grumbled.
“No, I know what to do,” Alastair assured in the same snide tone. “I just haven’t actually been to a bath like this before. Good on the theory, not on the practice.”
Turning away from him, Seto untied his yukata and let it slide gracefully down his shoulders. “Maybe I ought to help you, then,” he said in a low, throaty murmur without glancing back.
“Something tells me you won’t be much help,” Alastair retorted, raising an eyebrow at the very nice view of his partner’s broad, muscled back he was being treated to. He cocked his head in a sort of shrug. “But, I wouldn’t say no to some assistance in, you know, washing my back…”
Kaiba only gave a subtle chuckle as he chose a washbasin and set about getting to the business of washing up. His companion settled next to him, and for a few minutes they behaved themselves, simply doing as necessary in a completely mundane fashion. But they couldn’t sit naked next to each other without taking advantage of it sooner or later. To Alastair’s surprise, Kaiba made the first move, reaching across to scrub a washcloth over Alastair’s shoulders and down his back, presumably to “assist in washing” as suggested. But he didn’t stop there, descending low to caress the curves of his partner’s ass and make sure he was nice and clean in all the right places. Gasping softly, Alastair leaned forward on his stool to encourage further exploration. His own hand gradually slowed until it was making entirely pointless circles on the top of his foot with the cloth, but he had reached the end of his routine anyway, all the way down to his toes. Then, a hand closed on his arm and pulled him back, completely off the stool and practically into Kaiba’s lap. He knelt and leaned back into the body behind him, closing his eyes and tilting his head up as the hand came around him, rubbing slow circles on his stomach with the soapy cloth and then sliding downward. As if he hadn’t already taken care of himself, Kaiba decided to ensure cleanliness with long, teasing strokes. The texture of the washcloth tickling along his length made Alastair gasp even harder and arch back against Kaiba. He curled his arm up and back, around Kaiba’s neck, and was rewarded with the heat of lips against his moist neck. Seto licked his neck and nuzzled behind his ear, nosing through his wet hair, all while sensuously working his washcloth up and down Alastair’s growing erection. Alastair writhed against him, seeking a way to return the favor, and finally got himself in a position to turn his head and fasten his mouth on Kaiba’s. They kissed ferociously, tongues swirling, lips nibbling, fighting each other for dominance. Being as Kaiba was wrapped around Alastair with a hand on him stroking him off with gusto, he seemed to have the victory, but Alastair was not ready to acquiesce. He reached around behind himself for a handhold, able to caress and grip his partner’s thigh and the curve of his ass, but not much more. Provoked by his touch, Kaiba slinked his other arm around his lover’s lithe body and pinned his arm down, breaking away from the kiss long enough to push him forward and force him to lean against the wall. Alastair braced his hands against it, rising up on his knees, but then got free and turned around with his back to the wall, slumping to a seat facing Kaiba instead, panting for breath. The wet strands of his hair stuck to his face and neck as he crouched there braced and waiting for an attack, but the look in his eyes was anything but submissive. Snickering in his throat, Kaiba pressed forward to pounce on him again, and this time Alastair was able to reciprocate. Their hands closed on each other’s erections, unimpeded, and Kaiba lunged forward to savage his partner’s lips again. With such energy driving them, it didn’t take long for them to kiss and stroke each other to ecstasy, facing each other with Kaiba’s knees pressing against Alastair’s thighs to keep him open and free. They managed to bite back their cries of pleasure, lest they echo in the bath, but did nothing else to restrain themselves. Kaiba’s palm thudded heavily onto the wall to catch himself as he came, erupting across Alastair’s chest and stomach, finding himself almost immediately blessed in turn by his partner’s enthusiastic climax. After that, they had to wash all over again in order to be ready for a dip in the hot bath. This time, they actually finished so they could go for a soak.
The hostess hadn’t needed to remind them not to exert themselves in the bath, for all Kaiba wanted out of it was to sit and soak away his stress, and perhaps just fondle his lover without accelerating toward anything strenuous. They had gotten it out of their systems for the moment, and stepped into the beautifully paneled room housing the indoor bath with nothing but relaxation on their minds. Leaving towels folded neatly on the bench, Kaiba led the way, stepping down into a stone-tiled pool that sent steam rising into the air to fog the wide glass windows comprising one wall of the room. At other times of the year they would have looked out on a gorgeous garden, but right now it was all in slumber, cold and drab and gray with a hint of snow in the air. Fortunately, the splendid bath chased away any suggestion of cold, and Kaiba sank to a seat in the pool with an unrestrained sigh of relief. Alastair gingerly climbed in beside him, and waded for a moment to get used to the stinging hot water before sinking down and settling himself with his back against the stone rim of the bath. For a long time they did nothing but sit in silence, eyes closed, resting, breathing deeply. Alastair trailed his fingers through the water, amusing himself with the contrast between the super hot water and the cool air just above it, dipping his fingers in and retracting them to let them cool. After a bit, he heaved a long, happy sigh to preface the fact that he was about to break the comfortable silence between them. “This is nice,” he said in a quiet tone. “Really nice. I gotta hand it to you – you came up with the best vacation idea.”
Beside him, Kaiba simply sat with everything but his head immersed in the water, his eyes still closed. “I needed a break,” he muttered. “Preparing for the game expo took a lot out of me.”
“Yeah,” Alastair acknowledged, “but you didn’t have to ask me to come along.” He leaned closer, but only whispered the rest for his partner’s hearing. “I don’t know what part of your mind or your ass you pulled this out of, but I’m grateful. Just remember that.”
Kaiba’s face turned toward his, but he appeared to be struggling with any kind of response. His eyes flicked from Alastair’s eyes to his lips, and then away, as he breathed a quiet sigh and barely moistened his lips. Sensing his hesitation, Alastair shifted himself over just enough to be able to lean against him if he chose, but only brushed a kiss behind his ear for now. Beneath the water, his hand came to rest on top of Kaiba’s. He noticed a flush creep into Seto’s cheeks, but decided not to call attention to it, lest he dismiss it as an effect of the hot bath. A moment or two later, what he hoped for finally broke through the uncharacteristic bout of shyness – Kaiba glanced his way again, and they melted into a slow, gentle kiss. It was the sort of tender moment that neither could remember sharing before, as the meeting of lips tended to lead directly to sex for them. Upon breaking away, they sat there for a while longer, foreheads resting against each other. They were too relaxed and warm to exert much effort, even to speak, and something about the way they leaned upon each other felt too good to interrupt no matter how sweet it might have appeared. The walls were close to being completely down, Kaiba knew, but he couldn’t make himself recoil and resist and close himself away in sullen moodiness. He felt Alastair shift slightly, and didn’t open his eyes at the glancing touch of lips on his. It was easy to continue from there, to turn towards each other, to slide a hand across a leg beneath the water, to lean in and kiss each other endlessly without ever pushing it further. The mood instilled by soaking in the bath was just right for taking it slow, concentrating solely on the nuances of making out and the little things that made it so good, enjoying it as a reward unto itself rather than the precursor of more strenuous activities. Alastair subtly stroked Seto’s lips with his tongue, encouraging him to make the right move, and moaned softly as his lover’s tongue snaked into his mouth and caressed his in return. As the connection deepened, Kaiba drew one arm out of the water and wound it over his partner’s shoulder, clutching him closer. Yet, any time either one felt himself getting carried away, he backed off, taking a breath and simply nuzzling or giving a light kiss to assure that it wasn’t over yet. Eventually, both of them withdrew at the same time, and simultaneously heaved a long, contented sigh. Kaiba’s hand slid down Alastair’s back, disappearing back under the water, as they sat facing each other with their heads down or eyes closed. Kaiba glanced up to gaze at his companion’s demure, blushing face, wondering to himself how he had ever gotten into this. It seemed so unreal, but there wasn’t anything about it to dislike – not even his lover’s gender. He had never looked at a woman the way he found himself looking at Alastair. He was a beautiful young man, moreso because of the confidence, self-assurance, and intelligence he displayed than his European features, red hair, and emotive gray eyes, though that didn’t hurt. When he lifted his gaze to meet Kaiba’s, there was some shyness there, but mostly calm, fearless understanding and the slight smile of gratitude. Kaiba raised a dripping hand out of the water and ran his fingertip down Alastair’s jawline to his chin, leaving a wet trail. Alastair lowered his eyes to follow the movement and smirked a little. “Sweet,” he murmured, taking Kaiba’s hand and moving it to press it flat against his own chest, just below his collarbone. “Part of me wants this to last forever, even though I know it won’t.”
“Because we can’t stay in the bath all day,” Kaiba murmured back. He could feel Alastair’s heart racing, and moved his fingers just slightly to caress his skin above the waterline. “What is it you want to last, though?” he went on after a moment, his voice growing heavy. “To sit in the water like this, or me…” He freed himself from Alastair’s grasp and brushed his hand across his cheek again. “…touching you…?”
“Don’t you get it?” Alastair met his eyes, though he kept his tone gentle. “It has nothing to do with the bath. Sure, this is a nice, kind of romantic setting…especially since it’s so quiet, it feels like the rest of the world doesn’t exist. But it’s not the setting.” He glanced aside as Kaiba’s hand vanished back beneath the water without a splash. “I want to have this connection with you no matter where we are.”
Kaiba gave a soft groan. “Just when I was thinking I might have finally gotten something right.”
Alastair chuckled lightly. “Come on, give yourself more credit. I know you don’t have much experience with these sorts of things, but I haven’t had anything to complain about so far. Really.” He sidled closer and turned to lay against Kaiba, whether he wanted him to or not, forcing him to have to sit back and brace himself against the wall of the pool to accept his partner’s weight. “I’m not some flighty woman with delusions of white knights on horses,” Alastair continued when he was nicely settled down. “I know what the world is really like. I know nothing is certain, and I’ve lived my life taking whatever I wanted from people and using them to fill my needs. But some part of me deep down wants to believe that there could be more. That maybe…someone might treat me better.” He smiled to himself as arms came around him and adjusted him into a more comfortable position. “I don’t know, maybe my mother told me one too many fairy tales when I was a baby, and it kind of stuck in the back of my mind somewhere.”
Kaiba found his closeness and warm, clean scent rather irresistible, and willingly held him as they settled in for more continued soaking in the hot bath. “I don’t pretend to understand anything like that, and I’m not interested in making excuses,” he murmured. “But I know what I like, and I have no problem pursuing it. You…” He hesitated, not sure how trite or ridiculous his thoughts would sound when spoken aloud. “…have shown me a few things I didn’t know existed. Now that I know that I like them…I’m going to pursue them.”
Alastair purred a sort of sarcastic chuckle. “You’re never going to say anything directly, are you? That’s okay,” he added before his partner could get irritated. “It’s one of your quirks. It amuses me, actually. You’re so funny when you’re trying to keep yourself from saying or doing something that could be taken as sentimental.”
Kaiba grumbled a little, but he was too warm and relaxed to start an argument. “At least I’m trying…”
“Yeah, I know you are.” Alastair turned his head to give him a quick peck on the cheek. “I’m not complaining, Seto. I know what you’re like. I’m not going to do anything insulting like fish for compliments or force you to make up your mind about our relationship. Things like this – asking me to go away for a weekend – are enough to show me that you’ll express yourself when I least expect it.” He curled up against his lover and rested his head on his shoulder, breathing a warm sigh into the crook of his neck. “I’m not exactly patient, but I’ll take what I can get. Maybe…while you’re learning about your own emotions, I’ll try to learn about patience.”
Not knowing what else to say, Kaiba let him run out of comments and only gave a soft hum under his breath to indicate that he had listened to all of it. He much preferred just sitting in silence, his hands wandering idly along Alastair’s skin beneath the water. The bath remained at a temperature just below too hot, the kind of temperature where they could stay in for hours if they wanted without getting overheated or dizzy. No one was around to walk in on them, and he guessed from the hostess’s innuendo that she knew what they were there for and didn’t care. A place like this surely saw its share of clandestine liaisons between forbidden lovers of any gender pairing, she was likely used to it by now. Kaiba had inwardly decided to let the pruning of fingers and toes be the signal for when they had bathed “enough,” but he was in no hurry to get out and have to exert himself walking back to their room. He had no further intentions for the day, simply to spend it relaxing in whatever manner brought him the most peace, whether that meant curling up with a book or lounging around with Alastair or more sex. The day was theirs to waste. For now, he was rather enjoying sitting there mostly submerged in the bath with soft, delicious skin beneath his hands ready to be caressed, with Alastair leaning against him with a hand on his leg, his own fingertips stroking idly. After another very long, delightful silence, his lover stirred and murmured, “Maybe when we get back to the room, I should lay you out and give your back a real pounding. Your muscles are going to be all loose from the hot water, it’ll be a lot easier to work out the knots.”
A gruff chuckle met that suggestion. “The bed won’t be set up until later.”
“Oh, right. Damn.” Alastair laid there a moment longer, and then pushed himself up. The swish of his body’s movement in the water seemed loud in the stillness around them. “Then how about right here?” He nodded his head in a gesture. “Turn around, lean against the wall. I’ll work on your back.”
Kaiba smirked at him, though he sat up as though to comply. “If you want to have sex, just say so, there’s no need to fake a reason to try to turn me on.”
“Funny,” Alastair smirked back. “If I wanted sex I’d have already dragged you out of the bath. Sometimes a backrub is just a backrub, Seto.”
That was all the assurance Kaiba needed. Still smirking to himself, he folded his arms on the edge of the pool and stretched out, offering his back to be prodded and kneaded at will. Alastair sidled up behind him and went straight to work, his wet fingers slipping on his partner’s moist skin. It was more difficult to do it with half of Kaiba’s body underwater, but the hot bath had indeed loosened up his muscles enough to knead out some of the worst knots caused by his daily stress. Alastair worked without comment, digging his thumbs into stiff spots and pressing the heels of his palms into the deep aches low in his partner’s back, up and down his spine in careful sequence. It wasn’t long before Kaiba was slumped against the edge of the bath with his eyes closed, moaning softly in relief as Alastair rubbed away the tension and left him all wilted and slack. When he had done all he could, Alastair sighed long and draped his arms over his partner’s shoulders, flopping against him. “What do you think?” he murmured tiredly. “Had enough bath for now?”
Kaiba kept his head resting on his folded arms and only grunted in response, neither affirmative nor negative. Consequently, neither of them moved for a while. Eventually, though, he began to consider the weight of the body leaning on his less than comfortable, and the water too hot to stand any longer. He lifted his head and pushed himself back a little, effectively disengaging Alastair, who stood up in the middle of the bath and shook out his damp hair. Kaiba turned and stretched his arms along the lip of the pool, taking a moment to wolfishly ogle his companion’s lean, muscled figure wading waist deep before him. “Yeah,” he finally answered the question posed some time earlier. “I’ve had enough. I’m ready to go back to the room.”
“And what shall we do, there?” Alastair stepped closer to him, deliberately swaying his hips and trailing his arms through the water. An impish smile curved his lips as he came close enough for Kaiba to reach out and admire with a hand on his flank. “More of the same?”
“Does it matter?” Kaiba gave an indifferent shrug and pushed himself to his feet, nudging his partner slightly as he led the way out of the bath. Both seemed to want to teasingly assist the other with his towel, and paused for a moment to share another savory kiss before drying off and wrapping up in their yukata. There may not have been anyone around to see, but they still managed to cloak themselves in an illusion of platonic companionship before opening the door to take the long walk back to the room.