tampered | (no subject)

(no subject)

When: July 21, Night
Rating: PG13
Characters: Greed

caroused
Summary: Greed manages to secure a date with Kio during conversation. What hijinx will ensue?
Log:

Greed whistled merrily as he skipped idly through the city streets. He stopped every few minutes to adjust for the wind and take a whiff of the air. The apartment was definitely nearby. He made a mild adjustment to his bouquet before continuing on.

"Let's see..." he mused, crooking a finger under his chin and looking around at a crossroads, "....That way!"

He bolted in the direction of Soubi's scent and soon found himself at the steps of an apartment complex. With a happy click of his heels, he marched up to the door and entered the building. His legs quickly cleared the stairs until he found the apartment where the scent was strongest.

"Oi, Kio," he called, knocking on the door, "It's Greed."

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It'd been too long since he last left on any sort of date around the city (his own drinking escapades with Greedling and the Valentine brothers aside), and it was almost strange to think that he was leaving for one with anyone but the object of his primary attention. Well, Kio huffed a breath, only half as agitated as he wanted to be with the man. He wasn't entirely blind to his best friend's displeasure about his outing with Greed, but if Sou-chan didn't want him to leave, all he had to do was say so. Really, a small enough part of him already relished in childish delight that the other male had even made a three or four syllable effort.

(Admittedly, "I don't have a reason why you should date Kio and not me" wasn't exactly his idea of romantic, and it did leave him with that tight, jealous feeling in his chest, but.)

In all, it was enough to put him in better spirits because Greed was pleasant company, and Kio had never been one to turn down a little bit of fun now and then. (--even if he still wondered how Greed had gotten close enough to memorize Soubi's scent)

Little surprise, then, that the knock jostled him from his thoughts, and he slid onto his feet with ease, bright smile settled on his lips by the time he opened the door. "Glad you didn't get lost~," he chimed, then blinked curiously as he noticed the bouquet. A finger followed the path of his gaze before turning to point back at himself. "For me?"

"Yup. Real traditional like. I also have a small package of chocolates. I'm not sure if ya' like sweets, but I got it just in case," he said, retrieving it from a small pouch on his belt, "And I usually find my way pretty easily, Kio."

"So, are ya' ready now, or should I step inside for a few minutes?"

Kio tried not to make it TOO obvious he was tracing Kio's form with his eyes, but subtlety was never quite his forte'.

For all that had to be said about fortes (which wasn't much when it came to him outside of practical and artistic efforts), observance was actually one trait that Kio could claim to his name—partially, at least. He knew all about subtle stares—had spent enough time perfecting them above the line of his canvas—so being the recipient of one wasn't something that would have worried him. If anything, coupled with Greed's words, it was enough to perk his ears.

His grin widening boyishly, Kio tapped the other man on his nod lightly, once, to draw his attention back up. "Mm~, chocolates! If you didn't know before, then you probably know now that I wouldn't mind any sweet gifts. Thanks!" With a grateful nod, he took the packages, one in each hand, and turned halfway back to the apartment. "I'll just put these inside re~ally quickly, and we can leave. Don't want to disturb Sou-chan."

—which was true, he figured, already lining up the bouquet and chocolates (♥!) on the counter for later. Another soft click, and he was out the door, head upturned towards Greed. "So then! What's our destination for tonight?"

Greed smiled that wide, self-assured grin of his. He had always considered that Kio was an open-minded sort of guy, and was glad that his admiration was well-received. He bowed quickly to the other man and put a finger under his chin, thinking.

"Well, I couldn't decide on steak or sushi, so I found a place that did both. They also have a really great salad bar, if meat and sushi aren't your thing. I like to be accomodating," he said, holding out his arm, "Shall we be off then, beautiful? The night is ours."

An almost coquettish glance at the offered arm followed, and Kio pressed a hand to his stomach to resist chuckling aloud. "I can tell you're used to courting girls~" he chimed, voice taking on a familiar teasing lilt. Had it been anyone else, he would've taken an exaggerated, flailing offense to the act, but Greed was Greed; and in a way, it was remniscent of all his passes at Sou-chan, and that was almost charming (and humorous. Definitely humorous.) "Sushi sounds pretty good."

With an pointedly indulgent sigh, the blond hooked his arm, head canting to the side as they set out towards the restaurant. "Guess I'll let it slide this time since you're being such an accomodating gentleman~."

"Aw, you're so forgivin', Kio! How merciful of you!"

They headed off into the night and soon ended up at a small, but well-kept sushi restaurant. After a few moments of greeting and the shaking of a few hands, they were seated in a private booth.

"This," Greed said, pointing to a small water canal that ran by their table, "Is where the order arrives. Ya' just choose what ya' want, the chef makes it, and he floats it down the little river on a small platter! Pretty cool."

Kio's enthusiasm was tell-tale from the moment they arrived to the instant he pressed eagerly close to the edge of the counter. It felt like months since he'd last seen a floating sushi boat, and the sight of one drifting closer to their table along the current did much to remind him of home. It might have been an unintentional fluke—most likely was, he assumed, since the man obviously wasn't from Japan, but—

"Mmm!" He hummed in approval, soft and pliant like the finger he'd raised to his lips to nibble. Greed knew how to impress. "Quite a place that you've found!"

"I do try," he said, grinning and marking down a few things on his menu, then slipping it through a slot near the table, "That will carry the order to the sushi chefs."

"A special meal for a special someone. I take it your world has things like this? This city seems to have things familiar to all sorts of world, I guess."

"S'one of the things Japan's known for," the blond added, making use of Greed's example and sliding his own order of a particularly appetizing roll down the slot. He took a moment to watch as, true to the man's words, a chef took to preparing their dishes. Almost instantly, as though orchestrated by some behind-the-scenes restaurant personnel, the hostess who had seated them earlier stopped a scant few inches by their table to ask for drinks.

With a slow drum of his fingers, Kio turned to Greed, almost slyly if one chose to view his quirked brows in that sense. "How's a bit of sake sound?"

"Ah, alcohol! However did you guess my preferences?" he chuckled, leaning back in his chair and shooting a glance to the hostess, "Okay, babe, give us hot sake in the biggest bottles you have and keep 'em comin'!"

The women toddled away quickly, leaving the two along once more. Greed propped an elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand.

"So tell me, Kio. What's your world like? How do ya' know Soubi and Ritsuka?"

Kio was tempted to remark on how unfairly the scale was tipped towards Greed's end; after all, that much alcohol would have had him lying in a slump underneath the table while the other man would escape perfectly unscathed and sober. Ah, homunculi~.

"Sou-chan and I attended university together, same classes and everything." A quick laugh, and beneath his breath: "...when he wasn't skipping to hang around Ricchan's school gate, anyway.

"But since you've talked to Yamato and Sou-chan, m'sure you already know about the sort of things they get up to with their bonds. I've been lucky enough to not get involved in all those shady things."

"Ah, so you're school buddies. I wouldn't know that feelin'. We were all created with our knowledge intact. Never has a use for schooling. Though I do like to pick up new skills that interest me. I learn pretty fast when I have to."

Several fresh salmon rolls met their end in Greed's gullet after he took a small sip of water from his complimentary glass. He dipped a bit of ginger in his soy sauce before popping it into his mouth.

"Eh? What do you mean, "up to"? Ritsuka is still a virgin. I should know, the kid is about as naive' as it gets."

His first response to Greed's last statement was to gag (quite ungraciously on the hand roll that had been set on the table minutes earlier), swallow slowly, and wheeze out a cross between "whaaat" and "unghmnnghh."

"I didn't mean it like that at all!" He waved a hand in an enthusiastic show of wrong-idea-backtracking-now. It was hard to explain, now that he thought about it. There was the ears (easy to explain), and then there this - this strange clique connection. Thankfully, a separate waitress arrived then with the sake, and Kio took little time pouring them both a glass. "Their bond isn't really the sexual type. It's something a lot more complicated than that and a bit on the S&M borderline if I described it any further."

Greed visibly sighed and shrugged his shoulders, taking a sip of the sake. He "aaaaah"d deeply, content with the quality of the drink.

"Good stuff," he grinned, swirling the clear alcohol in his glass, "Anyway, it seems like it's borderin' on sexual, at least. Actually, I'd bang 'em both!" he laughed, slapping the table with a broad hand, "But that's neither here, nor there."

"Sounds like your world has some odd natural laws at work. What with the importance on names and all. What about you, Kio? You seem to have a little thing for Soubi. You strictly on that side of the fence, or do ya' go after chicks, too?"

He'd always known that Greed had a soft spot for Soubi and Ritsuka, but for it to extend to that particular joke (whether or not it truly was one; hard to tell) was—

—was something Kio didn't really have any words for, but it was awkward enough for him to arch his brows in surprise as he drank, secretly thankful for the change in topic. "If Sou-chan has his own side of the fence, then I'd be straddling that and another side." He grinned, at once open and shuttered, tongue darting out to wet his lip. "Sex is one thing, emotional ties another. And m'not much interested in 'going after' anyone~."

Greed raised his glass toward Kio and grinned, giving another hearty laugh, "That's the way, Kio! Glad to hear it. I'm pretty the same on that. Of course, it's less personal choice for me. I'm not really capable of monogamy or long term relationships. Not made with that capacity."

He dipped a piece of ginger in his soy sauce and gave it a taste.

"Hmm...missin' something," he said under his breath, adding a rather LARGE chunk of wasabi to the sauce, "Ha ha, there we go! I like things spicy."

"So even if you liked someone enough," the blond ventured, refilling both their glasses as he spoke, "you'd never be satisfied with just that person?" On some level, it made sense because Greed was supposed to live up to his name; but to Kio, it was as strange an idea as saying 'I love you. That's why I'm proposing to your best friend.'

Not made with that capacity—a chill danced along his spine at the words, and he absently took another quick sip of the warm sake.

"That much spice would sting anyone else!"

"It's just not in my nature. I feel affection and there are people I care a lot about, but I couldn't be with just one person. Some people understand it, some people don't," he said, taking a deep sip of water, "WHOOO! That's some good, hot stuff! What can I say, I'm a slave to my tastes!"

Greed's senses were always working, even when he was occupied with someone else. It seemed that Kio's tension level had changed slightly during the last few moments.

"Did I say somethin' awkward?"

The realization crossed his mind in a flash fast thought of 'ah, I've been gotten caught~.' With a smile, Kio batted a hand, airily, all at once sheepish and apologetic as he poured Greed a third-fourth-fifth-he-was-beginning-to-lose-count cup. "Nothing, nothing! You just got me thinking a bit, s'all."

And as though he felt the words did little justice, he leaned forward, Greed's cup raised towards the older man - "Now drink up," he chimed, then grinned slyly and wound the cup back towards his own lips for a quick sip, "- or I'll steal another share from you."

Greed matched him shot for shot, but never took his eyes off the other man's. One thing about Greed, was that he couldn't leave things be as they were. He had to KNOW, to question, to gather knowledge that seemed interesting to him.

"Thinkin' about WHAT, exactly?"

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