Words: 2414
Rating: NC-17 (no sex)
Genre(s): Gay Romance/Yaoi
Characters/Series: Masahiro and Shouei (The Art of Auto-Love)
Theme Image: http:// kurohaneshizumi. deviantart. com/ art/ Banter-132705785 (Remove spaces.)

~*~Banter~*~

Uemura Shouei pulled his silver 2005 Toyota Corolla into one of the two provided parking spaces at his apartment complex, noticing, as he did, that the other space was also filled. This was unusual as it was only Wednesday and the only other person who could take the that space was at work until late. But the car in question was a shiny black 2007 Toyota Wish with black leather interior which could have only belonged to Masahiro.

Shouei smiled a little. Masahiro being home early on a Wednesday... what an unexpected treat! He slid the bag of convenience store bentou and newly designed shampoo off of his grey vinyl covered back seat and clicked the button on his keys to lock his car.

With a bit more determination in his step, he made his way to his apartment.

-*-*-*-

He opened the door to find the lights on. He grinned happily and shut the door as he took his dress shoes off in the entrance way, noting Masahiro’s were already there.

“Masa?” he called.

He dropped the bags off in the kitchen, but didn’t hear any response. He slipped off his blazer a threw it on the sofa as he heard running water from the bathroom. He moved to the door and tried to turen the handle to find it unlocked. He knocked for decency’s sake. He heard the water splash a little in surprise.

“Masa?” he called again, a smile on his face.

“Ah. Shou! Come in.”

He pulled open the door in a fluid motion and found Yoshiyuki Masahiro sitting the bath. It was still filling up, but it was almost done. He slid on some bathroom slippers and stepped inside.

“Why are you home so early?” Shouei asked.

“I got the project all done today!” Masahiro said happily as he shut off the tap and leaned back against the head of the bath; his eyes shut. “As a reward, they let us go home early.”

Shouei smiled happily. “That’s a good reward. I know you’ve been pulling over time for the last few weeks.”

He pulled up one of the plastic stands to sit beside Masahiro as he bathed and rolled up his dress sleeves.

Masahiro sighed deeply, “It was a tough project. Selling stocks isn’t easy and this was an international bid! We had to do a lot of work on proposals and contracts,” he turned to Shouei, opening his eyes, “You’re so lucky to have such an easier job.”

Shouei rolled his eyes and put a hand under his chin.

“I’m on the production team, Masa. That’s a lot of work... Oh! That reminds me! We finished production of a new shampoo today. Would you like to test it?”

He gave him a cheeky grin.

“I’ve already cleaned my hair,” Masa pouted. “And what’s more, I’m already in the bath.”

“Pffft. Come on, Masa. You’re such an old man! You’re breaking my heart; not wanting to try my product.”

“Oh, I’m so sure. And I’m not that old!”

Shouei swatted the air off-handedly. “You’re already 30! You’re so old~ Masa.”

Masa moved to cross his arms over the side of the tub. He brushed back some stray dark strains of his hair and stared at Shouei.

“You better stop with the all the mean things, Shou, or I’ll pull you in here with me.”

Shouei raised an eyebrow but his mouth drew a tilted line showing his disbelief rather than voicing it. Masahiro merely smirked satisfyingly before returning to his original position to lounge in the tub.

Shouei rose from his seat. He headed towards the door but not before Masahiro could question him.

“Where are you going?”

Shouei turned around and crossed his arms.

“To get my shampoo,” he said with a straight face.

“Shou! I told you—”

“Relax, Masa. I haven’t taken my bath yet and I figure since you don’t want to try it out, I might as well myself.”

He seemed to add a resonating hmph as he opened the bathroom door, slipped off the bathroom slippers and left.

He went to the kitchen and put the bentou in the fridge for the time being. Then he took the shampoo bottle out of the plastic bag to discard it. He took it with him as he went to the bedroom. He pulled off his tie, belt, and socks to throw them on the bed. He began unbuttoning his dress shirt.

The apartment was very simple and a little larger than an average apartment. Everything was white or black. The kitchen had black and white tile. The refrigerator was white with black accents. The cabinets were white with their faces having a simple black design. The counter tops were all black. The living room had a black coffee table across from a white sofa. Tall standing lamps were on either side of the TV that stood against the back wall. The lamp shades were white and the stands themselves were black. The TV was black and the stand it sat on was white. The bathroom’s tile and counter tops were reminiscent of the kitchen’s. The bedroom was no different with black, Formica furniture and white carpet and closet. The bed had a black comforter and white pillows with black detailing on the sides. The under sheet matched the pillows.

Once he had everything off but his boxers, he went through his dresser and pulled out fresh boxers and a plain, white, cotton t-shirt. He grabbed the shampoo and made his way back to the bathroom.

Being barefoot, he didn’t bother with the slippers. Masahiro was sitting up as though he was just about to get out. Shouei paid him no attention. He went to the counter and dropped his fresh things there. Then he stripped his boxers off and set them aside. He grabbed the shampoo and went to the washing area. He pulled the other plastic chair out and sat down. He picked up the hand shower to wet himself before he started washing his body. Masahiro stood up from the bath. Again he paid him no mind.

“Are you mad at me?” he asked as he stepped out.

“Why would I be mad?”

“You seem quiet. You’re never quiet, Shou. Did you really want me to try your product that much?”

Shouei shrugged.

Masahiro’s hand reached for the shampoo.

“What?” Shouei asked, mildly irritated.

“I’m going to wash your hair,” Masahiro explained.

“Don’t bother,” Shouei said, “I can do it myself.”

But Masahiro’s hands were already in his light brown hair, massaging the lather into his scalp as the room filled with the scent of rainwater. Shouei said nothing but allowed him to. He used the hand shower to rinse the soap off his body.

Masahiro chuckled. “You’re like a cat,” he said, still moving his fingers against his skull.

Shouei brooded at the comment. “Why do you say that?”

“Because you’re so lithe and skinny.”

Shouei had an average build. He was tone but not, by any means, muscular.

“Then you’re like a bear,” Shouei countered.

Masahiro chuckled. “Why?”

“Because you’re big and burly,” Shouei answered dryly.

Masahiro was nearly the total opposite of Shouei with his wide shoulders and tall stature. He had very define muscles and worked out once a week. Still, no one would say he was a beefy type.

Masahiro moved his hands from Shouei’s nape to his back and began scrubbing it.

“What are you doing?” Shouei said, slightly panicked.

“You haven’t washed your back yet, I know. Why are you so concerned?”

In point of fact, he hadn’t seen Masahiro for this long a time in several weeks. Usually, Masahiro came home at 6 PM and took a bath with him, ate with him, and then they had the opportunity to relax and talk about their day. But lately, he came home at nearly 10 PM, took a quick bath, ate dinner and went straight to bed to be up at the normal time of 5 AM to leave at 5:30 and be at work by 6; when the stocks opened. He had a very demanding job as of late.

Needless to say, Shouei had been lonely. While Masahiro had washed his back plenty of times, he wasn’t use to it at all anymore.

“You’re like a ghost,” he said, “Coming to haunt me in my bath!”

Masahiro laughed heartily. “Oh? Can a ghost do this?”

He slipped his hands around Shouei’s hips and gripped him between his thighs.

“Wah! Masa!”

“You haven’t washed here yet either,” he said in a low voice in Shouei’s soapy ear.

Shouei’s hands wrapped around Masahiro’s wrists as he shut his eyes and turned his head away.

“Why are you struggling?” Masahiro asked as he stroked his foamy hand between Shouei’s thighs again, not even fazed by Shouei’s struggling. “We’ve done this at least once before...”

“I... ah... Stop!”

Masahiro stilled his hands. Shouei panted a little, his abdomen muscles still fluttering every so often. He manuvered his head around to look at Masahiro. He opened his mouth to say something.

But his stomach gave a loud growl instead.

They both blink.

Masahiro chuckled a bit and fully pulled away.

“I’ll go make dinner.”

“Ah, I bought bentou!” Shouei exclaimed.

“Oh, no, I’ll make something proper. We’ve had bentou too many nights now and I wouldn’t want you to get fat.”

Shouei scoffed. “As if.”

-*-*-*-

Shouei patted his face with the fresh, white towel draped around his shoulders as he closed the bathroom door. He was dressed in the new boxers and white t-shirt. He shuffled out into the living room and smelled chicken cooking in a pan with spices wafting it the air. He could see some steam escape through the large window that was in the kitchen wall. He let an mmm escape his vocal chords as he entered the kitchen to find Masahiro juggling between two pans on the stove. He had also changed into nothing more than boxers and a t-shirt.

Masahiro looked over when Shouei’s feet padded along the tile of the kitchen.

“Had a good bath?” he asked, mixing the other pot.

Shouei smelled a vegetable of some sort and butter and onions.

He walked over to the stove as he said, “Mm-hmm. Whatcha makin’?”

Masahiro chuckled a little. “Chicken Alfredo and broccoli. It’s almost done.”

Masahiro had learn to cook from his ex-wife who had been a chef. She had cooked all sorts of dishes and this particular one was his favorite. Shouei would have made a face but he also enjoyed this dish when Masahiro made it. Besides, today was suppose to be a celebration of his accomplishment.

He began to fish in the cabinets and drawers for plates and utensils. The apartment had a bar-like counter top that carried over from the kitchen’s and into the living room. It was quite large and could fit a third or fourth if the need came up. He pulled out two cups from the cabinet to sit beside the plates but stopped.

“Do we have a any wine?”

Masahiro had just served one plate with the chicken Alfredo. “Umm... I don’t know. Why?”

Shouei set the cups down and checked the fridge. No wine was to be seen.

“We need some wine. I’ll be right back.”

He dashed to the room to retrive some jeans as Masahiro called out to him.

He returned to the kitchen, which was next to the front door, pulling up the zipper and buttoning the pants as he slipped on his shoes.

“Where are going?” Masahiro asked incredulously.

“I’m going to go get some wine. I’ll be back real quick.”

“But the food...!”

“No biggie!” Shouei yelled as he shut the door.

-*-*-*-

Shouei was indeed back in a flash. He had run down to the convenience store on the corner and bought an inexpensive bottle of white wine to go with their meal. When he had come back, Masahiro had already finished serving them and was cleaning up. Shouei retrieved wine glasses and poped the bottle open to serve them some. Then they both sat down to being their meal.

It was a pleasant dinner filled with lots of laughing and catching up. Shouei couldn’t believe it was only 8:30 when they had finished their meal and drinks. They each brought their plates into the kitchen to deposit in the sink. Shouei began to soap up a sponge.

“Since you cooked, I’ll do the dishes. You’re lucky that meal was good,” Shouei smiled as began one of the plates.

Masahiro wrapped his arms around Shouei’s middle and nibbled his ear. “What? No dessert?”

Shouei felt the familiar twist of his gut he couldn’t stop a tiny moan from vocalizing itself. He had finished with the one plate and placed it on the drying rack beside the sink.

“After the dishes,” he reasoned.

Masahiro took the sponge from his hands, put them under the tap and then shut it off.

“I’m hungry now,” he said as his teeth found the skin between Shouei’s neck and shoulder.

A shiver ran down his spine as Masahiro’s wet hand pulled his shirt up and the other found his quivering stomach muscles. He let another breathy moan flow out of him as his eyes fluttered shut. His hands found Masahiro’s wrists but he didn’t pull them away. Masahiro had moved his kisses to the back on Shouei’s neck where his vertebrae were. He sucked on the skin covering a few of the protruding bones as his hand ghosted up Shouei’s shirt.

“M-Masa!” Shouei protested as one of his hands began stroking his chest. The other was dangerously close to his pants line.

“What?” Masahiro replied in a deep voice against his ear. He made it so hard.

“Not... here...” Shouei managed to get out.

Masahiro turned Shouei around in his arms and side-stepped only to grasp the younger by his bottom and sit him on the counter top. Shouei’s eyes widen but before he could say anything, Masahiro’s hand reached around his neck and pulled his face forward to meet his lips. Shouei couldn’t help but kiss back. Masahiro licked along his lower lip causing the younger to automatically allow his mouth to be assaulted by Masahiro’s tongue. He had no recollection of doing it, but when at last his lips were freed, he’d found his arms draped over Masahiro’s shoulders.

“Yes. Here.”

The End