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A knock on the door signaled the arrival of someone bound to give Hiyori a migraine from just their voice alone, and yet he let them in anyway.
“Good morning, your highness~☆” Said in a chipper voice that echoed down the hall with how deeply it boomed, Ibara stood at attention behind the door with a hand held up to his head in salute.
“Viper,” Hiyori greeted without his usual smile, “I’m honestly shocked you came on time. I was expecting you to keep me waiting as usual. Did you block this early hour simply because you knew your real work would last you until later in the day?”
“Ahah,” Ibara’s hand fell to his side, but the grin on his face never faded. “That’s one reason. The main one though is because what I have to discuss with you today might take awhile, so it’s best to give ourselves plenty of time to explore the possibilities of this venture.”
Violet eyes fell, catching sight of a handle in Ibara’s hand. Behind him was a red wagon, covered in a blanket that was belted down to the sides of it. Furrowing his brow, Hiyori silently moved to the side and let Ibara enter the dorm room.
“Are your roommates treating you well, your highness?” Ibara asked, bringing the wagon over towards the middle of the room. Kneeling down on the carpet, he got to work in removing the covering.
“Mm?” Nearly distracted out of his own curiosity, Hiyori shrugged his shoulders. “Ah, we get along as well as roommates ought to. No trouble at all, everything is as it should be.” Even if it wasn’t the case, Hiyori would have said it, but as things stood now, he didn’t want to talk about his roommates. He wanted to know why Ibara had brought to his room a colorful collection of dog toys.
As if on cue, Bloody Mary stood up from her dog bed and rushed over towards Ibara. She placed her paws on his legs and let out a whimper until he pet her head, nuzzling into the motion as her ears fell back. Hiyori couldn’t help but wonder, was she more excited to play with these new toys? Or was she just excited to see the rare visitor himself? Had he been the one in her paws, Hiyori figured it was likely a mixture of both.
“What an interesting variety of little treasures,” Hiyori murmured, tilting his head. “Is there a reason you’ve brought these over? I’d rather you not try to claim it’s for any magnanimous reason.”
“Ahaha! What good humor, your highness!” Ibara beamed, seemingly not noticing the straight expression on Hiyori’s face. “I would not keep from you the reason for my visit, I assure you. The reason why I kept it unknown until now is because it’s a bit easier to explain in person, I believe.”
Ibara picked up two of the toys, plushies with flat bodies but full heads. One was in the shape of a dragon, the other that of a cow. Turning them around, Hiyori could see they had the same brand tag. Scanning the rest of the wagon, he confirmed with his eyes that they all bore that same name.
“Naturally, as Bloody Mary-sama is his highness’s lady,” Ibara held the dragon out in front of Mary, who sniffed it curiously, “it is entirely his own decision to go through with this deal. To make a long story short, after Bloody Mary-sama appeared on Bogie Time, she made quite a lot of waves as Eden’s soft spot. Naturally, offers began to pour in wanting projects that could involve our fluffy friend. The one I have brought to you today appeared like it would appeal to his highness Hiyori’s taste the most. A luxury toy brand, fit for royalty like his highness and Bloody Mary-sama, have I made an accurate observation?”
“I’m not sure, Ibara, have you?” Hiyori repeated the question back as he sat on the carpet himself, leaning on one arm with his legs splayed to the side. Properly trained as she was, Bloody Mary abandoned Ibara’s side and hopped over onto Hiyori’s lap. “We’ll have to see how she likes those toys. After all, it’s no good if she just turns her nose up at the product, mm?”
Rather than be discouraged, Ibara’s smirk remained insufferably determined. Enough so that Hiyori couldn’t help but smile back. Ah, Ibara really was so annoyingly endearing, wasn’t he?
“I understand completely, your highness,” Ibara claimed as he proceeded to pick up a chew toy in the shape of a bowtie. Raising it up over his neck, Ibara made a motion like he was tightening the tie around his collar. Hiyori found himself attempting to cover his mouth discreetly at the sight, turning his head away as he begged himself to not giggle. “I, Ibanyan, vow to be the best playmate there is for Bloody Mary-sama, all to show her the value of our sponsor’s luxury dog toys!”
Stop. Why did Ibara have to be like this? Why? Hiyori’s hand focused itself solely on petting Bloody Mary, who was far too distracted by the delightful touch to pay attention to Ibara now. Despite that, Ibara got to work crawling on his knees and holding out the very bowtie he was pretending to wear moments earlier, trying his best to captivate the pampered dog’s attention. Not an ounce of aggravation written onto his face, merely the giddiness of a child playing with an animal.
When had Hiyori grown so soft? The viper who attempted to appear so cruel and uncaring was nothing but a lie at its very core. Here was the real Ibara, a calculated and cunning man whose plans involved marketing Hiyori’s dog for profit. Yet instead of making it Hiyori’s problem, he was actively trying to get Bloody Mary to cooperate all on his own, bargaining with her like he would anyone he wanted to make a deal with. Going after what he sought all on his own rather than leaving it to someone else, that was Ibara’s method in everything. It was even why he became an idol rather than a manager. For that quality alone, Hiyori couldn’t help but want to hold the damned viper. Embrace him, coddle him, do nothing but force his love upon the one who tried so hard to call himself unloveable. Hiyori really couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t stand how unendingly endearing Ibara was.
“She won’t be swayed just like that, viper,” Hiyori remarked upon noting how Mary refused to budge towards Ibara’s advances. “My Bloody Mary may be a lady, but when it comes time to play, she expects to be given proper exercise. She has no need to cuddle toys when she has me, after all.”
“Ah, how much like her master,” Ibara nodded, “the enthusiasm of an idol for the stage, only in this case in the form of strength building leisure. I understand just what she needs!”
Digging through the wagon, Hiyori couldn’t help but peer over the man’s shoulders. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his triceps. Though lacking muscle, they weren’t flabby or bony either. They were in perfect shape, in Hiyori’s opinion, which was the only one that mattered. His lovely Ibara was the only other one in their unit to remain blissfully free of muscle while also not being too skinny, which made him soft and pleasant to hold. It was a touch he always started to crave whenever the two were alone, feeling so close and yet so far just looking into his eyes. Ibara turned around, and Hiyori’s jaw dropped as he saw one end of a tug toy held in Ibara’s mouth.
“Ibara...?”
The question on his mind fell apart the instant the Vice President of the agency they were both a part of got on all fours and started snarling like an animal. Bloody Mary’s ears perked up, yapping in Ibara’s direction. Ibara waved the toy around, his darling Mary tilting her head a few times before hopping off Hiyori’s lap and quickly snatching the other end of the toy away. The two tugged it back and forth, Ibara obviously giving the advantage to Mary. Once she started pulling with all of her might, Ibara relinquished his end. Mary celebrated her triumph by wrapping her paws around the end she’d been biting, chewing it before being distracted by a squeaking noise. In his hand, Ibara was holding up an orange and blue rubber tennis ball. He tossed it to the side, aiming it at the ground so it bounced. Mary chased after it gleefully, her trimmed nails clicking against the wooden floor as she sprinted.
“It seems we have a few winners,” Ibara chuckled, turning his attention back to Hiyori. “There’s a few more things in here if you would like to look for yourself, your highne—“
Before Ibara could finish saying the damned title that got Hiyori’s heart racing, the junior found himself being pushed to the ground in a suffocating embrace that enveloped his whole body. Hiyori wrapped his arms around Ibara’s waist and back, his ankles pinning Ibara’s feet together so he couldn’t move. Ibara was entirely at the senior’s mercy, their cheeks brushing together as they laid in momentary silence.
“Your highness...?” Ibara’s voice was the first to return, the ghost of his hands hovering around Hiyori’s sides. “Er, is everything alright? Are you feeling unwell? Should I go fetch his excellency or Jun?”
“No,” Hiyori denied, voice muffled by Ibara’s shoulder. “Don’t leave yet, Ibara.”
Ibara didn’t say anything for a bit, then after a moment, Hiyori found his limp grasp holding back onto the senior above. Their bodies rested like that on the carpet, breathing in tandem without interruption. Bloody Mary’s panting grew louder, the jingle of her collar signifying her approach. Ibara’s hand slipped off Hiyori’s back, and the sound of a ball bouncing against the floor was followed by Mary’s nails once again hitting the wooden floor. Ibara resumed the embrace, and Hiyori slowly lifted his head until their eyes met.
“Your highness...” Ibara didn’t say anything but that title, any question he might have had fading away as the two shared a meaningful gaze.
“Ibara,” Hiyori finally spoke, breaking the silence with a steady call of the man’s name. “Who is supposed to join Bloody Mary in whatever ad campaign this is supposed to be for.”
“Just his highness,” Ibara answered, brow knit close as his breathing picked up. “It’s just supposed to be a job for you. I only came to go over it with you.”
“No,” Hiyori’s lips curled up into a natural smile, brushing their noses together as he shook his head. “You wanted to come over and play with Bloody Mary too, isn’t that right? You wanted to enjoy playing with her, isn’t that true?”
“...Ah...” Ibara remained silent for but a moment, but eventually closed his eyes in surrender. “Mm, his highness is truly too astute for me to be able to hide anything. Naturally, after interacting with her for the first time on that show, I was surprised at how well behaved she was. I had never played with a dog as well, so I thought it might be interesting to do...Opportunities arose, one thing led to another, and now I’m here pinned under his highness’s suffocating grip.”
“That’s right~” Hiyori giggled, letting his forehead rest against Ibara’s. His eyelashes batted against the lenses of the junior’s glasses, their breathing picking up simultaneously. “Ibara’s not about to leave Bloody Mary’s owner without a little playtime, is he?”
Ibara’s breath hitched, and Hiyori could feel how the man’s face heated up. Rather than argue, Ibara closed his eyes, leaving room for Hiyori to continue; and continue he did. Lips pressed to incredibly soft lips, ones that tasted of breath mints with a lingering hint of coffee that wouldn’t vanish. The hands on Hiyori’s back fell to his sides, gripping them a little more forcefully. His watch caught onto the fabric of Hiyori’s sweater vest, and as Ibara adjusted his wrist, it ended up untucking the top a little. Ibara’s hands went further south, fingertips brushing against the loose fabric of Hiyori’s shirt. He then proceeded to pull it up a little, his fingers slipping underneath altogether and pressing a warm palm to Hiyori’s back. Further and further up it went, tracing Hiyori’s spine from its base to his shoulder blades. All the while, their tongues massaging one another in a messily obscene display of affection.
“Nn—ngh, wait—“ Hiyori lifted his head and let out a gasp, his cheeks burning. “I-Ibara, you’re going a little fast...”
Ibara’s expression, stern and stoic before Hiyori spoke, changed to one of horror as his eyes widened. Ah, this was cute too, wasn’t it?
“Ah...Ah, my sincerest apologies, your highness!” Ibara pulled free his hand from underneath Hiyori’s shirt, his hand instead properly placing itself near Hiyori’s shoulders over the fabric. “I do not know why I chose to act the way I did just then. If you choose not to forgive me, I understand. I will do what I must to regain his highness’s trust, whatever it takes—“
“Shh,” Hiyori pressed a finger to Ibara’s lips. Then, without giving proper warning, he stood up.
He stood up with Ibara held in his arms, the man squeaking at the swift change in gravity. Wrapping the junior’s legs around his waist, Hiyori waddled his way over towards his bed before collapsing onto it with Ibara held in his arms. Soon the two were left laying side by side on the sheets, and all Hiyori had to do was pull up the comforter that had been laid neatly at the end of the bed. Hiyori did just that, covering them as though they were ready for bed. As a finishing touch, Hiyori removed Ibara’s glasses and placed them on his nightstand, all before resuming their cuddling session in full. A small weight could be felt on the bed, and soon Bloody Mary laid down and curled herself into a ball against Ibara’s back.
“I just wanted to snuggle you,” Hiyori explained, pecking Ibara’s nose with his lips. “You were so infuriatingly cute while playing with Bloody Mary, it left me feeling empty. I wanted to do nothing but hold, coddle you like a small animal, and keep you safe in my arms. I think Ibanyan really does fit you as a name more than viper. After all, they both hiss, but you’re soft and fluffy like a mammal, rather than cold and scaley like a reptile.”
“Erm, that is likely because I am a mammal, your highness,” Ibara attempted to correct. “In any case, I’ve only ever used snake metaphors for myself as just that, I’ve never meant it literally. I’m actually a little confused as to why your highness seems to think so...?”
“Ahaha, what do you mean, Ibara~?” Hiyori squeezed Ibara tightly enough that the man let out a pained grunt. “You’re the reason I started calling you a viper. That torturous attitude where you attempted to keep our lives and work separated to the point I hardly knew you, I could only ever perceive you as the image you gave yourself. But now, it’s all too obvious that you’re just like a cat. So warm and loving, but you stay apart from the people who you love out of instinct. It’s really no good weather. That’s why I’m going to push my love onto you, so you can give it back in return.”
Ibara was quiet, crystal blue eyes as clear as the sky staring back at Hiyori in fascination. It wasn’t like him to say nothing for long, so Hiyori wrapped their legs together and sighed loudly as he continued in the empty space.
“Ah, but I’ve also started to find snakes rather cute thanks to you,” Hiyori lamented. “I suppose there’s nothing left except to call you both a viper and a kitten. Though let’s save the latter for when it’s just the two of us, hm?” It would do Hiyori no good to let anyone know that he and Ibara were far closer than either let on. In fact, admitting something even to himself could be embarrassing. It was embarrassing how much he wanted to hold Ibara, but when it was just the two of them like this, he couldn’t help himself.
“I...I think that’s for the best, your highness,” Ibara agreed, and frustratingly enough, it left Hiyori a little upset how too obedient Ibara could be.
That was his own fault though, right? Saying he didn’t want Ibara to pretend they had anything in the outside world, when in his heart of hearts, he sometimes wished Ibara would exert the same forwardness he exhibited with Hiyori in bed. Then again, that was an issue Hiyori had with others besides Ibara, just in different flavors. Caught up in his own image, Hiyori couldn’t quite create the world he really wanted. That was why he could be so envious of Ibara. Never leaving it up to others to take what he wanted, fighting for the future he believed in, and all the while wearing a bright and beautiful smile that made anyone who saw it want to support him.
It wasn’t any fair. Ibara was a brilliant idol all on his own, and had the man not been so practical, Hiyori might have never known the type of person he could truly be. Ibara didn’t deserve to be stuck behind an office desk all day, he deserved to be out on the stage with an audience that would cry out his catchphrase with him. He didn’t deserve to be doing paperwork until his hands stopped working, he should be spending his free time playing with animals that were naturally drawn to him thanks to his energy and good mood. He didn’t deserve to spend most of his day doing nothing but speaking business language and forming no real connections with anyone. He deserved to be here, soaking up Hiyori’s warmth as his eyelashes fluttered sleepily, until they shut altogether.
“Ibanyan,” Hiyori called the man’s name and received no response, just the brush of a deep breath against his skin. Hiyori giggled and reached around, petting Bloody Mary’s fluffy body as he kissed Ibara’s forehead. “Take a nice, deep nap, Ibara. Let’s play together when you wake up, all three of us.”