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Kaneki realizes the problem as soon as Banjou threads the last button on the shirt through its hole and turns around.
He's supposed to be going to a dinner tonight, just a gathering of other authors, and having Banjou along seemed like a good balm to soothe his nerves. Everyone expects so much of him after his debut novel, knowing he was personally taught by Takatsuki Sen. He just wants someone around who expects nothing but for him to be, well, him. The restaurant where the gathering is taking place at is pretty upscale, enough that there's a dress code. It's easy for him, but Banjou has no formal clothes to speak of, so Kaneki decided to treat him to a nice shopping trip.
Except now there's buttons and Banjou is looking at him sheepishly and trying not to move too much in a shirt that's already straining to keep him covered. The bottom of the shirt fits well enough, just a little tight, but Banjou has a broad chest and broad shoulders, and the button-down they'd selected together is clearly not up to the task of containing them.
"Sorry," Banjou says, as Kaneki continues to look at the way his chest stretches the shirt, the widened gap between the buttons. He moves to rub the back of his neck and two of the buttons below the collar pop under the strain, ping off the mirror, and go skidding under the dressing room bench. Banjou and Kaneki stare after them, marveling.
"Are you sure I need a button-down for this? Maybe I could just wear a turtleneck or something that has a little more... stretch to it."
"It's fine," Kaneki says, trying to look Banjou in the eye, to be reassuring. He's failing utterly. With two buttons missing, the line of his pecs is exposed and it's completely--
"Distracting..." Kaneki murmurs, and Banjou flushes and reaches for the topmost button on the shirt. He pops it open and Kaneki grabs his wrist and gently pulls it away.
"It looks nice like that."
"Probably not restaurant nice," Banjou stammers, but he doesn't bother taking his wrist back. Kaneki looks up at him, takes in his flushing face and the way his teeth pluck at his lower lip. Banjou has nice lips, he thinks. They're almost as nice as his chest.
He reaches for another button and then another and another until Banjou's shirt is wide open and Kaneki can easily slip his hands under the fabric to grip Banjou's shoulders and coax him into bending down. Banjou starts to say his name, gets the first syllable out before Kaneki presses their mouths together.
"We're still in the dressing room," Banjou murmurs against his mouth. Kaneki hums and tilts his head, presses their lips together more firmly until he can feel Banjou relax, feel arms circle his back. Banjou moves forward, pushing him back until Kaneki's back is pressed against a wall. Kaneki lifts one leg, wrapping it around Banjou's hips and putting his weight on the other man until Banjou presses him a little more firmly against the wall and lifts his other leg as well, leaving Kaneki solidly wrapped around him and very much not touching the floor at all.
Kaneki licks the seam of his lips until Banjou opens his mouth, then makes a soft noise and relaxes a little further as Banjou slides their tongues together. He should be more nervous. This is a public place, and it's not exactly like what they're doing is smiled upon regardless of where they are, but Banjou is sturdy and warm and smells as fantastic as always, so he can forgive himself for escalating the situation.
They're perfectly lost in each other's mouths, and Kaneki is just about to start lazily rolling his hips when there's a knock on the dressing room door. They both freeze where they are, and Banjou slowly backs away from the wall, keeping his arms securely around Kaneki while he walks them both to the bench and tries not to breathe too suspiciously.
"Sir," calls the sales associate, "is everything alright in there?"
"Everything's fine," Banjou says cheerily, voice surprisingly even. Kaneki raises an eyebrow at him, somewhat impressed, and Banjou just offers him a lopsided smile and a shrug. It makes Kaneki wonder if Banjou has past experiences with clingy partners in department store dressing rooms. The clerk apparently believes them both, offers to help Banjou if he needs anything more, then pads away. Banjou and Kaneki don't breathe easy until they hear her footsteps fade away.
Carefully, Banjou lets Kaneki down on the bench, and Kaneki crosses his legs and wills himself to sit still instead of jumping Banjou again. He chides himself internally and, once he's feeling brave enough, casts a look back at Banjou and sighs to himself.
"Sorry, I really should have known better than to do that kind of thing in a public place." Banjou waves off his apology as he hangs the shirt back on the coat hanger, then turns to face Kaneki.
"It's fine, it's fine. I... didn't think my chest would have that kind of effect on you though." He rubs the back of his neck and smiles, and Kaneki is reminded how completely and utterly smitten he is with this man and how completely terrible he feels for having dragged him down, if only for a moment.
"I think," Banjou starts, then pauses to put his shirt back on before continuing. "I think after this meet-up of yours, we should go back to my place and we can watch some movies and I can bake you something I've been working on. And maybe we can... pick up where we left off here. Sound good?"
Kaneki stares at him for a bit, long enough for Banjou to fidget in place before the corners of his lips turn up in a soft, fond smile.
"I'd like that."
