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Holding the plate up to the chandelier light, he studied the shadows of his fingers as he tapped across the back of it. Thin edgings of black and gold dressed the near-translucent canvas in a lace-like pattern, and he rolled it side to side in his hands. After setting it back on its brass charger, he looked to the ceramic plate to the right. A painted hummingbird emerged from honeysuckles, poised to dart past the scalloped edges of the plate. Within the illustration, in small, flawless print were the scientific designations of the flora and fauna. The charger underneath this plate was polished silver. Kazuha cocked his head to one side while he flicked his eyes between the two options.
Turning to survey Diluc's face, he shook his head after a moment. "The first one suits you best, in my opinion. I believe that one will do fine."
"I see." Brief as always, yet plaintive this time around. Diluc shuffled across the main hall to the hutch by the kitchen threshold and began plucking out utensils that would accompany the plate that beat his own personal pick.
"But I suppose I find the hummingbird plate rather charming," Kazuha capitulated in a loud voice. "Either will work for this occasion."
"No, no," Diluc waved off the response, apparently long-since wise to Kazuha's tactful attempts at appeasing him. "Black and gold it is. You're right in that it's simple but elegant. After all, the meal will cover up the painting on the other plate, so there is little point." He sighed once he returned with handfuls of silverware.
"On a tangential note, I am surprised you are the one making these selections? I had been under the impression that you delegated such matters to Adelinde." Over the course of the past couple years, knowledge of these little day-to-day activities in the life of the man Kazuha so arrogantly called his lover still eluded him. His own flitting in and out of Diluc's home served neither of them, and as Kazuha gradually extended his stays each time he came around, he became increasingly cognizant of this failure of his.
"Why let Adelinde have all the fun? Understanding the elements of a successful business dinner is important. Can't lose my edge." Diluc huffed and straightened his posture as though he were about to fix his already immaculate necktie. This sort of preening only bubbled up when Diluc was preoccupied with work matters. Kazuha suppressed his smile and nodded sagely.
"Of course, I forget that I am confabulating with Mondstadt's premier gentleman. That he should dabble in the finer details of dinner events should come as no surprise," Kazuha said as he batted his eyes. That Diluc hardly scoffed in turn demonstrated how entrenched he was in work thoughts…a terrible preoccupation to be suffering from while they savored their ephemeral reunion.
Parlance on the table centerpiece would have to be postponed. Though he knew Diluc had called him downstairs outside business hours to help define the incidentals of this upcoming dinner with the winery board members, thus easing the burden Diluc shouldered, Kazuha deduced there was a far more…effective manner in which he might ameliorate his lover's mind. Drawing in much closer than he would have dared had Elzer been at his usual spot by the entrance, Kazuha pressed a hand against Diluc's chest and whispered, "So, what will you be wearing to this dinner?"
For a beat, Diluc remained preciously oblivious. He clicked his tongue and replied, "It isn't that formal of an event. My usual attire will suffice." Once he finished, he seemed to note how Kazuha walked each finger under his necktie and then fiddled with a shirt button, and a blush eclipsed his expression. "As for yourself?" His voice was smooth superficially, with a noticeable hitch in his breath as he finished.
"Oh, am I permitted to attend?" Kazuha teased the button loose and slipped two fingers under the placket. Content with the short track of skin he was afforded, Kazuha made idle strokes up and down as he studied the small twitches in Diluc's face.
He chewed on his bottom lip and then exhaled, voice smooth. "Of course. I have every intention of integrating you into a shared management position of the family business…that is, if you desire that." Kazuha's fingers froze.
How utterly foul that a single sedate line from Diluc could upend whatever advantage Kazuha had created for himself. With red hot cheeks, Kazuha stared straight ahead and studied the gold detailing on the necktie. There was a deep squeeze in his chest. What had his humble self done to deserve such a devoted romantic?
Nearly biting his tongue, Kazuha withdrew himself and stuttered, "Then I suppose it is only right that I commit to memory the proper place setting? I shall do my utmost to not tarnish your reputation." Without waiting for a response, Kazuha scrambled to an unset spot at the dining table, sitting down and collecting the necessary utensils from the groups Diluc had laid out. Him at one end of the table, Diluc at the other…imagining it made Kazuha's head spin. As he began to arrange everything, he nearly giggled to himself.
After dragging a chair next to Kazuha, Diluc leaned in close and watched the movements of the silverware. "I find it hard to believe you would ever be capable of besmirching my reputation: this is you we're talking about. No need to worry unnecessarily," as he spoke, Diluc put a hand on Kazuha's back and slid it low—much lower than he would have dared to place it had Elzer been at his usual spot by the entrance.
"You give me more credit than I am worth. Though, we do have Adelinde to set me straight should I show any signs of veering off-course."
Through the layers of silk, a single finger pressed on the base of Kazuha's spine and slipped down to linger just above his backside. "But Adelinde isn't here right now," Diluc cooed. Kazuha knitted his brow and willed himself still. Since when had this man of his become so cheeky? The eagerness of Diluc's wandering hand bled into Kazuha, and while he did not speak lest he sour Diluc's whim, Kazuha gently arched his back in response. "Back to my earlier question: what will you wear?" Fanning his hand out, Diluc caressed Kazuha's ass and gave it a firm pinch.
Shifting himself forward, Kazuha went for the cut crystal glass that was farthest from his reach. In the few seconds he lifted his backside from the chair, Diluc cupped his hand there and rubbed. Kazuha inhaled deeply through his nose and hummed, the vibrations edging into a moan. "I just know you would love to dress me in ah, a suit."
Diluc's hand retreated just in time to avoid getting squished under Kazuha. Then with a general air of innocence he leaned in and rested his chin upon Kazuha's shoulder. All the while, that devious right hand of his wrapped around from behind Kazuha's back and crept inward and down, fingers sliding from the underside of his belly toward his pelvis. The friction from his clothes made the touches maddeningly phantasmal. Since when had this man of his become such a tease? Perhaps he was rubbing off on Diluc in unexpected ways. "I do think you would look dapper like that, and I enjoy dressing you," Diluc murmured against the side of Kazuha's face. "But this isn't about what I want, now is it?" Less than half a hand away from Kazuha's groin, Diluc slipped down and squeezed along Kazuha's thigh. The anticipation of his growing bulge getting groped nearly drove Kazuha's legs apart. Yet for the sake of saving face, Kazuha drew himself as straight as he could and pretended nothing was happening.
An impish grin rose to Diluc's face, and he smoothly pulled his hand farther up Kazuha's inner thigh. One by one, his fingers glanced Kazuha's erection before languidly drawing circles.
Kazuha fumbled the water glass, nearly dropping it on its side. However, the delicate noise of cracking crystal never hit his ears. With a soft touch, Diluc had reached across Kazuha and caught the stem. Pushing it to the left of where it had been, he said simply, "That is where the white wine goes. The water glass should be here."
"Th-thank you."
"Something the matter? Your voice is cracking." After a final brush between his legs, Diluc rested his hand on Kazuha's chest. That familiar warmth penetrated through the layers of his kimono. It prickled his chest and dug into his stomach. A void that he had not noticed until now began to fill itself.
He brought his own hand up to stroke Diluc's and finally disrupted their tacit playing. "Has our separation starved you? You're in rare form today." Such sweetness came to the tip of his tongue as he spoke—how lovely, Kazuha realized, that they would find their way to each other again and again and again. Their distance was but a measured fasting, and when they would break it, it made their union all the more grand. Should he say such words aloud, no doubt he would be met with a fond roll of the eyes. Ah, but there would be time still for Kazuha to recapture this sentiment and give a more agreeable form to it.
"'Starved?' No need to be so dramatic." Diluc touched the underside of Kazuha's jaw and guided him towards a leisurely kiss. "But yes, I did miss you very much." Diluc's fingers fell and drifted to Kazuha's collarbone—where he erroneously assumed they would linger—before drifting lower to caress his erection again. A delirious groan slipped out from Kazuha's mouth. His display earned him another kiss that probed the corner of his mouth and dripped in a familiar and long awaited taste. Since when…since when had this man of his become so forthcoming ?
"The way you touch me now only fuels my imagination, my dear. Imagine: should I be sitting as a guest of honor at your dinner table, how might you sneak in your affections?"
"I wouldn't dare," Diluc said in that unctuous tone he often used when speaking about Kaeya. When Kazuha made an unconvinced noise, he persisted. "It wouldn't be fitting to fool around in that type of setting."
"Not even a brush against my leg?" Kazuha demonstrated with a flick of his ankle, crossing his legs and petting Diluc's shin with the side of his foot.
"I shall leave such matters up to you. You have already indulged me enough." A sweet kiss found its way to Kazuha's cheeks. In the moment that Diluc lingered, Kazuha could still sense it—smell it—a deep wanting. A white wine's acid stimulated saliva, whetting the palate, and with their brief teasing he found his hunger gnawing him with greater force.
"I have not nearly indulged in you enough, my dear." Pulling Diluc by the front of his shirt, Kazuha rose to his feet. In silence he cleared away the place setting and urged Diluc to sit atop the table. "We have another hour or two to ourselves before Adelinde and the girls return from their shopping. That will be enough time, don't you think?" A brief smile lit up Diluc's face. It was then forced down to assume a cool facade, yet Kazuha could feel the giddy twitches in his hands. And Diluc certainly knew that Kazuha sensed this.
Five months it had been. So long! But the beauty before him was preserved, as ripe as it had been the day they first met, sitting upon a charger of polished oak. Kazuha took a moment to drink in the presentation before he dug in. Black and white cotton, dressed with flashes of red, gold, and bits of leather. Diluc's hair was a tad different today. Ruby locks lazed over his right shoulder, a more relaxed and charming ponytail that was held in place with a thin black ribbon. Outside business hours, away from customers and strangers. Kazuha peeled off the first layer—that sumptuous black coat—and revealed the short sleeves of Diluc's dress shirt. Pale arms bled out from the edges of pressed white, and Kazuha skated a hand up their length to get lost under the fabric. Goosebumps dotted the upper half of Diluc's arm. There was a layer of innocent charm, that even after several years of being together he still seemed to flush and stutter at Kazuha's gentle exploration.
He was a favorite sight, a favorite taste. Kazuha bounced onto the tips of his toes and pressed his lips to Diluc's cheek. He moved down to catch the edge of Diluc's jaw, then further down to flick his tongue over a near audible gulp. In a matter of moments, Kazuha's fingers finished the job they had started earlier and undid the top half of buttons on Diluc's shirt.
The second layer began to peel off and reveal the succulent feast underneath. Fading cologne wove its presence in and out of Kazuha's touches. Soft brushes summoned a shudder and collapse. Diluc laid his back flat on the table and allowed Kazuha to work over his body. Untucking Diluc's shirt was a methodical process: he drew his fingers in a line down the length of Diluc's torso as if to test the flesh beneath. Then each remaining button was unfastened and the placket slowly parted. Kazuha teased Diluc's skin with his tongue, lapping up a morning's worth of musk.
There was a blissful sigh followed by the melting of muscles. Diluc kicked up a leg and hooked it around Kazuha's waist. He drew his hands up the length of his body, skating past each of Kazuha's kisses, and rested at his chest. Eyes closed, with the barest hint of a smile on his lips, he touched himself as he pleased. Kazuha continued to kiss circles on Diluc's belly, feeling the heat pulsing from underneath yielding layers of skin, fat, and muscle. A little taste here, a little taste there. In response, a wavering moan. The teeth marks on his skin would fill themselves out within a day or two, but tonight when Diluc undressed himself they would be there, slightly reddened. Just for him to see, and just for him to know.
A cool vial was pressed against Kazuha's temple, and he looked up. Someone was eager. One hand pressed on Diluc's chest while the other received the vial to make idle strokes with it up and down the length of Diluc's thigh.
"So you had been planning this. Lewd boy," Kazuha teased. The whimper that broke through Diluc's lips was pathetic, a simpering admission of guilt as he spread his legs apart for Kazuha. When Kazuha shimmied Diluc's pants off, he half-expected him to not have any underwear on. Though he was greeted by a disappointing sight of gray fabric, Kazuha amused himself with its leisurely removal. With a flat palm he glided over the bulge and lingered to thumb the growing wet spot. Then hooking his fingers under the band, Kazuha inched it down and savored each squirm Diluc made. "What have you been thinking of these past five months, my love?"
Without any need for prompting, Diluc wrapped his naked legs around Kazuha. They bounced, and he huffed through his nose. "An open-ended question."
"Then, who have you been thinking of?" Pouring oil over his fingers, he first felt the velvety slickness for himself. A light fragrance, vaguely of olive. It appeared at the very least that someone had been experimenting with new formulas. Kazuha teased a few circles around Diluc's asshole before slipping a finger inside. Tender, and as lissome as he had been when they had last saw one another. A grin broke through. "Ah," Kazuha snickered, "Mm, no wonder you are so eager. You truly did plan for this. How many times have you quality tested this batch?"
"Enough times." A timely stroke ruffled Diluc's voice. His stifled moan rose in pitch as he trapped it in the back of his throat. It floated gently into the atmosphere. The table creaked, and Kazuha exhaled. He needn't take his time like this, yet he savored the dawdling.
One press, then two. Tiny bumps and dips. Kazuha threw a bent leg over the edge of the table and pressed himself closer to Diluc as he slipped two fingers in and out. On occasion, Diluc would shiver and tense, his asshole clinging to Kazuha's fingers. It made him tug them out all more insistently in short, hooked strokes that wrought angelic utterances. Oh, how he had missed hearing those little cusses! And when he focused his attention on that one spot—an effusive whine clattered alongside the cut crystal.
Diluc's heat caused Kazuha to tremble, the back of his neck prickling as he let his own trousers fall to the floor and dragged Diluc's ass closer to meet the tip of his cock. The void inside him, now filled, cracked and leaked hot pleasure from his core. Deeper, and deeper still. His hips moved on their own accord, desperate and determined in equal parts to meet Diluc's skin sooner, harder.
Ah, five months really was too long! The heat on his cock eked out the last bit of coherency from Kazuha's head, and his lips quivered as they parted just enough to let out an airy moan. Both of Kazuha's hands dug into Diluc's hips, forcefully kneading the skin there to work through his own bliss. When his fingernails impressed red crescents on that stretch of thin skin, Diluc seized up before finally shaking as he came.
Each shudder sent a mind-numbing shockwave up Kazuha's spine. Pressed to the hilt, Kazuha pressed himself harder still against Diluc and came, his straightened leg almost kicking up off the floor. Half on, half off the table, he crawled his hands further up and let the top half of his body droop. Diluc's hands came to rest at Kazuha's sides and felt each rib bone while they both caught their breaths. "Satisfied?" Diluc punctuated his question with a quick squeeze of his hands. When Kazuha moved to pull back though, Diluc's legs remained wrapped around his waist.
"Should I not be the one asking you that?"
"Got all I wanted. And then some." After saying this, Diluc relaxed and allowed Kazuha to redress the both of them. "You seemed," he laid a peck on Kazuha's forehead, "rather eager as well."
"Ah? That is only because you do too good a job of teasing me," Kazuha pouted, cheeks red as he thought of how easily Diluc had slipped his hand towards his ass. And then, of how easily Diluc's wish of cementing Kazuha as a permanent fixture in his life and family business had spilled from his lips. The blush deepened. "Since when have you become such a flirt?"
"Haven't I always been?" One hand smoothed out his ponytail. Diluc flashed a puckish smile, fluffing his immaculate necktie. As though he did not have bite marks littering his belly, fingernail imprints on his hips, and cum leaking from his asshole…
"Cheeky little thing."
"When did you get these?" The oil from the roasted vegetables streaked an olive path across the hummingbird's beak. Kazuha furtively shuffled the food around his plate and observed the movements of his dinner on the ceramic.
"There was a flea market a couple weeks back. I figured I might find something interesting there if I popped by."
Kazuha hummed and stuck a chunk of carrot in his mouth. "Imagining you shopping will forever delight my imagination." There would be the slight furrow of his brow, maybe a frown—tempered enough to show focus, not plain discontent—and, of course, few words spoken. Picking out fruit, surveying books, debating souvenirs, it all deserved the same level of attentiveness. And it was ridiculously cute.
"Your…imagination? We go shopping together at least once during your visits, what do you need your imagination for?"
"Recreating those sorts of moments with you gets me through the roughest storms at sea, as though a sunbe—"
"Enough, I get the picture."
Kazuha hid his snickering with his wine glass. Standing behind Diluc, Adelinde covered up her own chuckle with a cough.
"On the topic of shopping, we ought to go soon. Maybe get an outfit for this business dinner if you'd like?" Diluc shot him a pleading look.
"Wasn't it you who said it was not going to be 'that formal?' Unless…this is another ploy to dress me up according to your whims."
"No, no," Diluc drew out the words with a beguiling lilt. It definitely was. "You never answered my question from this afternoon about what you were going to wear. That's all."
"Mhm, no need, I have my outfit sorted." Letting his voice fall silent, Kazuha leaned forward from his new spot at the end of the table and mouthed slowly, 'Whatever you'll like ripping off me.'