orendalogs | Yowamushi Pedal

Entry tags:

Yowamushi Pedal

Who: Reno and Makishima
What: Reno wanders modern Earth and takes a fool chance.
When: Modern times, in the last decade.
Where: England
Warnings: Possible smut, but everyone is of age and consenting.

A fateful night under the mistletoe just a few days after Reno stumbled into the boring-ass world called "Earth" and he ended up with a phone number and a lingering taste in his mouth. He waited a long time to call. Not months, but a couple of weeks, once he learned about the local holidays and realized they were meant for family and close friends, not date with strangers you snogged in bars. Well, depending on your upbringing, anyways, but he figured Makishima for a more quality figure than himself.

So it was that the day after Christmas, Makishima's phone rang and it wasn't someone from Japan or any of his relatives. It was the lazy drawl and accent of the guy from the bar.

"It's uh...it's Reno. Remember? From the party?" he offered up as gently as possible in case Maki didn't have the privacy to talk. Usually Reno didn't think about much, saying whatever he felt like when he felt like it, but the weeks of wandering around (which was actually more than a month for him, being as he went portal jumping in the meanwhile) gave him time to think about how not to screw everything up in the first hour. It was pretty sweet having time to make plans and rev himself up. Plus it meant time to beat the crap out of some punks to rip them off, shuck their wallets and get enough local scratch to take a guy out for a night on the town and not look like a cheap-ass.

Good times.

"Look uh, I know it's been a while but I thought you'd like time with the family and all. But apparently the holiday was done yesterday and I didn't want you to forget me" the Turk laughed, trying not to sound desperate. Fucking hard to do when you were playing out a seen from goddamn Lady and the Tramp. Good thing he'd never seen the movie. Loveless was bad enough.

"That dinner? Uhh...you hungry?"

[ Continued from here ]

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"Iie!!!" Makishima cried out in his native tongue as he was pulled down into the drift on top of Reno. He was grateful his jacket kept most of the cold out and the way Reno nuzzled against his ear was a suitable distraction from really being mad at him.

He made a distressed noise, pouting over his shoulder at Reno. "These coats are dry clean only you know." Not that he really cared. The price to clean a coat wasn't so great that he'd pass up being in Reno's arms. The sappy thought made him blush and he shook his head lightly, turning so that he could catch Reno's lips with is own to show he didn't really care at all.

He hadn't kissed Reno since the day they'd met and he'd almost forgotten how nice it had felt to kiss those soft lips.

Nice indeed; Reno thought the same as well. He was high on life, had a good time riding a silly bike, had a great date, was suitably boozed up without being so hammered he made himself looked retarded and he'd even burned off a little energy with a solid fight. In all, the day looked like--

"The best day of my life. You know that?" he mumbled against Makishima's mouth before his eyes popped open and his cheeks flamed.

"I mean, I don't wanna sound all gooey and obsessed or like I'm moving too fast! Don't take it the wrong way, I'm crazy but I'm not that brand," he insisted, mentally flailing as he tried to catch up to his mouth.

"I only mean, I've never gone out and just done fun shit for the hell of it. When I was a kid, shit was tough, yo. I grew up on the streets and we didn't get bikes. You weren't smart if you were making friends - everyone wants something from you, y'know? And then i grew up and things weren't much different. You just get paid to be a thug, that's all. Put on a suit and suddenly you're not a hood rat, you're a professional. I don't do dates, I do dinners. If I'm lucky. Sometimes that's not even in the minutes. People don't stick around, and when you're just floatin' through life, there's not a lot of reason to drag things out, y'know? Just hit it and quit it, yo. No fun dates, no kissin' in snow drifts - which by the way, you're a great kisser. It's way more natural with you. That's...that's really nice. I'm fuckin' this up right now talkin' too much but it is, man. It's like...one of the best days of my whole life. I got to do normal things like a normal person and you've been...just...just the greatest. How do I not screw this up? Huh? How do I do right and get like...to the like...eightieth date, yo? Cuz like, if I gotta keep my hands off and make sure you're home by eight and do all those things, I can do it. I can respect you and do right by you...I just...don't really know when what I'm doin' is okay or not."

He rambled without a breath it seemed, frantically trying to backpedal and barrel on head first at the same time, all while knowing the more he talked the more he made himself sound like a lunatic. And that was the problem. Even when he was trying to make things right he was sabotaging himself more, two times awkward for every ounce of suave.

The small confession caused the kiss to break and while Makishima would have been content to continue kissing the stream of consciousness that came tumbling from Reno's mouth made him pull back a little.

He sat quietly in Reno's lap as he spoke, not quite making eye contact with him. No doubt that only aided the anxiety that was creeping into bits and pieces of Reno's words, but Maki found it easier to listen to embarrassing things when he didn't have to look at it dead on.

He had wondered about some of what Reno now said. He'd been able to tell from day one that Reno was rough around the edges but how rough he really was was only now becoming apparent. That Reno had been poor didn't matter to Makishima. Most of his friends from High School and those in his college now were not nearly as wealthy as his own family, though none were quite as poor as Reno was making himself out to be. That he was a delinquent turned professional hadn't completely escaped his mind either. He'd returned from that mugging far too relaxed and with a spark in his eyes that hadn't been there before though Maki couldn't possibly imagine just what Reno had done to get the money he'd used to purchase the bike.

It was the confession that went unspoken, hidden between the words Reno was letting fall, that truly made Makishima pause and turn to face him fully again.

He stared quietly, his own dark blue eyes meeting Reno's own and staring into them as if he could see the lie if there was one.

He didn't see any.

"S-sho..." He let out his breath (He hadn't realized he was holding it.) in a single sound. He was at a loss for words, pedaling slowly inside his own mind to a peak he wasn't sure he was ready to climb just yet. He could hear the unspoken word in what Reno was saying and if Makishima was honest with himself it scared him a lot. How could Reno be so sure about that? How could he possibly know that Reno would want to actually be there for 80 dates if not more? What if Reno got tired of Maki or found someone better?

He bit his lip, fear keeping him from saying anything at first until a car horn in the distance drew him back from his thoughts.

"Ah-h-ha...sho," He laughed awkwardly, shaking his head and putting his free hand up to his forehead as he looked away from Reno. "You say some embarrassing things, sho!" His voice quivered as he spoke, and he hated hearing that tremble in his own voice. Man up Makishima, a man, our boyfriend, just laid his heart on the line for you, don't run it over.

He lowered his hand slowly, looking back and still at a loss for words did the only thing he could think of. He kissed Reno again, holding him close and cupping his cheek with one hand. Actions spoke louder than words. It was a good thing too because Makishima was horrible at explanations.

It wasn't that Reno was sure - he certainly wasn't prepared to use that particular word in any context - but while commitment was a largely foreign concept to the free-floating Turk, he knew he wanted to try. Unlike Makishima who had only gone a short time without Reno between their first meeting and their first date, Reno had traveled quite a bit and had a lot of time to think. He thought Makishima was attractive, which mattered because the teen certainly didn't fit his usual marks, and he enjoyed the younger man's presence a great deal. Their first encounter was brief but electrifying in a way Reno didn't usually experience, and he told himself that his decisions needed to be based on the date afterwards.

It was the best day of his life, and it wasn't even because they did fun things together instead of just knocking boots, it was because of Makishima. Reno had gone to plays and movies with people, he'd had fancy dinners, he'd talked for hours and strolled through parks. Much as he oversimplified his dating record, the fact was, it was a long and varied list. Long, varied and completely unfulfilling. It was Makishima that made it all different. Makishima who would continue making the dates worth coming back to. His awkward little spider.

Who...apparently didn't feel the same. In Reno's experience, a kiss was most often a distraction - a way to get someone to shut up. Had he said too much? Did Makishima only see him as so many others did; a fun ride, but not a long term investment?

He was instantly crestfallen and for a moment maybe Maki could feel the joy cool and seep out. The nervous energy dissipated and Reno returned the kiss, because that was what he did. He committed to his course of action until the assignment ran it's course. Still, he only blamed himself. He was a colossal piece of shit and knew it, but he'd hoped...

Well, all he could do was ride the rest of the night out and see where it went, he decided. Best not count himself out yet. Two dates...maybe....maybe he could get a second one before Makishima decided he was too much trouble? Yeah. Maybe he could prove he was worth at least that much?

A little of the enthusiasm crept back in, Reno's kiss less mechanical as he tensed his jaw and smiled in spite of his obvious concern.

"I'm an embarrassing guy," he admitted softly, a tone of apology easily noted. "I'll try not to be an embarrassment to you."

The change in emotional temperature didn't go completely unnoticed by the socially inept spider. He pulled away slowly, frowning a little as he did. Something in the way Reno returned the kiss didn't feel right. Worry gripped at his heart and he reached up to touch the side of Reno's face. Had Makishima messed up? Had he read Reno wrong?

He bit his lower lip, staring hard into Reno's face and looking past the apology.

"You don't have to apologize," He said. He wished he knew what Reno was thinking just then but he was no mind reader.

He sighed softly, and moved to get off of Reno's lap. "We shouldn't stay in the snow, sho!" He tried to force excitement into his voice but it just came out strained. Reno couldn't be having second thoughts or something could he? The boys mind moved so quickly it left Makishima dizzy sometimes as it had many times during the night already. Reno could change tracks on a dime or so it seemed to Makishima. He hoped he hadn't done something wrong. He turned his head away from Reno for a moment, a light color rising to his cheeks as he spoke quietly. "I...I do too, sho...I mean I want to go on more dates, sho."

"R...Really?" Reno asked, visibly shocked. He had been overwhelmed with disappointment a mere moment prior with Makishima leaving his lap, breaking the last of the contact that had fulfilled his small needs and fantasy, but the admission was enough to change his perspective entirely.

Had he completely missed the point and made too many negative assumptions? Perhaps. He knew he was already at fault for comparing Makishima to anyone from his past line-up. The teen was worlds apart (quite literally, in fact) from anyone Reno had ever dated before. Why was he assuming the boy would be anything like them?

"I do have to apologize," he grunted, pushing himself up to his feet and shaking his head with a smile that wasn't particularly happy. It was self-deprecating, if anything.

"I've made some judgment calls that weren't entirely my own to make. I've been looking at things from the perspective I've gotten over the years without fully considering that you're nothing like anyone I've ever known, yo, and I've been making assumptions based on the contrary. I'm gonna mess up a lot as this thing we've got goes on. I just...hope you'll gimme the chance to make up for it all. I'll probably need more than one or two chances to get it right. So I apologize in advance."

Makishima regarded Reno carefully as he spoke. He had placed a hand on his hip and without meaning to was standing at a slightly cocky tilt. A smile tugged at his face and he shook his head lightly at the apology.

"You know," He turned his back to Reno and looked back over his shoulder as he lifted his hand in a carefree manner as he spoke, "You should lighten up, sho!" He knew it was a hypocritical statement coming from him. He was usually the one who was overly negative and over thought things and just how they could go wrong. More often than not they did and he hated being right when it happened, but this was one of those things that like Onoda's climbing made Makishima want to believe in something good and unexpected.

"Let's get out of the cold, sho!"

He meant that for the both of them. He had no intention of leaving Reno out in the cold and it was getting late. "I don't care what you said about your past," He called back as he walked towards his own bike. "It's late and I'm not letting you walk back to wherever you're staying." He grinned over his shoulder again. "You're not getting mugged twice in a night because of me, sho."

"I'd kick their asses again, yo," Reno grumbled, wrinkling his nose at Makishima's apparent lack of faith. It was the only distraction he had from the fact that against his better judgment he was about to go into Maki's apartment. He wanted to - of course he did - but he also knew he was a complete shitheel, a real piece of work and might make a fool of hismelf worse than he already had. Making a good impression wasn't a once and only thing. He had to keep doing well or risk ejection from the teen's life.

Stressed? Him? Perish the thought. True enough though, there he was, Turks second in command and feeling like a sweaty-palmed kid trying to ask someone out to some stupid school dance.

"Just for a bit," he mumbled, not sure if he was talking to Makishima or himself.

It wasn't a lack of faith so much as it was the principle of the thing. Makishima didn't want to be the cause of Reno getting into fights. More than that he didn't want to have to post bail or something if Reno got picked up by the cops for excessive force. Really what had Makishima gotten himself into?

He pushed back the kickstand of his bike and started pushing it back towards the apartment. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Reno was following and when it looked like he wasn't going to completely bolt he smiled softly. He had no idea if this was the right decision or not, but he hoped it was.

He led Reno to his apartment door, picking up his own bike onto one shoulder and opening the door for the both of them to get inside. "Sorry I'm on the third floor." He smiled apologetically, beginning the trek up the stairs until they reached the given floor and Makishima was able to put his bike down and open the door to a very spacious loft.

Posting bail on a guy with no legal idea was gonna be hard to explain. Probably a good idea to keep his good-for-nothing boyfriend on the straight and narrow.

Shrugging it off and following along, Reno didn't make any complaint about trudging to the third floor carrying a bike along. He did, however, make note that Makishima was way tougher than that wiry frame would imply. Good deal, he nodded to himself, humming his quiet approval before stepping into the apartment and arching a brow slowly.

"You live here by yourself?" he asked, not wanting to sound creepy, but shit, even the well-to-do people in Midgar had tiny-ass homes. When space came at a premium there wasn't a lot to do about it. He made damn good money and had a cramped studio. Sure wasn't going to impress this guy...

"Mm...hm. Where do you want me to put this?" he asked, shrugging his shoulder and gesturing to the bike.

Makishima wasn't going to make any promises. Reno didn't really seem like the type of guy who could be put on a leash.

Further proving just how not delicate he was when they got to the apartment and stepped inside Makishima lifted his bike further and hooked it onto carriers that were screwed into one of the beams. There was another set beside them.

"Hang it here." He reached his hand out for Reno's bike. He knew it could be a little tricky to get the wheels hooked on right if you weren't familiar with it.

"Yeah, I live here by myself. Well...there's another apartment on this floor that my brother stays in, but we each have our own." What was that about Maki coming from money?

"I get lonely in my little-ass studio. Shit. This would make me feel like the last man on the planet," he mused, flicking stormy eyes around thoughtfully. "Though I guess if you've got family across the way it's not that bad. What's that like?" he asked, turning his head and tilting a gaze over his shoulder.

The way he moved just reeked of casual disrespect. Not deliberate, of course; he liked Maki and wanted to make a good impression, but there was always going to be a sense about Reno that he wasn't from a very good upbringing. A respectable job didn't make a respectable man - you could take the thug out of the streets but you couldn't take the streets out of the thug.

A simple case of prince and pauper.

"Most of the people I work with don't have much family or don't talk to them or about them. I've never had any, myself. I always thought it was a good thing, but the more people I meet the more I wonder what it's like when it's like...a good family, y'know? Though I dunno if yours is good or not. S'pose it's all a matter of opinion."

"It's not that bad, sho." He took Reno's bike, lifting it up alongside his own. He moved to take off his coat and hung it on one of the pegs by the door. It had taken many months, but he'd eventually been forced to get used to having other people in his living space and allowing them to touch his things without getting uptight about it. It still made him internally cringe, but he was learning. His friends here in England were all abut as brash as Tadokoro and didn't leave much room for feelings such as personal space. Any supposed rudeness on Reno's part went equally overlooked.

He toed off his shoes and moved towards the kitchen, gesturing for Reno to follow him.

"I like having my privacy," He said as he went to bring down some cups from a cabinet to make them both coffee. "I'm...I'm not really good with other people, sho." Though his behavior tonight didn't really prove that, but Reno was a weird exception. Makishima didn't know why but he felt completely comfortable around him.

"Mmm I think I have a good family, sho." At least he'd considered it good. He hadn't been wanting when he was growing up and his parents were loving as well as his sibling. Makishima often thought it was himself that was the broken wheel in their family dynamic. He was however the middle sibling and maybe that had something to do with his skewed view on his own worth.

"Well, anybody that raised a kid like you couldn't have been all that bad. They knew what they were doing," he remarked, smirking faintly and glancing at Makishima before making a point to tuck his hands into his pockets. He was going to be very careful not to touch anything with that new knowledge. Sure, he wouldn't be able to help himself all the time, but Reno made great efforts when something seemed to matter.

Makishima's comfort mattered.

"Hey, I'm not all that good with other people either, yo. I get tossed out of people's places all the time. To be honest, I'll probably always be waiting for the other shoe to drop with you. Like...sooner or later you'll get fed up with me," he chuckled, only half joking. He was quick to look away and not make more of it than he already had.

"I've always liked my privacy, but I guess I never really liked being alone all that much. I grew up in a place where people were living on top of each other. Kinda sticks with you...you hate it then, but when everything changes, you kinda miss the sounds of people living. The old lady upstairs that always listened to the same old records from her husband that passed, the mother with her two young kids down the hall who always cried when she thought no one was listening. The married young couple underneath who would fight so loud one day then laugh and dance together the next. All those lives...Lots of noise that drove me nuts, but when you don't have anyone to talk to anymore, you miss it. It'd be weird to look any of those people up now, but I wish...I dunno. That all sounds stupid. Anyways..." he shrugged, shifting his hands in his pockets again and hunching into his coat, as much to hunker into a safe place as get warm. He felt stupid talking about things like that.

"Only friends I've really got are co-workers, too, so usually I don't worry about privacy or having to be good with people. Just gotta do my job, yo. Get it done and go home. No one cares about the rest."

"Tch...sho...I promise if that ever happens you'll know before it does." Though that didn't make much sense either. He'd already seen plenty of Reno's annoying traits, and yet...Makishima didn't think they mattered. It was no worse than Tadokoro's eating habits, or Toudou's pushy behavior. He was at least as loud if not louder than Naruko and Makishima was used to that too. Maybe at some point it would drive him up the wall to the point he said that it was enough but Makishima didn't want to think about that point or when it may come. Right now, and for once, he was more than content to live in the moment.

He went quiet as he listened to Reno talk. He couldn't really relate to what it was that Reno felt. He'd lived in a big house with thick walls, though he supposed he'd felt a little of that when his brother had first moved away. He had always been close to his older brother and suddenly having him gone had been strange. Makishima had adapted, he'd learned to live without him, and he supposed that's what Reno did too.

Coffee done, he grabbed the cups, doctored them up with cream and sugar, and brought a mug over to Reno.

"You can get comfortable, sho." He tugged on the lapel of Reno's jacket.

Taking the coffee carefully and blowing on the surface, those stormy sky eyes flicked up, looking at the hand on his lapel. Darting his tongue over his lips and huffing a sigh, Reno cocked a crooked smile and shrugged.

"Can't yet, sorry babe. Kinda...feel like I'm completely outta my element right now," he admitted, more than a little uncomfortable with the fact, let alone pointing it out.

"I went at this whole thing real chill, but I'm kinda realizing you are way, way out of my league," he muttered, clearing his throat before hurrying to add, "Just by the way the world turns, not by my own choice. You're too good for me. I'm not gonna back off or anything. Sorry, yo, but I get my eyes the prize, I'm pretty much not giving up, even if I am totally outclassed. Totally, because like, I am so wrong side of the tracks, for you," the Turk laughed, lifting the mug and pressing it against his cold cheek for a moment.

"I just gotta reassess a little, because if I'm gonna screw things up later it should be for a better reason than I was a callous asshole. So...gimme a second before I start gettin' cozy and drop the coat an' all, yeah? I don't like lookin' awkward, trust me, but right now all I wanna do is bundle up on your couch, make-out and probably get a little grind on. And...I kinda figure that's not appropriate first actual date etiquette."

Makishima slowly let his hand slip from Reno's jacket. He didn't know what it was he was expecting from the Turk, but it wasn't that. The show of vulnerability and uncertainty shocked him and for a moment Makishima was terrified that Reno was leading up to a goodbye and his expression showed it. For a moment, Makishima's eyes quivered as if holding back an unexpected sadness, but they steadied again as Reno continued.

Makishima couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions among them frustration. His social status had never been a problem for him before, but he came from a school where the lines of class were so readily blurred that they'd never mattered before. Now that it did Makishima didn't know what to do about it. He couldn't just throw away his status an money, that was foolish and would get him nowhere with a person he barely knew.

He sucked in his lower lip, chewing on it slightly and took a step back away from Reno. "A-ah-h...that's fine, sho." He tried to force his voice into sounding like the whole thing didn't bother him, but he was sure he was failing. Hiding or faking his emotions had never worked for him.

He turned away, holding onto his mug and heading out to the balcony. "Take the time you need, sho!"

He wasn't going to shove Reno out the door, but he wasn't going to trust himself to stay close to Reno either. The idea of pulling the red-head too him and kissing him as deeply as he could and doing all the things he said was appealing and not just on a physical level. Makishima wasn't good with his words, and actions might do better in proving that he wanted Reno to stay. Lord he wanted Reno to stay.

Standing there alone was worse, but he felt like he needed full transparency. He liked the guy - really liked him - so lies, however little, were wrong. Secrets weren't much better. He had some really, really big secrets. Huge. Better to start easing Makishima into the truth right then and there so when the really big stuff came up later down the line, it wouldn't be due to a snowball effect.

"Hey," he murmured, wandering out after the teen and leaning it to press a kiss to the side of his head. Just a quick peck into the mess of green and red. Leaning forward onto the balcony railing and holding his drink with both hands, the Turk sighed, pursing his lips in thought.

"So, I come from a pretty shitty country," he started, not knowing a better place to begin, but knowing Makishima could probably use some context.

"It's pretty uh, how you people around here say "third world", in a lot of places. Some parts are really developed, some aren't. I grew up in a real shithole and I never really got out of it, morally or financially. I do pretty well for myself - who am I kiddin', I do really well - but it's like...I'm not the kinda person well-to-do kids really should date, you know? I mean, everyone oughta make their own choices, and I'm not one to make someone else's mind up for them, but it kinda makes me feel a little guilty. Like, a lotta times in my life I've wanted to date the rich kid to rub it in the family's smug faces when they see their little girl or boy running with the thug, you know? But...in your case...I just wanna date you for me. I don't give a shit about what anyone else would think or say and I don't have anything to prove. I mean, other than proving I can be a good boyfriend, given half a chance," he mused, drumming his fingers lightly on his cup.

"So I might need a little time once in a while to think about things before I say or do them, 'cuz I'm like, really impulsive, yo. I don't give a shit about much. I'm not really all that patient or tolerant of rules or social niceties, I guess. I don't wanna change who I am, or nothin', but...there's no harm in just...cleanin' up nice. Holdin' my tongue sometimes. Like, if you want me to just cut loose and do whatever, you just gotta say so, but I'm kinda...uhhh...quick. Just...you know," he floundered, gesturing vaguely.

"Like hookin' up sooner rather than later. But I guess I figure that's usually 'cuz I'm not good enough for more than a couple dates, so it was all I looked forward to when I knew I was gonna have to bounce. Now...I...really, really don't wanna go."

Makishima leaned on the edge of the balcony holding his cup with one hand. The other was pressed to his forehead, fingers digging into his scalp and pressing hard to try and relieve some of the tension he was feeling. This was what he meant when he said he wasn't good with other people. He didn't know what to say to alleviate Reno's fears or his own. He couldn't completely discount Reno's words either. Makishima was a cynic. He always had been through no fault of his family's but his own chemical makeup. Love had never been something Makishima believed in and it was far too soon to say that particular four letter word just yet, but it was without a doubt something like it that he was feeling. All he wanted was for Reno to stay and for more than just a night. He didn't want a one night stand. He wanted a boyfriend and that was strange enough for him. He wished for a moment that Toudou was here to give him some proper advice. He was the one who had the fan club and should have had more experience than Makishima did. But Toudou hasn't texted him for weeks. Ever since Makishima told Toudou about his feelings for the mysterious red-head who'd kissed him under the mistletoe Toudou had gone silent. That in itself was weird and now Makishima was wondering about that too.

Lost in his thoughts he didn't hear Reno come out to the balcony with him and he started a little when the kiss was pressed to his temple. He settled quickly, looking away in embarrassment and staying quiet until Reno was finished.

"Do you think that matters to me, sho?" He turned to Reno, his expression wary and frustrated. "I don't care if you grew up in a hovel and don't have a penny to your name, sho!" Though part of Makishima knew he should care. Starting a relationship with a deadbeat wasn't a good idea no matter how you looked at it, but Reno wasn't that. He had a job in the government and obviously enough money to buy an expensive bike on a whim. No matter his background the Reno in front of him was what Makishima wanted and cared about.

"I don't want this to be just tonight, sho! I wouldn't have bought that coat for you if I did! I wouldn't have asked you to buy a bike, sho!" His voice was rising though he didn't mean for it to. He brought his hand to his mouth to quiet himself and looked away again.

"Babe. Baaaabe. BABE! WOAH. Woah calm the hell down that's not what I'm saying at all!" Reno waved one hand, juggling emotions and coffee before he gave up on gentle and reached out, giving a firm yank to a hunk of Makishima's hair. Better than a face-pap.

"HEY. Get your head out of your ass, yo!" he snipped, squinting and puffing his cheeks with a huff. "Listen up! What I'm sayin' is I haven't exactly had a great upbringin' and it's made me a little less than socially palatable to a lotta people. Geez. It ain't about the money, it's about the culture, okay? Chill. Holy materia. Phew," the Turk huffed, shaking his head and pausing to sip his coffee grumpily.

"I'm sayin' I could use a little benefit of a doubt. If I do things you don't like or cause a lotta trouble, just tell me. Give me time to fix it before you figure me a lost cause, 'cuz I wanna do it right, but I ain't got any practice at this real relationship stuff. Man, do I gotta spell it out for you? I don't wanna hit it and quit it, y'know what I'm sayin'? I wanna hit it, sure, yeah, who wouldn't? But I mean like, whenever I do - because I'm gonna - I just wanna stay for more after that. But I'm not normally that guy. So...just bear with me while I learn to be. Shit, man."

"Ngh!" Makishima winced as his hair was tugged. He hated people tugging on his hair and the only thing that saved Reno from a slap to the face was that he was holding the coffee with that hand and doing so would have made him drop it.

It did work to get Makishima's attention and as Reno spoke he felt the annoyance and frustration drain out of him. He slumped a bit and focused on the balcony floor between their feet.

"I..." He let out a sigh and looked up at Reno again. His expression seemed shaken. "I told you I'm no good with people, sho."

His voice was quiet as he spoke, "I'm sorry. I overreacted."

Reno wasn't the only one worried about proving to be too much of a handful, but that didn't mean Makishima didn't want to try. Sure he'd seen some habits of Reno's that might prove to be annoying as hell, but the over arching feeling of attraction hadn't been beaten back either. The level of attention Reno gave him made Makishima happy. It was just enough without being too oppressive or smothering. It was a lot like someone he knew back home actually.

"I overreact all the time. Don't let it get you down, yo," Reno smiled and shrugged, dismissing the entire thing with the same kind of relaxed laissez-faire he tended to display about most issues. Another sip of coffee and he reached out, cupping his free hand against Maki's head and rubbing gently.

"Sorry. A whack in the face seemed really overkill. Ringing your bells worked, though," he pointed out, snorting faintly and turning to lean with his back against the balcony railing.

"So what date is best for like...talking about myself and not looking like a dik by doing so, because full-disclosure is important but information overload is a turn off 'n all? Because I'm not sure how to arrange the milestone markers in a good, steady flow and establish a pattern of respectfully seducing you. I'm really not the strategist in my team. I'm more like...demolitions." -fin-

Makishima cheeks colored slightly at the gentle caress. He leaned into his palm without even thinking about it. "You pull my hair like that again and you might get that, sho." His expression was playful, not really upset by it now that the moment was over and done.

He turned back onto the balcony, leaning gently against Reno's arm as he sipped his own coffee. Being left handed it was easy to do that with how they'd positioned themselves.

"I don't know." He chuckled softly. "I'm...you're the first person I've ever dated, sho." It felt embarrassing to admit that. Even more so to someone who sounded like he dated and slept around quite a before settling on someone like Makishima. He had to wonder if maybe Reno was right and they weren't both in over their heads, but Makishima wanted this. For the first time in his life he wanted something like this.

"Am I?" Reno asked, tiling his head slightly to look sidelong at Makishima. He thought for a time, smiled and looked away, more than a little pleased by the thought, but also just as unsure as his companion.

"I'm sorry," he added, and it was obvious that his meaning was in regards to being Makishima's first. At anything really, let alone dating. He was trouble even on his best days and he knew it. People regularly hit him and treated him like crap because they were just "done with him". Even his closest friends.

What chance did he really have in a love match?

"You can pull my hair next time," he pointed out with a faint smirk and shrug. "Some people like that kind of thing, yo," he said in a manner suggesting he was one of them.

"Anyways, I guess mostly I just want you to know about me so you're not buying something you'll regret investing in, y'know? I got plenty more respect for you than that. I don't want anything to taste like lies later on down the road, but my life is really crazy and kinda hard to explain, especially to someone who doesn't live a life anything like it." He considered his own words for a moment, mulling it over before turning to regard Makishima again.

"It's nothing dangerous to you or anyone you know. I'm not carrying trouble at my back that could come around to you. I promise. It's nothing like that. I do really dangerous stuff and deal with a lot of dangerous people, but I'm so far away from home there's literally no way you'd ever get involved. Hell, even my own boss doesn't know where I am. Though I should probably tell him eventually..."

The more intimate implications of that hair pulling didn't go completely without notice. Makishima looked away and twirled a strand idly around his finger in embarrassment.

He let his hand lower as Reno continued to explain without really saying anything. Makishima's brows furrowed as Reno talked about his own life, but he assuaged some of those fears just as quickly as they could pop up. He really didn't know anything about Reno's life however, "We have time to learn about each other, sho."

He reached over and put his hand over Reno's own.

"You don't have to tell me everything all at once. We have time and...If we fit together enough from who we are then we can work around everything else sho." As long as Reno promised he was safe that was enough for him.

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