[Log] Costumes and Ropes Who: Balfour Vallet, Kamizuki Izumo When: October 14th Where: The dorms What: Izumo learns about Halloween. Balfour gets picked on. Then they scare themselves with ropes. Warnings: Izumo, flirting, swearing, background sex (yes really) Open or Closed: Closed Observable: Yes
Izumo laughed as Trixie pulled him down into her lap. He snuggled against the four breasts happily and discreetly felt one up. "Well, when you put it that way...."
The four at the table laughed. "Trixie, your little pet is so pretty," Veronica purred.
"He's not a pet," Trixie giggled, and slipped a hand down to return Izumo's grope. "What are you going to be for Halloween, Izumo?"
Izumo blinked. "I....what?"
Trixie giggled and kissed the back of his neck. Izumo leaned back into the scrape of teeth and listened as the other three women filled him in on exactly why one would dress up for Halloween. And what Halloween was. Trixie seemed determined to leave a decorative pattern of hickeys across the back of his neck, while Nettie extended one of those long tentacles under the table and started drawing patterns on his thigh. Izumo grinned and happily chirped questions at the girls, all the while working one hand up under Trixie's short short skirt.
Someone entering the cafeteria caught his eye. Balfour. But image was everything and people did know Izumo and Balfour were a thing. So despite not really wanting to see Balfour, Izumo grinned and waved, calling out cheerfully.
"Hey! Balfour! You'll never believe what these pretty ladies are telling me!"
Balfour had just gone into the cafeteria and was heading to the back for food--not even noticing the women or Izumo until he was called. He grinned and looked over his shoulder at him, nodding and waving before swiping a container of cereal. It wasn't his preferred fare, but he didn't want to be rude.
"Oh? And what is that?" he asked, sliding into an empty chair nearby. He nodded greetings to the ladies and peeled open his cereal. "Good afternoon ladies."
"They tell me there's a holiday where they dress up as monsters. Just the one holiday, and then they beg candy from people. How's that for strange?" The question ended with a little jump as Nettie's tentacle drifted higher. Izumo slipped a hand under the table and delicately moved it: none of that right now, he was busy.
"It's Halloween. Or All Saint's Eve," Veronica explained, smiling pleasantly at Balfour.
"The Day of the Dead!" Josephina trilled, painted lips grinning, bright ruby red and shocking. "Izumo, I will make you the spun-sugar skulls of my people in the old tradition!"
"Sure, but I might feed them to Balfour: I don't like straight sugar!" Izumo laughed lightly.
"Oh that sounds like all sorts of fun," Balfour said with a laugh, looking at Izumo as he jumped, glancing around the table casually. He had seen these women around Izumo before, but he wasn't exactly sure who they were. All he knew that they were Izumo's rather well-endowed--he blamed Izumo for him noticing that detail--lady-friends and could probably be trusted somewhat. After all, if a paranoid ninja stuck around them, they couldn't be that bad.
Or they could just be good in bed.
"And yes, sweets are nice. If I get any lemon drops, though, they're going to you. I'm not overly fond of candy that is too sour. Candy is supposed to be sweet, after all. What are you going to dress up as?"
"I don't know yet," Izumo answered, and slipped a socked foot into Balfour's lap. He grinned as Trixie slid a hand under his shirt and traced designs on his stomach with her nails. It felt nice.
"Sex god," Trixie giggled in his ear.
"Adonis!" Veronica managed, between giggles.
"Naked," Nettie sighed.
"Oh, I'm fond of the fishnet," Josephina chuckled.
Gales of laughter ensued, and Izumo winked playfully at Balfour. Obviously no-one who knew Izumo would stay innocent for long.
Balfour placed a gloved hand over Izumo's foot, touching to touch, taking comfort in the closeness. He laughed a little bit as the girls suggested different things, shaking his head.
"Well, unfortunately I don't know who Adonis is, but I'm rather partial to the other two suggestions. Who is Adonis?"
Because, by the other girls' suggestions, it probably had something to do with sex and naked. He wouldn't be surprised.
"The Greek god of love and beauty," Veronica replied. "Forever young and handsome."
"Try lust and beauty," Trixie snorted, and bit at Izumo's neck. Izumo compliantly arched against her with a quiet moan, eyes dipping heavy-lidded for a moment in pleasure.
He wiggled his socked toes against Balfour's hand - neon sky blue socks with pink polka-dots. "Well, what do you girls think Balfour should go as?"
All four gave Balfour a considering glance.
"Hmm, I think I'll go with Nettie's naked on that one," Trixie declared, fingers climbing higher under Izumo's shirt.
"No, something sophisticated, James Bond, perhaps," Veronica decided.
"A knight in armor," Josephina suggested.
"Harem boy," Nettie decided, and they all blinked at her. She grinned and curled a tentacle. "Well, he'd look nice shirtless and in ropes."
Four sets of eyes fastened on Balfour again and Izumo abruptly licked his lips. Nettie was quite right.
"Oh. Well then, I'm partial to all three. Any way to combine them?" he said jokingly, running the pad of his thumb down the bottom of Izumo's foot, too much pressure to tickle, just enough to feel pretty good. He was sort of making good on his offer for a foot rub--or rather Izumo's request from a few days ago, joking or not. He had the opportunity, after all, so why not?
And then the girls started suggesting costumes for him and his face turned very red. He shook his head and leveled one of the girls--Trixie--with a look that said 'hell no'.
"I'm not going naked," he said. "And who is James Bond?" He was tempted, even not knowing who he was, because Veronica had mentioned him in the context of 'sophisticated'.
As for the harem boy, he leveled Izumo with a sideways glance, not too sure about that one either. He didn't particularly want to be something lewd--he was still a touch too shy for that--and he certainly didn't want to be shirtless because of his scar. Only Izumo had seen it and he was the only one he wanted to see it. Even with Genma, Balfour had kept his front to him, not his back.
"James Bond is a fictional government agent. All you'd need is a good tux," Veronica declared.
"Aaaw, Nettie, now he's all turned on," Trixie sighed.
"Like you groping him wasn't doing it, Nettie chuckled.
"Hey, well, I wanted to be the cause." Trixie pouted. Izumo turned and kissed her, adding in a friendly grope.
"Hey, well, I like that idea. Harem boy." Izumo tossed Balfour a bright grin. "I think I could help with that."
"Hah, and we'd never see you that night," Trixie giggled.
"A government agent in a tux? Ah, I like that," he said with a laugh, nodding to the one who had suggested it. He laughed as the girls grumped at each other over who was supposed to get Izumo all turned on.
And then Izumo said that he actually liked the idea of him being a harem boy. Balfour snorted in shock and gawped at him, looking very flustered and unnerved.
"I'm not sure I do..." he said, shifting in discomfort but not once letting up on the foot rub. He seemed to know what he was doing there, too. "That would require being quite naked, wouldn't it? At least halfway so..."
"I have a picture of all in my books," Veronica mused. "Perhaps we should continue this discussion in my room?"
"Grand idea," Josephina declared.
"Well, then, let's go see so Balfour knows that he's picking," Izumo agreed. "Trixie, lemme up! Kisses if you do!"
"How can I say no to that?" Trixie laughed, and let him up. She bounced to her feet right behind him. Izumo turned and kissed her thoroughly. Somebody across the cafeteria cat-called them and another wolf-whistled.
Balfour nodded.
"Oh I love books," he said eagerly, nodding. "I enjoy psychological thrillers and books about dragons, but I'll read almost anything as long as it's not political."
He grinned brightly, completely relaxed as he followed the girls, waving contentedly at Izumo. It was as if their discussion about the medicines, as if the panic attack hadn't happened. He hadn't been lying when he had said that it changed nothing between them. His face still held the same fondness, trust, and adoration when he looked at Izumo and he still touched him just as easily.
Okay, so Balfour wasn’t going to hold his hand. Izumo moved to put his arm around Trixie instead, who giggled and happily thrust one hand into his back pocket, groping his ass. Izumo chuckled at her and licked her ear. He bounced off, and she laughed, swung her hips to bump him. He laughed, staggered, and bumped her back. They did this through the commons, bouncing off one another and swaying back and forth. Trixie knew how to play and she was so much fun!
Veronica opened her door and proudly shooed them all in. She winked at Balfour. Izumo and Trixie collapsed on the bed in a fit of giggles. She kissed him, and he slipped his hands under her shirt at last. Nice! She pulled and he straddled her lap, kissing her deep and sweet and sloppy, because they were both laughing.
Nettie went to the window and stood in sleepy-eyed contentment in the sunshine. Josephina pulled up a chair for herself and another for Balfour, while Veronica went to fetch the required books. Her room had quite a few; shelves all full and lining the walls.
“If you two have sex on my bed again I will throw you out,” she threatened.
“Not having sex!” Izumo lifted his head long enough to toss a grin and a wink over his shoulder. “We’re making out.”
Balfour hadn’t even realized that Izumo had wanted to hold his hand, so he had just grinned and waved back. Admittedly, he was a little bit distracted, trying to imagine each costume, wondering if he really should ask a favor from Izumo if he was going to go shirtless, various things, and the fact that Izumo was currently licking that girl Trixie’s ear really didn’t help things because it just sent his mind down into the gutter.
He seemed happy, though, as he trotted into Veronica’s room and settled on the chair that Josephina had pulled out for him, thanking her quietly as he looked around, trying not to stare too much--oh god so that was why Izumo had instigated that thing with Genma--at Izumo and his current conquest. It was hard to be polite, though, and staring was not polite.
And then Veronica threatened them and he found himself laughing softly, trying to hold it back.
“Oh, come on. You have to admit that, at the moment, it sort of looks appealing,” he said with a shrug, blushing terribly. Why had he said that?
Right. Izumo’s influence was turning him from a gentleman to a lech.
“Well, you’re not as innocent as you look,” Veronica decided, and pulled up her own chair, a book in hand. She flipped the pages, and smiled. “Here we are. James Bond.” She held up the book for Balfour to see.
Izumo and Trixie, in the meantime, had gone back to their kissing. It was a little less playful now and a little more intense, until Izumo ran his hand up Trixie’s little short skirt and snatched it back out with a flourish...with a bright-pink ribbony set of strings twined around his fingers.
“Hah, told you I could do it behind my back and not looking!” he crowed, triumphantly.
“Ah! You suck! Give me back my thong!”
Balfour looked at the picture in the book, nodding in approval.
“Very classy. I like this one,” he said with a smile. The fact that it didn’t require him to be shirtless was even better. The more he looked at it, though, the less he thought he could pull it off. He was too young, too immature, and this ‘James Bond’ looked like a strong, tough guy.
“What were the others?”
But he was quickly distracted by the triumphant crowing, glancing over to Izumo and Trixie, and then looking away very quickly, face red as a tomato. Izumo had taken her thong? Awkward.
Josephine turned to look briefly, and laughed. Veronica sighed loudly. “Izumo,” she warned.
Izumo was not listening. He had tipped Trixie over backwards on the bed, and his hand was back under her skirt.
“Show him the harem boy,” Nettie urged, drifting closer. She idly curled one green tentacle into Balfour’s hair, blinking wide green eyes at him.
“It’s in a different book.” Veronica hopped to her feet again.
Balfour tilted his head up when he felt something playing with his hair, smiling softly at her before trying very hard to not notice Izumo and Trixie doing who-knew-what over there on the bed. It should have been easy, what with three beautiful women around him, but he knew just what Izumo could do in terms of sex and despite the fact that they were barely making any noise, he was very much aware of them.
He sort of wished he wasn’t.
“I’m not sure about the harem boy,” he said with a slight shrug, his cheeks stained with a blush that probably wouldn’t go away for a while. “But I’d like to see a picture, at least, to know what I’m getting myself into if I do decide to go with it.” Which would only happen with goading from Izumo.
Veronica came back with another book, pointedly not looking at the bed. Nettie tugged a little at Balfour’s hair, then slithered her tentacle down his shoulder to poke curiously at his gloves.
“Here.” Veronica held the book open. The man’s costume was not quite as revealing as the woman’s.
“Hmm, I think this one has more...earthy appeal,” Josephina mused.
Balfour looked at the image of the man’s costume like it offended his sensibilities. It was rather cheaply made, at least the top, anyway, and just...ugly.
“I really don’t like the top to that one,” he admitted, using two gloved fingers to cover the horrific vest, then nodded a bit. “The pants I could deal with. We’d have to get another vest of some sort, though, or...just... Not that one.”
“Mmm, what one?” Izumo asked, cheerily, licking his fingers. Trixie lay sprawled on the bed, eyes closed, breathing softly. Izumo still had a leg thrown over hers, and was leaning on an elbow, looking back at them all with curiosity.
Veronica showed him the picture. “Nah. Definitely shirtless,” Izumo decided. “I can help with that.” He tossed a leer Balfour’s way.
“Doubtless,” Veronica sighed, dryly.
“Nice gloves,” Nettie told Balfour, and drifted back to the window again.
Josephina shook her head. “I am now on Veronica’s side. That James Bond, he I liked.”
“I’m definitely partial to James Bond, as well,” Balfour said after a moment, nodding a little bit at Josephina. “I definitely do not like that harem vest.”
He glanced to Izumo, frowning just slightly, trying to convey his discomfort with going shirtless and hoping that Izumo would understand why. He didn’t exactly want to say anything.
“But, you know...I don’t think I’d be able to pull off James Bond. That’s more for... Well. Not me.” He chuckled, offering a crooked smile. “So we’d have to find something else for the harem costume.”
Or go shirtless. Ugh.
“Nettie said ropes. Could do kinbaku,” Izumo added. He bent to kiss Trixie. She kissed back languidly. Izumo popped his thumb into his mouth and got up, moving closer to look at the picture. He removed his thumb after a moment. “Yeah, could work. How do ya feel about being tied up, Balfour?”
“What’s kinbaku?” Balfour asked, looking up when Izumo moved closer, reaching out to touch his leg very gently, sort of wanting the contact. He could tell him later.
Currently, his eyes were locked on the thumb in Izumo’s mouth curiously. Why was he licking at it? Was it something to do with taking Trixie’s thongs off? Had he missed something?
Probably.
“And...I don’t know? Will it cover things? And what will be tied up?”
He looked wary at that. He didn’t like having his hands restrained.
“It can, depending on the tie used.” Izumo moved closer, automatically leaning to the touch, and rested his hip against the back of Balfour’s chair. “It’s different from the...bondage stuff. It’s less about restraint and more about the beauty. It’s an art.”
“So do you do it naked or not?” Josephina wanted to know.
Izumo grinned. “Mostly naked. Prettier that way. I don’t have any good rope so I can’t show you. Pity!”
i“Well, if it’s art...” Balfour said hesitantly. He was sort of a sucker for arts, after all, so it would most likely be worth it. Anyway, it was Izumo and Izumo wouldn’t hurt him. He tilted his head up and smiled happily at the man.
“We can try it if you find some good rope.”
He might not like it, but he figured it was worth it, either way.
Izumo glanced down at Balfour, and raised an eyebrow.
“You might like it. Need some good hemp rope though.”
Nettie came rustling up and.... Izumo blinked at her. “Where in hell did you pull that from?” He took the length of rope from her.
“Oh. Somewhere.” Nettie smiled brightly, showing all her teeth. They were very pointed teeth, like a shark’s.
Izumo shook his head. “Uh. Thanks.” He ran the rope through his fingers, felt the rough texture.
“Izumo, never ask the plant alien things like that,” Trixie admonished, sitting up.
“Uh-huh. C’mere, Trixie, you’ll be our demonstration.” Izumo nodded.
“But you made my legs all noodly!” she complained. She got up anyway and came to stand beside him.
Izumo shook the rope free, and doubled it up. “Not that this would ever really hold you, all super-strength alien!” he teased, and looped the rope around her neck. “Now turn around.” She blinked, but did so, presenting her back to him. Izumo started the series of knots, working easily. He remembered this one.
It helped a lot of these ties were modified from the torture techniques he knew.
Balfour seemed a little bit unnerved when Nettie pulled the rope out of nowhere and flashed that toothy smile, but he let it go, shifting in his chair to better see what Izumo was doing, his attention fully on him for the moment.
The bondage looked interesting, and probably not too tight, so he nodded to himself. If he didn’t like it, he was sure he could tell Izumo to take it off, but he was willing to try it, at least.
“We can do that, and it would look good rather than that atrocious vest.”
Izumo folded Trixie’s arms behind her back, one over the other, and knotted them up with a long series of intricate twists. Her hands were free but her forearms bound together. And when he finished and turned her around, the ropes were neatly framing all four breasts, over and under and knotted between. The slight arch of her back pulled her breasts into a perkier set. Izumo grinned cheerfully.
“Beautiful,” he told her, eying his handiwork with admiration.
Balfour looked a little bit nervous again when Izumo began to tie Trixie’s forearms together, but he said nothing, just took a deep breath. The rope didn’t look too tight, he kept telling himself, fingers pulling at the seams and the hem of his gloves.
When Trixie turned, Balfour smiled and nodded approvingly.
“It is quite beautiful, and obviously good for posture,” he said with a small chuckle, crossing his legs and leaning back in the chair.
“Well, that’s just one position. There are others. Most are whole-body.” Izumo chuckled, bent, and kissed the hollow of Trixie’s throat. He leaned back and gestured for her to turn. “How’s it feel, Trixie?”
“Mmm, snug. Kinda comfy, actually.” Trixie turned and presented her back.
Comfy! See, it was comfortable! At least, Trixie said it was. Balfour was still grinning, still twisting the tip of the middle finger on his left glove between his fingers, still watching Izumo interact with the woman. His smile was comfortable, relaxed--nothing was wrong.
Well, not after he heard the word ‘comfy’, anyway.
He looked somewhat interested, eyes darting along the knots, teeth catching his lip.
“Yeah, we can try that as a top...”
Because anything beat that vest.
Izumo glanced at Balfour, saw the teeth and the twisted glove. Huh, that option was probably out then. Interesting. Izumo started undoing the knots. He worked easily, quickly. “Pretty enough for you, Nettie?”
Nettie considered. “Well. Yes but he doesn’t have breasts to tie up.”
Izumo laughed. “No, but I can make pretty patterns in the knots.”
“That’ll do,” she decided.
“Well, I still think he’d make a better James Bond,” Veronica sighed.
“Now I’m with Izumo. The ropes are most magnificent. Izumo, you must teach me,” Josephina said.
“You’re probably better off getting Kiki on the fifth floor to teach you. She knows more than I do.” Izumo pulled the rope from around Trixie’s neck, gently.
“I’m afraid I wouldn’t,” Balfour said softly with an apologetic smile, looking over at Veronica. Truly, he really didn’t want the James Bond costume. He reminded him too sharply of his brother in a way. It would be too much of what he was trying to escape, of what Izumo was beginning to break from.
“He seems rather tough and worldly, you know? And I’m...not exactly what you would call ‘tough’... Or ‘worldly.’” He chuckled, looking at his hands, slightly embarrassed, then looked back up to Izumo.
“What kind of patterns in the knots?” he asked, ignoring the breast comment. Balfour was sure that if Izumo had it his way, he would have breasts to tie up.
“Different ones, it depends on what you’re comfortable with.” Izumo shrugged and started coiling up the rope. “Thank you, Nettie.”
“You’re welcome,” she sighed, absently.
Izumo grinned. “As lovely as this all has been, ladies, I do have shift at the bar tonight. I’m afraid I must take my leave.”
Balfour stood as well, rolling his shoulders.
“I probably should go too.” He was hungry, but there was something more important to be seen to.
“Can I talk to you, Izumo?”
“If you can talk and walk,” Izumo answered, despite his misgivings. He waved to all the women and kissed Trixie goodbye. He turned, waved with the rope, and started heading for the door.
Balfour waved goodbye to the girls, then followed Izumo out the door, waiting until it was closed.
“Hey, we really should do that knot-thing,” he said with a smile. “I mean, as long as it doesn’t mean my forearms and hands have to be tied...” The upper arms would be a stretch. “I’m sure we could just...loop them, you know?”
And his back had to be covered, at least somewhat.
“Sound good? It’s better than a vest, anyway, and would be sort of...well, appropriate for the costume.”
“I saw how uncomfortable you were. Don’t worry about it.” Izumo shook his head. “I can give you an illusion card, if you like.”
He tone was business-like, friendly, but not flirty.
“Trust me to know what I want,” Balfour said with a soft smile, reaching up to brush the back of his fingers against Izumo’s shoulder. “I’d like to do the bondage-thing, at least to try it, okay? If I don’t like it, we can always take it off, right?”
So there was no harm in trying.
“And it’ll be interesting to see what you do.”
He looked rather excited over trying it, the nerves having passed. Really, it was Izumo. What was the harm?
Izumo twitched a little, paying attention now instead of just reacting, and glanced briefly at Balfour. “It’s not something just everyone enjoys. As nervous as you looked you probably wouldn’t.
“It’s not worth ruling it out,” he said pleadingly, smiling softly. “Come on? Just don’t tie my hands and I’m sure we’ll be okay. Everything else looked cool, and Nettie--that was her name, right?--said it was comfortable?”
He wanted to try it.
“Trixie. Nettie’s the green one,” Izumo returned. “And most of the binding does involve the hands. The whole point is to render the bound helpless. And I don’t think that’s something you’d like.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure, people were tossing around names like no one’s business,” he said with a shrug, making sure to make a note of that.
“Still. We should do it.”
He wasn’t letting off on it.
“Trust me, I wouldn’t let anyone else even get near me with a rope.”
Izumo glanced back at Balfour again, and opened the door to his dorm room. No-one was there; Genma was gone. Izumo nodded and stepped in, leaving the door open in case Balfour wanted in.
“I don’t like it myself. Don’t worry about it.”
Balfour walked in with the same comfort as always, tucking his hands into his pockets as he settled on the bottom edge of Izumo’s bed.
“What do you suggest I do, then?” he asked, pulling his hands out once he realized that it wasn’t working, then tugging his gloves off to fold in his lap, keeping his bare hands on top of them but not really fiddling with them.
Comfortable.
“I don’t want my back showing. I figured...that would be better than that ugly vest, anyway?”
If Izumo was observant, he would know why. Balfour didn’t hide the scar from him.
Izumo went and shut the door, before returning and dropping the rope of the floor by the bed. He sat down on the floor. “I can give you an illusion to hide your scar, you know.”
“Would that be okay?” Balfour asked, seeping down onto the floor when Izumo sat down there, still leaning against the bed. “I just... I know magics take energy from the magician, and I didn’t want to ask something like that.”
Had it crossed his mind? Sure. Did he really feel comfortable asking? Not really. Would he ever? No.
“Well, it’ll be a little illusion. I wear those all the time to the Domus. I know you’ve seen me with blue hair before.” And pink, and purple, and every other shade possible, with blue eyes and brown, just for the fun of it. He didn’t often change his whole face here; a new face was too easily singled out.
“It won’t be a long-lasting thing, but a few hours, sure. I can do you a card, and you can put it in your pocket, and it’ll be fine.”
“There’s still a difference in doing it for yourself and doing it for someone else,” he said softly, shrugging, but looking very grateful and relieved. “Thank you, though. I really appreciate it.”
He leaned forward to brush a kiss across Izumo’s jaw, gentle, questioning. He wasn’t sure where they stood, but he still considered him a close friend.
Izumo hesitated under the kiss, not moving, uncertain. Balfour was acting as if nothing had happened and it was confusing him. What was the angle here, the deception? It had to be there somewhere. He bit at the ball of his tongue piercing.
“It’s nothing, really. It’s a child’s trick.”
“Still, I appreciate it,” he said. It meant even more to him that Izumo had offered. But then he supposed it was a way around having to tie him up.
Flopping back at that thought, he tilted his head up, stretching a leg out to tuck his gloves into his pocket.
“So what’s it going to take for me to get you to tie me up?” he said with a laugh and a mischievous smirk. He read. He knew that there were some who got off on that kind of thing.
Izumo shook his head. “I guess if you really want to try it, we can. Should I get out the sedatives first?”
“Oh, I doubt you’ll need them,” he said softly, playfully, shrugging a little bit as he looked at him.
Izumo raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. Okay, first things first. Never let anyone tie you up without a safeword and safety contract. I’m just going to tie you up and see how you like it, no humiliation, sex, or injury. You pick the safeword, you use it when you feel uncomfortable, and I promise I’ll stop and set you loose again.”
He paused, and ran his hands through his hair. “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with you. Damn. You got all that?”
Balfour grinned brightly when Izumo finally gave in, leaning forward a little bit.
“If you’re just going to tie me up, why can’t I just tell you to stop?” he asked, sort of confused, and at the same time wracking his brain for something to use as a safeword. Dragons would do.
“Well, that works.” Izumo shrugged. “Some people use safewords instead of ‘no’ or ‘stop’ to play out fantasies like kidnapping or stuff. So I’m educating you so when you try this on your own you don’t get into a bad situation.” He nodded. “Want to be naked or not?”
Balfour gave Izumo a strange look, wondering why he would want to try such things with someone else, especially someone he didn’t trust and would need a safeword or a contract with, but he just shrugged it off.
“Suppose naked would be a little more authentic,” he said softly, thinking on it for a moment. “Completely naked or shirtless?” Either was fine with him, after all.
“Well, if you’re completely naked, I could add a rope around your balls,” Izumo mused. “But shirtless works just as well. Do you want just your arms, your legs, you a whole-body rig?”
Another funny look for Izumo, this one slightly traumatized.
“Ah, I think I’d rather leave my balls rope-less, please,” he said softly, sort of laughing at how funny that sounded, his cheeks flushing.
“And honestly? I don’t know? Whatever you want to do, I guess? Probably the arms are a good start, for now.”
“Works in the same idea as a cock-ring,” Izumo answered, shrugging. “Would it help to have your hands in front? Make you less nervous?” It wouldn’t have helped him but hey people were funny sometimes.
Would it help? He didn’t know, but he just shrugged.
“We can try that, and since it won’t be a surprise, it probably won’t be as bad, either.”
And it wasn’t someone he barely knew. He knew Izumo wouldn’t hurt him.
“I would still rather have my balls--and my cock--ropeless, if you please. That...sounds painful.”
“Some people are into it.” Izumo shrugged, then tipped his head. “You’ve been tied up before, huh, and not for the hell of it.” The wording, ‘won’t be a surprise, won’t be as bad.’ Izumo knew that kind of wording very well.
“Yeah,” he said softly, admitting it with a shrug. “To a shower head. That was running.” Cold water, to boot, and that wasn’t the first or the last time he had been tied up. “Stupid men doing stupid things. It doesn’t matter.”
He shrugged again and leaned forward once more, brushing another hesitant kiss, this time across the corner of Izumo’s mouth.
“I want you to do it.”
And with that, he took his shirt off.
Izumo balked. “If you’ve had a bad experience this might not go well, Balfour.” It could go disastrously. Izumo grimaced. “I’m surprised you had shower sex with me, then.”
“None of that matters now,” he said softly, shaking his head. “And I trust you. You’re not doing this to be cruel; you’re doing this to satisfy my curiosity, and unlike them, you will stop if I ask you.”
Balfour was very serious as he reached forward and pressed his fingers to Izumo’s knee.
“I want this.”
He paused for a moment, then snickered. “And I don’t see what shower sex has to do with being tied to a showerhead, but oh well. Nothing against that either.”
Izumo grimaced a little, and decided he would not explain to Balfour about easily-triggered flashbacks. Maybe the younger man just didn’t have any, despite being mistreated, which was a puzzling notion. “Well, alright. I’ll get the sedatives anyway. Just in case.”
Because panic attacks were a potential thing here and Izumo wanted to keep the distress down as far as possible. He nodded, and pulled out a kunai too, laying it near to hand. He dug under his pillow and retrieved the syringe. He laid it beside the kunai, and reached for the rope.
“Kneel right here,” he ordered, and tapped the floor in front of him.
Balfour moved to the spot he was told to after Izumo had gotten out what he deemed necessary, kneeling there and closing his eyes, taking a deep breath as he settled back on his heels. When he opened his eyes, he looked up at Izumo, straight-faced and trusting, hands folded neatly in his lap.
Izumo shifted a little, not entirely comfortable with this. If Balfour panicked.... He bit at his tongue-piercing, the picked up the rope. The hemp was rough-textured, mildly scratchy as he uncoiled it and doubled the length. He got up on his knees, took a deeper breath to unconsciously settle himself, and delicately set the rope around Balfour’s neck. Each motion was slower than usual, telegraphing his intent as loudly as possible, and he glanced between his work and Balfour’s face often, checking.
The series of knots and twists were simple, easily undone, and not as tight as they could have been. Arms crossed, hands to either shoulder, wrists and forearms bound together, rope run around Balfour’s chest and neck for anchoring.
Balfour lowered his head when Izumo put the rope around his neck, a subconscious movement of submission, and when he looked back up at the ninja, there was nothing but trust and acceptance in his gaze. He seemed very relaxed.
Or, at least, until his hands were bound to his chest. His fingers twitched a little and his breathing picked up a bit, but he was determined to see this through, to not panic, to trust, and as much as he trusted Izumo, trust was not really something that came easily, not when it came to being incapacitated.
So he took another really deep breath, nodding once at Izumo to let him know everything was okay.
“Keep going.”
Izumo hesitated. “You’re sure?” he asked, voice hushed, pitched low for calming. “We can stop.” He held steady, perfectly still.
“Absolutely,” he said confidently, not looking away from him. “If I wanted you to stop, I would have told you. I’m alright.”
Just adjusting. He was fine--would be fine.
“Just keep going. I’ll tell you if I want to stop.”
Izumo bit his lip opened, tugging at it with his teeth, before he nodded and kept going He lopped the end of the rope one last time around Balfour’s bound wrists, before he reached up and delicately began to weave the rope end between Balfour’s fingers, fanning them apart and keeping them that way with a series of tiny knots.
His fingers twitched a little as they were spread and pinned that way by little knots, but he said nothing, eyes on what Izumo was doing. His curiosity was overriding his discomfort, and he was trying to show Izumo just how much he trusted him by letting him tie him up like this.
The longer his arms remained bound, the less he seemed to think about it. He only felt the scratch of the rope, but no real discomfort in it. The ropes were taut, but loose enough that he felt as if he would be able to escape--whether he would or not.
Izumo knotted the final rope and sat back, taking in the picture, the deliberate symmetry, the careful tension of the cords. It ought to have been a little tighter but he couldn’t bring himself to it. He shook his head. “Want to look in the mirror?” he asked, softly.
It was only when Izumo stopped fiddling with the ropes that Balfour’s fingers twitched more and he had to take another steadying breath. Everything was fine. The knife was right there and all it would take was a couple of cuts and he would be out of this get-up.
He calmed again, nodding at the offer to look in the mirror.
“Yeah,” he huffed out softly, sounding a bit out of breath, shifting to push himself up off of his knees with a little bit of balance problems. He wavered a little, but the fact that he would soon have his feet under him seemed to settle him even more. The tension in his shoulders all but disappeared.
Izumo slipped his hands to cup Balfour’s elbows and rose with him, steadying him. He left a hand on him as they moved to the bathroom, monitoring the tension, watching Balfour’s face carefully. If he panicked, Izumo had a second kunai in his waistband. All it would take was a few key slices to remove the worst of the restraint.
Once he was moving and had Izumo’s hands under his elbows, he managed to relax that little bit more, and he even smiled softly. There was a soft determination in his eyes, the same look he got, often, when dealing with a particularly difficult puzzle or recipe. He would not panic. Izumo didn’t need to deal with that. Not again.
He looked in the mirror once they were there, his head tilting as he took in the knots, the tangling of his fingers, the binding of his wrists. It was elegant, but he seemed like he was probably not going to be getting out of it any time soon.
Calm as anything, he turned to Izumo, nodding a little.
“It is beautiful, but I think it’s time to get this off,” he said softly, almost a whisper. “No hurry. You might need this rope for other things.”
And a soft little grin, smirking slightly, only a little bit forced. It was definitely time to get it off, though, because he was starting to really get uneasy.
“I can cut it,” Izumo answered, promptly. He reached up immediately to start on the first knots with one hand, the other easily producing the kunai from his waistband. “Rope’s worth nothing, never is.”
Worth nothing versus a friend’s lover’s sanity.
“Don’t,” Balfour said softly, looking over at Izumo. “Don’t cut it. Just untie it. It’s fine.”
He seemed calm, at least, his head dipping again for a moment. He would be fine; Izumo was getting the rope off of him, which was easier to deal with than putting it on him.
Izumo still kept the kunai in hand. In contrast to before his fingers worked swiftly, leaving damp swipes across Balfour’s flesh - Izumo’s hands were sweaty with the uptight anticipation of something bad happening here. The knots unravelled rapidly, the tension of the ropes slacking with every passing moment.
Izumo made an unconscious hushing noise, completely unaware of it as he worked.
Balfour just lowered his head and closed his eyes, focusing more on his breathing as Izumo removed the rope. As more and more unravelled, freeing his arms and hands, he seemed to relax a bit more.
When Izumo shushed him, he smiled and opened his eyes, looking up at him. Izumo was more nervous than he was.
“It was really pretty,” he said, deciding that the silence was too heavy. “Where did you learn to do that?”
“Different friends.” He’d first learned it as torture but Izumo wasn’t telling Balfour that, not ever. “I don’t know a lot though. Was never very interested in it, aside from the looks.”
Balfour’s wrists were free. Izumo continued down his forearms, still working as rapidly as he could.
“So...is there some sort of cultural thing for it?” he asked softly, relaxing completely, his hands flexing as soon as they were free. There was no more twitching and no trembling in his hands. He was feeling a little less uncomfortable now that his hands were free and his arms were almost free.
“I mean, a meaning behind it. Like, in my world, it’s tradition to have tea with potential employers--not as an interview, but as a social obligation. Something a little more casual, done when you’re younger.”
“Well, yes, but I’m afraid I’m not very familiar with it,” Izumo lied. He was very familiar with it. “But it’s cultural, I guess, in that it’s become an art and practised with strict rules of aesthetic. Looking pretty is very important.”
There. The last of the knots gave way and Izumo stretched on tiptoe to remove the rope around Balfour’s neck. There were faint reddened impressions across Balfour’s skin, ones that would fade in the next few minutes.
"I see,” Balfour said softly, nodding at him and dipping his head again to allow the rope to come off of his neck. He caught sight of the red marks and smirked. Oh, that he could handle. He sort of liked those marks.
He said nothing, just turned to Izumo, smiling much more confidently at him.
“Thank you,” he said. “That was interesting.”
“Interesting. I suppose that’s a good way to put it,” Izumo sighed, coiling the rope up automatically. “You okay? Head in a good place?”
“Yeah, I’m alright. Got a little nervous there, a couple times, but I’m fine,” he said with a smile, reaching forward to run his fingers along Izumo’s shoulder, down his arm. He wanted Izumo to know that he trusted him, and maybe, just maybe, that would show him how much.
“I told you you didn’t need the sedative,” he murmured, seeming rather proud of himself.
“Never hurts to be prepared.” Izumo sighed a little, and brushed his fingers over the hemp-pattern on Balfour’s wrist. He hefted the rope and put his kunai away again. “Guess you didn’t like it, huh?”
He stepped back, paused, then reached out and ran a finger along the edge of the scar on Balfour’s back, a gentle touch.
“I guess, with time, I could get used to it,” he said softly. “But I’ll admit that it made me sort of nervous, so it’s probably not something to spring on me.”
He smiled lightly and shrugged, but then jumped a bit as he felt the muted pressure of Izumo’s touch, just along the edge, part of the touch not even registering. He blushed and chuckled slightly. He wasn’t used to anyone touching his scar, even if Izumo did on occasion.
“That, however, still needs to be hidden,” he said with another light chuckle. He didn’t move away from him. “I’m sure you understand.” It was large and ugly, after all, and he didn’t want anyone seeing it. He was embarrassed.
“It would make people ask awkward questions,” Izumo agreed. He eyed Balfour’s blushed in the mirror, and flattened his palm over Balfour’s spine, and leaned in to kiss there on the edge, just where Balfour could feel it. Izumo actually liked scars; though flawless beauty had its place, better still was the thing that had been broken and mended again. It had history, it had character, and Balfour had so much life in him.
“It does,” he said with a little nod, remaining very still.
“You know...it feels strange when you touch me there. I can only feel a little bit, only muted pressure along the edges, and nothing on the scar itself.”
It didn’t mean he didn’t like it. It was just very strange.
“I don’t mind,” he murmured. “I really don’t. I never realized how strange it felt until you touched it, though.” Since all that touched his back, before recently, was clothing and wash cloths.
“That happens sometimes with deep scars.” Izumo shifted, pressed his fingers a little harder against the thickened, ridged scar tissue. “Feel that?” he asked.
“No.” He shook his head, wondering what Izumo was talking about. He was probably touching him, though, so he didn’t turn or try to look.
“Hmm.” Izumo kissed Balfour on the shoulder. He had already known it, of course, but he couldn’t help trying, curious. He’d seen bad scars before, obviously, but never one that hadn’t at least been partially healed by chakra beforehand. He traced the irregular edges, fingers gentle.
Now things felt like they were back to normal. Balfour sighed when Izumo kissed his shoulder, content and happy right there in the moment, and when he felt that muted pressure again, he nodded.
“Now that I can feel, a little bit,” he said softly. “It’s like having...a thick comforter over your back, and someone tracing something on the comforter instead of your skin. You can feel it...but barely.”
“Mmm. Did it get infected?” Izumo asked, curiously. “Or do you even remember?” He’d had several injuries get infected, despite chakra-healings. His immune system sucked.
“I don’t know,” he said with a tiny shrug. “They never told me. It’s very possible. I know it didn’t get infected after they had stitched it up and I woke, but as for before I woke? I really don’t know.”
He had been out almost a week. The injury itself had nearly killed him--he had no idea about if there had been an infection.
Izumo shrugged, and kissed him on the shoulder again. He reached up and touched the rope-marks on the back of Balfour’s neck, faded to the faintest of marks.
A small smile took over his lips and he sighed again, humming in approval of the touches and the kisses. It was quite enjoyable, the contact.
It was also somewhat strange, someone touching his scar and kissing his shoulder, as if it was a pleasant thing instead of ugly.
“Good to know someone likes the damn thing,” he said with a slight chuckle, turning his head a little to look over his shoulder at Izumo. The touches and kisses were relaxing, especially after the bondage.
“Scars say that you’re alive,” Izumo rebutted, and pressed his closed teeth against Balfour’s shoulder, a tease. “It’s a good thing.”
He inhaled sharply at the press of teeth, his eyes closing as he shivered.
“Mm... Well, you can have scars and be dead,” he said softly, shifting a little, opening up his shoulder with a tilt of his head down and to the other side.
Yes, everything was back to normal, now, just as if the conversation hadn’t happened. Izumo was acting like his usual flirty self. For now.
“No, not healed.” Izumo scraped his teeth very lightly over flesh, then stepped back with a chuckle. “Mmm, looks like someone got excited.” He grinned at Balfour, and turned to saunter back into his room, rope in hand.
“I never said anything about new scars,” he said shakily, letting out another quiet little moan when Izumo scraped his teeth across his shoulder...and then walked off. Damn tease.
Balfour followed at a slightly quicker pace, laughing happily.
“Well, you know what that does to me,” he said with a smirk. “So if you didn’t want me getting excited, you shouldn’t have bitten me.” Even though Izumo probably just did that to get him worked up just for the hell of it. It wouldn’t be the first time.
“Oh? But I didn’t bite you,” Izumo returned, cheerily. “Not for real.” Just teased a little. That was all. “I think you’re getting a little too sensitive,” he teased.
“Ah, I suppose you’re right,” he said with a little laugh, walking over to brush a kiss over Izumo’s temple, the side opposite of the scar, as always. “But it’s your fault, you know.”
He snickered a bit, shrugging.
“All your fault.”
Izumo twitched only a little. “Nope, it was always there. I just made you aware of it,” he declared, somewhat smugly. “That’s all. And you know you like it.” He tossed the rope behind him, onto the bed, and smirked up at Balfour, hands at his sides. Daring, pushing, what would happen next?
“No, you teased at it to make sure it was permanent and now that’s what I associate with a stinging pain in my shoulder,” he said with a soft laugh, one hand coming to rest on Izumo’s hip, crowding in just a little bit closer, testing, pushing. Who would give in first?
“Nope, you liked it the first time I did it,” Izumo retorted, tipped his head back just so, collar glinting silver in the light. “It was all you, Balfour, and you might as well admit it.”
“You made it permanent,” he said softly, hand tightening only a little bit, a gentle, friendly, and leaned in, brushing his lips against Izumo’s. Apparently he was the one to give in first. The kiss was what he wanted, after all.
Izumo held back a moment, just another tease, before he pressed lightly into the kiss. The give and take and how far he could push Balfour into taking charge, building up his confidence....it was a pretty thing to see. Izumo liked it. It was a fun game, even if he was wondering when Balfour would let the shoe drop, so to speak.
Balfour smiled into the kiss as it was returned lightly, reaching up to slide his fingers along Izumo’s jaw, then back to cradle the back of his head just gently, carefully nudging with the tips of his fingers, nudging him just a little closer as he deepened the kiss. He let out a soft noise, relaxed against him.
Izumo yielded softly to the touches, body easily pliant, not the least bit of resistance or attempt at taking control. No more ropes or nervousness, just the quiet heat and the heavy heady dull thrum of lust that playing with Trixie had evoked. It hadn’t gone away but Izumo didn’t mind. He liked it, the feeling, the lingering heat.
Balfour made another soft, sweet noise, easily taking control of the kiss, the hand on his hip moving back to his lower back, rubbing slightly, then nudging, pulling him closer as he slipped his hand in under his shirt, nipping his lip a little bit.
As nice as it had been watching Izumo kiss someone else and knowing well what he could do, it was much better to kiss him, himself. He found himself rolling his hips a little. Ah, yes, that would be nice, too...
Izumo chuckled a little, and decided maybe a little more fun this afternoon wouldn’t hurt....