ziggyplayedguitar | If my love is your love

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If my love is your love

Ziggy knew this was special on so many levels and for so many reasons. He was determined to make it perfect. That included calling weeks ahead to ensure the menu that came to their table was completely vegetarian and safe for his species. There were a lot of things someone could do as a rockstar that others couldn't. The restaurant was jackets required but had several seating areas and he eventually settled on a warm room with huge windows.

That had been awhile back now. The day was here and Ziggy was a whirlwind as he prepared. He started with starry make up and added petals around one eye for a little more drama. It was finally time for the outfit he had been hiding from Minoru as a surprise for weeks. Everything was in order and he checked several times before finishing everything off with a glamorous pair of earrings and plunging necklace.

Then he was out the door and to the limo. It was tradition for the masculine to pick up the feminine for something like this but Ziggy didn't care about these traditions. He pulled up in the red limo with wrist corsage Ziggy had made for Minoru, on the suggestion of his father who said this was traditional for first important dates. With flowers in hand he clopped up to their place in his heavy heels and then rang for the apartment. He had to admit some nerves, oddly on behalf of the human more than himself.

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Minoru had to think for a moment, but then he remembered - the album release party. He had been tickled telepathically. That was before…

No. That wasn’t a pleasant sensation at all. Or a pleasant memory.

He shied away, eyes falling to the bathroom floor and its array of tea candles. “On second thought… I don’t… um… think I want to feel what someone else is supposed to feel on top of what I… um… have felt…”

He didn’t want to feel disgust at the thought of anything associated with Ziggy, but he couldn’t help it or hide it. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he got.

"Hey." Ziggy came closer and tucked his hand under Minoru's chin to tilt it up. "No messing up this ambiance you took so much time making."

Ziggy pulled him into a hug, close but more platonic maybe than usual. "It was only an offer. I want to give you everything I can, that you would want. I have to ask, especially all the alien things that are beyond what humans know."

He strokes some of the wild hair at Minoru's temple and shook his head. "You can say no, you can say no to everything, but I'm still going to offer things I think about in case there is something more I can give you of myself."

It was probably a given that most relationships didn’t have the option of telepathic make-outs on the table, so that was a fair point.

He still froze a little as Ziggy lifted his chin. But everything softened when his koibito stared into his eyes and pulled him into a gentle, almost protective embrace. He leaned in, soon wrapping his arms gently around the Anthean.

“No… at least to that…” he nodded, leaning against Ziggy’s chest. “If I wouldn’t want it on my body, I don’t want it in my mind.”

Consider that a very good ground rule to go by, and a boundary well-established.

"Ok." Ziggy hugged him a little tighter, warmer as Minoru's emotions settled. "So... I shouldn't make you think you're covered in Jell-o either?"

He's teasing to lighten the mood. "What did you have planned here for the rest of the evening?"

“EeeeYuck, no!” Minoru cringed, but then laughed. Only Ziggy could tease something so over the top.

And Ziggy got another, tighter hug in return.

“I really just thought you might like a spa night. A chance to indulge the Lady Stardust side and just be a, well… a girlfriend.” He blushed through the softer smile. “I gotta admit, I don’t know what half this stuff is for, so I’m kinda hoping you do.”

Soaps and salts aside, when it came to the face masks and the creams, Minoru was definitely out of his league. And out of his comfort zone for sure. But he wanted Ziggy to feel special, to feel accepted and cared about.

"I'm always your girlfriend." He nuzzled his nose into Minoru's cheek where he would have kissed anyone else. "I suppose the bath salts are out of the questions unless we bath in our undergarments."

Which Ziggy totally would for Minoru's comfort but he suspected baths were still a private thing for his partner. The other items, Ziggy paused and then smiles while stroking Minoru's back.

"Is my boyfriend going to let me do his nails and skin?" The humor and good nature spilling back into his personality after the slight bump in the conversation. "Face and hands only, unless you want me to do your neck and back too."

When Ziggy thought about being a girlfriend it involved a lot of doing things together and to each other. Mutual care always made the Anthean the happiest, better than being pampered alone.

Having grown up in a culture where communal bathing was simply another family activity (albeit one he wasn’t all that fond of) and working in a field where the naked body lacked any romantic contexts whatsoever, Minoru had a peculiar point of view on this kind of thing.

“You don’t have to. It’s not like the tub is really big enough for two people. And you need the water to be a lot cooler than people do.” He scratched his head. This was definitely not the ryokan they all stayed in during the Japanese leg of the tour, after all. “Oh, and that’s the milky pack! Mama said it makes the water not so see-through.”

His mother had reasons for suggesting those beyond the moisturizing effect. The woman definitely knew her boys.

Literally sitting on top one another in the bath was a bit much for Minoru, and might be for Ziggy too, honestly. The last thing either of them needed or likely wanted were completely mixed signals. But he was perfectly content to sit next to the tub while Ziggy soaked. And maybe, “… okay… sure, I’ll give it a try. At least the nails. Maybe the skin… depending on what you do.”

"Why don't you take the bath while it is warm?" Ziggy offers. "I can't soak too long anyway."

Part of being a pampered girlfriend was getting his way or at least Ziggy thought that was how it worked. Ziggy sat on the tub side to look over the products that were there. "Maybe a mask and a face massage; wash your hair and scalp massage?"

He reached out and took Minoru's hand to squeeze it. "Then you can do my nails and help with my neck. It's killing me lately."

The meal had been romantic and the only way to make it more so was some mutual care and self indulgence together.

Whether he would bathe first or second, Minoru had already started taking off the fancy suit, so as not to get it wet. He'd done a miraculous job of not messing it up, and wasn't about to do that now! He also grabbed a couple of pairs of pajama shorts and t-shirts for them to put on afterwards.

Once that was hung up, he started running a slightly hotter bath. He usually showered, but if Ziggy wanted mutual pampering, then that's what was going to happen.

"I don't know about the mask. On me anyway. But I'm down with the massage. And if you want to wash my hair, I'm okay with that too." he offered as he sifted through the sachets of bath salts. In the end, he picked the Okuhida option, with a flower and forest fragrance that immediately started turning the warm water a milky green.

In return, he'd try his best to do Ziggy's nails. He was no artist, though, so it might get a few laughs from the Anthean while teaching him what to do. They could laugh about it together.

"Why no mask?" Ziggy is genuinely curious about the choice. "I would like to wash your hair. I've always felt like washing someone's hair is like cuddling with them. It's intimate and shows that you care."

Ziggy had a huge pampering streak for himself and others; whether that was fine clothing or hair washing or anything in between. Ziggy is here for the giggling and laughing of watching Minoru do his nails.

"Should I cover my eyes while you undress?" He teases but he would for Minoru's comfort despite the humor.

Minoru already had his back to Ziggy as he changed (and technically finished stripping down next to the closet where his hamper was). But he appreciated the offer for modesty - even if it was mostly teased.

“It’s… goopy, right?” He hesitantly asked about the mask as he walked back in.

He honestly had no idea about this particular product, but if it was anything like what he’d seen on TV, the thought of that on his skin was just plain gross!

Hair washing was much more familiar, though. And after hearing Ziggy’s thoughts about it, he would gladly let his koibito indulge him there.

Minoru slowly stepped into the tub. The water was a nice milky green, and had a pleasant fragrance. “Oooh… yeah, that’s almost onsen hot…”

"Some." He starts looking through what they have. "I don't think clay based masks are goopy but there are others that even I don't like how they feel."

Ziggy sat down on the side of the tub once Minoru was in the water. "I'll keep my hands out of it for now but I like the smell. Which one did you use?"

Minoru smiled as he laid back (at least, as best he could) into the tub. “Okuhida.”

He’d never been to that onsen himself, and wasn’t even sure where in Japan it was. However, he definitely had to agree with Ziggy that it smelled wonderful. The combination of flowers and forest was really relaxing.

He lathered up a little soap. He could at least wash up while letting the water cool enough for Ziggy to do his hair.

Ziggy perched himself up on the edge of the tub, stretching his legs out along the edge. "You'll have to get me more of these. Do you know if they will work in cooler water?"

Ziggy hadn't thought much about bathing because it bothered his skin usually but maybe this wouldn't. Resting on the tub side with his back to the wall he reached over and stroked Minoru's hair while he washed, simply enjoying their time together. "This makes me feel a little sleepy."

Maybe it was the relaxation or Minoru relaxing into the bath. It was hard to say but the Anthean's emotions and mood were mellowing as he sat there.

“No idea. But we can find out.” He suggested. The package had said warm water, and something about the bath salts helping the water to retain its heat. But warm could be a very relative term. (There was probably no reason why it wouldn’t work in tepid water, but when the goal is to recreate the onsen experience, directions would reflect that.)

Minoru leaned into the touch. He liked it when Ziggy messed with his hair.

"We'll have to."

Ziggy liked this as much as he liked sex. Connection is what was important and it took him time to learn more ways to get that beyond physical. The position was slightly awkward but Ziggy leans in, pressing his cheek into the top of Minoru's head. He let out a content sigh.

"Do I get to take you to bed and sleep with you tonight?" The humor and mischief is alive in his voice but honestly, he is feeling cuddly. Those emotions loud in his empathy as he sat close to his partner.

“Then we will.” he smiled, looking up as much as possible without nudging his girlfriend from the oddly-balanced position above him.

For someone who didn’t care much for onsens and didn’t find them very soothing, Ziggy’s relaxation and desire to cuddle was contagious. Minoru could learn to like this.

“Mmhmm. And in my bed this time.” He chuckled softly.

For as much as Ziggy disliked bathing, he too could get used to this. Ziggy could only laugh.

"And this time, no vomiting, overdose or deafening screams." He leaned in and closed his eyes. "Unless you snore."

Minoru didn’t have time to feel the emotions associated with the first three things before laughing at the last part. “Nah. Isamu snores, though! But only during allergy season.”

Brothers being brothers, they’d argued before over whether that counted.

As the water slowly cooled, the scent began to fade. But it still retained that milky green appearance. Soon, it was cool enough for Minoru to suggest they give Chichi’s favorite shampoo and conditioner a try. Truth be told, though, everything she swore by couldn’t possibly compare to a scalp massage from those long and dexterous Anthean fingers and the empathic touches that came with them.

Edited 2021-07-30 11:22 (UTC)

Ziggy was slowly learning what it was to have a brother with Jack around. Though they hadn't known each other long the picking and teasing and arguing came easily.

The heat off the water subsided and Ziggy stood up to pull off his silver jacket, hanging it on the back of the door. It left him shirtless and he considered the pants but left them for now. He's in good spirits, though it's calmer than his usual elated crazier energy.

"I can give you a massage too." Ziggy mentions as he sits back down on the tub-side. The thought loud enough to hear for the Anthean. "Wet your hair and I'll try not to put you to sleep."

“If you do, you’ll just have to wake me up again.” He laughed playfully. “Unless you want to carry me to bed.”

Minoru grinned as he pretended he was back at the second stage of the American Ninja Warrior finals and dunked himself under the water sideways. He was a bit more mindful, though, and didn’t make anywhere near as large a splash.

The discomfort of being completely soaked was definitely tempered by Ziggy’s calm, loving intentions.

Ziggy started to giggle almost immediately. "Do you think I can carry you anywhere?"

When Minoru comes back up Ziggy is waiting with a small towel so he can dry his face off. Antheans aren't overjoyed with getting wet either. One of the many parallels Newton drew between cats and their species.

Minoru was grateful for the towel, and eagerly wiped his face.

“I’ve learned never to underestimate you.” He teased. But he knew it was highly unlikely that would work out so well. Ziggy had many talents, but physical strength wasn’t one of them.

Ziggy shook his head. "If I had to then I'd have to call for help."

Push comes to shove or a dire situation Ziggy would make due and find a way. This was not one of those cases. Besides, telepathy had uses when you needed to wake someone up, no matter how deep the sleep.

"Do you want your massage with or without soap?"

“Well, it’s already wet. We might as well wash it.” He chuckled. But really, it would save the trouble of having to do it later. “Unless, you’d rather…”

For the first time, he realized that despite their playful banter, Ziggy was about as into this spa night as he was.

“This is… really not your cup of tea either, is it.”

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