If my love is your love

[ziggyplayedguitar]

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.

Comments

[ziggyplayedguitar]

Ziggy was polite and signed a few autographs on his way out but he didn't let it hinder them as much as when they entered.

(Ziggy will adore the chaos that it causes in the media frenzy even if the event itself will make him nervous.)

Ziggy can't help getting caught up in the giggling as they enter the apartment. He's well aware of Isamu but ignores it to pay attention to Minoru.

"What is all of this?" Ziggy asks when Minoru returns from the fridge. "I think you already did that when we met, you foxy boy."

Ziggy laughed and wrapped his arms around Minoru's neck when he was picked up. He's curious where this is all going. Of course, he could open his mind and figure it out but he held his abilities back to enjoy the surprise.

[itmeanstruth]

Try as he might to be discreet, in the back of his mind, Isamu knew that the Anthean could sense his presence, even if Minoru didn’t know he was there. Still, he couldn’t help himself, and smiled softly as he watched Minoru carry his date along the path.

Ziggy looked like he was having a great time. And his brother had finally shed those nerves.

The door to his bedroom was already open, and Minoru followed the lights through it. But from there, the path turned to the right, away from the bed and into the bathroom, where even more candles lit up the space.

The bathrooms in their apartment weren’t all that large or glamorous. But try as he might, Minoru tried to decorate his like a fancy spa. There were tea candles everywhere, a couple trays of bathing products and cosmetics from Japan (he asked his mother for recommendations and ordered accordingly), even a little Japanese sign on the counter listing massage services cleverly priced out in numbers of hugs. On the side of the tub stood a painting of him lined with ribbon and a large bow (clearly a gift) that Hunter had made while Minoru was seeking out date suggestions in the plaza.

“Wasn’t sure what I could give you,” he admitted, a bit nervously, to the rock star who could probably buy (or make) anything he ever wanted. “It’s… well… the gift of relaxation, time to let your hair down, indulge in that feminine side without cameras and critics saying what you should or shouldn’t do…”

He really hoped Ziggy liked it. And that it wasn’t too girly. Or conversely, that it was girly enough.

[ziggyplayedguitar]

Whether on his feet or still in Minoru's arms, Ziggy turns to him and nuzzles thier cheeks together. "You don't have to get me anything. You're enough without anything else."

Then he giggled quietly. :that doesn't mean I don't love and appreciate gifts."

He could feel the nerves flare when Minoru starts worrying over the gift, though Ziggy isn't sure what is causing it. Leanijgbin he presses thier faces together; forehead to the tip of the nose.

"I'd kiss you now if you wouldn't run away grossed out." Even this close where thier faces are probably blurred, the mischief is clear when the Anthean's eyes turn up to look in Minoru's. "Of course, I can kiss you without our lips ever touching."

[itmeanstruth]

If he hadn’t already put him down, that mischievous look was certainly the cue to do so. Minoru’s face didn’t know whether to grin with happiness, sigh with relief or curl up at the thought of being kissed. It would take Anthean empathy to read THAT expression and not burst out laughing.

“Then, you like it?” He apparently decided on excitement.

And then promptly tucked his chin. (As though Ziggy wasn’t tall enough to smooch the top of his head without the assistance.)

[ziggyplayedguitar]

Ziggy's smile grew so much is scrunched up his eyes and that reminded him of something to do in a moment.

"It's from you." That was more important to the Anthean than anything else. "I haven't had many Japanese cosmetics so I'm going to have to do both of us to practice."

He took the kiss on the forehead and then stepped away, digging in his bag and laughing. "That isn't what I meant. I mean I can kiss your lips without touching them."

He proceeds to remove his contacts since they are now indoors and away from prying eyes. He had kissed Mick from across country so surely that would be easier with the person next to him and would be without the wetness that Minoru hated so much. Though, maybe he just hated kissing in general, wet or not? Ziggy wouldn't push but it was an offer he couldn't pass up.

[itmeanstruth]

“It’s more bath products than cosmetics…” Minoru scratched his head sheepishly.

One of the trays next to the tub had a selection of Tabi No Yado bath salt sachets. There were four different kinds, each with their own scent and color, meant to represent a different Japanese onsen. (None from Minoru’s family’s little town, but his mother still vouched for the milky mixed pack.)

On another, there was an exfoliating towel and a bar of Cow brand soap. Both were common items Minoru was used to seeing back home. The soap was milk-based, hence the cow theme, and smelled like roses. Unlike a lot of bar soaps, it doesn’t dry out skin, so he was hoping it wouldn’t be too harsh.

Alongside it was a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner from Shu Uemura that Minoru had never heard of, but his mother gushed about. She even insisted on sending him a set for his gift - which, when Isamu revealed the usual asking price, Minoru was immediately falling-over-backwards grateful for. (Clearly, their parents wanted to help Minoru impress his first girlfriend.)

The last tray had some lotion (perfect for massaging) as well as some face mask sheets, cleansing cream and the like. So, some of it was kind of like cosmetics. Minoru was really no expert on this kind of stuff. He barely knew his way around a hairbrush.

“Wait… you can kiss without touching?” He looked up quizzically. Forget about the bath for a moment. “Like, telepathically?”

[ziggyplayedguitar]

Ziggy had been paying more attention to Minoru than the gifts so that was probably his fault. Though, now he is taking a closer look. "This is why it smells like flowers in here."

He had assumed it was the candles or something else but now he knew it was the soap.

The answers to those questions take a moment for a response because the Anthean was taking out his contacts. That accomplished he turned to his partner with a smile. "I've tickled you without doing it."

Well really that was the empathy projecting his own experience of being tickled by Minoru, but the premise was the same. "Kissing, sex, physical contact is just a series of sensations. It's easier if I've experienced kissing the person but I can convince your mind that I'm touching you and fill in with how other people have perceived my lips on theirs."

This is all very hypothetical to the singer because he had only ever done this sort of thing with people he had physically touched. How to accomplish that with someone who had never kissed him, or at the very least never kissed him and truly liked it, would be a challenge.

[itmeanstruth]

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.

[ziggyplayedguitar]

"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."

[itmeanstruth]

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.

[ziggyplayedguitar]

"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?"

[itmeanstruth]

“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.

[ziggyplayedguitar]

"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.

[itmeanstruth]

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.”

[ziggyplayedguitar]

"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.

[itmeanstruth]

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.

[ziggyplayedguitar]

"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.

[itmeanstruth]

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…”

[ziggyplayedguitar]

"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?"

[itmeanstruth]

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.

[ziggyplayedguitar]

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.

[itmeanstruth]

“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.

[ziggyplayedguitar]

"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.

[itmeanstruth]

“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.

[ziggyplayedguitar]

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."