I do not own Naruto. Never will.
CONFESSIONS WITHIN A BOX
Raidou stared at the palm sized wrapped box in his hand and sighed. He started pacing back and forth again, every now and then stopping to stare at the box before moving to pace again. He was wondering how he was going to give the intimate present to that person.
Between men, handing someone a pair of underwear or socks was an act of affection. Not just any kind of affection, but a deep and I-care-for-you-more-than-a-friend/colleague type of affection. Raidou wasn't sure how the tradition started within the male ninja population but it seems like it evolved in to some sort of code between the men themselves.
If a man received either a pair of nice underwear or socks from another man, then said man has a man hot on his heels.
Raidou just wasn't sure how that person was going to take it.
His mind toggling between 'How do I give it?' and 'What if he gets disgusted with me?' kept him pacing for several more minutes before he sighed and decided that it was a crack idea and that it was going to earn him a good shiner on the face and a wounded pride and most probably a broken heart.
Sighing like he just came out of a huge heartbreak, he shoved the small box in to his pocket and frowned.
It just so happened, at that moment, Genma saw him pacing back and forth the empty office through the door window and chose to creep behind his best friend and sling an arm around him.
Raidou was used to this so he didn't jump or react.
"Give what? To who?" Genma asked needle far away from Raidou, catching that slight mumble Raidou managed to let out while he was pacing.
Raidou blinked, deer caught in headlights. "Give what to who?" He parroted.
Genma merely binked and trailed his gaze down to the pocket where Raidou previously stuffed the small box in. He then looked back at Raidou again. "Maa. You're not fooling anyone." Genma shrugged and took a step back, stuffing his hands in to his open pocket. "Suit yourself. Got a new girlfriend or something?" He teased.
"I'm not sure. Do you think he'll like it?" Raidou sighed, leaning against the desk behind him.
Genma blinked again then stared. "Depends on the person doesn't it?" Genma tried to relax, speaking in his laid-back-tone, while his mind wondered who that male was. "You got something for some sort of confession?"
"Sorta'." Raidou shrugged. "But I'm not entirely sure about this. He's kinda' dense."
"Oh?" Genma dropped himself in to one of the leather couches in the office. "What kinda' guy is he anyway?"
Raidou looked at Genma briefly then propped himself up on the desk so that he was completely sitting down. "Well, he's dense."
"Yes, yes. You already mentioned that. How about something more informative?" Genma rolled his eyes.
"I've known him for quite a while now. We go way back." Raidou smiled a bit, looking very fond of the person he was thinking about.
"Ah. Friends then." Genma mumbled. He didn't sound like he approved of Raidou confessing to this someone. "Go on."
"You know he's a really nice guy. I love talking to him. I love spending time with him. Hell, we go drinking sometimes. He can't hold his alcohol in well. He can get very adorable sometimes too."
"Adorable?" Genma's eyebrow twitched. Why is Raidou calling this apparently adorable person adorable? Raidou never used words like adorable to associate it with a person. A man no less. It grated Genma's nerves. "How is he adorable?"
Raidou stared at the ceiling, humming in thought with the small smile still on his lips. "He just is. When he smiles, when he talks, when he flirts. He's a flirt. He flirts with anything on two legs."
Genma was clearly not pleased. "And you like this flirty man why?" Genma all but spat the word man at Raidou. He had to reign his growing annoyance and temper.
"It doesn't matter. I know he doesn't mean it." Raidou sighed. He looked completely smitten over the person he was talking about.
Genma didn't like Raidou being smitten over that person. It pissed him off.
"So he's a flirt, can't drink and has a nice smile. I still don't get what you like this guy." Genma crossed his arms across his chest.
Raidou shook his head. "No, he's more than that. He's really nice, generous and he really cares for his friends and comrades. Like when he goes on a mission and if he's assigned a team, he gets very over protective of them. Sometimes when I go with him, he treats me like I'm his baby or something. It's very adorable."
Genma stewed in his couch. "Okay. So he has a knack of babying you."
"Yeah. But he's really stupid."
Genma had to bite down the grin. "How come?"
"Because! You try to tell him things, you know, get serious or something and he just jokes around and continues to flirt. I know he cares. We're friends yeah? But sometimes I just wish he'd just stop and just really look instead of being so – so stupid!"
Genma smiled. He felt the frustration melting away. It seemed that this man Raidou liked wasn't that perfect after all. "Stupid huh? So is he cute?"
Raidou looked at Genma and nodded. "I think he's cute. Lots of people seem to think so to."
"So he's single?"
Raidou shrugged. "Yeah. He hasn't told me anything about dating someone."
Genma raised an eyebrow. "You guys talk a lot?"
"Yeah."
"A lot like everyday a lot or a lot as in hi-when-passing-by a lot?"
"Everyday a lot. Unless he's away." Raidou sighed.
Genma twitched. "Right." Genma was starting to stew in his seat again. "So how does he look like?"
"We're about the same height I think. He's a size smaller than me, has slightly longer hair, and the nicest eyes."
"Nicest eyes?" Genma gritted out. "What? It's purple?"
Raidou frowned. "No. What's with you?"
"Nothing. I just don't like how this guy sounds. I mean, he obviously doesn't sound like the type who'd want to get in to a relationship. He seems to like being free. Sounds to me like he just likes being your friend or brother or whatever." Genma said, eyebrows narrowed.
Raidou's face fell. "Yeah. I know."
"Then why do you still like him?" Genma asked, frustrated.
"Do I look like I know?" Raidou looked out the window. "I just fell for him. Hard. All those days I spent with him, it just happened without me knowing."
Genma twisted his lips in to a frown full of hate and looked away. "I still don't like this guy. I don't want you to be with him. I still say he likes being single."
Raidou hopped off his desk. "You know why I think he's stupid?" Genma looked at Raidou to find his lips thinned in to a line and reigning his temper down. "It's because he never thinks before he speaks. He just says what he wants regardless of how the other feels. You know he got punched several times for flirting. But that's just it. How should I know why I like him? I sure as hell didn't choose it."
"Hey, Raidou, if you really like the guy –"
"Whatever yeah?" Raidou sighed and sucked in a breath. He dug the box out of his pocket and tossed it towards Genma's lap. "There. I'm heading home."
"What's this?" Genma blinked, holding the box.
"I just gave it to him." Raidou said, shaking his head and left the room.
Genma stared at the box and tore the wrappings open like an excited child. He stared at the folded piece of fabric within and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Ah. That's why."
XXX
Raidou shifted the plastic bag of take out food in his other hand and unlocked his apartment door. He blinked at the sight of two pairs of shoes by his shoe rack and a flak jacket that definitely wasn't his by his door hamper. Raising an eyebrow while he kicked his shoes off and remaining alert, he headed for his living room and stared.
Genma was sitting on his couch, cross legged, reading the book he was reading last night that he left by the side table. Everything would have been normal if it wasn't for that fact that Genma was just wearing the pair of black high legged underwear Raidou bought a few days ago. It was the very underwear he wrapped and had trouble giving earlier.
"Oh good. Food. I'm hungry. What did you buy?" Genma asked, shutting the book and craning his head to see what the plastic bag print was. "Are those manju?"
Raidou blinked again and shook his head. "The hell are you doing?"
Genma kept staring at the plastic bag trying to decipher what the wrinkled print was. "Trying to understand what's in the bag."
Raidou set the bags down. "Not the bag, stupid! What are you doing? Doing dressed like that?"
Genma got on his feet and spun around to show just how well the black piece fitted him. "What? It's bad? It's really comfy. And airy."
"You're entire leg is showing save for two inches of waistband! Put some clothes on! Have shame!"
"Where did you buy it? I tell you, it supports the nuts really well. Look! If I jump nothing jingles!" Genma jumped just to show his point.
"Nothing is supposed to jingle in the first place, fool!"
Genma rolled his eyes and rotates his hips a bit. "And the waistband isn't itchy. It's really nice. I love it!"
Raidou's cheeks, by now, were very red. His facial scar looked like someone just landed a red paintball on it. "Good for you. Now what the hell are you doing in my apartment –"
"I changed my mind."
"Will you let me finish?" Raidou grounded.
"About what I said earlier. I like the guy you like very much. I approve. You should really go for him. Besides, didn't you say he was adorable?" Genma tried his best to give Raidou his most adorable facial expression.
Raidou sputtered.
"I mean, even I think he's adorable. Yeah, he flirts a lot. But I know he'll give you the world if he can. He'd give you his own eyeballs in a heartbeat if you just ask for it."
Raidou stared at Genma. "That's sick."
Genma blinked and shrugged. "So it's morbid. But really. He'd give you anything you ask. Even his soul and body. Anything at all."
"Will you put some clothes on?" Raidou hissed, covering his face with a hand in exasperation.
"Oh and here." Genma tossed Raidou a small box.
"What's this?" Raidou lifted the box and raised an eyebrow at Genma.
"Open it." Genma grinned, dancing on his toes and wiggling his lower regions. The underwear really did provide good support.
Raidou tore his eyes away and opened the wrapped box. He pulled out a pair of black cashmere socks. "Socks."
"Not just any socks!" Genma beamed and pushed Raidou towards the couch and started stripping Raidou of his clothes, much to Raidou horror. "Let me show you how this works."
"What the hell are you doing? Take your hands off me! Hey, let my pants go! Look, they're new pants! If they tear – Genma stop – ow!"
"You gotta' get rid of those too." Genma hooked his fingers on to the elastic band of Raidou's boxers and gave a sharp pull. Raidou jerked from the force and lay splayed on the couch, bare.
"Genma!"
Genma was staring at Raidou's penis, which Raidou quickly covered with a couch cushion. "Nice. I approve."
"You son of a –"
"Don't they feel nice?" Genma grinned as he pulled the socks on Raidou's foot. "They're warm and soft and you can even run around the house just wearing them alone and skid across the floors."
"I don't skid across the floors!"
"They look very nice on you." Genma beamed, staring at both of Raidou's sock-covered feet. "The tradition works well if both sides gives the other something. So I gave you socks, you gave me undies. Now, as tradition states, we must bask in the ambience of our affection for each other wearing only the articles of clothing we've given each other."
Raidou shoved Genma off him and got to his feet, keeping two cushions pressed against him (one in front and one in the back) as he hobbled for the bedroom to get some clothes on. He was feeling very embarrassed being treated like this by his friend. He didn't like his feelings being made fun of.
Genma quickly grabbed his wrist and pressed himself against Raidou. "Weren't you listening?"
"The tradition says nothing like that. You made that up!"
"My tradition is nicer." Genma said, reaching behind Raidou to pull the cushion away and throw it aside. Raidou watched the cushion bounce away and flushed, feeling the cool air brush his buttocks. "So, are we basking?"
"Stop being stupid!"
"I'm being serious." Genma got rid of the other cushion and wrapped his arms around Raidou's waist.
"You call this serious? Please, Genma –"
"Despite everything you said, you know I wouldn't just take my clothes off for anyone. You know I wouldn't get this close to someone either unless I really felt something for them."
Raidou could not find anything to say to that. Raidou was feeling very embarrassed. He was pressed tightly against Genma's waist and it was taking great will power to not react to Genma's body and the protruding curves he was feeling while being pressed against … the said curves.
"Are we done basking?"
Genma lifted Raidou's hands to rest them on his shoulders and returned to holding Raidou close by the waist. "You didn't tell me if you liked the socks."
Raidou sighed. "They're nice and warm. Fluffy."
Genma blinked. "Fluffy?"
"Yes. They're fuzzy and fluffy. Very warm too."
"Oh, so you like the socks more than me now? And I'm what, cold? Ice cold?" Raidou attempted to shove Genma off him but Genma laughed and held him closer. "I'm kidding. You're so cute."
"Are we done basking?" Raidou asked again.
"Why are you in a hurry?" Genma asked coolly.
"Because this is embarrassing!" Raidou said, blushing even more.
"Oh I think it's just fine." Genma moved his hand to cup Raidou's jewels in his hand. Raidou had to bite down the squeak that nearly escaped his lips. "You know, you could have just told me you liked me."
"I was afraid of losing you as a friend."
"Never." Genma kissed Raidou. "Remember I'd give you anything you asked. I'm happy as long as I'm with you."
Raidou was starting to fee a bit dizzy from Genma's complete sincerity and the hand on his crotch. Genma being brutally honest was like being hit by a train. You never know how to react and just what to do because Genma wore on an expression he never does when he's around normal people.
"Are we done basking yet?" Raidou asked again. He was getting uncomfortable not to mention it was taking a lot of will power to remain calm.
"Nope!" Genma jumped Raidou, wrapping his legs around his waist and holding him close by neck and shoulders.
"What the fuck? Genma! Damnit, you're heavy!" Raidou staggered for balance and ended up pinning Genma up against the wall.
"Now we start basking." Genma whispered.
"You stupid idiot!"
FIN
No plot. This took a weird turn. It was supposed to be completely stupid and funny. But it took some minor angst turn somewhere up there. But I kinda' like it.
Kagaya and I were … desperate. Me beingIMles, we decided to RP via deviantart notes. So the first few lines, I credit her for it.
Let me correct that. I was desperate!
Note – my favorite part is when Genma says that nothing jingles! He's so stupid! LOOL
Another Note – All traditions stated above is made up and completely fictional. Giving a friend underwear doesn't mean you have a crush on him. O.o Just in case.