This is a modern-day, older Inosuke in which he works as a professional MMA Fighter under the moniker "King of the Mountain."
His fighting persona wears a boar-head mask (not an actual head in this verse) and is loud, rowdy, and prideful. This stage personality also carries into interactions with fans, interviews, photoshoots, and even (to a lesser extent) interactions with his own team members (stylists, personal trainers, etc).
In private, however, he's a lot more reserved, having grown out of the unruly behaviors of his youth. He'll occasionally still show signs of it, and deep down he does still have quite a competitive spirit, but because he's pressured to be in "King of the Mountain" mode so much, time to himself usually shows a strong relaxation in temperament.
Note: This AU Inosuke is paired with alcohol's Lounge AU Zenitsu, and their relationship is endgame, but otherwise, he is open for other kinds of interactions!
Extra details below:
Extended backstory:
Inosuke was born to Hashibira Kotoha who, after escaping an abusive relationship, lived for a while in a women's shelter. Unfortunately, due to extreme mismanagement, the building collapses one day. Kotoha ends up passing away shielding Inosuke from the fallen debris.
He manages to survive by himself on the streets just long enough to be taken in by a homeless woman, Yamashi Shiino. As a former professional boxer, she teaches Inosuke not only boxing, but other martial arts techniques, both for self-defense, and to give him an outlet for his youthful energy as he is growing up.
Eventually, Inosuke begins to earn money by completing in illegal, underground fighting tournaments, building his strength and technique, as well as a reputation on the street as a particularly ruthless opponent. The reputation becomes so strong that he gains the attention of Ryuhei Kintashi, one of the top managers in the world of MMA fighting. He tracks down Inosuke and, upon seeing him for the first time, realizes he's struck gold. Inosuke's raw strength and skill in battle combined with a noticeably attractive set of features is practically a dream come true for an MMA manager looking for some new blood.
Though only 16 at the time, Inosuke signs a contract to work as a professional fighter under Kotashi's management.
A number of years later, he is in need of an escape from the constant pressures of his fame, and he finds himself wandering the city. While there, the music from a local lounge catches his attention, drawing him inside. He quickly becomes deeply intrigued by the performer—Agatsuma Zenitsu—and starts coming to every one of his shows that he can make it to.
Additional characters within the AU:
Ryuhei Kotashi - As mentioned, Inosuke's manager. Quite a charismatic salesman, but has the tendency to put profits over Inosuke's well being a bit too readily.
Emi - The bartender at the lounge where Zenitsu works. Absolutely loves to tease Zenitsu about his relationship. Her wife, Miyo, is a lawyer (so they work very different schedules) and they have a 4 or 5 year old daughter named Shiori.
Yoube Masaru - Inosuke's main 'rival' in the ring, and one of his closest friends out of it. Inosuke had a crush on him for a while, but nothing came of it.
Kio Mina - A model Inosuke is friends with. She will often cover for him when he needs to get away or, later, when he is off spending time with Zenitsu.
zenitsu thought for a moment of hashi’s comment, the way that the muscles looked realistic to the taller, he did want to know just how built he was under those clothes. he’s only ever seen him dressed with longer sleeves..
no, stop thinking like that, he thought to himself as he shook his head to get out of that thought process. for now he would look back at hashi with a smile upon his face.
“it really is nice, but, i’d rather have the real thing,” he voiced with a wink as he was making his way over to the next statue of two people in a dancing pose. the thoughts going through his head were softer this time. it was clear that this artist had more muse for those who were being active. the thoughts of going dancing with hashi were taking over as he looked the artwork over.
“you think next time we could go out dancing?” he would question, very sure with himself that he wanted to keep seeing this man.
When Zenitsu mentions preferring 'the real thing,' it takes him a second to catch up with what that means, but the wink helps make it more clear. A light blush crosses his face, and he's glad when Zenitsu moves onto the next sculpture instead of dwelling on the subject too long. But that calmness is short-lived.
"Dancing??" The suggestion throws him way off his center. They'd come to this museum because Zenitsu had mentioned wanting something quieter and more lowkey, so to jump straight to something like 'going out dancing' feels like quite the shift. In Inosuke's mind, such a phrase means going out to clubs or bars with loud music, floors sticky with spilled booze, and enough people to probably be in violation of one or two fire code regulations. If he'd had to place a bet on what their next date might be, that one would be nowhere on the list.
Suddenly his nerves start building up, a sensation he can feel deep in the pit of his stomach. He's not even really sure why. He oughta be glad that Zenitsu is already talking about a 'next time' at all! But something about the way the recommendation made his head spin has left him in a weird state.
"Maybe, uh.... maybe a later time?" He says, doing his best to hide how bad he feels for saying it, but still bracing himself for the response he gets.
zenitsu would lean forward to read the information, just to see if there was some sort of thank you to those who contributed to making the piece, but when there wasn't any, zenitsu leaned back up and shrugged his shoulders.
"i dunno, but it had to have taken the person a while to get everything, even if it wasn't from a junkyard, i'm sure collecting the parts would have taken some time. not only that, but making them all look the same color and given them a rusted look..a lot was put into this," he said with a smile forming on his face. he was thoroughly enjoying himself, the urge to touch the art was growing though, wanting to feel the art itself to see what the artist felt putting it together.
so, instead of letting his impulse take over, knowing touching was against the rules, he started to walk to the next piece of art that was offered. there would be a few statues that were carved out of marble, something zenitsu knew took even more time and effort to sculpt out. he would tilt his head slightly at the statue of a man who had more of a buffed figure and then back to hashi and back to the statue.
"you think that people actually modeled for this sort of thing? or do you think the artist actually went off of a picture?"
When Zenitsu looks between him and the statue, he feels his heart flutter inside his chest. He can't be certain that Zenitsu's actually directly comparing him to the carving, but the thought of that being a possibility has him fighting off a blush. He sure wishes he could read the other man's mind in that moment.
The question Zenitsu ends up asking brings him out of those thoughts. Probably for the best. He might have turned into some kind of blushing mess.
"I can't imagine anybody wanting to stand completely still for that long." It would be his assumption that carving a human body out of rock would take much, much longer than a painting, so surely people weren't having to actively model for it. "So I guess a picture? Or maybe the person freehanded it?" He tilts his head to look at the marble body, studying it for a minute. "Whatever they did, they had good references. The musculature looks pretty accurate, actually." He recalls some of the paintings they'd seen earlier where it had been pretty clear the artists were not anatomy experts. He hadn't said anything, mostly because he knows it's art so it doesn't really matter anyways. But, in this instance, it seems relevant to comment on the physical accuracy.
excitement roamed through his heart as the two of them went on the day looking at different paintings, sure zeniitsu had been here a few times before, he could easily point out his favorite works to hashi as they walked about, but this trip was different, this trip was one that he got to spend it with someone else, someone that he was starting to get even more close to.
there was some eager pulling upon hashi's hands to lead him along through the crowd of people, though with it being a weekday afternoon, it wasn't as full as if they chose to come on a saturday, but still it had a good amount of guests. he would catch a glimpse of hashi reading the information of the paintings that he had said were his favorites and there would be a surprised look upon his face because of it.
the words he spoke to emi on that night still rang true in his mind.
this man really did care about him, sure it was just him reading the placards, but there was something about him taking the time to understand why those paintings were his favorite that made zenitsu happy.
spending enough time in the main exhibits, zenitsu thought it would be a good time to take a stroll towards the sculptures. so, taking hold of hashi's hand, he would lead him through the hallways and enter the rooms where there would be a good amount of statues, but not only that, there would even be some artworks that were made of metals and other things you would find in a junkyard.
"it's something else when people can find stuff like this and turn it into art," he said as he walked over to one of the garbage arts that had nuts and bolts created into a vase, metal rebar was sticking out of said vase, being used for stems of the flowers, and for the actual petals? well, they were melted circular saws.
Walking through the hallways of the museum, hand in Zenitsu's hand, he feels so normal. He's still got the early-relationship rush running through him, so it is more a sense of 'normal' in regards to feeling like a regular person. It's been a long time since he's had an outing like this where he is able to behave in whatever way feels most natural instead of how he thinks he should be acting. And seeing the other museum visitors, also walking around and just living their lives, makes him feel like he's a part of normal society.
He spends a little while looking at the recycled metal sculpture that Zenitsu pauses to talk about. He nods along to what Zenitsu was saying, then asks, "How long do you think it takes to collect all the right stuff to make a thing like this? I wonder if the artist knows somebody who works in some kinda factory." He's at least pretty sure there must be some source other than just plain scavenging. Having spent more time than the average person in junkyards, he happens to be pretty sure it'd take a real long time to gather all the things required to make a thing like this.
as he gets out of the car, zenitsu pays for the tab and a good tip as well before glancing up at the museum. there was a smile on his face as he pulled the jacket that he had on tighter around him. the wind today was a bit more chilly than he had thought--glad that he had something warm on.
when he turned his head slightly, he saw hashi walking towards him and his face brightened up even more as he rushed the rest of the way over to him. not wanting to waste any time getting to spend time with the other man.
at the comment that hashi gave, there was a soft blush on his face. he didn't think that he dressed too fancy for this, but knowing that the other man thought that he looked great even so--oh the butterflies were back in his stomach. though, seeing the way that he looked nervous, zenitsu would take the first plunge and wrap his arm around the other's.
"you look great too! i've been so looking forward to spending more time with you," he was already starting to lead the other into the building, his heart pounding in his chest as they were once more so close to one another.
once inside the building, zenitsu paid for the both of them, saying that hashi had went out of his way to get those chairs and blanket before, this was going to be his treat today, and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"alright, so, did you want to look at paintings first, or would you want to go to the newest sculpture exhibit and see what they have to offer?"
The way Zenitsu takes his arm and brings him along makes him feel warm despite the temperature of the air around them. It's almost overwhelming, the effect Zenitsu seems to have on him. He'd felt it from the very second he first heard an unknown voice while wandering around in a back alley, and he feels it now. As over-the-top an idea it may be for so early in their time knowing one another, it truly feels like a kind of destiny that they are together right now. There's simply no other way Inosuke can think of it.
He thanks Zenitsu for the ticket and tucks the stub away somewhere safe to keep as a token to remember this date by. Of course, there's always the gift shop later, too, but he still likes that it would be something easy to carry around on him.
"I think paintings first makes sense. Work our way over to the sculptures so we're saving the best for last?" Obviously, he has no real basis for assuming the sculptures will be the 'best' thing, but he had seen some pretty raving reviews about them while looking into the museum during the lead up to this date. He hadn't wanted to seem too out of touch with the arts, so he'd done a little bit of preparation work. He already knows the layout of the building more or less by heart.
It's an enjoyable experience, walking around with Zenitsu, chatting a bit and being able to see him in lighting that isn't lounge-dim or just a lantern. He can make out so much more of his features here, and the way the brighter museum lights catch his hair is enough to threaten becoming a distraction from the other works of art in the rooms. Still, Inosuke makes sure to stop and read some of the informational placards as they go through, as well as offering thoughts on the pieces they go by. He thinks he's doing an alright job balancing personal chatter, art-relevant chatter, and some quiet moments to just enjoy art while in each other's presence.
going on day to day knowing that soon he would be going out on another date with hashi, he was starting to think on how slow the days were going. sure he would get texts from him every once in a while, tell him how his days and nights were going, there would be some snickers from coworkers on just how lit up he got when the texts came in, but wanting to be around hashi again was starting to take over his mind.
luckily the day finally came that the two of them had planned on going for a date. he knew that he couldn't sleep in as long as he normally does since it was going to be an afternoon date rather than one at night--but hearing the text tone go off as early as he did, he was stirring in his bed.
"nnnng..." he would sound out as he lifted an arm up to take hold of his phone and bring it to his face. though, seeing that the text was from hashi, his body quickly started to wake up even more as he gave a smile at the little sun emoji that the man sent.
{txt hashi}: good morning to you as well, can't wait to see you again~
if hashi gave the little tilde at the end of his text, then it should be fine that zenitsu did as well, right? he would be getting up out of bed to start to get ready for the day, deciding what clothes to wear, settling for something more casual this time around.
"wish me luck, aya~" he would give his cat a scratch under her chin as he started to make his way out of the apartment door after feeding her.
there would be a pep in his step as he hummed to himself, grabbing himself a cab to get to the museum. he pulled out his phone and sent hashi yet another text.
{txt hashi}: be there soon, hopefully your morning has been well!
Inosuke makes a point to be in the vicinity of the museum extra early, spending the morning in that part of town for breakfast and a little walk around, never straying more than a handful of blocks from the front doors of the museum. It might be a little excessive, but after being late to their first date, he won't take any chances with this second one.
When he gets the text from Zenitsu indicating that he'll be arriving soon, Inosuke turns back and goes to sit on the front steps, eyes scanning every person and vehicle that passes as he looks out for a specific head of blond hair. His mind and heart are racing at the idea of spending the afternoon with the singer. He finds himself wondering what sort of outfit he'll show up in, how his hair will be styled, what new things will be learned about him while they take in the art displays. Their first few interactions all felt a bit dreamlike, but now it's starting to sink in that it's all really real. Whether that's because it's daytime or because they've seen each other enough now, he isn't sure.
Once he finally sees the face he's been waiting for, he stands up and walks a few paces to make the difference between them smaller. His heart really does feel lighter the closer together they get, and he's pretty sure it's no coincidence. "Hey there. You look great." He speaks once they're close enough, suddenly becoming way too aware of his hands. Should he go for a hug? A bow? A reach for his hand? A kiss on the cheek? He spends so long debating that he ends up standing completely still, doing nothing until Zenitsu makes the first move.
he would nod along with what she told him. it made sense to tell him in a cool and collective manner, he didn't want to scare him off because of his stalker, and hearing that his assumption was a wrong one to have, he was just glad that he could be open about all of this stuff with her. she was always someone he could go to for advice, and this would definitely be one of those times.
"got it, don't be a nervous wreck when telling him, and don't assume things about him," he could easily blame it on the three shots of alcohol for where his mind went with that assumption, but at least he knew now that it wasn't a good one to have.
he would glance at his phone for a moment, turning it over to see the time and it was getting pretty late, he still had to get home and feed aya before the shots really took effect.
"i should...probably get home. aya's going to be upset with me if i don't feed her soon." he laughed quietly to himself as he was pushing himself off the stool, a little wobbly but he could still make it home. "and don't worry, i'll be alright getting home," he pulled out his pepper spray and his emergency alarm on his keychain. "i'll be sure to text you when i do get home so you know i'm safe."
he then stopped for a moment to give her a smile.
"thanks for chatting with me, i needed it." and with that, he gave her a wave and walked out the door into the chill of the night, it was a welcomed change with the heat he felt on his cheeks.
She wants to offer to drive him to his door, since she's driving anyways today and it really isn't far to go, but Zenitsu already declares he can do it himself. She figures since he's not falling over or slurring his speech too badly, he'll probably be okay. But with it being so soon after discussing how the stalker has been more bold recently, it does leave a slightly bad taste in her mouth.
"Seeya later, Zen." She waves back as he heads out the door, then goes back to finishing up the last of the cleaning for the night.
--------------------
For Inosuke, the next few days feel like centuries, especially in the moments he isn't actively fighting or practicing or training. Although, some of the times he should be focusing on work, he catches himself still thinking about Zenitsu anyways. It's hard not to when the butterflies from their very first conversation haven't gone on a single break since that night.
He finds himself being extra cautious of taking any blows to the face during his matches, not wanting to show up with an obvious bruise or a busted lip. This extra guarding of his face results in a few more bruises on his arms than usual, but those are easy to cover up with sleeves in the chillier weather.
A few of his friends pick up on a slight change in his demeanor, one even asks during a group outing if it's because he's seeing somebody special. All he does in response is give a mysterious-sounding non-answer and a little grin that would allow the group to assume whatever they want about any potential/hypothetical 'someone he's seeing'. As much as he'd like to be more descriptive, he finds it hard to come right out and say he's started dating a man. Not to a whole group, and also not this early on— not when he doesn't know how long this thing he has will go on for yet.
During their time apart, Inosuke tries to find a balance in how much he is texting Zenitsu. He feels like at this point, a text every single morning might be too much, but he'd respond to any messages he gets from the other man. The times they do text, he's sure he's always got a bigger smile on his face than his usual one. Once it reaches a couple days out from their planned meetup, he is sure to send a text to confirm, adding on a little mention of being really excited for it.
When the day of the date finally comes, he does find himself sending out the good morning text, probably much earlier in the day than Zenitsu would likely be awake, but how could he possibly stop himself?
A. Zenitsu: Hey, good morning! ☀️ I will see you soon~!
"i'll have to look up the best types of breathing exercises to get some sleep, as for reading materials..i don't have many books around my apartment that i haven't already read." he could easily grab one of the lord of the rings books and read one for the upteenth time in his life. "maybe i should just go onto some fanfic site and look up something just to read..i dunno what yet, but it does sound like the best course of action."
he would stop moving around the apartment when he got back to his bedroom and sat down on the bed as he moved to sit up against the headboard. aya would jump up to join him, curling up at his side as he gave her some pets.
zenitsu would turn the phone to the other ear.
"though, having someone warm to help me sleep would be even better than just something." he gave a bit of a smirk over the phone, he knew that inosuke wouldn't be able to make it over tonight, but he still had to say something to let him know he was thinking about having him sleep next to him.
"I don't... think you should read things online if you want to be sleeping after. Don't they say screens before bedtime is a bad idea?" He feels a little bad for saying that right after being the one to bring up reading in the first place. Plus, he doesn't actually know much about that area of things; it's just something he's heard in passing somewhere. (As a side note, he also has absolutely no idea what a 'fanfic site' is, but doesn't think it really matters to the present conversation.)
Inosuke goes a bit quiet with Zenitsu's final comment, only speaking up after trying to figure out what to say. "I... can't really help with that one."
Shaking off the sinking-heart feeling trying to grow inside him, he shifts gears, "Maybe, um, maybe I could guide you in a breathing thing.. if you'd want." He sounds a little nervous, or flustered, or maybe both, over the idea. Something about the thought of breathing together over the phone is... well, he's not sure what it is. But the idea did make his heart skip a beat.
zenitsu knew that she had a point there, the third date was more for if they wanted to be in a relationship or not, but it still loomed over his head as to what being in a relationship would entail. of course he wanted more kisses like the ones that he had last night, but more than that right now was clearly off the table for the singer.
he however did laugh a little at her comment about the art museum.
"i'm not talking about doing it in the museum, i'm talking about after and if hashi would be thinking about being more..but you're right, if anything i have you to lean on if he gets a bit much," he would give her a wink. "i dunno what i'd do without you."
however, when she brought up anshin and how tricky it would be to bring up that whole situation, he gave a sigh and shrugged his shoulders.
"i don't know what i would want, i know that i would like to know what i was getting into if my partner had some crazy person stalking them, but would it be a bit much to learn? yeah, probably, which is why i would want to know sooner rather than later in case i don't think i'd be able to handle that." he would once again lean forward, forehead resting on the bar. "but he says that he goes to the gym, and he's clearly strong enough to take on anshin if that ever happens, so i'm not too worried about that..i also don't want him to find out about him before i can actually sit him down and explain what's going on.."
"Well, then tell him sooner. But try and stay matter-of-fact about it. How he responds is likely gonna depend on how you present it. If you're openly panicky about it, he's more likely to see it as something he should be particularly concerned about too, or even a red flag. But if you leave it at 'hey this is a thing you should probably know about,' then it's less likely to be taken in a bad way. That's... what I think, at least."
She does have to tilt her head and address another thing Zenitsu said during all of that. "You might not want to assume he'd be fine in a confrontation like that, though. Not everybody who goes to the gym is a self-defense expert. Heck, Miyo works out daily, but the last thing I'd want is her running into the wrong kind of person out there." She tries not to sound too critical of Zenitsu while she says that, being understanding of what he'd meant by it. "I'm sure his build is a pretty good deterrent, but it's by no means a guarantee of anything."
“How about something warm? It will help you sleep.”
it was one of those nights that he had stayed up a little too late practicing his violin, his fingers were a little numb from the strings. but if he wanted to keep his skills in pristine shape, he would deal with the pain.
though it wasn't until inosuke called him that he stopped playing, putting the instrument down for the time being and picked up his phone. he was glad that he got to hear his voice, it had been a few days since the two of them talked, so this was nice.
when inosuke asked him how his night had been, and zenitsu answered truthfully on how he hadn't been able to sleep very well and for that he'd been practicing playing--inosuke's advice had made zenitsu chuckle quietly over the phone.
"i've tried chamomile tea and it doesn't really do much for me, not the biggest fan of milk by itself so warming some up is out of the question," he was pacing his apartment while he talked to inosuke, aya following him around as he did so. "any other suggestions? i'll try anything right about now."
On a non-match night, he would have been asleep already at this hour, but tonight was not a non-match night. He'd been in the ring until about ten minutes ago, and had found himself wanting to call up his boyfriend, despite knowing it was a bit late even by Zenitsu-standards. Thankfully, the call was picked up and it didn't sound like it had woken the other man up or anything like that. Though Zenitsu did seem a bit distraught over not being properly tired for the hour of night.
"I'll usually try stretching and breathing exercises for me, but if you don't know any, they can be kinda difficult to really do in a way that'll actually help." He offers the idea, not sure how helpful it is. In all honesty, his own restless nights tend to just be suffered through, but he doesn't want that for Zenitsu.
"Or sometimes it's best to give yourself a half hour to an hour to stop actually trying to sleep. Do something like reading that requires minimal effort while still being distracting enough to let you wind down from whatever's keeping you up. And then try to go to sleep again after that."
with how his luck is with finding the right guy to be with, listening to her saying that hashi seemed like a gentleman, zenitsu nodded when she voiced her opinion on never really knowing someone.
not only was there rekka, but anshin was also that smooth talker as well when he first met him, someone he had befriended only for him to turn out the way he did, causing zenitsu to file a restraining order--not that it was doing him any good it would seem--so he would have to guard his heart a little bit with this new budding romance.
a few dates is something he could do, and with her saying that the third date coming around the corner--would hashi be in the same thought process of emi in calling the night he invited him over as a first date? would he be assuming that he wanted something more at the end of the next one?
being a little tipsy while thinking over this whole situation sure was something else.
"what if he thinks this next date is the third one as well, just like you said, it would make it a bit more official.." he sighed as he brought a hand up and ran it through his hair. "i should just see what happens, right? no use worrying about it now. like you said, when it does come up i should tell him and set up some boundaries..and just see where it goes from there. i..don't want to just get in bed with him after all, i want my first time to be with someone i truly love, not just anyone will do."
he was glad that he had emi to talk to, it made all of this a bit more easier for zenitsu, that was for sure.
Watching Zenitsu, she wonders if maybe she shouldn't have offered the third shot. She doesn't want Zenitsu getting too anxious over things, after all. That was never the best way to plan for the future.
"Well, the third date thing's more about deciding if you want to call yourselves boyfriends than it is about going to bed together. And if he didn't try anything with you inviting him to your place immediately, I can't imagine he's going to expect anything at an art museum. Those aren't exactly known for being sexually-charged locations." Even if there are some nude sculptures or paintings, it's still a museum. "I think you'll be okay. But you can always text me if you need an excuse to get out of somewhere. And always have a few made up reasons to leave in your back pocket for if you ever feel uncomfortable."
She pauses for a moment, stretching out after having been leaning over the bar for too long. Once she feels realigned, she speaks again, "as for bringing up the fact you have a stalker... that one's a little harder. If you think that guy might be a danger to Hashi, or might use Hashi to try and get to you, then it would be good to make his existence known sooner rather than later. But at the same time... it would be a lot to take in so early...." Her eyes lift away from Zenitsu to stare into space for a while in thought. "Hmm. What do you think you'd want, if the situation was reversed? If somebody you started dating had some nutcase obsessed with them? Would you rather know and be prepared for it, or do you think it'd scare you away from dating them?"
the second shot was starting to get to him a little, the way that the alcohol was causing his cheeks to flush when emi spoke, a chuckle escaped his throat when he shook his head.
"you should know me by now, i'm not much when it comes to more material things," he voiced as he leaned forward once again, hand holding up his head as it rested upon his cheek. "i wouldn't really care much if he didn't buy me things, hell, i wasn't even expecting him to buy what he did for our date last night." zenitsu thought for a moment with a smile on his face. "as long as he keeps showing up for our dates, and i get to spend time with him, i'll be more than happy."
when she talked about how big hashi was, that blush became more than just an alcohol induced one. the height difference alone was something that zenitsu enjoyed, knowing that someone as tall as hashi wanting to go out with him made his heart beat quicken in his chest, but when he also took his strength into consideration---
he took hold of the third shot glass and tipped it back without hesitation.
"i still don't know if i should tell him about anshin or not..if this becomes something more then i should, right? and not only that, but how i'm not experienced---" he glanced left, and then right, the lounge was basically empty by now, a few stage people were still around cleaning things up, he was sure that akito was in his office doing a few things before closing things down. he still would lean in and whisper. "you know, in bed? how do i even--bring that up? i'm sure someone like him has had experience, right? what if when i tell him he doesn't want to be with me anymore because of that?"
he groaned a little as his elbows were resting upon the counter, hands covering his face, just thinking about that.
There's something endearing about the way Zenitsu looks around himself and whispers when talking about his lack of bedroom experience. After all the times Emi- as well as some of their other coworkers- have loudly discussed their sex lives after the crowd has left, it's cute the way Zenitsu is so timid about it. But with how he mentioned concerns about bringing up both that and the stalker situation, Emi decides to start with the one she thinks is a bit more straight forward.
"Well, to be honest, it's none of his damn business whether you've had zero or a hundred sexual partners before him. But I understand it being something worth bringing up, especially in regards to if you are not wanting to sleep with him right away. Obviously a discussion on boundaries is warranted at some point..." She trails off to think of what advice she ought to give. It's hard to pull directly from her own experiences, since these circumstances are quite different. And Hashi has seemed like kind of a wild card at times.
"I guess I'd say wait a few more dates-- keeping them in public where you know you won't have to worry about him trying anything. Try and get a sense of him and whether he's the type to act out because of a perceived disappointment. From what I've seen and heard so far, he seems gentlemanly enough for it to not be an issue, but you never know. So feel him out over the next several dates. Trust your instincts."
"And if it all goes well, and you find yourself inviting him to your place again, then you can say you'd like to talk about boundaries for the relationship going forward. Don't necessarily charge in saying you're a virgin, but find a way to mention what you are and aren't comfortable doing with him at this stage. And if he reacts badly just to that... then you're probably better off kicking him out immediately."
She wraps up her speech there, planning to both give Zenitsu the chance to respond back, as well as to give herself time to mull over what to suggest about the whole... other thing that'll have to get brought up: that damn stalking creep.
though he knows that she had a point, he got to spend not just last night with hashi, but the two nights prior with him as well. he shouldn't be so greedy, but he would have liked to at least see his face and give him a smile while on stage.
"i guess so," he said as he would lean back for a second, glancing up at the ceiling. it was still a little strange yet exciting to be dating again after so long, he didn't realize just how quickly he would get attached to the man in such a short amount of time. "he's just..not like my previous partner at all..not that that's saying much after what rekka did--but i dunno. he seems to actually care about me and my own well being." he glanced back at emi for a moment. "when he told me that he actually went out of his way to buy the chairs and picnic blanket for last night..i dunno..i felt like i really mattered to him? not only that but he took time to make those rice balls with me the night before even though he's never made them, it was heartwarming." he smiled softly with a chuckle. "but don't worry, i'll tell you how the exhibit is, i'm sure you and miyo would have a fun time going on a date there."
when she poured him another drink, he would take it in his hand and toss it back with a soft 'ahh' as he placed it back on the table.
"hey now, that didn't really count as a date, it was---a pre-date to get those rice balls ready," though it wasn't the real reason zenitsu had asked him over, he would give a bit of a sigh because of that thought. "it was just because i didn't want to be alone after he got another new phone just to try to reach out again."
Emi gives a chuckle when Zenitsu says he felt like he 'mattered to' Hashi. With a grin, she responds, "Hey, after all that time coming in here just to hear you sing, it's not really a surprise he's crushin' on you. And I think it'll be good for you to have a thoughtful type." She didn't know Zenitsu while he'd been dating that Rekka guy, but she's been told about most, if not all, of what went down between them. So she truly hopes that this new guy will be better. "Just gotta hope he keeps it up if you two do end up getting serious."
When the subject shifts back to Zenitsu's stalker, her expression becomes more serious for a little while she nods. Sometimes it seemed like the restraining order Zenitsu had against the guy wasn't working at all. He was still being regularly harassed. It pisses her off that there's not more that can be done about it. However, now's not the right time to wallow in such things. So she chooses to respond with something slightly more lighthearted.
"But, hey, with a big guy like Hashi by your side, I bet that creep's not gonna be as bold about approaching you." After saying that, she holds up the bottle she'd been pouring shots from and shakes it as an offer to pour one more, but only if he gestures that he wants it.
he would laugh at her tone. "oh come on, i'm sure that some people would care if you were replaced. i know i would," he said with a grin as he was already starting to feel a bit more talkative thanks to the booze that was offered to him.
"akari said that she saw him too, but never told me where..so i thought..sincei searched the place but i couldn't see him, that she was just teasing me and he didn't actually come.." there was a bit of a pout on his face as he leaned over to let out a sigh as his head rested on his arms.
"it's not fair that i'm the only person who didn't get to see him." his words came out in a whine before he lifted his head to rest his chin on his arms when questioned about their date that they were going to be going on next time.
"oh, the new art exhibit. so another quiet date for the both of us," with the star gazing being pretty calm for the both of them, going to an art museum would also be something along those lines as well. "it'll be nice to be able to go and see the new sculptures since i haven't been able to just yet."
Watching him place his head in his arms has her giving a lighthearted laugh. "Hey, you saw him the past few nights, that's gotta be worth something, right?" She says, though she can understand the frustration of not seeing a face in the crowd he'd been wanting to see. "And we know he'll be back. You'll have all the chances in the world to send winks his way on nights we're less busy."
After her words, she listens to him talk about the next date the pair have planned. "You'll have to let me know how it is. Might need to take a look. Miyo's more into that stuff than I am, though." She says, running a hand through her hair to brush it aside. She ends up really wanting to make a comment about him wanting to see something 'sculpted' while on a date with a man who looks like he's probably pretty ripped under those suits of his, but she holds off for now. Not while Zenitsu's only one shot in. So she pours him a second. Not like he'll be driving anywhere.
"Hope it'll go well. You know what they say about the first three dates being the most crucial for deciding if you wanna get serious or not." She pours herself a half shot, tossing it back easily. "Then again, you did already invite him to your place so the timeline may be a little thrown off for that."
when she gave him a slap on the shoulder, he was smiling even more--if possible. he was in such a good mood after that performance. and knowing that hashi was able to make it tonight, it made him all the more happy.
"so i'm definitely going to be worked harder than normal," he laughed a little at that, thinking that he was going to be drinking a lot of hot teas in the next couple weeks to keep his throat from getting overused. "i just hope it won't interfere the date that me and hashi made for next week." he would then glance at emi for a moment and let out a sigh.
"i won't be seeing you tomorrow night then, huh?" he was always sad when she wasn't the one working the bar, even though she teased him at times, he still knew that she always looked out for him and was thankful she was around. "i wonder if that means your regulars won't be coming in if they know you're not going to be the one behind the bar. since the other person doesn't seem to care about the people as much as you do, i don't think they're going to make it that long either." he knew, just like him, a few patrons showed up for her being the bar tender for the night. but when she was gone he too noticed that some people never came in.
for now though, he felt his phone buzzing and took it out to read the texts from hashi while emi was making him a shot. there was a smile on his face because of the messages.
he took the glass and downed it within seconds, his body shivering because of the alcohol for a moment.
"thanks, sorry you had to waste that drink earlier though," he told her as he set the glass down for now and texted hashi back.
{txt hashi}: i was told that the crowd was because of an advertisement that my manager sent out. so it wasn't because of me, but at least i have someone who showed up just for me ;)))
{txt hashi}: ah, so that's why i couldn't spot you, that's okay, i'm still glad you could make it.
he then placed his phone on the bar top face down and turned to emi.
"hashi was texting me, he did actually make it, i just didn't see him in the crowd i guess."
"My regulars?" Emi responds with an incredulous tone. "Ah, I'm just a pair of hands that gets people their booze," she says her point with a wave of her hand. She hardly thinks anyone would actually care if it was her or a robot serving, as long as the pours were strong enough. Sure she has a few specialty cocktails that only she and a select few patrons know about, but that's such a limited case, she'd hardly call it enough to have 'regulars'. Whether or not that's true is a different matter entirely.
Her eyes stay on Zenitsu while he checks his phone and responds to whatever messages he was getting. She can tell from the look in his eyes that it's at least probably Hashi, so when he looks back up at her, she's already grinning. A perfect excuse to get back to talking about how his date went. But Zenitsu speaks up first, and it's something she's caught off guard by, so she answers it before she can move on.
"Yeah, I saw him all huddled up in the back. Poor guy barely knew what to do with himself. I'd betcha he's gonna start showing up earlier after this... Anyways, what was it you said your next date was going to be?"
zenitsu would still be humming one of his own songs while he changed, but then his phone tinged while on the vanity and he would pop his head out of the shirt to glance over.
walking over, he did wonder who it could be from, it wasn't emi's tone, just a general ping and that worried him a little. but when he saw that it was from hashi, there was a skipped beat in his heart.
reading it, there was some relief that hashi had been able to make it. but there was also some guilt that he couldn't spot him in the crowd. did he actually admit that---
{txt hashi}: i'm so glad that you could make it! i didn't know that it would be that crazy myself, so i'm sorry you had to deal with that crowd. but...i did look for you. sorry i couldn't find you.
he sent the message only for another one to pop up as he did so. he laughed lightly at emi's text as he finished up dressing himself.
{txt bar bestie}: yeah yeah, i'm coming out. be there soon.
he would be pocketing his phone as he walked out, locking the room as he did so and make his way back to the front of the house.
like emi thought, he had got stopped by a few regulars telling him just how glad they were that he was back on the stage. how they really should be thinking of getting a few more acts just in case things like that happened and the normal singers couldn't be on the stage.
zenitsu just laughed and told them if they knew anyone who could sing and had the charisma that him and akari did on stage, that they should come in and see akito and he was sure that they'd be welcomed.
for now though, he would say his goodbyes and thank yous to a couple more people before heading over to the bar where emi was. upon sitting down, he let out a content sigh.
"that really was something!" he then leaned his cheek upon his head. "you think that we're going to be like that for a while? i'd love more shows like that."
he knew that she would turn the subject to hashi in time, but for now zenitsu would ride his performance high for as long as he could.
Emi smiles at Zenitsu as he comes up. She can see that he is openly beaming from the energy of the larger audience. Must be pretty fun, showing off his talents in front of larger groups. The lounge was rarely empty, but their crowd only sometimes filled every single seat like that. She gives Zenitsu a light congratulatory slap on the shoulder as he takes his seat at the bar, then goes on to answer his question.
"Like that, probably not," Emi says, the tone in her voice being one of relief. High energy nights were fine every now and then, but there's no way the service staff like herself would survive too many nights of that level. "But I expect we'll be more busy than usual for at least a week or two." While speaking, she is working on cleaning out a few stray glasses that are getting dropped off throughout their discussions.
"Tomorrow the relief bartender's on, so hopefully they'll be up to it. Been getting the sense they plan to quit, though, so might be trying to hire another set of hands here pretty soon." She just hopes the larger crowds aren't going to chase the current person away even faster.
She scans the room for a second, then pulls out a shot glass to offer to Zenitsu. With the show over, she figures he'd be more able to drink.
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Inosuke takes a little while to respond to Zenitsu's message, having ended up with a real chatty driver taking him home. He's not great at texting while being spoken to, so he hears a very long story about the driver's 12-year-old daughter's birthday party drama before he's able to actually answer.
A. Zenitsu: It's not your fault. Can't help it if you're so popular ;)
A. Zenitsu: I got inside close to the start of the show, so there was only room in the very back.
the rest of his songs go on without a hitch, there were a few more upbeat ones, those were the one's he wished more than anything that he could be dancing more around the stage. at least he could move about without any problems, but quicker movements weren't recommended. his eyes would still be scanning the crowd, but with how packed it was in this place, he couldn't land on hashi.
maybe he couldn't make it after all? he didn't know the man's schedule after all. he never did get a text from him after he sent that he was able to come or not--so maybe he truly was too busy to come.
he wouldn't let that get to him as much, he was still able to perform on the stage, with a bigger crowd than he was ever use to. so he would still live in the spotlight until the last note of the evening was sung out and the applause roared through the building.
zenitsu would be breathing a bit more heavily from his exertion, but still giving that bright smile as he thanked everyone for coming out.
and as always, there was a call for an encore once zenitsu exited the stage from the people who were regulars, causing the rest of the crowd to engage in the word as well.
"what do you think kid? do you have another song in you tonight?" akito questioned, not wanting to push him much tonight if he couldn't handle it, but also giving him a look that was pleading for him to get back out there.
"another night, i'm kind of spent," would be zenitsu's answer as he knew he needed to rest his knee after the time he was on it. "gotta give them something to look forward to next time, right?" he would give the man a smirk as he began to walk back to his dressing room to get changed.
akito would give the announcement that that was all for tonight, there would be some groans in the crowd as they would all start to disperse.
zenitsu could hear the groans, but knew it would be better for him to rest as he slipped into the dressing room and started to change back into his street clothes.
If Zenitsu had looked his way during the show, Inosuke didn't catch it. And, since his eyes had been pretty glued to the stage, he doesn't think he'd have missed anything like that. He tries not to let it bug him, though. He wasn't in his usual place, instead tucked away in a back corner that was probably quite dark from the perspective of somebody on stage. And, even if Zenitsu did know where he was, it's not like Inosuke should be expecting any special treatment during shows. This is work for the singer, after all. And Inosuke has already mentioned he'd rather not be called out too much while in the lounge. Still, a little signal might have been nice-- but of course that can only happen if he'd actually been seen- something he doesn't know one way or the other.
As he'd mentioned previously, he has to be out the door quickly tonight, so once he hears the announcement that the show has ended, he is heading for the door. The good thing about being in the back is he can slip out before the crowd bottlenecks at the exit. Once he's outside to wait for his cab, he does pull out his phone to text:
A. Zenitsu: Great show tonight. That crowd was crazy, though, and I couldn't get my table.
He sends the message along, hoping to at least let Zenitsu know he was present, just in case the man really hadn't seen him at all. It doesn't take long after that for his cab to arrive. This part of the city gets lots, after all. He shakes his head somewhat to clear his mind, then heads for home.
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Even after the show ends, a handful of people head to the bar to grab and enjoy one more drink in the lounge atmosphere before doors close to the public, so Emi is still working for a little while after the last note has been played. Once she has a moment to breathe, however, she pulls her phone out to text Zenitsu before he finds his way out the door.
Zen: You're not off the hook for our conversation about Hashi, so dont go sneaking out the back! Get back out here when you can.
She knows full well that coming out to the front might get him stopped by a fan or two wanting to talk or offer compliments, but as long as she's got eyes on him, she knows he can't escape their previous chat.
