How about Nile teaching Kyoya how to tie a tie?🥺 (preferably romantic, but platonic works too if it makes you feel more comfortable :)
kyoya/nile, 1.1k words
established kyonile, fluff, use of one (1) pet name
"This is stupid. Let's just stay home."
Kyoya throws himself on the bed and runs one hand through his hair, not caring that he is probably messing it up again. Nile won't be happy, he forced Kyoya earlier to brush it until it was silky and soft to the touch which Kyoya usually doesn't bother to do. The suit he is wearing is tight and uncomfortable, constricting his movement in a way he isn't used to. He's probably creasing it by lying down like this. Nile won't like that either.
Nile's voice comes from behind the closed door of the bathroom.
"No. I promised Ryo that we would be there, so we're going to be there."
"We already went last year," protests Kyoya and Nile audibly sighs.
"It's an annual event that celebrates your victory against Nemesis. You don't get a choice."
The door to the bathroom opens and Nile walks out, in a suit just like Kyoya, though he looks more comfortable in it, his usual orange eye makeup on, tie hanging untied around his neck.
He stops when he sees Kyoya lounging on the bed and frowns.
"I thought you said you were ready."
"I am ready."
"Then where is your tie? Your hair is messy again. And you're wrinkling your suit." Kyoya rolls his eyes and shrugs. Nile's gaze narrows dangerously. "Are you trying to embarrass yourself?"
Kyoya groans and sits up. "I don't care about this stupid party. People can think of me whatever they want. And I don't even know how to tie a tie."
Kyoya isn't looking at him when Nile moves towards the bed and takes a seat beside Kyoya. His grip on the blanket uncurls slightly when Nile brushes his fingers over the back of his hand. Nile takes Kyoya’s hand in both of his own and Kyoya raises his gaze to see Nile staring at their intertwined fingers.
"You're a Legendary Blader. You saved the world. I know you don't care for things like that but there are a lot of people that think of you as heroes, that look up to you, admire you. And you might not think so but your presence at these WBBA parties means a lot to those people." He finally looks up and meets Kyoya’s blank stare. Kyoya is helpless to the emotion he can read in Nile's emerald eyes.
"Do you want me to teach you how to tie a tie?" Nile asks.
Kyoya doesn’t care for these other people Nile talked about and he doesn’t care about being a hero but he does care about Nile and that noncommittal expression on his face. Kyoya likes to be difficult for the sake of being difficult but if he just asked, Kyoya would do almost everything to make Nile happy. He has never told Nile any of that and he likely never will. This kind of vulnerability is not one of Kyoya’s strengths. But, occasionally, he tries to make an effort.
“Teach me.”
Nile doesn't exactly smile but the corners of his eyes crinkle slightly and his jaw seems to relax and Kyoya stares, heart beating, blood rushing in his ears. Nile gently squeezes his fingers before detangling their hands and standing up from the bed. He opens the closet and searches through it for a moment, then carefully selects a dark, pin-striped tie. With the tie in his hands he turns around and motions for Kyoya to stand up.
“Just do exactly what I am doing,” he murmurs while he lays the tie around Kyoya’s neck even though Kyoya could just as easily do it himself. Nile unfolds the collar of Kyoya’s shirt and smoothes his hands down Kyoya’s shoulders before eventually stepping back, smiling unselfconsciously at his fondling.
“Okay,” Kyoya says and grins, canines flashing. “Show me what to do.”
Nile takes each end of his own tie in one hand and Kyoya copies him, still grinning playfully. How hard can tying a tie be? He never really paid attention but it always looks easy enough when other people do it.
That grin slips right off his face when Nile demonstrates what he calls a half windsor knot with a few practiced movements that Kyoya tries to make sense of but can’t. He furrows his brows in concentration when Nile unties his knot and demonstrates again, slower than before.
The first few steps are easy enough. Making sure both ends are at different lengths, looping one end around the other, tucking one end into the neck loop, sure, Kyoya can do that. But after that, Kyoya doesn't really know what he is supposed to do and Nile isn't helping because he started laughing halfway through.
"You're so concentrated," he wheezes as Kyoya frowns at him, trying not to pout. "It's not rocket science, love. Relax."
Kyoya hates how his heart feels like it grows to three times its size every time Nile calls him love. Nile just about killed him the first time he used that pet name - in a joking, playful manner. But when he saw Kyoya’s reaction to it, the pet name stayed.
"Strong, scary Kyoya Tategami," Nile had teased with a heart stopping smile, "likes to be called love."
Kyoya sees that same heart stopping smile now as Nile lets the ends of his tie dangle loosely in front of his chest and pretends to wipe a tear out of the corner of his eye. Fuck, I love you is what he thinks but what he says is,
"Why do I put up with you?"
Nile, who knows how to read him like an open book and often misuses that ability for evil, steps forward until they are almost nose to nose and plants the ghost of a kiss right at the corner of Kyoya’s mouth. Kyoya’s breath hitches audibly.
"Because you liiiike me," Nile says in a singsong voice and with a pleased glint in his eyes because Kyoya just proved his point. "Come on, we're going to be late if we wait for you to get the hang of this. I'll teach you some other time."
Kyoya doesn't protest when Nile takes the tie out of his hands and finishes his clumsy attempt swiftly. He didn't know what to do with it anyway and Nile's gentle hands securing the knot around his neck feel pleasantly warm and safe. Nile folds the collar down and admires his work for a moment but when he reaches up to tug on his hair, Kyoya catches his forearm with one hand.
"Nope. Let's go, you don't want to be late, do you?"
"I'm just making sure you look good," Nile defends himself but retreats grudgingly.
tagged @madmanics to list the ten songs which come up on shuffle - thank you very much darling sarah 🌺!
roads by nick drake
crucifix kiss by manic street preachers
to love somebody by the bee gees
sugar and spice by split enz
the last thing i remember by the turtles
elizabeth my dear by the stone roses
je suis la tigresse by delphine desyeux
i’m not in love by 10cc [somehow the most romantic song about not being in love]
sunshine superman by donovan
liza by 1910 fruitgum company
i would tag people but there aren’t many people who haven’t already been tagged in something like this so i won’t bother them! however, if you’d like to show off your music - go ahead!! i’d love to see what everyone likes!
me, as lawyer trying to prove that peach’s suicide was actually murder: peach salinger pegged a man the night before she died. pegging gives you endorphins. endorphins make you happy. happy people don’t kill themselves after a night of pegging someone. they just dont.
