Entwined
*Warning: R-18*
Title: Entwined
Author: Haru (LJ user haru_kurofai)
Word count: 2040
Warning: Spoilers for manga chapter 41. R-18, intimate Hotsuma x Shusei love, adults only.
Disclaimer: they don't belong to me. The boys belong to Odagiri Hotaru-sensei.
Summary: *Spoilers for manga chapter 41* A holiday at the hot spring resort turned into an investigation about a wish tree…
The numerous red ribbons tied to its branches added a sense of sacredness to the wish tree. The boys stood with shoulders merely touching, their minds on the hundreds of wishes the tree possibly held.
"Do you believe in this stuff?" Hotsuma broke the silence with a question, casting doubts on the popular rumour.
Shusei smiled but did not answer.
The blond circled his arms around Shusei and pulled him closer to his heart. I don't care if we're blessed or not, I will do everything I can to make you happy.
The slighter boy returned his warm embrace, brushing his long slender fingers through his blond hair as though saying thank you for his unspoken vows.
Distance closed naturally between them. The couple sealed their silent vows with a kiss under the wish tree. Red strings of destiny danced softly in the night breeze.
After reporting to Tachibana, the boys retreated to their shared room.
Tsukumo popped another sweet into his mouth whilst admiring the view outside, "welcome back," he turned his head to greet his companions as they opened the door, "how was it?"
"We haven't seen anything unusual yet," Shusei replied as he took off his jacket, "we need to look into it further."
"Heh, I knew Takashiro won't treat us to a holiday," Hotsuma sneered at the mental image of the older man with imaginary fox ears; "let's go to the hot spring," the blond suggested, we'll make it into a holiday if he calls it one.
"I've been already," Tsukumo smiled at the pair, "you guys enjoy it." Being conscious of his friends' need to be alone, he declined Hotsuma's offer with good intentions.
"Okay," without further thought, Hotsuma collected his wash bag and fresh clothes as Shusei did the same.
"See you later," the brunette greeted the younger boy and followed his partner, with shared excitement in their dancing hearts.
At this time of night, the communal bathroom was empty. The boys bared their bodies next to each other and placed their belongings in two baskets side by side. Despite having seen Shusei in all his glory countless times, his smooth porcelain skin still made Hotsuma's heart race.
"Looks like we have it all to ourselves," heartful laughter lit up Hotsuma's face, spreading the happiness to Shusei's curled lips.
"Yeah," the brunette answered softly; the need to be closer to Hotsuma swelled in his chest, yet he did not show any signs of his wish.
Hotsuma turned on the tap, a constant spray of hot water splashed onto his tanned skin, small streams fused together as they flowed down the perfect contour of his toned body. Steam filled the space between the boys; the rising heat brought a pink tint to Shusei's pale skin, concealing the real reason for his blush.
Thick liquid soap grew into a foamy lather as Shusei massaged his own wet skin; golden eyes became fixated on the unexpectedly provocative scene.
Soft foam lingered on his ivory skin, forming a cloud over his healed wounds. They caught Hotsuma's attention again, with no visible signs of guilt this time. I wonder what we'd be like if I didn't… No, stop. The blond scolded himself for having self-destructive thoughts again; he stopped his hand from reaching to comfort Shusei's scars. I can't touch him, not now, not like this… I'll just hurt him even more…
Without the need for words, Shusei noticed a change in his partner's mood. …Hotsuma? Is he blaming himself again…? The sparkles of joy in his garnet eyes dimmed at the thought, but the pair chose to remain silent.
The outdoor hot spring was surrounded by picturesque surroundings; steam from the natural tub formed a light curtain around the boys.
Hotsuma dipped a foot into the water, letting out a small sigh as he adjusted to the embracing warmth. When both of his feet were touching the bottom of the tub, he turned round and held out a hand to his partner.
Shusei held Hotsuma's hand with a small smile; the couple took a few steps into the tub and settled towards the middle, with the blond sitting one step behind.
"…Beautiful…" golden eyes widened in awe at the spectacular view in front of him. The natural beauty sat in front of a scenic background; steam brought a touch of moisture to his soft chestnut hair; small ripples of water reflected moonlight, adding a captivating glow to the fantastic picture.
"Yeah…" the brunette shared his partner's amazement with a soft smile, admiring the countless diamonds in the night sky.
Strong arms wrapped around Shusei's shoulders from behind; the blond pulled him into a warm embrace and whispered into his ear, "Shusei, you're beautiful."
Hotsuma's heat enveloped his smaller frame, bringing a small curve to his lips. Shusei turned his head to press their smiles together.
After a bottle of iced coffee milk, the boys returned to their shared room in matching dark blue yukata.
Tsukumo was almost asleep. Three sets of futon laid neatly in a row, with the silver-haired boy sitting on the set closest to the door with another pack of sweets in his hands.
"This is so exciting," Tsukumo chuckled, "it's been a long time since all three of us have shared a room," the sugary snack began to melt in his mouth, complementing his sweet memories.
"Yeah," Shusei smiled nostalgically as he sat on the middle set of bedding.
"Tsukumo, do you still roll around in your sleep?" Hotsuma scowled at the thought of another living being snuggling up to his beloved.
"I don't know," the younger boy smiled innocently, "Touko-chan would know."
"Bah," the blond shivered as he remembered how they found the affectionate siblings cuddling in bed, "I'll sleep in the middle."
"Hotsuma?" the brunette raised an eyebrow with amusement; he held his laughter at his partner's ironic question. You roll around a lot in your sleep…
"But I want to sleep next to Shusei too," Tsukumo's choice of words affirmed Hotsuma's decision.
"No," the blond firmly stated as he lifted his blanket; his partner got up and shifted to the futon next to the window. Shusei's mine!
"Aw… okay…" Tsukumo protested with a subtle pout, "goodnight guys," he rubbed his tired eyes as he lied down.
The brunette could not help but smiled at his companions' fight for his affection as he switched off the light before climbing into his futon, "goodnight."
"Night guys," Hotsuma greeted his roommates with a frown from their competition.
At this dormant hour, the moon casted a silver blanket over the room, a subtle glimmer outlined Shusei's silhouette.
The brunette was sound asleep. Unlike his resting partner, Hotsuma tossed and turned in his bed. He was used to holding his soul mate in his arms; he could not sleep no matter how hard he tried. Frustration began to brew before he was distracted by sudden movement on the other side.
Tsukumo got up silently; the thin paper door slid open and shut lightly as he left the room. A small wrinkle formed between Hotsuma's brows as he battled with his conscience. Tsukumo's gone. It's just me and Shusei now… I…
Following his heart, Hotsuma crawled over to Shusei, lifted his blanket, snuggled close to his other half and breathed out a small sigh of contentment.
Hazy garnet eyes fluttered open, "…Hotsuma?" it was no louder than a whisper.
It had been extremely difficult for Hotsuma to suppress himself throughout the day, especially with all the intimate contact that could not be taken further at the time. He rolled on top of his other half and planted a feather light kiss on his lips; his tongue gently tasted Shusei's sweetness. The brunette contained the moan forming at the back of his throat as Hotsuma tightened his grip on his shoulders.
After a few moments, the blond was faced with his soul mate's spellbinding garnet orbs as the pair parted for air.
"…Tsukumo is here…" Shusei whispered whilst gently pushing at Hotsuma's shoulders, his cheeks had a faint shade of pink.
"No he's not," the blond claimed Shusei's lips again, annoyance morphing into a sour taste of jealousy. Don't think about anyone else, you're mine. He possessively deepened their kiss as he slipped a hand into Shusei's yukata, caressing the hidden smoothness.
When their lips parted again, Shusei darted a quick glance across the room. There was no sign of Tsukumo. Within seconds, his vision was blocked by his lover's face.
"Shusei," his low, husky voice accompanied another kiss; the brunette felt more of his skin being exposed, "I can't take this anymore." Hotsuma gently sucked on his lower lip, his hips subconsciously grinded against Shusei's, "I need you." The evident bulge in his groin transferred his heated desire without the need for speech.
Tsukumo poured a small cup of water from a water machine at the other end of the hallway. The silver-haired boy retraced his footsteps and returned to their shared room.
As he carefully slid the door open, making sure not to disturb his roommates, his friends' erratic breathing filtered through to his sensitive ears. He caught a glimpse of the pair melting into each other's arms through the small gap in the door; he closed it quietly again and made his way to his beloved sister's room.
The girls were sleeping peacefully. He sat down next to Touko, brushed her hair lovingly before crawling into her futon, putting a protective arm around her, closing his eyes and soaked in her comforting presence.
Hotsuma's untamed golden strands glistened in the silver moonlight. Garnet orbs were captivated as memories flooded back. It was the same as that day all those years ago, when he first fell in love with the cosmic beauty of his partner's eyes, and the purity of his soul.
Slender hands caressed Hotsuma's cheeks; the blond shared his lover's smile as Shusei pressed their lips together. Hotsuma's lips brushed on his cheeks, planted butterfly kisses on his neck, followed his flawless contour to gently suck on his defined collarbones.
A skilful hand snaked up Shusei's thigh, teasingly massaging the milky skin before pulling down his underwear. The blond earned a gasp from his lover as he squeezed his growing erection.
Hotsuma's finger pushed lightly at his partner's entrance; his warm wet tongue teased Shusei's nipple, distracting pain with pleasure. Lightly trembling hands climbed up Hotsuma's back, bunching the soft fabric of his yukata into his fists as the blond advanced.
Being conscious that Tsukumo could return at any moment, Shusei's heart raced and he managed to mumble a small protest, "Hotsu…ma… don't…" the plead was interrupted by a second finger invading him, which made him swallow his words.
Hotsuma tugged at Shusei's underwear again, who lifted his hips slightly to help ease off the garment completely. The blond freed his own throbbing erection and waited patiently at his lover's entrance.
"Shusei…" the soft call of his name blanked out the rest of the world. Hotsuma pushed inside with as much care as he could, yearning for more of the delicious heat without hurting his soul mate.
The brunette bit on his lower lip to stop the escaping noises; Hotsuma replaced the restraint with a sweet kiss to fill his other half with love and affection.
Fingers interlocked as their bodies and souls united; the stars and heavens above blessed their intertwined red strings of fate to eternity.
In the morning, the boys woke up in each other's arms. Moonlight was replaced by sunshine; there was still no sign of their roommate.
The pair joined their companions for breakfast; they arrived to find the silver-haired boy sitting comfortably next to his precious sister. "Morning guys," he greeted with his usual smile.
"Morning Tsukumo. Where did you go?" Shusei expressed his care with a mild curve of his lips; his friend only replied with another smile.
"Shu-kun, Hotsu, did you guys have a good rest last night?" Tachibana asked out of genuine concern after the pair's investigation at the temple last night.
"Stupid Hotsuma, as if Shusei wasn't tired already," interrupting the conversation, Touko grumbled at the yawning blond and his quiet partner. The seemingly innocent accusation sparked a scarlet flush on the couple's faces.
- End -
Author's notes:
Aaah, there goes my 10th fic for our lovely boys *happy sigh* This is inspired by chapter 41 of the manga, came out a few days ago! I tried to avoid any major spoilers, (not that there was much said in chapter 41 itself *cough*). In short, Shusei and Hotsuma went to investigate about the wish tree, we have yet to see the results. And from Tachibana's rooms list, our boys are sharing a room with Tsukumo.
Also, some background info on onsen and onsen etiquette :3 .org/wiki/Onsen. Yukata is a cotton kimono that's usually worn before and after using the hot spring, also whilst in the hot spring resort.
Thank you for reading, comments and reviews are always loved! Spread the HotsuShu love