PSOH Shin Tokyo 'Testing, Testing. One, Two, Three'
When Count D arrived, at three o'clock on a blustery Saturday afternoon, Taizuu was waiting. He'd been waiting, actually, since Count D left (with kisses and promises of returning soon) four-and-a-half weeks previously. But this time he was sure the Count was coming, if not precisely when, and had one of his men stationed outside the Pet Shop door day and night. His tenant, the other Count D, had complained about the surveillance, but only briefly, for Taizuu had sent up one of his spare cheesecakes in apology. And then another, when the wait dragged on.
He captured the Count as soon as the man ventured out the red lacquered door, parasol in his gloved fingers, his body cloaked in dark wool against the cold. Woo Fei's man had alerted him to the sound of voices within the Pet Shop moments before, though, oddly, no one had seen the Count actually arrive. That made no difference to Taizuu – he'd given up on asking 'how' and only concentrated on 'when' and 'how soon.'
So he'd galloped up the stairs – all 13 flights – as soon as he was called (to make sure he'd covered all possible routes of escape, of course) and was there waiting, waiting, his guard dismissed and that particular elevator blocked to all others, all so he could hold his lover in his arms as soon as humanly possible.
He was fairly sure he'd die if he didn't.
And so he did, the grey lace parasol clattering to the floor unheeded, the Count bowing back under the onslaught of a perfect storm of kisses, swaying like a willow twig in a hurricane. Those same suit-clad arms became an ardent cage, their mouths joining like mating butterflies, their bodies fusing together at every point of contact as if welded. For endless moments they stood all alone in the small marbled foyer, the tall bespectacled man and the shorter elegant one, so close that not even an atom could have been slipped between them, tasting, sipping, partaking of the welcome feast of each other's lips.
The Count had, of course, barely a second to see who it was who swept him so close before Woo Fei's lips covered his scarlet ones, hot tongue invading, hard hips
shoving his slighter frame against the painted wall. But he hadn't minded, apparently, returning Taizuu's kisses with sufficient pent-up ardor to convince even most anxious of lovers that he'd been missed.
They were both panting for breath when they finally broke apart far enough to gaze into each other's eyes.
"Come with me?" the Pet Shop's landlord begged in a throaty murmur, eyes half-lidded with desire. He had only one goal left in his life at that point – getting the Count into his bed, also as fast as humanly possible.
"With you?" the Count echoed breathlessly, a half-smile curving his kiss-smeared lips. Taizuu frowned, wondering briefly if there could be any other and then immediately forgot that uncomfortable thought when the Count smiled at him flirtatiously.
"Well…I suppose," the elegant man continued, teasing in his habitual way, comfortable in the thought that Young D was safe with his grown son and the detective, being entertained and watched over for as long as hispater was…busy.
"That is, if you wish my company…." Count D said, an edge of mockery in his light, low voice, an eyebrow arched inquiringly. He watched Taizuu's face flush as the poor young man became slightly flustered.
"Of course I wish! Always – but you know that, Count!" Taizuu responded, fussing with conviction, his face going fierce under the blush. He received a blindingly beautiful smile in return and felt instantly better, so much so that he pressed closer, reducing the distance between him and the Count to mere millimeters.
"But…is it really alright? Can you leave?" Taizuu continued hesitantly, one small part of his brain aware that he might not come first in his lover's schedule. Perhaps the Count had other plans. Maybe he needed to get back to his son. The thought made Taizuu tense and his fingers tightened painfully on the Count's shoulders for a second. He didn't want to wait. He'd already waited forever.
"Indeed I can," the Count answered blithely. A faint twitch in his belly brought a destination to mind, reminding him of the time. It was past four.
"Shall we visit the Station, then? There's a tea shop there-"
"I have tea. And cakes," Taizuu interrupted firmly, reassured and solidly back on track to achieving his goal. One of his large hands found the Count's pointed chin and tilted it up. He placed a dainty kiss on the nearly invisible dimple and then another on the moist red mouth that beckoned to him, still parted questioningly. The Count eyed him but made no objection. Taizuu took that as a blatant invitation, an opportunity, even. His other hand wandered casually down the smooth silk under the woolen cloak, caressing the curve of a hip and the soft roundness of the Count's trim derrière, urging him closer, closer.
"And toast and crumpets, too. All for you."
"Mnmh?" The Count breathed his interest against the caress of another brushing kiss.
"If you're hungry, come with me," Taizuu ordered softly, lips sliding up the Count's cheek in a series of tiny kisses till he could taste the silk of D's hair. He thought he would drown in pheromones, so sweet was the scent rising faintly from the Count's warm body. It nearly undid him, but he held on bravely, knowing they needed privacy for what he wanted to do next. The Count actually blushed at the sultry look in his ardent eyes.
"I have everything you need, you know," the young landlord enticed, sliding a sideways glance at the soft color rising in the Count's pale face. It made his heart burn in his chest, that shy look.
"Indeed? And do you have White Jasmine Oolong? That is my favorite, you know," the Count smiled fondly, golden eyes sparkling with delight, his own hands creeping up to Taizuu's broad shoulders and pulling him gently closer.
"Umm. And tartes au limon. Napoleons. Mocha torte. Cream puffs. Fresh this morning," Taizuu answered softly, punctuating each phrase with another kiss, "so please… come… with… me."
The landlord pushed forward again, masterfully nudging himself against the Count's slighter body, easing them both up against the wall. The pressure in his groin was nearly unbearable now and he couldn't help but say it again.
"Please."
He ground his hips forward then, giving the Count a preview of his urgent arousal, and circled his tongue round the rim of one small ear, dipping in suddenly and then nipping the softness of the lobe, seeking to drive the Count into the same state that he was so helplessly caught in. The Count shuddered ever so faintly in response and snaked his hands around Taizuu's neck, tugging him down so that their mouths met once again, briefly, tasting.
"Are you prepared, then? I am quite hungry," he murmured throatily. There was unmistakably an answering rise between his silk clad hips. Taizuu groaned against those soft red lips, lost to sanity.
"Yes," he growled, hasty fingers already pushing the cloak off the Count's shoulders, unfastening the top buttons of his lover's watered silk robe, mouth grazing the hollow at the base of the Count's pale neck before it traveled to suck the nub of a nipple jutting up through the silk. The Count pressed himself against that mouth and sighed.
"Yes!"
Woo Fei was maddened now, starving for the taste of sweet flesh burning under thin cloth, fumbling damp fingers to stroke the swell between the Count's thighs, coaxing them apart so that he could haul up the exquisitely fashioned tunic and shove himself into heaven. He would have done so, for intense daily exercise had honed his strength and he'd become quite formidable under the suit, but the Count stayed him after a long breathless moment, mindful of their place just outside his grandson's door, and threw his fine-boned hands up in defense, capturing Taizuu's wrists in a steely grip. He edged back, so that they were no longer glued together, the rush of cooler air filling the vacuum between them and bringing Taizuu fully to his senses.
"Woo Fei!" the Count said sharply, his tone a reprimand in itself.
"Unngh," Neo Chinatown's owner groaned, feverish heat washing up his working throat, weak now that his soul's sustenance had pulled away. He stopped, though, settling his shackled hands on the jut of the Count's hips, resting his head on the Count's shoulder, his breathing harsh, grimacing when he remembered where they were, wincing at the pain in his wrists.
"Sorry," came his shamefaced whisper a moment later, followed immediately by a heartfelt plea, which sounded to the Count's ears no more than a child's anxious whine.
"Can we go home now? I need you."
The Count petted his swain automatically, ruffling the already rumpled hair.
He hadn't really meant to be quite so…. he thought. Well, he should have been the one to keep control, being so much older.
"Yes, yes, of course, love. I'm sorry as well – I didn't mean to tease you," the Count answered, regret staining his champagne eyes a darker hue.
"I beg pardon." He released Taizuu's hands, but the landlord only wrapped wool-clad arms around him again, pulling him close in a gentle hug, unable to be apart even for a moment.
"It's alright," Taizuu brought his head up finally so he could gaze down at his lover's contrite expression, "and it's my fault, really. I just wanted you a little too much…but then I always do."
He pressed a gentle kiss on the Count's forehead, smoothing back the rumpled strands of blue-black silk, struggling to think rationally, act coolly. Perhaps the Count hadn't enjoyed his loss of control. He would have to do better.
"How long can you be away?"
"Hours. All night if need be," the Count responded blithely, as Taizuu gently eased him toward the waiting elevator, not wanting to waste a moment more in the hallway. "And you?"
"As long as you're here and available, Count. There's nothing on my schedule but you," Taizuu answered, already turning the master key in the elevator lock with one hand, the other still keeping the Count close.
They'd have to make a run for it across the lobby, he thought, for he would allow nothing and no one to interrupt them now. Plus he'd embarrass himself greatly if anyone saw him, for there was no way his hard on was ever going to go down, not until the Count gave him sweet release.
"Then…why wait for that machine, my love?" the Count smiled as he glanced up, a glint in his fine eyes that hadn't been there seconds before. "We should make the most of our time, correct?"
"Hmm?" Taizuu responded, puzzled, not sure which machine the Count was referring to, not sure why his lover was suddenly so…prickly. Had he done something wrong again?
The elevator jerked and hissed in its shaft and started on an automatic trip down, doors shut fast. It would be a minute or more before it returned, ready to take passengers. Taizuu frowned at the marble doors.
"Wait. What do you mean? This?"
"Hold tight, dear one. And close your eyes," the Count answered, not really answering at all, lacing his arms around Taizuu's waist, clinging with all his might.
"Wha-?" Taizuu began, but he obediently shut his eyes and returned the slighter man's fierce embrace.
"Alright…if you want me to."
"Imagine your room, if you would be so kind, especially your bed." The Count's voice was nothing but a throaty whisper in Taizuu's ear, barely audible.
"O...kay?" Unsure, but willing, Taizuu brought to mind his king-size bed, neatly made this morning by the staff, covered in a tasseled burgundy velvet coverlet and a down comforter, feather pillows neatly stacked.
He'd have the Count on it in just a few moments, he knew, his pulse rate increasing at the thought.
He felt something then, some faint rush of air, a little jolt as if he and the world were realigning, and opened his startled eyes to see a tasseled burgundy velvet covered bed, goose down blanket folded ready at the bottom, towers of pillows at its head.
"Huh?"
…..
"As you see. I don't believe we'll have problem meeting if you relocate, do you?" the Count smiled calmly, releasing his death grip on Taizuu's waist, stepping back out of a now lax hold to shed his cloak in one smooth movement and toe off his shoes.
"Nothing to worry about, really," he remarked casually, carefully watching the face of the tall, dark-haired man beside him.
Woo Fei blinked, remembering all the other odd things he'd seen in the company of the Counts, and shut his open mouth. He smiled fiendishly a second later, his whole face transformed with gleeful satisfaction, a happy realization dawning.
He was free!
"No! No, I don't have to worry! Not at all – and Father can't do a damned thing about it!"
Taizuu was now practically dancing in place, grabbing at the Count's busy hands and pumping them up and down with joy, a great wash of relief turning him completely giddy.
"Damn, that's good! That's good, Count! God, how I love you! You're wonderful, just wonderful!"
The Count laughed, for Taizuu was so amusing….and so downright adorable, to be this accepting of his unusual lover's more unusual abilities. But still, he wasn't so simple as to believe Woo Fei would accept the fact he'd been physically relocated a vertical space of twelve floors with no questions asked.
He would wait and watch. The young boss of Neo Chinatown was by no means a stupid man.
"This does mean I can see you more often, right?"
Taizuu's look of blinding expectancy was back in full force, transforming the hard planes of his handsome face into something much softer.
"Every week? Every day?"
The Count gazed at his capering, babbling companion, golden eyes wide, serious now, for this was his best chance to test the waters; gauge exactly how far Woo Fei would follow him down the path to belief.
"Anytime I want? Weekends and mid-week – I'm free on Wednesdays mostly. But that's all the time – I love seeing you, touching you, being with you. Your voice and your eyes and your smile – they make me feel so good. It makes me so damned happy when you're here with me. I want to see you everyday, wake up with you beside me, share my meals with you-"
Neo Chinatown's owner wrapped his large hands more carefully around the Count's, cradling the smaller fingers gently so that the manicured talons rested against his palms, and then raised them to his lips. A whispering kiss was placed on each pale knuckle, the backs of each of the Count's well-kept hands.
"It's like we're a real couple all of the sudden…I'm not an idiot to think that, am I?"
Worried eyes the color of dark chocolate focused on the Count's face suddenly, peering over their joined hands. Taizuu's dark brows quirked into an anxious frown, chasing his ecstatic glow away.
"This is real, right? That wasn't just my imagination? You did that, right? For me?"
The Count smiled wistfully, seeing the juxtaposition of pale and tan, short and well-kept entwined with long and polished. Such a contrast, he and Taizuu. But still…it was such a comforting gesture, so tender.
It wasn't that he doubted this young man's feelings; oh no, more that he doubted they would persist once Woo Fei understood precisely how different his lover truly was from anyone else he'd ever known. The Count had deliberately kept his hand hidden thus far, for it had barely mattered when it was only a light flirtation, but now it was time to wave an ace or two under Taizuu's nose and see how his convention-bound lover would react.
It might make all the difference in the world, this experiment. This was not exactly the same situation as he had encountered before, after all.
Not even human. A monster.
He'd been called that; likely all the Counts had heard something similar. And it had pained him, for he was no monster, no more than his small-minded accusers.
But it truly worried him this time, for all the Count's other lovers had either been inhuman and uncaring of the nature of the Counts or else nowhere near as sharp as this boy who stood before him, grinning like a kid and kitted out in a designer suit.
Even the Marquis had not been so attuned to the Count's feelings. And intelligence often obscured belief… to its detriment.
To be ultimately rejected for such a reason would be most painful. He had grown entirely too fond of this scion of Chinese business aristocracy.
Still, he was betting on Woo Fei. Neo Chinatown's owner was entirely genuine under his expensive suit, a real man, a real person. Just like the Detective, he seemed to handle shocks of this kind quite well, never letting the oddities get in the way. So purposeful. So…reliable.
So….
"You wish to see me that often? Even if it involves…travelling...my way? It can be quite disconcerting for humans, Taizuu. You may even feel ill."
"Of course I wish! Don't even ask me that – it's not up for debate, Count."
Taizuu finally let go of the Count's hands, but only to take over the half-done process of unbuttoning him, nervously chatting away again, his eyes intent on the skin the parted cloth revealed. A hint of color burned in his cheeks, high up, for he had been terribly afraid for that split-second.
If it had been all a joke, a trick – if the Count was playing him -
Taizuu took a deep breath, calming himself, well aware that his precious time with the Count was slipping away. What did he care if his love was made from a completely different mold? It wasn't as though it would staunch the unending well of emotion that filled him. And if the truth were known, he'd realized long ago that the man he was in love with was no man at all.
It hadn't mattered. It didn't matter. To put it bluntly, he didn't give a fuck. The Count was the Count. And Woo Fei loved him.
Not even death would change that.
"So, can you come next weekend? Or can I come to your Shop? Whichever – I don't care. As long as I get to see you."
He paused, pressing his lips to the Count's bared breastbone, his eyes closing with relief, for the anxiety had vanished again, blown away by the smiling nod from his incredible, wonderful Count.
There would be nothing to keep them apart, now. Life had just become immeasurably better.
"That's damned handy, you know?" Woo Fei pulled back and looked up, his smile blindingly bright again. "A real godsend."
A silent question crossed the Count's pale face.
"We can save a fortune on plane fare, you see. And hotels. And it won't matter where I am or where you are, we can still be together. You won't have to leave work, because I can come to you now. And your son will get used to me faster, which—"
"You…really don't mind?"
"No. Why should I? I always thought you were special, you know," Taizuu answered matter-of-factly, dropping a kiss on the Count's nose in passing, easing the tight silk down carefully.
"And I don't care what you are, as long as you're with me. You could have three heads and it wouldn't matter. I'd still love you."
"Very accepting of you," the Count sniffed, but he was hiding a smile.
"No! It's not – I'm not the most open-minded person, Count." Neo Chinatown's owner answered, shaking his head emphatically. The Count nodded in agreement, as it seemed Taizuu expected it.
"Even I know that. It's more self-serving, you see? I'm selfish. I want you, so I don't care if you're human or not human or whatever, because you are exactly who I want. The only one I'll ever want. It sounds stupid when I say it out loud, but I think I was born wanting you," Woo Fei declared, having finally eased the cheongsam down past the width of the Count's hips. He followed it down, mouth to skin, folding his long legs beneath him, his chocolate-tinted eyes both embarrassed and worshipping.
"I think I've just been waiting for you, all this time."
He sent a shy smile upwards, glancing away immediately for it made him anxious still to so openly reveal his heart. But he had nothing to lose anymore, no pride left to hide behind. And it was better this way – the Count would have to believe him, have to stay-
"There's nothing else that matters, you see? Only you."
Ducking his head, he kissed the fine-grained skin that stretched thin across the Count's hips, and then bent down further to find the hollow behind one dimpled knee, tickling the Count with the tip of his questing tongue. The golden-eyed man shivered in response, his suddenly trembling legs buckling enough for him to grab at Taizuu's shoulders for support.
The Count could admit that he was somewhat relieved, but relief was being rapidly swamped by other far more pressing emotions.
Like desire…and love. The up-and-coming businessman nibbling his shins was indeed one-of-a-kind and the Count was most grateful for it. It improved his opinion of the humans considerably, being adored by one. It gave him a connection which he realized - in hindsight - had been sorely lacking.
This world, this place-and-time, was indeed meant for him. He was part of it again, no longer simply an observer. He belonged, courtesy of Woo Fei.
"Mmm. Yes….Then perhaps you should not address me so formally, if I'm to be the love of your life, Woo Fei," the Count smiled down at his supplicant, well-pleased. He was falling, he knew, but it didn't bother him; no, not at all.
Woo Fei would surely catch him.
"And what should I call you?" Taizuu asked, teasing in turn, his confidence soaring when he saw the look in the Count's eyes, pressing yet more dainty kisses in passing on the elegant turn of an ankle, the arch of a foot. He worked his way up the other leg, sure now of the effect upon his lover, pausing only at the juncture of the Count's thighs.
"My love? My heart? My darling?" Each endearment was accompanied by the darting of Taizuu's tongue deep into the crevices at the joint of hip and thigh, the puckered flesh of the Count's sac.
"You're all of those, to me."
"Call me 'D,' please," sighed the Count, spreading his legs apart to allow it and settling himself firmly within the hands that now grasped his hips.
Really, Woo Fei was quite…skilled.
"I don't think I can bear it if you call me 'Count' one more time," Woo Fei's lover continued breathlessly, jiggling as a hot mouth engulfed his swollen balls. "Not while you're doing that."
"This?" Chocolate eyes turned up to meet the Count's glowing ones. "D?"
Taizuu smiled the syllable, careful not to bite, having found his true niche in the world, his calling. His noble victim groaned, admitting defeat, for he was entirely exposed to the tongue that teased him. He arched his spine, throwing his head back, because the look Taizuu turned upon him was just too sweet. The Count could not bear it – he had waited so long.
"Could you…please… stop fooling around?" he begged after a moment of additional torture. His fine skin was covered in goose bumps now, his nipples hard and red. A flush had crept up his chest and he glowed with a faint sheen of perspiration, so that Taizuu's nose was overcome with the sultry bouquet of an aroused Count.
"Mmmn," Taizuu murmured, but he didn't stop.
"And…and – ah! - get on with it?" the Count demanded, his voice rougher as Taizuu ran his teeth along the length of his lover's shaft.
"Um?" A swallowing motion sent the Count up on his tippy-toes, trembling.
"Just take me, hmm? I want you to!" he urged peevishly, but Woo Fei knew he wasn't angry at all.
"Who's fooling?" Woo Fe mumbled under his breathe around the mouthful he'd so hungrily engulfed, his dark head level with the Count's midsection now, large capable hands gripping D's buttocks. He pressed his face into the Count's groin, inhaling, drunk on the scent of love, his smile yet another small caress.
"D," Taizuu sighed, for he was in heaven.
"Ah!" was all the Count could say then, his eyes wide and staring, for he was being consumed now by ravaging mouth that gave him no rest and fingers that found their way unerringly to his sweet spot, the center of his desire. Taizuu reached up and wrapped cushioning arms around him when he could no longer stand and eased his willing captive deftly onto the bed, eyes alight with amorous intent.
There was nothing else more important than this, nothing, Woo Fei thought frantically, sucking the nectar from the Count's swollen head, licking up the pearly cum that dotted that white belly when the beautiful creature below him finally let go. Rearing up from his crouching position on the lushly carpeted floor, he tugged open the Count's long white legs, exposing that place, the one he'd willingly die to enter.
That four-and-a-half weeks had been an eternity of hell, for having once tasted heaven, he could no longer survive without it. And now it was before him and he would never again be left behind waiting, hoping, dying on the vine – not tomorrow, not the next day. Tomorrow he could wake and see his love beside him. Next week.
Next year.
Taizuu closed his eyes in a brief prayer of thanks to whoever might be listening.
"My love," he mumbled, scrambling to bring himself to the ready, the tips of his fingers teasing the twitching Count almost beyond readiness.
"My love. Take me. Let me in!"
"P-please!"
"D!"
Woo Fei cried out that one syllable, entirely mindless now, seeing only the blushing face below him, the perfection of a boyishly flat chest and narrow hips, shimmering champagne eyes and parted lips, nearly cumming even as he first thrust into his lover, blood thrumming in his head, popping the veins along his bracing arms. He could not hold back, could not hold on, even as he wanted to, for he had no control over himself anymore. It was gone, torn away and possibly lost forever, for D was his, today and tomorrow, and Woo Fei was exultant, as he had never been before.
"D!"
Three short strokes and it was over, the Count screaming softly under him as he, too, came, the pale arch of his body bowed up to meet Woo Fei's, painted nails scrabbling at the burgundy velvet.
"…Yes," the Count said reflectively a few minutes later after he'd caught his breath. "Say it just like that, my name. Promise me." He smiled winsomely into the sweaty shoulder of his comatose lover, somewhat silly still.
"Always…always, D." Woo Fei would barely form words, but he answered anyway, slipping into welcome blackness, knowing only that his Count wanted and that he would give.
"D."
Tomorrow. Next week.
Always D.
Next decade. Next lifetime.
Always.