'Must be hurting like fuck.'

Takeru hardly spared Chiaki a glance. Instead he concentrated on not wincing while the kuroko carefully changed the bandages on his chest. Chiaki shook his head at the mess that was the wound from Juuzou's sword. 'Anyone ever told you you're batshit crazy, Takeru?'

The kuroko turned, and without being able to see their faces, Takeru knew they were sending Chiaki disapproving glances.

Like Chiaki would be bothered.

'No,' he gritted through his teeth. 'Shouldn't you be training?'

'Ehn, I told Jii I wanted to check on you.'

Takeru sighed.

The kuroko were done and getting ready to dress Takeru once more. Suddenly Chiaki was in their way. 'I'll take this,' he said, bestowing a truly charming smile on them. Takeru did not bother to argue with him, he simply waved the kuroko off, who left with an air of doubt.

Chiaki made no attempt to get him dressed even after they had left. Takeru was about to sigh once more when Chiaki knelt down beside him, carefully touching the place where the wound was. 'Does it hurt much?' he asked, voice different than before. Instead of sighing, Takeru shook his head.

'That was reckless, Takeru.'

Takeru raised an eyebrow. 'Look who's talking.'

Chiaki met his gaze with serious eyes. 'If I get beaten to a pulp by some Ayakashi it doesn't make much of a difference. You know it's different with you.'

Takeru winced, and Chiaki jerked back. 'Sorry!'

He needed a deep breath before speaking again, and reached for Chiaki's hand with his own. 'I'm very sure you would protest a lot if Kotoha were to say something like this.'

Chiaki sighed a bit, but gave no counter. 'So how bad does it actually hurt?'

Takeru considered. 'Not that much, as long as I keep still,' he answered, glad to see the smile reappearing. "Serious" looked strange on Chiaki.

'Does it hurt if I do that?' Chiaki's hands had found their way to the unbandaged parts of his upper body. Takeru felt a slight shiver cross his frame as he shook his head. 'Or this?'

One of the hands went around to his back, rubbing little circles into the skin. Takeru gave a quiet little sigh. 'No.'

'Tell me when to stop?'

Takeru nodded his acquiescence and permitted Chiaki to lower him onto the futon he had been sitting on. Chiaki himself stayed seated, touching, caressing, petting the parts of Takeru's body he could easily reach. Takeru closed his eyes. Their usual … encounters … were very different. More aimed at quick pleasure, less focused on touching any body part not promising that result. If it wasn't for Takeru, they would probably only kiss every three weeks or so, but he rather stubbornly insisted on kissing at least once during the whole procedure. Chiaki was much more—down to business in this regard.

He felt Chiaki leaning over him, returned the kiss and brought his good hand up to play a bit with Chiaki's hair. It had finally grown back to its original length. Takeru had had a hard time looking at Chiaki sometimes, the short hair reminding him all too much of what had transpired.

His pants were unzipped and shoved down his hips. Takeru made small sound. 'Chiaki, it's the middle of the day!' he whispered and was rewarded with a shrug.

'So who do you think is going to check? The others are training, Jii knows I wanted to check on you, you might have found something useful for me to do for all he knows.'

"Useful", definitely. Not in the sense Jii imagined, though. But Takeru raised his hips high enough for Chiaki to slip the pants off him, and was not surprised to see Chiaki's trousers following in their wake. The slow caresses continued, and would hardly have been enough to arouse him had it not been for the fact that Chiaki was nibbling his way down Takeru's body, and curse him, Takeru loved Chiaki doing that to him. He was also fond of doing it to Chiaki. But right now he suspected he would be rather inefficient in one of their usual games, having to deal with the restrictions his wound was imposing on him.

The warm mouth closed around him and Takeru moaned quietly, his hips automatically moving up to catch more of this warmth. Chiaki's tongue, confound that thing, he would have to cut it off one day, was twirling and swirling, and his hips were being kept down by Chiaki's hands now. Takeru wound his good hand in Chiaki's hair and helped Chiaki get into the rhythm of it, permitting himself to make small sounds. He knew they turned Chiaki on but given where they often ended up doing this, he could hardly ever allow himself that freedom. After all, sneaking into one another's bedroom was quite out of the question.

The mouth stopped and Takeru moaned in protest, opening his eyes to glance down towards Chiaki. Chiaki met his eyes with a twinkle in his own. And was that—

'Why a condom?' Takeru was surprised enough to not blush at the word even though he normally would have. Chiaki gave him a grin.

'Wait and see, Takeru. Wait and see.'

Takeru's fogged brain needed the sight of Chiaki placing himself across him, sinking down on him, to work out what was going to happen in a second.

'Chiaki, stop!'

Chiaki did stop, and blinked at him in surprise. 'What's the matter?'

Takeru hardly knew where to look. Not at Chiaki's face, anyhow, and not to where Chiaki's … interesting body part was standing proud and upright. 'You're going to hurt yourself,' he attempted to stall and was rewarded with a chuckle. They had never done this before. Everything had just been—hands. Thighs. Tongues. Mouths. Not the serious stuff.

'I prepared myself before I came in here.'

Takeru's eyes snapped to Chiaki's face at that. He was still straddling him, and where exactly did he get the stamina to stay in this half-raised position above Takeru? It looked quite uncomfortable!

'You—did?'

'Yeah, I did. I'm not particularly intent on hurting myself, you know? Or on ripping something down there.'

Takeru's hand cramped where it was situated on Chiaki's thigh. He was scared.

'Takeru? I've done this before. I know what I'm doing, alright?'

Takeru's eyes widened, and he looked at Chiaki with disbelief. 'Who?' he said before he could stop himself. Chiaki rolled his eyes.

'Honestly? You want to discuss this now?'

Takeru hesitated.

'Takeru? Do you even want to?'

He bit his lip. Then nodded, slowly. 'If—if you don't hurt …' he murmured, not even trying to conceal his horror of causing Chiaki any more pain than he had already been forced to take on Takeru's account.

Chiaki leant forward, catching his lips in a long, deep kiss. Takeru was panting by the time they separated, and Chiaki's hand on him was not doing anything to help his condition, condom or not.

'Then get ready for a ride,' Chiaki whispered against his lips, and proceeded to do what he had obviously been planning to do all along. Takeru heard himself give a little cry when he was enveloped by Chiaki's warmth once more, but it was much tighter than his mouth, and slicker, and oh good gods …

If there was any pain in his shoulder when Chiaki started moving on top of him, Takeru was certainly too preoccupied to notice. His fingers clamped down on Chiaki's hip, and he rocked up to meet Chiaki descending, eyes closed and too breathless to do anything but feel.

Which was most probably the reason it ended rather quickly. Takeru had just enough presence of mind to grab for Chiaki, haul him down by the front of his shirt which he had never taken off, and moan into his chest when the pleasure took him. Chiaki put his arms to both sides of his head, kissing his hair until Takeru sagged back, exhausted and content from tip to toe.

'Well? Good?'

Takeru opened his eyes to find Chiaki's gaze, half amused, half something else which he did not dare to speculate upon. 'Ah.'

It made Chiaki chuckle. 'Fair enough. Mind if I get down from you?'

Takeru shook his head. He watched languidly as Chiaki climbed down from him, noticed how carefully he moved and grabbed his shirt once more. 'Did I hurt you?'

Chiaki looked back at him and smiled. 'I'm fine, Takeru. Just—um, you'll have to give me a moment to sort this out.'

Takeru blushed following the gesture to Chiaki's lap. 'Ah, I did not—'

'Takeru, hush.'

Takeru did hush, but he also pulled Chiaki to him, holding him with his good arm and kissing and nipping at his neck, ears and the little place on his shoulder that made Chiaki shudder hard while Chiaki's hand moved on himself until he came with a groan. Takeru tightened his hold on him and listened to his breathing slow down to normal. He knew they had taken a lot longer than usual, one glance at the clock confirmed his suspicion that Chiaki had entered his room more than three quarters of an hour ago, and someone would start missing either him or Chiaki soon.

He still let go of Chiaki to grab for the blanket which lay discarded beside the futon, and wrap it around the both of them. If anyone should happen to enter, they would at least not be exposed. Chiaki especially.

'Why did you do that?' he murmured into the messy hair, tucking the blanket around Chiaki's legs.

'Endorphins,' was the simple answer, and Takeru shut up. He should have expected something along those lines. After all, between the two of them, it was all about chemical reactions.