Ren remembers the sort of person Aichi was under the thrall of Psyqualia, so when he asks to tie Ren up, Ren accepts thinking he knows what to expect. He buys the handcuffs because Aichi is too embarrassed, and as Aichi chains his ankles apart and his hands over his head, Ren prepares to have their position lorded over him with derision and violence, and that same cruel, sweet voice. He thinks it sounds a little exciting, but more than that, he thinks whatever happens here is fine, because I'm still stronger.
But Aichi's eyes are careful and calm, and Ren doesn't know how to respond when all he does is touch Ren's face.
He sweeps away Ren's hair until his face is completely exposed; the air feels strange against his forehead, and he almost wants to shake his head to cover it with his bangs again, but Aichi cups his face in both hands and strokes his thumbs along his cheekbones and Ren doesn't have the option. Aichi skims his fingertips down Ren's throat and it's so strange, how little he's doing and how gently he's doing it, as if he really only wants to look and touch and nothing fiercer, that Ren squirms in his bonds and whines, "Aichi-kun, is this all?"
"Eh?" Aichi's fingers rest in the dips above Ren's collarbones, and for some reason that, too, is aggravating. Aichi smiles with his eyebrows drawn towards each other, in a very Aichi-like expression, and says, "I'm sorry, Ren-san, please be a little patient with me."
Ren doesn't want to, but there is nothing he can do to make Aichi speed up or anger. He can't even touch him in return, to encourage him or to wear at his unpleasant composure; he can only lie back and withstand the pads of Aichi's fingers sinking softly into his neck, beneath his jaw. Ren shakes his hair back into his face after all, and Aichi brushes it back again with a smile.
Aichi pulls down one of his sleeves and wraps his hand around Ren's wrist, his thumb trailing until it settles on Ren's pulse. "You know, Ren-san, you're surprisingly frail," he tells him, and Ren realizes, suddenly, that he's gritting his teeth so hard they're starting to ache and that he hates this. "I think your wrists are thinner than mine," Aichi adds, and Ren meant to make light of it because not doing it somehow felt like losing, but Aichi's other hand found its way between his legs and he ends up gasping, rocking into it on impulse. "Oh," says Aichi, with that same unruffled smile, and then he removes his hand and it would be no exaggeration to say Ren briefly thinks of murder.
Why? Why was this getting to him so much?
"Wha-t? Isn't that the point of this?" he drawls at Aichi, trying to compose himself. Aichi's thumb shifts at his wrist as a reminder, and Ren realizes with a spike of what is undeniably arousal that he can feel exactly how unraveled Ren is, whether Ren tries to hide it or not.
He hates this. He definitely hates this- the serene, pleased look on Aichi's face as he exposes vulnerable spots and exploits them in ways that shouldn't be sexual at all, touching veins and lethal points. Aichi hasn't so much as touched him firmly and yet he feels small and crushed and powerless.
"You must be getting worked up too, right? It must be fun since you're doing it so much," he keeps going, grasping despite himself for anything to tear down Aichi's self-control.
"A little," Aichi admits, and reaches for Ren's face once more. He leans in so close Ren's vision strains not to blur, and he traces the line of Ren's nose, his lips, covers Ren's mouth with his palm when he tries to lick his fingers. The end of one finger finds itself resting on top of one cheekbone, just below Ren's eye, and Aichi seems to stare at it for a time.
And then it slowly inches upwards.
Ren doesn't know what to expect - not an injury, not any real harm - but he can hardly breathe around his heart in his throat.
Aichi's nail skims along his lower eyelashes, and Ren says, lightly, casually, with a slight tremble, "Please stop, Aichi-kun."
And Ren can see the look in his eyes, the power hungry light Ren was seeking out barely a minute ago, because in this moment there is absolutely nothing which could stop him from going on.
"Sorry," he says, and pulls back, with that same Aichi-like expression as always, while Ren takes what feels like his first breath in years. "Do you want to stop?" he asks, even as he grabs the key and unlocks the cuffs at Ren's wrists.
"No."
"Okay," Aichi agrees, leaving his feet bound. "Then stay there, okay?"
He slides down between Ren's legs, and Ren uses his freedom of movement to bury his face in his hands.