Genma woke alone. It wasn't uncommon for him to find Raidou gone come morning, but he still disliked it. He didn't think he'd ever get used to it. Over the long, painful months he'd found Raidou in varying states of distress upon discovering his location, although the past few months had taught him that Raidou was doing better. He usually found somewhere to sit, alone, waiting for Genma to find him, or returning home when he was ready.
It was hard not to worry, though.
Gathering the duvet around his shoulders to combat the cold morning air, Genma shuffled into the hallway, checking the bathroom first, and then making his way towards the living room. It was there he found Raidou, sitting by the window and watching the scene beyond. The floor-to-ceiling window that took up almost entirely one wall was a big part of the reason they'd picked the flat. It didn't look out over much, but the small communal garden, with its few trees breaking up the sight of the opposite building and the lazy path meandering through it, was beautiful in its own way. Raidou was watching it now, as unseasonable snow fell and turned the silent world white.
Unwilling to break the spell, Genma moved to Raidou's side and sat next to him on the floor. When he offered the duvet, Raidou accepted. His arm was cold as he pressed against Genma, and Genma tried not to shiver.
"How long have you been here?" he asked, expecting no answer.
Raidou lent towards him, dropping his head onto Genma's shoulder, and Genma understood the gesture for what it was: I'm glad you're here now, please stay.
It seemed sensible to shift closer to Raidou and rearrange the duvet around them, enveloping them as best he could. When he was done, Genma looked out at the snow, caught by the beauty of it as fat snowflakes drifted towards the ground. As he watched, Raidou's arms snaked around his waist, the older man taking the warmth and comfort he needed from Genma.
He was surprised when, just a few minutes later, Raidou kissed him. Dry lips caressed his neck in a deliberate gesture, and Genma gave an audible gasp, shivering as warmth cascaded through his body. He turned towards Raidou, and found himself being kissed with such slow, consuming intensity he forgot himself. It had been so long since he'd felt this, since Raidou had asked for what Genma knew but hardly dared to believe he was asking for.
It had been so long since he had made love to Raidou that Genma found tears stinging his eyes, the trembling in his limbs threatening to ruin everything before they'd even begun. He tried to relax, to let Raidou guide everything, but his hands remembered paths they used to trace and reached for them, his body remembered the way they moved together and quickly tried to fall into the rhythm of it.
And Raidou allowed it. He pulled Genma to him, sighing in relief when they lay down, Genma's weight above him and the duvet tangling their limbs. As they worked the clothes from each other's bodies, Genma rearranged the duvet, letting it cushion Raidou from the carpet while still half covering them. Their skin exposed to the grey light of the scene outside, he refocused on the most important thing of all: the man beneath him.
Raidou was beautiful. Genma told him as much. He whispered it against his skin, against his scars, telling him how much he loved him, how handsome he was, how he stole his breath every time. He followed his words with actions, and his actions with yet more words, until Raidou was lax beneath him, open and pliant and receptive to all the love Genma wanted to give him.
They made love beneath the silent, beautiful scene, lost in the warmth of each other. The sounds Raidou made were the most beautiful thing Genma had ever heard, and all the fractured, fragile pieces of his heart were mended by them, and by the sight of Raidou surrendering to the love he deserved and Genma so desperately wanted to give him.
In the afterglow, their racing hearts pressed close together, Genma listened to the silence beyond their breathing, imagining what it would be like to hear it change. He wondered if this was the moment, if he'd head Raidou's voice return to him.
It didn't happen. He didn't really mind.
He shifted, pressing a kiss to Raidou's cheek. "I love you," he breathed.
Rather than kissing back, Raidou curled his arms around him, holding Genma close as he nuzzled his neck. He knew what that meant. He smiled, and ran his fingers though Raidou's hair, and accepted all the love he was given in return.