Cecil/Syo is one of those ships that I can't explain or find good reason for, and yet still ship really, really hard. So there really isn't much to say except I hope you enjoy, be wary of boy/boy if that's not your thing, and I don't own the characters. : D

Funny Business

He wasn't sure if he was worn out, spent by the activity of the day, or simplify so relaxed that his body protested his every move. Maybe it was a little bit of each. Work hadn't exactly been easy that day, mentally or physically, and he had returned home with his shoulders knotted with stress and his mind busy with too many thoughts. He didn't want to talk, didn't want to do anything except find a way to work the anxiety from his limbs and forget about life for a while. Luckily for him, he knew exactly where to go to find that escape.

He barely opened his eyes as he felt a warm hand lift his leg and a pair of lips press against the inside of his knee. There was a sensitive spot there that never failed to make him squirm, and he couldn't find the energy to care that the other man was bending and moving his limbs to get to it. Their nights always ended up like this; a tangle of limbs and warmth and flung off sheets, Cecil grinning and Syo just trying to keep his eyes open.

"Hey," Lips touched the spot again and Syo shivered, wondering if it really was such a good thing that Cecil knew all of the little places that drove him nuts. "Are you going to fall asleep on me?"

"Maybe," Syo answered, and hooked his leg over Cecil's shoulder. "Will you let me if I wanted to?"

"I'd be bored." It used to be that Syo thought Natsuki was the king of whining, but Cecil had him beat by a long shot. "It's not even late, and you're not working tomorrow."

"Doesn't make me any less tired."

The prince sighed, and Syo put his disappointment out of his mind. One of the first things he had learned about Cecil when they became involved was his selfishness, and how not getting his way would make him pout and whine. Eventually Cecil would get over it and move on, and they would both be happier for it. Syo just needed to ignore him until he did, lest he be stuck catering to the man's every whim.

"I have a gift for you, will that help you stay awake?"

The idea was intriguing enough for Syo to peek open one eye and look at his lover. Somehow Cecil always managed to come out of their romps looking only the slightest bit disheveled, no matter how Syo tried to make it otherwise. It drove him crazy.

"What kind of gift?"

Cecil ran his hand up Syo's leg, tracing slowly from ankle to calf, over his knee to his thigh. "A gift you'll like."

"Think so?" Syo sighed. He was tired, but he supposed to could stay awake a bit longer if it meant Cecil would stay cheerful, and more than that let him sleep. He just needed to sit up and move a little, and he was sure some of the heavy relaxation would shake loose. "Okay, okay, I'll stay up as long as I can. But no more funny business, cause I'm way too tired for that." He pushed himself up on his hands and swung his leg down from Cecil's shoulder to free him, wondering if it was somehow Cecil's doing that he was so flexible now.

The prince smiled almost sweetly and leaned in, his hand brushing a stray strand of hair from his lover's face. Syo knew that smile; it was the smile he used to melt girls' hearts, to make them fall hopelessly in love with him before they even said hello. It was kind, loving, pure…and Syo trusted that smile about as far as he could throw Cecil.

"It's all funny business to you," Cecil whispered, his lips close to Syo's ear as he ran a single finger up the length of Syo's spine.

The simple touch made the heat pulse through Syo's body again and his back arch involuntarily. It made his knees go weak, his limbs quiver, and for a brief second he considered rethinking his declaration of 'no funny business.'

"God dammit, Cecil. What did I tell you?!"

"Don't remember," the man chirped as he rolled from the bed, far too pleased with his own successes.

Syo growled and watched him as he moved around the room and rummaged for the mysterious gift. Cecil was selfish, but worse, he knew how to play Syo better than any instrument and Syo kind of liked that. Maybe it was his size or something else that immediately made people's minds jump to the conclusion that he was small and therefore delicate, but whatever the reason, Syo hated it. He had never been delicate, never needed to be coddled even if he was the shortest, the lightest, the youngest. Cecil had never cared. He had quickly and cheerfully come to the conclusion that Syo was like a kitten; tiny and cute but mostly malleable and difficult to permanently damage. The idea and the nickname stuck, and Syo had stopped trying to fight it.

"Here you go," Cecil padded back to the bed and hopped beside him, a small black box clutched in his hand. "I had it sent from home."

Syo eyed the box warily. It was too small to be anything too bad, but then again…a lot of expensive things came in very small packages. He didn't know what kind of money Cecil had at his disposal, but the thought of the prince spending a lot on him made him uncomfortable. It wasn't as though he could easily explain away expensive gifts, and Natsuki had a knack for being unnervingly observant.

"Should I be worried?"

"No, I think you'll like it. Are you going to open it or…" He spoke the last words just millimeters away from Syo's ear, his breath warm and tickling and suggestive without him needing to say anything at all.

Syo pushed him away. "I'll open it! I said no funny business!" He ignored Cecil as the man dropped back to the pillows and sprawled out, and lifted the lid of the little box.

To his great relief, it wasn't outlandish, just two simple braided leather cords bound together and strung with two glass beads, one pale pink, the other pale green. He lifted it carefully and set the box aside as Cecil sat up and looked over his shoulder.

"Well? What do you think?"

"I like it," Syo admitted. It was simple, but he liked the mix of colors and black, liked the smoothness of the round glass beads. He turned it over in his hands. "Thanks."

"I know you like accessories," Cecil explained, pressing his front to Syo's back and reaching over his shoulder to loop his finger through the cord. "I noticed you didn't have one of these. Originally it was blue and green, but I told them to replace the blue with pink because you like pink, and the colors go together better."

Syo was oddly touched by the amount of thought Cecil had point into it. For as selfish as he could be, Cecil had actually considered what Syo would like, almost as much as Syo himself would have. "I really do like it. You had me nervous when you said it came from home. Might be a little big though…"

"Ah, it's for your ankle, not your wrist, kitten." Cecil plucked it from his hands and rolled over to climb in front of him. "You have plenty of bracelets and hats and things, but not this, I noticed."

"That'd make you the first to notice," Syo grinned and lifted both of his ankles to rest on Cecil's shoulders. Maybe he could let the guy get away with a little funny business. He had picked a pretty nice gift, after all. "So which ankle? Left? Right?"

"Right." With a grin Cecil looped the cords around his ankle and attached them. He tilted his head to the side. "I like it. Suits you very well."

Syo raised his leg and looked at it. It did suit him well, the beads just heavy enough to remind him they were there without being cumbersome. "I agree with you."

"Good." Without bothering to push Syo's leg to the side, Cecil leaned forward, braced his hands on either side of the blonde's head, and kissed him. It was a gentle kiss, but lined with want and suggestion. Cecil still wasn't tired, and he was hopeful his gift had put some energy back into his lover.

Syo found himself considering it as he hooked his leg around Cecil's lower back and tugged him closer. It was more than just the gift that made him rethink his earlier declaration; Cecil was just so damn good at being seductive, so stupidly talented at making every bad idea seem like the best idea. It was exactly how they had ended up in bed the first time; high on the adrenaline of a good concert, Cecil's light kiss to Syo's throat and his teasing suggestion about how much better their onstage chemistry would be if they gave in to all of the pent up sexual tension and slept together. Agreeing had seemed like such a fantastic idea at the time, and before Syo could even consider that it might makes things complicated they were in bed, working out all of the pent of tension that Cecil had alluded to with hard kisses and clutching of the sheets. Syo had woken up the next morning, sore and satisfied, to two missed calls from Natsuki and a sly message from Ren assuring him that he would make a good excuse for him, and that Syo should enjoy his evening.

Syo wasn't sure what Ren had assumed then or what he thought now, but he had slowly stopped worrying. They all had their little secrets to hide.

He sighed and titled his head back to allow Cecil to kiss a slow line from his lips to where his pulse fluttered in his neck.

"Remember how I said no funny business?"

"Kinda remember, kitten."

"Changed my mind. Maybe just a little funny business. Just a little."