Mace's Suprise Trip

by Daddyd's Fan fiction

Xero Grande has prepared a special trip for Mace Grande

Mace hated getting up early for work. Even though Xero would always get up with him, making breakfast and sending Mace off to his early morning radio DJ gig on a pleasant note, Mace dreaded it, and a small part of him missed his old late-night job right outside of college. However, an early morning position was a big step up for his career and also a hefty pay increase, which meant he and Xero were finally able to afford to get a house instead of having to stay in the same apartment they had been renting together since college. Xero was a social worker, and while it was a very rewarding job, it did not pay very well, so to Mace's surprise he found himself the main breadwinner for the couple. The 23-year-old, soon to be 24, had always expected his partner to get a high paying job as a doctor or lawyer, but honestly had not been surprised when he had chosen to be a social worker instead. Xero was always trying to help people after all.

Thus, he dragged himself out of bed as always, wondering how Xero always seemed to manage to wake up earlier to start on breakfast, even though he didn't have to go into work until later in the morning. Xero said he enjoyed getting up early, and he always watched in anticipation when

Mace ate breakfast in his sleep deprived state, taking pleasure out of the brunet enjoying his food. Mace was surprised when this morning he found Xero sitting at the dining room table with a cup of tea in his hand while he gently pet their calico cat named Brad. Usually he would have a full spread traditional Japanese breakfast laid out, wanting to ensure Mace had enough energy for the start of his day, but instead he simply had some toast set out for him along with some fruit. And sitting next to him on the floor were two packed suitcases.

"Uh, partner? What's going on?" Mace asked in confusion, scratching at his messy hair that he hadn't bothered to brush into place yet. He yawned while Xero gave him that slight grin that always meant he had a surprise in store.

"Drink some coffee first and then I'll tell you," Xero said, gently setting their cat on the floor as he stepped into the kitchen to pour Mace a cup. Xero was more of a tea drinker and always made himself a glass every morning while brewing a pot of coffee for Mace who would drink at least two cups in order to wake up in the morning.

"Ok, you want to be all mysterious this morning, I get it," Mace said, plopping down into his usual seat next to Xero and spreading butter and strawberry jam onto his toast. He took a bite as Xero set down his favorite mug which had featherman characters on it, already ready with the amount of sugar and flavored creamer Mace preferred. While he needed coffee, it was incredibly bitter and he needed something to make it palatable. Brad sidled up to Mace, weaving herself between his legs and nudging her head against his shin until he reached down to scratch her ears. Xero grinned and pulled her away, picking her back up into his lap as he finished his tea.

Once Mace had finished his toast and was on his second cup of coffee, Xero decided to explain. "I've been saving up to take us on a trip," he explained, and Mace's eyes widened before he began coughing as he choked while taking a sip of his coffee.

2

What?! When is this trip?" he asked. "I need to plan to take off work…"

Xero grinned mischievously. "We leave today," he declared. "I planned this as a surprise with your boss. You already have the week off."

Mace stared at Xero for several moments, mouth slightly open. "You're joking," he said hesitantly, for his boyfriend sometimes had a strange sense of humor.

"Why don't you call him and find out," Xero grinned, finishing up his tea and setting his cup down. He waited patiently as Mace fumbled for his phone, before calling the station. His eyes locked onto Xero's as his boss picked up.

"Hey, I'm trying to confirm something," Mace said. He immediately could tell by his boss's reaction that there really was something going on, because he had that false sound of interest people used when they were trying to hide something when he replied. "Xero said that I'm going on vacation this week? And that he planned it with you and I'm actually scheduled to be off?"

"Yup! We're using it for our segment this morning when your stand-in fills in for you this week," his boss replied excitedly. "Your partner already agreed to make sure you're able to phone in at the start of the show so we can hear your reaction to the surprise. I was happy to help out – you've done a great job with this segment and definitely deserve the break. See you in a week, kid!"

Mace immediately hung up and tossed his phone onto the table. "I can't believe you got my boss involved," he groaned. "And now I have to call in for a segment on my own show?"

Xero's face fell slightly. "You don't like the surprise?" he asked, and Mace sighed.

"I love it, you know I love it," he said. "I just…I hate things being dropped on me like this. It's too early in the morning," he groaned.

Xero grinned at him, before taking his empty mug and plate and going to rinse it off in the sink. "Who's going to watch Brad while we're gone?" Mace asked curiously. "And where are we going on this trip?"

"Xander's in town and agreed to look after her," Xero replied. "She was more than happy to be in on the surprise. And as for your second question – that's a secret."

Mace groaned again, but Xero gave him a gentle peck on the cheek. "I think you're going to love it. Don't worry. I just wanted to make sure you enjoyed your birthday this year since you got stuck working the night shift last year which I know brought you down."

Mace's eyes widened. He had been so busy with his new show, he had completely forgot his birthday was coming up. "Partner," he gasped, and Xero smiled fondly. "You didn't have to," Mace sighed.

"I wanted to. You deserve it. Now, go get dressed. Or we'll be late for the train," Xero grinned, before shooing him back into their bedroom and finishing up some final preparations for the trip. Xero was wearing his usual polo, this one a light blue that Mace had picked out when trying to add some more color to his wardrobe, and white pants. Even though it was hot outside, he always preferred long pants to shorts and it never seemed to bother him. Mace, meanwhile, changed into one of his many brightly colored band t-shirts and signature red cargo pants, noting that his headphones were missing and figuring Xero had packed them away already for the trip.

3

Is this ok?" Mace asked as he left the room, and Xero nodded appraisingly.

"You look good," he grinned, causing Mace to flush slightly. They both gave Brad a final pet goodbye before heading out the door with their suitcases, heading down the street to the closest entrance to the subway. Xero led them through the crowd, making their way over to a specific terminal that allowed them to get on a special bullet train that would lead them to Hakodate.

Mace blinked in surprise before turning to Xero. "We're going to Hokkaido?" he asked, his voice squeaking in excitement.

Xero grinned before nodding his head. "Yes, we will be spending the week travelling throughout Hokkaido. I figured it would be a nice escape from the heat and humidity."

Mace reached out and pulled Xero in for a grateful hug, smiling happily when Xero hugged him back. "This is going to be the best birthday ever, partner," he said excitedly, and Xero grinned in reply. The train arrived right on time as usual, and Mace and Xero settled in and got their stuff situated just in time for Yosuke to make his quick call into the radio station before the train departed. He and his coworker who was standing in for him traded some quick banter about the surprise and his reaction to it before he promised he would let his listeners know how the trip went when he returned and hung up. Shortly after that, the train began its 4 hour trip to Hakodate from Tokyo, and Xero and Mace settled in for the long ride.

The train ride was going to be long but "relaxing", as Xero had put it. Though it was still way too early in the morning for Mace (always would be, no matter how many years he ended up working the morning show), the coffee had done an incredible job of waking him up. That, coupled with the excitement of Xero's surprise, there was very little chance of a nap. Which was perfect. Because he'd only be on this train for - he checked his watch - 4 more hours . . .

He glanced at his significant other. Xero was peacefully gazing out over the vastness of the country fields that lay beyond the sprawl of the major city which their train would be cutting through for miles. He didn't know a smile had formed at one corner of his mouth until Xero looked at him back.

The grin Mace got in return let him know precisely what his face must have looked like while he'd been spying. Mace looked him up and down silently - a little languidly and unfortunately too briefly - just enough to give Mace an idea of Xero's intent in that stare. A second later, those eyes were back on the green, expansive fields, and Mace was left sitting there with heat spreading into his cheeks.

Turning his smile into a frustrated frown, he lolled his foot to the left and kicked Xero's shoe. He'd never dealt well with being ignored

4

Xero glanced down at Mace's shoe but seemed pretty resolved not to look at his boyfriend directly - and that definitely didn't aggravate Mace's boredom at all. Mace sucked on his teeth, growing one notch above annoyed, adjusting in his seat so he'd have a bit better access, and then kicked his shoe again.

This time Yu kicked him back, pointedly – stop that. You're twenty-four now, was the look on his face.

So Mace did it once again, and Xero had to use both of his feet to capture Yosuke's foot like a ninja, which meant Mace was forced to use his other foot to heel-kick his way out of the bear trap, which he did eventually manage to do.

Huffing, but liberated, Yosuke sat back up in his seat and adjusted his jacket. Xero, meanwhile, sat there looking way too damn smug. Mace glanced around, moping when he saw they'd already earned a sour glance from a passenger in the other aisle of the car. Well, that hadn't taken long . . .

Mace wasn't sold on resolving himself to staring at fields for another three and half hours, but it looked like no matter what he ended up doing, Xero wasn't going to be paying him any attention. So much for it being his birthday . . . but, at least the view was pretty?

He affixed the headphones to his ears and hit Shuffle on his player, hoping that his batteries would last the entire trip.

Which of course they didn't. Mace had relied on the very weak hope that the player had more juice than he remembered since he'd neglected to find his charger last night. That hadn't lasted long – about forty-five minutes or so. Plenty of train ride left to enjoy. Great!

Out of lack of literally anything to do, he studied Xero again, noticing that now he had his head resting back on the seat, eyes sleepily transfixed on the passing scenery. How long could someone really sit there and look at fields? Xero could, apparently, for over an hour.

Mace deftly worked his phone out from his pocket, trying to keep the mischievous smirk from creeping over his mouth. He heard Xero's phone go off and almost blew his cover with a laugh when the whole car heard his text tone on full volume. Easily figuring out the culprit, Xero's eyes snapped to his instantly and he slapped a palm over his pants pocket to switch off the sound.

A few seconds later, a distinct buzzing sound emanated between them. Most of the car probably couldn't hear it, but it was loud enough to get Xero's attention again. Xero cleared his throat and continued pointedly looking out of the window.

So, Yosuke kept going.

By the fourth text, Xero had clearly had enough. He finally huffed, fishing his phone out of his pocket and flipping it open to scroll through the screen full of texts.

5

Mace 09:35

Prtnr

Mace 09:36

Prtnr

Mace 09:38

Hey prtnr

Mace 09:38

P a r t n e r

Clearly, all very important. Xero smiled despite himself. It wasn't that Xero didn't want to talk to Mace; talking to Mace was one of his favorite things, actually. And, he'd had a feeling Mace would have an issue with the first train ride. Xero had been hoping beyond hope that the nice country view might be relaxing for the both of them, but evidently Mace had just found it boring.

He typed out a response and sent it, intent on getting the better of him anyway. Mace's ding went off and the young man bit this lip in excitement as he watched the text come in.

Partner 09:40

Mace.

Mace pulled his mouth to the side in a frown. That was underwhelming. But, at least he had his attention! He set to work trying to keep it for as long as possible.

Partner 09:41

I can tell. Did your mp3 die?

Prtnr

Partner 09:43

I'm not sure what to tell you, Mace. Did you charge your player last night?

Partner 09:45

I'm not. I'm just not sure what you expect me to do about your boredom.

Across from him, Xero sighed heavily, hurriedly typing a reply. Mace could tell from here by the way he hit the buttons that he was getting annoyed all over again and felt just the faintest thrill at that.

Partner 09:45

We've established that.

Mace stuck his tongue out as he replied.

He watched Xero crack his neck in aggravation before shooting him a playful smile, and Mace had to put a hand to his mouth to stifle the chuckle.

Partner 09:47

I love you.

Mace grinned victoriously, immediately responding.

He watched the other man's face intently as he typed out and sent his next message, already imagining his reaction when he read it.

And he wasn't disappointed, as Xero didn't react at all except to stare pointedly at him, his mouth stretched into an unamused line.

Partner 09:49

Mace. No.

Mace bit his lip and cast his eyes over to Xero, who looked to still be mulling over Mace's text. He wasn't typing. His heart nearly sank when Xero flipped his phone closed and rest it in his lap, his eyes rising to meet Mace's, a weird mix of amused and stern.

Mace twitched another frown and decided he wasn't going to let up.

well??

Xero sighed deeply at the feeling of another vibrating text alert and flipped his phone back open. Mace didn't miss the creeping smile as Xero responded back.

6

Partner 09:51

You look amazing today, Mace.

Xero cracked his neck again.

Partner 09:52

You're insufferable this morning.

Wut??? D:

Partner 09:53

And I want to punish you.

Okay. So now the heat in his cheeks was rushing into his groin. The palm he held his phone in began to sweat just a little as he typed back, fingers a little shakier than he would have preferred.

Partner 09:54

Like I'm going to fuck you when we get to the hotel how.

"Holy shit," he mumbled. His lips felt numb and his thighs went weak and he felt himself hit the seam of his shorts helplessly.

dosnt sound like a punishment if u ask me

His fingers were really shaking now. He switched hands, the other one a little dryer, and wiped his palm down his pantsleg.

Partner 09:56

It will be when you want to cum and I won't let you.

Partner 09:58

Nice try, but we're in a train full of people.

He caught the groan at the last second, and it thankfully died in his throat.

Partner 10:00

Might want to zip up your jacket in the meantime. ;)

And Mace did.

The train ride should have given him plenty of time to cool off. It should have given Xero plenty of time to cool off, too, now that Mace thought about it - calm, collected Xero, as he carried their bags from the station and into the condo with an even voice and a cool smile-

-And pounced on Mace the second the door closed behind them.

Mace heard the bags hit the floor with a menacing thud, and his heart hit his throat when he caught the look on Xero's face in the dark, through the broken light from the window - hungry and alluring.

Xero took Mace in his arms and all Mace could feel was Xero's tongue in his mouth, and then his heart melted, and swam with a warm glow down into his stomach to settle calmly there, his fingers raking up Xero's back and into his hair to tangle and tug on the strands teasingly. Xero pulled back from the kiss and they panted into each other's mouths in the dark, until Xero traced his thumb over his lips and Mace had to kiss him again.

They stumbled from the entrance through the darkened entryway, completely unaware of where they were going. When Mace's head knocked into the edge of a doorframe ("-Ow! Dammit!"), both boys decided they should at least find a lamp.

7

Xero could faintly make out the shape of one on a nearby table and flicked it. Mace, still rubbing the growing lump on his head, stared dubiously at the lamp Xero had just turned on.

"Uh, partner," he started, and could already see a small smile on Xero's face as he continued to stare at the lamp. "What the hell is that?"

"Huh, what do you mean?" Xero asked, genuinely perplexed if the look on his face was any indication.

"What you do mean, 'what do I mean'? That!" Mace pointed directly at the lamp, dumbfounded.

Xero looked back at the shapely lamp and back at Mace with the same goofy smile. "It's a cat lamp."

"Yeah," Mace agreed, noting its smooth, black curves that formed the body and vanished into a garish, beaded lampshade adorned with two black cat ears. "Why does our room have a cat lamp?"

And then, like a bolt of lightning, a horrid thought struck Mace, his face falling in dismay. "Oh, no . . ." he mumbled, as he turned around and went through the door whose frame his head had just unceremoniously cracked into. He quickly flicked on another distinctly cat-shaped lamp near the bed.

Light flooded the small room, and yep. They were surrounded by cats.

Cat rug. Cat pattern on the bed sheets. Cat clock?! "Oh my god," Mace groaned, turning to his partner standing sheepishly in the doorway, silently appreciating the bounty of cat paraphernalia they'd be surrounded by for another 24 hours.

Mace huffed and stood with his arms crossed in the middle of the small bedroom, almost at a complete loss. Okay, that cat clock would definitely have to go . . .

"Dude! You really expect to . . . 'do it' in here?! With all this cat-shaped crap everywhere?!"

Xero, already focused on another cute cat-shaped thing in the room (this one a throw pillow with long, yarny whiskers), snapped to attention at Mace's protesting. He blushed slightly. "Cat-themed. And why not?"

Mace hung in his head and groaned. "You can't be serious!"

"The cat things aren't that distracting, are they?" Xero seemed to be composing himself now and began stalking towards him slowly.

Mace gawked and gestured at all of the room. "Dude, they're everywhere!" And even Mace couldn't keep his laughter out of his exasperated tone. "Partner, why," he groaned, chuckling and rubbing at his temples.

When Mace looked back up at him pleadingly, Xero had an incredibly guilty smile on his face. Xero flicked his eyes down and dragged them slowly back up Mace's form, and Mace could see the subtle gnawing want he'd glimpsed earlier rise again into his expression.

A part of Mace didn't care about that. But another part of him did. The part of him that remembered those stupid text conversations and what they'd promised. That part sprung to life inside his shorts as the look on Xero's face became more convincing, and as he neared, and as his boyfriend gingerly reached out a hand to brush a bang out of his eyes.

8

Mace swallowed at the light touch of his fingertips. Xero licked his lips playfully, and suddenly Mace found himself in Xero's arms. He used both his hands to bring Xero's mouth flush against his, breathing him in, letting Xero walk them backwards towards the . . . (sigh) "cat-themed" bed.

When Mace's legs hit the mattress, he opened his eyes out of instinct, instantly met with the sight of that tacky cat-clock with the swinging tail pendulum. Ugh.

"Can we take down the clock at least?" he whined, as Xero captured his mouth in another very heated kiss which successfully killed his train of thought.

"No." Xero sounded baffled, almost as though it were the silliest thing Mace could have asked, He immediately dove in for another deep kiss and Mace broke away at once.

"It's got creepy, bulging eyes," Mace argued. "Please?"

"No," Xero said again, this time more resound. He brought his hands to Mace's cheeks and pushed his tongue into his mouth to quiet him, but what he got instead was a half-abandoned moan that resonated through both their mouths and sent desire tumbling happily to sink down into their thighs.

Xero breathed deep into the kiss and pushed Mace flat on the bed, crawling over him and recapturing his lips.

Mace was thrilled when Xero wouldn't stop kissing him. They hadn't made out in what felt like years (okay, weeks), and Mace felt renewed as Xero's tongue slowly explored his mouth with the same precision and finesse it always did. The only issue with this, really, was that Mace's body was already at full attention, keyed up and ready for the next level, so it was difficult to lie there and enjoy it for long before his hips started thrusting into empty space.

Xero was kneeling over him, hands on either side, and Mace kept trying to tug him down but Xero silently refused. Mace tried to be patient, he really did, but god Xero had said he wanted to fuck, and because of their schedules, it had been an embarrassingly long time since they'd done that. Mace was ready - or, at the very least, he was ready to move past first base.

He moaned. "Xero~" he bit Xero's bottom lip- "lay down."

Instead of obey him, like Mace thought he ought to, Xero lifted himself and stood on his knees, towering over Mace, his chest heaving and shirt ruffled. His pants were conspicuously tented and Mace couldn't put his palm over it fast enough.

He rubbed the bulge teasingly through his jeans, and Xero's eyes slid shut. He jutted his hips into the sensation, but he still wouldn't lie down.

Mace was getting ready to grab his hips and force him down when Xero suddenly gasped out, "You mind if we raincheck?"

Raincheck?! Mace froze and raised himself up in his elbows. "What . . . ?" His heart sank, and he could hear it in his own voice.

"N-not the whole thing," Xero rushed to say, "just the sex."

". . . okay?" Mace still felt a little confused, but he was pretty sure his feelings weren't hurt?

Xero smiled, face cocky but flushed. "Don't worry. I have plans for you." Xero leaned down to peer into Mace's eyes, who could only lower himself down and stare back. "In the meantime, mind if I do something fun for you?"

He had a wicked, sly grin on his face that Mace realized he had really missed these last few weeks. His cheeks heated up at the mere mention of "something fun", and he smiled to match, arm curling around Xero's neck and bringing him in for a slow, languid kiss.

There was a bit of a power struggle as Mace fought to keep kissing him and Xero kept trying to break away so he could get at Yosuke's neck. Yu was finally able to dip his chin into the soft curve above his shoulder when Mace arched back, helpless to the strong fist tugging back his hair. Mace gasped and Xero sucked a mouthful of his warm skin into his mouth, biting gently, nipping lower until his teeth scraped over a collarbone, and kept going.

The combination of Xero's lips and teeth sliding over his chest and the dull pain from his hair still being pulled - pulled harder now that Xero was getting lower - already had Mace's mouth completely dry, his throat squeaking out begging, grunting sounds. Damn, it had been too long.

When Xero got far enough down his body where his arm could no longer comfortably hold the back of Mace's hair, he let the silken strands slip through his grip and drug his hand down Mace's back to join the other as he tried to remove Mace's shirt. Mace lifted his back and Xero yanked it off his head quickly, hands and lips back to work on their slow trail down.

Mace was still thin, but he'd filled out quite a bit since high school. He wasn't so skinny that people gawked, anyway, and the extra weight did make him appear as though he had a little more muscle. Xero certainly seemed to appreciate his body at least, and Mace was proud it had only taken him a few years to be satisfied with that. When he was younger, when they first began dating, he'd always been self-conscious about the small things - the slight cavity between his collarbones, his skinny arms, the way his hip bones stuck out from his boxers like he hadn't eaten in days or something. He remembered Xero putting his mouth over one of those hip bones the first time they started seriously fooling around, and how hot and slick it felt, and how instantly glad it had made him to have those damn things, after all.

Xero's mouth closed around said hip bone now, fingers pressing into his erection beneath his shorts. They'd grown so much since they got together, but sometimes, Mace still felt like the confused kid laying on Xero's futon, experiencing for the first time what it meant to be loved.

By the time Xero's hands were unlooping Mace's belt and wrenching the shorts and boxers off his butt, Mace had ten trembling fingers wound in the bedsheets.

Xero started painfully slow, dragging his tongue up Mace's cock from base to tip, his tongue flicking the head and causing his erection to twitch skyward. Xero flicked it again, got the same reaction, and then lapped at it teasingly, thick tongue flicking over the skin beneath the head, until Mace was wringing the bedsheets and his toes were curling in his socks. He groaned pitifully, desperately trying to resist bucking his hips. Xero's mouth - fuck Xero's mouth.

Mace breathed his first breath when Xero finally guided his cock between his lips, moaning shakily at the familiar warm, wet suction he hadn't felt in weeks. The sensations were intense but he thought he could hang on for a little while, maybe. Typically, he lacked both the ability and fortitude to enjoy these for long - which was a real downer, because Xero always tried to do something new and different each time, even after all these years. But Mace couldn't help it. Maybe he was just easy, but Xero was amazing with his tongue, and -

"-Ooohh!" Mace shot up on his elbows, half-closed eyes blearily focused on Xero's bobbing head. Xero had slid his fingers behind his ballsack to rub slick fingers over the sensitive strip of skin there. Mace's thighs jerked apart but not wide enough, still trapped in the shorts. "Oooh yeah, ohh . . . ohhh, Yu . . ."

With Xero's hand where it was, it kind of made Mace want to go all the way, even though Xero seemed to want to save that for another time for whatever reason. Which was fine, actually, perfectly fine, because Mace could feel the beginnings of his orgasm building in his thighs and at the center-point of pressure where Xero's hand was stroking. He choked out a moan, paralyzed as the feeling intensified and a rippling pleasure shot into his balls and up through the erection pounding in Xero's mouth, filling it with his release.

I'm coming," he whispered, too late. He could already feel Xero's throat closing around his tip, which also felt amazing, and which made him whine again as his orgasm peaked.

He was out of breath and lolling on the mattress when Xero pulled off and sat up between Mace's knees. Mace's bones felt too heavy; everything felt too heavy. The first movement he was aware of was Xero trying to take his shorts the rest of the way off, which he only rushed in to help with when it was clear help was no longer needed.

Xero smirked, lips sinfully wet, cheeks bright pink. "Good birthday so far?" He smoothed his hands over and up Mace's bare thighs, causing him to shiver.

"Ngh!" Mace twitched and moaned, still too out of it to laugh. "Best . . . birthday . . ." he mumbled happily.

Xero cocked an eyebrow at him and smirked wider. He looked as if he wanted to say something but was holding back. Mace was instantly suspicious and desperately wanted to tease it out of him.

"What . . . ?" he asked accusingly, squishing him with his knees.

Xero pried them apart easily and leaned over him - completely silent but smiling - and gave him several long kisses that Mace was all too happy to take advantage of. He held the back of Xero's head with one hand, and with the other, deftly jerked Xero's belt undone. He needed two hands for the rest of this, so he begrudgingly let go of Xero's hair to finish the job.

Xero let out a fantastic moan as soon as Mace's hand wrapped around his near-forgotten and painful hard-on. "Y-you don't have to . . ." he whispered into Mace's open mouth.

"Shut up."

Mace was a little taken aback by just how hard Xero was at first before reminding himself they hadn't fooled around in a couple of weeks. His cock was incredibly stiff and seemed right on the edge of coming. And Xero, was already gasping, his normally stoic expression pulled into one of intense concentration as the pressure began building inside him.

In silent reverence, Mace decided to soak up as many details as he could - the short, broken little groans and how his hips were bucking vigorously into the impassioned tempo Mace had set, how his brow knitted together and his lips tightened like he might burst into tears at any second.

A long line of precum drooled from the tip of Xero's cock and pooled on Mace's stomach. His cock head was soaking wet. Mace eyed it in anticipation, wondering if he jerked his wrist like this if it would break the course of his orgasm or catapult it forward.

Xero jerked his hips. "Mace . . . !"

Mace licked his lips hungrily, feeling victorious as he watched the first ropes of cum streak across his chest. He didn't slow down, yanking at his cock with the same fervency and adding a few more clever twists until Xero's hips eventually stopped bucking into them, and it was over.

Xero was panting and Mace was surprised to find that he was, too. He was so busy studying the post-orgasmic, blissed-out look on Xero's face that he didn't realize he still had a hold of him until Xero eased his hand off and stood up from the bed. He grabbed a few tissues and cleaned them both up. Mace begged for more tissues and Xero obliged.

Then, once they were both clean, Xero crashed down on top of him, and Mace welcomed him with a breathless grunt.

Once Xero and Mace finally worked out their pent up frustration, they cuddled on the bed for a few moments, Mace's hair even more mussed than usual and even Xero's usually perfectly swooped bangs were tussled. Once their breathing evened out and they began to cool off, Xero said, "I have to go get some groceries for dinner," which caused Mace to groan in frustration.

"But we just got here!" he complained. "Can't we just order take out?"

Xero turned to look at him. "If you really want to we can. But I wanted to cook dinner for your birthday. It's why I got us the AirBNB so I could have a kitchen."

Mace's face immediately softened and he let out a sigh. "Fine. I'm coming with you though," he decided, sitting up and stretching. He brought a hand up to his hair and winced, realizing he probably looked like a mess. "After I clean up first," he muttered. Xero laughed lightly at him.

"Let's freshen up real quick," he agreed, and they both hopped into the shower before changing into fresh clothes and heading outside. Xero looked up the closest grocery store to their location, needing to get actual produce for the curry he wanted to make, and he was relieved to see there was one within walking distance. They both headed to the store, holding hands and talking casually about how work had been going for both of them. Xero still insisted on not revealing anything else about the trip, so Mace knew not to nag him about it.

Once they got to the grocery store, Xero revealed that he wanted to make curry since it wouldn't take too long and still be a filling meal. Mace was immediately excited at the idea since he loved Xero's curry and they made a little game of trying to figure out the store's layout and finding the different ingredients first. Mace held it over Xero's head that he found the produce section before he did, gloating that Xero shouldn't test the boy who grew up going to and working at Junes. Xero merely smiled, glad to see his boyfriend in such high spirits. After they grabbed all of the ingredients, Xero had Mace pick out a small cake from the bakery since the room they were staying in didn't have an oven for him to bake it himself. Mace picked out one that was chocolate with strawberries, and they headed back to the apartment so Xero could cook.

Mace kept him company, watching appreciatively as Xero cut up the vegetables and chicken and began sautéing some of the vegetables in the pot to get things started. Next came the meat and once everything had cooked down enough he then poured in the water and added the potatoes. Next, he had to let things boil and simmer so the potatoes could soften before adding the curry cubes. He often made it from scratch at home, but since they were traveling he decided to make the quick version. He doctored it with some spices from the cupboard, and by the time the rice was ready in the rice cooker, the curry was ready to dish up as well. "Smells good partner," Mace said excitedly as Xero set down his bowl. Xero shot a grin at him before making his own bowl and joining him at the table.

They both clapped their hands together and said "Itadakimasu," before digging in. Although it wasn't as good as what Xero could make from scratch, it was still delicious, and Mace made pleased sounds as he ate so Xero would know how much he loved it. "Ok, making dinner was a great idea," Mace decided once they had both finished. "This was way better than take out."

"I'm glad you think so," Xero replied, looking bemused. He then picked up their dishes to wash, waving away Mace who protested that he wanted to help. "It's your birthday, remember? You only reminded me about 20 times on the train," he teased.

"Look, I was bored and you were ignoring me," Mace huffed, crossing his arms. "So, what are we going to do tonight, anyway?"

"It's a surprise," Xero said lightly, and Mace pouted. He was already tired of that word by this point, even if he was inwardly excited about the mystery. "Would you like to eat your birthday cake now or after?"

"I'm kind of full at the moment, so I guess after this surprise of yours," Mace decided.

Xero finished up the dishes before pulling out his phone and calling a cab. He then dug through their bags and pulled out two jackets which surprised Mace. "What are those for?" he asked as Xero tossed him his jacket.

"Where we're going it can get chilly at night," Xero replied enigmatically, and Mace stared at him incredulously again.

"Ok…" he said, sliding the jacket on. He was now trying to puzzle out what they could be doing that would be chilly during the summer. Xero then got the notification that their taxi had arrived, and he gestured for Mace to follow him back outside. Their taxi driver was waiting for them next to the car and opened the door for them, giving a slight bow before closing the door once they had gotten settled. Xero had already given their destination when he called the taxi, and he had requested the driver keep it a surprise for Mace explaining that it was his birthday. The driver played along and headed out without any announcement as to where they would be going.

So, Mace was pleasantly surprised as they drove closer to Mt. Hakodate, starting to figure out where Xero was probably taking them. The night view of the city from the mountain top was supposed to be very romantic, and Mace felt himself blush slightly. That would totally be something Mace would surprise him with. Sure enough, they eventually pulled up at the Mt. Hakodate Ropeway, a cable car that brought them to the top of the mountain. Xero paid the taxi driver and they both stepped out and walked up to the ropeway entrance, where Xero pulled out tickets he had already pre-purchased. "Just how much money are you spending on this trip," Mace hissed, feeling a bit anxious now.

Don't worry about it," Xero said, placing a chaste kiss against his mouth in a reassuring way. "I saved up for this all year. I wanted to ensure you had a good time. Plus, this is a trip for me too. And our first as a couple." He squeezed Mace's hand as the cable car arrived and they both stepped inside. Since it was a weeknight, it was pretty empty compared to how it would be on weekends, and they had the car to themselves on the trip up. They stood close to the window facing the cityscape so they could take in the view as the cable car began to make its three minute ascent to the top of the mountain. Mace let out a breath as they cleared the treeline and the cityscape came into focus, a dazzling glow of lights surrounded by two dark arcs on each side where water flanked both sides of the city.

"This really is romantic," he muttered to himself, and Xero watched him with silent affection. Once the car reached the top, they walked out to the viewing platform, leaning into each other for warmth in the chilly mountain air. They stared out at the city silently, the bright lights contrasting with the surrounding dark allowing them to feel relaxed after they had spent most of the day traveling. It really was a sight that calmed the soul. After enjoying the quiet for a bit, Mace eventually pulled out his phone to snap a picture to share with their friends. He dropped it in their group chat before immediately muting notifications, knowing that they would probably get hounded by the others over details about the trip. He and Xero could share that with them once they got back. For now, they headed back down the ropeway so they could take a cab back to their room to spend the rest of the evening together.

When they got back to the room, Mace still had stars in his eyes. The whole evening had been so expertly planned, so painstakingly well-orchestrated, that he marveled internally what the rest of this trip was going to be like if tonight had already been . . . well, perfect.

He was replaying the scene of the view in his mind and didn't notice that Xero had his eyes on him, that he was smiling gently as they removed their shoes and jackets. He didn't notice that Xero was ready to kiss him again until a strong hand guided his chin, snapping him out of his reverie, and did so. They stood in the doorway for what could have been most of the night, softly, languidly rolling their tongues together.

Mace wanted to keep telling him how amazing that had been, the view and the ride and just, all of it. He was still excited; his heart was still thrumming from the thrill of the car lift and the wind in his hair. How warm Xero's hand had been. How peaceful it felt to be in a place he'd never been to and be home at the exact same time.

They shuffled through the bedroom doorway into the near pitch-black room, slowly taking off their clothes. Mace separated from him only to slide Xero's shirt over his head, and then his own. Xero followed him, fluid and at his every whim, completely resistless as Mace's nimble fingers made quick work of his jeans and forced them down.

Mace guided him into bed, the faint rustle of the sheets the only noise apart from the sounds of their mouths meeting and brushing over skin. Mace had two desperate fists wound in Xero's hair, urging him to lie down on top, and when their chests finally met, hearts pounding behind them, Mace exhaled into Xero's mouth.

Yosuke said his name, and Yu said his name back, and their hips ground together beneath the sheets.

Yosuke, miles away from home with the only person he trusted implicitly, didn't know what awaited him tomorrow. Maybe it wouldn't - couldn't - get any better than this. But he was willing to bet that Yu would pull out every stop to prove him wrong. And he had to admit - as far as birthday trips went, tonight had been one hell of a start

The next morning, they both woke up later than usual, exhausted after how busy it was the day before. They were tangled up in each other, Xero's arms around Mace while he was snuggled against his chest. Mace was actually the first to wake, groggily coming to as he started to register how overheated and gross he felt. He also was facing away from Xero so the first thing he saw was that damn cat clock in the room which immediately made him tense. That woke Xero up who asked sleepily, "What's up, partner?" into his ear. When Xero was half asleep he sounded almost husky, and it made Mace's stomach twist in appreciation.

However, he refused to do anything until he was clean again and by this point he figured the sheets really should be washed first too. So, it would probably have to wait until they arrived at their next location. "Just looking at that damn clock," Mace grumbled, before starting to pull away from Xero.

Xero grumbled against his back and tried to latch onto Mace, who struggled to pull away. "Partner…PARTNER…Xero! I feel gross," he whined, and Xero sighed before loosening his grip. Mace got out of bed and turned to look at Xero who was shooting him a betrayed look. He sighed while running a hand through his hair, wincing at how tangled it was. "Are you going to join me or are you going to lie there being grumpy?" Mace finally asked, and Xero sighed before climbing out after him.

Once they were in the shower and began rinsing off, Mace began washing Xero's back and surprised him by suddenly pressing kisses along his neck and shoulders, causing the tension to dissolve from his body. "Mace?" Xero breathed, as Mace then pressed himself against Xero's back and wrapped him in a hug before placing his head on his shoulder.

"Hmm?" he asked, a grin on his face.

"What's that for?" Xero smiled back.

"Just trying to get back on your good side," Mace teased, before pulling away and gently squeezing Xero's shoulder for a quick massage.

"I thought I was supposed to be spoiling you this trip," Xero replied, but Mace could hear the pleased tone in his voice.

Mace shrugged. "Doesn't mean I can't show my appreciation," he said. After their long and relaxing shower, they then changed before heading back into the kitchen for breakfast.

That's when Mace realized they didn't eat any of his cake yesterday. It was a small cake and could easily be eaten by two people. "Well, partner, as much as I love your cooking, I vote we have cake for breakfast so we don't have to carry this with us to your next surprise," Mace commented.

Xero rolled his eyes, but he didn't disagree. "Sure, I guess we can do cake for breakfast," he replied. He then got coffee started for Mace before getting water boiling for his own tea. Once their beverages were ready, they both sat down at the table with half of the cake sitting on a plate in front of them. They then dug in, chatting with one another as they ate, surprised by how good the cake was since they had picked it up at the grocery store. Eventually, Xero looked up and peered at Mace with slightly narrowed eyes. "You've got something, right here," he said, reaching forward as if he was going to wipe something away from his mouth. Instead, he smeared chocolate icing along Mace's cheek who immediately gave him a look of betrayal.

"Grande Xero, you did not just wipe icing across my face," he said in horror, reaching up and grimacing when he felt it. Xero began to laugh while Mace frowned at him before sticking his finger in his own icing and staring menacingly at Xero. His boyfriend was laughing too hard to notice and so was not expecting it when he suddenly got icing spread along his nose.

"I guess I deserved that," Xero admitted, before leaning forward to kiss the icing off Mace's face while simultaneously spreading more onto his other check. Mace grimaced before wiping some along Xero's neck before pulling him in for a full kiss. Both of their mouths tasted like chocolate and strawberries, and they became lost in tasting each other for several minutes until they finally slowly pulled away.

"Looks like we have to get cleaned up again," Xero smiled cheekily, and Mace sighed.

He then took a good look at Xero's face covered in smudges of chocolate and began to laugh. "Partner, you look so dumb," Mace cackled, and Xero smiled fondly at him.

"You should look at yourself," he chuckled, and Mace immediately pulled closer to him while pulling out his phone.

"I think this is something we'll have to share with everyone else," Mace said cheerfully. "They need to see how dumb their leader can look sometimes."

Xero smiled fondly at Mace, glad to see him in such a good mood, and happily leaned in closer for their selfie. While Mace sent it to the group chat, he grabbed their plates and cups and cleaned up. They then went back to the bathroom to rinse off their faces before packing up and heading down to the train station. Xero used the AirBNB app to check out from their room along the way. "Do I get any hints about where we're heading next?" Mace asked, immediately groaning when Xero motioned like he was zipping his lips closed. The only thing Mace did learn is that they were going to Otaru once they arrived at the platform they would wait for the train on.

While they waited, Mace began to look up the amount of time it would take, grimacing once he realized it was another 4 hour train ride but glad that both his phone and his music player were fully charged this time. He wouldn't be so bored being able to play his mobile games while listening to music. Otaru was a little city right outside of Sapporo and had a canal running through it which was pretty quaint. Mace was curious as to what Xero had planned this time and where they would be staying.

One 4 hour train ride later, which was much calmer than the previous one, they finally arrived at the Otaru station and got off. Xero already had a taxi waiting for them and just like before had arranged for the driver not to mention where they were going. Thus, Mace was completely surprised when they pulled up at Kourakuen, a traditional ryokan about 10 minutes out from the city. Mace's mouth dropped open as they pulled up, and Xero watched him with a pleased expression on his face. A slight blush suddenly graced Mace's face and Xero heard him mutter to himself, "This is our first time staying at a ryokan as a couple." Xero's smile widened as he imagined the places Mace's mind was drifting at the moment.

"Ready to go check in?" Xero asked casually as their driver opened the door before heading to pull their bags out of the trunk.

"Am I dreaming ?" Mace replied, and Xero laughed.

"I assure you, this isn't a dream," he replied. The ryokan was a mix of traditional Japanese architecture with some modern touches. It had large glass windows in some areas, but still used tatami mats and used a lot of wood and sliding paper walls. Everything inside was open and inviting, and a lot of the furniture in the lounge areas was modern as well. The lighting was warm and soft which made both of them feel very comfortable as they took off their shoes and slid into the slippers set out for them to wear. They were immediately greeted at the door and offered drinks as they went through the check in process, which both of them found refreshing after their long trip.

When they were finally led to their room, Mace thought his heart was going to stop. The main room was large and open with a traditional low table with cushions containing backrests for them to sit in. There was a snack already set out for them along with some tea so they could rest as they got settled. Their maid scheduled what time they would want to take dinner that night and showed them where their yukata where already laid out and ready for them to change into. There was also an indoor seating area with large glass windows facing the gardens located on the grounds, and they even had a private onsen that overlooked the gardens as well. Mace peeked at it from the windows, and his heart beat in anticipation of getting to use it. "Let's change and go for a walk in the garden," Xero suggested, and Mace immediately nodded. They could unpack later.

Mace was glad Xero suggested they change into their yukata; the breezy fabric felt nice against his skin in the early summer heat, especially now that they were outside meandering through the gardens. The area the pair were exploring didn't appear very expansive – they could see the border where the gardens diminished into more densely wooded territory, unmanicured and off-limits – but the landscape still offered enough narrow pathways and small nooks that hinted at a size much larger than the initial survey alluded to.

Conton City, had been plenty country for Mace, who still bled with a need for the city and would always be eternally grateful that Xero agreed to live in Tokyo. But even Mace had to admit that he'd been blown away by the sight of the cherry blossoms around the school grounds when the sun finally allowed the spring to extend from the stubborn patches of remaining snow. It hadn't necessarily made him want to live in the country his whole life, but it had made him think it could be tough living entirely without it, now that he'd seen the small town's secret

And now that he'd seen this, Mace couldn't imagine never seeing it again.

Around them were flowers Mace had only ever witnessed in magazines, fragrant and vivid and bursting with life in the high afternoon sun. Mace silently marveled at them as Xero led him by the hand onward, stopping here and there to admire certain flowers and watch an occasional bee weave among the petals. Xero continued to guide them with little direction, at some point turning and leading them down a thin, winding path cut into a tall and rather dense patch of shrubbery. The greenery was tall enough that they couldn't see over the top, and as they followed their curiosity, they stopped before a weathered yet ornately carved threshold which looked to have been wrought from the trees they were surrounded by.

Xero gave a knowing and mischievous smirk Mace rarely saw, and both boys crossed through it excitedly.

Once they rounded the short path of inlaid, white-washed stone that stemmed from the old arch, a shady area flanked on all sides by thin and pale-barked trees opened up to them. For a second, they stood in awe. There were new flowers here, and there were rows and bunches of them in too many varieties to count. He and Xero watched in fascination as several small birds floated and zipped to the different blossoms, chirping happily, popping in and out of the spindly, neatly trimmed trees.

This precious, wooded place – completely secluded from the rest of grounds – felt like a shelter. Mace himself had only ever seen scenes as gorgeous as these in fantasy movies. He glanced at Xero as an amazed laugh grew in his chest, but was instantly taken by the soft, peaceful look on his partner's face. He looked like he'd never been more at home.

"You been here before, partner," he murmured, softly, like his voice might break the spell around them.

Mace's words pulled Xero out of enjoying the presence of another impossibly small bird that had flown a little closer than the others. When he looked at Mace, he still had a smile on his face. "No, never." He frowned in confusion. "Why?"

Mace chuckled in amazement and shrugged. "No reason."

He left Xero's side and began studying a row of frilly, purple flowers (he had no idea what they were), one of the many that lined the small enclosure they were tucked away in. This place was absolutely breathtaking, and it shocked Mace that there were no other visitors around this part of the garden. As it was, it may as well have just been the two of them in the entire inn; even traipsing the main path they'd seen maybe one or two other people. Mace wondered if Golden Week being a month earlier had anything to do with it.

A warm palm settled on his back between his shoulder blades. "They're pretty, aren't they?"

Mace glanced at him and settled back on his view of the tiny flowers. "Yeah. Smell good, too."

"That's lavender. You'll be seeing a lot of that pretty soon," Xero teased, his hand running down Mace's spine to cup his hip.

Mace looked at him dubiously, brow quirking. "Oh jeez. Something tells me I'll be sick of flowers by the end of this."

"Not just flowers."

Xero grinned and closed their distance, taking Mace's open lips into his own. The sun was dipping behind the tallest parts of the garden now, but even so, the heat from the slanted light warmed their skin. Mace's mouth tasted like the outside, though his tongue was pleasantly cool and slick. Xero had his hands clutched around each of his hips after just a few seconds. He pulled Mace close to him, and their bumping hips did a lot to remind him that they were wearing only yukata.

Mace pulled his mouth away, panting, thin lips pink and wet. "Don't think I'll ever get sick of this, sorry," he gasped. He had his arms wrapped around Xero's shoulders, eyes slammed shut as he tried to control his breathing.

Xero dove in again and grabbed his bottom lip, sucking and worrying it between his teeth playfully. Mace grunted and pressed their chests together, his fingers curling, one of them in Xero's hair, the other in the delicate fabric of Xero's yukata. He eventually pulled his lip free and captured Xero's in retaliation, hungrily exploring his mouth and surrendering to the demanding heat between their bodies.

They were not PDA people (Mace's mind distantly screamed this at him.); there was a high chance few people even suspected they might be a couple to begin with; the gardens were open to the public on a beautiful summer afternoon . . .

And not one of those reasons did anything to stop either one of them from desperately grinding their jaws together in the middle of a quiet, serene clearing.

Xero's hand had traveled from the small of Mace's back to cup his ass, automatically bringing one of Mace's knees between his legs. Mace groaned and rut against him, his fingers slipping into the yukata to roam over one of Xero's nipples, which made Xero grunt and clench his fingers into the supple flesh cradled in his hand.

It wasn't until he heard the crack of a branch in the distance that Xero's senses kicked in and he pulled his mouth away with a string of spit. He heard Mace gasp out a swear and they both hurriedly wiped their chins. Xero didn't hear anything else yet, but Mace definitely heard it, too, so at least he wasn't crazy. Wide-eyed, they both stood, heaving, waiting anxiously and craning their necks to see if anyone really was coming.

It took a solid 3 minutes to convince Xero that they were still alone (or, a little frighteningly, that they'd managed to scare off their would-be intruders). It took a little longer than that, though, for their bodies to finally cool down and for the yukata to once again fit them comfortably.

Mace pulled out his phone to snap a few pictures to share with their friends, but carefully ensured not to do that where they had just made out. He felt like that image should just remain between him and Xero. After dropping a teaser image of the garden in the group chat, Mace turned to catch up to Xero who was waiting for him back on the path. They walked together hand in hand back to their room, slipping back into their slippers from the geta that had been set out for them to use outside.

They both had picked up the scent of the garden on their yukata and skin, which caused their room to quickly smell very floral as they headed inside and finally began unpacking their things. They then turned to the tea, which was a bit bitter and had cooled down a little since they had let it steep too long. After drinking their tea and eating the cookies set out for them, they decided to check out the private onsen. They walked onto their balcony area where the onsen was located, immediately struck by the scenery as they overlooked the gardens. Looking out they had a clear view of the trees, and it almost made it feel like they were transported to a forest instead of being at the ryokan.

The onsen itself was also beautiful and had rocks lining one side with flat stones along the rest of the sides and the bottom. It made it feel more like a natural formation which was really neat. The water was clear and pristine but also a bright blue color, giving it a tropical look. There was a small area next the onsen that was also made of stone, while the rest of the deck was made of wood. The balcony was inset and surrounded on each side by walls with only one side facing the forest, so it felt like they were secluded in an alcove. And there was wood slanted up at the edge of the balcony like a privacy fence so no one from below would be able to look up and see them while avoiding disrupting their view of the garden.

Mace was speechless as he stared at the landscape for several moments, before turning to look at Xero. "Are you ready to go for a dip?" he asked. "Because that water looks very inviting."

"I'll join you in a few minutes," Xero said. "But please, feel free to enjoy yourself until then." He shot Mace a secretive smile before heading back into the room and picking up the room phone. Mace raised an eyebrow, and he suddenly had a feeling he was in for yet another surprise. He shrugged his shoulders and headed to the washroom, taking off his yukata and carefully hanging it up before washing himself thoroughly and grabbing a towel. He quickly dried himself enough to not track water through their room before throwing the towel around his shoulders and striding out as confidently as he could into their room, hoping to capture Xero's attention.

To his disappointment, Xero was no longer on his phone and was currently rooting for something in his bag and not paying any attention. Mace pouted as he made his way out to the balcony, setting his towel down where it wouldn't get wet before kneeling down and testing the temperature of the water. It was hot, but not unbearable, and he carefully stepped in before making his way to the far end of the onsen and sitting down so he could relax. It was just big enough to fit the two of them comfortably, and he rested his head on the edge as he took in the view of the trees. The water made him feel rejuvenated from the draining heat outside, and because they were further up they got a nice breeze that also helped him feel relaxed. It was quiet at the ryokan with everyone relaxing and respecting their neighbors, so it definitely gave him a feeling like he was the only one there and surrounded by wilderness. While Mace loved the noise and energy of the city, he had to admit it wasn't so bad enjoying a calming atmosphere every once in a while, too.

He was just about to drift off to sleep when he was interrupted by the sound of a sliding door as Xero finally came to join him. He had also just washed up and was carrying a bottle of sake and two cups along with a bag and a towel on his arm. "What's all that?" Mace asked curiously as Xero tossed the towel next to his and carefully set the bag down next to the onsen where it would be within easy reach.

"That is the surprise," Xero replied casually, setting the sake and cups down on the flat stone edge of the onsen before stepping in to join Mace. He made his way over to his boyfriend, leaning over him and pressing a kiss onto his forehead, before caressing his face carefully with his hands. Mace closed his eyes in appreciation, for the coolness of Xero's hands was like heaven against his heated skin.

"It looks like you haven't been in too long," Xero murmured to himself, before turning so he could pour them both a cup of sake. That had been what the phone call was for. After handing Mace his cup, the small white choco that was the perfect size for them both to sip at as they relaxed, he took his own and moved over to sit back next to Mace, leaning in next to him and resting his free arm back around Mace's shoulders before clinking their glasses with a shared "Kanpai!"

He then relaxed as they both sipped at their sake and enjoyed the birds chirping and feel of the breeze ruffling their hair. Mace rested his head on Xero's shoulder, as his boyfriend gently began to tangle his fingers in his hair in a soothing motion. The sake was also relaxing and caused a warm heat to spread through their body as they drank. Right when Mace felt like he may be about to sleep again, Xero set down his now empty glass next to the bottle of sake, before shifting which jostled Mace awake. As he blinked blearily, he felt Xero's hand suddenly rest on his leg under the water, and he slowly made his way up to his inner thigh, gently pressing as he did so before stopping just as Mace made a startled gasp.

"Now that I have your undivided attention," Xero said, "it's time for me to show you your surprise." He started to lazily run his fingers along Mace's inner thigh, sometimes drifting dangerously close to his crotch before moving away at the last moment, which caused Mace to groan in annoyance.

"What is this surprise of yours?" he asked. "You're torturing me here, partner."

"I thought you'd never ask," Xero smirked, which immediately sparked a fire in Mace. Xero pulled away as he turned and reached in his bag to pull a few things out, while Mace curiously watched with rapt attention. Once Xero was done lining up an assortment of items and lubricants along the side of the onsen, he turned to face Mace.

"So, I've been doing a little research," he grinned.

"Research," Mace accused, an eyebrow pointedly raised. He eyed the items Xero had arranged suspiciously, identifying what appeared to be a variety of lubricants, brands of which he'd never seen before . . . but the other items were standard fare for them – a small washcloth and a few condoms.

Xero bit his lip coyly and looked down into the water between them, his fingers gently scraping up each of Mace's knees towards his thighs, which made Mace inhale deeply.

"What do you think about . . . bath sex?"

The slow flame of arousal Xero's touch had ignited flickered wildly. He sat up from the edge with excited eyes. "Are you serious?!"

"You want to?" Xero asked, a surprised but pleased grin growing on one side of his mouth.

"Partner." Mace's smile fell and he looked dead at him.

Xero held his hands up out of the water for a second in self-defense. "I didn't know it was something you'd apparently been looking forward to," he chuckled.

Mace shrugged and looked up in consideration. "Well, I can't say it's something I think a lot about, but . . . I mean bath sex. It's gotta feel incredible, right? So what," he smirked and pulled Xero towards him, "you wanna do me?"

It should have made Xero laugh; it really should have. But instead of taking Mace's bait, he shoved him coolly into the edge of the onsen and pushed their hips together. His arm reached out to brace him as he leaned over Mace's flushed face. "That's the idea."

Mace took that well. Before Xero could say anything else, Mace flung an arm around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Xero's knees buckled and he fell between Mace's legs, feeling the man bend back and press into him, and damn, he was already hard. That hadn't taken long . . .

Xero moaned as he opened Mace's mouth, taking his chin in his hand and heatedly grinding their jaws together. Mace's mouth was actually cool compared to the warmth of the onsen, similar to how it had felt in the gardens. Though, with how fierce their make-out session was becoming, it wasn't long before that changed, and he was pulling away from Mace, gasping, desperate for a breeze across his back.

Mace sat up from where he'd been tossed and rose out of the water some so that he was several inches above Xero. His chest and collarbones sported a rash of red; water droplets clung to his skin. Xero's cheeks were encased in both of Mace's super-heated palms as they brought him in for another series of kisses. Xero's own hands were left to wander down Mace's lithe waist towards the rod of flesh that bobbed stiffly in the water between them.

Mace gasped and pulled back, lips trembling. The sound of water lapping against their bodies was the loudest noise around them as Xero toyed with Mace's erection, until Mace started grunting and thrusting his hips into Xero's rhythm.

He could do this all night, he truly could. The sensation of Xero's fist around his cock had to feel amazing in the water, because the quiet, stifled grunts Mace was fighting to keep back were intoxicating, making the heat from the onsen swim dizzyingly up into his brain. But he had to stop. He had to because he had a plan.

He pulled his fist away with no small amount of reluctance and the guilt from Mace's whine stung horribly. "Sorry," he panted, hand coming out of the water to pull Mace down into a brief, apologetic kiss.

"No, it's okay, s'fine . . ." Mace assured immediately, also trying to come down. His voice sounded frayed at the ends. "You wanna . . . ?"

Xero nodded, a little moan in his throat at hearing the husk in Xero's voice. "Yeah."

Xero turned away from him – and now was the time to think clearly, he reminded himself. He observed the items displayed before him, remotely wondering if they would really need the condoms at this point, since Mace seemed ready to do it in the water. He'd really only brought them on the off chance he didn't, and in that case, they could use them above or out of the water altogether.

Still . . . he might as well be sure.

"Do you mind if we don't use condoms?"

Mace had settled himself back against the side of the onsen again; his chest was still heaving and Xero, intent on not being distracted for the moment, slightly regretted looking at him. He glanced at him and shook his head, still beyond the ability to speak, evidently, as he was still breathing harshly through his swollen lips.

Xero nodded once and turned back, surveying his choice in new lubricants.

Eventually, Mace's curiosity got the better of him, and he swam over to peer over Xero's shoulder at the small array. "What have you got there?"

Xero turned to smirk at him. "Bath sex lube, of course," he drawled, then turned back to examine them all. "I couldn't decide which one to get, so I got a few for us to try."

Mace nestled his chin on Xero's shoulder with a small hum. After a second, his arm appeared from below, flinging droplets of water over the bottles, and pointed at one. "What about that one? It's got a fancy label."

"This one?" Xero confirmed, picking it up. It had coincidentally been the one Xero was more interested in trying, fancy label or no. He turned to Mace. "Alright then," and kissed the tip of his nose.

Mace smiled and lifted his chin as Xero turned around to kiss him solidly. The heat wafting off the water curled around their hips and raced up their spines. Xero's fingers, numb with excitement, could barely keep the lube from floating out of his hand and into the water. Mace was still proudly erect below the water, and it took everything for Xero not to grab for him. He wanted to do something special for him before they started, and a handjob in an onsen was not a part of that plan.

He moved Mace back until he was once again laying against the side, until his chin skirted above the water's surface and the ends of his hair were drenched. Mace had grown mostly quiet, his eyes boring into Xero's, an intense flush spreading into his cheeks – likely from the heat of the water, likely from Xero's hand drifting between his legs to tease the skin behind balls.

Mace shut his eyes tightly as he registered the sensation. He sucked in a breath and lolled his neck back so his head rested against the rock lining of the onsen, and Xero got to see his adam's apple bob with the moans he was trying to suppress. His eyes roamed over the cut of 's angular jawline, which had only grown more defined the older Mace grew, and then over his sharp collarbones breaking the water's surface.

Ngh, feels good . . ."

Xero had the perfect view of all of it. He rubbed more insistently against the narrow strip of skin, edging his fingers closer to their goal, felt warmth rise into his chest and over his skin as Mace groaned again and his legs kicked in the water.

By the time Xero had the courage to pull his hand back, his fingers were shaking. Mace sounded disappointed, too, which didn't help, but he really needed to prep him, because Xero was positive he would explode if he'd kept watching Mace twist and bend into his ministrations. The tube of lube felt foreign in his hands; it took him a second for him to get it open. The lube they typically used was water-based and this silicon stuff felt a little like toothpaste to him (although he wasn't about to tell Mace that).

He squeezed out a healthy amount over his fingers, and was surprised that as he rubbed them together, a warming sensation quickly spread over his skin. Okay, less like toothpaste then. Good.

"You ready?"

Mace responded first by opening his legs even more as Xero snuck his hand back into the water, and secondly by breathing out a laugh. "Hell yeah – ah!"

Xero was trying to go slow, as usual, stamping down his fervor at Mace's lewd display, as his partner bucked and gasped. He reminded himself they hadn't done this in probably close to a month, so Mace was going to need a little extra time. The new lube was doing excellently at its advertised job, however; it didn't wash away and was just as slick – if not more so – than their normal kind.

In just a few brief seconds, he had his first finger sliding in and out of Mace with ease. He curled it upwards, and greatly appreciated the moan that tumbled out of Mace's throat when he was hit with the sudden current of pleasure. Mace was so loud. He'd always been loud – and Xero had always enjoyed it. The thought of shushing him for their neighbors' sake flashed through his conscience but he decided to ignore it until it began to really bug him.

Mace was gyrating and thrusting his hips into Xero's second incoming finger so enthusiastically that he was rising out of the onsen. Water rolled off the sides of his body as his stomach came to the surface, continuing to dip and rise in time as his weightlessness allowed him more liberty to pursue the hand between his legs. His cock, beet red and pulsing to his own heartbeat, protruded from the roiling water like it was begging for mercy.

Mace let out a throaty grunt and drove his hips down over Xero's fingers. "God, I love this lube."

Xero laughed, his cheeks burning. "Yeah, it's good, huh?" He wormed his third finger in and enjoyed the feel of Mace's skin continuing to give. "I'll need more in a sec," he warned.

Mace moaned in disagreement. "Noohohoho . . ." He raised one of his legs out of the water and slung it over Xero's shoulder in a feeble attempt to keep him there.

At once, Xero pressed all three of his fingers into the smooth plane of skin near Mace's entrance – the same spot he'd been teasing the entire prepping session – and Mace yelped and shuddered. "It'll only take a minute." And then Xero pulled his fingers out completely.

Mace groaned again but Xero tried to ignore him, fishing around for the bottle of lube that he'd left to float in the onsen somewhere. He spotted it bumping up against the edge and plucked it out of the water, quickly applying another large mound of it to his hand. His fingers were getting stiff at this point, but the stretching session was basically done, anyway. This next part was just going to be for fun.

He dipped his hand back in the water, shooting his eyes into Mace's hazy ones as he used touch to guide the way between his legs once more. As soon as he got there and tenderly re-entered him, Mace let out a trembling groan that carried across the small patio and then slipped his eyes shut. A sheen of sweat coated his face, which caused the tips of his bangs to stick to his skin; his mouth appeared redder and fuller as he scraped his lips between his teeth. The lights around the onsen – well-placed in Xero's opinion – coupled with the vibrant hue of the sun, lit up his skin like a star. He was glowing, and breathtaking, and Xero wanted to tell him that, but as his hand found renewed strength and his heart swelled in his chest, the only thing that came out was, "Mace . . ."

Mace peeked one eye open. His brows were furrowed and hair hopelessly ruffled. Registering the look on Xero's face, he grunted and smirked, and then, as if to torment him, he arched his back so his chest and neck elevated out of the water, bright skin gleaming in the orange glare of the light of the setting sun, sinking his thighs down onto Xero's hand.

Xero groaned but held steady, his grip urgently tightening around Mace's thigh. His cock – both their cocks, really – were in agony. Mace's looked really uncomfortable, now lying rigidly against his stomach, the water from the onsen washing away the precum that would normally have dribbled onto his belly by now.

Xero took his hand off Mace's hip and straightened Mace's cock so it pointed skyward, the organ stiff and throbbing as he jerked it once, slowly, with a twist, watching the foreskin converge over the shiny tip and a dose of precum run down through his fingers. Mace moaned and bucked his hips, said his name. And then, to Mace's shock, Xero bent down and took the tip into his mouth, and Mace gasped.

He had to readjust his arm a little so that he could keep fingering him effectively, but he managed to make that a relatively seamless transition. He pressed his fingers into the hot spot again and flicked his tongue, and Mace acted like he'd been stung.

"Gah! Ouh, fuck, Xero . . . !"

Xero angled his mouth so Mace's cock could slide neatly to the back of his throat and then took him in entirely. Because Mace's skin was already wet, it felt a little different; his tongue didn't have as much traction as it usually did over the flesh that was typically a little sticky with fluid. But that didn't bother him at all. Mace was gasping again in short, shallow breaths, like he was trying to hang on for dear life, and Xero, with Mace's cock buried in his mouth, didn't have the power to tell him to come.

"Xero . . . ! Par-I'm! Oh, shit! Xero . . . Xero . . . !" Xero could feel cum flood his mouth just as Mace arched his back once more and a strangled moan broke out of his throat and drifted over the early evening breeze.

When he pulled off, Mace was boneless, lying afloat in the water with only Xero's hands to keep him from sinking. Xero smiled, admiring the sight of his chest heaving and expression pained from the force of his orgasm.

He smoothed his hands over Mace's body, pushing water over his chest and stomach, his thighs. "Feel okay?" he teased, unable to help himself.

Mace's eyes blinked open and he groaned sleepily. "Mmhmm . . ." he hummed, then smiled up at him. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and found Xero's fingers with his own, twining them together beneath the surface of the water.

The water grew still and quiet around them. Mace's face was more than flushed but it was clear he was content. Xero was still hard, himself, but it was bearable now that Mace was no longer writhing against him. Eventually, Mace righted himself just a little by lifting his shoulders and spreading his arms across the side of the onsen. His chest was prickly and shiny and Xero wanted to kiss it but settled for pressing his erection into his thigh – an action which caused Mace to grin devilishly.

"Someone's still ridiculously hard."

"Yep," Xero confirmed, pointedly grinding into him once more.

"What are you waiting for, then," Mace mumbled with the barest hint of a smile, and that . . . wasn't a question. He closed his legs (which had been floating, splayed open and adrift) around Xero's waist, bringing his knees up and pulling Xero forward until they were pressed right up against each other. Xero's cock nestled into Mace's crotch and he was bucking into it on instinct.

Xero shook his head once, amused. "Was trying to wait for you to recover a little bit, but it doesn't look like that's what you want."

Mace began moving his hips against him, chuckling. "I can take it, partner." For emphasis, he jerked his hips up, capturing Xero's cock between the crevice of his ass.

"Gnh!" Xero's hips snapped forward, one hand flying to hold tightly to Mace's hip so he wouldn't do that again, the other searching the water once again for the precious tube of lube. When he found it, he hesitantly let go of Mace's hip, weary that he'd keep trying to rut against his erection – which he did, which Xero had to fuss at him to stop doing, which Mace pointedly ignored.

He back away from Mace as much as he could and coated his cock in a healthy layer of more lube (so, so glad he'd found out about this stuff). Satisfied with the amount, he lined up his cock to his partner's entrance, catching Mace's eyes as he did so.

They'd only ever done this without a condom once – when Xero was tired but really, really horny and he'd practically jumped Mace before he had to leave for work – but the roles had been reversed then, and while the raw sensation of their skin meeting like that stayed in his mind, he'd never had the pleasure of feeling it on his own cock. The warmth currently sucking him in topped even that of the onsen, and it was so close, their skin, sliding together slick and beautiful, just like it had years before. Xero's breath rushed out of him as he easily slid halfway in right away. Mace let out a yelp as the head of his cock brushed past his prostate upon entry, legs flying out of the water and opening even more.

Xero slowly pushed himself in all the way, his breath still stolen from him and his heart hammering so hard he could feel it pounding in his eardrums. He took a giant breath when he bottomed out; Mace did, too. He was squirming in his grip, legs kicking out restlessly as they tried to gain bearing in the water.

"You alright? Too fast?" Xero breathed. The grip he had on Mace's waist loosened a little.

"No, just really intense," Mace grunted as he angled his hips up a little more, resulting in more of his body dipping under the water until it was lapping against his collarbones. He still had his arms hooked over the sides so his face wouldn't sink too far down.

"Yeah," Xero agreed, trying to keep his hips still. His cock was already twitching in Mace's body, and with zero protection, he could feel everything and it felt amazing. "God, you feel so good. Was this what it felt like when you did it to me?"

Mace's voice quivered as he answered him. "Y-yeah, probably, heh. But the water is . . ." he trailed off, hips jutting into Yu's and begging for a rhythm.

"Good?" Xero supplied, meeting his request with a small thrust and a grunt.

"Really good."

Xero leaned over Mace and planted his hand above his shoulder, against a cold rock tile, and rolled his hips solidly into Mace's. Mace grunted and he pulled back and did it again, drinking in the sound of another grunt, and then another, and then he was driving into Mace as the water sloshed about them angrily, lapping up and over the sides of the onsen as Xero picked up speed.

The anti-gravity effect of the water gave Xero better leverage than he'd expected. Mace's body bent more easily floating in water than it did lying back on a mattress, and the way Mace had his spine curved allowed Xero to lay into him in a way he'd never been able to do before. The angle was intense, and the consummate way their hips smacked together hurtled Xero past heated and straight into frenzied.

Mace was groaning and swearing, and told him not to stop, please don't stop, to fuck him, that it felt good, felt so good he was going to come, and it was then that Xero became vaguely aware that Mace was fully hard again (when had that happened?) as his erection started hitting his stomach the harder Xero began to thrust.

Xero choked out his name and lowered his body so their foreheads were inches from the other. Xero wanted to press his face into his, but he was fucking him so hard he was afraid their heads would clack together. That's when he felt Mace's wet hand slap around the back of his neck and tug him down, until lips were on his lips, and Xero's teeth and the sound of his voice breaking through his throat were shoving Xero roughly through the steps of his orgasm as he lost all control, as Mace's name left his mouth again and the world floated away.

Mace cried out, the sharp, joyful ring to it offering as the final push for his orgasm as it swept through his brain, pounding out of his body and straight into Mace's. His own voice quivered out a moan, shaky and tight, when the warm wash of pleasure cascaded over his skin and down into his thighs.

"X-Xero . . . !" Mace was trembling. Xero glanced down between them and noticed Mace's still-hard cock. With a shaky breath, he unclenched a hand from his hip and wrapped stiff fingers around his length, feeling its weight pulse madly in his grip. Mace's lips were still right there so he took them, and Mace said his name again against his mouth.

When Xero pulled away, Mace was really shaking even though the both of them were nearly dangerously overheated, having been in the onsen far beyond the safe limit. Mace's eyes were hazy and blown, the golden flecks smothered by his desire, and Xero thought he better end this quickly because Mace might actually pass out.

"I got you, hold on," Xero panted. He eased his cock out from between his thighs, his erection still prominent enough that he felt every bit of Mace as he did so. Mace hissed and whined, and Xero winced on his behalf. Mace's thighs were already angled up and Xero hoisted them out of the water, so his length was within easy reach. Mace yelped and kicked his legs in surprise but Xero just dipped his head down, and for the third time in twenty-four hours, took his cock into his mouth.

Mace trembled again and bucked in frustration into Xero's throat. Xero let him, understanding his desperate need for release at this point and more than willing to accommodate him. Mace came within a few seconds with a long, shuddering groan and Xero swallowed him down hastily (Mace was surprisingly heavy, as drained as Xero felt after the sex).

He didn't even get a chance to lower him back into the water; Mace was practically scrambling out of his arms and over the side of the onsen, panting and red-faced and totally drenched.

"Are you okay?" Xero asked in concern.

Mace laughed, panting. "Yeah," he assured. "Just way too hot, partner."

Xero smiled at his boyfriend, heaving on the side of their private onsen like he'd just run a marathon (or had amazing sex). "I'm starting to get a little dizzy myself." He really was. His head felt fuzzy and light, and he was suddenly incredibly thirsty.

Mace nodded in agreement, gesturing over to Xero's left. "Towel?"

Xero threw him one and then stepped out, legs like wet noodles, barely keeping him standing. Mace stood up and wrapped the towel around himself and Xero couldn't help but stop and stare at him, thin waist beneath a thin towel, shining wet from chin to toe. He watched Mace smirk at him when he caught him looking but didn't bother looking away as Mace strolled over to join him.

"I'm sorry I rushed out of there. I got so hot that I panicked," Mace explained once he'd thrown his arms over his shoulders and brought their noses together in a gentle bump. "I wish we could have stayed in there a little longer."

"We would have melted," Xero laughed.

Mace shrugged. "Eh, it would have been worth it." And then he paused, swallowing before quietly mumbling, "That was amazing."

Xero smoothed his fingers through strands of Mace's hair, his wet-tipped fringe dripping onto his shoulders. Nothing was stopping him now, so he finally pressed their faces together, kissing the side of Mace's mouth. "You are amazing."

After their dalliance in the private onsen, Xero and Mace headed inside to cool off after getting a little too heated in the hot spring water. They dried off completely first so as to not track water onto the tatami floors and gathered up all of the items that Xero had brought outside so he could pack them away in his bag again. Then they pulled out their futons from the closet and stretched out to take a nap. It was nice and peaceful in the room with the late afternoon sunlight pouring in from the balcony windows, so it didn't take long for them to drift off, one hand clasped together since it was too hot to snuggle. Xero ended up waking up first, blearily blinking his eyes before turning to face Mace, smiling at his boyfriend's peaceful face and even breathing. Even now, so many years later, Mace's anxiety would occasionally crop up and riddle his sleep with nightmares, so it was always nice to see him look so soothed and relaxed. This trip had really been an amazing idea.

Xero quietly pulled his hand away, frowning slightly when Mace's brows furrowed in his sleep at the loss of contact. He gently ran his fingers through Mace's hair until his face smoothed again and then carefully got up and padded over to the hotel phone. He called the desk and set up the time for their dinner that evening, opting to have it in the room so they could have privacy as they ate. After confirming the time, he headed back out to the balcony, sitting on a deck chair set up next to the onsen and quietly taking in the sounds of birds chirping and the cicadas humming. It was now truly late in the afternoon – sunset was so late now due to the time of year, and Xero calculated they would probably be eating dinner right around that time. It was a warm day, but much cooler than what they'd deal with in Tokyo so it was bearable. It reminded him of Conton, which brought a smile to his face. Although Mace was in love with the city, Xero had a special place in his heart for that small town and all the gifts it had given him. His friends, his family, and his love.

His thoughts were interrupted as the door slid open and Mace shuffled out onto the balcony with a yawn. "Here you are," he said, rubbing his eyes.

"Did you have a nice nap?" Xero grinned as Mace walked over, perching himself on the edge of Xero's chair so he could lean back and rest against his boyfriend's chest. Xero wrapped his arms around him and happily rested his chin on Mace's head, placing a kiss on his forehead in the process.

"Yeah, I feel groggy now though," Mace said, his voice still thick with sleep. Yu smiled at him fondly, before gently running his fingers through Yosuke's hair, lightly scratching in the process.

Mace's eyes fluttered closed for a few moments before he pulled away, muttering, "You'll put me to sleep again if you keep that up."

Xero grinned, before teasing, "Darn, you caught me," causing Mace to swipe at him lazily.

"I hope we'll be having dinner soon because I'm starved," Mace said, standing up and stretching.

Xero glanced at his watch; he had put it back on right before their nap. "They should be bringing it up soon," he mused. "Let's put up our futons for now. And maybe you can play us some music to set the mood."

Mace grinned at him and soon their futons were neatly put away and Mace had music playing from his portable Capsule Corp speaker. They both sat at the little table chatting with each other and feeling almost like they were back in high school, hanging out in each other's room and just enjoying each other's company. Finally, there was a knock at the door as their food arrived, and Xero went to answer it. Their food was wheeled in and carefully set out for them, a beautifully presented multicourse meal that immediately made Mace's mouth water

Once their food and sake were set out, their maid bowed before quietly heading out of the room and gently closing the door behind her. Xero and Mace stared at the food in amazed silence for several moments, before Mace brought out his phone to snap a few pictures for their friends. They would all, especially Xander and May, be incredibly jealous he was sure. Their centerpiece was a large bowl shaped like and painted like an oyster shell that was filled with ice and topped with different kinds of fish and seafood – sashimi essentially. There were also some pieces of tender steak laid out on a simple white dish that had Mace's mouth watering in anticipation. They each had bowls of rice and miso soup as was traditional with a multicourse meal as well. The coolest dish was a little red plate that had different vegetables and mushrooms standing on it to look like a little forest. There was a small piece of tuna resting on some daikon like a little flower, and actual edible flowers arranged on it as well. It truly was a piece of art, and Mace made sure to snap a picture of that up close to share as well.

Once they were finally done marveling at their food, they each poured each other a glass of sake before clapping their hands together and saying, "Itadakimasu," (thank you for the food basically) so they could enjoy their lovely meal. Fortunately, the food tasted just as good as it looked. Dessert was some shaved ice and pieces of fruit arranged in a glass dish, and it was just as fresh and delicious as the rest of the meal. It was also a refreshing way to cool off after being overheated earlier in the day.

Once they were done eating, Mace asked if they could explore the ryokan a little bit before checking out the public bath later in the evening. It was now finally dusk, and he figured it would be nice to get a drink and sit in one of the lounge areas set up around the building. Xero readily agreed, and after making a call to the desk to let them know they were done with dinner and would be out of the room for a bit so they could clear their plates and set up their bedding for the night, they made their way outside of the room and downstairs.

They ended up stumbling upon one room that had tables and chairs, some couches, a piano, some bookshelves, and a bar lined with snacks and tea. It seemed perfectly cozy with warm, orange-yellow lighting and plush cushions on all of the seating. There were also large windows that looked out into the garden, and they were sure during the day it had a beautiful view that let in a lot of natural light as well. Right now, they couldn't really see anything outside, especially because the TREEs blocked most of the night sky. But it was such a cozy atmosphere that they really didn't mind. There was an older couple sitting at one of the tables by the window, quietly talking and enjoying some tea and snacks, but other than that it was pretty quiet. Most people were probably enjoying the onsen at this time of the evening or eating their dinner.

Xero immediately made his way to one of the bookshelves, scanning it for anything that seemed interesting, while Mace picked out some snacks and made tea for them to share. They then made their way over to one of the couches, setting their snacks down on the coffee table and leaning against each other as Xero read a history book about Hokkaido and Mace sipped at his tea while quietly playing music on his phone. Once the older couple finished up and headed back to their room, Mace immediately shifted until his head was in Xero's lap, forcing the tree loving boy to adjust how he was holding his book in order to accommodate him. Mace flickered a playful grin at him, while Xero lightly shook his head.

Mace then picked up one of the cookies he had picked out for them, and he lifted it up until it stopped right in front of Xero's mouth. His boyfriend sighed lightly before gently reaching forward to take it out of his fingers, ensuring to lightly brush his lips against his fingertips in the process. Mace's grin widened before he grabbed a cookie for himself to munch on. Xero then went back to reading, holding the book in one hand while his other made its way back to Mace's hair again. He absentmindedly ran his fingers through Mace, who closed his eyes with a content sigh in response to the gentle touch. "You're really too much partner," he muttered quietly, and Xero smiled fondly at him.

"You're the one acting like a cat begging for attention," he said, arching his eyebrow. "If only Twister could see you now…"

Mace snorted at his comment before opening one eye to peer at him. "She is way worse than I am, and you know it," he replied, and Xero chuckled.

"I wonder how she's doing," he suddenly mused.

"Xander's taking good care of her, I'm sure," Mace replied. "You can always ask for her to send us a picture if you're worried though."

Xero immediately set down his book, and Mace snickered as he pulled out his phone to do just that. Once he was satisfied as Xander immediately sent a picture of a very happy cat napping in her lap, he then picked up the book again before lightly nudging Mace and pointing at the plate of cookies again. Now it was Mace's turn to chuckle as he reached over, picking one out to feed to Xero again. As Xero took it from his fingers, this time he reached forward and gently nipped at Mace's fingertips, causing the brunet to slightly blush. "Now who's the cat, partner?" he joked, lightly poking Xero in the side.

Xero then reached forward to grab one of the cookies, before offering it in front of Mace's mouth. When Mace leaned forward to catch it in his teeth, Xero grinned and lightly tugged it just out of reach, causing Mace to let out an irritated sigh. "Really?" he pouted, and Xero grinned before placing it at his lips. Mace immediately grabbed it, before pressing his lips against Xero's palm for a warm kiss.

They played like that for several more minutes, Xero eventually abandoning the book for good as they enjoyed each other's company and finished up their snacks. It was nice drinking some refreshing tea, for it rejuvenated them after their exhausting afternoon activity. Now, they finally felt energetic enough to go and check out the public bath. They wanted to try out the outdoor bath and figured at this time of night they may not see many other people out there, especially since it was a weeknight.

Sure enough, when they headed out through the gardens and along the path that took them there, they found that the shower room was completely empty and devoid of any other men. Mace even stuck his head out to look at the onsen just to make sure they were completely alone. "Looks like it's just you and me," he said, and Xero nodded.

There were clean towels there for them to use, along with some toiletries for all of the guests. Thus, they didn't need to do anything more than strip from their yukatas and carefully fold them and put them up before heading over to rinse themselves up and wash their bodies using the soap and shampoo left out for them to use. As they got started, Mace kept sneaking glances at Xero, thinking about their time in their private onsen earlier that day. Xero had really planned things out and had been the main one in control this afternoon, and really if he thought about it, this whole trip so far. Mace thought it was about time that his boyfriend got a surprise for a change.

"Pssst . . . hey, Xero!"

Xero turned to face him curiously, soap bubbles coating his shoulders and chest. "Hm?"

"What's that?" Mace asked in a hushed voice while pointing towards the path to the public bath, causing Xero to look behind him in concern. Mace darted forward and smacked his bare behind with an open palm, and Xero swirled around in alarm. His face rarely changed, but Mace could tell by the way his lips were pulled tight and his eyes bulged out that, not only was he shocked, he was pretty worried about the loud sound it caused.

Mace slapped a hand over his mouth and doubled over, laughter thankfully stifled.

"What do you think you're doing?" Good, Xero had evidently found a little humor in it, no matter how begrudging.

Mace answered him through suppressed bubbles of laughter in his chest. "Just having a little fun, partner." He cleared his throat and attempted to look sincere.

Xero eyed him suspiciously but smirked anyway, turning back to his shower stream. So, Mace inched closer, and when he was close enough, he reached out the very same hand and cupped the very same cheek he'd just left a very red mark on.

"Yo-!" Xero was cut off by Mace's mouth slamming into his. He immediately felt his boyfriend's body come alive at his touch – the deep inhale, the subtle moan he couldn't fight back, the sudden tensing of his muscles. Mace reveled in it.

Xero broke away. "What are you doing," he repeated, this time with his voice husky and low, bordering on arousal.

"Just having a little fun . . ." Mace echoed. Xero shuddered. ". . . partner."

He reached for Xero's already half-erect cock, and even though it had been obvious where this was going, Xero jerked away and quickly glanced behind them towards the barren path. "Mace, you can't."

Mace groaned pitifully and pulled his lips into a pout, but it didn't reach his eyes. It was only fair, Xero's warning hadn't reached his eyes, either. His pale eyes were growing dark with lust, clouded, unfocused. So, Mace reached for him again, and while Xero gasped and his hips jerked, he didn't pull away this time.

Mace's smile was filled with sin as he stroked down to the base of his cock and tugged, eliciting an appropriately low grunt, and pulled up on the organ until he was massaging the head between his thumb and forefinger and Xero was struggling not to visibly squirm.

"Damn, looks like you're hard. Well, we can't do this in the bath so . . . might as well take care of it right here." Mace grinned – a shit-eating grin – and Xero actually managed to scoff and roll his eyes even as a warmth invaded his cheeks.

"We'll get thrown out if we get caught," Xero threatened, although he didn't really seem to care, stepping closer and grabbing the offending arm that was slowly jerking him off.

"Psh, no way they'd throw us out. There's like five people in this whole place. Besides, we're alone now. Might as well take advantage of it." He began stroking him faster in an attempt to make it harder for Xero to pull away, which succeeded, as Xero gasped and clenched his arm tighter and closed his eyes.

"D . . . didn't we have plenty of alone time earlier?"

Mace was sure Xero was trying his best, but he couldn't keep the heat out of his voice. His breathing began picking up. His chest had been rinsed of the soap but now that it was heaving, the way the water danced over his skin as it landed caught Mace's attention, made a warm desire form and pierce his groin. He managed a chuckle, a weak one.

"Like there's ever enough of that for us." And now the teasing had drained entirely out of his voice.

Xero groaned and put his other hand on him, his shoulder, and Mace's cock throbbed like mad as Xero began coming undone before him. The water running over his skin gave Mace's grip a little less friction than normal but he just tightened it, rubbing his thumb in short, concentrated circles over the skin beneath the head of his cock. Xero caught a grunt on his tongue, swallowing it.

He had just started to buck into Mace's ministrations encouragingly when the both of them heard voices in the distance. Xero's eyes shot open right away, but Mace stepped into him and quickened his pace.

"M-Mace, stop . . . !" Xero hissed, yet made no attempt to actually remove Mace's hand.

Mace's only response was to keep jerking him as swiftly as possible. He stared Xero down – whose eyes began darting at everything but Mace, likely trying to concentrate on the encroaching voices – and didn't relent.

"M-Mace . . . !"

"Come for me," Mace mumbled, voice thick with want. "You can do it, partner."

Xero groaned, half in pleasure, half in defeat, and planted his forehead on Mace's shoulder.

The voices were close enough now that they could tell there were more than two people. Three male voices engaged in friendly banter could now be heard, and if they caught the boys in their current predicament, shit very likely would go down. Mace knew that. He also knew that Xero was getting close – and that the danger was making him get closer.

"Come for me," Mace whispered in his ear. A thrill rushed up his spine as Xero whimpered and jerked his hips into Mace's exemplary pace. "Better hurry," he teased. "They're getting closer."

Xero squirmed, a shaky moan emanating between them and bouncing off the tile of the shower wall. One of the encroaching guests guffawed loudly at something, and Xero's head shot up from Mace's shoulder to look behind them. Mace reached out his other hand to cup his balls and Xero's head spun back around, eyes clenched shut tight. Mace chuckled and ran his knuckles along the outside, coaxing, occasionally brushing the base of his cock.

"Y-Yos—"

("–sound stupid when you say it like that!")

Both boys tensed and gasped. Okay, at this point, that was close even for Mace's comfort level. That sounded like it was just outside of the entrance; Mace prayed that the tiled walls were to blame for that.

"C'mon, partner," he urged, keeping his tone light and the panic at bay.

"Ngh, you asshole," Xero growled, just as he came. Mace laughed but it immediately fluttered in relief as he saw cum shower over his wrist and streak across his stomach.

One of the voices muttered something and the other two cackled, and now they could hear the sound of shoes scuffing, so the intruders had to be just around the corner. Mace let go of Xero's dying erection and turned his body away so he was facing the opposite wall. He was really wound up and was just now registering that he felt dizzy and lightheaded. He need to think unsexy thoughts immediately.

Behind him, Xero was panting and laughing darkly in amusement. Mace tried to ignore him, ignore the way his hoarse voice rumbled against the walls around them and straight up Mace's spine. Within seconds, the large room filled with the sounds of strange men chattering loudly as the group shuffled in and turned on several of the showers, and the sudden, petrified lurching in his gut took care of the arousal problem.

As soon as he felt it was safe, he turned back to Xero, who just scrubbing away the remainder of their tryst and eyeing Mace urgently to do the same.

Mace had only remembered at the last minute to use soap, and Xero was forced to wait for him, towel in hand, to wash himself completely. Once he was all done, Mace didn't miss the flicker of indignation in Xero's small smile as he held out the towel to him, which only caused Mace to accept it with a cocky, lopsided smirk.

"That almost backfired on you and you're acting like that?" Xero muttered to him, regarding the strangers with annoyance.

"Got you off, didn't I?" Mace wrapped the tiny towel around his waist and didn't take his eyes off Xero.

Xero's eyes bulged and his cheeks instantly grew red, his mouth hanging slack. A second later, he rolled his eyes and ground his jaw. "Mace . . ." he sighed, at a loss for words. Mace cackled as his partner walked off.

The two of them walked the small path to the public onsen, which they still found empty, to their delight. They knew those guys would be right behind them, though, and decided to tuck themselves away in the far corner beneath the overhang of a large tree. They were just getting settled when the small yet overbearing group emerged from the shower area. Each one of them greeted them as they entered one by one, and Xero and Mace nodded and waved out of politeness.

"I can't believe you were almost jerking me off in front of those guys," Xero turned to him and whispered under his breath.

The group were all still engaged in their own conversation, but it was so loud, Mace was starting to feel like he knew each one of them. He'd heard a few remarks that had him wanting to ask some follow-up questions, actually.

"If you'd taken any longer, I would have been," he quipped.

Xero smacked him playfully. Unfortunately, the sound of the splashing water grabbed the attention of the other group.

"Hey, why don't you guys come over here?"

"We're forgetting our wives for the night! Come on!"

"Drink with us!"

Xero and Mace could only gawk at them in disbelief as they shouted series after series of invitations, which then lead to bribes, which then lead them forgetting about the couple entirely and throwing insults and jokes about each other's said wives at one another.

"How . . . did they get more drunk in the onsen? Do you see drinks? Do they have invisible drinks?" Mace wondered aloud, no longer caring if the group heard even heard him.

"The heat from the water must be making their intoxication worse. I hope they're okay. You think I should tell the staff?"

Mace hummed and they both continued to study the group worriedly as they sloppily dove into a song.

The group eventually left when one of the guys suggested they hit the bar. Mace winked and waved cheerfully at them while Xero gave a curt nod as they stumbled away, departing as loudly as they'd arrived. They'd only been in the onsen for all of twenty minutes, so the boys had plenty of time to relax and wash away the experience in the silence that followed. The breeze from the tree above them felt nice against their flushed skin, and all around them were sounds of the small animals and bugs that made their homes in the gardens.

Xero turned on his side to face Mace, sighing and running his hand over his chest. Mace peeked his eye open and wrapped an arm around Xero's waist to pull him to.

"M-Mace, this is the public bath-"

"Yeah, but we're not in public anymore," Mace mumbled, on the edge of sleep.

Xero smiled fondly at him and bent down to kiss his cheek. He rearranged himself so that he was pressed all along Mace's side, and with an arm draped over him, they laid like that until the moment the heat forced them out.

With an authoritative slap of a hand to a wrist, Xero ensured that Mace (who insisted that he "was just kidding") didn't try the same trick when they reentered the shower room to fetch their yukata. They were on the look-out for the roving karaoke trio on the way back to their room, but didn't spot them, much to Mace's disappointment and Xero's relief.

It was still early evening, but as soon as they saw their prepared futons laid out for them in their room they realized how exhausted they felt. Xero forced them both to brush their teeth before crashing; Mace whined and goose-stomped behind him to the bathroom.

With the smell of the spring water still on their skin, they shed their yukata and crawled beneath the sheets, Mace barely remembering to turn off the light before his eyes closed for good. With the dark settling around them, Xero shuffled closer until he was pressed up along Mace's side again, like he'd been in the onsen. Xero's familiar weight in his arms made Mace's heart sigh happily as he began drifting off.

"Still enjoying your birthday trip?" Xero whispered, lips brushing against his ear.

"Mmm."

"Good."

Mace could feel Xero smile against his skin as sleep finally took him

Xero woke up the next morning to a light knock at the door, and he groggily sat up while suddenly remembering that he had set a time for them to bring breakfast for the two of them. Next to him, Mace curled closer to where he had just been lying, obviously searching for his body heat in his sleep. Xero smiled at him before quickly throwing on his yukata and going to answer the door. Sure enough, two of the staff were standing outside with their breakfast, and Xero quietly apologized and asked if they could be silent setting it up since his companion was still asleep. They nodded to show they understood and managed to set up breakfast including tea for him and coffee for Mace with minimum noise.

They then bowed before leaving, and Xero decided to be nice and give Mace a little more time to sleep, choosing to cover their food to keep it warm before stepping out onto the balcony to sip at his tea and watch the sunrise. Probably about 10 minutes later, his absence in bed finally woke up Mace who shuffled out to join him, his yukata thrown on hastily and fully open on the top to expose his chest. "Why are you up so early?" Mace yawned, his hair a total mess.

"I forgot what time I had scheduled them to bring breakfast," Xero confessed. "I based it around when we usually get up for work…"

Mace snickered at him before saying, "Well, we want to eat while it's still hot, right?"

Xero nodded, and they both sat down to eat a traditional breakfast that consisted of grilled fish, miso soup, rice, and a few vegetable side dishes. It wasn't quite as flashy as dinner was, but the food was still very well prepared and used high quality ingredients. Mace enjoyed his cup of coffee while they ate, and he tried his best to pry any plans for that day out of Xero who would politely change the subject or in some other way ignore his question. After breakfast they bathed before taking one last dip in their private onsen, the hot water waking them up and allowing them to feel refreshed and ready to take on the day.

They then packed up and checked out, feeling completely rested after their relaxing stay at Kourakuen. The ryokan helped them order a taxi, and they were soon on their way back to Otaru. Instead of going straight to the train station, however, Xero had them both walk along the canal with their luggage, enjoying the beautiful sight. Since it was still morning and most people were either not out yet or at work, they didn't have a large crowd out and about with them, just some older people doing their morning walks. The buildings lining the canal were very quaint, and some were even covered in ivy (which Mace totally snapped a photo to share). There were boats occasionally along the canal as well, although they were all small motorboats obviously used by the locals to get around. The pathway on the walking side of the canal was wide and well maintained with flowers and bushes alongside it to brighten up the path.

They both enjoyed the walk, for it's cooler in the morning, and the air in the town is nice and refreshing along the canal. It's also just a beautiful view, especially on the nice, sunshiny morning. "You know, this reminds me a little of walking along the riverbank in Inaba," Mace commented as they finally began to make their way back toward the train station. "It's kind of nostalgic."

"We did spend quite a lot of time there, didn't we?" Xero mused, eyes lost in thought as he remembered fishing, training with Damian, and some of the talks he and Mace had. There were certainly a lot of fond memories spent there.

Mace nudged Xero's shoulder with a grin, bringing his attention back to the present. "You still with me?" he teased, and Xero nudged him back.

"Of course," he replied. "Always."

Mace blushed slightly at his reply but looked pleased. Not long after that, they made it to the train station, and Mace couldn't hide his excitement once he realized they were waiting on the platform to Sapporo. "Partner," he gushed, and Xero grinned at him. "This is going to be so cool!"

The trip from Otaru to Sapporo was also much shorter at just over an hour by train, so they had just enough time to settle in and relax after their walk before they made it to their destination. Once they arrived, they stopped at a family restaurant close to the train station for lunch, since Xero said it was too early to check into their AirBNB. After a nice, filling meal, they headed to their room which wasn't that far from the train station. Their key was located in a lockbox that Xero had been sent the code to, and he checked in using the app as they set down their stuff and checked it out. It was much simpler than the first room had been, and Mace was happy to see that overall it looked more masculine and modern (with less cats) than the other had been as well. The apartment had a very spacious feel to it with large windows letting in a lot of natural lighting and wooden floors. There was a round table with two chairs for dining on, and a little alcove next to it with two wicker chairs and a coffee table with a tea set laid out for them to use.

Mace did notice that the tablecloth under the tea set had a lucky cat figure design on it, but he figured he'd let it pass this time. Along one wall was a long desk with two chairs so if they were doing business they'd have a place to set up laptops to do work. There was also a kitchen area, a bathroom, and a washer and dryer which were pretty convenient for those that travelled a lot. There was a large sliding door that opened up to the bedroom which had two futons already laid out and prepared for them. The apartment was very tastefully decorated with a few vases on a shelf, a house plant, and some throw pillows, and Mace immediately felt at home. "I like it," he declared after setting down his bag, and Xero grinned at him.

"Are you sure you don't prefer the first place?" he asked innocently, while Mace rolled his eyes at him.

"No, here is much better," he replied dryly. "So, now that we're here…what are we doing first?"

"I thought we'd take a tour at the Sapporo Beer Museum and follow up with dinner at one of the bars or restaurants connected to it," Xero replied. "But…before that, we need to change."

"Change?" Mace asked in confusion.

"You may have noticed, but I packed something a little nicer in the bag for you to wear. I thought maybe it would be nice to dress up, especially for dinner," Xero suggested. Mace thought of every time Xero had dressed up in the past and immediately blushed before nodding eagerly.

"I'm a fan of this idea," he said enthusiastically, and Xero looked pleased. He was also looking forward to Mace dressing up, especially because he had picked out the outfit of his that he liked best. Also, Mace hardly ever dressed up, so Xero always felt like it was a treat whenever he got to see it.

So, they both quickly changed, Mace into a navy blue suit with orange tie and handkerchief for his breast pocket, white undershirt, and brown leather shoes. Even his socks were orange with a navy blue argyle design. His suit was form fitting and had been sized after he bought it to fit his skinny frame. Xero loved it on Mace and thought the navy complimented his hair and complexion while allowing Mace's signature color to pop. Xero's suit was silvery in color with a hidden leopard print; you'd have to look closely at the material to realize it was made up of tiny dots of silver and from a distance it looked almost solid in color. Xander had picked it out for him and when Mace had expressed interest he had gotten it, even if it was a little flashy in style. The collar of the jacket was lined in black, and Xero wore a white undershirt, black bowtie, and had a black with white polka dotted handkerchief in the pocket. He rounded off the ensemble with a watch his friend had gotten him and black loafers.

Mace kept stealing glances at him once he was finished getting dressed, and Xero couldn't help but respond by giving his boyfriend a full and deliberate look in order to take in his outfit and show his appreciation for it. Mace sucked in his breath, before saying, "I hate it when you do that," and looking embarrassed.

"Isn't it better to express your appreciation instead of hiding it behind shy glances?" Xero countered, and Mace nervously played with his tie, undoing it slightly in the process. Xero shook his head before stepping forward and carefully adjusting it for him. "It's just hard for me to hide how hot I find you in that suit, partner," he said, shooting Yosuke a smoldering gaze that caused him to blank out for a moment.

"You look hot too," he finally said, running one hand along the sleeve of Xero's jacket. "Xander's definitely got good taste," he mused. "It's just hard for me to take it all in. You look too good, Xero," he said, winking and shooting Xero the grin that made him fall in love with the brunet in the first place.

Now it was Xero's turn to lose his train of thought for a moment, getting too lost in Mace's warm eyes to think clearly. When he finally pulled himself together, he glanced at his watch and said, "It'll take us about 15 minutes to get there. Ready to go?"

Mace grinned victoriously, knowing that he had impacted Xero just like the other man always impacted him, and nodded his head. "Yeah, this is going to be so cool!" he replied enthusiastically.

They were soon out the door and took a brisk walk to the train station so they could reach a stop closer to the Beer Garden. Once they arrived at the right stop, their walk wasn't too far to the location, and they stopped at the Kaitakushi-kan first. This was the original building built in 1890 as a sugar factory. The building looked like an English manor with red bricks, large ceiling length windows that were curved at the top, a rounded window on the top of the front of the building, and a green roof. The red bricks were half covered with green ivy and there was also a large, red bricked smoke stack connected to the building as well. Everywhere they looked they saw the Sapporo symbol of the star surrounded by two bears.

After checking it out, they headed to the museum and went on a self-guided tour where they learned the history of Sapporo beer and of the building. Xero was definitely fascinated by this part of the trip and was taking his time to read through everything, while Mace took in the equipment in awe, surprised that it was still in such good condition. Even he found it pretty interesting, although he was definitely more interested in sampling the beer and eating the food later.

Eventually, they got their fill of touring and taking pictures, and were finally ready to grab a bite to eat. They returned to the Kaitakushi-kan and headed to the third floor to Kessel Hall. Aesthetically Xero had found it the most interesting, because it contained a giant beer-brewing kessel in the middle that was built in 1912, and the beer served at this location was made directly in the factory. The red brick walls could clearly be seen and the room was large and open with the triangle shaped ceiling vaulting up overhead. "I think this is the coolest place I've ever been," Mace breathed as they walked in, and Xero seemed just as impressed as he was.

"I have to agree," he said. "It is pretty amazing."

They were soon brought to their table and handed a menu so they could order beer and food. Mace was interested in the Genghis Kah

Their room was pitch black when they got back. Mace had meant to leave a light on but must have forgotten after looking at Xero's stupid well-fitting suit. After stumbling out of their shoes and Mace discarding his jacket, Xero found a little lamp near the small dining table and flicked it on. The light was dim but plenty. Xero's suit, being silver-toned, instantly commanded Mace's attention with the way it held the light. Mace knew there was no way he looked as riveting as Xero did right now.

He'd long gotten used to feeling both jealous and turned-on about it. Maybe it was the booze, or the fact that Xero was wearing a suit Mace so rarely got to see, but he couldn't help feeling swells of both right now as Xero leered at him with eyes the same color as his suit.

"You're amazing," his voice slipped through loose lips. The not-drunk part of his brain instantly bemoaned at how easily that slipped out. But he couldn't help it. It was something he might have said years ago, tipsy, completely by accident, and be met with shock, disbelief.

But saying it now only got him a cocky grin.

"You're one to talk," Xero quipped back, licking his lips. They became shiny with the way the light hit them.

And that was everything Mace needed. He grabbed him by the lapel, his jealousy evaporating for the moment as he took Xero's mouth. He walked them both back towards the bed, shoeless feet stepping over one another harmlessly, until it eventually tripped them, sending Mace crashing back onto the bed with Xero landing on top.

Xero sat up and immediately started grinding their hips together through their pants. Mace heard the moan rip itself free from his own throat, also sitting up to pull Xero's face in again and shove his tongue through Xero's parted lips. They ground against one another like teenagers for several minutes until Mace couldn't take it anymore.

"I wanna fuck you," he gasped out. His voice was heady and thick, and he was so far gone that he let himself believe that the shudder he could feel take Xero's body at his words wasn't just his imagination.

Xero bit into the kiss and moaned, fingers searching for and then clutching at Mace's hand wound in the bedsheets. "Could you? You're kinda drunk . . ."

Mace scoffed in challenge. Xero sounded so timid, like he hadn't wanted to hurt Mace's feelings or something. He shook Xero's hand off his and used the new leverage to switch their positions so that Xero was beneath him, his back landing on the mattress with a satisfying grunt. Their suits were now hopelessly wrinkled; Mace hoped Xero didn't have any more plans for these.

He ground his hips into Xero's again – once, as if that should speak for him – and snickered. "Just you wait, partner," and kissed him, swallowing another one of Xero's grunts.

His lips were making their way down Xero's neck when he ran into his first obstacle – his shirt, still fully buttoned and bow-tied. . . . Oh. He sat up between Xero's legs and tried to get his fingers to work enough to get the bow-tie off. It felt like it was taking him a stupidly long time, and it was, but he didn't give up. He grunted in frustration and almost had the main knot undone when Xero's hand gently circled his, knocking him out of his trance.

"Let me," Xero laughed softly. He shooed Mace's hands away and undid it himself, zipping it through and out of his collar in one motion.

Mace was fine with that. It was off and now he could rip open the buttons on Xero's shirt. He didn't try to get them undone properly; that would have taken too long and his fingers already weren't working well. The moment the buttons started popping off Xero gasped and said his name. Mace didn't know if it was out of alarm or arousal

He made his way down Xero's body, biting and sucking on his left nipple while his hand rubbed circles into the other one. Xero's weren't sensitive like his were, but they still felt good in his mouth. He flicked his tongue, eliciting a quiet gasp out of Xero, and continued on the path towards Xero's hips. Xero grunted and shifted beneath him, especially once Mace started undoing his belt.

"Mace," Xero whispered. Mace didn't hear him and kept trying for the buckle, his fingers a little better able to grip the thicker material.

He got that undone easily enough. He popped open Xero's fly and forced the zipper down enough to get the pants to slide down his hips. It wasn't until they were hugging Xero's thighs that Mace realized that Xero was still mostly dressed, jacket and shirt splayed open to expose his chest, cock now beating hard and free above his torn-open trousers. He looked incredible, the way his skin gleamed in the low light, the way he was looking at him. Mace wanted him, and it was officially starting to hurt how much.

He hauled Xero by his thighs onto the center of the bed, both so their feet wouldn't dangle over the sides and so Mace could settle between his legs more comfortably. Xero said his name again but this time Mace heard him and simply ignored him, knowing that if it was important, Xero would do a better job at telling him so. The moment he took Xero's cock in his hand he ran into yet another problem: his stupid shirt. He was sweating like mad and could have lived with that, but the cuffs over his wrists were going to get in the way, eventually. So, he sat up, ripped it off over his head, and immediately felt his center of gravity tugging at him from somewhere off to his right. He wobbled on his knees but fortunately fell forward over Xero's hips, hands catching on Xero's thighs and mouth dipping to run his tongue over the smooth planes of his abdomen. The scent of Xero's musk hung thick in the air and he followed it to its source.

With way his skull was buzzing, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to give the best blow job right now, but he wasn't about to let that or anything stop him from trying. He drug his tongue up the length of Xero's cock deliberately, lapping at the head as he reached the tip, and Xero gasped and moaned his name – again. Then Mace took the tip in his mouth and began to suck, and when he flicked his eyes into Xero's, he saw a beet-red face and hazy eyes meeting his, which his rising passion quickly demanded he conquer.

He slid Xero's cock all the way in and while he tried to go as slow as possible at first, he soon found himself sucking and bobbing with such fervor that Xero's hips were twitching, and the cock in his mouth was twitching, and hitting the very back of his throat, and Mace was gagging but relentless. He was so invested in the act, in the hard, pulsing length in this mouth, that he'd entirely forgotten about his initial mission to have sex. Instead, he was moaning around Mace's cock, willing it not-so-silently to come.

Xero's fingers began pulling at his hair, tugging it firmly as if to rein him in, and it was then that Mace realized he could hear Xero's voice, that he'd been hearing it for a while but not comprehending the words pouring out.

"Ma . . . Mace . . ."

It was just his name again, but the grip on his hair was really tight now, and he was being pulled off of the cock in his mouth at yet another utterance of his name. A line of precum and spit was the only thing connecting Mace's now puffy lips to the head of Xero's dick, and Mace really wanted to yank Xero's hand off his head and sink back down on it, because he could tell that Xero was getting close, but the grip Xero had on him was commanding.

"S-Something wrong?" he slurred, when it became obvious Xero wanted him to stop. His voice was hoarse with the recent strain on his throat.

Xero was practically hyperventilating he was breathing so fast. He was moaning as he let each breath out, and jutting his hips, which Mace could feel gyrate in his hands, but the way he had his eyes slammed shut told Mace he was trying to keep himself in check.

"C-C'mere," he panted. He sounded unsure, the way his voice quivered like that.

Xero's fist was still tight in his (thin)hair, and it assisted Mace in obeying in scooting up, as wobbly-limbed as he was. When their faces were finally aligned, Xero pulled him down into a slow, melty kiss. Fingers were already working his belt buckle and sliding the leather flaps open stealthily. Mace moaned and bucked into the set of hands. He'd almost forgotten how hard he was, and when his dick grazed Xero's skin through the thin veil of his boxers he moaned again, pulling away so he could look down.

I want to do it together," he heard Xero say, and looked back up at him, head swimming.

All he could do was grunt questioningly, brows knitting together as the heat below began raging for his attention. He dropped his face onto Xero's face, kissing down his cheek, groaning as warm hands pulled him free and started caressing him, feeding his dick over rapidly slickening skin. Somehow, he found the sense to move his arms and shove down his pants so their hips could press together unhindered, bare, their connecting skin shooting sparks of electricity through his thighs. He resumed the pace of their earlier frotting, bringing them both to a steady rhythm where Xero's dick was pressed snugly into his stomach and Mace was riding the pressure. Xero clutched at Mace's hips while Mace had two fistfuls of comforter around Xero's ribcage as he rocked their hips together.

They hadn't frotted successfully since they were teenagers, having since moved onto activities that would bring them both far more pleasure, so maybe Mace should have been a smidgen embarrassed that he was climbing towards his orgasm this quickly. Sure, they hadn't done this in what had to be years at this point, so maybe something had been reset. But here he was, thrusting his hips like he was already inside of Xero and trying to get deeper.

"Oh, shit . . ." Mace looked down again when he felt fingers around his cock, and saw Xero wrapping both theirs in a single fist. He wasn't able to close it around their combined widths, but when he jerked them both near the tips the sensitive heads would rub together, causing Mace's insides to float and the rising heat to undulate magnificently. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds when the jolt of climax locked his spine straight and released pangs of pleasure to run like syrup down his inner thighs. He called Xero's name, relishing in the accompanying groaning beneath him and watching as both their orgasms coated Xero's stomach.

Sticky, sweaty, drunk, and still mostly clothed, they collapsed into each other's arms, the mess incidentally sandwiched between them. Mace was terribly glad he'd thrown his shirt off earlier; he didn't want to think how uncomfortable Xero had to be right now still in his full suit. Well, he'd tell him if it became unbearable. For now, Mace laid there and enjoyed the afterglow with Xero's hands on his back, their hearts pounding fiercely against one another.

It was a while before Mace could move without his entire body shivering with the aftershocks of his orgasm. Once his heartrate had returned mostly to normal, he started a series of gentle kisses to Xero's neck and jaw, which caused the other man to stir with a soft moan

Mace snickered into his skin. "Falling asleep?" He could talk; he was about to drift off himself.

"I would be, but this suit would make it impossible, I'm afraid."

"Awww." Mace kissed his neck again and Xero made another little noise and held him just a bit tighter. "I kinda don't want to get up, to be honest, heh." Thinking about the mess they'd made certainly wasn't helping him get there any faster, either.

"Well, you shouldn't have to go far; there's tissues on this table I think." Xero had his eyes closed, but Mace wasn't surprised to find out that he was right – as always. Mace hadn't been able to see anything in the room apart from Xero from the moment they got back, and his focus before dinner had been a contest between self-conscious fretting over his own suit to jaw-dropping awe over the way Xero had looked in his. Good thing one of them was at least partially aware of their surroundings.

He grunted and heaved himself up just enough to reach the box and toss it next to them, and both of them busied themselves with cleaning up. Xero was crumpling their used tissues up into a ball when it struck Mace - "Hey, you rat! I was supposed to top tonight."

Xero's eyes widened before slipping into an amused, silent chuckle. "Mace, I don't think it would have been possible. We both finished quick tonight. Besides," he gestured with a look across the room to where their bags cluttered around the small coffee table (the bags, which Xero had asked Mace to unpack and which Mace pointedly did not), "I don't think you would have been able to get the stuff out of the bags without injuring yourself."

With a long, measured look at the distance from where they were sprawled on the bed to where the bags were, Mace surmised with a thoughtful hum that yeah, he could be right about that. The corner of that table certainly wouldn't have felt nice to land on . . . and what if he'd hurt Xero by accident, during? He still didn't think he could even stand without immediately collapsing like a buffoon; would sex have even been safe?

"Hm, guess you're right," he relented, tossing the ball Xero made of their tissues onto the nightstand for storage until one of them located a waste bin.

Xero shifted beneath him, and Mace looked down in just enough time to watch his hands rake up his thighs and over his stomach. He shivered, the cool air in the room that skirted over his skin adding to the electrified feeling of Xero's touch. "But there won't be anything stopping you from doing it tomorrow."

Xero smirked up at him. His hair was a mess. He looked drunk. Mace smirked back and leaned down to kiss him, a blush creeping into his cheeks.

"You know we've had sex like, every day this week? You're not gonna be tired of me by then?"

Xero looked up in mock consideration and hummed, turning his mouth to the side. "Hmm, good point." He sighed heavily. "Oh, well. I guess I'm tired of you now. That's too bad, Mace."

"Uh, I said by then, not already!" he whined, hands flying to Xero's sides in a retaliatory tickle. "And I'm still going to try and seduce you anyway, you jerk." He tickled him again and Xero shouted and rolled onto his side to defend himself.

Mace kept up his attack until they heard something on one of their suits rip ominously, and both of them sheepishly agreed to shed them before they could cause any more damage.

Now bare, Mace pulled Xero against him beneath the sheets, spine aligned against his chest, and concentrated on the sound of Xero's steady breathing as he drifted off. Mace's head still tingled with the lingering effects of the alcohol, but he was sated and happy and he fell asleep quickly, lights on, to the feeling of Xero's heart beating beneath his palm.

The next morning Mace is surprised when he was the first one to wake up. He blearily opened his eyes and rubbed them, before lightly groaning when he realized he felt gross after sleeping in his suit. Even though they had kind of cleaned up after themselves last night, it was still a mess. 'Looks like these are going to need dry cleaning…and I'll probably have to replace Xero's shirt,' he thought, noticing the buttons scattered about on the bed. He noted that Xero appeared to be passed out; although he had seemed more in control last night, Mace was less likely to get a hangover after drinking while Xero often would wake up feeling awful. So, Mace decided this morning it was his turn to take care of things in the way he knew best, and he immediately got up and headed to the shower so he wouldn't feel gross anymore.

Next, Mace went through his bag and eventually pulled out one of his band t-shirts and his favorite pair of jeans, grabbing his phone and headphones and the key to the condo before heading out the door. He listened to music to try to wake himself up as he made his way across the street to the nearest 7-Eleven. Inside he grabbed some quick things for breakfast, two of Xero's favorite teas, coffee for himself, and some hangover medicine since he was sure his boyfriend would need it. He also grabbed himself a magazine to thumb through while he waited for Xero to wake up, for he had a feeling he may have to wait a little while. Sure enough, when he returned home and checked, Xero was still asleep, although he had shifted to his other side with Mace no longer in the bed.

Mace gently grinded his fingers through Xero's soft, head and smiled fondly, even though it was a mess after last night. His head had been even worse before his shower due to Xero grabbing onto it the night before. Mace carefully tiptoed out of the room and slid the door shut again before tossing Xero's breakfast and tea in the fridge and eating his own breakfast as he looked through the magazine. About half an hour later, Xero finally woke up, and Mace heard the soft sounds of him moving around in the other room before he slid the door open and popped out to take a shower. Once he had cleaned himself off and changed into a polo shirt and designer jeans, he met Mace at the table and sat cross from him before resting his head down and looking exhausted. "How are you feeling?" Mace asked quietly, not wanting to jar Xero if he had a headache. He often did if he drank too much.

"Terrible," Xero said, and Mace immediately slid over the hangover medicine. As Xero downed it, Mace went to the fridge to grab his breakfast and tea. "Thanks, partner," Xero said tiredly, as he dug into the convenience store breakfast and took a sip of his tea. Mace grinned at him, setting down his magazine and watching Xero eat. As the medicine began to work and the food began to make its way through his system, Xero slowly began to look livelier and by the end of breakfast almost looked like his normal self.

"So, got any surprises in store today?" Mace asked, and Xero nodded

"I want to take you somewhere before we go to our last location," he said, and Mace immediately felt torn over being excited at this mysterious location and disappointed that they were now heading toward the end of the trip. It had been a blast so far and they had both been able to see and experience a lot of new things. Although they lived together, they both worked and were often too tired to do some of the steamier things they had been up to on the trip as well, so it was nice to see that Xero still wanted him as much as he wanted his boyfriend.

After they finished eating, they packed up and got ready to check out of the condo, since they wouldn't be returning after they left. They caught a cab over to Odori Park, a beautiful, tree lined park that divided the north and south sections of Sapporo. It was also the location of the famous red Sapporo tower that had an observation deck that overlooked the park and surrounding city. Yosuke gazed in amazement at the beautiful park with its wide, tree-lined pathways, well-manicured patches of green grass along the middle, and several different large fountains as well.

They walked along the paths for a bit, dragging along their suitcases behind them before eventually making their way to the tower and paying to head up to the observation deck. The views up there were stunning, and Mace immediately began snapping some pictures to share with their friends while Xero watched with a quiet smile on his face. He loved Mace's energy and how he always shared his experiences everyone; he found it was an endearing quality , even if it was formed due to being abandoned by his old city friends before Conton. Now that he had made a tight-knit group of new friends, he did little things like sharing pictures with them or suggesting they buy them souvenirs to bring back since they hadn't yet (they had been too inebriated the night before to really think about it, to be honest), and it made Xero happy to see how thoughtful he always was. Mace may often speak without thinking – although he was getting better about that now that they were getting older – but he was also incredibly thoughtful and always doing kind things for those he cared about.

"Let's get the souvenirs at the place we're going to tomorrow," Xero suggested. "I think they'll have the most interesting ones."

"I guess I'll just have to trust your judgment," Mace shrugged. He had just finished posting pictures in the group chat, and he smiled before pulling Xero over to look at his phone. Xander had sent another picture of Brad and he wanted to make sure Xero saw it. Xero wasn't as good at keeping up with the group messages since everyone tended to type quicker, and he usually let Mace keep him up to date on things. Xero was happy to see their cat was still doing well, and he messaged his own thanks to Xander for keeping them updated. Afterward, they both grabbed lunch at a restaurant close to the park, before making their way to the nearest train entrance so they could head to their final location for the trip.

This time, they were on a platform heading to Furano, which was a city Mace really wasn't as familiar with. He tried to look it up on his phone when Xero wasn't looking, but his boyfriend was too sharp for him and carefully grabbed his phone away and closed the browser. "Just let it be a surprise," he teased fondly as they boarded the train and put up their bags.

Furano was about a two and a half hour train ride from Sapporo, so they had time to relax on their way to their last stop. Mace, who had gotten up earlier than Xero, nodded off while listening to music, his head resting on Xero's shoulder. Xero ensured Mace was in a comfortable position before using the time to catch up on news and with his friend's messages in the group chat. When they arrived, he gently woke Mace up who complained and tried to burrow his face in Xero's shoulder. Xero laughed gently and twisted around until he had Mace resting on his chest like a hug before he began to tickle him in a specific spot on his side that immediately caused him to jerk awake since he was incredibly ticklish there. "Gah, stop!" he said, trying to pull away while Xero grinned at him. He let go and grabbed their bags, while Mace tried to fix his hair and clothes which had become disheveled in his sleep and attempt to get away from Xero.

Once they got off the train, Xero got them a cab so they could head to the final place they would be staying for the night. They pulled up at a two-story building set on a hill on a foundation that raised it up off the ground and had a large porch out front along with a brick lined walkway that led to the stairs to take up to the front door located on the porch. The grass around the building was taller and natural looking with some wildflowers and trees dotting the front as well. The building had light pink siding, a gray roof, and white posts and railing on the porch and white around the windows as well. It almost looked beachy even though all around them they could see mountains in the distance. In elegant, script font were the words Pension Lavender on the top of the building.

Xero lead Mace inside and they walked up to the front desk, a quaint wooden counter with shelves lined with mugs behind it and stuff for coffee and tea set out; it obviously doubled as a refreshment counter and they could see a seating area that was open behind it with cute wooden tables and chairs like it was a coffee shop. There were plants and animal statues and other cute things decorated everywhere, with ivy hanging down from the ceiling and next to some of the mugs as well. The chairs all had floral designs on the seats, and Mace suddenly felt if he were Xero's girlfriend this may be a cute place to go, but it felt very strange with both of them being men. The desk clerk didn't seem to mind though and she politely checked them in before giving them directions to their room which was located up the wooden stairs lined with plants set behind the counter.

At the foot of the stairs was a red brick area that had an old fashioned black iron fireplace that had wood in it but was currently not burning since it was the summer. There were also two chairs guests could sit in while they waited that were wooden, rounded chairs with more floral cushions. They made their way upstairs, struck by how quaint and cozy the building felt when they reached the second floor where the rooms were housed. There were only 11 rooms at the pension, so it felt more like staying at someone's home than at a hotel. Xero explained as they made their way up that breakfast was included and homemade and was Western style and apparently really good; Mace was looking forward to it. Their room was small with two double beds with floral mattresses, a bathroom and toilet closet that had pink counters and a pink toilet, and lacy white curtains that had a stellar view of the mountains. They set down their stuff and Mace couldn't help but ask, "Seriously, dude, what is with the flower design? First we stay at the cat place and now flowers?"

Xero gave him an amused glance before saying, "It goes with the theme tomorrow. You'll see."

Mace cocked his head to the side curiously before throwing himself back on one of the beds – he supposed he was basically claiming that one as his since there was no way they would both be able to share a bed to sleep on that night. Now, when it came to other activities? They'd make it work. At least the bed was comfortable, and when Xero opened the window it let a nice breeze into the room. He then turned around and crawled onto the bed on top of Mace, pinning him down and raising an eyebrow. "I seem to remember you complaining that you were supposed to top last night?" he said, smiling down at his boyfriend who immediately blushed. "We have some time to kill before dinner if you'd be interested."

"And why wouldn't I be interested?" Mace smirked. "You're right, you owe me for that." His determined gaze met Xero's, which was quickly becoming heated by Mace's passionate response. "I think I also promised you that I'd seduce you," he added with a sly grin. "Are you ready, partner?"

Xero bit his lip and flopped down on the bed beside him playfully. The creaky mattress bounced them both a few times as he landed with a hand holding up his head. "Woo me, then."

Mace rolled his eyes and sat up, crawling towards Xero on his knees. He shoved him onto his back – much in a reverse of their earlier position – and pinned his wrists to the bed on either side of his face. Xero was already blushing when Mace leaned down to pull his lips teasingly between his own, parting them softly, sucking the bottom one so when he let it go, it was redder than both his cheeks.

"You want it?" Mace mumbled lowly – so lowly – against his lips, and Xero's stomach plummeted into his groin, stirring, igniting.

Suddenly much too hot, he let out a surprised breath that collided with Mace's tongue lapping into his mouth. "Alright," he laughed shakily, "seduction successful."

At that, Mace tried for a smug smile, chuckling and pleased, but he was blushing way too fiercely to pull it off.

"Record time, Mace," Xero twisted the screw, knowing teasing him was the only defense he had. He couldn't fight the subtle implosions undoing his control, nor did he want to.

Mace, courageous yet desperate to hide the look on his face, began peppering Xero's jaw and neck in insistent, passionate kisses that prickled Xero's skin.

"Aah~!" Xero arched into him, his movements restricted by how Mace had his wrists pinned, but he was at least able to expose more of his neck to the assault.

Suddenly, the heat of Mace's lips, the strong hands at his wrists, the weight around his thighs – it was all gone as Mace withdrew and scooted off him. Xero couldn't help feeling a little disappointed at first . . . and then instantly dizzy with the knowledge of what was soon to follow. Mace gave him a coy smile as he left the bed. Xero found himself impressed with Mace's composure – although his face was still about as red as it had been in the onsen two days ago.

He left the bed and Xero knew where he was going, so neither one of them said a word as Mace turned and walked to the corner where their bags were tucked away. As soon as he was free of Mace's gaze, he ripped the shirt off over his head and began hurriedly removing his pants and boxers. He was making tons of noise, but so was Mace as he rooted around in the bag and checked possibly every available zipper compartment, like Xero had hidden their stuff in some dimension Mace was having trouble accessing. Xero was glad for that delay, though, because his belt had given him a bitch of a time. He'd just managed to shed the last of his clothes and turn around to lay on his stomach by the time Mace had found what he needed.

Xero heard something solid drop to the floor. He glanced over his shoulder to see Mace bending back up from retrieving it, face no less flushed that it had been. Xero smirked and turned back around. He spread his legs and bent them at the knee so that his heels lolled in the air lazily, as if painting a larger target on himself was even necessary.

Mace chuckled nervously. "Damn, partner," he said, a tremendous waver in his voice that did nothing to cool Xero down. Xero said nothing and bit his lip as he heard Mace approach the bed behind him, his thighs turning to liquid when he could feel the bed dip from his weight, and his erection pound against the comforter when Mace's solid, still-clothed form settled between his legs.

Head now just a tad on the lighter side, he lowered his body so his hands were tucked into his chest and his cheek rested on the soft mattress below, attuning his every sense to Mace's movements behind him. His breath hitched in rising anticipation at the sound of their stuff being laid out in the sheets beside them. He wanted to tell Mace to start; he was already uncomfortably hard, and Xero hadn't felt his boyfriend inside him in what felt like years (spoiler: it hadn't been that long), but he tried instead to simply focus on his own breathing. It was a luxury when Mace actually felt like taking full control, after all, and Xero wasn't about to miss the opportunity to succumb wholly to it.

Mace put his hands on him, one on each thigh, and massaged circles with his thumbs into his skin, hands creeping ever upwards. "Fuck, you look hot like this," Mace panted. Xero was dying to know what his face looked like now but he kept still, indulging only in a frustrated grunt that he hoped conveyed the exact measure of his desperation.

He flinched when the unexpected sensation of Mace's lips and soft strands of his hair accompanied his hands. His hot breath trailed over each cheek as he scattered kisses over his backside. Xero moaned again and curled his toes in the air. When Mace began using his tongue to trace his skin, Xero buried his face in the covers, releasing another moan and muffled swear. He couldn't breathe like this, but he didn't care. It was all he could do not to squirm into Mace's touch.

The feeling of wet heat over his skin was enough, but then Mace drug it over the cleft of his ass, and Xero was terrified to realize just how close to the edge he was, already beginning to feel the slickness of precum against his bellybutton. Still, Mace's tongue continued to work thin, tremulous moans from him, one after another, with growing urgency, until he was left with no choice. He turned his head just enough to free his mouth from the mattress and said his name, "Mace," gasping it like it was the last breath he would ever take.

Mace finished a thorough lick around the ring of his entrance and removed his tongue. Xero's body instantly deflated as he let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Yes?" Mace answered, a teasing lilt to his voice that Xero wasn't overly fond of yet fell victim to all the same.

He whimpered, begging Mace with his hips. As he squirmed, Mace's jeans brushed against the inside of his legs and the course texture caused him to tremble. He tightened his hands into fists – which were still trapped between his chest and the mattress – and rocked his hips into the cotton sheets.

Mace chuckled darkly and kissed the dimples on his lower back, hot breath beating across his skin. "Already, huh?"

Xero answered by pushing his face into the covers again, which only earned him an amused laugh. "Okay, okay . . ." Mace obliged, and he took his hands off him.

Slowing his breathing, and with his eyes closed gently shut, he could hear the sounds of Mace undressing behind him, articles coming off in a distinguishable order – his shirt sliding over shoulders and flung off the bed, the belt buckle of his pants (which was the loudest sound he'd ever heard) clinking and the zipper, and shuffling, shuffling, Mace's weight shifting on the bed as he pulled the jeans off, and then a brief moment of stillness once Xero could tell that his partner's body was totally bare.

The first touch of skin against the inside of his thighs sent shivers rippling up his back to the very top of his skull. Mace's strong legs nudged their way back between his, keeping them open, so even if Xero wanted to close them out of modesty he'd be unable to. Xero recognized the pop of the cap of their usual lube and inhaled, slow and deep, rocking his hips into the mattress one more time.

And when Mace started prepping him, everything melted. The comforting touch of his partner's practiced hands easing him open left him boneless in a matter of seconds. He moaned as Mace moved his fingers faster, nailing his prostate and sending the gentle, warm burn that pulsed throughout him straight into his thighs. He'd been afraid at first that this would be uncomfortable since it had been a while, but damn had he been wrong. If anything, Mace's fingers – although divine in their expertise – were too slim to provide what Xero was ultimately craving; Xero caught himself skipping ahead in their tryst and fantasizing about Mace finally sliding inside him. If he thought his voice was capable of anything beyond groans at this point, he might have vocalized this need with words.

Blessedly, Mace finally removed his fingers, evidently satisfied, and Xero squirmed at the loss. His dick was hardly getting any attention but strangely it was the furthest thing from his mind. He had to bite the inside of his mouth when he heard the condom wrapper rip and the usual sounds of Mace sliding it on. Xero pushed all the breath out of his lungs.

He nearly jumped when he felt Mace's lips press against his temple and the beat of his breath in his ear. "You want a pillow or anything?"

Xero went to shake his head but thought better of it and nodded instead. He didn't really feel like moving, not with the way every line of sinew in his body was so tense it could snap, but his neck was probably going to get cramped like this. He could feel Mace smile and press another kiss to his temple, and then a pillow was being scooted beneath him. Xero grabbed a hold of it and held it to his chest, allowing his neck to drop forward a little more and relieve the pressure at the top of his spine. Yeah, this was a good idea. And Mace was still between his legs and Xero could feel his hardness bumping up against him so everything was still perfect.

There was a rapid, wet sound, and then Mace's husky voice trembled from right above his head. "You ready?"

Xero whimpered again and nodded and stretched his legs a little further apart and rolled his hips and said yes, breathily, into the pillow clutched to his chest.

Mace never had to be told twice. He slid in smoothly after that methodical prepping session. Xero didn't feel a single sting, just pure, hot, delicious pressure as Mace's full thickness drove into him to the hilt. He'd used way too much lube; he always did. But Xero didn't mind at all as it just made the ride that much slicker.

Once he bottomed-out, a grunt tumbled out of Mace's mouth. "Ngh, shit, Xero . . ." he gasped.

He lowered down and scooped Xero into his arms, cradling him against his chest as he began to roll their hips together. Xero's breath jettisoned itself from his lungs, temporarily overwhelmed with Mace's full weight along his back and thighs, and this gently brisk pace. His legs lost their strength and fell to the bed, and the only time they moved after that was due to the rocking of Mace's thrusts. At this angle, Xero's cock was getting an overload of friction from the pressure of Mace's hips and the sheets beneath him, and it wasn't long before Xero was ready to explode.

Mace unwound one of his hands from Xero's shoulder and laid it on top of the back of his hair, fisting it securely, then guiding his head to an angle where Mace's mouth could press against his ear. He didn't form words, just continued to grunt and whimper and kiss every ounce of Xero's skin his lips could touch – his jaw, his neck, the space behind Xero's ear that sent tremors on top of the already building heat inside him.

He thought he was saying Mace's name, thought he was telling him to go faster and to fuck him, but the words might have come out as breathless, winding moans and the occasional shuddering gasp when Mace jut his hips in that one deliberate way that made the head of his cock brush against his prostate. He didn't pick up the words his body was ejecting when he came on the sheets, just succumbed to the brilliant ripple of orgasm climbing up his spine and right into the sensation of Mace's fist in hair.

Even as he lay tingling, the sensations firing like arrows through his veins, the power behind Mace's hips escalated and Xero was drowning in it. He'd already come but the pressure felt incredible, almost inexplicably so, taking him whimless and with ease through another building pressure that only came out of overstimulation. Meanwhile, Mace's broken breath was in his ear, gasping yeses and words of praise to a Xero who could barely move, barely speak except to squeak as each breath was pushed out of his lungs from the force of his thrusting.

He almost cried when the fist in his hair tightened suddenly and one, hard thrust below brought it to a conclusion. Xero's skin felt like it might vibrate right off; his lips were humming, his chest pounding into the pillow he held as if it would save him. Mace immediately breathed a deep, relieved sigh and pressed exhausted kisses into his temple, his cheek.

"I love you," he whispered, tears in his voice, still kissing Xero's sweat-soaked face. He let his hair go and Xero could tell it was tangled but it wasn't important right now.

"I love you, too," Xero replied, with the only ounce of strength he had left.

Mace slid his arm beneath him again and hugged him tightly, their hearts syncing as they beat furiously at first, and then less so, and then eventually subsided into a normal rate as they caught their breath. Mace wasn't letting him go, even though the body along his back felt like being pressed against the side of the sun, but Xero thought that was perfectly, perfectly fine.

Sadly, once Mace began to finally lose his erection, he had little choice but to pull out to avoid the condom slipping off.

Mace groaned, heaving himself up just enough to do so. "Ugh, hate this part." One of his hands flew down to keep the condom on as he eased out.

Xero chuckled – or would have, but his throat was too dry to respond. His voice cracked and Mace snickered at him. "You okay there, partner?"

Xero cleared his throat decidedly and laughed, blushing. "That was quite the performance, Mace." He tried to ease himself up but his arms were really shaky.

Mace scoffed. "All I did was lay on top of you, but . . . thanks." Xero could hear the smile in his voice and turned around to see him still as red-faced as he'd left him. He couldn't hide the growing blush on his own face as their eyes met, briefly, before Mace bit his lip and looked down to finish with tying the condom off.

He kept his eyes on him as reached the end of the bed and stood up, admiring his gently toned belly beneath the thin sheen of sweat that clung to it, and once he'd turned around, his nicely sculpted thighs and prominent shoulders. He sighed happily and turned around himself – and it hit him then with a glance at the sheets just how much of a mess they'd managed to make. No doubt the sheets would need to be washed, due in no small part to his own . . . fluids – and, dammit, what had Xero said about closing the cap to the lube?!

He grabbed the bottle, thin lines of liquid spilling out over the opening and onto everything. "Mace," Xero called, and Mace whipped around at the tone, the wad of tissues he was using to clean himself discretely placed over his crotch. Xero merely gave him a "look" and snapped the cap shut.

Mace grimaced. "Sorry, partner."

"Is it that hard of a rule to remember?" Xero finally sat up, limbs much more stable, and righted himself on the bed. His soreness was minimal; Mace really had done a good job.

"I meant to close it, but I never know how much I'm going to need, okay?"

Xero sighed in resignation. He couldn't really say anything; he'd made as much of a mess on his own . . . but at least his mess didn't cost money. Xero was staring at the sky through the open window when Mace rejoined him on the soiled mattress. Oh, he'd put his boxers back on. Xero frowned.

". . . You mad at me?"

Xero looked up into his eyes and wanted to laugh at what he saw, wanted to, but his heart was fluttering and he felt the tips of his ears go red. "Like I could actually be mad at you."

"You've been mad at me before," Mace argued, scooting closer to touch foreheads and hold Xero's waist in his hands.

Xero closed his eyes and hummed as Mace pressed a tender kiss to his cheek, his lips. "I'm not," he whispered, before another kiss. "This bed, though," he continued, pulling away so Mace could see for himself, "is a total wreck."

Mace gave a short hum. "Yeah, well that's half your fault."

And he was right, so Xero completely shut his mouth.

"Looks like we'll have to sleep on this one, then," Mace bemoaned in jest, and suddenly Xero yelped as Mace scooped him up like a child – or a bride. They were pretty comparable in size so Mace picking him up just like that was a little terrifying ("M-Mace!"). His dangling limbs flailed for purchase on Mace's body as he stood and tossed him onto the opposite bed.

Relieved that he actually landed on something soft, he laughed as Mace crashed down onto him, a blissful smile on his face.

They both soon drifted off, comfortably snuggled into each other, the breeze from the open window making the room the perfect temperature. Although the pension was in a residential neighborhood, everyone was pretty much at work so it was a nice, peaceful afternoon and there weren't any noises beyond the sound of cicadas and the occasional bird call to disturb them. In fact, it wasn't until dusk when it began to feel a bit chilly (neither man had bothered to put on clothes after all) that they blearily woke up. "What time is it?" Mace mumbled as Xero fumbled around to find one of their phones. He glanced at the time and groaned.

"It's almost 9pm. I doubt there's any restaurants still open around here," he said, his voice husky with sleep.

Mace sighed deeply before untangling himself and fumbling to get out of bed. "Hopefully there's a 7-Eleven nearby," he yawned. "Or some other convenience store. I'm starved."

Xero sat up and looked at their clothes scattered on the floor before making the wise decision to pull out fresh clothes from his suitcase. Mace soon followed suit before going in the bathroom and patting down his hair until it looked halfway decent. Xero at this point didn't care – it wasn't like other than Mace he had anyone to impress so his normally carefully maintained locks remained a mess from where Mace had tugged on them earlier. Mace finally found his phone and checked it, quickly searching for the nearest convenience store. "There is a 7-Eleven a few blocks away," he noted, before turning to look at Xero. "You down to take a walk?"

"Maybe it'll wake me up," Xero replied, still looking pretty groggy. He was usually pretty much in control of himself, so it was pretty endearing to see him so out of it. Mace hid his bemused smile so he wouldn't hurt his feelings before they both headed out after Xero double checked he had their room key. They quietly made their way downstairs, the pension silent as everyone tried to be mindful of each other in such a cozy setting. When they reached the downstairs, they found two of the guests quietly chatting with each other next to the fireplace that was now going since it was a bit cooler at night. Xero and Mace bowed slightly as they walked past, and the guests, another young couple, bowed their heads politely in return.

They then made their way out to the quiet city streets, definitely much different from the bustle they were used to now in Tokyo, but similar to what it would be like in Conton at night. It made both of them feel nostalgic as they walked along the city streets, with only an occasional car driving by, more than likely on their way home. They almost imagined what it would look like covered in fog as it so much was at night in Inaba that year they lived there together. "It's weird how quiet it is here," Mace finally admitted, glancing at his phone to see how close they were. Only a few more minutes based on how fast they'd been walking.

"It's kind of relaxing," Xero disagreed. The cooler air had woken him up and he looked more alert finally. "But, I can see where you're coming from. It's a lot like home." They both still referred to Inaba as home, even though Xero had only truly lived there a year. It was where their friends and family were, so it would always be their hometown, even if they were both originally city boys.

They finally arrived at the 7-Eleven and ducked in, Mace making a beeline for the ramen while Xero looked for a set meal that looked decent. After Mace had poured hot water in his ramen and picked out a few things to add to it like an egg and some other toppings, they both grabbed drinks and paid for their meals, opting to sit outside on the tables and chairs set up out there in order to eat and enjoy the crisp air. "I can't believe our trip is almost over," Mace sighed. "After whatever surprise you have in the morning, we're heading back, right?" He and Xero had some plans that weekend that he knew they had to be back home in time for.

"Yes. We're flying back," Xero said casually, taking a bite of his tonkatsu. Mace immediately dropped his chopsticks into his ramen before cursing and fishing them out, wincing as his fingers touched the hot water.

"We're what?" he asked, his voice a bit pitchy.

Xero gave him an odd look. "We're flying. It'll be much faster than trying to take a train back home."

Mace started jiggling his leg nervously, and Xero knew if he had brought his headphones with him, now would be the time he would hold onto them for comfort. "Partner, I've never been flying before," he admitted, and Xero's brows raised. He took in Mace's nervous appearance, and slight trepidation formed in his stomach. He tried to tamp it down and immediately put on his confident face, the one that usually calmed Mace down and encouraged him to follow his lead.

"It'll be fine. I'll be right with you the whole time," Xero said encouragingly. "I used to fly a lot as a kid when I travelled with my parents, so I have a lot of experience. I'll make it as comfortable as I can for you, ok?"

Mace nodded his head, but he still looked unsure as he slurped at his noodles. Xero internally winced at this slight wrench in his plans so close to the end of the trip. He had not considered that Mace may be uncomfortable about flying; he just figured by the end of the trip they would be done with trains after how much travelling they had been doing. 'Hopefully it all goes well tomorrow,' he thought.

After eating their late dinner, they wandered around the city a bit, noticing a nearby park. They were a bit awake now after their nap and figured some exercise would wear them out so they would be able to sleep that night. So, they wandered around the park for a bit, holding hands since there wasn't anyone else around, and enjoying their time together. Since Mace had to go to work so early, he often would be tired by the time Xero got home and they didn't often get to do things together most of the time. So, they were cherishing the time they had now. It almost felt like high school again, the two of them roaming around, nothing to do other than chat about school and videogames and girls back when Mace was still oblivious and Xero was trying to fit in.

"We've come a long way, haven't we?" Xero mused with a chuckle, squeezing Mace's hand.

"What do you mean?" Mace asked curiously.

"Just, where we started and where we are now. I don't think the Mace I met that first day in Conton would have expected he would grow up to be here, holding my hand as my boyfriend," Xero replied.

Mace blushed lightly before looking down. "You're not wrong," he said softly. Xero glanced at him and saw the slightly melancholy look cross his face.

"To be fair," Xero continued, watching him carefully. "The old me wouldn't have even thought we would be friends, let alone lovers."

Mace blinked before looking up at him. He remembered how Yu had been more aloof at the beginning of the school year and furrowed his brows. "Really? That's kind of lonely, Xero," he murmured.

Xero shrugged his shoulders. "Luckily, you and the others changed all of that. I have to admit though, a lot of that was you," he said.

Now it was Mace's turn to tug at his hand, and he soon drew Xero slightly closer so he could quickly peck him on the cheek. "I'm glad I did. And I'm glad old Mace was proven wrong," he grinned cheekily, causing a matching grin to cross Xero's face in return.

"And I'm glad old Xero was proven wrong too, partner," Xero replied.

They then headed back to the pension, finally tired after their long walk. After sharing a shower, they changed into their pjs and climbed back into the clean bed, forced to snuggle closely together in order to fit. It wasn't the most comfortable way to sleep, but it would have to do. After several minutes of shifting to get into a mostly comfortable position, they finally drifted off to the comforting sound of each other's breathing.

The next morning Xero's alarm went off incredibly early. Mace groaned into where he had buried his head into his neck, and Xero gently ran his fingers through his hair in order to placate him. "Sorry, but we have to get up," he said, pressing a kiss onto the other man's forehead.

Mace sighed and began the difficult task of extracting himself from the bed. Xero reluctantly let him go before also getting up so they could change. "We can leave our stuff here," he instructed as they got ready to head downstairs for breakfast. "I got us up early so we could get breakfast and take the first bus over to our location," Xero explained. "We'll head back right after an early lunch so we can check out in time."

"I guess it beats dragging our luggage along to wherever we're going," Mace said as they gathered what they needed for the journey and headed downstairs. Breakfast was set up in the area that reminded them of a coffee shop, and there was also an employee cooking eggs to order as well. Both of them grabbed some toast to butter and jam before Mace ordered eggs sunny side up and Xero picked out 4 hot pockets. Xero also got mint ice cream with chocolate syrup and MMs while Mace went for the bacon and fruit. Everything was incredibly fresh and well prepared, and they both fully enjoyed their breakfast.

Afterward, they headed over to the bus stop in order to take the 20 minute ride to their location. Mace listened closely to the other passengers and soon began to pick up that they would be travelling to some sort of farm. He glanced over at Xero who merely smiled and leaned back in his seat. "What's Farm Tomita?" Mace asked. The place sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn't place why.

"You'll see," Xero teased. "It won't take long to get there."

They soon pulled up at a parking lot next to a quaint gift shop called Rapport House. They also sold different kinds of sweets in there, and Mace showed definite interest until Xero began tugging on his arm to lead him away. "We can see it on our way out," Xero explained. "But I want you to see our reason for visiting."

Mace curiously followed him, noting that as they walked they were passing by a large field with rows of differently colored flowers. He immediately remembered Xero's earlier comment about how the pension they stayed at fit the theme of the mystery location – apparently Farm Tomita was a farm for flowers. It smelled amazing, and Mace couldn't help but sneak some pictures of the flowers in as he walked; he knew everyone in their group would probably love it, especially Xander and Brad. The flowers were all brilliant shades of colors running from reds, to oranges, to golds along with pinks and purples. The largest group of flowers at the end of the field were obviously lavender and there was a large greenhouse situated in the middle as well. Mace deeply breathed in the soothing scent. "Ok, this is pretty nice," he admitted, enjoying the warm morning temperature that wasn't as hot as it would be in Tokyo or closer to noon here.

"Just wait," Xero said, looking pretty excited. Mace couldn't help but find it cute, and he quickly snapped a photo of his boyfriend when he wasn't looking. That would probably become his new phone background later.

Eventually, after passing more gift shops and other interesting buildings that Mace figured they would be checking out later, they arrived at the location Xero had been waiting for him to see. It was the traditional lavender field at Farm Tomita and rows upon rows of lavender went back as far as the eye could see. Mace's breath hitched upon spotting it, and Xero looked just as amazed finally seeing it in person. "Pictures don't really do it justice," he commented as they headed toward it, immediately walking between some of the rows until they were completely surrounded by the flowers. The smell was overpowering, but definitely pleasant.

"So, I take it this place is known for lavender," Mace said.

"Yes. Do you like it?" Xero asked cautiously.

"I never thought I'd be taken on a date to a flower farm but I have to admit, this is pretty awesome," Mace said, staring up at the bright blue sky. There were only a few clouds here and there and overall it was a perfect summer morning. "It's impossible not to feel relaxed here," he added.

Xero grinned at him, his gray eyes regarding him fondly. "What do you say we take a picture together amongst the flowers," he suggested, and Mace immediately agreed.

They soon snapped one that they both liked, their smiling faces surrounded completely by the lavender and lit up by the early morning sunlight. "This is perfect," Mace said, immediately sending it to their friends. "The girls are going to be so jealous," he joked, referring back to high school when most of them had seemed to have had a slight crush on Xero.

Xero chuckled and shook his head. "I think they're well aware of who you belong to now," he said, and Mace rolled his eyes.

"You know exactly what I'm referring to," he said, lightly punching Xero on the shoulder. They enjoyed walking amongst the flowers for a bit longer before heading to the potpourri house to get some gifts for their friends. Mace now understood why Xero had recommended getting their souvenirs here; the lavender gifts were definitely unique and he knew everyone could find a use for them.

"We should also bring some of the sweets back for Damian, Mark, and Xander," Xero recommended as they picked out essential oil, perfume, and sachets of dried lavender for those they thought would appreciate it.

"Good idea," Mace agreed. "I think Damian would kill me if we didn't bring him back any food," he joked. Damian and Xander were meeting them in the city that weekend for a belated birthday celebration for Mace, so the treats would definitely still be good to give them. And they could bring the other gifts back to the rest of their friends and family in Conton for them.

Next, they headed to the Café Rene for their early lunch. The café was gorgeous with large glass windows along three of the walls and a glass ceiling as well. It gave them a great view of the farm and let all of the natural lighting in to brighten up the room. They walked up to the counter along the far wall to order, Mace ordering the croquet curry while Xero ordered the sausage curry. All the dishes were made with regional ingredients and delicious. Xero ordered an iced lavender tea to go with his meal, while Mace got some lavender ramune. Their food was quickly served up and they sat down to eat while appreciating the scenery surrounding them on all sides from the large windows

Mace's croquette was nice and crispy and the potatoes used had a nice flavor. Both dishes had fresh asparagus from Furano that was perfectly boiled and tender, and the curry was a vegetable curry that was well seasoned and tasted great. Xero also enjoyed his peppery sausage that went well with the vegetable curry. Mace immediately popped the marble into the neck of his ramune bottle and took a sip before immediately making a face. "How is it?" Xero asked in amusement.

"It's, uh, different," Mace said. He forced himself to take another sip before immediately taking a bite of curry to get the flavor out of his mouth. Xero, meanwhile, took a sip of his lavender tea and was immediately soothed by the rich flavor of the lavender; it really made the tea taste amazing.

Once they finished eating, they followed up with dessert. Xero decided to try the lavender soft serve while Mace, who had been a bit iffy on the ramune, decided to go with the cantaloupe ice cream. He tried a bite of Xero's just to make sure and immediately made a face before washing out the taste with his own. "Lavender's nice to smell but definitely not good to eat," Mace said, while Xero laughed

"I quite enjoy the flavor," he said, taking a large bite and causing Mace to wrinkle his nose.

"I don't get you sometimes," he said. The melon ice cream was very sweet and tasted like fresh cantaloupe while the lavender had a creamier flavor that Xero appreciated. They both took in more of the flower fields as they walked and enjoyed their ice cream, eventually making their way back to the Rapport House in order to pick up some sweets for their friends and for the train ride to the airport. Mace picked out melon bread and the melon cream puff for himself (cantaloupe melon flavored as opposed to the usual honeydew type melon), while Xero got lavender honey custard and a lavender cream puff. They got lavender macarons for the girls and lavender milk candy for Xander. Afterward, they had to head out to make the bus back to Furano so they would be able to check out of their room in time.

They made it back just in time to check out and were soon packed up and out the door. This time they decided to walk to the train station since they still had a bit of time before their train headed out. It was starting to get warmer now than it had been at the farm, but it was still just comfortable enough where it wasn't too hot. They appreciated seeing Furano in the daylight and how nostalgic it made them for Conton with its sleepy, residential feel. Once they finally made it to the train station and headed to the platform to wait for the train that would take them to Sapporo, Mace began fidgeting nervously and soon had his headphones over his ears before fiddling with his phone to pick a song to play. Xero knew he was probably thinking about their flight in a few hours, and he reached over and gently took Mace's hand, soothingly running his thumb over his palm until he calmed down. "Remember, I'm with you," he said, when Mace finally pulled his headphones down around his neck.

Mace nodded, giving Xero's hand a gentle squeeze. "I know," he replied.

Xero didn't want to let go of his hand, but it was better that Mace let the music back in his brain so that he could mediate on his own for a while. Xero hesitantly let him go, and Mace smiled as if to reassure him, and eventually righted his headphones. Xero's concerned gaze drifted over his features for several minutes, sensitive to the sight of any of the worry he knew Mace must be trying to keep down.

He hadn't thought to bring medicine of any kind. Guiltily, he would admit that he hadn't anticipated even having a need for an anxiety aide for something like a short plane ride - not after everything they'd been through. Not after watching each other nearly perish, month after month, for an entire year. What could a plane ride do that a goddess couldn't? Although Xero supposed those were slightly different fears . . . the goddess you could at least talk to.

He was debating venturing into the small gift shop at the station to see if they might have anything when Mace broke the pensive silence.

"So, how many times have you flown, anyway?"

Mace still had his headphones on, and he wasn't looking at Xero. His gaze was darting around the train terminal at nothing in particular as people moseyed past them; he was bending his headphone cord and looping his fingers round it continuously.

Sensing his answering was important here, Xero cleared his mind and tried to think of the last time he'd been on one. He definitely hadn't flown since he'd met Mace, for sure, and the last plane ride he could clearly remember before that was . . . his flight to America.

"I went to New York City a year or so before I moved to Conton. I think that was the last time."

Mace's eyes immediately widened. "Woah, I forgot you went to America. Damn, that must have been a long flight, huh?" he winced, obviously mentally putting himself in Xero's place.

"Much longer than the one we're taking today. This one's just over an hour," he assured with a gentle smile.

Mace smiled back and looked down, finally letting the headphone cord go in favor of clasping his hands together. "I don't even know what I'd do on a plane ride that long," he laughed, but not in his usual way.

After a quiet pause, Xero replied, "You'd make it."

The train arrived on time, but it was still too soon for Mace, who sighed heavily as he stood up and they each grabbed a suitcase.

"It'll be all right, Mace," he said, trying to keep his voice light.

Mace merely sighed again. "Yeah, yeah . . ." he groaned, yanking with unnecessary force on the handle of his bag so the telescope part would extend.

As they began walking across the terminal towards the train, Xero fought the instinct to grab for his hand. Xero had learned shortly after meeting him that Mace was much stronger than he looked, than Xero certainly was, and that he could be guided through his struggles with very little direction. Besides, he didn't want to baby him.

They rode the train in silence.

As it happened, the airport turned out to be so large that holding Mace's hand became crucial to avoid them being separated. It wasn't the largest airport Xero had seen by any stretch, but still bustling with rushed and lost tourists, much busier than Xero had suspected it would be. Mace had apparently been thinking the same thing because his hand met his halfway when Xero reached for it.

Security was a trip. Xero had charged himself with gathering their boarding materials while Mace, with little to do, stood anxiously eyeing the front of the line as they inched towards it.

"S-should I take my headphones off?"

"Not yet, but you'll have to put them through the x-ray eventually." Boarding pass, identification . . .

"What?! Won't that mess them up?" Clearly aghast, he jerked them off his neck right away and held them close to his chest.

"I can't imagine so," he couldn't help but chuckle. "Why would it?"

"Dude," Mace hissed, bending down to their bags and tugging back the closest zipper he could get his fingers around. "You should have told me we were going through x-rays . . ." he mumbled, tucking his headphones securely inside a compartment.

Xero gave him a dubious look and almost said "We're at an airport . . ." but decided to let it go, considering, and just shook his head. Poor Mace . . .

He took the lead through the security check, knowing Mace would be able to fall in line behind every example he presented. That made the entire process go very smoothly, although he almost followed Xero through the metal detector by accident. In just a few minutes, they were done, and Mace was gawking at the sight of the security line behind them like he couldn't believe they'd made it out alive, while Xero grabbed his hand and lead the way through the terminal to their departure gate.

"Jeeze, and I thought the subways in the city were crazy." Mace wrapped his fingers tighter around his.

Xero laughed. "Airports are a whole different beast – oh, here's our gate."

Xero chose to seat them next to the windows, hoping that the sight of the planes coming in would enthrall Mace rather than terrify him, though that was a gamble. Mace stared out of the window slightly slack-jawed as they sat down, watching as one small plane taxied itself across the runway to the gate. Xero considered that a victory, for now. While he was distracted with that, Xero fished through the bag Mace had and pulled out his headphones, presenting them to him with a steady hand and gaze.

Mace took his eyes off the sights through the window and quirked a small smile at him. "Thanks, partner." And then he took the headphones from him to put them in their proper place.

Xero had plenty of emails to catch up on while they waited but ended up getting absorbed in a long-winded article when their gate began boarding. The announcement was a rude awakening that the hardest part of the trip was before them. He looked over at Mace who just began noticing that everyone around them was rising from their seats and picking up their luggage.

"You ready?" Xero mumbled, his hand falling to Mace's knee and squeezing gently.

Mace didn't say anything, which made Xero feel uneasy himself. He looked unsure and on the edge of panic, torn between taking his headphones off or keeping them on. Xero sat and waited, and eventually, Mace lowered them to his neck.

"Our plane's here," he said to him, keeping his hand on his knee. Mace looked down at the feet of strangers as they walked past them to line up. "Let's get in line."

Mace swallowed and nodded without a word, grabbing one of their bags while Xero took the other one. When they took their place in line, awkwardly sandwiched between an older couple in front and a businessman behind them, Xero pulled Mace behind him and gripped his hand. Mace squeezed it back, carefully lowering his face into Xero's shoulder and breathing deeply. He stayed that way until they began moving.

Xero handed their passes to the clerk and it wasn't until they were walking down the bridge towards the plane itself that Xero noticed how sweaty Mace's palm was.

"When we get inside, it'll be a little packed. There's less room to move than there is on the trains back home. Oh, but don't worry – our seats are numbered, so we'll be sitting together."

Mace didn't really acknowledge that he heard what he was saying outside of a curt nod, so Xero kept going.

"From the numbers we have, it looks like our seats will be in the back. That's technically the safest part of the plane."

Mace nodded again, but they were coming up on the door now, which caused him to put Xero's hand in a deathgrip. It hurt, but Xero didn't mind, greeting the pilot with a polite bow as they finally entered the plane and began the slow march to the very back.

It was much noisier in here than the bridge, so Xero had to raise his voice as he kept talking.

"When we get to our seats, we can put both our bags in the overhead right above us. Take out your manga first, though."

"Okay," Mace replied, probably only so that Xero knew he could hear him.

He didn't let go of Mace's hand until they'd made it to their seats. Fortune had been in his favor when he'd purchased these tickets; they just so happened to be in a good spot for first time travelers. One of the seats was a window seat and he asked Mace without words if he wanted to sit there (Xero had loved the window seats as a child). He didn't, as it turned out, very emphatically shaking his head, and Xero accepted that answer with precisely zero mirth.

Taking their seats should have been a relief from all the standing and trudging through painfully slow lines with too many people – every one of whom managed to bump into them at some point – but it only seemed to heighten Mace's anxiety. He was taking deep breaths, looking all around the cabin at every passenger in sight, freshly procured manga forgotten on the empty seat beside him as clenched his fists around the padded armrests.

Xero put his palm over one of them. "We still have a few minutes before take-off. The attendants are going to do a safety demonstration in the front, but at this point I have it memorized so don't worry if you can't quite hear them from back here."

Mace blinked at him in confusion and mounting worry, despite entirely what Xero had just told him. "Safety demo?" He sat up a little straighter in his seat. "Wha-you mean, what, like if the plane crashes?"

"The plane won't crash," Xero quickly replied in a firm, low voice while leaning very close to Mace's face and pressing his fingers into his palm. "We'll land, I promise."

Mace scoffed, tearing his gaze away from Xero's calm face to flit about the cabin. "Don't promise me that. Even you can't control a plane—"

Mace was forced to stop short when Xero took his chin in two fingers and turned his face towards his. "We'll land, Mace," he said again, as close to a promise as he could get it. Of course, he couldn't know something like that absolutely, but the math was greatly in his favor. All Mace had to do was suspend his disbelief for an hour and half.

Mace's breathing slowed, and when Xero let go of his chin, Mace conceded with a slight nod. "Yeah."

Xero thought he looked a little more at ease, even if his face was still wracked with worry.

Xero closed their distance suddenly and kissed him, lingering when Mace accepted his lips with a small, surprised moan.

"Do you want to order a beer or glass of wine or something? Might help your nerves," Xero asked when he pulled back.

Mace, now reeling from the kiss instead of his own fear, shook his head. "Nah, that'd probably just make wanna throw up, to be honest," he laughed uneasily.

Xero laughed, too, and squeezed his hand. His attention was diverted from Mace's gently flushed cheeks and lips when a female flight attendant began speaking at the front of the plane. He checked Mace's face again for any visible reactions and settled back in his chair. Another attendant came by and peeked her head into their aisle to check that their seatbelts were fastened, and, having forgotten entirely about them, Xero hurriedly belted himself in and Mace did the same. He immediately re-laced their fingers together, feeling Mace's breathing pick up as the plane began its taxi towards the runway lane.

The flight attendant kept speaking – and so did Xero.

"The plane will start picking up speed soon, so don't be alarmed. We have to get really fast in order to take-off and it'll be loud at first."

If you are seated next to an emergency exit, please read the special instruction card . . .

"The plane's going to shake a little, but it's totally normal. We're in great flying weather, so once we're up you shouldn't feel anything at all. The worst part is take-off – always is." As he said it, the plane's speed was accelerating at its usual rapid rate, and wow, Mace's palm was really sweaty.

In the event of a decompression, an oxygen mask will . . .

The plan entered its final acceleration before gently lifting off the runway, and, just as Xero had predicted, the plane bobbed and shook for several seconds as it broke through the clouds and entered the upper levels of the atmosphere. Mace had stopped breathing and his eyes were slammed shut.

Xero watched his face as he continued. "We're almost there. We'll be climbing for a few more minutes, but soon the plane will level out. If your ears hurt, try swallowing. You can make them pop just like when you're on an elevator."

In the event of an emergency, please assume the bracing position . . .

Mace swallowed accordingly, and Xero felt encouraged by that. "You're doing great, partner."

Mace released his breath then, as well as a small, brief smile.

The sight of their own block – not the excruciating plane ride that had gotten them there – was the thing that ultimately convinced Mace that they were on solid ground, and home. The surprise trip had been the best birthday present, and the best vacation, and the best everything that Mace could have ever hoped to have, but it didn't mean he wasn't looking forward to sleeping in his own futon again. That bed last night hadn't exactly been the best one to experience before a long travel day.

The sun was getting ready to set as they approached their door. Mace was already starving. He was pretty sure his nerves before the flight ensured he hadn't eaten quite as much as he should have, and he never listened to Xero when he told him to eat more, which hadn't helped.

"Is Xander still here?" Mace asked while Xero unlocked their door.

"Nah, he left early this morning after she fed Brad."

Indeed, as the room they entered was dark and cool and devoid of the TV noise Mace was sure Xander would have been blaring as he tore through their kitchen. He'd never been an overly tidy person, but even he was impressed with the condition in which the idol had left their residence for them. The dishwasher hummed silently and everything looked just as Xero typically liked it.

"Wow, Xander kept the place up nice, huh—uh, partner?"

Xero was already cooing and burying his face in Brad's fur, who had come chirping to greet them at the door as they kicked off their shoes and threw their bags down.

"Oh hello, Brad," Mace drawled from a distance at the little multi-colored furball as he peeped at him over Xero's shoulder. He suspected this was about as close as Xero would let him get to her for now. In lieu of nothing better to do, he nudged their luggage into the kitchen space with his feet so he could get around Xero while he lavished the cat with more kisses and chin rubs.

Mace decided to get a drink and check out the rest of the house, idly going from room to room and making sure Xander really wasn't there. He found their bedsheets freshly laundered and folded in a stack, since Xero had told her it was fine to use their futon if she ended up spending the night. He was admiring the familiar state of mild disarray in their bedroom when he felt arms encircle his waist.

"Glad to be home?" Xero purred in his ear, causing Mace to spill his sip of soda.

He laughed and ran his palm along one of those arms towards his hand, enclosing it. "Yeah, although I'm a little sad it's over. I kinda got used to you whisking me away to another unknown destination every day. Buuut at least no more plane rides!"

Xero snickered lightly from his shoulder. "I think that flight shed years off both our lives."

"I wasn't that bad," Mace defended, and he knew that was going to convince absolutely no one, so he quickly changed the subject. "Brad's in one piece I take it?"

"Good news: Xander can stay our friend."

"Wow." Mace turned around to encircle his waist. "Glad he wasn't around to hear you say that."

Xero smiled wickedly and grabbed his lips in a kiss, much different from the one he'd given him on the plane, fast and hard. Mace molded to it right away, nearly losing his grip on the neck of the bottle.

"I'm kinda glad she's not around for—" Xero cleared his throat— "other reasons."

Xero shuffled forward, quickly wrapping Mace up in another heated kiss, and the both of them began to scoot across the wooden floors on socked feet toward their unmade futon. Mace still had the bottle in his hands and he didn't know what was going to happen to it, but like hell if he was about to break this kiss to figure it out. Xero ran his tongue across Mace's lips before delving into his mouth. Mace moaned, body rocketing to life as the sensation took him.

Xero pulled back from the kiss when Mace could feel the backs of his knees bump against the bed, and crap Xero's face was already so flushed and pretty and hungry-looking. "M . . . you didn't get enough of this during vacation?" Mace asked drunkenly.

Xero didn't smile as he took the bottle from Mace's loosening grasp and placed it on the nightstand. He didn't smile when he urged Mace to lay back on the bed with two firm hands and clambered on top of him. He didn't smile until he was just about to kiss him again, right before their lips met, and Mace got his answer.

the end