...

It wasn't like romance was dead between Shin and Sena. It was just – a little different for them. He guessed that romance was like some black panther slinking along the shaded forest floor for some couples, but for them it was more like a cat underestimating the distance between the coffee table and the couch and landing a bit clumsily to the carpet. Runaway metaphors aside, Sena was happy with their slightly awkward relationship. It felt like them, it worked for them, and besides, Shin ruffling Sena's hair, hand lingering a beat too long to be completely platonic, made Sena's heart double-time it enough already.

Which was why when Shin got into a mood – no, not "in the mood", just "a mood" – of different romance, Sena all but practically melted.

"Sena," Shin said as a way of greeting when he opened his apartment door. It was a rare weekend that hadn't already been portioned off for training, and Shin had invited Sena over to spend some quality time together.

"Hi, Seijuro," Sena still felt a bit shy about using Shin's given name, but he liked the way it rolled off his tongue too much to ever stop. He set his overnight bag down and stepped out of his shoes. "I brought over some movies, there's one about otters, a documentary. The trailer was so cute – there's a baby otter, and the mom rescues it! I heard it's good, and also –"

Shin leaned down to kiss the corner of Sena's mouth, one of his hands tipping Sena's chin up at an angle and the other warm against Sena's waist.

"Umm," Sena's knees were trembling, his head light.

Shin tilted Sena's chin further up to expose the other's slim neck. His grip tightened around Sena's waist while he dipped in to bite at the junction between Sena's throat and jaw. His teeth scraped against soft skin for just a second before saying in Sena's ear, "You're talkative today. I like it."

"Mm…"

Shin pulled away and looked down at Sena. "Have you eaten yet?"

Sena blinked slowly, his movements muddled. Shin's hand was still around his waist, and the other had moved to cup his cheek, and both hands were currently occupying most of his brain. "Urm?"

Shin smirked. He wrapped both hands around Sena's rather small waist. They almost closed around it. "I am a little concerned." Without warning, he lifted Sena up and held him in the air for a bit, completely stable and effortless, face seemingly deep in thought. "You are feeling lighter than usual."

"Oh…?" Sena clutched at Shin's forearms for support.

"I feel like I'm going to break you later tonight."

Sena covered his face with his hands. "Oh, my god. You've been t-teasing me!"

"I'm serious about being concerned for later," Shin set Sena down carefully. They made their way to the living room.

"I'm not fragile," Sena muttered bending over to slide the DVD in to place.

When Shin didn't say anything, Sena looked over his shoulder, only to find Shin staring at him very intently.

"Are you – are you checking me out?"

"The football padding hides a lot," Shin said, voice sage and Sena might have actually believed Shin's serious act if it weren't for a glint in the older boy's eyes. "That is a big sweatshirt, Sena."

"It's yours," well, it hadbeenShin's back when he'd been in grade school. Sena pressed play and went back to sit with Shin on the couch.

"I like seeing you in it." Over Sena's sputtering, Shin added, calm as anything, "I also like seeing you out of it," before wrapping his arm around the other. "It hides too much."

Sena leaned his burning face against his boyfriend's chest.

"How will you see the documentary like that?"

"I'll manage…"

…

The flirting eventually did stop, but only when they had made it, gasping and clawing, to the bedroom. Shin groaned into Sena's neck, low and filthy, his breath ghosting over the other's neck. Their clothes had been discarded along the way, and both of them were close already.

"Ah! Seijuro, I'm – I need...!" Sena rocked in-time to Shin's thrusts, his head thrown to the side.

"Yes, anything," Shin gasped, feeling himself also teetering close to the edge. "What – ah – what do you need?"

"You, I – you," Sena eyes fluttered shut as Shin thrust in again, deeper, timing it with stroking Sena's dripping length. Only a few more thrusts and Sena orgasmed, back arching off the bed.

Shin groaned as Sena clenched around him. The heat and tightness were too much, and he came with a low moan. Shin panted, catching his breath, and took the time to look at Sena still whimpering below him. There was a fond smile on his lips as he lowered himself to kiss Sena lightly, just brushing their lips together. He pulled out carefully and rolled off the bed, taking off the condom and throwing it away.

"Mm… Where are you going?" Sena's voice was low and relaxed. The phrase "fucked out" entered Shin's mind, but he refused to entertain the idea for too long. He came back with tissues, and once things had been brought back to order, he slid into bed next to Sena. Sena fitted himself into Shin's side and sighed contentedly.

Sena murmured into the other's chest.

"What was that?" Shin asked quietly.

"You were flirting today." Sena almost made it sound like an accusation.

"Was it bad?"

"Yes – no. You just, you get me flustered."

If Sena didn't know any better, he'd think that Shin was preening. Sena yawned and snuggled in closer.

"Goodnight," Seijuro pressed a kissed to the top of Sena's head, both already feeling the pull of sleep.

"'Night, Seijuro."

...