A/N: This chapter got out of hand… Somehow, a fun one-shotish chapter turned into… Well, I don't know how it happened, but somehow major plot points managed to worm their way in. Luckily, there was a good place to split the chapter so I went ahead and split it at seventeen pages. …I'm still confused on how it happened… This story baffles me… Anyway, enjoy the lemonade that is necessary to all beach stories! On another note! Ileana425 made a fanvid for this story!! Thank youuuuu~ *tears of joy* I'll be puting up the link for it in the next chapter-- right now my email's being a butt. (GRR.) Once I've done so, I order you to go watch it!!!
Gothix, Lesson Twelve: Indian Summer, Part One
It was early August, a time for last-minute, break-neck attempts at finishing summer homework, school shopping, moving up and closer to adulthood, and crippling heat. It was the height of summer in Koryo, and it showed no signs of relenting anytime soon. Temperatures soared to the hundreds as early as nine in the morning, and a drought was no longer eminent—it was reality. They hadn't seen a single rain cloud in the sky since May, the deep cerulean sky taunting them with a single unrelenting sun every day.
People retreated indoors, not even the public pool saw many people as AC units continuously rattled on; men resorted to going shirtless, women wore as little clothes as lawfully—and conscientiously—possible. Well, most normal people, at least.
"Damn! Take off the freaking hoodie! You're making me hot!"
Fai raised an eyebrow, lazily waving a hand; "I always do," he mumbled languidly, pressing a cold coke-can to his head. "And I assume taking my only shirt off would make you even more heated," he said loftily, sprawling out more thoroughly across floor, his shorts riding up his thighs; without even trying, he managed to make himself look incredibly suggestive.
Kurogane crouched down next to Fai, poking the boy lazily; "You're hogging the fan."
Fai leaned up and bit Kurogane's finger, "You have your shift at Yuuko's soon, right?" he asked, giggling as his boyfriend growled, pinning him to the floor.
Kurogane grimaced, making a face that clearly said he'd rather be brained by a crowbar than go to work. Fai stretched underneath the elder boy's grip on him, his back popping graciously several times as he yawned. "I've got rehearsals for some super-secret gig we have next week—Watanuki's finally going to reveal where it is."
"…I don't like the sound of that," Kurogane muttered, letting his fingers trail absently from their grip on Fai's wrists to the boy's damp hair. "Unpleasant surprises run in that family."
"Watanuki's fairly level-headed, you know that," Fai scolded.
"His mother isn't."
"Eh. Surprises aside, we still on for tonight?" Fai asked, blushing slightly. Kurogane smiled very softly, a light upwards twitch of his lips that only Fai was allowed to see. The two had taken to going out on dates fairly often, sometimes as many as twice a week. They were silly affairs, really; they would wander around the town, hands entwined, until something struck their fancy. They talked the entire time, often about nothing at all—it was funny how long the two could keep at philosophical debates.
Kurogane studied Fai for a long time; the boy had begun to grow pale again, a soft sickly pallor washing out his face, his skin almost translucent. He'd also started losing weight again, often taking to staring at food instead of eating it (though, he did, however, eat a little off of Kurogane's plate at every meal—he made quite a point about that).
"…I don't know," Kurogane murmured softly, stroking Fai's cheek. "You're tired a lot lately…"
Fai chewed on his lip, looking away from Kurogane. Suddenly, his face felt hot and his body became overly chilled; his pocket burned against his thigh. "No," he whispered after a moment, "I'm fine. I'll take a nap before going to practice, okay?" he bargained.
Kurogane nodded, leaning down to kiss Fai gently; "Maybe I should let you sleep more…?"
Fai chuckled, sitting up as the elder teen straightened. "Waking me up at all hours of the night," the blonde teased, "Keeping me up late; it's no wonder I'm tired!"
Kurogane took a swipe at Fai, who cleanly dodged, latching himself upon the darker teen's leg. Kurogane shook him off, "Oi, come save me from my shift when your practice is done."
"Will do. Bye."
Fai watched Kurogane leave, dropping his head when the door closed and locked behind the athlete. He lay back down on the floor, pulling a small baggie from his pocket. He rolled the plastic between his fingers, crushing the little pills inside.
He wouldn't tell him—he couldn't. Kurogane would make too much of a fuss about it. He remembered the hell the rising-junior had raised back in June when he found out that Fai had stopped attending his therapy sessions.
It's not like he needed them.
"You've never helped me at all," he mumbled to the broken pills in the bag. He stood slowly, moving to the bathroom. He emptied the bag into the toilet, flushing down that day's dose of antidepressants.
He didn't need the pills or the sessions—he had Kurogane. Besides, he was better now, wasn't he? Yeah… He'd be okay.
"I have Kuro-sama, and that's enough," he whispered, wrapping his arms around himself.
XxXxXxX
"Why, oh, why did the AC have to die!?" Sakura moaned, fanning herself with her sheet music.
Fai groaned unhappily, slumping over the piano, shaking his head, "I wanna go to the North Pole!"
"Stupid sucky school," Shaoran grumbled. Fai nodded in agreement, slithering down onto the floor.
Currently, the Gothix were occupying the auditorium at the school, whose air-conditioning unit had been shut off due to the high cost of cooling a mostly-vacant building for over six hours a day.
"It's no use practicing," Watanuki said, flipping his cell phone closed, "I just got the confirmation, so you might not want to anyway," he declared with a grin. "Guess what."
"A freak blizzard is here, throwing Koryo into a mini ice age?" Fai groaned, craning his neck to stare at Watanuki.
"Better."
"The sun burned out temporarily?" Sakura asked hopefully.
"Nope."
"Aw, just tell us!" Shaoran snapped, to hot and cranky to bother playing the guessing game.
Watanuki waved his cell phone, the miniscule text displayed brightly against a light blue screen. "Yuuko-san and Clow rented a huge house at the beach. She said you guys are coming, and you can invite whoever you want to, as long as you bring your instruments."
Both Sakura and Shaoran instantly brightened, turning to each other happily; "Ocean!" Sakura squealed. "Bathing suits!" Shaoran retorted, grinning. Sakura narrowed her eyes, "Watch it, mister."
Fai sat back on his heels, apprehensive. "Isn't, that, like, even hotter?"
"Not really," Watanuki replied; "It's not like, the tropics or anything, it's just the beach."
"Nnn… I don't really…"
Sakura, in a move that was unprecedented in the summer heat, launched off her piano stool onto Fai's stomach, "Nooooo!!! You have to go!!!"
"Ouf!" Fai squirmed away from the girl, who latched onto his jacket, sliding along with him.
"You have to," she whined, "Please, please, please?!"
"But! I've never been!"
"So!? That's all the more reason!"
"I can't swim!" Fai lamented loudly.
"We'll teach you!"
"But, I can't just leave—"
"Bring him with you!"
Fai slumped, shaking his head, "Sakura, you're not giving up are you?" "Nope!" "Fine, I'll go."
Sakura flashed a brilliant grin, and Fai laughed, hugging her tightly. Suddenly, he was very excited. His first trip to the beach—his first trip with friends…
XxXxXxX
"Beach? Wha'ddya mean, beach?"
"I mean, my darling little Doberman—" "I am not a fucking dog, lady!!" "Language, Kurogane-kun, language; but what I mean by beach is exactly that! Your darling little Fai will be in soon to tell you more," Yuuko chimed, grinning up at Kurogane cattishly.
Kurogane looked down at the principal—now his boss, who was sprawled out on an old futon that she was (supposedly) selling, reading a women's magazine. By the magazine laid a bright red cell phone, where she had, up until calling Kurogane over, had been texting Watanuki with fingers even faster than the most skilled teenager. "Now go work more—let's see some sweat!"
"…that's creepy, coming from the principal," he grunted, stomping off to finish his closing duties, mainly doing whatever Yuuko told him to do. He couldn't wait for Fai to come and save him—Yuuko might be a little insane, but she was always very sweet to his blonde boyfriend; she basically let him do whatever he wanted (well, within reason, of course).
He was busy moving boxes (filled with who knew what), when the door swung open, a hot draft and the sound of door chimes filling the store, followed by happy chatter.
Fai shot to the back of the store, latching onto Kurogane; "We're going to the beach," he said breathlessly, grinning from ear to ear.
"Huh?"
"I told you, puppy-kun," Yuuko said, breezing towards the back of the store, followed by Sakura, Shaoran, and Watanuki, who all cracked up at the woman's nickname. Fai grinned deviously, "Kuro-puppy!"
"I am not a damn dog!!"
"We're all going to the beach!" Yuuko declared briskly, waving her hand elegantly; "We're leaving tomorrow, so get your bags packed for a week of revelry, romance, and respite!" she clapped once, then exited the store, opting to go cool the temperature with sangria rather than air-conditioning.
Her dramatic exeunt caused Watanuki to go into an irritable huff, complaining about alcoholic mother-figures; Sakura suddenly remembered that she needed a new swimsuit, which caused Shaoran to flee for his life (he did not want to go shopping).
Fai smiled blithely, waving goodbye to Watanuki, tugging Kurogane out into the scorching sun. "Oooh, it's hot," he moaned, shuffling closer to Kurogane. "Will it really be cooler at the beach?"
"Not really," Kurogane admitted, "But you don't notice it if you're in the water or playing around… How are we all going?"
"Yuuko-san rented a beach house," Fai said, "Apparently she used to do it every summer when Sakura-chan and them were younger."
"Oh, yeah, I remember now," Kurogane said, nodding absently, his hand sliding to Fai's waist, the two walking comfortably side-by-side. "Tomoyo used to go with them a lot. Apparently, they were all like a little gang."
"Did you have any friends like that?"
"Who me? No," Kurogane answered brusquely. "I was a problem child, even then, so—I went to the beach with my parents, sometimes with Tomoyo and Ameterasu, but that's about it. What about you? Do you have any friends back where you used to live?"
Fai stiffened, blood draining from his face. Kurogane mentally kicked himself—after over half a year with Fai, he knew damn good well that Fai's past was a tabooed subject. The question just… it didn't even register until he asked it.
"Fai, are you okay?"
Fai grit his teeth, his jaws visibly working. "No… I… no," he mumbled. "…didn't have friends… I really don't want to talk about it," he begged breathlessly, sounding close to tears.
"I'm sorry… that was stupid of me," Kurogane muttered, rubbing his neck; "Of course, the past doesn't matter you know…"
"Really?" Fai looked up with bemused eyes, a frown pulling gently on his lips.
"You're here now, that's all that matters."
A soft smile fell to Fai's lips, and he shook his head, "You're so sweet, Kuro-puppy."
"You too!? Dammit!"
XxXxXxX
The ride to the beach was uneventful and long; since they had risen early to get to the beach before too late in the afternoon, the teens dozed in the back of Clow's large van, ear-buds in, cuddled together for comfort.
Sakura and Shaoran and Syaoron shared the first row. Sakura was in the middle, and the three looked like fallen dominoes, with Syaoron's head on Sakura's shoulder, and her's on Shaoran's, who was propped against the window. Doumeki and Watanuki shared the middle row, Watanuki's head lolling against the archer's chest, snoring lightly. Fai and Kurogane were laid out in the back, Fai ensconced in Kurogane's arms, the two twisted against their seatbelts in the most comfortable and intimate embrace they could share in the car.
They were relaxed until they woke up stiff and antsy, playing word games and singing songs loudly—and purposely off tune— until they reached their destination, boredom quickly setting in.
The house was huge. It was old, with lightly faded blue paneling and slate colored framing, but it was cozy looking. It was surrounded by all sorts of vegetation, walled off little gardens outside of certain rooms.
Fai and Kurogane got one of those rooms. It was a cute room, large and airy, decorated in a nautical theme. The walls were a crisp white, the ceiling painted a frothy blue, similar to the sky early morning. Fai spread his arms out, spinning a little, "Oh, it's so pretty," he murmured. "All the colors seem to be so much more… colorful." Kurogane snorted at the blonde's redundancy, dropping their stuff onto the floor.
Fai skittered to save his bags from the same fate as Kurogane's, then looked around, frowning, "Hey, where's the bed?" Kurogane pointed to a sofa-type thing, a little longer and wider than a normal couch.
"It's a futon."
"It's so small," Fai murmured, blinking. He stood in front of the futon, staring at it as if it were to grow simply by his stare. It was the same look cats gave closed doors.
"It's the same size as my couch, width wise," the sophomore commented, walking up behind Fai.
"We can't fit on that, not both of us together."
"Yet we manage to sleep together on my sofa just fine," Kurogane grumbled dryly, wrapping his arms around Fai's slender waist, his hands creeping up the boy's shirt, warm and dry against the blonde's stomach.
"Oooh, like that," Fai giggled, leaning back into his boyfriend. "I see now."
"And besides, futons fold out into double beds—that's what we have back home."
"Mm," Fai tipped his head back, looking up at Kurogane, "Which would you rather do?"
"You really don't want me to answer that," the rising-junior retorted, in a tone that rather suggested that all he really wanted to do was press Fai against the wall and…
A smile crept across Fai's lips, and turned, kissing Kurogane gently, "Well, this may be a vacation, but we can still do some hard work," he said blushingly.
The raven-haired teen's hands fell to Fai's ass, and as he was about to lean down to steal another, possibly deeper kiss, the blonde grinned and yanked away, gluing himself to the nearby window; "Oooh, look! Sakura and Watanuki are already at the beach! Can we go, huh? Please?!"
Kurogane groaned, nodding. "Yeah, of course. That's why we're here, aren't we?"
Fai smiled softly, feeling bad from pulling himself away from Kurogane; he ignored it. He would forget that brief moment of terror that ripped through him as his boyfriend touched him. It was nothing—it was just the new environment.
New places had always made him skittish—after all, for the better part of his first decade, he'd never seen anything outside of the basement's four walls and glimmers of snow-covered valleys.
XxXxXxX
"Yeeee-ow!" Fai whined, wincing as Kurogane laid his hands against his shoulders. Fai, who was normally the color of ivory, was splotched pink. His back was the worst, an angry red that was hot to the touch. His face was spotted with a little color, and the tops of his ears were dark too.
Kurogane parted Fai's hair with his hands, strands of damp, salty gold adhering to his hands; "You managed not to burn your scalp—that's good," he murmured gently. "Sit."
Fai sat down on the side of the bathtub, Kurogane kneeling in front of him, surveying the damage. He ran his hands down the underside of Fai's legs, the blonde wincing as Kurogane hit the warm patches on the back of his knees. The only part of Fai's body that wasn't burned was his front, which was rather funny. "Jesus, Fai, ever heard of sunscreen?"
Fai flushed, "I did," he murmured, "I used 50." Kurogane snickered a little at this, then he stopped, watching the tears form in Fai's eyes. Poor kid, he conceded, first full day and he gets burned.
"Hold on," Kurogane said, rising. He left their room for a few minutes, returning with a bottle of green gel and a glass of water. He handed Fai the glass, then handed him four small pills, three a dark red, and the other a capsule of pink and white. "Take these."
"What are they?"
"Advil and Benadryl," Kurogane said; "Which reminds me, did you take your meds today?"
"Uh, yeah," Fai lied, quickly popping the pills into his mouth before Kurogane could pick up on the lie.
Kurogane nodded, reaching around Fai to turn on the cold water, "It's good they managed to find a good combination for you; I was worried—remember how sick the other meds made you? The ones you're on now barely have any side effects at all," he mused.
Fai nodded, trembling quietly. "So, um, what now?"
"Get your little butt in the shower. You're sandier than the beach itself."
Fai winced as he moved, looking pitifully at his boyfriend. "Help?" he murmured expectantly.
Kurogane groaned; he could never say no to Fai's abandoned-puppy face, with the sparkling doe eyes and trembling lips—that face made Kurogane want to hand Fai the world and more on a silver platter. It was a feeling of wanting to protect him until everything was rainbows and butterflies for the blonde. It made him feel completely helpless. What was worse was… Fai used it to his advantage.
"Don't blame me if it ends up in bed," grumbled Kurogane, stepping—though fully clothed—into the shower with Fai, who—thankfully—kept his swim shorts on. He reached around the pitiful boy (who was suddenly looking less and less pitiful) and switched on the shower.
"Did you enjoy it as much as it seemed?" Kurogane asked. He'd volunteered to help Sakura teach Fai to swim, but had been completely shooed away by the younger girl and her boyfriend. He had ended up spending his time watching the two with Syaoron, and in the end, he and his fellow kendo-member had engaged in a full on beach-volleyball battle with Watanuki and Doumeki. Fai had barely even left the water; Sakura had to drag him out for lunch and a rest.
They stayed on the beach the entire day, up until the sunset. Their day ended with Clow beckoning them towards the house with promise of food and drink. It was at dinner, surrounded by mosquito repellant-candles, moths, and the sounds of the surf and natural wildlife, that he found that his boyfriend had been burned to what seemed like a crisp, and was trying, mostly in vain, to keep himself upright.
"Yeah," Fai said enthusiastically, leaning back into Kurogane, literally begging for something to happen. "I'm gonna do it again tomorrow!"
"No you're not—tomorrow, you're going to take it easy and relax. And keep a shirt on tomorrow. You won't enjoy it if you get sun poisoned the first full day of the beach," Kurogane advised, pressing his face into Fai's hair, breathing deep. The smell of salt and sunscreen overrode the soft smell of the vanilla amber soap the blonde always used, but the undercurrent of Fai was still there; he reached out, hugging the supple body to his own.
"Mmn, maybe," Fai murmured, greatly subdued. The water washed over their heads, dirt, salt, and sand sliding away from their bodies.
When the electricity between them built to the point of burning Kurogane's skin, itching him to slide his hands lower, he pulled away. It wasn't the time or place. Fai looked over his shoulder, frowning softly.
Kurogane swallowed, averting his eyes, picking up Fai's bottle of shampoo; "Come here, I'll do it for you."
Something was up with the smaller boy, he knew it. He didn't want to press it; the happiness they had built was at best, tenuous. It was something beautiful, yes, but like a piece of glass touched by light—one move, and it would shatter into a million pieces. One wrong move and Fai would shatter. The old fragility of their first few months was returning, despite all their moves to make it better. Something was coming back to haunt the blonde boy—he could see it in those beautiful blue eyes, and Kurogane would be damned before he'd let it terrorize Fai again.
Fai closed his eyes, leaning back as Kurogane began to work shampoo into his hair. Something was lurking. He couldn't pinpoint what—it was a soft, insistent feeling in the back of his head, nagging at him. It was an odd feeling—it directed him at times, yanking him away from his boyfriend and his friends. It was a being separate from himself…something… not right. He sighed slowly, pushing the matter from his mind, feeling Kurogane's fingers rub into his scalp.
Fai sighed in content, feeling Kurogane carefully and gently wash him; it was a new feeling. They'd always made it a point to shower separately for whatever reasons, but Fai had to admit, even though the water was too cold, it was a very pleasant experience.
Kurogane was careful not to press too hard against Fai's scorched skin, treating him like the delicacy he was. He wiped away all the sand and grit from the blonde's body, suppressing his own urges. He stopped once Fai was covered, head to toe, in suds; he unhooked the shower head, rinsing the boy off. "Get yourself out and dry off carefully," Kurogane instructed, gently nudging the back of Fai's thigh with his knee.
"Why?"
"I need to wash, too. I'm covered in sand and sweat."
Fai stared up at him, "I could—"
"No," Kurogane said gently, "Dry yourself off."
Fai clamored out of the shower, dripping water everywhere. Kurogane chuckled, sliding the frosted curtain closed behind the blonde.
Fai fidgeted, looking rather helpless. "Uhm… should I get our clothes?" he asked, blushing softly as Kurogane began to strip inside the shower. He watched his boyfriend's silhouette hungrily.
"Yeah, just get the pants for me; you might want to forgo a shirt as well."
He heard Fai's damp footsteps pad away and he sighed, leaning against the wall. Fai was too damn cute for his own good. Helpless as well. He quickly washed himself, not even bothering to switch soaps—so he'd smell like Fai for a day, girly, but there were worse fates.
He stepped out of the shower, quickly wrapping himself in a towel, avoiding Fai's stares. He pulled his clothes on, cloth sticking to his still damp skin. He turned to the blonde, still dripping and half-dressed in a pair of Kurogane's mesh shorts (he had a habit of doing that), staring up at him with puppy eyes. He groaned. "You're not going to do anything are you?"
Fai tipped his head to the side, "Whatcha mean?" he chirped. Kurogane sighed, reaching for another towel, draping it over Fai's head.
"I mean you want me to mother you all night, don't you?"
Fai's spine stiffened, his fingers shaking as they curled into his palm, "No…"
"What's wrong?"
Fai peeked out from under the towels, "But it hurts, Kuro-tan!" he whined sweetly, a wide grin across his lips.
Kurogane ground the towel into Fai's hair in irritation, "Now we're back to that?!" he demanded, "I told you to stop with all the stupid nicknames ages ago!"
"Aw, but you don't mind when I call you Kuro-sama," Fai teased, leaning up with a wide, smug, smirk; "Is that because it's what I say when we're in bed?"
"Oi, shut it," Kurogane growled, scuffing the towel into Fai's hair a little more viciously than necessary. He was glad for the cover that the towel provided, for he could feel his cheeks flushing horribly.
Fai gave a half-whine, batting at Kurogane's arms, "It's dry, it's dry!"
Kurogane rolled his eyes, easing up; "You sound like you feel better."
"A little," Fai confessed. Kurogane removed the towel from the boy's head, blonde hair flying in all directions. Fai smoothed it self-consciously as the elder teen surveyed the blonde.
Fai's back had faded from the angry red color to a light pink; "Looks like the cold water helped you out," Kurogane remarked. He picked up the bottle of green gel, "Turn around," he ordered as he uncapped it.
"Eh?" Fai blinked, but did as he was told. A few seconds later, Kurogane's hands found Fai's back, covered in a cold, slippery substance. Fai shuddered, almost groaning in delight, "That feels so good," he breathed, "Whatever it is, I'm going to kiss you for it."
Kurogane laughed, rubbing the stuff into Fai's burnt skin; "It's just aloe gel; Yuuko put it in the fridge so it would be cold. With this and a lot more sunscreen, you should be fine. Maybe you'll get a tan…?" he teased, tweaking Fai on the back of the ear with a slippery finger.
"I like being pale!" Fai complained.
Kurogane leaned down, kissing the curve of the blonde's neck, breathing in his boyfriend's damp scent; "I do too," he purred. A shiver ran down Fai's spine as gooseflesh rose on his arms.
The athlete stood, capping the bottle; "Done," he said. "The burns on the back of your legs aren't even visible anymore; though, I'm warning you, they'll be tender for a bit. Your back got the worst of it."
"Guess I wasn't born to be a fish," Fai said dryly, standing a little unsteadily. He yawned widely, his back popping as he stretched.
Kurogane swallowed heavily; "Oi, put a damn shirt on," he commanded, trying to ignore his growing desire. For whatever reason, it was harder to ignore here, like the new places made him forget himself. He followed Fai into their dark room, half thankful for the lack of the light, half cursing it.
Fai grumbled something in reply, choosing to instead fall onto the bed, wincing as his back hit the sheets; "Nyaaah! That hurts!"
"Duh." Kurogane climbed on the bed, hovering over his boyfriend, "Maybe it would be easier tonight to pull it out to a full bed?"
"I'm so tired, though…"
Kurogane shrugged, nudging Fai to the side. He lay with his back to the room, Fai snug between him and the back of the bed, for the rising-sophomore often tossed and turned in the night—this would ensure he'd not fall off. "It would be more comfortable for your back."
Fai sighed gently, his breath hot against Kurogane's neck. It made shivers and gooseflesh run down the athlete's skin. The blonde shifted softly, his chest rubbing against the elder teen's and Kurogane growled; "Fai, you're not making this easy."
"What?"
Kurogane growled, tugging Fai close, "Nothing."
"Ah… Kuro-sama," Fai murmured breathlessly, nuzzling against Kurogane's neck.
He felt Kurogane's Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, "No…" he grumbled quietly, hugging Fai tightly, the boy's hips flat against his own. He curled against he boy, pushing him gently against the back of the bed, his mouth pressed gently to Fai's temple. He could feel the blonde's face heating beneath his lips.
Fai squirmed closer, wrapping his legs around Kurogane's waist, pressing his bare thighs close against the hot flesh. "No what…?"
"I just… want to stay like this…"
Fai groaned quietly, snuggling into Kurogane's chest, his head tucked elegantly into the curve of the teen's collar; "Yeah…"
Kurogane wrapped his arms around Fai's waist, pulling him close, reveling at the way their bodies melded together perfectly. He could feel the slighter teen's heart against his chest, the way his body arched and curved in all the right places, the way Fai curled his fingers against the muscles of his arms. He wanted to spend forever like this. "Damn, you fit so right."
"What?"
Kurogane squeezed the blonde, clearing his throat softly. He hadn't meant to say it aloud. His face heated, "In the locker room, the guys always talk about their girlfriends and how girls fit perfectly against them," he explained embarrassedly. "I disagree."
Fai raised an eyebrow, smirking against Kurogane's throat; "I've never heard this."
"You change in the bathrooms, remember?"
"Ah, well, do tell."
"You fit perfectly."
"I'm glad," Fai breathed; he was so happy here in Kurogane's arms. The feeling made him woozy, and his heart seemed to burst in joy. His eyes slid closed, "…'M so tired," he yawned, cuddling. "G'nite…"
Kurogane felt his lips curve into a smile as he lay his head in Fai's hair, "Good night," he said softly, an uncharacteristic wave of tenderness swallowing him whole.
XxXxXxX
The bad thing about sleeping in a folded futon, Kurogane mused, is waking up like this…
A precarious situation indeed. Kurogane slowly tried to slide away from Fai so he could turn to the side, but the boy clung closer, mewling softly in his sleep.
Kurogane grit his teeth, feeling his erection throb as Fai unwittingly rubbed against him.
He didn't have the heart to wake the blonde up; Fai had been so tired when they had gone to bed. Waking him now for sex would be unfair to the exhausted teen, and if he unwound himself from the tangle of arms, legs, and sheets, Fai would wake up anyway.
Fuck.
He dug his nails into the bed and hoped that whatever dream Fai was having would subside long enough that he would stop squirming…
XxXxXxX
When Kurogane awoke again, the room was lit with sunlight, and he was sprawled out across the small space, sticky with sweat, and in some places, cum. He sat up slowly, frowning softly as he found Fai to be missing. He cast a glance at the bathroom door, which was closed, a soft light shining out from the cracks in the door.
He slid out of bed, pulling his pants off, sighing irritably at the mess he'd managed to make of them. He walked up to the bathroom door, knocking; "Fai?" he called.
The blonde didn't answer, but the door creaked open a bit. He stuck his head inside, "Oi!" Fai wasn't in the bathroom. He stepped inside, scratching his head. "Where'd he go?"
A soft breeze fluttered around his ankles, catching his attention. He turned his gaze to a small door covered with a light green curtain, which was halfway drawn. Kurogane pushed his way through, emerging in a small garden filled with roses, hibiscus, and other greenery. The dusky morning air was filled with the soft murmurings of running water and Fai's humming. In the far corner of the garden was an outdoor shower, pouring water on the golden-haired figure underneath.
And that was all it took—all the blood seemed to rush to his head, then to his lower stomach. He stepped forward, his hands outstretched. He caught Fai round the waist, pulling the boy backwards.
Fai stumbled back, his feet hitting the springy grass, blinking stupidly for a second; "K-Kurogane?" He craned his neck, looking up at his boyfriend through drenched bangs. Kurogane growled, kissing the sopping blonde hungrily. His hands slid down Fai's stomach, cradling the boy's balls in his fingers, grinding his now half-hardened erection to Fai's unclothed ass.
Fai squeaked, trembling heavily at the sudden onslaught of pleasurable stimulation. "Ghn!! Ah, Kuro-sa…ah!"
As of that moment, Kurogane could think of nothing more than taking the beauty he'd captured; all coherent thought but the need to pound into Fai's lithe, hot body had left him as soon as he'd seen Fai under that shower, open and exposed to the early-morning air.
Underneath Kurogane's kisses and skilled fingers, Fai quickly turned into a quivering mass of desire. He arched against Kurogane's hands, now roughly working on his hardening length, whimpering as his boyfriend's hips followed his own; Kurogane's still clothed erection rubbed against his entrance.
One hand left Fai's growing erection, sliding deliberately up and across the boy's stomach, kneading the damp flesh. Kurogane thrust his hips forward, grinding into the soft flesh between Fai's legs, feeling both the friction of his boxers caused as well as Fai's desperate trembling as the boy leant back, his legs spreading slightly to catch the action.
Fai groaned as Kurogane's broad hands pressed against his chest, pushing him up and back against his boyfriend. He hadn't realized that he'd almost bent himself double in his need to feel Kurogane behind him.
The elder teen began to rub and pluck at Fai's already hardened nipples, earning strangled moans of pleasure.
Fai gasped for breath, his chest heaving underneath Kurogane's strong hand. He saw white, his legs quivering, stomach tensing after a particularly rough jerk of his boyfriend's hand. He almost screamed in wanton pleasure, succumbing to the sensations.
Precum coated Kurogane's hand; semen quickly leaking from Fai's reddened, straining cock. "Not yet, not yet," he growled, grinding into the damp heat between the globes of Fai's ass; he rubbed his thumb against the slid, seed dripping from his wrist. "Not until I'm inside of you."
Fai gasped, his jaw slack. His entire body tensed as he fought against his eminent orgasm—he was losing terribly. "Ah… I… ca… ah… n't… Nnng! I need you, now!!" he begged, pushing back against Kurogane's member, bracing his legs apart, shaking in effort. His hands scrabbled from Kurogane's arms, where he had previously been clutching, to grab at the elder's underwear. "I need you in me!"
Kurogane hissed in pleasure, holding Fai up with the hand on his chest, feeling Fai's heart race. He stripped off his boxers, grabbing Fai's hips. "I don't have any lube," he warned, his erection aching with the desire to fuck Fai until the boy collapsed in pleasure.
"Go," Fai moaned, pushing himself back onto Kurogane's weeping member. Kurogane thrust forward, completely embedding himself inside of the blonde, his precum slightly easing the process. Fai groaned, convulsing as his orgasm took him violently.
Kurogane growled, Fai's hot inner walls clenching tightly around his aching cock.
"Dammit, move," Fai moaned, pushing back against the elder's hips. "Ahng!"
Kurogane closed his fingers tightly around Fai's bony hips, pulling him as close as possible, straining to penetrate the boy deep. Slowly, he pulled himself almost completely out, then slammed into Fai, as deep as possible.
Fai gave a half-keening scream, nearly collapsing on the spot. Shudders ran down his spine, his still-hard and aching member twitching in excitement. The sheer pleasure of the feeling was enough to drown in; he was suffocating in it—he could barely breathe at all, air escaping with heavy moans and strangled cries. Another thrust brought Kurogane to Fai's prostate, causing Fai to hit a second high, throwing back his head, his throat convulsing in a silent scream of pleasure; his legs gave out from under him, dropping against Kurogane's tight grip.
Kurogane held Fai up, the blonde bent over his arms, trembling and pushing back against each new thrust and grind, moaning as he deliberately clenched himself, pulling Kurogane deeper into his body.
Fai gasped desperately for air, saliva trailing down his chin to mix with sweat and water, his hands scrambling to dig into Kurogane's arms. The air was growing hot and sticky, silent save for the sounds of flesh against flesh, frenzied gaps, and fevered moans. Kurogane groaned, feeling himself growing close to climax, thrusting violently into the boy, grinding frantically.
Fai shuddered, the vibrations settling deep in his stomach. His vision faded away to white and black spots, the world around him fading away until Kurogane was the only thing he was aware of: his arms, strong around his waist; his hands, kneading into his thighs and stomach; his cock, buried deep in his body, grinding against his prostate. It was a completely new sensation, one of complete and total desire and lust—but at the same time, of togetherness—it was only at times like this that Fai felt whole.
He leaned back, tightening around Kurogane's erection, moaning deeply at the feel of the elder teen inside of him. He could feel Kurogane shaking, breath coming in hot, ragged gusts against his neck.
With a heavy moan and a last, hard, deep thrust, Kurogane came, fiery seed filling the deepest parts of the ravished blonde. Kurogane could feel semen leaking from Fai's entrance as he knelt down, allowing his weak knees to finally give away.
Fai shuddered as Kurogane pulled away, the suckling noise causing him to flush a deep red over his entire body. He fell forwards onto his hands and knees, trying desperately to surface from the high.
Kurogane leaned over Fai, running his hands over the boy's damp back, soothing him softly. He winced as his gaze was caught by Fai's backside, his seed trickling down the blonde's thighs, tinted pink with blood.
He grit his teeth; he hadn't even thought about the prospect of hurting Fai, just fucking him senseless. He stood slowly on shaking legs, lifting Fai's limp body, cradling him against his chest.
Fai pressed his face up to Kurogane's neck, the elder's pulse still erratic against his cheek, his breath catching still. He moaned softly—he'd never felt so good, thoroughly claimed. Even though it had been violent, there was still a level of devotion in Kurogane that kept the bad memories from surfacing, that kept the lust from feeling mindless, that made him feel wanted. He almost preferred this passionate side of Kurogane to the side that showered him with slow, gentle movement, like their previous sexual encounters. It was a wonderful feeling to be needed so fiercely.
Kurogane entered their room, pushing the curtain back slowly, fabric sticking to his sweat slicked arms. He carried Fai to the futon, placing him gently on the sheets. He turned to leave, turmoil apparent in his hooded eyes.
Fai whimpered, grabbing Kurogane's wrist; "Don't leave," he begged hoarsely, "Stay, please…"
"I hurt you," Kurogane muttered, evidently disgusted with himself. Even so, he knelt down next to the futon, leaning his head against Fai's chest.
Fai shivered as they lay like that for the longest time. "I'm cold," he murmured finally, "Come here. Keep me warm."
Kurogane climbed onto the bed, pulling Fai into his arms. Fai folded himself against Kurogane's body, guilty for enjoying the thing that caused Kurogane pain. He regretted seeing the elder teen, normally so proud, so apologetic and subservient—like a kicked puppy. He tipped his head up, kissing Kurogane gently.
He smiled tiredly, his eyes drooping closed, "Don't worry," he murmured, stroking Kurogane's cheek with a limp hand.
Kurogane pressed his face to Fai's neck as the boy closed his eyes sleepily. Fai felt Kurogane's lips move against his skin as he heard a mumbling that sounded eerily like 'I love you, Fai', but Fai was too exhausted to take stock in it and all he remembered when he awoke was the stabbing pain of white-hot guilt flashing through an aching black heart.