Zero

by TheBordelineNonAlcoholicWriter

Many people were suddenly born with strange powers they have to pay a painful price for. Like humans do when something happens that they don't understand, they try to get rid of what they see as a threat... or use it to their advantage, and maybe that's even worse. What could be the next step in the evolution is used to further ta us back. (Updated description)

6. Chapter 6 Good life

A/N: The more I reread the story the more I hate the age gap. At the time I wrote it I created the age gap because I didn't want Kyoya to be fully morally good and explore what happens in these kinds of situations but I wish I hadn't. I feel dirty in a way. I also write weirdly many sex scenes for someone who doesn't even like to write them (I don't bother to make them super realistic though). I do a lot of things in this story that I don't like now when I think about it.

Also, I don't think I will be able to upload every single Monday thanks to school and other obligations. So if you care, you now know.

---

Chapter 6. Good life

"... So we decided to continue to be around each other-".

"Kyoya! You can just tell me that he is your boyfriend! Why are you so vaaaaaague!?" Kyoya flinched as Tamaki's brittle and high pitched voice assaulted his eardrums. He had to put a long distance between himself and the phone while Tamaki dragged out the word: 'vague' for an unpleasant amount of time.

"Because I don't want you to do a 'you thing' and make it into something big", Kyoya murmured through gritted teeth. "You are always so damn loud… ".

"But I'm your best frieeeend-".

"Stop dragging out the words".

"-And I should know about these things! Especially when you sound very serious about this one!"

Kyoya pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"I guess, but you're still being very dramatic".

"When would you have told me that you two were a thing if I hadn't figured it out? When you start sending out wedding invitations? Like you did with your ex?"

"First of all, my ex sent them unbeknownst to me. I hadn't even proposed to him and he hadn't proposed to me-".

"No, but you did plan on buying a ring!"

"I thought that he was the best I could get at the time", Kyoya reminded him. Many people made that mistake and he was still ashamed that he almost became one of them.

"You still didn't tell me about that ex until the invitations! I should have known about Fuyuki earlier!"

Kyoya decided to ignore that because it wasn't relevant. He didn't even bother to correct Tamaki about the name… partly because he wasn't sure what the name was, he just knew that the guy was Russian, and not Japanese. Maybe that was cold hearted of Kyoya to not remember it but he had tried his best to forget most of the people he used to know.

"And no, I wouldn't have waited until proposing to tell you about Kaoru. Remember, he and I can't get married". At first Tamaki sounded moved that Kyoya wouldn't wait that long but quickly realized what Kyoya actually meant.

Kyoya wasn't sure how much he was actually allowed to tell Tamaki about Kaoru. He knew that it was common knowledge that zeros existed on his base so it shouldn't be a problem that Tamaki knew that Kyoya was "familiar" with one of them. The young doctor made sure to not tell Tamaki about anything that came from the classified files or things he hadn't asked Kaoru if it was okay for him to share. Kyoya was still paranoid every time he talked about Kaoru to his best friend. It felt like a swat team would come into his apartment any second. Tamaki asked something but Kyoya couldn't quite make it out because of the sputtering.

"Say that again. I couldn't hear you", Kyoya said and held the phone closer to his ear. Which would probably have been a mistake under normal circumstances.

"I asked if you loooove him? … Kyoya?"

Kyoya froze. "I… that's a bit too early to ask, isn't it?" Kyoya asked with a low voice and a small cough. "We have only known each other for a few months".

"For many months!" Tamaki corrected. "But maybe it is too early… I'll ask again at a later time!"

"... please don't… ", Kyoya almost begged.

He hated that question. Wherever he loved Kaoru or not should be something he would decide later on, right? Sure he really, really liked Kaoru but they were young and so was their relationship. This was also Kaoru's first real relationship and he would become an adult in a few days so he might not be ready for the same kind of relationship Kyoya thought that he himself was ready for.

Kyoya has had a lot of issues with settling down when he was Kaoru's age and he only recently started to consider being with someone he could grow old with.

"I want to know if Kaoru is more special than he already seems to be to yooooooou!"

Kyoya was almost so startled that he dropped the phone. He held it away from his ear again so Tamaki couldn't accidentally blow his eardrums out.

"I already care about him a significant amount and he is actually a decent person for once. Isn't that enough for you to know right now?"

"I… Yeah, maybe", Tamaki hesitantly agreed. "But you need to tell me when you do love him!"

"I need to go. Goodbye, Tamaki". Kyoya heard a loud "wha" before he hung up. He waited for a few seconds to see if a Tamaki would try to call him back and sighed in relief when it didn't seem like he would. Don't be mistaken, Kyoya appreciated his best friend but he could be a lot sometimes.

Now when Kyoya had hung up on Tamaki, he felt alone again. He had felt lonely in general lately. It wasn't uncommon to feel more alone when you were in a relationship and your partner wasn't available, but it was worse when it was difficult to hang out with your partner in the first place. The only place they could be together without interference was Kyoya's room, but Kyoya couldn't just go to Kaoru and invite him over and Kaoru couldn't just slip away whenever he wanted. Plus Hikaru seemed to always come up with excuses for Kaoru not to leave his side. The couple had officially been together for three weeks and Hikaru clearly wasn't ready for Kaoru and him to be together alone for too long and it made them displeased. Kyoya didn't even care if they couldn't sleep with each other, he wanted to be with his boyfriend, damnit! Kyoya shivered as he thought that he could almost hear Tamaki cooing at him in his head for being so "cute".

---

Kyoya left his room to have breakfast with his colleagues. He smiled at Kaoru when he saw him before sitting down at his usual table. Rosengard was complaining about how bratty his patient was. He had been more irritated lately and this hadn't helped.

"Well, he is finally truly going through puberty", Shinohara pointed out. "What did you expect?"

"He sure is a late bloomer", Colton commented, his voice was very adenoidal. "Unless that was a joke".

Rosengard chuckled.

"He isn't joking, no. Soon he'll be just as sex-crazed as all the other teenagers. I propositioned to Grimes that we should invite some girls for the Boys sometimes so they can get some of that out!"

"They are not dogs humping our legs", Shinohara reminded him sternly. "They are real human beings. They also have more self-control than you give them credit for". Kyoya agreed with the comment (even if it was a little hypocritical from someone with no qualms about gossiping about the Boys). Ever since he got closer to Kaoru he really didn't appreciate how his colleagues insinuated that the boys were something akin to animals. Maybe he was just overreacting now, Rosengard might just be under the impression that all teenagers were like that but still. It felt wrong. "And if Grimes agrees to your idea, Rosengard, do you suggest that the military use tax money to pay those hypothetical women for their sexual services? Like prostitution?"

Rosengard smiled sheepishly; realizing the error of his words.

"No, I guess I don't", he mumbled and scratched his neck. "I hadn't thought that far… but I guess there is no need anyway, the guys seem to be completely fine with satisfying each other".

"Then I guess you should prepare yourself to give him that kind of sex talk", Jackson mused. "I mean, that has, unfortunately, become our area of expertise in later years in order for our patients to avoid certain kinds of hospital visits". Most of the doctors sighed deeply.

"Well it's unfortunate for you because you don't get a good use out of it", Kyoya thought, amused as he quickly glanced at Kaoru who was eating and… talking to that boy from the other night. "Calm down, they are just friends". Hikaru looked just as annoyed as Kyoya was feeling. "At least we have some sort of solidarity, you and I".

"Jackson", Rosengard said to remove the attention off himself somewhat. "How does it feel to have no workload at all? I mean, they haven't given you a replacement for Botan, right?"

For a short moment, Jackson looked remorseful at the mention of his late patient's name, but it disappeared too quickly for anyone, that wasn't Kyoya, to take notice.

It took a little too long for Kyoya before he remembered that Botan was Jiro. A hint of resentment still resided for the boy who attempted to murder his boyfriend, but the same old sense of curiosity also woke up within him when he heard the name. He still didn't know the details about the name situation. Maybe enough time has passed for him to be able to ask Kaoru about it without upsetting the younger male too much? He didn't want to appear too interested right now so asking his colleagues was out of the question.

"I have actually taken a patient from Grayson", Jackson told him. "Some doctors here have had more than one patient because more and more doctors are quitting".

"Yeah, that happens. Not many doctors feel satisfied with the small amount of workload we get". Rosengard took a sip from his glass of water.

Kyoya didn't know why he thought that water was such an odd breakfast drink.

"And not everyone is satisfied with being around so many cute boys, unlike Kyoya", Shinohara teased and Kyoya almost choked on his coffee. Fortunately, Kyoya realized pretty quickly that Shinohara joked about his sexuality and didn't know that he was actually far too interested in one of the 'cute boys'.

Kyoya smirked. "No I only have eyes for one guy", Kyoya joked and looked at Rosengard.

Rosengard looked at him with furrowed brows as he drank his water before his eyes widened and he choked on his water. The colleagues laughed as he was desperately coughing up the liquid that had entered the wrong pipe.

"Don't joke like that!" Rosengard cried before coughing some more. "Not when there is a choking hazard!"

Kyoya chuckled before leaning back in his chair and drank some more of his coffee.

"Perhaps I shouldn't, maybe I shouldn't have done it to you. I should probably have done it to the man who suggested that I was into underage boys". Yes, Kyoya realized how dumb that was to say.

"My apologies", Shinohara said. "I forgot the underage part. It's easy to".

"Oh, you have no idea".

"Going back to the previous subject of the conversation". Kyoya turned to Rosengard. "You shouldn't complain about bratty behavior, Rosengard. Shinohara's patient is worse and puberty is not a contributing factor".

Shinohara exhaled loudly.

"Sounds like you have experiences with that one", Colton suggested, looking at Kyoya.

"His own patient is the much more pleasant twin brother of mine", Shinohara explained. "Something I thought I should make clear before you also suggested that Kyoya had something going on with much younger boys".

Kyoya held himself back from reminding them that Hikaru was soon 18 to justify his situation with Kaoru. It would probably only cause suspicion and in reality, it wouldn't actually justify much.

"I did not intend on suggesting that", Colton assured and shook his head. "I only wondered why he knew... but I guess you two are closer than the rest so it could make sense that you would just complain to Kyoya about your patient… ".

"Are you now suggesting that Shinohara and I are together?" Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "We are more professional than that".

"N-no! I was just-".

Rosengard burst out laughing and Colton turned to look at him.

"They are fucking with you".

Colton looked back at Shinohara and Kyoya who were smirking at the flustered older man.

"But speaking of your patient". Shinohara turned to Kyoya. "I was annoyed at first that he wasn't as… you know… and that he was actually nice by himself".

"I was lucky to have the good twin", Kyoya agreed and tried to not sound too pleased. "Hikaru dislikes me for getting along with his brother because he spites everyone who comes near Kaoru. So I'm wondering exactly how he is annoying as a patient. I mean, because why would he be annoying if it's not related to his brother?"

Shinohara scratched an itch on his nose.

"Well, he is definitely weird in a completely different way… or in several different ways. One of the things that irk me is that he seems to be the complete opposite of a hypochondriac. He never wants to believe that something is wrong with him under any circumstances. Or at least he doesn't think it's serious enough for him to receive appropriate help. It used to only be concerning his shallow physical health issues like scrapes and other nonlethal wounds. Back then it was completely fine because no one wants a crybaby, but when it comes to broken bones? He is clearly over his head".

"Broken bones?" Kyoya repeated.

"Yes, he used to get into fights a lot", Rosengard chimed in. "He established himself as a crazy guy before he became crazy".

"He is very defensive over his brother and I can guarantee you that he caused more damage than he took", Shinohara said without acknowledging Rosengard. "Other things that bother me are that he doesn't cooperate well if he doesn't see a reason to and he seems to think that everyone is against him. Can't be an easy life to live when you have such an unstable ground to stand on". It surprised Kyoya that he actually felt a teeny tiny hint of sympathy for Hikaru. Yes, Hikaru was the most annoying thorn he had ever had in his side, but the Boy was probably in constant fear. "You and Hikaru seem to be really curious about each other". And there the hint of sympathy disappeared into the dark hole from which it came.

"What do you mean? Has he asked about me?" Kyoya asked.

"Yes, he has done that for a while, but don't worry. I wouldn't tell him your deep dark secrets even if I knew about them".

"What have you told him?"

"General facts. That you're Japanese, smart, that you're openly gay in case that's why he is asking so much-". Kyoya snorted. "-And I have confirmed several times that you don't really like zeros since he asked much about that".

"Oh No, that doesn't bode well".

"When was the last time that you confirmed that last thing?" Kyoya asked, hoping that Shinohara, as the closest thing Kyoya had to a friend on the base, hadn't told Hikaru that recently.

"At our last check-up", Shinohara answered. "He seemed more interested in the answer this time… was it a bad thing for me to tell him?"

"Yes, extremely bad. The latest checkup was either the same day Kaoru and I made up or at a later date. Both options don't sound good to me, but I would prefer if it was the first option because at least then it could be chalked up to Shinohara just not knowing yet… the other option would just immediately suggest that I was lying to Kaoru about being okay with him".

"Well, it can risk making things harder for the relationship between me and my patient", Kyoya admitted while adjusting his glasses. "Hikaru was made aware that I decided to not judge his brother for his zero status, but now he might just believe that I lied… now things can become a bit uncomfortable".

"I apologize for the mess I might have caused", Shinohara said. "I'll definitely fix this the next time I see him… and I obviously won't tell him about this conversation or he might not believe that it's sincere instead of just you 'saving face'". Shinohara wasn't a stupid man.

"I would appreciate that, thank you", Kyoya said with a fake kind smile. Not because he wasn't thankful, but he just wasn't sure how much that would help now.

Kaoru hadn't started to act differently around him yet so either Hikaru hadn't told him about it or Kaoru just assumed that Kyoya still wanted to keep up the act. Kyoya could just explain the situation to him the next time they met, but Hikaru was still a problem. That boy had a confirmation bias. "I didn't mean for you to be dragged into this weird thing I have with those two".

"And I didn't mean to make that thing more unbearable". Shinohara smiled at him. "But no more about that. Rosengard, have you planned for how you are supposed to teach your patient about the bees and the bees?"

---

Kyoya left his room to have breakfast with his colleagues. He smiled at Kaoru when he saw him before sitting down at his usual table. Rosengard was complaining about how bratty his patient was. He had been more irritated lately and this hadn't helped.

"Well, he is finally truly going through puberty", Shinohara pointed out. "What did you expect?"

"He sure is a late bloomer", Colton commented, his voice was very adenoidal. "Unless that was a joke".

Rosengard chuckled.

"He isn't joking, no. Soon he'll be just as sex-crazed as all the other teenagers. I propositioned to Grimes that we should invite some girls for the Boys sometimes so they can get some of that out!"

"They are not dogs humping our legs", Shinohara reminded him sternly. "They are real human beings. They also have more self-control than you give them credit for". Kyoya agreed with the comment (even if it was a little hypocritical from someone with no qualms about gossiping about the Boys). Ever since he got closer to Kaoru he really didn't appreciate how his colleagues insinuated that the boys were something akin to animals. Maybe he was just overreacting now, Rosengard might just be under the impression that all teenagers were like that but still. It felt wrong. "And if Grimes agrees to your idea, Rosengard, do you suggest that the military use tax money to pay those hypothetical women for their sexual services? Like prostitution?"

Rosengard smiled sheepishly; realizing the error of his words.

"No, I guess I don't", he mumbled and scratched his neck. "I hadn't thought that far… but I guess there is no need anyway, the guys seem to be completely fine with satisfying each other".

"Then I guess you should prepare yourself to give him that kind of sex talk", Jackson mused. "I mean, that has, unfortunately, become our area of expertise in later years in order for our patients to avoid certain kinds of hospital visits". Most of the doctors sighed deeply.

"Well it's unfortunate for you because you don't get a good use out of it", Kyoya thought, amused as he quickly glanced at Kaoru who was eating and… talking to that boy from the other night. "Calm down, they are just friends". Hikaru looked just as annoyed as Kyoya was feeling. "At least we have some sort of solidarity, you and I".

"Jackson", Rosengard said to remove the attention off himself somewhat. "How does it feel to have no workload at all? I mean, they haven't given you a replacement for Botan, right?"

For a short moment, Jackson looked remorseful at the mention of his late patient's name, but it disappeared too quickly for anyone, that wasn't Kyoya, to take notice.

It took a little too long for Kyoya before he remembered that Botan was Jiro. A hint of resentment still resided for the boy who attempted to murder his boyfriend, but the same old sense of curiosity also woke up within him when he heard the name. He still didn't know the details about the name situation. Maybe enough time has passed for him to be able to ask Kaoru about it without upsetting the younger male too much? He didn't want to appear too interested right now so asking his colleagues was out of the question.

"I have actually taken a patient from Grayson", Jackson told him. "Some doctors here have had more than one patient because more and more doctors are quitting".

"Yeah, that happens. Not many doctors feel satisfied with the small amount of workload we get". Rosengard took a sip from his glass of water.

Kyoya didn't know why he thought that water was such an odd breakfast drink.

"And not everyone is satisfied with being around so many cute boys, unlike Kyoya", Shinohara teased and Kyoya almost choked on his coffee. Fortunately, Kyoya realized pretty quickly that Shinohara joked about his sexuality and didn't know that he was actually far too interested in one of the 'cute boys'.

Kyoya smirked. "No I only have eyes for one guy", Kyoya joked and looked at Rosengard.

Rosengard looked at him with furrowed brows as he drank his water before his eyes widened and he choked on his water. The colleagues laughed as he was desperately coughing up the liquid that had entered the wrong pipe.

"Don't joke like that!" Rosengard cried before coughing some more. "Not when there is a choking hazard!"

Kyoya chuckled before leaning back in his chair and drank some more of his coffee.

"Perhaps I shouldn't, maybe I shouldn't have done it to you. I should probably have done it to the man who suggested that I was into underage boys". Yes, Kyoya realized how dumb that was to say.

"My apologies", Shinohara said. "I forgot the underage part. It's easy to".

"Oh, you have no idea".

"Going back to the previous subject of the conversation". Kyoya turned to Rosengard. "You shouldn't complain about bratty behavior, Rosengard. Shinohara's patient is worse and puberty is not a contributing factor".

Shinohara exhaled loudly.

"Sounds like you have experiences with that one", Colton suggested, looking at Kyoya.

"His own patient is the much more pleasant twin brother of mine", Shinohara explained. "Something I thought I should make clear before you also suggested that Kyoya had something going on with much younger boys".

Kyoya held himself back from reminding them that Hikaru was soon 18 to justify his situation with Kaoru. It would probably only cause suspicion and in reality, it wouldn't actually justify much.

"I did not intend on suggesting that", Colton assured and shook his head. "I only wondered why he knew... but I guess you two are closer than the rest so it could make sense that you would just complain to Kyoya about your patient… ".

"Are you now suggesting that Shinohara and I are together?" Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "We are more professional than that".

"N-no! I was just-".

Rosengard burst out laughing and Colton turned to look at him.

"They are fucking with you".

Colton looked back at Shinohara and Kyoya who were smirking at the flustered older man.

"But speaking of your patient". Shinohara turned to Kyoya. "I was annoyed at first that he wasn't as… you know… and that he was actually nice by himself".

"I was lucky to have the good twin", Kyoya agreed and tried to not sound too pleased. "Hikaru dislikes me for getting along with his brother because he spites everyone who comes near Kaoru. So I'm wondering exactly how he is annoying as a patient. I mean, because why would he be annoying if it's not related to his brother?"

Shinohara scratched an itch on his nose.

"Well, he is definitely weird in a completely different way… or in several different ways. One of the things that irk me is that he seems to be the complete opposite of a hypochondriac. He never wants to believe that something is wrong with him under any circumstances. Or at least he doesn't think it's serious enough for him to receive appropriate help. It used to only be concerning his shallow physical health issues like scrapes and other nonlethal wounds. Back then it was completely fine because no one wants a crybaby, but when it comes to broken bones? He is clearly over his head".

"Broken bones?" Kyoya repeated.

"Yes, he used to get into fights a lot", Rosengard chimed in. "He established himself as a crazy guy before he became crazy".

"He is very defensive over his brother and I can guarantee you that he caused more damage than he took", Shinohara said without acknowledging Rosengard. "Other things that bother me are that he doesn't cooperate well if he doesn't see a reason to and he seems to think that everyone is against him. Can't be an easy life to live when you have such an unstable ground to stand on". It surprised Kyoya that he actually felt a teeny tiny hint of sympathy for Hikaru. Yes, Hikaru was the most annoying thorn he had ever had in his side, but the Boy was probably in constant fear. "You and Hikaru seem to be really curious about each other". And there the hint of sympathy disappeared into the dark hole from which it came.

"What do you mean? Has he asked about me?" Kyoya asked.

"Yes, he has done that for a while, but don't worry. I wouldn't tell him your deep dark secrets even if I knew about them".

"What have you told him?"

"General facts. That you're Japanese, smart, that you're openly gay in case that's why he is asking so much-". Kyoya snorted. "-And I have confirmed several times that you don't really like zeros since he asked much about that".

"Oh No, that doesn't bode well".

"When was the last time that you confirmed that last thing?" Kyoya asked, hoping that Shinohara, as the closest thing Kyoya had to a friend on the base, hadn't told Hikaru that recently.

"At our last check-up", Shinohara answered. "He seemed more interested in the answer this time… was it a bad thing for me to tell him?"

"Yes, extremely bad. The latest checkup was either the same day Kaoru and I made up or at a later date. Both options don't sound good to me, but I would prefer if it was the first option because at least then it could be chalked up to Shinohara just not knowing yet… the other option would just immediately suggest that I was lying to Kaoru about being okay with him".

"Well, it can risk making things harder for the relationship between me and my patient", Kyoya admitted while adjusting his glasses. "Hikaru was made aware that I decided to not judge his brother for his zero status, but now he might just believe that I lied… now things can become a bit uncomfortable".

"I apologize for the mess I might have caused", Shinohara said. "I'll definitely fix this the next time I see him… and I obviously won't tell him about this conversation or he might not believe that it's sincere instead of just you 'saving face'". Shinohara wasn't a stupid man.

"I would appreciate that, thank you", Kyoya said with a fake kind smile. Not because he wasn't thankful, but he just wasn't sure how much that would help now.

Kaoru hadn't started to act differently around him yet so either Hikaru hadn't told him about it or Kaoru just assumed that Kyoya still wanted to keep up the act. Kyoya could just explain the situation to him the next time they met, but Hikaru was still a problem. That boy had a confirmation bias. "I didn't mean for you to be dragged into this weird thing I have with those two".

"And I didn't mean to make that thing more unbearable". Shinohara smiled at him. "But no more about that. Rosengard, have you planned for how you are supposed to teach your patient about the bees and the bees?"

---

"Do you have to leave?" Hikaru whined.

"Yes, I haven't been alone with him in a while", Kaoru said sternly. "Stop acting like a needy pet. I thought you were going to at least try to let us be".

"First of all, I didn't promise shit", Hikaru pointed out. "And second of all, I am not actively trying to break you two up, am I?"

"You're still being annoying".

"I am supposed to when it comes to boys, I'm your older brother".

"But I'm not your little sister that needs protection, I'm your twin", Kaoru reminded him and he laughed.

"My cute little sister".

"Fuck off". Kaoru walked towards the door and Hikaru finally stopped laughing.

"Are you coming back tonight like you used to?"

Kaoru stopped; his first thought was to say yes but he didn't actually know how it would be now when they were together.

"Maybe? We will see. I guess it depends on the mood...".

"Please, spare me the details". Hikaru raised his hands in surrender. "Just be careful. I'm here if something happens".

"Well… where else would you be?" Kaoru teased and Hikaru scoffed at him as he left.

Kaoru knocked on Kyoya's door when he had reached his room and waited patiently. He wasn't invited so he didn't know how much time Kyoya actually had for him, but he decided that a little time was much better than no time at all. The door opened and Kyoya smiled at him before stepping to the side so Kaoru could walk in. The door closed and Kyoya leaned down and kissed him.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you", Kaoru said when they pulled away.

"Don't worry. I don't mind being disturbed for a moment. I have some work but it's not work I enjoy doing. But we two have things we need to go over. We should probably come up with a new schedule for meeting up".

"True. I can't just come over and hope that you have time". Kaoru scratches his neck. "Should we try to meet a few nights a week? Like we sort of did when we were just hooking up?"

"Sounds good but what if I get more workload or you have a mission? Maybe we should have a signal that shows that we're up for something that day", Kyoya suggested and led Kaoru into the small living room.

"That sounds like a better idea actually". Kaoru and Kyoya sat down on the couch. "Let's have different signals. One that means: not tonight, which can mean busy, just wanting to be alone or whatever reason. One sign can mean: fuck yeah, come over-". Kyoya failed to hold back a chuckle. "-and one sign can mean that we just don't know yet and will return with an answer".

"Sounds good", Kyoya agreed. "Feels like a better option than constantly rescheduling, something that could be the problem if we have designated days. We had to reschedule many times previously, which was fine when we only had sex, but now it's different".

"We both have more workload now when I have started attempting to work out and you have taken on more responsibilities", Kaoru added.

"I could tell that you have been working out", Kyoya smirked. "But what should we use as signals? It has to be discreet to others while it's obvious to us".

"Hmmm… maybe if we're asking if the other person wants to meet up-". Kaoru put his thumb around his shin and dragged his index finger along the jawline like he was scratching it. "-I think we'll notice if it's unintentional or not. And my response for fuck yeah can be this-". Kaoru tugged his collar lightly with his right hand. "-And you can adjust your glasses… because it's intimidating in a hot way".

"It is?" Asked Kyoya with an amused smirk.

"Yes, it's something you do in the bedroom before you take them off in time for business. At least those times you remember to take them off".

The expression on Kaoru's face looked to be somewhere in between embarrassment and cheekiness. Kyoya thought it was cute.

"Oh, so I turn you on when I adjust my glasses". Kyoya dragged his index finger along one of the bows of the glasses in a teasing way before lowering his hand again.

"Yes". Kaoru gulped and his posture became a little less relaxed. "You Pavloved me".

Kyoya laughed. "Are you talking about Pavlov's dogs? I'm impressed with your knowledge".

"I don't know if I'm supposed to be flattered that you complimented me or feel insulted that you are surprised".

"I teased you so the second option makes more sense". Kyoya ruffled Kaoru's hair and Kaoru removed his hand with a pout on his lips. "You're still so cute". Kaoru immediately stopped pouting and Kyoya chuckled again. "But yes, I 'Pavloved' you. Not quite the word ending with a d that I wanted to do to you… ".

"The thing is, I know what kind of action you're talking about but I don't know which word you're referring to".

"Obviously, the word is 'pound".

"Wow… you're not even trying to be clever", Kaoru chuckled. "That was so terrible".

"Yes, I am quite disappointed in myself". Kaoru laughed. "But the offer still stands", Kyoya joked and Kaoru laughed harder. "But back to the subject. Now we have a signal for asking, and for the yes answer. Now we need signals for the other two things".

"Yes, of course. A no for me will be me scratching the base of my throat and your no will be you resting your cheek on your fist and tap on your cheekbone. Like you do when somebody says something really stupid".

"I actually do that?" Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "I guess there are things you don't notice about yourself. Like, for example, you probably don't know exactly what your body does or how your face looks when you c-".

"Fuck off", Kaoru cut him off and he laughed. "And I have masturbated before, I do know".

"But you can't see your own face when you do it", Kyoya teased. "It's quite the experience".

"I have a bathroom mirror, obviously. And I don't see how that face is attra-".

Kaoru's eyes widened and his eyebrows rose. He was too slow, too slow, this time to realize that this wasn't something he should have said to Kyoya of all people. The smirk on Kyoya's face sent shivers down his back. People had described the twins as looking like the Cheshire Cat when they smirked… no, this was a Cheshire Cat smirk!

"Oh… you like to watch yourself when you do it? Is that something you're into?" Kyoya leaned in closer so Kaoru could feel his warm breath on his face. "What exactly do you like to watch? You want to see the humiliation in your eyes as you see how your body reacts?"

"I was just-just curious!" Kaoru cried and leaned back, trying to get away from him.

Kyoya put a hand on his thigh, he made sure to pull up the hem of the pant leg of his shorts as well so he was only touching skin.

"Your body tells a different story", Kyoya whispered and the redness finally covered Kaoru's cheeks, just like Kyoya liked it. "I'd imagine that it would be funnier with someone else there with you". Kaoru turned away his head and Kyoya leaned in more so his lips were almost touching Kaoru's cheek. "Is that something that you would like? You want to watch while we're busy?" Kaoru closed his eyes and gulped; he was speechless. Kyoya knew that it was easy to take things further but they still needed to discuss the last signal and Kyoya had to finish up some work. But he would obviously keep the mirror thing in mind for the future. Unfortunately, he didn't have a mirror in his bedroom, or at least not one that was in a position that could be seen from the bed. Kyoya leaned back again and Kaoru turned to look at him again with confusion in his eyes. "So what is the signal for not having a clear answer yet?" Kaoru blinked a couple of times and breathed in and out to calm down his beating heart. Kyoya decided to give Kaoru time to collect himself.

"The… the last signal is adjusting our hair".

"For both of us?" Kyoya asked; he was clearly amused.

"Yes, I think that's discreet enough". Kaoru was still too flustered to come up with two different signals. "So, repeat every signal so I know that you remember them".

"Scratch the jaw to ask if the other one is up for a meeting. You tug your collar to the right for yes and scratch over your sternum and below your neck for no. I adjust my glasses for yes and look like someone has said something stupid for no. And at last, we both mess with our hair to show that we don't have a clear answer".

"Good, you remember".

"Don't be surprised, I have a good memory… I can assure you that I will remember more than one interesting thing from this conversation". Kyoya winked and Kaoru murmured that he should fuck off again while a pink tint lingered on his cheeks. "So, now we have our signals, a system. Now I can finally stop dwelling over that".

"Yeah, me too", Kaoru agreed and looked over at Kyoya's open computer on his desk in the bedroom (there wasn't a door between the rooms, just an opening). "You should probably return to your work now. Maybe it's time for me to leave".

The thought made Kaoru disappointed but he respected that Kyoya had things to do.

Kyoya looked in the same direction Kaoru was looking and sighed deeply before turning back to the younger male again with a small and tired smile.

"You don't have to leave. I just have to finish up and then we can talk or watch something on my computer. Not the funniest things, I know, but I can't exactly take you out… but you might be bored, so if you don't want to play with yourself in front of the mirror-".

"Stop iiiiit… ".

"-I do know that you like to draw so I have some paper and pens you can use. I know it's not professional supplies, but I believe you can draw something nice with it".

Kyoya scratched his neck; he felt like he was silly for suggesting those things. He wanted to give Kaoru something funnier to use to kill time. Kaoru would definitely have loved to play video games, but the resources were quite limited.

Kaoru still smiled kindly at him.

"That sounds nice. I draw a lot so I don't mind doing that while waiting".

"Good, that's good… do you want to wait in the bedroom where I work? I can give you something with a hard surface to have under your paper if you wait on the bed".

"You just want me ready for you when you're done". Kaoru wiggled his eyebrows as he stood up and started to move to the bedroom with Kyoya following close behind.

"You saw right through me", Kyoya joked and looked around on his desk for any paper that didn't have any scrabble on it for a few minutes while Kaoru placed himself on top of the cozy, neatly tucked in, covers; Kyoya was a neat person who actually made his bed while Kaoru couldn't be bothered.

Kyoya finally found a slightly crumpled A4 paper and handed it to Kaoru with a sheepish smile along with a newly sharpened pencil and a book that was big enough for most of the paper to fit on. That was fine, Kaoru could just move the paper around. It wasn't like Kaoru was going to draw a whole landscape… not that he could have if he wanted because he didn't have a clear landscape in his head.

"Thank you", Kaoru said. "I'm gonna sit here and play while daddy is working".

"I didn't think that was a word you wanted to use in the bedroom and this isn't quite the type of playing 'daddy' wanted... ".

"I literally hate you".

"I think this joke was more clever than the last one", Kyoya stated with a smirk and sat down on his office chair.

"And I agree. I will at least give you that".

After that, they both fell into a comfortable silence while Kyoya was trying to finish up his work as quickly as possible without making mistakes and Kaoru was making outlines of a dress he had thought about for some time.

While Kaoru was drawing, Kyoya was being distracted by thoughts of inadequacy. He knew that he didn't have to try to impress Kaoru all the time and that Kaoru was an easy person to please because of the lack of fun he was allowed to have. However, Kyoya still thought that he should have been able to treat him in some way. Kaoru's joke about feeling like a kid being given this as a distraction while his dad was working did hit a sore spot. Kyoya cursed himself for thanking no to a small TV for his room, for not having another computer or something else that could entertain Kaoru. He couldn't even give Kaoru proper paper!? But maybe Kyoya could buy Kaoru something the next time he could visit the outside world? He wanted to buy something expensive but he recalled that the exes he had, who weren't rich or gold diggers, usually hated when he spent too much money on them since it made them feel cheap and inadequate. A feeling Kyoya also felt those times when he dated men with way more money than him so he could understand. Kaoru would most likely also feel super cheap if Kyoya bought a portable game system or something like that. Would Kaoru even be allowed to have those things? And wouldn't it raise suspicion if people found out? Kyoya had to be creative if he wanted to give Kaoru something. Kaoru's birthday was coming up so Kyoya could use the next opportunity to leave the base temporarily, even if he wouldn't be able to buy anything before the birthday. However, Kaoru might still feel inadequate if he isn't able to give Kyoya anything and suggesting that Kaoru could pay him back in bed just sounded like Kaoru was a prostitute. Which wasn't exactly the desired relationship dynamic, to say the least.

Kaoru started to mutter something while he was drawing. Kyoya couldn't quite hear what he was saying but doubted that Kaoru's incoherent mumbling was directed at him. The redhead was probably only discussing with himself what he was supposed to add to the dress. It didn't disturb or annoy Kyoya so he decided against mentioning it. Besides, it was pretty cute to see him so focused. Maybe Kyoya could buy him some fashion magazines? Those wouldn't make Kaoru feel cheap and he could look through them every time he waited for Kyoya (or sneak them back to Hikaru so his equally fascinated twin could read as well, even if that wasn't the reason why Kyoya wanted to give him them). But that present still didn't feel good enough… maybe he could buy better paper and pencils for Kaoru to use without Kaoru realizing that they were of better quality?

"Because Kaoru wouldn't actually be able to know, right? I mean, who would have exposed him to that?... Tamaki is sure going to be pleased that my gift shopping for Kaoru will force me to return to him… ".

While Kyoya was proofreading his report to check that the quality was of his standard, he started to remember again that he still wanted to know about Jiro and now was a good opportunity… sure, it could be a major "mood killer" if they both did plan on having sex later, but Kyoya couldn't carry this curiosity for much longer and they could wait for a little to have sex. It wasn't the end of the world.

Kyoya turned to look at his boyfriend.

"There is something I have been wondering for a while", Kyoya bluntly stated. No need to beat around the bush.

Kaoru lifted his head and looked into Kyoya's eyes; his boyish grin was still present on his face.

"Yes, my ass is real", Kaoru joked and laughed at his own joke before turning somewhat serious. "Wha-".

"I believe you", Kyoya couldn't help but say and Kaoru laughed a little more and needed more time to compose himself this time around.

"I'm so relieved that my boyfriend isn't as stoic as everyone assumes he is", Kaoru winked at Kyoya. "But back to 'business'. What have you been wondering about?"

"I don't know if I should bring it up. It will most likely remove that smile off your face".

Kaoru's brows furrowed and his happy expression remained but turned a bit uncertain, like a confused smile.

"Well, is this something you need to get off your chest?"

"Kind of? It's not of the utmost importance. It's a mere curiosity if you will and I have waited to ask because I didn't want to risk upsetting you, but waiting might not make the situation better".

"All those fancy words", Kaoru teased. "But if it's something you want to ask then ask. We can't skip subjects just because they can hurt someone's feelings".

"It's about your late friend".

Kaoru's smile immediately disappeared from his face, only uncertainty and confusion remained. After a few seconds, a smaller smile made its way back but it didn't quite reach his almost amber eyes, eyes that always looked old compared to the rest of his young face. Kyoya didn't look into people's eyes often because it felt too intimate. He usually only glanced at them quickly because that's the only way that he could find them as beautiful as people described them as, or at least pretty. Part of the reason as to why it felt too intimate was because it felt like the other person could look right through him. Another reason was this; Kaoru's pretty eyes having a hint of ugliness in them, the ugliness of how the world had treated him. Obviously, Kyoya was still very fond of those eyes, but he would always despise all the feelings they could convey.

Kaoru gave him a look that told him that it was alright.

"So, what's your question? You're not gonna ask if he is an ex, right?" Kaoru said half-jokingly and half-seriously.

"Even if that's not the question I was going to ask, he knows me too well… or he might just be used to being close to jealous bastards", Kyoya thought.

"It's about his name actually. I can't help but notice that he is referred to as Baisotei Botan, correct?" Kyoya asked and received a small nod from the redhead. "How come he has two names? And why are some acting like calling him Botan is a huge insult to him?"

"Well, it's a complicated story", Kaoru scratched his neck and put down his pencil. "As you probably have concluded, Baisotei Botan is his birth name. But he didn't like that name, mostly because of the connections to it. Someone suggested the name Jiro and he jumped at the chance at escaping the name he had been stuck with until then".

"Yes, I gathered so much", Kyoya said, despite not actually knowing that the connections to Jiro's name were a contributor to the name change. He just assumed that Jiro agreed with Kyoya that Botan was an ugly name. "But why did everyone respect his wishes on the matter? And why did everyone just turn to use his old name all of sudden? A bit unnecessary if you ask me".

"Well… that's the complicated part of the story. As you know, technically anyone can have a child that turns out to be a zero". Kyoya nodded; he didn't quite know where Kaoru was going but he trusted that he would get there eventually. "Everyone has a chance of having a little 'surprise'. Men, women, the young, the old, the poor and powerless… the rich and powerful". That last part caught Kyoya's attention.

"So… Jiro was the son of someone important? I assume it was kept under wraps because I can't recall any public controversy".

"That assumption doesn't say much, you don't keep up with anything that happens'', Kaoru smirked. "But you are correct. Jiro was the son of Baisotei Haruka, a genius businessman. The reason as to why everyone agreed on using Jiro's chosen name was because the military base got a huge sum of money from Baisotei-san to fund their expenses if they agreed to not tell anyone about the relationship between him and Jiro… and besides, Jiro is an easier name to remember and it's a name he actually answered to so it wasn't too much to ask for people to use it".

"Okay, I think I follow so far", Kyoya murmured. "But why did everyone switch back to his old name? People can't be that mad at him for attacking you that they are willing to disrespect his and his father's wishes".

"Well no, they didn't give a fuck that it was me, even if they didn't want to risk losing my powers yet", Kaoru pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "Baisotei has been a pain in the ass in later years - for reasons I'm not really aware of but he is a piece of shit. He has also been through his fair share of controversies over the years. Lots of cheating and tax scandals, from what I have heard from the doc… no you know what? It was from Jiro. Jiro has told me more about the outside world than the doctors have".

Kyoya raised his eyebrow and his eyes widened slightly.

"Jiro spied on the outside world with his powers? I didn't know that was even possible. That range, through these walls… I thought this place was built to keep zeros and their powers either out or in".

Kaoru winked at him. "I guess, but he used his time well. Anyway, people here didn't see a reason to respect either of them anymore because both are just awful people in their eyes and Jiro's official name, Botan, will be on all of the documents and his own gravestone anyway… unfortunately... I also suppose that some started to switch back and others just followed without question".

Kyoya gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry for bringing this up".

"No, it's okay. I understand why you would be curious", Kaoru said with a low but clear voice. "I hope you were satisfied with the answer. How much do you have left of your work?"

"Not much", Kyoya assured with an apologetic smile. "I'll be with you in a second".

"Alright", Kaoru nodded and returned to his drawing; he didn't look as enthusiastic this time around. Kyoya sighed and corrected his text as quickly as possible before he hurried to send it to his superior. He closed the computer and walked the short distance to his bed. Kaoru looked up at Kyoya as he lowered himself down on the covers next to him and wrapped his arms around him, burying his face in the crook of his neck. Kaoru sighed and leaned into Kyoya's touch with a small smile. "I am actually okay. He has been gone for a while".

"Not for a long while", Kyoya reminded him. "It's perfectly fine for you to still be upset about it".

"I guess… but it doesn't mean that I want to be".

"Wherever you want to or not is not relevant".

"Yeah, you're right. As usual".

"I'm not always right, I think we established that previously. I'm only right now".

"Oh, you're right again". Kyoya sighed.

"Kao-" It was then he noticed the small, but noticeable teasing, smirk on the younger one's face. "Ah, you're just being yourself".

"It's that your way of calling me annoying?"

"Yes".

Kaoru couldn't help himself but laugh and even Kyoya cracked up a little.

It relaxed the older male that Kaoru wasn't too affected by the conversation… or maybe he was just hiding it? Whatever reason, Kaoru obviously didn't want to dwell on it right now and clearly just wanted to move on.

"That's the best way of insulting someone", Kaoru put everything he previously used on the nightstand so he wouldn't accidentally push them down or crumble his drawing. "My spirit is now officially broken, good job".

"For your spirit to be broken you have to have a spirit to begin with", Kyoya chuckled.

Kaoru looked at him; his eyes were wide and his jaw dropped as he looked fake offended over Kyoya's response.

"So I'm annoying and soulless?" Kaoru blinked a couple of times in disbelief over his boyfriend's teasing. "Anything more you want to roast me about?"

"Yes, but I actually have to go to work tomorrow morning… ".

"Oh, fuck you. You killed me". This time Kyoya laughed the hardest and Kaoru tried his best but failed to prevent himself from laughing along. "I didn't come here to be treated like this".

"You didn't come to get treated roughly in my bed?" Kyoya asked with a cheeky grin.

"S-stop this!" Kaoru cried. "Now you're back to the sexual jokes again!"

"That I am", Kyoya smirked and pushed Kaoru down on the bed.

He straddled him and pinned his arms into the mattress. Kaoru gulped nervously but still managed to smirk back.

"Something you have been dying to do, aye?" Kaoru cheekily teased. "Couldn't hold back any longer?"

"You have no idea", Kyoya answered breathlessly. "Are you... able to stay for a while?"

"I sure am. So what are you going to do to me?"

"You know exactly what I'm going to do to you", Kyoya murmured and pressed his lips against Kaoru's in a needy kiss before he pulled away again.

"I don't think I know exactly what your sadistic mind has decided to put me through", Kaoru confessed honestly with a small and happy smile on his face.

"Only things I know that you'll enjoy, don't worry", Kyoya promised quietly. He put his arms on each side of Kaoru's body and lowered himself down until their chests were touching. Kyoya made sure that he didn't lay all of his body weight on the smaller boy as he started to place kisses all over his neck and collar bones while Kaoru whined and giggled.

"Is this the substitute for hickeys?" Kaoru chuckled.

Kyoya lifted his head slightly. "Maybe. You said you didn't want that".

"Yeah, I don't want to get everyone's attention for that".

"Soo… it's alright as long as they are in a place where no one can see them?" Kyoya looked up and grinned at him.

"I… I guess but I wear shorts and t-shirts most of the time".

"Not an issue", Kyoya promised and leaned down to kiss him again. This time it was rougher and it quickly turned into a make out session. Kaoru's arms were still laying above his head in the same position Kyoya had pinned them down previously. Kyoya knew that Kaoru most likely wanted to hold him in any way but he really didn't want to step over his boundaries. Kyoya was very thankful for that but decided to take a small risk. The older male pulled away from Kaoru who whined impatiently. "Someone is eager", Kyoya chuckled. "But I want to establish something before we move on". Kaoru nodded. "You are allowed to touch my shoulders and up only, understand?"

Kaoru's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, don't worry. It's not as bad there. I'll let you know if I don't like it. Trust me, I trust you".

Kaoru gave him one last worried glance and hesitantly put his hands on Kyoya's neck before he (not so hesitantly) pulled him down for another hard kiss. Kyoya kissed him back with just as much enthusiasm. One of Kyoya's hands started to unzip Kaoru's shorts. Kaoru grinned against his lips and they pulled away temporarily so Kyoya could sit up on his knees and pull off his shorts. Kaoru helped by kicking them the rest of the way before he flew up and started to unzip Kyoya's own pants and pulled them down to Kyoya's mid-thigh. Because Kyoya's position prevented them from going down lower. Even if Kyoya got some interesting images playing around in his head by seeing Kaoru that close to his crotch he decided that he had waited for too long to just play around.

"If this was at another time, I would make good use of that mouth of yours", Kyoya said warningly while putting his fingers under Kaoru's chin and lifted his head so they looked into each other's eyes.

"At another time?" Kaoru repeated with a raised eyebrow. "Why wait?"

Kyoya smirked darkly. "Because that's not the part of you I really want to have fun with today. I want to spare all my energy to really make sure that you feel me even tomorrow".

"That better be a promise", Kaoru smirked devilishly but Kyoya could see his more nervous side beneath the surface. Not nervous in a bad way because Kaoru clearly wanted this.

"It is. Now lie back down", Kyoya ordered and Kaoru chuckled before he did what he had been told.

While watching Kyoya take off his pants the rest of the way; Kaoru decided that he might as well just remove his shirt so he quickly did that before lying down again with his hands resting on top of his own naked chest. After Kyoya had finally kicked off his restricting jeans; he looked back down at Kaoru again with hungry eyes.

"Like what you see?" Kaoru teased and traced his fingers up his chest and Kyoya grabbed his hand before he could reach the most sensitive part.

"Am I stepping on your territory now?" Kaoru chuckled.

"I don't want you to go too far ahead without me", Kyoya huskily whispered in Kaoru's ear and it sent shivers down his spine. "Are you sure that you're not more eager than me?" Kaoru was indeed painfully hard at this point (thanks to teenage hormones) but a discreet quick glance at Kyoya's own crotch told him that Kyoya wasn't much better off. "You're already almost naked". Kyoya discarded his glasses in the same fashion as he usually did; this time being more conscious of the effect it had on Kaoru.

"I just want to get ready for you. You're too slow, I thought you were done waiting".

Kyoya grabbed Kaoru's hips and pulled him closer towards himself. It was so out of nowhere that Kaoru made a surprised yelp. Kyoya lifted the younger male's lower body upwards and grinded down against him, partly to cause friction between their clothed members and partly to show off his own strength.

"You're going to regret egging me up later".

"That better… ngh", Kaoru groaned quietly as Kyoya rubbed up against him. "That better be another promise".

"Believe me, it is", Kyoya told him. "Now be a good boy and wait here". Kyoya moved to the nightstand to retrieve the familiar bottle before moving back to Kaoru who had not moved. "Good boy". Kaoru wasn't sure if he liked being called that or not. It wasn't a turn off so he didn't say anything, he just smiled back.

Kyoya put the bottle next to Kaoru's right leg before he hooked his fingers under the younger male's waistband of his boxers and together they got rid of the last article of clothing left on his body, leaving him completely exposed. If Kaoru had been someone else he would have been shyer about this but he knew that Kyoya enjoyed everything he was seeing and he had never had any problem showing his body. Kyoya grabbed the bottle and out of habit Kaoru bent his leg so his feet were placed flat on the bed and spread them. Kyoya chuckled darkly and a tint of pink appeared in Kaoru's cheeks; he was acting so needy right now. Kyoya looked so smug when he grabbed Kaoru's thigh roughly with one hand and, much more carefully, his hard member with his other hand. He stroked him a couple of times so precum ran down the back of his hand with an annoying smirk on his face as Kaoru whined into the back of his own hand.

"No don't silence yourself", Kyoya said with a disappointed look on his face as he slowed down with the strokes. This time Kaoru whined mostly because he wanted him to go faster. "How am I supposed to hear you beg for me if you have your hand there".

Kaoru glared impatiently at him and removed his hand.

"Fuck you". His glare turned into a challenging grin. "You really think you'll make me beg for you? I thought you wanted to get in me as fast as possible".

"I know I'll make you beg", Kyoya assured him confidentially.

"We'll see who breaks first".

"Have you forgotten which one of us was a virgin just a couple of months ago?" Kyoya let go of Kaoru's length for a moment to open the cap of the bottle and squirted a generous amount of lube on his ring finger and pushed it into the redhead, who didn't react much because it wasn't too much of an intrusion. "And I am still the only one who has had you this way. You want this just as much". He slowly moved it in and out, taking longer than needed, and Kaoru groaned impatiently.

"Ngh come one, you know I can take more than that at this point", Kaoru crosses his arms. "Like you said, I'm clearly not a virgin anymore".

"You want more fingers? Sorry I can't hear you properly". Kaoru was about to answer when he realized what Kyoya was doing.

But he was not going to beg. No matter how badly he wanted him to speed things up. Despite how much Kyoya wanted things to escalate as well, he continued to torture Kaoru by slowly opening him up with the same finger while just as slowly stroking his leaking member. Kaoru glared at him while sometimes letting out shallow moans.

"Fucking asshole", Kaoru thought and internally cried of relief when Kyoya finally inserted another finger but to his chagrin, it was his pinky. He was just outright sadistic at this point.

"What was that sound?" Kyoya asked even if he already knew the answer.

Kaoru mentally cursed himself for making that needy sound. Kaoru turned his head to look at the headboard instead to try to hide how much redder his cheeks were now. He yelped in surprise as he felt Kyoya nibble and suck on his inner thighs; he didn't even know that was a sensitive spot in the first place! Unfair! It was obviously not as sensitive as for example his leaking length but Kyoya wasn't taking the most pleasurable measures right now.

"Don't you want me to hurry up? I know that you want me to stretch you more thoroughly so I can fuck you into the mattress. You only have to tell me what you want". Trying a new strategy, Kyoya pushed his fingers so deeply and slowly into him that the knuckles were touching the entrance (he would probably have preferred to do that with his long finger and middle finger instead but he had already made his choices). Kaoru's eyes widened and he inhaled in surprise. Kyoya let go of Kaoru's member and grabbed his thigh again instead to prevent Kaoru from moving in any direction. "What are the magic words, Kaoru?" Kyoya wiggled his fingers slightly so pressed against his g-spot that he could find easily but not nearly hard enough. This time Kaoru didn't care at all about the impatient and needy noise he made.

"You are the worst!"

"What are the words, Kaoru?"

"Ugh p-please!"

"Please what?"

"Please go faster so you can fuck me!" Kyoya was clearly taken aback by how blunt Kaoru was but quickly recovered. Kaoru felt ashamed but decided to just not care right now. "Please…ngh!" Kaoru moaned a little louder as Kyoya pulled out and pushed his fingers back in harder while adding another finger.

"Good boy. I'm going to give you what you want", Kyoya promised devilishly. He pulled out again and added another finger, now using four in total, before once again harshly pushing them into the squirming boy beneath him. To not cover his mouth again out of embarrassment Kaoru grabbed the headboard harshly out of old habit. Kyoya complimented him again for obeying and Kaoru started to suspect that he had some sort of kink for this kind of thing because he was still turned on despite the humiliation. Or was it despite? "Well you do like watching yourself in the mirror", Kyoya teased and Kaoru loudly cursed himself for accidentally saying that out loud. "Still so cute".

Kyoya pulled out his fingers completely when he thought that Kaoru had been prepped thoroughly enough. He hadn't taken as much time as he had previously because of how used (and impatient) Kaoru seemed to be at this point. He grabbed the bottle again and squirted some more lube into his hand and rubbed it on his own member before he positioned it at Kaoru's entrance. Slowly Kyoya pushed in; both of them had scrunched up faces but only Kaoru was in some degree of pain (even if it was just a little).

"One of the best parts", Kyoya groaned quietly with a sheepish grin on his face. He climbed up Kaoru's body, holding himself upwards with one arm on each side of him, so they were face to face. Kaoru slapped him playfully on the shoulder and told him that he was a prick. There was a brief second when he regretted that action in case Kyoya had issues with that but he relaxed when he saw that Kyoya's expression and body language hadn't changed. "Don't tense up, my movements are already restricted enough", Kyoya growled into his ear. Kaoru hadn't realized that he had done that. "Do you want me to prep you more? I don't want you to be uncomfortable".

"Fuck no", Kaoru answered and he, a little more confidently, placed his hands on Kyoya's shoulders. "Now keep your promises and move… agh!" Kaoru was cut off by a particularly forceful thrust that made louder moans erupt from him. Kyoya kept thrusting into him with the same unforgiving pace. Kaoru was being very loud right next to Kyoya's ear every time he pushed into him violently. "Kya… ah!" His voice died in his throat when Kyoya raised himself, grabbed Kaoru's legs and almost bent him in half before starting to pound him harder. Kaoru was going between chanting Kyoya's name, moaning incoherently or barely being able to make sounds at all at the times when Kyoya put more strength into his thrusts. Kaoru thought that Kyoya's own moans were louder than usual; he was not trying to hold them back this time around.

Kyoya noticed that Kaoru's head was moving too close to the headboard so he pulled him by his thighs closer to himself roughly which made his member go in deeper into the younger male. A particular long whine escaped the redhead's lips. Kyoya chuckled darkly and breathlessly. He leaned back and slowed down his movements but pounded Kaoru just as hard so his frantic chanting turned into drawn-out and needy moans. Kyoya was too far away from Kaoru now so his hands had fallen down to the bed from Kyoya's broad shoulders.

"Fucking tease", Kaoru thought and groaned in tandem with Kyoya when the angle was just right and hit straight on Kaoru's g-spot.

Kyoya looked straight into Kaoru's eyes with determination. He wrapped his fingers around Kaoru's leaking member.

"I'm the only one who has had you like this. The only one who has ever been inside you, right?" Kyoya growled to Kaoru while pushing in as deep as possible and stroking him. Kaoru cried out and nodded frantically. But that wasn't good enough. Kyoya stopped thrusting while being embedded in him and his strokes were slow and torturous again. "Say it Kaoru. I want to hear you say it".

"Yes!" Kaoru cried. "No-no one has… been inside me, o-only you!" Kaoru's face was burning at this point; he wasn't sure if it was only because of what Kyoya made him say or if it was also because he actually enjoyed Kyoya's dirty talk and possessiveness.

Kyoya was visibly pleased with the answer but wasn't quite done.

"You only know how it feels to have my cock inside you. Like you feel me now, stretching you. Do you feel me in you? Filling you up?" Kaoru had never had this experience before, Kyoya had never talked to him like this during sex. It was definitely not an unwanted development. By talking about it, Kaoru became much more aware of Kyoya's member inside of him and how much smaller he was. Kyoya was unlocking some things within his mind that he hadn't known about before.

"Yes!... ah!" Kaoru's voice got louder as Kyoya started to stroke him quicker so more precum covered his hand. "I-I feel y-you… so good, please give me more… ", Kaoru begged.

With the hand that wasn't jerking Kaoru off, Kyoya reached up to Kaoru's chest and pinched one of Kaoru's nipples; it made Kaoru moan and the stimulation from different angles made his eyes water.

"Soon, Kaoru. You'll get it harder soon, don't worry. You're doing so good", Kyoya assured and started to move slowly and hard again. Kaoru started to shamelessly beg for him to go faster and groan in pleasure. "Such a needy little thing… look how badly you want it".

Kaoru nodded and to both of their surprise he said: "Yes! Please, I need… ". Once again he was cut off by his own moan.

"... You're so good to me", Kyoya whispered and leaned down to press several kisses on his chest before leaning back again. "I am the only one who's ever going to see you like this, feel you like this. You feel so good around me, you have no idea. I'm the only one who'll ever know how it feels like".

"The o-only one", Kaoru agreed and yelped when Kyoya gave his nipple one last squeeze before grabbing Kaoru's thigh instead. "No one e-else will! I only want you inside me...".

"That's good. You're being very good… I'll give you what you want", Kyoya leaned down and started to speed up again to fuck Kaoru just the way he wanted. Just the way he had begged for. Kaoru started to moan loudly again while now also chanting about how good it felt and repeating that only Kyoya could have him.

Thanks to the way Kyoya had talked to Kaoru, plus the combination of being riled and stroked, Kaoru came pretty quickly thereafter with a large shout and tears running down his cheeks, but Kyoya wasn't done yet. He was still hard and determined to make sure that Kaoru would still be able to feel the aftermath of their encounter for some time afterward. Kyoya pulled out of Kaoru, grabbed his legs and swiftly turned him around so he was lying flat on his stomach.

Spent and exhausted, but still wanting Kyoya to come; Kaoru looked up at his boyfriends with a tired and confused expression. "Wha-".

Kyoya leaned down and kissed him and the lips before he hovered over Kaoru's ear. "Don't worry, I'm not done playing with you just yet", he huskily whispered and grabbed Kaoru's hips. Kaoru realized what was happening and tried to spread his legs for as far as Kyoya's hands would let them. "This might hurt a little more than before, but you wanted me to keep my promise, right?"

"Yeah", Kaoru breathed out and laid his head down on the mattress again. At first, he was a bit confused but he immediately understood as soon as Kyoya, quicker than before, pushed into him again. Kaoru's whined as it felt like Kyoya's length had become bigger; this position plus Kyoya not spreading him out was definitely making the entrance tighter around him. It didn't hurt that much luckily and the groan Kyoya emitted told Kaoru that he was thoroughly enjoying this new position.

"Are you alright?" Kyoya asked; he sounded a little worried. Kaoru could tell that he really wanted to continue but not if Kaoru didn't want him to.

Kaoru turned his head as far as possible to be able to look at him. Despite not having the same energy anymore, Kaoru mustered up: "Are you fucking me or not?"

Kyoya smirked.

"Strong words from someone who looks like he is about to fall asleep…. Maybe I should have waited a little longer to make you cum. Will you still be able to be loud I wonder? I really want to hear more of those sweet noises".

With a bruising grip on Kaoru's hips, Kyoya resumed his brutal treatment and pushed in and out of the younger boy just as hard and quick as before while grunting every time his member was fully engulfed in the tight little body beneath him. Kaoru started to moan loudly again as Kyoya was stretching his walls and assaulting the ball of nerves inside of him; he almost screamed into the mattress.

Not being completely satisfied with the restriction of the position; Kyoya lifted Kaoru's hips to increase his range of movements. The new angle made Kaoru choke on his moans and Kyoya finally pushed in deeply one last time and came inside with a loud groan. Kaoru made a small noise as he felt his boyfriend release in him. The redhead was put down on the bed again and, without pulling out, Kyoya laid down and turned Kaoru so he was spooning him. The taller male wrapped his arms around the redhead and placed a few kisses on his sweaty shoulders. Kaoru felt his uneven breaths on his skin; he was clearly still a bit winded from the 'work out'.

"I hope I left you sore in a good way", Kyoya said in between breaths and Kaoru turned his head again to look back at him so his neck hurt.

"Is that your way of asking if I'm sore and if I'm thankful that you decided to keep your promise to leave me sore for a long time? Kaoru asked with an amused look on his face. "Because yes, I am sore and it's in a good way".

"Good, because I started to feel bad". Kaoru laughed.

"You are so possessive and a fun asshole in bed", Kaoru teased but Kyoya's hold on him became stiffer. "What?"

"I… I should have asked beforehand if you were okay with that kind of degrading talk. I should have checked if you liked being talked to like that in bed or if you would feel bad", Kyoya explained and Kaoru could imagine him looking ashamed of himself; he had to strain his neck if he actually wanted to check. "I'm sorry. I hope you didn't feel like you had to say all that I asked for".

"It did come a little out of nowhere, I won't deny that". Kyoya tensed up more but Kaoru grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "But I also can't deny that I liked it more than I expected and it probably helped me come quicker even if it did feel a little humiliating… I guess that was part of the reason, I seem to have a kink for that. Damn".

This time it was Kyoya's turn to laugh and Kaoru felt how his hold relaxed around him again.

"You looked completely ravishing while you talked about how I was the only one allowed to put my-".

"Shut up!" Kaoru exclaimed and Kyoya snickered at his 'cute boyfriend's' embarrassment.

"Even if I really like cuddling with you we should probably clean up, change the sheets and come back to bed cleaner… or maybe you're still not allowed to use my shampoo".

"No, it's alright because I'll still smell like you if- I mean, Hikaru is becoming less weird about it". Kaoru almost said that Hikaru knew that a Kaoru might stay the night and might smell like him anyway but he didn't want to bring it up in case Kyoya didn't really want him to sleep over. Maybe it was stupid to think that Kyoya would just make him leave when he had become way more affectionate after he confessed his feelings to Kaoru (or even for some time before that). But you never know.

"Okay, that's good", Kyoya said and slowly pulled out of Kaoru who flinched. It seems like Kyoya had noticed.

"I hope this won't become too bothersome for you".

Kaoru chuckled.

"No, you want to watch me struggle after being impaled". Kaoru rolled his eyes with an amused look on his face. Kyoya commented about his choice of words as Kaoru turned his head and looked up and down Kyoya's body before turning back while saying: "Yess", In a short celebration.

"What?" Kyoya said and turned Kaoru's whole body towards him so Kaoru could see his confused but amused expression. "What are you so glad about?"

"That you came out clean… I had a big meal earlier today".

Kyoya blinked a couple of times before bursting out laughing.

"You didn't prepare for the possibility that we would have sex if we were finally alone again?" He asked when he had calmed down.

Kaoru smiled sheepishly.

"When I realized, it was too late. I usually plan my meals better if this has a possibility to occur".

"You don't have to stress too much about it. I choose this life". Kaoru laughed before Kyoya silenced him with a deep kiss. "Do you need help to clean up?" He asked when they pulled away. "Or at least help with getting into the shower?"

"Yes, please", Kaoru said after trying to move. Even sitting up felt like an unattainable goal right now. Kyoya sure hadn't pulled any punches.

Kyota grinned at him, shuffled to the edge of the bed and stood up. He leaned over Kaoru and pulled his grunting form towards the edge as well and walked over to the bathroom. "I'm just going to prepare the shower so the water is warm when you get in", Kyoya turned around and explained. "I wish I had a bathtub because then I could have let you use that instead".

"Don't worry about it", Kaoru dismissed. "I prefer getting clean as soon as possible so I can go to bed anyway… but you might have to help me… don't look at me like that, there is no way I'll let you fuck me in the shower after making me unable to sit".

"Don't worry, I'm very tired as well", Kyoya chuckled and disappeared into the bathroom.

Kaoru tried to sit up once more but it burned too much so he lied down again. It still hurt to lie on his ass and he knew that the best decision was to lay on his stomach, but he refused to give Kyoya the satisfaction of seeing him like that. Part of the reason why was that he knew that there was a chance that it would make Kyoya want to go for another round and Kaoru would most likely let him despite knowing that he probably should give his poor body a break.

Kyoya returned from the bathroom and Kaoru noticed that he had changed his shirt from his loose button-down to a black t-shirt. Kaoru assumed that he didn't want to step into the shower while helping Kaoru with a button-down even if it already needed to be washed. It saddened Kaoru that Kyoya was so insecure that he couldn't risk Kaoru seeing him without a shirt in any way. He hoped that Kyoya would be truly comfortable with him one day.

"Now let's get the princess cleaned up", Kyoya stated and chuckled when he was once again told to shut up.

He walked to the bed, leaned down and lifted Kaoru up bridal style.

"You don't have to carry me like this!" Kaoru exclaimed. "You just had to support me while I walked!"

"But I like it this way", Kyoya smirked and "escorted" his complaining boyfriend to the bathroom. He carefully put Kaoru down on his weak legs that would have given out if Kyoya wasn't holding him up. "I sure did a number on you".

"Yes and stop looking so smug about it".

After letting Kaoru test the temperature of the water, Kyoya helped him into the shower under the stream. Kaoru put his hands on the wall for support and Kyoya let go of him when he was sure that Kaoru was able to stand up without him.

"You don't need help with being cleaned up, right? I will definitely help if needed".

"I'm just going to get dirtier if you help me".

"That's true".

"I'll be alright on my own", Kaoru assured.

"Good, then I'll clean up in the bedroom… and in here", Kyoya added when he glanced at the floor. Kaoru was too exhausted to ask what it was when he saw Kyoya clean something up from the floor and leave the bathroom. Kaoru sighed and rolled his sore back muscles. Deciding that the hair was the best starting point; Kaoru grabbed Kyoya's shampoo bottle and carefully massaged it into his scalp and through his thick red hair. It always felt much better every time he used Kyoya's stuff; he always felt way more clean and appealing. Running through his own really soft hair after drying was the best feeling. Hikaru didn't understand and he would never use Kyoya's shampoo either to find out.

When Kaoru was about to move on to cleaning the rest of his body, he finally realized that Kyoya had been cleaning up previously. His cheeks turned red as he saw the trail of cum run down his legs. Because of the fact that condoms weren't available, this wasn't a new occurrence but he hadn't made a mess on the floor before. It also surprised him that Kyoya hadn't made a bigger deal of it considering how neat of a person he was.

Kaoru hurried to wash his body and used his fingers to thoroughly make sure that he was completely "cleaned out" and was just about clean the mess at the front when Kyoya returned. Kaoru was relieved that Kyoya hadn't been quick enough to witness "Kaoru digging".

"I'm just checking in shortly to ask if you're staying the night and if you want to borrow some clothes to sleep in", Kyoya asked and his eyebrow rose when he saw the surprise on Kaoru's face. "I mean, I promised that we would cuddle afterward and I didn't think that you would appreciate going back like this with me helping you the whole way. Hikaru surely wouldn't appreciate it".

Kaoru smiled. "I would like to stay, Yes. Hikaru wouldn't be worried… do you really want me to stay or is this just for my sake?" Kaoru asked shyly.

"I came up with more than one argument for you to stay here, right?" Kyoya gave him a kind smile back. "You have to leave pretty early but I would appreciate it if you stayed until then".

"That… that's good then. And yes, I would like to borrow a shirt or something for sleeping. I'm almost done here as well so you can jump in".

"Then I'll be back in a sec with your PJs. You might have to use your own shorts if I don't have a smaller pair somewhere".

Before Kyoya left he hung up a new towel on the rack next to the shower that he told Kaoru that he could use. As Kaoru turned off the water and slowly and carefully stepped out of the shower, Kyoya came back and put Kaoru's underwear and shorts, and one of Kyoya's own long-sleeved loose shirts, on the toilet lid. He had his own PJs still in his arms that he would change into after he had cleaned himself up.

Kaoru started to dry himself with the somewhat thin towel while Kyoya leaned against the wall, lazily looking at him. His eyebrow shot up.

"How did you get them there?"

"Huh?" Was Kaoru's response as he wrapped his wet hair into the towel and walked towards the toilet. Kyoya's eyes were following his movements.

"Sorry, I meant how did you get those scars on your back?" Kyoya explained. "Seems like a weird position".

Kaoru assumed that he meant the marks on his lower back on the left side. "Not that weird. I guess I once slept on my stomach on a mission when I made them". Kaoru had pulled up his briefs during the conversation and was now putting on the shirt. "Did you just notice them now? I believe they are at least a couple of months old. Maybe even years. ".

"Well you do have a lot of them so I don't always focus on just some of them at a time. I just now noticed those".

"Better that you noticed them now rather than while we have sex", Kaoru cheekily remarked and pulled the shirt over his damp head. "That would have been a mood killer if you had started to wonder how the hell they got there in the first place during that".

Kyoya did not seem to be as amused as he was. Kaoru was about to walk out of the room now when he was fully dressed when he felt hands gently grab his waist. His eyebrows scrunched up as he felt the shirt being lifted up slightly and fingers started to massage the scarred skin. Kaoru couldn't move for a few seconds because he was so shocked.

Kaoru finally found his voice. "What are you… is this really bothering you this much?" Kaoru asked softly in disbelief. "I mean, I guess I understand that you obviously don't like to see the aftermath of me being hurt, but I assumed you had already accepted my 'fate'".

"Doesn't mean that I like it", Kyoya mumbled against his neck. "Does it… does it hurt a lot when you do it?"

Kaoru sighed; it was probably for the best if he was as honest as possible even if Kyoya wouldn't like the answer.

"How much it hurts depends on where I make them and how deep. The ones on my stomach and inner thighs hurt the most, I think. You really don't have to worry so much. It only hurts for a short while and then it disappears".

"But you shouldn't be hurt at all… and you still have scars even if it doesn't hurt anymore".

"The pain isn't too bad", Kaoru dismissed. "And about the scars, it's still just skin. The way my skin looks doesn't change anything else about me. I mean, I still managed to get a man, right?" This time Kyoya did let out a small and short chuckle and kissed Kaoru's cheek before letting him go.

"That you did", Kyoya agreed.

He was clearly not fully over this but knew that he was being very emotional over something that couldn't be changed.

"I have extra toothbrushes in the cabinet over here. You can brush your teeth in the kitchen while I shower".

"Sounds good to me". Kaoru smiled at him as he grabbed one of the unpacked toothbrushes, squirted some toothpaste on it and left for the kitchen.

Kyoya closed the door after him and locked it. Kaoru's shorts were still in there but Kaoru had decided to only sleep in his underwear and the shirt… and it's not like the shorts were much longer than the briefs so they wouldn't cover much.

Kaoru was finished before Kyoya so he placed the toothbrush on a piece of paper on the counter and went to lie down on the bed. Moving was still not super easy for him but the warm water had helped his muscles relax. When he laid down on the new and clean covers he finally saw another surprise when his briefs rode up a little. A couple of hickeys covered his inner thighs close to his groin.

"You're probably very proud of that, you bastard", Kaoru thought out loud and pulled the covers over his body.

It felt rather exciting to sleep in Kyoya's bed. It felt more intimate than what they had done a little earlier, maybe it was because this could be more romantic and affectionate while they have had sex long before they developed feelings for each other.

Kyoya's bed was warmer, more comfortable, and overall nicer than his own. It wasn't a surprising discovery because Kaoru had been on that bed several times previously, but for some reason, now when he was going to sleep in it, it really drove home once again how much better everyone was treated in comparison to the Boys. He had never really questioned why that was. The Boys were seen as useful, even crucial, to the operations but they weren't treated like they were.

The door to the bathroom opened and Kyoya stepped out dressed in black sweatpants and a grey t-shirt. Kaoru assumed that he had already brushed his teeth as well because he had been gone for longer than what was expected of a "quick shower". Kyoya smiled when his eyes landed on him.

"I see that you have made yourself comfortable", he commented and walked towards him.

"Yes. You didn't expect me to sleep on the covers, right?" Kaoru teased as Kyoya crawled into the bed beside him and draped an arm around him.

"Of course not. I've already made you uncomfortable enough", Kyoya pointed out and Kaoru scoffed. "You also forgot your shorts".

"'Forgetting them' was a conscious choice on my part. I'm warm enough", Kaoru assures and scoffed again when he said: "Can I actually know for sure that you have made me uncomfortable enough?"

Kyoya chuckled. "I can assure you that I'll be way too exhausted in the morning for a quickie before work… I should probably warn you that I'm not very pleasant in the morning and that you shouldn't take my horrible mood personally".

Kaoru snorted. "I think I'll manage. I am used to assholes".

"I believe you, I just wanted to warn you beforehand".

"I have heard before from others that you're really not a 'morning person'. Now I'll finally see what they meant".

"People sure enjoy talking about me", Kyoya sighed. "But I'm glad that this is a universal fact if it means that people continue to leave me alone in the morning".

Kaoru laughed. "That's an exceptional way of looking at this", Kaoru told him and leaned in closer into his touch.

"I'm glad that we agree on that", Kyoya responded and both of them laughed.

Kaoru woke up again, hours later, when Kyoya was moving and making noises. At first, he was annoyed because his precious, precious sleep had been interrupted but the realization that Kyoya was talking in his sleep quickly brought a wide and mischievous grin to his face. This could be some fun leverage to use to tease his boyfriend with later. Kaoru moved closer to be able to hear exactly what Kyoya was saying, hoping for some really weird shit, but his smile quickly dropped. Finally being awake enough, Kaoru noticed how distressed Kyoya looked; how much he was sweating, how much he was whining and how scared he seemed to be. His words were inaudible so Kaoru couldn't make out what he was saying but his heart broke at just the sight. The best course of action wasn't clear to the young redhead. Did the same rules for what not to do with people who were sleepwalking apply to people who were merely talking in their sleep? Should Kaoru wake him up even if it wasn't just as dangerous? Maybe he should try to calm him down first?

Kaoru had noticed that Kyoya had, during his nightmares, rolled away from Kaoru so Kaoru scooted over closer to him so Kyoya's back was against his chest. Kaoru wrapped his arm around Kyoya's middle and, when he was sure that Kyoya wasn't going to accidentally become violent in his sleep, placed a few kisses on his shoulder blades. Not unlike what Kyoya had done previously. The older male seemed to calm down somewhat when Kaoru held him.

"It's alright, it's alright", Kaoru whispered. "I'm here. You're okay, you are alright. We are both alright… You're not alone. There is nothing to be afraid of".

Kaoru wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to say because he didn't actually know what Kyoya was dreaming about. He just said different things and hoped that either some of the things would help or that just the sound of his voice would transcend into the dream and be some sort of comfort.

After a few minutes of chanting over and over again that everything was alright, Kyoya seemed to finally calm down and go back to a more calm sleep. Still exhausted, Kaoru wasn't able to stay awake for much longer and fell asleep soon after as well; not thinking much of what had just occurred.

---

Kaoru tried his best to not give away the activities he had been up to the night before, but unfortunately Kyoya had been able to hold up to his promise so it wasn't easy. So far Hikaru hadn't mentioned it so Kaoru might have been the only person who actually noticed (because he knew what to look for). Or maybe Hikaru had noticed, as someone who actually knew what his brother would most likely have been up to, but decided not to mention it because it was awkward… or because he would much rather nag Kaoru about him using Kyoya's shampoo again. The priorities of that boy, but Kaoru preferred this and not him mentioning Kaoru's obvious soreness. However, it really was a (for once unpleasant) pain in the ass that Hikaru still tried to force him into showering when he got back. Not as enthusiastically as before, mind you, but still an annoyance.

After some fighting about Kaoru needing to shower (too early) in the morning, the boys eventually went back to sleep for a few hours until it was really time to get up. Both were tired, but Kaoru was without a doubt more so.

"We have two meetings today and training", Hikaru reminded Kaoru with a yawn as he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. "One meeting about the next dream mission and one meeting about the specifics of our first mission in the outside world. It's going to be interesting to see exactly what we're supposed to do. Like, I obviously don't think we're going to do something really important, but they have to let us do something useful. Otherwise, why would they even let us come with?"

"Yeah, I wonder too", Kaoru nodded. He was completely fine with Hikaru pretending that he hadn't yelled at him for using his boyfriend's shampoo a few hours earlier. "They could probably do the mission without us but we have to be necessary in some way. This is the military, 'not take your kids to work day"'. Hikaru chuckled at that comment and Kaoru was proud. Ever since he had heard a doctor make a similar comment he had wanted to use it.

Hikaru suddenly looked serious again.

"Does… does Kyoya even know that you agreed to a psychical mission?" He hesitantly asked. Kaoru knew the cause of this question was more because of curiosity rather than actual worry or concern in any degree. "He seems like a possessive bastard that doesn't want you to do anything kind of painful, that's all". Or maybe Hikaru just wanted to find more flaws in their relationship. Joy.

"You talk like you haven't expressed that you hate this as well", Kaoru said and gestures towards one of his scarred thighs (and had a heart attack that lasted a second when he realized that Kyoya had left some gifts there, but luckily they weren't that visible). Kaoru had told Hikaru previously that Kyoya didn't like his zero sacrifices either in hope that Hikaru would see that Kyoya's feelings were genuine, but it had the opposite effect. Now Hikaru was convinced that Kyoya thought of Kaoru as something helpless. Oh, joy. "And I have actually forgotten to tell him. I swear that's the only reason. Yeah, he would obviously not be too happy about it but, again, that's not why I haven't told him".

"Don't you think you should?"

"I probably should, yeah. I have had other things on my mind, I didn't get to this yet… he won't be as crazy about it as you think", Kaoru said when Hikaru looked at him with a smug smirk that suggested that he didn't believe him. Hikaru raised his hands in surrender but his expression remained the same.

"Whatever you say, Kaoru-Chan", Hikaru responded teasingly.

The older twin stretched his arms and back before jumping up from his bed. He hesitated for a moment as he became wobbly. He closed his eyes a few seconds before blinking a couple of times to get rid of the darkness and different colored spots that covered his vision.

He straightened his back and walked into the bathroom without closing or locking the door. The twins rarely did lock it because there was only one shower, one sink, one toilet and one bin (and they were all in that room). It was just more sufficient to have it unlocked so one didn't have to wait to use the toilet just because the other one was showering. When they were younger they even showered together because it was quicker, but they were both older, bigger and generally wanted a little more privacy now… they might have been extremely close but even they didn't want to be in the same shower when they "took care of business".

Kaoru closed his eyes and sighed before opening them again. Way slower than his twin, Kaoru stood up and carefully stretched his limbs until he heard enough satisfying pops to be assured that his body felt mobile enough. He didn't believe that he had ever stumbled upon any evidence for this being a sufficient part of his morning routine, but he digressed. Kaoru walked into the bathroom and prepared his toothbrush, his brother was already brushing his teeth while sitting on the toilet lid. The first twin in always got the only seat in the bathroom. If Kaoru got it, Hikaru usually left to sit on his bed after giving up on trying to find a comfortable position on the edge of the tub. Risking dripping toothpaste on the bed felt so undesirable that Kaoru didn't do the same thing. Instead, if Hikaru was the first one in the bathroom, Kaoru just stood in front of the sink (like a normal person). For some reason, he also couldn't keep his eyes away from his own reflection every time that happened. Not unlike what he was doing currently while brushing his teeth. It forced him to notice things about himself and think about whatever was bothersome at the moment. He noticed that the bruises had pretty much finally vanished, which was good, but now he had to think about his next obstacle; telling Kyoya about the mission.

Kaoru still believed his own words, he still believed that Kyoya wouldn't react anywhere near as bad as Hikaru had predicted (hoped). But exactly how Kyoya would react couldn't be pinpointed. He would be worried, sure, but how much? Would Kyoya try to talk him out of it? That was a big possibility. Kaoru wouldn't mind that too much as long as it wasn't too excessive.

Hikaru finished up and left the room to change clothes; leaving Kaoru alone to look into his own worried amber eyes.

"Can I ever have a break?"

---

Kyoya couldn't help but look smug every time he got a glimpse of his little boyfriend in the dining hall. Maybe Kaoru had been able to fool everyone else that he was completely normal but Kyoya could see that little wince in Kaoru's expression every time he sat down or moved too much. Watching the aftermath of what he had done to his partners had always been a (not so) guilty pleasure of his. Unfortunately, it was an image he liked a little too well so, for the sake of his reputation and credibility as a professional doctor, he couldn't look at Kaoru for too long. He was very tempted to use the signal to ask if they could continue later but he knew that he had work to do and Kaoru probably wanted to recover more before they had more fun. Too bad but Kyoya completely understood.

"What do you intend to do with the girl at home?" Jackson asked and Kyoya turned back to his colleagues' conversation. It took him a second to remember what they were talking about. "Because you know exactly what we think about this".

Rosengard rolled his eyes.

"Do I have to remind you that this isn't your guys' relationship?" he asked.

"Are we wrong?" Shinohara groaned in annoyance. "Have we wasted our precious time on giving you our best arguments for nothing?" Rosengard opened and closed his mouth before looking down at the table. "Such a waste", Shinohara mumbled and went back to his oatmeal.

Rosengard had been in an on and off relationship with a woman that wasn't good for him (while he was simultaneously not good for her either). That was the reason for his sour mood lately. Most of them were tired of trying to make him break it off just for him to later on go into "Well all relationships have ups and downs", "you can't just give up without trying to work things out", "You have a very naive look on relationships… despite some of you being married for years" and so on. However, they had started to try to convince him to break up again since he accidentally dropped the bombshell that he had planned on buying a ring. It wasn't uncommon to believe that marriage would save a dysfunctional relationship, but everyone still thought that he was being an idiot. Normally, Kyoya would just have let him make his own damn mistakes but this was too close to home for him so for once he actually had to hold himself back from intervening (as opposed to forcing himself to talk like what was usually the case).

"Why are you all so convinced that this is a bad idea?" Rosengard mumbled and finally looked up again.

"Why do you think putting a ring on her will stop you two from trying to make each other jealous and ignoring each other for months instead of actually communicating?" Jackson asked and looked at Shinohara for help but Shinohara had clearly given up on his younger colleague and kept all of his focus on the oatmeal and the newspaper in front of him.

It was extremely important for the doctors to keep an eye on the newspapers and dispose of them correctly immediately after reading them so the Boys couldn't get their hands on them. It was not an official rule per se, but the doctors knew that trouble would still come their way if they didn't do what was asked of them. It disturbed Kyoya how isolated the young ones were… young ones, why were the Boys always young.

"It will make the relationship more serious for us and I'll show her that I really want us to be together and-".

"I'm sorry but you sound as out of your mind as I did a few years ago". Kyoya finally couldn't hold himself back anymore. He really didn't want this to drag out more and he knew that Rosengard would just wine more in the future when the relationship still sucked, or when they got a child in a loveless marriage or got a divorce where he lost everything. Rosengard looked at him with wide eyes and furrowed brows; he must have previously been under the impression that Kyoya's silence had meant that he was on his side. Shinohara finally looked up again at Kyoya.

"You have done the same?" Shinohara turned to Rosengard. "You realize that this is the man who now claims to never want to be in a relationship".

"Never right now", Kyoya corrected before his eyes went back to Rosengard, and Shinohara shrugged. He obviously went back on his words but he didn't want people to think that he was so dramatic to resign from romance forever. "I am extremely thankful every day that I didn't end up marrying him. If you marry that girl then you are a naive fool and deserve everything bad that comes with it. A ring doesn't fix things, it only makes the breakup harder so you'll force each other to be together more. But it doesn't matter what I say. Shinohara is right, it's a waste". Kyoya looked away from them and continued to discreetly glance at his boyfriend's attempts at trying to hide his soreness. Jackson mumbled how Kyoya was too hard on the man before they fell into an uncomfortable silence while eating. He didn't care that he was harsh. He knew that he was right because he had almost entered a dysfunctional marriage himself. Now Rosengard could do the same and Kyoya wouldn't be seen as an enabler.

Kyoya grinned when Kaoru stood up much slower than his brother from the table. They locked eyes and, to Kyoya's surprise, Kaoru discreetly gave him the signal that asked if he was free later. Oh boy did he want to signal back yes, but he had paperwork and he also just remembered that he wanted to ask Shinohara, who was a surprisingly artistic man, about good art supply stores where he could buy some paper and pens for Kaoru. He mustered up the last of his will power to signal back a no but made sure to really show that he would much rather be with him. Kaoru chuckled and left with Hikaru who raised an eyebrow at his brother.

Rosengard abruptly stood up and left as well with quick steps but Kyoya still didn't pay him any attention. He felt too content with himself and his life. Because life did feel pretty good right now. He had his privacy, a well paying job and a boyfriend that seemed to be stable enough. He just wanted to enjoy the moment until things became bad again, as they would.