Schuldich's recovery was slow yet steady. He remained unconscious for nearly a week before finally coming around.
A change seemed to come over the normally outspoken man. He made no effort to get well, simply lying in bed. He rarely talked to Nagi, and wouldn't acknowledge Crawford at all. He wouldn't talk at all about what had happened between Schweigen and him.
Crawford was getting anxious, though he didn't let it show. He was feeling more and more confused about Schuldich, but couldn't manage to confront him.
(Can I really blame him!? Does it even matter? Schuldich...) His thoughts drifted once again to his lover. The love in his eyes as he lay, chest heaving, underneath him, and the fear in his eyes when he lay trapped under Schweigen.
(Schuldich...)
He moved outside and leaned slightly against the balcony railing. Tokyo spread out below him, silent from the distance. A slight breeze stirred his hair slightly, cooling him. He sighed, took a last look outside, then went in.
His footsteps fell lightly as he treaded down the hallway. Silently, he pushed open the door, letting a small amount of light fall onto the bed where Schuldich lay asleep.
The younger man looked peaceful as he slept. No trace of the fear that was present during the day marred his face. He looked totally relaxed, not at all like the person Crawford knew him to be.
Quietly, he crept forward to kneel over Schuldich. Gently, he let his hand glide through the sleek strands of orange hair. In the three months they had been together, he knew that Schuldich was especially proud of his hair.
(Schuldich, I've made a mistake, haven't I? You weren't doing this to hurt me. Why didn't I trust you? I'm sorry. This is all my fault.)
Slowly, he stood, dropped a light kiss on the sleeper's forehead, and left silently as he had come, closing the door behind him.
"Schu!" Nagi's pleasantly surprised tone caused Crawford to look up.
Schuldich stood awkwardly in the doorway to the kitchen.
"Hello..." he said softly, his voice still hoarse. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pajamas nervously.
Crawford watched him wordlessly as he entered the kitchen and leaned against the fridge. He said nothing, still, as Schuldich's eyes bored into the back of his head.
Finally, Nagi got fed up with the silence. Grabbing Farfarello, he announced, "We're going out to feed the pigeons." Farf snatched a bag of rice, and the two headed out, leaving Crawford and Schuldich alone.
The tension in the air was palpable. Schuldich stood, uncomfortable in the close silence. He spoke softly.
"Bradley, I'm sorry."
Crawford looked at him, taking in the pain and fear on Schuldich's face.
"You don't need to apologize. This was entirely my fault." Schuldich refused to look him in the eye.
"No, its my fault. I'm guilty of enough already without lying to you --"
Crawford grabbed his arm. Schuldich flinched minutely, causing Crawford to draw back, but he kept his hand resting lightly on Schuldich's.
"Don't say that. Schweigen was a bastard, and had no right to say such things." He paused.
"And I had no right to say what I said. I made a big mistake. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. And I threw it away in a single moment of fear."
Schuldich gazed at him, then ducked his head. "Bradley, you've hurt me. I never thought you wouldn't trust me. But I need you. I can't..." He trailed off before his voice caught. He took a deep breath and started again.
"It was my choice to leave. You came after me. After I'd hurt you like that... I think right now I need you." Schuldich lowered his eyes.
He looked so much different from the brash young man Crawford was used to. His vulnerability showed.
Gently, Crawford drew Schuldich to him, and pressed a kiss to his lips. Schuldich returned the kiss eagerly, and with a tinge of desperation. He pressed himself even closer to Crawford, locking his hands together behind his head. He thrust his tongue into the American's mouth.
Pulling away, he murmured, "If you can forgive me, I can forgive you."
"There's nothing to forgive." Crawford said, letting his hands drift under Schuldich's shirt. Schuldich was planted firmly on his lap, legs locked around Crawford's waist.
Crawford unbuttoned Schuldich's shirt slowly, and Schuldich moaned eagerly as his tongue sought out a nipple, suckling it and stroking it to hardness.
Bradley let one hand stray down to cup the German's ass, using the leverage to thrust his erection harder against Schuldich's.
Schuldich closed his eyes in pleasure as he lay back against the couch, the warm presence of Bradley above him. He opened his eyes again, and lost himself in the heat in Brad's eyes.
He gasped loudly then, as the American took his hardened length into his mouth, enveloping him in a warm velvet heaven.
Bradley stroked him slowly, letting his tongue play casually up and down the shaft, the friction driving Schuldich crazy. He grazed his teeth lightly up and down, then nipped lightly at the base of his erection. He sucked on Schuldich's manhood, his pressure increasing with his lover's excited moans.
"Haa... Brad..." Schuldich panted eagerly, trying not to thrust his hips to the maddening pulse Bradley was sending through him.
He screamed in pleasure as Bradley came down hard on his weeping erection a final time. The heat and the pleasure was so good -- it swept over him in a wave of ecstasy as he came, spilling his hot seed into his lover's mouth, and collapsing back onto the couch, his breath still shuddery as tiny aftershocks passed through him.
Schuldich didn't look up from his cloudy heaven as Bradley picked him up and cradled him in his arms. He nuzzled the American's jaw, hiding his face in the crook of his neck.
He barely opened his eyes as Bradley carried him into the bedroom. He heard him slowly shed his jacket & shoes, and join him in the bed.
Bradley's arms closed around him, and he curled closer to his lover, safe at last in his arms.
A change seemed to come over the normally outspoken man. He made no effort to get well, simply lying in bed. He rarely talked to Nagi, and wouldn't acknowledge Crawford at all. He wouldn't talk at all about what had happened between Schweigen and him.
Crawford was getting anxious, though he didn't let it show. He was feeling more and more confused about Schuldich, but couldn't manage to confront him.
(Can I really blame him!? Does it even matter? Schuldich...) His thoughts drifted once again to his lover. The love in his eyes as he lay, chest heaving, underneath him, and the fear in his eyes when he lay trapped under Schweigen.
(Schuldich...)
He moved outside and leaned slightly against the balcony railing. Tokyo spread out below him, silent from the distance. A slight breeze stirred his hair slightly, cooling him. He sighed, took a last look outside, then went in.
His footsteps fell lightly as he treaded down the hallway. Silently, he pushed open the door, letting a small amount of light fall onto the bed where Schuldich lay asleep.
The younger man looked peaceful as he slept. No trace of the fear that was present during the day marred his face. He looked totally relaxed, not at all like the person Crawford knew him to be.
Quietly, he crept forward to kneel over Schuldich. Gently, he let his hand glide through the sleek strands of orange hair. In the three months they had been together, he knew that Schuldich was especially proud of his hair.
(Schuldich, I've made a mistake, haven't I? You weren't doing this to hurt me. Why didn't I trust you? I'm sorry. This is all my fault.)
Slowly, he stood, dropped a light kiss on the sleeper's forehead, and left silently as he had come, closing the door behind him.
"Schu!" Nagi's pleasantly surprised tone caused Crawford to look up.
Schuldich stood awkwardly in the doorway to the kitchen.
"Hello..." he said softly, his voice still hoarse. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pajamas nervously.
Crawford watched him wordlessly as he entered the kitchen and leaned against the fridge. He said nothing, still, as Schuldich's eyes bored into the back of his head.
Finally, Nagi got fed up with the silence. Grabbing Farfarello, he announced, "We're going out to feed the pigeons." Farf snatched a bag of rice, and the two headed out, leaving Crawford and Schuldich alone.
The tension in the air was palpable. Schuldich stood, uncomfortable in the close silence. He spoke softly.
"Bradley, I'm sorry."
Crawford looked at him, taking in the pain and fear on Schuldich's face.
"You don't need to apologize. This was entirely my fault." Schuldich refused to look him in the eye.
"No, its my fault. I'm guilty of enough already without lying to you --"
Crawford grabbed his arm. Schuldich flinched minutely, causing Crawford to draw back, but he kept his hand resting lightly on Schuldich's.
"Don't say that. Schweigen was a bastard, and had no right to say such things." He paused.
"And I had no right to say what I said. I made a big mistake. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. And I threw it away in a single moment of fear."
Schuldich gazed at him, then ducked his head. "Bradley, you've hurt me. I never thought you wouldn't trust me. But I need you. I can't..." He trailed off before his voice caught. He took a deep breath and started again.
"It was my choice to leave. You came after me. After I'd hurt you like that... I think right now I need you." Schuldich lowered his eyes.
He looked so much different from the brash young man Crawford was used to. His vulnerability showed.
Gently, Crawford drew Schuldich to him, and pressed a kiss to his lips. Schuldich returned the kiss eagerly, and with a tinge of desperation. He pressed himself even closer to Crawford, locking his hands together behind his head. He thrust his tongue into the American's mouth.
Pulling away, he murmured, "If you can forgive me, I can forgive you."
"There's nothing to forgive." Crawford said, letting his hands drift under Schuldich's shirt. Schuldich was planted firmly on his lap, legs locked around Crawford's waist.
Crawford unbuttoned Schuldich's shirt slowly, and Schuldich moaned eagerly as his tongue sought out a nipple, suckling it and stroking it to hardness.
Bradley let one hand stray down to cup the German's ass, using the leverage to thrust his erection harder against Schuldich's.
Schuldich closed his eyes in pleasure as he lay back against the couch, the warm presence of Bradley above him. He opened his eyes again, and lost himself in the heat in Brad's eyes.
He gasped loudly then, as the American took his hardened length into his mouth, enveloping him in a warm velvet heaven.
Bradley stroked him slowly, letting his tongue play casually up and down the shaft, the friction driving Schuldich crazy. He grazed his teeth lightly up and down, then nipped lightly at the base of his erection. He sucked on Schuldich's manhood, his pressure increasing with his lover's excited moans.
"Haa... Brad..." Schuldich panted eagerly, trying not to thrust his hips to the maddening pulse Bradley was sending through him.
He screamed in pleasure as Bradley came down hard on his weeping erection a final time. The heat and the pleasure was so good -- it swept over him in a wave of ecstasy as he came, spilling his hot seed into his lover's mouth, and collapsing back onto the couch, his breath still shuddery as tiny aftershocks passed through him.
Schuldich didn't look up from his cloudy heaven as Bradley picked him up and cradled him in his arms. He nuzzled the American's jaw, hiding his face in the crook of his neck.
He barely opened his eyes as Bradley carried him into the bedroom. He heard him slowly shed his jacket & shoes, and join him in the bed.
Bradley's arms closed around him, and he curled closer to his lover, safe at last in his arms.
