Gamble.
Chapter 4.
Sano curled his toes into the futon and sighed pleasurably. "You are one sick bastard," he murmured fondly.
Saitou bestowed one last lick on the wrinkled scar and looked up. "You're only just now figuring that out?"
"I mean it," Sano insisted, cupping one muscled shoulder and squeezing. He opened one eye and glanced down at the dark head once again bent assiduously to his task. "No one should get so turned on by fondling a scar that they made!"
"A man's entitled to admire his own handiwork," Saitou pointed out, lifting his head and studying Sano through the stray strands of hair over his eyes. "Face it, kid, this is a work of art."
"I may not know anything about art, but I know what I like," Sano quoted. "And I don't like getting stuck with a bloody great sword, thank you very much."
"As usual you miss the point," Saitou said, sliding his hand down the younger man's side to his hip and pulling him closer in a possessive move. "A clean thrust, missing bone and important muscles. Perfect."
"Perfect would have been never bleeding all over the floor of Jo-chan's dojo," Sano said, vainly trying to keep his mind on the argument. The older man was sliding a long lean thigh between Sano's legs, smooth skin caressing places Sano hadn't even known he'd had before today.
"It was necessary," Saitou whispered, his lips now buried against Sano's blessedly unscarred neck. The young man shuddered at the puffs of moist warm air scudding over his sensitized skin.
"Okay," Sano managed to stutter. "As long as you promise not to do it again..." He trailed away, leaning back to allow maximum attention to his throat.
"I promise not to do it again," Saitou swore sincerely. "Unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Um," Sano sighed as that talented mouth found his breast bone. Then the words sank in. "What?"
More puffs of laughter as Saitou laughed against his skin, and Sano contented himself with a not so gentle slap on the shoulder he'd been clutching. "Oy," he warned. "No threatening, punching or gouging in bed."
Saitou suddenly sprang up and flipped him over, catching Sano so completely by surprise that the first he knew of it was when he found himself with a mouthful of futon.
"How about tackling?" Saitou asked leisurely, running his hand down Sano's back to the curve of his buttock.
"What the hell...?" Sano sputtered, his lazy sensual mood torn away. He tried to turn back over but a steely hand on the small of his back blocked him, holding him down firmly.
"Don't move," Saitou warned, voice hard.
Heart beating loudly in his ears, Sano froze. The hand cupping his buttock was stroking softly, gently. Then moist air and the lightest touch of all. It felt like a kiss.
Before he could register his feelings the moist touch was gone and the hand was back, now tracing up to his spine and then back down to the neglected butt cheek, again stroking softly.
Chest rising and falling against the warm sheet Sano waited, as still as a statue. Nothing else existed now, all other thoughts and feelings had faded away as his senses stretched out for that touch.
Again the moist kiss, this time accompanied by an anointing tongue, tracing some mysterious pattern on his skin.
"Please," Sano groaned, not even knowing what he was begging for.
Both cheeks were cupped now, squeezing gently, tugging at the round globes. A cool stream of air wafted over his skin and Sano's whole body contracted to a single point as warm lips followed a moment later, pointed tongue probing sharply.
Convulsing helplessly against the sheets Sano came as hard as he ever had in his life, as hard as if he hadn't come twice already in the last few hours. His body spent itself mindlessly and he thrust along with it, groaning softly in time.
When he came back to himself he was laying against Saitou's shoulder, limbs sprawled carelessly over the older man's body. Uncomfortably he became aware of the long lean hand cupping his lax genitals possessively.
"What the hell was that?" Sano whispered, fingers clutching broad shoulders like a lifeline.
"Art," Saitou whispered back.
Sano woke with his nose twitching and his belly rumbling. With eyes still closed he sat up and sniffed the air.
"You have the nose of a bloodhound," Saitou drawled.
Sano's eyes shot open and he peered through the harsh morning light. The older man was sitting in front of a low table set with dishes. He held a bowl to his mouth and sipped at a steaming soup.
"Only for food," Sano said automatically, fighting the urge to pull the covers up to his bare chest like a shy maiden.
"Help yourself," Saitou invited generously, nodding at the breakfast spread.
Sano would have liked nothing more but he was uncomfortably aware of his undressed state beneath the covers. Desperately he looked around for the robe he'd dragged on after their bath last night, but the floor was tidy and without a sign of anything he could use to preserve his modesty.
"It's getting cold," Saitou informed him. Then he reached behind his back and pulled out a neatly folded robe. He tossed it.
Sano snatched it away from his face and scowled. "You trying to make me uncomfortable?" he growled, thrusting his arms into the loose sleeves.
"I don't see how anything I do could make your cheeks any redder," Saitou said politely.
"It's anger," Sano defended, feeling said cheeks flame even hotter. He scrambled off the bed and dragged the robe around himself. "And where do you get off being all superior this morning?" he challenged, reaching for a bowl and ladling the hot noodles and soup clumsily.
"I'm no different from usual," Saitou said, raising one arched brow in an expression of surprise.
Sano thought about it for a moment. "Good point," he allowed, blowing on the noodles and shoveling a mouthful down. "You're always rude and annoying."
"Exactly," Saitou agreed, lowering his bowl and spooning more noodles into it. "Why should anything have changed?"
"Just because you put your mouth on every part of my body last night?" Sano challenged, deciding to take the offensive in this little morning war of words. He should have known the older man was not so easily disconcerted.
"Just so," Saitou agreed, inclining his head in agreement.
"Nothing changes, hmm?" Sano mused, sipping at the thin broth and slurping up a long noodle. He tilted his head and cast a look at his new lover, weighing him up with new eyes. Long thin-fingered hands held the bowl delicately, lips pursed as he sipped, lowered eyes narrowed in sensual pleasure, strong throat muscles rippling as he swallowed.
Sano swallowed. "Nothing changes," he repeated hoarsely.
Saitou shrugged, wide shoulders stirring the thin robe's fabric where it hugged his chest. "Why should it?"
Eyes fixed on the widening gap in the robe Sano wondered how he could get Saitou to shrug again. "Uh huh," he agreed vaguely.
"As long as you understand a few things," Saitou qualified, draining the last of his soup and setting the bowl down on the table.
Sano's attention sharpened. What was this? The big brush off? Or just a bunch of rules and regulations designed to hide him in the shadows with the rest of this guys private life?
"What things?" he asked warily.
Saitou lifted his eyes and gazed directly at him, amber eyes flaring. "That tonight it's your turn to put your lips all over my body."
Noodles flew in every direction as Sano sputtered and choked. Chopsticks fell from nerveless hands and the fine bowl fell to the mat, scattering the remaining noodles onto the floor.
"After all it's only fair," Saitou continued undeterred. He picked at a noodle that had found it's way to his lap and deposited it in his empty bowl.
"Fair is good," Sano said hoarsely. He looked down at the bowl by his knee, wondering how it had gotten down there. "Um, any reason why we have to wait until tonight?"
Amber eyes ignited and Sano had a sudden vision of himself being swallowed up by those flames.
"I said a few things," Saitou reminded him softly.
Sano shook his head, trying to get his scattered thoughts and his rampant erection under control. It wasn't easy as the two seemed to be connected right at this moment. "What else?" he said impatiently.
"If you join me in my bed again then it's by your own choice. No seduction, no kid gloves. In my bed I am master."
"Master?" Sano tasted the word, not sure he liked the inference. "You're not talking about anything kinky, are you?" he asked directly.
One corner of his lips shifted into a smile. On anyone else it was the equal of a broad grin. "Depends what you mean by kinky," he said honestly.
"You're asking me to trust you," Sano realized.
Saitou inclined his head. "You've trusted me with your life."
Now you want my heart too, eh? Sano thought. He cast a look back over his shoulder to the rumpled bed, the covers on Saitou's side laid back neatly, his own side a tangled mess. That bed kinda symbolizes the two of us, Sano mused to himself. He's so ordered and restrained, I'm the complete opposite. He wants me to lay my body in his hands...
Hands that last night had strung him out on a rack of pleasure. Hands that had stroked him, held him down, left faint bruises that Sano didn't have to see to know were there.
Hands that already held his life in their grasp, as Saitou had admitted. If one word filtered into the alleyways of Tokyo that Sagara Sanosuke was a spy for the Secret Police, he was a walking dead man.
Sano looked back at Saitou who sat patiently, hands lax by his side, eyes half closed. It would be sweet to climb back into that bed and give himself over to those strong hands. But to let Saitou master him... Could he do it?
"I'll climb back into your bed, if you want me," Sano said slowly. "I'll let you take the lead, after all, it worked well enough for me last night." He watched in satisfaction as the merest tinge of color climbed thin sallow cheeks. The sight gave him the courage to say what he had to.
"But you'll never master me, Saitou. I'll bend if it suits me, but when it doesn't I'll come up with my fists flying. Okay?"
Eyes hooded Saitou studied him and Sano thrust his shoulders back, holding his head high. Would the other man accept these terms? Or would he decide that Sanosuke was not who he wanted in his bed after all?
With a lithe move Saitou was on his feet, holding out one hand, palm up, fingers curling in an invitation.
Heart pounding Sano reached out and took the offered hand, curling his fingers around it and feeling Saitou's fingers warm against his skin. It was strangely intimate, as if their bodies were pressed together and wrapped around one another. He allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and they stood there for long moments in the bright square of morning sun, hands and eyes linked.
Then Saitou led the way.
Sanosuke fell to his knees on the thick covers, facing his lover.
"You're beautiful," Saitou said and from anyone else Sano would have rejected the compliment, bristling against the notion that his strong manly body could be considered beautiful of all things. But Saitou's words were simple, his eyes steadfast and direct. It wasn't even a compliment so much as a statement of fact.
Under his eyes Sano felt beauty surround him, coloring his body in a golden haze of light. Long hands rested for a moment on his shoulders and then gently hooked into the neckline of the robe, tugging the two sides down. Sano looked down, following their intimate action as the robe pooled in his lap, trapping his arms loosely by his sides. One hand bunched the fabric tightly at the front, trapping his arms further and forcing his body back into a gentle arc.
Then Saitou was leaning over him, his shadow blocking out the sun as his lips found Sanosuke's throat and pressed a fierce kiss there.
Sano bowed back with the motion, content to let his body be shaped to the stronger man's will, eyes half closing as the lips opened and suckled passionately. They pressed harder and the world rocked away as Sano fell onto his back, urged by those persistent hands and lips. His robe was stripped open and he could feel the smooth cotton of Saitou's robe rubbing against his fiery skin, caressing his weeping erection.
Then Saitou parted his own robe, letting it fall on either side of Sano's body like the wings of some great bird of prey. Now nothing separated them, not even air as their sweat moistened bodies molded together.
Sano could feel his pleasure building and he moved restlessly, needing more pressure, more friction. He needed to pump his pleasure against his lover's skin, and he could have screamed out his joy as Saitou rolled a little to one side and reached between their bodies. Long hot fingers closed around him for a moment, bringing him to the brink...
Then they stroked between his legs and grasped his tight sack, pulling sharply.
Sano yelped and bit his tongue. "What the f-!" he exploded. Saitou's mouth crushed his profanity even as his hands cupped his balls, gently massaging away the ache.
"What did you do that for?" Sano sputtered, frustrated desire a spike in his belly.
"You come too fast," Saitou explained languidly, one hand holding his hip while the other fondled his balls.
The ache in his belly fading a little Sano settled back grumpily, feeling pleasure washing over him where those talented hands caressed. "Define too fast," he grumbled.
"Anytime before me?" Saitou suggested. He stroked his lips over Sano's cheek and licked the curl of his ear lobe. "Anytime I'm not inside you?"
Sano's toes curled with pleasure at the caress, then his mind caught up. "What? Inside?" He forced his eyes open and met Saitou's amused gaze, just inches from his own. "Inside me?"
"Hip deep," Saitou whispered.
"No way," Sano pronounced, trying to sit up. The hand on his hip tightened, unfortunately so did the one wrapped around his balls. "Hey! I told you'd I walk if you did anything I didn't like!"
"I haven't done it yet," Saitou pointed out. "And you also told me you'd let me take the lead."
"Yeah," Sano agreed, swallowing hard. "But not there! Real men don't..." He flushed but this time made no effort to hide it. "Real men don't take it up the ass!"
"You're saying I'm not a real man?" Saitou drawled, raising his arched brow again.
"What I wouldn't give to wipe that smug smile off your face," Sano muttered resentfully, not even wanting to follow that train of thought. Saitou bending over for some guy, hands clenched in front of him, eyes half closed as someone pounded into him from behind...
"Parts of you seem to think it's a good idea," Saitou said gently, his hand sliding up and circling Sano's throbbing erection. "Look, they're standing up and applauding."
"No way you took it up the ass from anyone," Sano accused. "Admit it!"
Saitou studied him for long seconds. "Would it diminish me in your eyes?" he asked softly.
Taken aback Sano could only stare for a moment. "Would you care?" he returned, voice hushed.
"Why should I?"
"That's not an answer." Long fingers began a stroking movement and Sano began cursing under his breath as his traitorous body began to move rhythmically.
"If you can answer a question with a question..." Saitou trailed away. "Sanosuke."
Sano's heart thudded to a screaming halt in his chest for long seconds. It took him a moment to realize why, and by the time he did his heart was beating again, so loudly he could hardly hear himself think.
That was... Was that the first time Saitou had called him by name?
"Sanosuke, a man is judged by the mark he leaves on the world, by the way he raises his children and serves his country."
Noble words from those lips, wicked hands still stroking. Sano's body strained for the caress, his ears greedily took in every word.
"A man can't be judged by his lovemaking. That shouldn't even make sense to a ruffian like yourself."
Sano closed his eyes and concentrated on that hand, trying to find the place inside himself that had jumped in reaction to Saitou's desire.
"I'm afraid," he admitted before he could censor himself. His eyes flew open but he met only cool understanding in his lover's eyes, so he could feel no regret at the revelation.
"Not of pain," Saitou stated. "I've seen you put yourself through agony in a fight."
"No, not of pain."
"Of appearing less than a man then? To who? Only you and I are in this bed."
Sano nodded. "Not that either," he forced out.
"Ah," Saitou breathed. His eyes were alight with understanding. "There are different kinds of pain," he murmured. "You've never been this intimate with anyone, have you?"
Sano couldn't meet those eyes any longer. He didn't think he could bear to see mockery in their depths. None of this was going like he'd wanted, and even that caressing hand now only cupped him, pressing his half hardness back against his own belly.
"Sanosuke," Saitou breathed, and then suddenly hard lips were crushing his own, forcing his jaw open, ravishing him with tongue and teeth. When the attack was over Sano could only blink his eyes open and stare up at his lover, looming over him.
There was no mockery in those eyes, only dancing amber flames. "Trust me."
It was a question, it was an order. Sano lifted his arms and cupped his hands around strong lean forearms, sliding them up to broad shoulders with one long caress. "Damnit," he cursed.
The flames exploded back into life and Sanosuke gladly flung himself into their pure heat.
When Sano awoke this time it was with a leaden feeling in his belly and a weight behind his eyes. He groaned under his breath and tried to decide if it was worth hiding his head under the covers for the rest of his life. Finally he pushed the covers down and sat up, rubbing his face and looking around the blessedly empty room.
How could he have done that? How could he have revealed his deepest darkest secrets to a man he wasn't even sure he liked, let alone trusted?
On the other hand Saitou hadn't mocked him over his revelation. Nor had he taken advantage of Sano's shocked passivity in the face of his desires.
In other words my ass is still intact, Sano thought to himself, ruefully patting the ass in question. He rolled to his feet, admitting to himself that he did feel alive and invigorated. Two full bouts of marathon sex since the night before had put the roses in his cheeks if nothing else.
But what did he face from Saitou now? Looking back it seemed all he'd ever wanted from the older man was respect and approval. Now all he was probably going to get was patronized.
Even more so than usual.
His clothes were folded neatly by his bed and as the meal timer in his stomach told him it was nearly lunch Sano decided he might as well brave the lion in his den. After all the worst that could happen already had. He'd bared his vulnerable underbelly to the beast and hadn't even been nipped in response.
Sliding the door open Sano followed his nose to the kitchen at the back of the house. Hiro was cooking up a storm and characteristically Sano's spirits lifted at the prospect of a good meal.
What was he worried about? He'd had great sex and free meals. What more could a man expect from life?
"Morning, Hiro," he greeted.
The servant turned and smiled. "Almost afternoon, Sano san," he commented, eyes twinkling.
Sano leaned against the door jamb and stuck his hands in his pockets casually. "Almost lunch time, that's all I care about. Um, is Saitou around?"
Hiro turned back to his bubbling pots. "He had work to do. He said he'd be home this afternoon, and asked if you'd wait for him." He glanced over his shoulder. "Bean soup?"
Sano grinned, the immediate worries fading. "Sounds good!"
Belly full, Sano made himself useful all afternoon helping Hiro trim bushes and pull weeds from the thick gardens along the high walls.
"Who owns this house, Hiro?" he asked the servant directly, brushing his hands together.
Hiro flicked him a quick glance. "I work for Fujita san," he said evasively.
"Is this his house?"
"No need to question Hiro, Sanosuke," Saitou said from behind him. Sano spun quickly.
The older man was leaning against the porch rail in his police uniform, cigarette dangling from his fingers, eyes slitted against the afternoon light.
"Only way I'm gonna find out what I need to know," Sano threw back, heart beating fast. Why did this lean faced sonuva bitch have this effect on him every time?
Hiro nodded to his employer and hurried away.
"Why don't you ask me?"
Sano shrugged. "So you can tell me to mind my own business? I don't care that much."
"Don't get me wrong," Saitou said quietly. "I'm not angry with you for asking questions behind my back. Good intelligence is the only way to make a move in this confusing world. If you know what's ahead of you can you choose your steps wisely and avoid any pitfalls."
Sano sighed and sat on the low verandah. "Cripes, Saitou, I was only asking who own the house I'm staying in. Don't get all Shinsen Gumi on me, okay?"
Saitou shrugged. "Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to."
"Hmpf." Sano studied the older man's nonchalant pose. What was Saitou thinking? Was he remembering the night before? And that morning? Had the dynamic between them changed?
"Speaking of intelligence," Sano took the chance to say. "I better get back to all my super important informant work pretty soon, hadn't I? After all, someone might have been stealing pickles from the grocer's again. Or the security guard at the train station might have been consorting with prostitutes behind the guard house, making the trains run late."
"I do have a job for you," Saitou agreed, ignoring the frivolity.
Sano whipped his head around. "A job?"
"This particular job calls for a loud mouth who hates the government and who's not afraid to use his fists. Of course I thought of you straight away."
"Thanks," Sano said, feigning a sour face. "What do I have to do?"
"Hang around the bars down by the fish markets. Bully boys are being recruited for work down there."
"What sort of work?"
"Protection work. Breaking a few windows, painting rude slogans. The group I'm after likes to stir up anti-foreigner feelings and cashes in on peoples dissatisfaction with the Meiji Government's policies."
"I just gotta get hired?"
Saitou nodded. "Once they have you breaking heads for them you can feed me information about their movements, who they're targeting, anything useful you hear."
Sano thought about it for a moment. "So I've graduated from informant to spy?"
Saitou snorted, cigarette smoke trailing from his nostrils. "Don't flatter yourself, kid. You barely make the grade as an informant."
Sano jumped up, eager for a juicy argument. "You are full of crap," he accused. "You know the information I got you about Ichiguro was useful. Admit it!"
"I admit it," Saitou said graciously. "But considering the magnificent wages you've had from me, that one piece of information came rather easily to you."
Sano's blood pressure rose. "Easy?" he repeated incredulously. He pointed to a tender spot on his neck with his bandaged hand. "I got the crap kicked out of me, thank you very much. You call this easy?"
Saitou grasped his chin, tilting his head a little to one side. "I believe I gave you that one," he said coolly.
Sano realized too late it was a love bite throbbing on his neck, not an old bruise. Saitou's hands still gripped his chin, and those slitted amber eyes were stroking over his skin like fingers. Smoke scented breath bathed his face and Sano breathed it in, feeling light headed. He licked his lips, finding a tender swollen place there.
He pointed to the place. "What about that one?" he asked huskily.
Saitou scrutinized the slight swelling. "That looks familiar too," he pronounced, then he leaned forward and engulfed the slight tenderness with his lips, laying a suckling kiss there, gently pulling the flesh as he lifted his head. "Yes, very familiar."
"Oy oy," Sano panted. "You're very bold out here in broad daylight."
One eyebrow raised. "It was broad daylight this morning too," Saitou reminding him.
Sano's breath caught. "You wanna..." He broke off, face flushing. "Again?!"
Saitou squeezed Sano's chin in a fond pinch and then pushed his head back gently. "Don't you think about anything else, boy?"
Flushing, Sano thrust his pointed chin back out belligerently. "What's the matter, old man? Can't get it up again?" He feigned a sad sigh. "I suppose that's what happens when I consort with men twice my age."
Saitou's eyes gleamed. "All the assassins' the Ishin Shishi sent against me couldn't do the job," he said thoughtfully. "Even the Battousai gave it his best shot and failed. So now you're trying to do it with sex, right?"
Sano couldn't resist the dirty grin that broke out across his face. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me," he decided. He couldn't resist teasing. "And here I thought you wouldn't respect me again after what I told you this morning." He held his breath.
"I wouldn't worry about it," Saitou said coolly and Sano shook his head, knowing what was coming. "I never respected you to start with."
"I knew you were going to say that!" Sano howled after him as the older man turned on his heel and strode away.
Sano stood on the low porch for a moment longer, enjoying the lingering scent of tobacco smoke and very masculine man.
Then he bounded after Saitou, hoping they could fit another argument in before dinner.
What more could a man ask for?
End of Part Four