AN I know, I know, it's about bloody time. I'm sorry. I wrung this chapter out of the dark recesses of my mind, so it's not that good. It also means I'm going to have to end this series soon, I don't want it to get too cliched. So I think the next chapter will also be the last one. Not quite sure how I'm gonna end it yet, probably something with coming out. You'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks very much for all of your positive feedback. I'm very lucky I've never gotten a flame yet. Thank you all very much.

In Close Quarters

Part twelve: Morning after

Kai:

Hm? WhereamI? Sleepy. Hn, I want a bath.

Guess not. Damn. Pain. Not to mention the majority of Tyson's one hundred and fourty pounds constricting me to the bed. Okay, now that may be exaggerating, but he sure made himself comfortable somewhere during the night. Good thing I'm not ticklish, what with his hair spread out like that. I cannot imagine him finding my shoulder blade softer than a real pillow.

It's very warm though. My own personal living blanket. Yup, he's draped himself over my back, with arm, leg, torso. I am thoroughly rendered motionless. And Tyson is still off in dreamland.

Am I glad we cleaned up after last night. I would hate to have woken up on sticky sheets. Still, I think the pain is worse. I'm not doing this again any time soon. Tyson can be bottom if he's so eager for this. Ouch.

Well, guess who's finally waking up? Hope he's been comfortable. Cause I'm not.

"Hm, morning, Kai."

Okay, so maybe I'm a little ticklish. Anyone would be in this position.

"You okay?"

Well, that's considered. "Yeah, just a bit sore." Don't know if I can walk, but you don't have to know that.

Hm... More kisses. Tyson's very amorous the morning-after. He was also very amorous last night. Not to mention persuading. Wasn't he the one who was cautioned by his grandfather not to do anything funny? Reverse psychology or something, I guess.

I don't know, but somehow I lost the upper hand. Again! We were on the floor and suddenly he flipped us around. Guess he was right that I'm not completely recovered yet. But almost. Then he took it to the couch and suddenly wanted to take it easy again! Well, that was hardly fair, now was it? So I let him know just what I thought about him teasing me like that for two times!

How was I supposed to know he'd react like that?! Damn, he went near crazy. I never stood a chance, really. He just steam rolled right over me before I even knew what happened. Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't bored. Or unwilling. Hell, I've never felt like that in my entire life. It was overwhelming and I needed some time, we both did, to recover enough to be able to think coherently again. Shower, dinner and then we were both too tired to do much more than crawl in bed and sleep it off.

"Sorry, about that."

Tyson, if you dare move your hand from there, I'll kill you. That's a very nice massage. My lower back is hurting, you see, and those slow circles feel incredibly good.

Hm... going cross-eyed here. Good morning to you too. Tyson is definitely an excellent kisser. Even though that good morning smooch was a bit sloppy.

There, that's better. Now how about that bath?

What's so funny? What are you laughing about, huh?

"Okay, Kai, knock off the puppy-dog plea. What do you want?"

PUPPY-DOG!?! Are you insinuating...? Well, now that you ask, a bath would be nice. "Run me a bath?"

Again that laugh! What's so funny? "Sure thing, Kai." Hm, I like his cuddles. Just don't tell anyone I'm a... cuddly... person.

I think I'll laze around for a while 'till Tyson comes to get me for my bath. Hm, come to think of it, maybe being uke is not so bad. The sex is explosively magnificent. And the after treatment is heavenly. And the pain ain't so bad. Just a little ache, kinda like after a really good work-out. That would be a good analogy, yes.

Do I have to get up? Oh, yes, my bath. Oh, that means I can lay down again. Okay, Tyson, I'm just lazy, but what's your excuse to still walk around naked?

Oh.

Hey, that's comfy. Tyson's chest is a hell of a lot more comfortable than the porcelain of the bathtub. Okay, so maybe not a lot. But it's warmer. Yup, I could really get used to this. Morning-after nookie is amazing.

Tyson:

Wow, Kai's pliable for a change. I really wore him out last night. Gods, that was amazing! He was so open and responsive and I never thought he would surrender so completely. I thought that either we'd stop, or reverse the roles. And there he goes and offers himself to me. Well, offering may not be the right word for it. We ended up at the stopping-or-going-all-the-way point and he just didn't flip us over, so I just figured, what the hell, let's just go for it. And I ended up on top.

Wow. No other word for it. It was brilliant. He was brilliant.

And he makes a really nice pillow. The skin along his spine is so soft. He seems a little ticklish there too, squirming around like that...

Okay, maybe no more squirming. We had enough of that yesterday.

"Are you okay?" I've heard there can be residual pain afterwards. Don't ask me where.

"Yeah, just a bit sore."

Well, that was to be expected. As long as he's otherwise alright, I can make up for that little bit. With kisses. And more kisses. And maybe a bit of massaging too. And a proper good-morning kiss.

I have never seen that expression on Kai's face. Max? Yes. But Kai? It's... puppy-dog eyes. I swear, big bad teamcaptain Kai Hiwatari is using the puppy-dog eyes. Question is, what is he begging for?

"Run me a bath?"

How can anyone refuse that look? I though Max had it down to perfection, but on Kai's face, it's just lethal. I guess I'll just run that bath. Even if I have to let go of him for it. Sniff... He's so cuddly.

Right, run a bath. Just warm water, or would he have something like bathfoam somewhere? He doesn't seem like a bathfoam person, but he didn't seem like the guy for the puppy-dog look either. Better roam around his cabinets to be sure. He won't mind. I've lived here for the past week or so and he did ask me to run a bath. That includes bubbles.

There, that looks perfect. Smells good too. Still misses something though. Oh, right, Kai. Oops. I'd better go get him.

God, but he looks good stretched out on the bed like that. Bad, Tyson. Now's not the time. I have to get Kai in the bath, not pin him to the mattress. I did enough of that yesterday. Left some good marks too. I like that one on his hipbone. Perfect denture record.

Bath looks real nice. Oh, why not join him? Would be comfy. Means I get to be close to him again. Holding Kai just feels so good. I know I'm shorter, but I guess I can say I've been officially established as the dominant one in this relationship, which means I get to hold Kai. And maybe that logic is crooked, in fact, I'm pretty sure it is, but I just like holding him. He's just a big, red-eyed teddy. Not that I'll ever tell him that. I don't have a death-wish.

This feels real nice. I wonder if he does that more often. Seems girlish to me. Then again...

It is really nice...

Yeah, I can understand why Kai has a bathtub at all. And just having him in it with me, makes it even better. He just feels so good.

"Hey, Kai?"

"Hm?"

"Feeling better?"

"Hm."

I'll take that as a yes, shall I? Amazing how much can be extracted from non-verbal communication. Hm, he smells real good. All warm and fuzzy and nice. And he fits real good sitting between my legs. And he's still got this bite mark on his shoulder. Should I add another one? Maybe not. Getting excited in the bathtub could be hazardous to one's health. Besides, cuddling's cool too.

Kai:

I should get Tyson to run me a bath more often. He's good at it. Real nice and warm, even after half an hour. And he's so comfortable, I think I'm falling asleep again.

Was that your stomach? Oh, god, I hope not. That means we're gonna have to leave the bathtub. Cause that stomach of yours needs to be fed if it growls like that.

"Uh, Kai? Think we can get some breakfast?"

I thought so. Well, perhaps we should eat something. Or Tyson might just end up eating me. "Sure. Let's dress up first."

Pity. I rather liked Tyson's birthday suit. On the other hand, it's kinda chilly like this. Ooh, fluffy towel. Don't tell anyone, but I really like snuggling into a really fluffy towel like this. And Tyson's arms add just that little extra. This feels really, really good. Nice and warm.

Right, clothes. No point in walking around naked, I'll just get sick all over again. Though that would mean more coddling from Tyson, the symptoms are too much of a bother to put up with for even that.

Besides, who said one needs to be sick to be coddled? Tyson sure doesn't. Sitting on your lap is all fine and dandy, you know, but I don't need to be fed! Honestly, how low can a guy sink, being spoon-fed cereal, while sitting on his boyfriend's lap.

"Oh, come on, Kai. Where's your sense of humor?" It got washed down the drain in the bathtub, alright? "Open wide." Not on your life. "Here comes the choo-choo." One more jibe like that, Tyson, and you'll find that cereal forced down your throat. "The plane wants to enter the hangar."

That's it! "Tyson! I'm nommph!"

Bastard! And I don't even like this cereal. Too much sugar. I can see why Tyson bought it.

"You were saying?"

Glaring with a mouthful of cereal doesn't appear to be as effective as it should be. Think I could practice that? Now, why did I think that? Like I would ever allow this situation to be repeated.

Uhm, Tyson? Could you please remove your teeth from my ear? It's very distracting.

In fact, it's so distracting you just managed to feed me half the bowl. Talk about effective strategy. But that's cheating, very dirty cheating.

Do it again?

AN Well, what do you think?