How to Lose Your Ears in Ten Days

Day 6

By YaoiKitten

For Rahzel, for everything you've done for me and being a sweetheart about it.

They were crazy to be picnicking on a day like today. Autumn was in full glory and moving towards winter, and the chill in the air hinted at a cold front coming through soon. They had went anyway, after the younger ones had gotten out of their half-day at school. Japan was the only country that Soubi knew of that made their students attend school for a half day on Saturday. Even in the fighters school he hadn't had class on Saturdays.

He had spent the morning packing a marvelous lunch for everyone, a multi-layered bento full of warm, autumn-inspired food. He had packed several thermoses of hot tea to help everyone ward off the chill in the air before meeting Ritsuka, Yayoi, and Yuiko after school.

The sun was bright and that helped keep them warm, it chased off the cold wind and lowering temperature. They had laid the blanket out over a bed of fallen leaves so that it crunched underneath every time they moved. Yayoi and Yuiko had run off after lunch to play on the jungle gym equipment like a couple of little kids. It had to have been Yuiko's idea. Soubi was of the opinion that Yayoi was so whipped it was pathetic. Then he realized far be it for him to judge someone else on their behavior at the behest of love.

He looked over at Ritsuka, who was sitting beside him Indian-style with his hands in his lap, watching the other two play and run around like idiots. Soubi had no right to judge Yayoi when Ritsuka held a similar hold over him. He supposed he was just better at keeping his dignity than Yayoi was.

Ritsuka had a wistful look on his face as he watched, and tip of his tail was sweeping back and forth across the blanket in a slow arc. Soubi leaned back on his hands so that he could feel the tip of that tail twitching over his fingers. Ritsuka didn't even seem to notice.

Soubi began to lift his hand up in time with the rhythm to allow his tail to pass under it before lowering again in an effort to catch it under his hand. He did this for a while, letting his mind wander aimlessly across the almost-deserted park. It was the one they had come to on his and Ritsuka's first 'date' almost five years ago. They had revisited the park on several occasions--some for business, some for pleasure. He felt a sappy kind of romance for the park because it reminded him so much of Ritsuka.

He had never expected to fall in love with Ritsuka, after all. It was an order, just like any other order Seimei had given him. Loving Ritsuka was the first thing that Soubi had ever done of his own will. He had committed many wrongs against the boy in the name of that love--due to that battle of will and the strict training to obey--but he still felt to this day that the lying and breaking of promises was justified. It just took him a long time to learn how to judge a situation. He thought he had gotten better at it, until last night.

Last night, Ritsuka had been so warm and welcoming. It would have been so easy for Soubi to have ignored that look in his eyes and taken him right there. He felt something burning inside of him at the thought. He couldn't do it, though. He would never be able to live with himself unless he was sure that Ritsuka was one-hundred percent ready. He didn't ever want to see that look of fear in Ritsuka's eyes again. He wanted the experience to be safe, happy, and comfortable for him.

Unlike it had been for him.

He wanted to show Ritsuka all the pleasure that his body was capable of. He wanted to delight in finding all the boy's responsive places, in seeking them out and then touching them again and again.

Soubi shook himself. He had to stop such trains of thought.

So now he had the dilemma of how he could make Ritsuka feel safe. He understood that sex could be a very scary, very detrimental thing if not handled properly. He wanted it to be perfect for Ritsuka, but for that he was going to have to go slow and make him comfortable.

Soubi's thoughts had disrupted his rhythm and he caught Ritsuka's tail beneath his fingers. Ritsuka jumped and looked at him, his eyebrows climbing up his forehead and his ears coming forward in an inquisitive look that Soubi thought was just too adorable.

Soubi looked at him and smiled before pouncing, pushing the smaller man against the blanket and leaning in to kiss and suck at his neck.

"Hey, Soubi!" Ritsuka shrieked, laughing and trying to push the other man off of him. "Stop that!"

Soubi smiled. There was a time where Ritsuka would have ordered him to get off and fought him tooth and nail. These feeble protests were a good sign.

Yuiko had just reached the top of the slide when she noticed Soubi and Ritsuka spread out on the blanket. She laughed and pointed so that Yayoi would look too. "Hey look! I guess those two are getting along better!"

Yayoi watched as Ritsuka's hands reached up and starting slapping at Soubi's back. His legs were also kicking and his shrieks could be heard from where they were. "Yeah, looks like they made up finally."

Yuiko smiled and turned to him. "Was there any doubt that they would?"

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Soubi let them into his apartment, turning on the thermostat as he walked past. It was getting colder since the sun went down, and the room felt incredibly chilly even with his coat still on.

Ritsuka took off his coat and went straight to the stove to put on a kettle for tea. After spending so much time outside they were both chilled to the bone to the point that only a good pot of tea could possibly warm them up. Soubi watched as Ritsuka got out two mugs and began to pack tea leaves into the little silver tea ball. He moved as if he owned the place, the perfect picture of domesticity. Ritsuka knew his kitchen, knew where everything was, and didn't have any qualms about helping himself to it. The thought made Soubi smile.

The heater kicked on and Soubi shrugged out of his coat. He closed the curtains over the doors that led out to the balcony to block out the chill and the florescent lights of the street. It made the room so dark that he turned on the bedside lamp. The lamp and the kitchen lights were the only ones on so that the room was softly lit. Low lighting. Mood lighting.

When he turned around Ritsuka was sitting on the countertop watching the proverbial pot boil. He sat down at the kitchen table and their eyes met. Ritsuka's immediately slid to the side.

Soubi sighed. Was it always going to be like this when they were alone together? How could he help Ritsuka overcome this fear of them being alone? There was only one way that his mind supplied for him, and after a moment of debate he decided to run with it.

He got up and walked over to Ritsuka, who turned to him with a startled look on his face. Soubi stood directly in front of him, watching his reaction with some amount of amusement.

"What?" Ritsuka asked, his eyes sliding over to the boiling kettle of water. The whistle went off as steam came out the top, cutting through the silence.

Soubi reached out and turned it off. Ritsuka was looking at him directly now, a sneaking look of suspicion coming over his features. He reached out and grabbed the younger boy, gathering him into his arms and lifting him up so that he could carry him across the room.

"What are you doing, Soubi?" Ritsuka shrieked, but his legs instinctively wrapped around Soubi's waist anyways. His voice no longer had the merriment he had heard in the park, it was more upset and wary. They were in the confines of Soubi's apartment now, after all, and he could do anything he liked in here. The park had offered comfort and protection since it was a public place-- behind closed doors, anything goes.

Ritsuka had definitely gotten heavier, Soubi noted as he carried the boy across the room. Ritsuka hung on for dear life, afraid that Soubi would drop him if he struggled too much. He let out a little whimper when he noticed that they were headed for the bed.

Soubi sat down gingerly, careful to make sure that Ritsuka's feet didn't get caught underneath him. His grip loosened once he sat down, and Ritsuka pulled back enough that Soubi could see his face. His ears were perked with interest but his eyes were distrustful. Soubi leaned forward and planted a single kiss on Ritsuka's chin before laying back onto the mattress.

Ritsuka jostled with the movement and his eyes opened wide. He moved his legs to a more comfortable position and leaned over Soubi. "What are you doing?"

Soubi smiled at him and reached up to run his fingers over one velvety ear. Ritsuka was leaning into the touch. Good, he was warming up. "I'm going to let you explore me."

"Hmm?" Ritsuka asked, his eyes closing at the feel of Soubi scratching behind his ears. It felt so good he really hadn't paid that much attention to what Soubi had said.

"I'm going to let you have your way with me," Soubi amended, hoping that this would get his attention. It did. Ritsuka's eyes snapped open but Soubi kept scratching. "I'm going to lie here and you will do whatever you want to with what is yours. I belong to you, so use me however you see fit."

There it was again, that look of abject fear. Curious fingertips fluttered over Soubi's face though, and Ritsuka leaned ever closer to him. "Why?"

"Because there is a difference between knowing that you are safe and feeling that you are safe. I want you to feel safe when you are with me. I want you to be comfortable."

Ritsuka swallowed and nodded. Good, they were on the same page finally.

He closed his eyes and left Ritsuka to consider his next move. It was equally likely that the boy would just get up and walk away as take advantage of the offer. Soubi waited patiently, only the heat and weight of Ritsuka over his groin indicated that the other man was still there.

Ever so lightly he felt that weight shift and then there were cool fingertips on his face, stroking his cheeks and moving to his lips. They removed his glasses and a thumb ran over his lower lip, pressing against the flesh as if to test its resilience. The fingers wandered up his face and through his hair, spreading the flaxen silk over the bedspread. Ritsuka pushed his bangs back from his forehead and gave him a kiss, the first one that left a heat on his skin like a rug burn. His entire body warmed at that chaste kiss and he could no longer feel any chill in the air.

He kept his eyes closed as the fingers wandered down his throat, brushing over the bandages he wore there to cover his scar. They continued to his shirt buttons, and quick, nimble fingers flicked the first set apart. There was a full hand on his chest now, rubbing against the smooth skin in small circles and arcs. The hand went back up to his throat, and he could feel the meaty palm over top of his Adam's apple. The fingers worked at the silver butterfly clips to remove the gauze.

Soubi breathed deeply. It was just like Ritsuka to remove the gauze first. He knew that the scars bothered him so it would make sense that he would want to expose them before anything else. Soubi felt the bandage being loosened and sliding off his neck, exposing the hacked scratches of barbed wire and the word Beloved. Seimei's mark wound around his throat, the most permanent of collars.

Those same fingertips stroked the scars, deft finger pads tracing raised lacerations of meaty tissue over the delicate muscles of the throat. He knew that Ritsuka wanted to ask about them more than anything, but he also knew that he never would. Some things were just too painful for Ritsuka to put into words, an unsaid spell that could so easily break them apart. Ritsuka was never going to ask and he was never going to tell. If they did, everything they had built together would be torn asunder.

Soubi felt those lithe hands stroking their way down his body, running over both of his ribs to the hem of his pants and then back up again. They flew down the rest of his buttons with a quickness and intensity that made him open his eyes for a moment. Ritsuka was flushed and straddling over him, his eyes bright, curious, and more than a little lustful at the sight of his bare chest. Soubi closed his eyes again. He would not allow himself to loose control.

He breathed deeply and before he knew it there was skin on skin, cool hands touching his torso. They ran up and down his sides, pushed the oxford off of his shoulder, and back over his chest. They brushed over his nipples until they were hard and pointed but Ritsuka seemed not to notice. His concern seemed to be touching every square inch of his exposed body, dipping into the hollow of his belly right below the ribs and even pushing a thumb into his belly button. Soubi shifted at the attention and their hips slid together. He heard Ritsuka gasp and he couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He kept his eyes closed.

There was no movement, no motion on top of him. He dared to open his eyes enough to see Ritsuka looking down at him, studying him. The blush was still tinting his cheeks but he seemed defensive, as if his pride was hurt. Soubi watched as he reached out two hands and pinched down on his nipples lightly. Soubi's brow furrowed in response and Ritsuka smirked. He pinched harder.

Soubi made the conscious effort to stay very still. Ritsuka was playing with him, toying with him because his pride had been hurt. He was punishing him for finding the other man so adorable. If that was the case, Soubi thought that he would spend the rest of his life in chains if Ritsuka ever knew what he really thought.

He visibly shivered at the idea, and Ritsuka removed his hands as if he had burnt them on a hot stove. His face was scared, as if he was frightened that he had hurt him.

"It's all right," Soubi consoled him, his tongue reaching out to wet his lips. "It felt nice."

Ritsuka looked dubious but he leaned forward anyways so that he was on eye level with Soubi. "Can I really do whatever I want?"

Something inside Soubi broke and he fought back an audible whimper. There was just something so sensual about such a simple question when Ritsuka said it like that. "Please…" he told him.

Ritsuka kept their eyes locked together as he reached down and began to unbutton Soubi's pants. Soubi fought to not close his eyes now at the sensation of having those fingertips brushing against him through the fabric. It was maddening to have Ritsuka move so slowly over him and he tried to keep their eyes locked. Ritsuka was watching his face intently for any signs of discomfort or distress.

Funny, how it seemed that Ritsuka was just as concerned about him as he was about Ritsuka. Ritsuka's hands wandered around his waist to hook fingers around the top of his underwear. They moved to stroke the delicate skin below the band, tickling the fine, pale hairs on his lower stomach. Ritsuka shifted his weight and began to tug the pants down over the underwear inch by inch, getting off and moving to the side so that Soubi could lift his hips to get them down his legs. Ritsuka stood and removed the pants with one final tug over the ankles.

Soubi was spread out of the bed, wearing nothing but his underwear. Ritsuka couldn't help but smile when he noticed that they were black, the tight kind of boxer briefs made out of the really thin material that wouldn't show under any pair of pants. His smile faded when he realized that he could see every evidence of Soubi's desire under that flimsy material.

He wet his lips at the sight, letting his eyes wander all over Soubi. The man was beautiful, his taught muscles laid under skin the color of peaches and cream. Ritsuka stood at the edge of the bed, suddenly not able to move.

Soubi could imagine the questions that were going through the other man's head. Am I supposed to take my clothes off now? Is this it? Are we actually going to do it? What if I touch him again? Will there be no turning back?

Soubi smiled back at Ritsuka, his expression trying to be comforting. He reached down and hooked his fingers into his own waistband, lifting his hips off the bed and sliding the black fabric down over them. Ritsuka watched as inch after inch of him was exposed until everything that Soubi had was laid bare on the mattress.

Ritsuka was openly staring, the reddest blush that Soubi had ever seen covered his face. He wasn't sure, but he suspected that he might have short-circuited something in the other boy's brain.

He sat up and smiled, trying to make Ritsuka comfortable. "Here's all of me, Ritsuka. Everything that I am you own."

Ritsuka swallowed. His mouth was very dry.

"I just wanted you to know what you have. I don't want anything to come between us, not even our skin."

Ritsuka nodded. He immediately threw his arms around Soubi, burying his face in the other man's bare chest. "I don't want that either," he whispered. "But, can we… can we stop for today? Is that all right?"

Soubi held him tight and smoothed his fingers through that long hair. "Of course it is all right. There is always tomorrow, right?"

"And the day after that," Ritsuka whispered.

"And the day after that," Soubi added.

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Author's Note: I've been getting a lot of comments asking me to update. I always update on my livejournal first so that my regular readers always have first-dibs. If you are starving for an update, be sure to check there to see if a new chapter is posted. I also post original works on there so you may have to scroll down to the most recent entry. I only update on this forum every once in a while, so for the latest updates feel free to friend my journal.