Part II --

Raito is in serious trouble. He cannot breathe for real! Ryuuzaki has already closed in at the front and hauls him up without a second thought. Their slippery bodies are now next to each other, a virtually seamless fit. Raito wishes for Time to stop. He has longed for this moment to arrive. Intimate contact with Ryuuzaki can somehow take away the loneliness. He has always assumed that he has everything he has ever wanted but, in reality, he does not.

By now, Ryuuzaki should have felt the bodily evidence of Raito's inner thoughts. Even so, he hasn't moved away. Raito can safely assume that this longing is mutual.

Cough...cough..cough... Raito's daydream is interrupted by his natural reflex to expel a foreign object. It's the cherry! That must be it!

"Raito... RAITO! Not here. You'll slip. Come on out!" Ryuuzaki releases his grip, steps out of the tub first, while still supporting Raito with his arms.

Raito realizes this is an emergency situation and tucks away his fantasy, for now. He does the same and steps out also. Cough... cough...cough...cough...

The alabaster design of the interior makes the bathroom appear more spacious than it already is. They walk together towards a mirror that takes up the upper half of a wall. There is a marble sink in front of it. The sink was curved from a whole slab of the material. This is a logical place for Raito to be at.

Cough... cough...cough...

Ryuuzaki moves to Raito's back, slips his arms around his waist, one hand resting on his chest and the other forms a fist. He holds him securely before pounding on his sternum. The warm and slippery friction elicits a rare response from Ryuuzaki. Raito can feel the sensation from his behind.

Cough..cough... ka..ka.. ah...ahhhtoo. It's out at last! There's a negative aspect to it though. The smell and taste of the cherry juice is still evident to him as the liquid is gradually sliding down his nasal passage at this point.

Raito's eyes are bloodshot. Tears had fallen freely during his coughing and it is noticeable even though the flow had ceased. He takes a look at the mirror and has to close his eyes. What the hell. The cherry juice and saliva mix both are giving him a deep crimson on his lips. There is a trace of red running down the corner of his mouth. It looks like he only lacks a pair of fangs before claiming relations to Count Dracula.

Raito washes his face. Though his breathing has returned to normal, the flush on his cheeks and upper torso is not going to disappear in a snap. Ryuuzaki picks this moment to step away, putting some distance in between. The sudden silence creates uncomfortable tension.

"Thank you, Ryuuzaki." It was Ryuuzaki that first noticed something was wrong, how observant of him.

"Being absent-minded can be dangerous, Raito-kun."

Ah, so it is back to Raito-kun. Just Raito some minutes ago sounded fine to his ears. Raito recalls a definite firmness pressing against him during the time Ryuuzaki was saving his life. He is not entirely certain if it is only his imagination. However, given the appropriate stimulation, he surmises that any normal human being would have the same response. It is understandable.

Raito has his palms against the edge of the sink. He is about to raise his arms to scratch his head when something unexpected is happening!

"Ouch " Raito cannot raise his left hand. To be precise, it is the chain that is restricting the range of movement. His pubic hair had apparently become entwined with the metal loops and it is painful if he tries to move his arm away.

Raito, who is usually composed and careful down to the final details, is completely out of character today. Emotions have taken over his rationality. In haste, he turns to an angle that Ryuuzaki cannot see (or so he thinks) and attempts to untie the impossible knots.

Because of the unnatural behaviour, Ryuuzak, out of curiosity, steps closer. He now stands beside Raito and looks downward, observing his movements.

"Caught in the act..." Raito feels quite helpless and tries to keep calm. Nevertheless, nervous sweat breaks out and the embarrassment of the situation causes his cheeks to heat up.

"You need a pair of scissors. I shall call up Watari to get a pair."

"That's out of the question!" It will be devastating if other people on the team should know about this incident! How could he ever face them again and still continue with the investigation in the Kira case?

Raito is silent for a few seconds. "I need your help."

"All right. Sit down." Ryuuzaki is serious.

Once again, Raito returns to his 'chair'. He has his left palm flat on his thigh and his right hand suspending the chain in midair, away from his abdomen. Ryuuzaki does his usual crouch and sits on the floor on Raito's right hand side. He uses the 2 fingers from both hands and starts on the gruesome mission. His dexterity helps to speed up the process. Knot after knot gets untied effortlessly.

There are all sorts of feelings mixed up within Raito. Never before has he felt such a burning need. Even this humiliating condition cannot stop his hot blood from rushing toward his sensitive region. Ryuuzaki is giving his entire attention to the task at hand, oblivious of Raito's internal conflicts. The job is almost complete.

The pain felt from the tagging is transforming to another sensation. With the addition of Ryuuzaki's proximity, Raito cannot think straight anymore.

Raito's scorching heat is already springing up and lying against the centre of Ryuuzak's palm. Ryuuzaki glances up emotionlessly for a moment but returns to work without comments.

"Caught again..." Even a genius can have stupid moments and this is one of those moments that Raito is at a loss for a valid explanation.

Mission complete! Ryuuzaki stands, a thin thread of clear fluid can be seen stretching out between his palm and Raito before it breaks off.

"It is interesting to know that Raito-kun's brain functions differently from the general population. It is a known fact that pains and pleasures are transmitted through identical neural pathways and I can see it as no coincidence that some people are able to derive pleasure from pain, though I simply never had the opportunity to meet such an individual until today."

In other words, Ryuuzaki is labeling Raito as a pervert. "Is he suspecting me of..."

"You must be out of your mind. That's not it!" Of course Raito is denying it all with venom. Out of desperation, he looks for an escape. He has been focusing too much on Ryuuzaki's facial expression that he has missed other important details. He notices that he isn't the only one getting a reaction.

Raito stands up.

"It seems like both of us have something in common." Raito challenges.

Ryuuzaki is quiet and stares vacantly at somewhere. Raito strikes with his right hand and takes hold of Ryuuzaki's rigid masculinity.

-- to be continued --