Ganta sat with his head hung low over a bowl of ramen. The steam had long ago stopped tickling his chin. His stomach was growling, but he couldn't feel the hunger. He was far too concerned with what had transpired in the weight room.

"Senji," Ganta breathed. He had only run because he couldn't process the absolute peace within his body. Every day he would watch Senji work out under the pretense of "being cool." In truth, all Ganta wanted was a taste. Something deep within the core of this boy hungered to taste the musculature spread across the Crow he looked up to, a taste of the salt that trailed Senji's muscles.

Ganta wasn't angry with Senji, not in the least, but he was thoroughly embarrassed. As many times as Ganta had fantasized about that moment, it hadn't happened anything like he'd hoped. In a way, Ganta had imagined himself the aggressor although he could never get the nerve to try anything. Senji hadn't been fair. Ganta was completely unprepared for that, and Ganta's mind simply shut down. In the fight or flight moment, Ganta simply ran. Now he was letting the details catch up with him.

Details like the smell of Senji's exhausted body, the roughness of his hands and the way they contrasted so perfectly with the surprising softness of his lips…

The clatter of Ganta's spoon hitting the floor jolted him out of his daydream. He hadn't realized he'd dropped it, or even picked it up to be honest. He was completely dumbstruck, and it was all the Crow's fault. Ganta had always been curious, but far too shy to act on it for some reason. He didn't know how to act in these situations. Just like his fighting style, he figured the right moves would come to him when he needed them most.

Frowning, Ganta realized Senji had been the one to teach him how to fight. He was the one who named his famed 'Ganta Gun.' Maybe the incident in the weight room was Senji just trying to teach him other things now. Maybe letting Senji teach Ganta a thing or two wouldn't hurt. But Ganta didn't want just another lesson, he wanted something more. He didn't want to have to worry about what Senji was feeling all the time.

"Are you going to eat?" a gruff voice called from the doorway. Ganta's heart leapt into his throat. Without opening his mouth, he had somehow called Senji to him.

"No," Ganta admitted, staring at his cold soup.

"Good, because I'm starving," Senji grinned, and even Ganta could tell it was obviously forced.

Ganta stood from his chair in his small room. He hadn't wanted to socialize, so he'd chosen to eat dinner away from the lounge. Senji slid his lithe form into the seat Ganta had just vacated and began to eat the chilled soup.

This was too normal. Senji was acting like nothing had happened, like he hadn't kissed Ganta, like he hadn't set the boy's emotions into a tumultuous tailspin and sparked something deep within the core of Ganta's nature while touching on something very close to his heart. Ganta's hands curled into little fists as Senji sucked down noodles, tilting the bowl to his lips to slurp the rest of the broth. Finally, when the soup was gone, Senji stood and stretched. A violent wince directly followed. He cursed, gently rolling his shoulder.

"Shit, think I tore something," he shrugged, wincing again, "Do you fight this week?"

"What are you doing?" Ganta broke down, nearly growling at the Crow.

"Huh?" Senji lifted a brow. He knew what the boy meant, but he wasn't one for talking. Never had been. He preferred ignoring the problem.

"You're acting like nothing happened!" Ganta yelled.

"So it meant something to you after all, eh?" Senji grinned. His nervousness in the weight room had dissipated and now his normal cocky nature had returned. Ganta stuttered, desperate for a response. Senji's acknowledgement of the moment had caught him off guard.

"Shut the door," Senji said coolly.

"What?" Ganta stuttered.

Rolling his eyes, Senji crossed the room and gently closed the door, making sure to lock it behind him. Ganta swallowed nervously. He barely had time to react as Senji yet again swiftly closed the distance between them.

"I know you want this too. Don't ever run from me like that again," Senji said, his breath teasing Ganta's hair. There was no space between them, Senji had made sure of that. Ganta's lip trembled. He could feel his heart swelling in his chest. For Ganta, it wasn't just about the physical attraction.

Ganta lifted his arms slowly at first, and then quickly wrapped them around Senji's whole body, trapping the Crow's arms at his sides. There were no words for this moment. Senji broke the silence by pulling his arms out of Ganta's little trap and pulled his fingers through the boy's hair. He tilted Ganta's head back and parted his lips. A hesitant breath escaped Senji's mouth.

"I fight this week," Ganta said, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I do, too," Senji said, and brought their lips together in a kiss that made Ganta shake with fear and passion all wrapped up together.

Nothing mattered in the next moment. Nothing but the taste of their tongues dancing together and tracing lips and nipping at each other. Senji's full mouth had no problem swallowing most of Ganta's trembling lip. He sucked and pulled and could barely contain himself. And just like Ganta had hoped, the moves simply came to him. His lips and his tongue had no problem playing with Senji's in ways that gave the Crow chills.

Ganta gripped Senji's sides with white knuckles, desperately grappling to hold onto the moment, because in two days they'd be pitted against each other in this week's Carnival Corpse.

Thank you so much everyone! I got a really positive response to the first chapter, so I think I'm going to continue. I'm a slow updater. I'll do my best to keep you satisfied though. Let me know how this one is. I like complicating things. 3 I also screwed up adding this chapter & had to delete it the first time, so let's hope I did it right this time. Hmm.