Warning: Graphic YAOI smut starts in this chapter (although only for a couple of paragraphs). You have been warned!

Please let me know if you would like more of this, or prefer a more chaste approach like in chapter 3 where I skipped from the pre-sex conversation to the post-sex conversation.


"I'm sorry, Yamato." Ren repeated for the umpteenth time.

"I've told you, Ren. It's fine. In fact, it's a good thing you brought me here this time. What would have happened to you guys if I wasn't here?" Yamato said softly. "Minami is not skilled enough to handle such severe injuries, Ren."

Ren touched the stitches on his abdomen gingerly. He had not realized how close he was to death until Yamato told him the full extent of his injuries. The attack was nearly a week ago now, but they were still staying at the Oedo house. Yamato was adamant not to move Ren, despite the latter's weak protests that he could heal at home.

Yamato knew that Ren had to be here. The entire Oedo family, including Ren, had been thoroughly affected by Wakamatsu's death and Tetsu's injury. Tetsu was being kept in a medically-induced coma until the severe bruising in his brain could recover; and then he would have to undergo a brain surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain. All in all, he was unlikely to wake any time before the end of November; which was another two months or so away from now. And even then, the doctors were not sure how his condition would be after the surgery. The ranks of the clan were in a mess with two of their key leaders gone. Shin was rushing in and out of meetings with his leaders and allies from morning to night, despite his body still recovering from the exhaustion it had undergone a few nights ago. Yamato knew that it was time for the Shatei to step up.

"Ren, do you think you can help Shin out?" He asked gently.

Ren looked at him contemplatively. "Will you prefer it if I didn't?"

Yamato pursed his lips, his gaze inadvertently landing on the bandages on his boyfriend's abdomen. It was a difficult decision to make, but as Yankumi had taught them long ago; it was about doing what was right, rather than what was easy. "Just come back to me in one piece. I'll fix you up as many times as you need me to." He declared.

Ren smiled. "Thank you, doctor." He got off the bed slowly, careful not to rip the stitches. He gently pulled Yamato into a hug and proceeded to kiss him senseless. That was both a good and bad move, however, depending on how you see it; because the moment Ren pulled away, Yamato felt all his control fell apart. Every emotion he had been holding up for the past week flooded him in an instant. The sudden onslaught of emotions was so overwhelming that he couldn't help but break into a sob.

Ren panicked at the sight of his ordinarily tough and unflappable boyfriend crying. "Yamato, what's wrong? Please don't cry! I won't do it if you don't want me to!"

Yamato couldn't speak. He just held on to Ren tighter and buried in face in his neck. He cried away all the anxiety he felt during the wait, the terror he felt when he saw Ren's bloodied body, the fear he felt during Ren's surgery, the helplessness he felt towards Tetsu's brain injury, the sorrow he felt over Wakamatsu's death, and the apprehension he now felt over Ren re-joining the ranks. It was just too much for him to take all at once. He might have been a delinquent; but still, he was just a man.

By then, Ren had stopped panicking and was just murmuring comforting words into Yamato's hair. At last, Yamato's sobs quieted down and the sniffling subsided.

They stayed like that silently for a long moment before Ren spoke up. "Yamato?" He asked tentatively.

Yamato refused to raise his head. "Can we not talk about anyone else, just for now? Can we go to bed, just the two of us?"

"Of course, love." Ren replied softly. He led them both to the bed and pulled them under the covers, all the while holding Yamato as tightly as he could.

They cuddled in silence until Yamato had calmed down enough to look up again. Ren pressed a gentle kiss on Yamato's lips, tasting the salty traces of tears on them. When Yamato kissed back urgently, Ren realized that Yamato still needed the reassurance that he was safe.

He laid flat on his back and pulled Yamato close to him. "I'm here, Yamato." He said softly. He brought Yamato's hand up to rest against his cheek. "Can you feel the warmth of my face?" He brought the other hand to his heart. "Can you hear my heartbeat?" He looked straight into Yamato's eyes. "I'm all here. I'm safe. I'm with you."

Yamato nodded slowly. His brain knew than Ren was there, but his heart still had its doubts. He reached out and brushed his fingers over Ren's face, relishing in the familiar contours that he loved so much. He ran his fingers down Ren's neck, finding comfort in the steady vibration of his pulse. When he reached the top of Ren's shirt, he looked into Ren's eyes; searching for permission.

Ren smiled and nodded, allowing Yamato to undress him. He made no move to touch Yamato, because he knew that Yamato didn't need to be touched. What Yamato needed now was to touch and feel him; in order to convince himself that Ren was there.

Yamato caressed every part of Ren's body slowly and lovingly, as his frightened heart began to accept that Ren was, in fact, safe and still with him. He placed a few kisses along Ren's stomach, including the top of the bandaged area. He paused briefly when he came to Ren's flaccid cock. He knew that Ren wasn't aroused, but he didn't think that Ren would be terribly adverse to a blowjob either. And Yamato thought that pleasuring his boyfriend would give him the most reassurance of all.

Ren could see the acceptance sinking in gradually in Yamato's eyes as he continued to examine his naked body. He didn't expect, however, a warm heat to suddenly enclose around his cock. He felt all his blood flowing south immediately. A small hiss escaped his lips as he arched his back into the warm cavern. God, Yamato was so hot.

Yamato was sucking happily at the growing member in his mouth. The medical professional in him marvelled at the vigour of the blood flow. It was the most precious evidence of life and health. The strange thing was, he didn't feel the slightest bit aroused. He just felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in his heart; finally 100% convinced that his boyfriend was alive and well – in fact, probably more than well at the moment, judging by the very healthy twitching of his cock. Yamato sucked even more fervently, occasionally running his tongue across the tiny slit at the top. He was determined to suck every groan, moan and gasp out of his Ren's mouth.

Ren, on the other hand, felt that Yamato was trying to suck his soul out from his cock. He threaded his fingers through Yamato's hair, all the while moaning at the sensation running through his body. He felt Yamato placed a hand on top of his own hand, pushing it down on his head. It was Yamato's way of signalling him to use more force. With the permission granted, Ren began to grip Yamato's hair and tugged at it gently, directing him to go according to the rhythm he desired. Yamato's hand came up again and squeezed Ren's hand tightly once. It was their code for 'stop thinking and just fuck my mouth'. So Yamato wanted it as rough as possible. Ren tightened his grip and began to push Yamato's head onto his cock forcefully, not caring if he was choking his boyfriend or suffocating him. Ren lost track of his surroundings as he concentrated solely on the immense pleasure on his cock. All his foggy mind could register was the warmth and moistness of Yamato's lips and tongue. He increased the pace as he felt the signs of his orgasm approaching. His brain was completely shut off now, only caring about reaching the impending explosion at the end of the line. It was so close now, just a little more – he felt his stomach clenched familiarly and with a keen cry of 'Yamato!'; he was overtaken by a giant wave of euphoric bliss, his cock shooting down copious loads of cum into Yamato's throat.

Ren exhaled in relief as the last waves of his mind-blowing orgasm ebbed away. "What was that?" He asked blearily after his post-orgasmic haze.

Yamato seemed to have recovered from his emotional outburst. He was himself again. "That was me trying to convince myself that you're still alive." He licked his lips contentedly.

Ren opened one eye to look at him. "I hope you don't do this to all your patients."

Yamato captured Ren's lips in a chaste kiss. "Nope, just for this particular patient."

Ren pulled him into a hug. "Do you feel better now?"

Yamato nuzzled his neck embarrassedly. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I just—"

"Shhhh" Ren hushed him. "I know, Yamato, I know. I would have broken down too, if I saw you at the brink of death."

"It's just… I don't want to imagine what could have happened if I wasn't here; or if Minami haven't brought all the supplies…"

"But the fact was that you were here, Yamato; and Minami did bring them. That's all that matters. We're all safe now, thanks to both of you. You won't go through that again, Yamato, I promise you. At least not with me."

"No." Yamato said gruffly. "I will. And I will go through that as many times as you need me to. This is where you need to be, Ren. I've promised you that I'll never make you choose between Shin and I; and I intend to keep my promise."

Ren hesitated. He really wanted to help his Aniki. He knew that Shin needed help, and while Koisuke was capable enough; he wasn't on the same level as Ren or Tetsu or Wakamatsu. But he never, never, never wanted to see Yamato cry like that ever again.

"Ren, remember what we talked about when you invited me over for dinner last week?" Yamato asked warningly. "Stop brooding by yourself. Tell me what you think. Talk to me. Don't try to make my decisions for me."

Ren sighed. "I don't want to hurt you like that ever again, Yamato. It broke my heart to see you so vulnerable."

"Tell me, Ren, when SARS hit Japan a few years ago, how did you feel with me working in the hospital every day?"

"It was horrible. I was so afraid that I jumped every time the phone rang. I was terrified that the hospital was calling me to deliver bad news."

"And if SARS or some other infectious disease strikes again, would you stop me or even try to discourage me from going to work?"

"Of course not, Yamato. I see what you're trying to say, but it's hardly the same. Your job is noble. You're saving lives. I'm doing the exact opposite. Well, not all the time, but you get the idea."

"KAZAMA REN!" Yamato snapped sternly. "Do you even hear what you're saying? Shin would have been heartbroken if he heard you just now. You of all people should know that the Yakuza is not just about killing people and committing unspeakable crimes. You say that you are proud of having a Yakuza family, proud of being Shin's Shatei; but you seemed to have forgotten its values! Where is your sense of duty and honour? If crime and death is all you're going to associate with the Yakuza, then I've changed my mind. You shouldn't come back, ever. The Oedo clan deserves a better leader."

Yamato's words stabbed Ren like a knife in his already-injured gut. He hadn't meant to imply that being in the Yakuza was dishonourable, of course; but Yamato was right. His over-protectiveness over Yamato had caused him to lose sight of the more important things. He had been so distracted by the potential dangers that he had forgotten his duty. And to think that Yamato was the one who had to remind him of that – he was ashamed, to say the least.

"I… I'm sorry." He choked out.

Yamato leapt off the bed and took out two pairs of clothes. One was a pair of slacks and a white shirt, and the other was his Oedo clan kimono. "You have 5 minutes to get dressed, Ren. Make your choice." Yamato's voice was cold and distant.

Ren reached out to grab Yamato's hand. "I've never been good at dressing in a kimono. Will you help me?" He asked, silently begging for forgiveness.

Yamato's gaze softened. "Go clean yourself up for a bit first. I'll lay out the kimono for you."


Ren fell onto his knees before Shin, fully dressed in his Oedo clan kimono.

"Forgive me, Aniki, for my foolishness. I was so blinded by the danger and distress Yamato was in, that I had forgotten my duties to you and the clan. But that is no longer the case. I have regained my perspective, and I'm ready to serve once again." Ren said.

Shin reached out to pull him up. "Firstly, Ren, it's not foolish to be concerned about your partner. It is a natural instinct for all creatures to protect their loved ones. So never apologize for that. And secondly, you no longer owe any duties to me or the clan, Ren. Your time as my Shatei has ended, with amazing results I might add; so you have definitely been released from your oath."

"I know that, Aniki. But to me, the oath has never ended in the first place. I still feel the overwhelming desire to protect you and to help you with everything you need. Please let me help you right now, even if it's only to help you re-establish a new rank. After that, I will return to the Red Lion Group or wherever you require me to be."

Shin allowed Ren's words to digest in his mind. It seemed like he needed to have a long talk with his brother about his choices and his future, but he simply did not have the time now.

"Very well. We'll talk about your future later, Ren. For now, you'll take Tetsu's place as wakagashira temporarily."

"Thank you, Oyasan." Ren replied, relieved that he was accepted back once again.

"I'm always your brother, Ren. Never forget that. We're not just brothers in name; we've sworn to be brothers in bond and in blood."

"Yes, Aniki."

"Alright. For now, get Hayato to handle the company for the next few weeks until this situation settles down. A little more money won't go amiss either, since we'll be going around for a bit to meet with various parties. The next thing I want you to do is summon the Division Leaders ASAP. And then after that…"


"Yamato." Hayato greeted tiredly from his desk.

Yamato looked at his ex-boyfriend, now friend, concernedly. "Hayato, you look like death warmed over."

"Gee, thanks, you look great too."

Yamato smiled. Hayato's tongue was still as sharp as ever.

"Lots of work?" He asked sympathetically, looking around at Ren's office. He had only been here a handful of times. Ren preferred to keep his work and private life separate. Yamato supposed it was an ingrained habit; since his job involved keeping the Oedo clan and the Red Lion Group separate all the time.

"I have no idea how Ren deals with all of this. I'm up to my neck with work by 8 a.m. in the morning!" Hayato snapped in irritation.

Yamato wisely chose not to say anything. He knew next to nothing about business. He handed Hayato a bento box. "There, I've brought you some food. Nothing fancy, mind you. But Saki said that you haven't eaten lunch for the past few days."

Hayato raised a suspicious eyebrow. "And why are you checking on me through my secretary?" His lips twitched slightly before adding, "Don't tell me you're just attracted this office, regardless of who's sitting in it?"

Yamato rolled his eyes, having no desire to fall into the obvious trap. "If you must know, Saki told Ren; who told me about it. Don't worry, next time I won't bother."

"Aww, you know I'm kidding right, honey?" Hayato pleaded. "So how's Ren? I heard he got hurt."

"Don't call me honey, sweetie." Yamato smirked. Both of them could play at this game. They knew exactly how to push the wrong buttons on each other. That was probably one of the reasons why their relationship didn't work out. "He's alright now; the stitches are healing nicely as we speak."

"When can he come back to work? Because I don't think I can do this much longer." Hayato whined.

"I don't know. He's busy with The Investors now. One of them passed away unexpectedly, and another is institutionalized indefinitely."

"OH." Hayato was caught by surprise. Ren had not given him much details when he called, just asked him to cover for him for a couple of weeks and to transfer some money to him immediately. He had not realised that something had happened to the Oedo clan leaders. "I see. I didn't know about that."

"Anyway, I need to get back to the hospital. I'll let Ren know that you can't cope with the workload, bye!" He left before Hayato could protest that 'of course I can handle the workload'.

"Stupid Yamato and his stupid bento and his stupid comments that know how to get under my stupid skin." Hayato grumbled under his breath before digging into his first lunch of the week.


A/N: So… This is just a preview of what's to come. I want your feedback: graphic sex scenes – yay or nay? If you guys prefer, I can tone it down. Let me know!