So, this and a future chapter are bumping up the rating on this story for sexual content. Nothing is described in graphic detail though, it's all pretty much fade to black, but I do try to keep that stuff over on AO3.

Thanks as always for your comments. :)

Territory

Rin checked his pockets, making sure he had his phone and wallet and whatever else he needed to take home, then arranged the papers on his desk in to two stacks, more or less. He glanced up at the clock, his body thrumming with trapped energy as he watched it tick down the last few seconds to five o'clock. As soon as the long hand of the clock made contact Rin was up and out of his chair, grabbing the smaller of the two stacks of paper to take it to filing on his way out of the building. He was halfway out the door when he stopped short, a vibration in his pocket grabbing his attention, and he pulled out his phone to see a text from Ryuuji.

I've been invited out to drink after work with some of the other middle class exorcists. I'll be home late so you don't need to cook for me.

Rin pouted as he shoved his phone back in to his pocket, but he wasn't about to complain. It was, in a manner of speaking, sort of (mostly) his own fault that he hadn't ranked up as fast as Ryuuji had. Ryuuji pushed him to pick up an extra meister, even citing him as a shoe in for tamer class, but it was precisely because Ryuuji put in so much effort, overtime, and went to networking events like this that he got on so well with the higher-ups and the rest of their coworkers. It certainly didn't hurt that he was a human, and from a good family too.

Well, whatever… Rin put in overtime too, sometimes… In fact he'd be putting in overtime tomorrow with an overnight field mission; exactly the kind of overtime he liked, as long as it wasn't too boring. Not paperwork though… There was always paperwork. It was literally never ending, so he didn't mind if it sat and waited its turn to get done. As long as he got it done before people started to complain he was good, and he rarely left it that long… Usually.

Well, whatever. He'd just have dinner with Kuro and package up the left overs for lunch tomorrow.

That was exactly what he was doing, sitting on the couch and watching TV with Kuro, his mouth half full of food, when he heard Ryuuji's key in the lock. He got up quickly, trying to hide the evidence that he was eating in the living room and peeked out in to the hallway.

"You're home early."

"Um…" Ryuuji spun to face him, and blushed, glancing down like he'd just been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. He licked his lips, collecting his thoughts. "It turned out… It wasn't really a work networking thing…"

"No?" Rin asked, not failing to notice the way Ryuuji fidgeted, his blush rising to trail down his neck and ears, or the way he left out exactly what the event had actually been. "So what was it?"

"It was… Just me and Watanabe Chise," he said, and when Rin narrowed his eyes he quickly added, "But she was very apologetic when I told her I was married and I left right away."

"Watanabe? That's the tamer, right? Brown hair?"

"Uh… Yes," Ryuuji said, a little caught off guard by Rin's nonchalance. "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad at you?" Rin said stretching up to lay his arms over Ryuuji's shoulders, kissing him briefly. "And her? Well, if anything I have to compliment her. She clearly has good taste."

Ryuuji scoffed lightly, but visibly relaxed, leaning down to kiss Rin again.

"But if you're feeling guilty you can make it up to me," Rin said as he wiggled his eyebrows, his voice dipping low as he moved down to kiss Ryuuji's neck.

Ryuuji's only response was to hum low in his throat as he wrapped his arms around Rin, pulling the half demon's body against his own.

When Ryuuji woke the next morning it was to more pain than he was used to accompanying a night of vigorous sex—some ache was expected, but this was beyond normal. Peeling away from the sheets opened up fresh scabs along his back where Rin had raked him with his nails, and the freshly bared flesh protested the movement. Ryuuji sat on the edge of the bed and rolled his shoulders, taking stock of the damage and then tentatively reached for his neck. The skin was tender there too, feeling bruised, and when he dragged himself in to the bathroom and flicked on the light, he realized why.

His neck and chest were covered in hickies. More than one of the small purple bruises was too high up for his shirt collar to cover. There were even a few bite marks.

Ryuuji sighed and rubbed his neck. Biting and scratching was not that unusual. Rin could get very in to sex, and it made Ryuuji feel powerful that he could have that effect on him, even though deep down he knew that for Rin it was always a controlled fall, but Rin was usually careful with where he placed them. This, on the other hand, was a very clear and deliberate attempt to mark him, and Ryuuji felt almost as if he had walked blindly in to a devious trap which had been baited with only the most delectable of temptations.

He leaned back, stealing a glance out the bathroom door at the other boy who was still soundly asleep, completely untroubled by the world, and shook his head.

When Ryuuji returned from his jog it was his intention to head straight for the shower, to finish of his morning routine as usual, but a noise drew his attention and he detoured to the kitchen. Rin was up, awake well ahead of his normal schedule, and busy cooking.

"You're up early," Ryuuji said as he slipped in to the kitchen, setting his iPod down on the kitchen table. The mouth-watering smell of breakfast filled the air and Ryuuji's stomach rumbled, reminding him he hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday.

"Good morning," Rin said, his voice unusually bright and cheerful for the early hour. He turned and placed a plate of food on the table in front of Ryuuji before turning back to the stove. "You missed dinner last night, right? And I won't be around tonight to cook so I'm making you something now."

The kitchen counter did contain a lot more than Rin usually used for one meal, and two wrapped bento boxes already sat to the side, neatly ready to go along with them to work, but something simply felt off to Ryuuji. He couldn't complain though, and his stomach once again reminded him of just how hungry he was so he sat and started to eat.

"I was thinking of maybe pursuing a meister in tamer after all," Rin said.

There it was.

"This isn't because of Watanabe hitting on me, is it?"

"What? No."

"Good, because I've been nagging you to try for another meister for months. You've been taking Kuro on missions for years; you'd pass for sure. I just think it's a little weird that you've been so resistant, and suddenly a tamer in my division hits on me and now you're actually considering it."

"Well, it's got nothing to do with that, okay?"

"Okay," Ryuuji said, shrugging, "If you say so."

When he was finished eating he placed his dishes in the sink and watched Rin for a moment as he finished packing up the rest of the food he'd made, setting the dishes aside to be cleaned.

"What?" Rin asked when he realized he was being watched.

Ryuuji shrugged. "Nothing."

"Then you'd better go have your shower," Rin said, "I might not mind the smell, but I don't think our coworkers will share the sentiment." Rin pressed his face to Ryuuji's neck and licked the column of this throat, tasting his sweat.

"On second thought…" Rin grabbed Ryuuji by the hips and lifted him on to the table. Ryuuji gaped at him, always caught off guard when Rin used his unnatural strength against him.

"W-wait a sec-"

Rin ignored him, tugging Ryuuji's pants off and swiftly kneeling between his legs. Ryuuji's protests melted away at the first touch of Rin's tongue.

When Ryuuji hopped down from the kitchen table fifteen minutes later his legs felt like jelly and it was all he could do to hobble in to the shower and lean his head against the wall as he let the hot water course over him, stinging his back, but soothing his aching muscles.

He could only speculate at what his punishment would be if he actually had cheated on Rin, and wondered how much more of this he could take. Rin had said he wasn't mad, but he was clearly bothered by what had happened even if he wouldn't admit it.

When he finished his shower and dried himself off, he returned to the kitchen to find Rin cleaning up the last of his mess, humming quietly to himself as if nothing at all was wrong. Ryuuji stood in the hallway, quietly watching Rin as he considered how to broach the subject. Leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest, he eventually came to the conclusion that the best way to do it was 'directly'.

"Rin, you don't think I would ever cheat on you, do you?"

"What?!" Rin said, looking hurt, "Of course not! I-"

"Because you're certainly acting like it, marking me up, inside and out," he said, pulling the collar of his shirt down to emphasize the hickies and bite marks.

Rin floundered, his mouth opening and closing silently before he looked down at the floor, unable to meet Ryuuji's eyes. He flinched as Ryuuji strode towards him and then placed his hand on his head, ruffling his hair. Rin's cheeks burned, but he didn't push Ryuuji's hand away. He did finally look up at him from beneath his bangs.

"I don't think you'd cheat on me," he said, his voice weak, "You didn't do anything wrong."

"That doesn't mean you can't be upset about what happened."

Rin didn't respond, just hunching in on himself.

"If it upsets you, just say so."

Rin clenched his fists. "… How did she not know we're married?"

Ryuuji shrugged, letting his hand slide down from Rin's head to rest between his shoulder blades and pull him against his chest. "She transferred in only a few months ago and… Well, she's not exactly the sharpest knife in the block and in any case she knows now. If it helps, she was incredibly embarrassed when I told her."

"It helps a little," Rin said, a small smile creeping on to his face. "I'm a bit disappointed I won't get to see the look on her face when she notices your neck."

"Yeah…" Ryuuji said, the humor going out of his voice, "Don't ever mark me like this again."

"… What about for fun?"

Ryuuji just sighed.