Author's Notes:
Again, more smut in this chapter. I realize this is probably more KuroSyao smut than is strictly necessary, even for those of you who enjoy this pairing, but I figured since so few others write KuroSyao, I should at least write in some extra smut for those of you who want it. It doesn't start until the second scene, though, so even if you plan to skip it, you can still read the first part of the chapter.
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Fai couldn't deny the improvement, though he wanted to. Shopping bags dangling from his arms, he walked through the door and saw Syaoran sitting on the couch, a bowl of ice cream in his lap, watching television. His crutches leaned against the arm of the couch, easily accessible in case he wanted to get up and walk around. And when he turned his head to look at Fai, the faintest of smiles pulled at his lips. "Welcome back."
Fai stood in the doorway for several seconds, off-balance. His eye darted over to Kurogane, perched on the opposite end of the couch, a towel laying over his shower-dampened hair. He'd changed into a new shirt, Fai noticed, though like most things in Infinity, this one consisted of black and white fabric stitched together with exaggerated seams and unnecessary zippers.
"We're back," Fai murmured, forcing himself to move. Sakura walked in behind him, carrying two of the lighter bags. As they started putting their groceries away, Kurogane walked over, picked up a bag of canned goods, and started stacking things into the cupboards.
Fai bit back the question on his tongue. After a few minutes, he picked up the last bag and turned to Sakura. "Kurogane and I will take care of the rest."
Her eyebrows slanted back, confusion dancing in her eyes. But after a moment, she nodded. "All right." She turned and walked to her bedroom, her gait almost graceful despite her permanent leg brace. One leg, one knee, and one eye, Fai thought, his mind flashing to all the recent tragedies. How did we ever get so crippled?
He stacked the last few cans on the shelf, surreptitiously watching Kurogane as he tried to think of a way to bring up whatever had happened while he'd been out. He settled for honesty. "Syaoran-kun seems happier."
Kurogane nodded, as if the statement carried no significance.
Fai hesitated a beat, then continued on to his question. "How did you manage it?"
The ninja exhaled sharply. "How do you think, idiot?"
He looked away, a lump rising in his throat. It's worth the discomfort if it makes things easier on Syaoran-kun, he reminded himself, though the image that had popped into his head had been decidedly disturbing.
When Fai said nothing, Kurogane looked at him. "Thanks."
He shrugged. "Don't mention it," he said, and prayed that Kurogane wouldn't.
The next few days were better. The kid left his room at regular intervals, most often to visit the bathroom, but also to join the rest of them at mealtimes. He also spoke more often, both to the mage and the princess, (which was pretty damn forgiving, Kurogane thought, after the way they'd ignored him for months, but at least it was progress). And when the wizard deemed it was time to restart his daily walks with the princess, Kurogane knew the idiot had forgiven them both enough to leave him alone with the boy again.
It happened within two minutes of the others' departure. Syaoran stepped out of his room, crutches tapping against the cement, and sat on the arm of the couch, less than a foot away. Before Kurogane could ask the boy if he wanted to do anything, Syaoran leaned over and planted a kiss on the side of his neck. "What the—" Kurogane began.
"Please?" Syaoran asked, his coffee-colored eyes focusing in on Kurogane's face.
How the hell does he do that? Kurogane wondered, his resistance crumbling as he turned his head to brush his lips across the kid's eyelid. Syaoran crawled into his lap, their thighs pressing together in a rhythm Kurogane had come to appreciate. He let his self-control slide away, burying his face in the boy's hair as his movements grew more insistent. And when Syaoran knelt between his legs, Kurogane closed his eyes and decided that there was no point in trying to stop this now.
There was the sound of a zipper being undone, and then Syaoran's mouth closed around his length. Within seconds, he was panting, jolts of pleasure shooting up his spine and spreading through his body like those fireworks that crackled after bursting out of their shell. When a spasm of release shuddered through him, he let out a moan.
The kid didn't cough or gag this time, only tilted his head back and swallowed. Then, without a word, he stood up, retrieved his crutches and went to the bathroom, where he proceeded to brush his teeth.
Kurogane didn't miss the fact that the kid hadn't said a word since the initial kiss.
The second time it happened, Kurogane initiated the exchange. The kid had already been sitting on the edge of the couch when the others left for their daily walk, munching on an apple the mage had bought on his last shopping spree. Kurogane just laid a hand on the back of Syaoran's head and let his fingers comb through the boy's hair. The kid responded within seconds, discarding the apple and sliding into Kurogane's lap the same way he had before.
This time, Kurogane didn't wait for the boy to shift gears. He wrapped his arms around the kid and rolled, pressing him into the couch cushions. Surprise flitted across Syaoran's face as Kurogane stripped off his pants and slid his palm along the inside of the boy's thigh.
The kid lasted about five minutes before Kurogane had him whimpering with release. Afterward, he wet down a washcloth from the bathroom and wiped away the milky seed clinging to the boy's skin so it wouldn't drip onto the cushions. They spent the rest of their hour watching reruns of some police show.
The third time it happened, Kurogane decided it was time to talk about it, regardless of how awkward the conversation would be. So as soon as the mage and the princess went out on their walk, he walked over to the boy's room and knocked on the door.
"Come in," Syaoran called from the other side. The door swung open as he pushed through, allowing the light from the living room to flood into the bedroom. Syaoran sat on the bed, stretching out his injured leg in accordance with his physical therapy guidelines. "I'm almost done," he said. "I've got five minutes of stretching left for the evening."
"All right." He hovered in the doorway for a moment, then closed the door behind him. He walked over to the boy and sat down next to him, watching the kid flex his damaged leg. He noted the range of movement, the grimace that flashed across the boy's face every few repetitions whenever he bent his knee just a little too far.
Kurogane waited, a model of patience, until Syaoran met his eyes. Before he could think of anything to say, the boy's lips were on his, their breath mingling together. Instinct clashed against reason, and he allowed himself to sink deeper into the kiss, accustomed to letting those simple touches build into something more. The boy's hands framed his face as he slid closer. His good leg swept across Kurogane's knee as they settled into a more intimate position.
Kurogane pulled back, repressing a wince at the look of hurt that flashed across Syaoran's face. "Weren't you worried about the princess finding out about this?" he asked. The kid had to realize that the more often they did this, the more likely they were to get caught.
Syaoran's eyes darted off to the side before returning to his face. Kurogane arched an eyebrow. "Yes, but . . . She and Fai-san will be out for a while, won't they?"
"You shouldn't bet on that."
"But we've done this while they were gone before."
"Yes. We have." His hand slid down Syaoran's back. The casual intimacy of the touch seemed to reassure the boy, and he leaned forward again.
This time, the boy's lips grazed his collarbone. "I like being with you."
The words sent twin pangs of relief and worry through him. He pressed his cheek into the kid's hair. "The last two times, you've barely said a word."
"Oh. I didn't realize."
No. You've been avoiding the subject. Kurogane pushed the kid into the mattress, lips tracing the boy's neck, his jaw, his mouth. "You can tell me if something's going on," he said, wondering if he'd been wrong to ignore the boy's near-confession when they'd slept together a few days ago.
"I know. I'm fine." He moved in for another kiss. Kurogane grabbed the kid's shirt and started pulling it up, baring the skin beneath. Syaoran shivered. "It's cold."
"I'll warm you up." He discarded his own shirt, then his pants, then everything else. And this time, their bodies flowed together like molten lava, every movement slow and fluid. And sweet. Sweet in a way that made his chest ache despite grating against his sensibilities. And when it was over, he pulled Syaoran into his arms and held him.
It was enough, he decided. Being able to hold onto the kid after all the shitty things that had happened to them in the past few months. It meant something. It meant everything.