They were on the couch, Kunigami watching the , Chigiri using his thigh as a pillow while he looked at his phone.

He was stroking Chigiri's hair, thinking about how perfect this situation was and how he could see himself being happy with the rest of his life being like this.

They still hadn't gone any further than making out, but that was fine. He'd had to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The shifts were long and tiring. And today they'd spent the day at Yuuko's place, so Reina could show off her presents from Santa. He'd managed to pull Yuuko aside and check in. She admitted it was hard sometimes, but in general she was okay because she had him and Kotone to support her.

As for Chigiri's family situation, he'd replied to Miho, thanking her and wishing her a Merry Christmas. She'd wished him the same and they'd left it there for now. Chigiri seemed content with that so Kunigami hadn't pushed.

"Hey, Chigiri?"

"Yeah?"

"You got any plans tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? No."

"You want to come to a party with me? It's our station bounenkai, and we can bring someone if we want. Most of the guys bring their wife or girlfriend. It's just good to know who everyone is going home to at the end of shift, you know? Like a reminder that we always have to do our best for them."

Chigiri sat up and stared at him wide-eyed.

"And you wanna bring me?"

"Yeah. I guess I want everyone to know I have someone important now too."

"Kunigami, this won't cause trouble for you?"

He knew what Chigiri meant, because they were both guys.

"I don't think so. But even if it did, I'd deal with it. I don't want you to be a secret."

Chigiri swallowed and nodded.

"Okay…"

He knew what Chigiri was thinking, it was kind of a big deal that they'd made it this far, that they were really a part of each other's lives now.

Kunigami took Chigiri's chin between his thumb and forefinger, and tilted his pretty face up. There were so many things he wanted to say, but it was all too big and he couldn't find the words. So he leaned in and kissed him instead.

Chigiri responded to it, curling his arms around him, and deepening the kiss.

With the busyness of the last few days they hadn't found a good time to continue the physical side of their relationship much. He knew Chigiri was eager for more, but Kunigami couldn't surrender to it again. It wasn't that he didn't find Chigiri attractive, he absolutely did, it was just that the time never felt right, like he wasn't giving it the proper consideration it deserved. And honestly, he didn't like the way he'd lost control the other day, Chigiri was more important than that. Taking pleasure from him felt like taking advantage of him, but Chigiri was kissing him deeply, crawling into his lap, seeking more.

"Kunigami, come on…" Chigiri pleaded. He knew he had to do something, but nothing felt like enough to get the enormity of his feelings across.

Chigiri was kneeling over him, grinding against him as they kissed, and he couldn't turn the worry off that Chigiri was hurting himself by putting too much pressure on his knee. He turned Chigiri around, so he was sitting in his lap, and pressed his palm to the front of Chigiri's pants to appease him.

"Mmm, yes…" Chigiri moaned, writhing against him. "More…"

He pushed Chigiri's chin to turn his head so they could kiss again, and used his other hand to rub the bulge in his pants.

Chigiri's hips were bucking against him, and he pressed harder, until he felt a shiver run through Chigiri and knew he'd come.

Chigiri let his head roll back against Kunigami's shoulder as he caught his breath.

"That was awful," he panted, half laughing. At least he's not upset.

"I'm sorry," Kunigami said, burying his face against Chigiri's neck, squeezing his ribs tight. He genuinely meant it, but he was as confused as Chigiri probably was, trying to make the shift from friend and protector to lover was hard now that he'd had time to cool his head. He'd spent so long telling himself he couldn't have this, that taking anything from Chigiri was the wrong thing to do.

"It's alright. It just means I need to step up my game."

"It's not you…" he said, needing Chigiri to understand that.

"Hey," Chigiri said, turning to look at him, curling an arm behind his head, to bring their mouths close together. "I can wait for you, you've waited long enough for me."

That meant a lot and he held Chigiri tight as they shared a kiss. I love him so much.

xxx

Standing outside the izakaya, Chigiri looked up at him. He'd styled his hair in a high ponytail with some locks left loose to frame his pretty face. He'd also added a touch of make-up, gloss to make his full lips shine, liner and shadow to make his big eyes even brighter, and he'd chosen soft pastel colours to wear. He's gonna be the prettiest partner here.

"You're sure about this?"

Kunigami took Chigiri's hand in his.

"You don't need to keep asking me that. I'm sure I love you and that's not going to change."

"Okay," Chigiri said, fingers tightening around Kunigami's.

They headed inside, finding everyone gathered.

"Hey guys," he said, aware that he was grinning like crazy, but he couldn't help it, not when he was here with Chigiri in a way that meant this was his norm now. "This is-"

"Hyoma Chigiri!" a female voice exclaimed.

In an instant all the wives and girlfriends had surrounded them, excited to meet someone they obviously admired.

I guess he's kinda famous now.

Kunigami stepped aside while the girls swamped Chigiri, all gushing over how much they loved him and his work. I think this will be good for him.

He grabbed a beer and stood with the guys, watching on with amusement.

"Shouldn't you save him?" Suzuki wondered.

"Nope," Kunigami laughed. "He's on his own with this one."

"Hey, isn't he the guy you pulled out of that apartment building a while back?" Sato asked.

"Yeah," Kunigami said. "But I've know him a lot longer. We lost touch for a while, but after that I just couldn't let him go."

"Aww," they teased. "Kunigami's in wuv."

"Stop it," he laughed. He was glad though that his colleagues were cool with it.

"Suzuki brought someone too," Sato said. Sato himself was married and had two kids, but this was new for Suzuki.

"Oh yeah?" Kunigami said, interested because he'd never known Suzuki to commit to anyone.

"Yeah," Suzuki said, rubbing his neck, nervous like Kunigami had never seen. Wow, he must really like her. "I'll introduce you."

The flock had dispersed enough from around Chigiri, that Suzuki was able to extract his girlfriend, and Chigiri came to join them too. As it turned out, they both knew Suzuki's date.

"Akemi!" Kunigami grinned. "What's a nice girl like you doing with a shady guy like him?"

She knew he was only teasing and gave Suzuki an admiring look.

"I fell for his charms, I suppose."

"What charms?" Kunigami and Sato laughed in unison.

"Seriously though," Kunigami said. "You better take care of her, Suzuki. She's one in a million."

"I know," Suzuki said, as serious as Kunigami had ever heard him.

As for Akemi, she gave both him and Chigiri a smile.

"I'm really glad to see you guys made things official."

Akemi was one of the few people who knew how special their relationship really was and her support meant a lot.

"You know Chigiri?" Suzuki asked.

"Of course. I helped take care of him after the fire."

"Right," Suzuki agreed. There was a lot more to it than that but Akemi was polite enough to keep it to herself.

After that they joined the main group, all sitting around a big table so they could share a meal together. Because Chigiri had things in common with the girls, and because the guys all wanted to keep their partners happy, it was even easier than Kunigami had imagined. This works. We fit in fine.

Of course people were curious, probably mostly wondering how he had managed to land a catch like Chigiri.

"How did you meet?"

"We played soccer together. Back in high school."

"You went to school together?"

"No, it was a special program. Blue Lock."

"Blue Lock?!" several people exclaimed. "That's where Isagi got his start! Do you guys know him?!"

"Urgh. Kunigami…" Chigiri groaned, leaning his forehead against Kunigami's shoulder.

"You've gotta stop reacting like this," Kunigami laughed, giving Chigiri's back a comforting pat, then answering the question. "Yeah, we all started on the same team, so we played together for a bit."

It was another thing that made Chigiri popular, and several people commented on what an amazing life he had. They meant well, but they didn't know the half of it. It was amazing though, because he'd endured it all and was building something for himself now.

No one stayed too late because the last two bachelors in the squad had partners now, and most of the guys had kids to get home to.

"Did you have fun?" Kunigami asked Chigiri on the walk home.

"Yeah. It was good to meet the people who fight beside you every day. They seem like great guys to have your back."

"They are. How'd you go with your fans?"

"Fine," Chigiri said with a wry smile. "They really like what I do. One of them was even wearing one of my styles."

"That's awesome. You do know you were the prettiest one there though, right?"

"You mean that?" Chigiri checked, looking up with those big magenta eyes, sparkling under the neon lights.

"Without a doubt."

Chigiri squeezed his hand and looked up from under long lashes.

"Then let's hurry home."

xxx

When they got home, Chigiri expected a repeat of five days ago when he'd taken Kunigami to Ginza to see the billboard. He wanted Kunigami to take charge, to treat him like something he couldn't get enough of, but it wasn't going that way.

On the couch, he touched Kunigami's thigh, sliding his hand higher. He wanted Kunigami to touch him too, but he pulled away. It was frustrating that they still couldn't make it any further than this.

"Kunigami, what's changed? Why are you holding back? You're not looking at me the way you did before…"

Kunigami seemed upset by that.

"I'm not..?"

"No. What happened? What's wrong?"

"I…" Kunigami began, then gathered his thoughts before he continued. "I guess maybe seeing how everyone was with you tonight, I kinda feel like I'm being selfish now."

"What do you mean? I want this."

"I know. But if we do this, that'll be it. And I don't know if you need me like this when your career is just taking off. Seeing you with all your admirers tonight… I guess I don't want to get in your way."

"Kunigami, you won't get in the way. And I wouldn't have any of this without you."

Kunigami looked ready to deny it. How do I convince him this is right?

"And you know what else? These feelings aren't new. I mean sure, they had to get benched for a long time, but I've always liked you, Hero. And now I'm lucky enough to have a chance to be with you. So stop holding back, okay?"

Kunigami still didn't look sure, so Chigiri shared a truth he'd held tight to. It was the most personal thing he had, but he would give it to Kunigami if it helped him understand how serious Chigiri was about this relationship.

He took Kunigami's face in his hands, needing him to hear this loud and clear.

"All those years that I was sad and desperate, I never touched hard drugs. I wanted to, it would have been so much easier to just forget everything, but I held back, and you know why?"

Kunigami shook his head, amber eyes locked on Chigiri's.

"It was because of you. I think somewhere deep down I was trying not to disappoint you. I didn't wanna do anything I thought you couldn't forgive. And I guess too that I wanted to hold onto a chance, however small it was, that if we ever met again, I might be able to stand beside you. You understand? I love you. I've always loved you. And you have been saving me this whole time. No job, however glamorous, could ever compare to that. You are the number one priority in my life. So don't deny me, okay?"

"Chigiri…"

"When my hair turns grey and I have too many wrinkles to do this work, you'll still love me, right?"

"Yes. Absolutely, yes."

"Good. Then show me. Make it so I can't ever doubt it."

They kissed again, slower and deeper this time. Chigiri wrapped his legs around Kunigami's waist.

"Take me to bed…"

Kunigami stood up, carrying him to the bedroom, laying him down on the bed and climbing over him.

"Tell me one more time that you're sure."

"I'm sure, Hero. I've never been surer of anything."

He curled his arms around Kunigami's neck and pulled him down into a deep kiss. But it wasn't enough, not now that he knew they were going to do this.

He pulled Kunigami's shirt off, admiring his sculpted chest. All this is mine. He used his hands and mouth to show his appreciation. It still wasn't enough though, Kunigami was still hesitating, so Chigiri pushed his shoulder and rolled them over. He was going to have to take charge if he wanted this to happen.

He pulled his own shirt off, knowing he looked good now. Since the possibility of modelling work had been mentioned, he'd been working out, and was in the best shape he had been since he was an athlete. He pulled his hair loose too, shaking it out and letting it cascade around his shoulders, taking satisfaction from the lustful look that came over Kunigami's face. Yes, that's right. You want me.

He leaned down and caught Kunigami's mouth in a hot kiss, revelling in the feel of skin on skin where their chests pressed together. He moved lower then, using his mouth, licking and sucking his way down until he reached Kunigami's waistband. He didn't hesitate didn't give Kunigami any time to think, just pulled his pants down over his hips and freed his dick. Wow. It's not like I haven't seen it before, but at attention, it's big.

He gave it one long lick from base to tip and then sealed his mouth around it. The flavour instantly made his own arousal spike, and he licked and sucked hungrily. He really couldn't get enough and bobbed his head, taking it deep into his throat. He felt so full already, heat building in his belly, his own dick throbbing, all of it making his head spin with pleasure.

Then Kunigami planted a big hand on top of his head.

"Stop for a second..."

Nooo… Anyone else and he would have kept going, but he couldn't ignore Kunigami.

"What's wrong?" he puffed.

"Nothing. Just, turn around."

"Huh?"

"I wanna suck yours too."

Chigiri finished getting naked, and moved so he was positioned over Kunigami.

He swallowed Kunigami's dick down again, feeling a jolt run through him as Kunigami's mouth closed around him. He moaned, knowing Kunigami would feel it through his dick. It became harder to think after that, he was already turned on by having a dick in his throat, but getting head too, his brain was rapidly losing higher function. Kunigami gently stroked his balls while he sucked him off, and then he felt a big finger touch his hole.

He made a noise in his throat, and sucked Kunigami harder to show his appreciation. But when Kunigami pushed a finger inside him, he had to pull his mouth off, because he was starting to lose control.

"Ah, oh God…" Kunigami hooked his finger forward and a wave of incredible pleasure washed over him. "Hero… Ah, yes… There… More…"

Kunigami added a second finger and Chigiri rocked back against it. All he could think of was more. Kunigami kept working him, pushing him closer to the edge.

"Ah, stop. Stop… I don't wanna… Not yet… I need you inside me…"

He rolled onto his back and waited for Kunigami to come to him, and he did, settling his weight on top of Chigiri so they could share a kiss. It tasted like dick and Chigiri clamped his arms around Kunigami's neck, kissing him as deeply as he could, unable to get enough of anything because it was all so good. He opened his legs wider in invitation and felt Kunigami's tip bump against his hole. He whimpered into Kunigami's mouth and jammed his heel into Kunigami's calf. Inside… I need you inside…

Kunigami understood him.

"Tell me if it's too much, okay..?" he said into Chigiri's mouth.

Chigiri nodded, body alight with anticipation. He felt pressure and then Kunigami was sliding inside him. It had been a while since he'd done this, and he'd never done it with someone he loved. It was a whole different thing, being connected to someone like this, emotionally as well as physically. He dug his fingers into Kunigami's back, needing an anchor. It wasn't too much, but it was a lot after all this time, and knowing it was Kunigami was nearly overwhelming. He didn't know what he wanted to do, scream, cry, bite something, so he just hung on tight and tried to remember to breathe.

Kunigami stopped, deep inside him, letting them both feel the connection, and looked down into his eyes. He's thinking about me. He wants to make sure it's good for me too…

"You okay?"

Physically, he was fine, but looking back into those kind eyes, having someone care about him in this moment, was amazing. That had never happened to him before.

"Yeah," he choked out. "Kiss me."

Kunigami did, keeping the kisses slow and firm as he moved his hips, slowly and carefully working in and out. It was good, but as his need intensified he wanted, needed, more.

"More," he begged. "More…"

He expected a simple quickening of pace, but Kunigami surprised him by straightening up and pulling Chigiri with him so he was upright in Kunigami's lap. It put them face to face and allowed them both to hold the other tight. It felt more intimate and he knew that's what Kunigami was after. He crushed his mouth to Kunigami's, both of them having to move now to make the sex work. Kunigami wrapped him up in a tight embrace and Chigiri held on too, so that they were pressed as close together as they could be, skin hot and slick with sweat.

"I love you," Kunigami told him, breathing the words into his ear as he thrust up into him. "So much. So much…"

Chigiri couldn't speak to reply, he was on the edge, gasping with pleasure, and could only cling on tighter, as his hips rolled and his orgasm spilled over him.

He lost everything for a moment, except the ecstasy, wave after wave rolling through him each time Kunigami pushed up inside him. He became a boneless mess but Kunigami held him tight, reaching his own climax soon after, rolling forward so that Chigiri ended up pressed underneath his bigger frame.

He lay there, Kunigami panting hot against his shoulder, heavy on top of him.

Knowing Kunigami, he would try to move soon in case he was too heavy, so Chigiri wrapped his arms around him tight to make sure he couldn't go anywhere.

"I love you too," he told Kunigami, completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of it for a moment, hardly able to believe something so good was his. I was alone for so long, but I'm not alone anymore.