Planning for the execution of Kain was taking a chunk of Ryuji's mental power. But not to the point where he didn't notice the patterns around him and the changes, he'd make himself to his day-to-day life. It meant no more calls, no more burner phones, going off the grid cold turkey. Looking at goddamn job applications and trying to find something he'd like within the realms of legality but not to the point where the other dragon would rear its ugly head. Far more difficult than perceived. And in the meantime, the Howard-Yamazaki covenant developed a routine quickly – which Ryuji feared he'd hate at first.

He did not.

Not when he'd wake up to Rock making breakfast, all bright and housewifey. They'd drink tea, hang out, and look through the newspapers after Kim was done with them. There was a simplicity to it; a sense of mundane normalcy that Ryuji hadn't experienced since…well, ever. Compared to his life of chaos and blood, this ordinariness was like being dumped into a country you had never heard of before with a native language you didn't speak. Yet, there was a level of affectionate casualness to it all, calming the nerves. A window to what lay on the other side.

In the days that passed, there'd be changes here and there. Usually in the shape of Rock working late or visits to his mom's grave. Or willing to try different rope materials whenever frisky.

Another came this morning when Rock had gone outside for a moment, then came back with a note in his hand from Myeng Swuk about the family being out of town for a month. Something about visiting relatives in Korea. There was also an addendum added by Kim, asking about keeping the courtyard tidy. It had been left very early in the morning. Which would explain why the Kims had been so busy lately. Anyway, it meant that it was just going to Rock and Ryuji in their little corner of the universe. Rock attached the note to the fridge.

At times, there was discomfort in his eyes over still living here with this place being a guest house and the fact that they could just move. They might've one day if they got sick of South Town. On the other hand, Kim did mention that the guest house just stood empty, so he was happy to have someone living there. And Rock did say he liked how homely it felt. He set some water to boil and found tea bags and mugs. As of late, tea had been part of their routine.

As had sex. Yeah, that was nice.

Rock had just sort of blossomed into a magnet of desires like a light bulb switched on inside of his head. He didn't tremble anymore. He hadn't bluescreened in a while. The stretches between each encounter grew shorter and the worries about ghosts from the past diminished every time they fucked. It just felt great, and Ryuji came to realize that he needed this badly whenever it happened. Part of that feeling came from the fact that he liked the other person riding his dick. He really did. He wanted more than to just fuck them silly. He wanted to clutch them in his arms and hold them until the sun burned out – while fucking them silly.

His mind drifted to moments in time, both intimate and mundane in nature. Of memories containing the good and the bad. Of the times when this relationship was anything but normal. It still wasn't really but Ryuji felt nothing of it. He drank his tea and looked at Rock sitting nose-deep in a newspaper, wondering if he should just fucking buy a laptop for the expressed purpose of looking up job descriptions.

Sitting here, Ryuji couldn't help but think of the chaotic mornings, going hungry as a street urchin. He'd get meals when he joined the Yakuza but it was always connected with the constant hustle and had an undercurrent of anxiety underneath. Even the pleasant moments with Sorimachi. Especially when Ryuji was young, awkward, and full of feelings. He got fixed and learned how to freeze out the weakness and the hurt. The shame of desperately selling his body as a child. Channel it all into violence. Discard affection and hide it all away.

Even now, after everything, after regaining his humanity, realizing he could feel love, feelings still felt a smidge foreign, and he wasn't sure he was even good at them yet. Maybe not when he couldn't see himself doing some love confession. Maybe he didn't need to. He glanced over at Rock skimming the pages and felt a special kind of warmth settling over his body – with the knowledge that it was mutual.

He had forgotten what that felt like.

"W-what? I got something on my face?" Rock asked with a sheepish blush when he noticed the attention.

"Nah. Just thinking about the times when you're riding me," Ryuji smirked fiendishly. "Touch-starved, are you?"

"N-no. I mean, thinking about it, it's kinda…I don't know, weird that I like to give up. I mean…I really enjoy it," Rock said softly, dropping the newspaper to bury his red face in his hands. "Like when you roll me around, tease me, make me beg and bite me and pull my hair and all that, it makes me feel unsafe because I'm super exposed. Yet through that, I feel safe. Because I trust you. Does that make sense?"

"The pain too?" Ryuji asked, swallowing hard when Rock nodded sheepishly.

"It's different than when the world kicks me in the shins or when someone hurts me in a fight or-or when I cut myself in the kitchen. It's different from self-harm. When I'm in the headspace where everything feels floaty and soft, it feels good. And so far, you're the only one to get me into that state of mind. Is it weird? Does that make sense?"

"No, and yes. I mean, you didn't get off to those other things and they suck ass. So, I guess the context of the pain and the fact that you surrender willingly is what makes it feel good," Ryuji answered and snatched the newspaper. He had many a person willing to do that and much more. Rock was mild in comparison, but Ryuji liked the threshold being where it was.

"…Are we weird for doing this? I mean, what does all of this make us?"

"It makes me a dom and you a sweet sub, wolfy," Ryuji sent him a pleased look. "Besides, nothing gets me going like you begging your master to fuck you."

Rock froze up, then narrowed his eyes. He couldn't quite convey his apparent irritation with how red and huffy he looked. "Ugh, don't start making it even more weird, you pervert."

"It also makes you a masochist but a straightforward one at that. My favorite type. There are people who like to be called every name in the book but I get the feeling you're not like that, yeah?"

"…Correct," Rock answered tersely. His wolf pride wouldn't allow for anything of that variety. Which made sense. He basked in affection and in some way, being marked and treasured by someone else was a sign of tenderness. Being called…whatever pejorative Ryuji could think of, didn't sit well with this particular sub.

Rock stood up to gather the plates and glasses. He was wearing shorts this morning and that was dangerously enticing right after their talk about power play. Ryuji found himself staring when not mindlessly looking through the newspaper and decided to just give in for the morning. He stood up, rounded the table, and settled behind Rock, watching him jitter with anticipation.

"What are you doing?" Rock asked, a little coy, a little unamused like the busy housewife he'd be. Ryuji didn't answer him at first, held his hips, and closed the gap between them, leaning close to whisper; "Bend over."

"Fuck that. I got work to do," the younger man protested while he took on the task of doing the dishes.

"Just a quickie."

After a short pause, a weird groan came from Rock and he relented, spreading his legs apart, and leaning over the sink for balance. "Be happy I like being with you."

The feeling was mutual. Ryuji wasn't at that point where he could verbalize it, but he'd hint at it by leaning over to kiss Rock's neck, strong and fierce, until the reluctance shattered into little pieces of desire. Moments like these, moments in time were the trigger to fill Ryuji with a solid, warm feeling of peace. Foreign and intimidating especially after long nightmarish nights when the doubt was thick and potent.

Pulling Rock's shorts down, he thought of Sorimachi, of how the old man would feel about his protégé going legit, leaving the gokudō. Peppering bite marks to the back of Rock's thighs, feeling him shudder, hearing him mewl, Ryuji figured it would be okay. Maybe the old man wouldn't have minded one of his underlings going a different path in life so long as said underling was happy.

Said underling would do anything to feel this way till the end of time.

For whatever goddamn reason, Rock decided it was 'take your pet snake to work' day. 'Just because', was the reasoning. And as a good pet, Ryuji followed Rock to the auto shop. Since disposing of Xanadu, his leg had gotten a lot better thanks to rest and a visit or two from Matilda.

"So why did you bring me along?" he asked once they had made it far enough away from the Kim residence.

"Just wanted to show you a window to the world of manual labor," Rock answered, slightly playfully. "Besides, my boss knows that there's someone in my life. I mean, we've broached the topic of love lives. He's divorced so he's probably starting fresh, looking for how other people make their shit work. He's a good guy, just had some tough luck."

"So what, he's gonna use us as demonstrations?" a tiny smirk crossed Ryuji's face, just a notch sardonic. "Geez, Rock. I mean like fuckin' you and fuckin' being here with you. But I'm not gonna act like some teenager who can't keep his hands off."

This gave way for Rock to laugh a little, gently slapping Ryuji across the arm. "Don't take it so seriously. You're just visiting."

They made it to the auto shop with the morning sun still standing high. The place was a dump, plain and simple. Rock had alluded to this, but it felt weird to actually see the junkyard in person. And next to an old minivan, there stood a man in green, wearing shades, pumping the tires. Hearing voices, he looked up at his one employee. And the stranger who had been dragged along.

"The hell?" he said, raising a brow under his shades.

"Thought I'd bring a guest along, Crawley. Someone special," Rock explained upon entering the main building. He removed his jacket and hung it neatly on a nearby coat hanger like it was made from glass while Ryuji simply watched from the shade of the building.

"Oh…is this…?" Crawley tipped his shades down and stared at Ryuji for a long while, then at Rock who confirmed with a small nod. That made Crawley make a weird expression as he pushed his shades back up. "I'm not even gonna ask questions about how and why but I'm assuming he's not a pimp."

'Fuck him', Ryuji thought, surprised at how he managed to keep his mouth shut while a nervous laugh escaped from Rock. "N-no, it's just the coat. He's screwed when summertime comes around."

"Alright, you two," Crawley sighed. "We got work to do so get going before you guys start making out in front of me."

A deep red stretched upon Rock's face and Ryuji momentarily wished he hadn't turned into a good guy so he could get away with kicking the fucker over the shin. But good guys behaved themselves as did he, standing by the side of the building with a sullen look on his face. Standing and watching Rock putter around and fixing cars, when he wasn't doing the inspections.

The topic at hand was wholly uninteresting, so the only thing Ryuji got out of it was watching Rock in his element, watching him bend over the hoods of some sports car. God, he looked so good like that. A shame they weren't alone because Ryuji could certainly slide over and give that ass a little squeeze. But just watching was torture that continued as the day crept closer to noon and the typical lunch break.

"You don't talk much but you're very emotive. Feels like I've seen the entire emotional spectrum on your face since you started working here, boy," it came from Crawley. He sauntered through the auto shop with some beers in his hands.

"Hm? So, what am I feeling now?" Rock asked judiciously, wiping sweat off his forehead.

"You look like you're at peace," Crawley tossed one can to him and sat on the milk crate. "I could use some of that. Still haven't gotten over my wife leavin' me."

He passed Ryuji and handed over the second can as Rock answered with; "Plenty of fish in the sea."

"I was hoping for advice too. Or I could ask your boyfriend," Crawley said a little sheepishly and Rock nearly choked on his beer.

"Boyfriend?!" Ryuji tightened his grip on the can. "The fuck? What is this, a romance novel?"

"N-no," Crawley shuddered just a notch and swiftly changed the subject. Good for him and his teeth still remaining in his head. "Say, what do you do for a living? Maybe you'd like it out here."

Or more likely, Ryuji would be stabbing the tires when he was bored, when no one was looking. Besides, he wasn't much of a mechanic. That became obvious early on when Rock had to do quick work on whatever stolen car would show up at Kim's place.

"He's gonna scare clients away. He makes a better housecat," Rock said to which Crawley laughed uproariously. What a weird fucking thing to witness. The man did not look like he smiled, let alone laugh on the regular. Suppose the goodwill as of late that had been spreading across National Park extended even to the auto shop.

Ryuji stared at his unopened drink as he watched the two finishing their beers in stretches of silence between bouts of sporadic, short small talk until the cans were empty and Rock offered to take them inside to the trash bin. He came towards the older man, raising a brow when he looked at the untouched beverage.

"Hey, wolfy. I'm gonna dip for a while. The smell of motor oil is killing me," Ryuji said upon getting the beer taken from him and smiled ever so slightly to soften it. He may have been laying it on thick because Rock blushed pretty damn hard, crawling into his proverbial shell when it came to affection in public. That was fair; fuck the stupid looks and whispers from Chang and Choi whenever they had the gull to come around. Fuck the knowing looks from May Lee or the occasional, involuntary smile.

But in the end, Ryuji had been the one to invite it. He had kissed Rock in front of everyone. Yeah, he liked it. No, he didn't regret it.

And neither did Rock evidently, with his eyes filled with understanding. He reached for the older man's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Could you head to town for lemons? Need an extra one for some homemade aioli."

Of course. That could be done. Just a normal thing. Normal was Rock, the abode, tea in the afternoon, getting annoyed by Jhun's shitty idol music. Ever so slowly, bit by bit, Ryuji accepted this new normal for the sake of the young man, he quickly stole a kiss from when Crawley wasn't looking.

Going to the store at this hour was thankfully a breezy task. At this stage, Ryuji knew the layout like the back of his palm. He knew all the kids skipping school and old folks going for canned tuna on sale. It all felt so…normal. But there was a disruption to it; Ryuji just didn't notice it before he stood outside the store with a bag of fresh lemons in his hands, although later he wished he had known its presence beforehand. But for now, he just saw it in the form of a red cap move about the crowd and further down a back alley.

Normally this wouldn't get Ryuji to look twice but ripples of familiarity compelled him to follow the hat with dread. Eventually seeing the full form less than a hundred meters away, he understood that he had good reason to be worried.

Because standing at the end of the back alley with his blonde hair and stupid red cap, was Terry Bogard. In the flesh. In person. Turning around when he had the sense of someone staring at him. He looked…tired. Diminished. There used to be a shine in his eyes, the same that Rock would occasionally get but it had faded into a dull stare.

There was no smile on his face.

"Yamazaki…" he said, already on edge without the slightest sense of what to make of the lemons. He clenched his fist, resolute but very melancholic. A given considering the letter he had written.

And it was for that reason alongside Rock that Ryuji couldn't find it within himself to stab the living daylights out of the Legendary Wolf. He felt a sudden impulse to fight and relish in the violence but he couldn't for the fact that he was human and humans didn't beat the shit out of a loved one's annoying loved one. So, he just stood there, gingerly gesturing with the lemons to signal that no, he wasn't going to defang one of the two native wolves to South Town. Not today.

Terry didn't unclench his fists, but he didn't look moments away from throwing a punch either. Just barely, it made Ryuji's opinion of the man upgrade from 'fucking annoying, kill on sight' to 'fucking annoying, don't kill on sight unless he messes with the wrong wolf'.

"Bogard," he bit out and they stood there, too stubborn to leave, too stunned to say anything else.

Terry's eyes drifted to the bag. "Lemons?"

"I bought them for someone."

Terry whistled and for a moment, Ryuji wished he could stuff one down his throat to shut him up. It was very easy to be done with this goddamn conversation, so a quick exit was desired to be made. But on the other hand, Terry was here and that wasn't necessarily a horrible thing. But why was he here? Why had he come back?

Ryuji moved past him, moved fast although he didn't know if it was subconsciously or not. He would have to plan for this, to prepare for what this disruption would cause. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but a sense of dread was beginning to simmer in the pits of his stomach. It almost reached a boil when he heard Terry follow him.

Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe it was just happenstance. Rock never mentioned where he and Terry used to live anyway. Maybe it was payback for being followed.

Before going anywhere near National Park, Ryuji stopped and turned around. "The fuck is your deal?"

"Damage control," Terry answered, then let out a short breath. "This ain't no place for you to raise hell, Yamazaki. Sorry, but I gotta keep an eye on you."

He had said that, but the spirit behind it wasn't there. That fighting spirit, he harbored was at a rest and so his provocations didn't sting as usual. Just to be safe, Ryuji met him with reluctant irritation.

"I'm buying lemons, you pedantic schnauzer. The fuck do you want?"

The lack of bite must have surprised Terry. He no doubt noticed it, otherwise he wouldn't continue to follow along.

"To find out what you're up to, you foul-mouthed palooka."

Ryuji ignored him but purposely did a detour to the dojang, not daring to show the annoying git where he lived. So, he took a route through the forest, down all its turns and side paths. It was a little past noon and there'd be a few hours left before Rock would get off work. Maybe he'd be working late – or maybe not. Ryuji found himself in the clearing of the forest, one of many actually and Terry was still here but he didn't look like he was on patrol. Rather, Ryuji suspected that; "You have nothing else to do?"

The question thoroughly rattled Terry and it was about here that he realized he'd been outed. His mouth snapped shut like a Venus flytrap and he tilted his head down. Enough to hide his eyes behind the visor of that stupid cap.

"…Guilty as charged," he smiled but it had no warmth to it. Downtrodden as one would have expected under the weight of grief. Given the letter, it made too much sense. Not even having the willpower to fight Geese this time.

So, Terry had seen change.

Therefore, it came as little surprise when he said; "There's someone I've been looking for. I'm not gonna ask you if you've seen them. I'm not even sure why I'm telling you this."

He laughed but it was so dry and devoid of joy.

"Oh," Ryuji said, apathetic, and felt that faint tug of dread from earlier. It wasn't exactly fair to Rock either, knowing how sorely he missed Terry. Sometimes chance just pushed people together – for better and for worse. Sooner or later, they'd probably find each other unless Terry fucked off again. Or maybe he'd do it after. And that was the absolute worst thing that could happen. "Maybe they ran away because you skipped town. Maybe they fear you'll run away again when you meet."

Hastily, Terry lifted his head in surprise, then squared his shoulders and set his jaw with a serious look in his eyes. "I won't. I'm done running. I can't keep doing this to everyone."

"Is that a promise?"

Terry lifted his eyebrows, then narrowed his eyes, breathing out reluctantly. Tired, and unhappy, after a long run of tired and unhappy days-months probably. Yet not without healthy skepticism birthed from the actions of a snake hurting himself for the sake of a wolf.

"Why are you asking that?"

And there it was. The line on which the scale was balancing. Ryuji could lie and walk away. Keep Rock as himself, keep him happy, keep him stable. Or he could mend some old, bleeding wounds and end up with gashes because of it. But he'd make life a little easier on Rock – assuming Terry kept his word.

"I'll tell you if you promise," he goaded and felt the dread make strings out of his entrails.

Terry got a look in his eyes then. One of pure, steely determination. Jaw straightened, stare fixed steady, emotionally brittle but desperate for relief. "You have my word. Now spit it out."

There it was. There it would be. There was the moment when Ryuji lost his damn mind and chose honesty.

"You're looking for Rock Howard, ain't ya? I happen to know where he is. I know he's been here in South Town this whole time you were gone," it was a shock how even the words came out of Ryuji despite himself.

The look that came over Terry's face was like a rainbow of five different emotions, and it caused his entire face to pale like snow for a moment as he blurted out some weird sound from his throat. Well, now it became clear where Rock got that habit.

"…How would you know?" Terry asked, his voice trembling.

Ryuji shrugged, finding himself growing increasingly angry. "Because I'm watching over him but I'm not gonna take you to him though before you prove you can fuckin' stay put. Thanks to you fuckin' off, it's been on me to fix the mess you left behind."

Something flashed in Terry's eyes before he drew in a shivering, hitching breath to compose himself. "…So since you know him like that, you also know about the letter I left him?"

"The letter he didn't read until recently because he beat himself up thanks to you. By the way, he still rakes his own ass over coals because of it," Ryuji answered with a faint snarl and watched as the penny slowly dropped for Terry. Little by little, the stupid git put the pieces together. Before he said anything else, Ryuji preempted him with; "He doesn't know you're here and as shit is now, it's gonna stay that way. Because otherwise, you're gonna break his heart again and I'm not about to watch him revert to a fuckin' trainwreck. But I don't give a fuck about you, Terry. I really don't. I'm just telling you this for Rock's sake. Just so you know."

Terry closed his eyes, shielding himself from the jabs. Brow slightly furrowed, body a notch stiff. Then he opened his eyes and responded calmly but very firmly. "You make that very clear. But you give a fuck about Rock. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so ready to run me out of town with my tail between my legs. Never let him know I came after him because I got my shit together. I see what you're trying to do. I appreciate you protecting him. But Rock is his own man. He has the balls to tell me off face to face, I know that about him. And I'll leave if he tells me to leave."

The way he said it sounded very much like something the old Terry Bogard would spit out. Ryuji hadn't actually been trying to run the stupid asshole out of town – though it was tempting, and he now stood with the feeling that he wouldn't be able to. And he doubted very much that Rock would ever bring himself to cut off Terry. Not with how much he blamed himself for everything.

"Don't hold your breath. He's not the same kid you used to know. He's been through a lot. Been fucked over by a lot of people."

Terry's determination faltered. He came to some conclusions apparently because when he had a hypothesis of his own, there was a look of absolute cold fury sweeping over his face. And when he opened his mouth, his usual placid, confident tone had gone flat and hard. "What has happened to him?"

"That ain't my place to say," Ryuji answered with hesitation. "I can't guarantee he'll tell you either if he sees you. You don't deserve it by the way, and I can't guarantee he's not gonna lose his fuckin' mind because of you – again."

Momentarily, Terry looked like he wanted to spit at Ryuji and kick his teeth in. That feeling was fucking mutual. "I heard you the first time. It's a mistake I need to fix."

The heartache was real, as tempting as it was to run him off. Yet Ryuji stood torn between the bond that Rock was owed, the selfish impulse to keep him a little longer, and probably even killing Terry just to make this problem solve itself. But still, human that he was, Ryuji remained on the path of honesty.

"If it helps any, he misses you a lot."

This time, Terry's anger crumbled and his voice trembled as he asked; "Can I see him?"

"I need time to prepare him for that. Gimme a week. Meet me here," Ryuji sealed his fate grimly. He turned on his heel and left the clearing. This time he was on his own. Alone yet resisting the urge to break something in frustration – if that was even what he had been feeling. At the end of the day, it was probably 'just' dread. Dread over the fact that the week would be passing in a blink.

'The feeling that time has passed too quickly when you're gone' echoed from somewhere in the back of his mind. Now, he began to understand what that feeling meant.

Yamazaki wasn't sure if he could get into the right headspace while standing here in Kim's dojang. He watched, with an absent mind, Rock doing careless exercises, stretching, and turning his slender body before getting back on track. They weren't here for play; they were here for Kim's projector. Rock ended up sitting on a step vault, fiddling with the cables of the projector, shifting until he had the device in his hands and brushing it clean from dust.

Looking at him, it became hard to swallow that there was a chance that this would be the final week – just in case. The thought was corrosive and bitter, not quite tempered by the curious stare Rock sent. He put the projector next to him and waved Yamazaki over, running a fingertip over the older man's collarbone.

"The movie," he said softly. "What do you want to watch?"

Yamazaki didn't know quite frankly. He stood, feeling overall terrible, reflecting how dead he was inside before Rock became a constant fixture of his life. Only now, did he begin to feel good, feel anything at all. He shrugged, a bit dejected despite his own efforts to keep his spirits up.

"Whatever you pick."

He closed his eyes at the hands grabbing the lapel of his coat and pulling him close. He sure as hell didn't know how to put himself together, though he tried, accepting a few kisses to the side of his jaw that made him all warm and comfortable in a way to sorely be missed. It burned into various desires; running Terry out of town, being beside Rock, laughing with him, pressing against him, and feeling his steadying heartbeat. Yamazaki opened his eyes to consider him – or rather the top of his head. He could use the distraction, reaching up to seize Rock's face, staring into his red eyes filled with curiosity and warmth.

It occurred to Yamazaki that he hadn't brought any rope with him. Oh well.

"Is it…?" Rock asked, something sparking in his eyes, and it became clear what he was talking about. And yeah, the idea of it was enticing but what would happen when or if Terry found the marks of rope across his skin? It wasn't entirely fair to put him through that embarrassment. Even if there was a change Yamazaki wouldn't see him again.

"No but you should hop down and get on your knees," Yamazaki said smoothly and got the joy of watching Rock melt in his hands. His eyes turned glossy and dark like red wine before he slid down from the vault and descended to his knees.

God, the sight of him like that was picture-perfect. There were a lot of things Yamazaki wanted to do to him, lots of ways to toy with this recently discovered masochism. He swallowed, running his hands through Rock's hair. Sometimes, more than often, regular lovemaking was okay too. It was okay tonight, he concluded and groaned with satisfaction at the tremble under his fingertips. At this point, he couldn't entirely tell if it was due to anticipation or trauma, but Rock was consenting all the same. He murmured softly and nuzzled against the hand resting on his cheek.

"You're really fuckin' attractive like this, I want you to know that," Yamazaki said as he ran his fingers across Rock's jaw, feeling his breath pick up speed. "You look good with rope marks too."

"Don't be weird…" the younger man couldn't help but laugh a bit, still a bit dazed from being in the right headspace.

"Heh, one day, I might do some impact play on you. How does that sound?"

Apparently enticing enough to break a small sound of Rock. A little murmur of everything calm and sweet in the world. Completely enticed by the suggestion, judging from the excitement that filled his eyes. But spanking and flogging were different beasts than hair pulling and biting. Much different than Rock reaching up to unfasten the pair of slacks in front of him.

Looking at him, his flushed cheeks, the eager way he dug through layers of clothing, his quiet hums when he pulled Yamazaki's flaccid cock between his lips, it became apparent that he was a being of contrasts and nuance. Well, it was already pretty obvious, but Yamazaki could never stop being fascinated by it. Enthralled at how Rock glided between the strong, determined wolfling with fangs for days and the docile, gentle puppy he was now. He'd probably be fucking furious if someone told that to his face.

Yamazaki might before the week was over – assuming he wouldn't get a chance to afterward. Just in case. For now, he swallowed hard and let his hands firmly grab a fistful of blonde but let Rock go at his own pace, testing how much he could fit in his hot, wet mouth and stroking – or licking the rest. It was tempting to force his head closer but there was a chance for that over the rest of the week – hopefully. He quickened his pace and heat rushed through Yamazaki at the sensation.

All he could think of was how good everything, right here in this moment felt. How pleasure took the looming despair and broke its back to make his skin tingle. He opened his eyes and looked down, feeling his entire body tighten, willing himself to keep his hips in place.

"Fuck, wolfy, that's so good," his voice cracked a little at this, causing Rock to hum out a laugh and keep going. He was getting pretty damn good at this, sliding his hands across Yamazaki's thighs, forcing himself closer past his natural gag reflex. It lasted for but a second but a second was all it took before Yamazaki came hard with a deep groan, forcing his dick deep down Rock's throat.

The reality of it only hit him in the ensuring afterglow but when he looked down at the young man, he saw nothing but utter satisfaction in the red eyes that stared back at him. He pulled back and bent down to kiss the young man vehemently, tasting himself on Rock's tongue, filled with a rush of fulfillment.

"I got one hell of a favor to pay back," he chuckled and straightened himself to buckle his belt. In the meantime, Rock climbed to his feet and scurried to the nearest window that he flung open and leaned out of.

"I should make you eat more pineapple," he mused, spitting a few more times before he closed the window.

Yamazaki raised a brow. "Why?"

A deep blush crawled over Rock's face before he answered. "…It makes your cum taste better."

"…How the fuck do you know that?"

"…Joe told me."

"Wh-" Yamazaki shook his head and tried to force away the image of the Muay Thai guy giving head to Billy fucking Kane for the sake of his own sanity. "You know what? I'm even not gonna ask."

Ever thankful, Rock shuffled to the vault for the projector, not noticing Yamazaki slithering up behind him, turning him around, and lifting him off the floor to put him over the shoulder. He flailed and shrieked until he lay still, grumbling and pouting.

"Dude, what the hell?!" he jeered while Yamazaki made sure to have a good grasp. "Ryuji, put me down!"

"Nope," the older man snickered maliciously. "I'm just taking my bounty home. Don't forget the projector."

"Ugh, fine. Whatever."

As soon as they made it to the abode Yamazaki had Rock pinned on the bed, holding him in place and placing gentle bites against his neck and shoulders. Just enough to make those hormones kick in, not enough to leave marks. Effective in making him melt and moan with every touch. Yamazaki wasn't one for foreplay, but he took his time now, making sure to catalog every inch of Rock's body. Memorizing what became of the scars. Tasting the healed, raw flesh. Returning the favor from the dojang. Slow, methodical touches that made Rock twist and writhe across the sheets.

He hadn't noticed anything was amiss; he probably couldn't know with Yamazaki situated between his legs, fucking him slowly. He flicked his eyes open, red as the crimson across his face, reached his hands out, and cupped the older man's cheeks, stroking them gently with his thumbs. He had warm hands. Soft too. Everything about him just seemed softer tonight. His hair, his skin, his lips, the sounds that came out of his mouth. It ached in a way that made the sex a little more desperate, made Yamazaki press their bodies together a little harder. Made tonight's climax a little more bittersweet.

"You okay?" Rock asked much later when they sat huddled in bed with the blankets wrapped around them. With a little ingenuity and stubbornness, they managed to use one of the walls as a screen for Kim's projector. What movie were they watching again?

Yamazaki found himself flinching, then smiled the discomfort away. "Huh? What fuckin' question is that?"

"An honest one. You've been kinda spacy tonight."

Shit, fuck, great. Yamazaki's smirk turned ever so slightly strained as he shut his eyes. Suppose it was too obvious that something had been gnawing at him. He sighed, then swung his arms around Rock, nuzzling the top of his head. Suppose there was no reason to keep beating around the bushes anymore. "There might be something that could change things for us, wolfy."

Us. As in the pair of them. Not for much longer probably. All at once encouraged and disheartening. Yamazaki thought of the night when Rock was found slumped over on that bed, of how he had an emotional meltdown in the aftermath, of how he'd been drugged up by White, of the blood, sweat, and tears it took to make life good again.

"What's going to happen?" he asked with a yawn.

"I'm not sure. You think you could take the week off? I'll stick around and we can just, I don't know, pass the time nicely. Maybe skip town for a few days."

A sigh came from Rock then like he was strongly considering and giving up on the idea of pushing for clarification. He shifted a bit until he could take the older man's hand and draw it up to his face to nuzzle it. It had a sense of solemn finality to it, mirrored in the gleam in his eyes.

"Okay. What do you need?"

'Things staying like this forever' was what Yamazaki wanted to say but instead, he shook his head. He moved his other hand to cup Rock's face, basking in the feel of it, gut-wrenching at the sight of the guilt in his eyes, twitching with the urge to tell him that he was being silly and that nothing in all of this was his fault.

"Smoothie bowls?" Yamazaki smirked and it worked like magic to settle Rock down, make him melt, and stare back with a look of trust and adoration. And amusement with the way a tired laugh escaped him. He closed his eyes and leaned into Yamazaki, yawning some more, practically sleeping. He was lovely when tired. He was lovely all around.

Briefly, the fading image of Sorimachi flashed before Yamazaki's eyes, standing like a beacon of power and respect – the image of what his memory deserved. The old man would surely have taken a liking to Rock, amused by his strengths, better equipped to handle his issues. Better equipped to reintroduce Terry back into his life.

For what Yamazaki could do, he'd make it a nice last week together – just in case.