mxnhoo

[knbposting]

>:)

[akumanoken]

That's sweet but sad. What if they lose each other? Would they lose their home and break emotionally?

Oh goodness... the short answer is yes. Losing one will definitely break the other. They have a promise to each other by this time. They will always come back to the other, because they always will want to come home. One leaves home, and the other has their home leave them. It's really like that with Vergil and Souji. It's why Vergil lets Souji know when it's going to be for a while, and will call once in a while to check in.

I will say for the record it will be in their own ways. Souji has a broader support group with Kyrie and Nero, and with Asao there, he has a reason to stay there and fight on. I think in that situation, there are levels of "there" and only Asao can see anything really close to the former Souji... as he shuts down a little at a time.

With Vergil it's different. I'm going off of @s1lxcs's ask where Vergil just... disappears afterward. He isn't confident in himself as a father (despite Souji and Asao's constant assurances), and wouldn't think himself worthy of keeping Asao, but instead leave the boy for Nero and Kyrie to take care of because neither would trust anyone else.

After spending so long without a home, to find one only to lose it again would compel the man to a life of solitude. Clearly, that's his fate. He wasn't meant for happiness of any kind. It was apparent the first time, and hammered home the second.

[tenacityreturns]

aokaga drabble: post-nba

plot: kagami cuts off all his friends after forced retirement from the nba, and goes to live in japan again so that he can rebuild himself from the ground up. aomine’s girlfriend, sabs (whom we love), breaks up with him and aomine follows kagami to try and reconnect after a quiet few months. he’s worried as hell, he loves kagami, who he knows without hearing from him that he is miserable. it’s angst. word count: 5860 notes: sfw, future verse, aomine’s pov. it’s specific to my future verse hcs but hopefully it makes sense even if u dont know them lol. nijimura and kagami are ( thank you so much for reminding me about this. present tense. they ARE ) besties, i think that comes up. 

god, it's just too weird coming back here. everything is the same. same cream wallpaper, same dirty mirror in the lift. same buttons, circled with red once pressed. same shitty elevator music. it hums melodically, creating the pretence of relaxation, but daiki is anything but. he stares at himself in the mirror. not much taller than the last time he'd been inside, on his way to see an exuberant redhead in that same, ridiculous penthouse apartment he'd had by himself. would it seem small now that he'd seen the world? now that he had money of his own, lived in a big apartment himself? there are lines in his brow as he inspects it. he doesn't try to fix it. allows himself these nerves because they remind him that he cares. if he didn't, he wouldn't have come back to stay with his parents. wouldn't have followed taiga across the world despite the months of radio silence. missed calls ( ignored calls ). unanswered texts. daiki had tried everything. called taiga’s dad, asked if he'd heard anything recently from him. he never had. never gave daiki anything, anyway. all 'oh, I'm sure he's fine, he's probably just sulking about his injuries.' yeah, that's what daiki is worried about. asao had always got on his nerves. how is he so blind? why can't he see that taiga's devastated to be retiring? he still had as much fight in him as he'd had when they were teenagers. so much fight, and grit, and impossible potential.

the elevator dings. he doesn't move for a moment. ghosts surround him. that time taiga dragged him way too roughly into his apartment, only to kiss him like he's made of glass. the times they'd held hands in the full elevator and no one had minded. the time someone had, and taiga nearly beat him up for it. like, really nearly. all the occasions taiga found to cook meals for him. all the excuses. how the hell could taiga stand to come back here and relive all those memories?

the doors shut. daiki grunts and pushes the button to open them again. he has to buck up. he has to gather himself, all the courage in the world, and tell taiga everything. he was waiting inside, anyway. he'd buzzed him up. yeah, alright. he'd said at the door. yeah, alright. he sounds different now. colder. the knot in his stomach is eating him alive. tearing organs apart. his knees are weak, barely carrying him into the hallway.

how will he phrase it? Daiki makes his way to taiga's door. it's the same colour. same paint, it's peeling a little. he feels sick. so sick. it's fight or flight, isn't it? the nerves. well, he'd already flown away. already allowed taiga to think he didn't care. maybe he hadn't. maybe love had drifted between them, fluttering around like a butterfly in spring. sabina had been a flower daiki visited, she was everything he thought he'd wanted in a partner. funny, clever, interested in him. not like in love him, which she had been, but she'd asked how his day was. sabs was great, but she wasn't taiga. they fought a lot, but not in the same way he'd fought with taiga. and taiga had dated people too, like that hot business guy. older, smart, in love. daiki recognised the way he'd looked at taiga during that terrible doubt date they'd gone on. softly, in awe, like there had been no one else in the room. and taiga had been looking at daiki. saying something with a smirk, trying to get a rise out of him. daiki could have kissed him then.

but he's broken up with sabs when taiga retired. all daiki had done was call him, text him, trying to find out if he was okay. of course he wasn't, but daiki wanted to be there for him. sabs grew tired of it. he doesn't blame her for it. he doesn't blame himself for being in love with taiga, either. it's the natural way of things. and it has been the natural way of things to go back to Japan as soon as he could get a break away from work. he stayed with his parents, kept his head down. reconnected with other old friends from high school, tried to pretend it was just a social call. Tried to pretend he hadn't come all the over here on the off chance taiga might be around to see him, wherever he'd been. what a bittersweet moment when taiga first texted back a few months ago. all casualness, he’d said don’t worry about me, i’m fine. talk soon x and that had been it. he’d replied in english, daiki had texted in english. daiki called him about a week ago and taiga had answered. hearing his voice had been jarring. he’d been waiting so long, so patiently. always hoping taiga would call him for a change.

“i’m in tokyo visiting family,” daiki had said hastily, shocked that he’d actually get a reply this time. he waited. nothing. fine. he kept talking. “i get it if you don’t wanna talk to me, or whatever, but---

“no, i wanna see you. come over. i’m back in my old apartment, you remember where that is? come by next saturday.” and they agreed on a time like it was the most normal thing in the world.

daiki sees his hand raise to knock on the door, and he wonders how many times in his life he’d done this. his knuckles had met the door hundreds of times before, when they’d been younger. less experienced. happier. god, daiki’s scared. it’s too weird coming back here.

the door opens. it’s taiga. he looks tired. he’s put on weight, his bare arms are still tree trunks but they’re not showing muscle definition anymore. he makes grey sweats and a black t-shirt look classic for a reason. daiki stares at him, taking it all in, suddenly tongue-tied. he doesn’t have the right words, they don’t exist. there’s nothing to say. he shouldn’t have come.

“makes you feel old, don’t it?” taiga says, rubbing his neck.

"what?”

“being back here. i feel like i should ask you if you wanna play one-on-one then go to maji’s.” the joke hurts. red eyes hold such sadness in them. it looks like it hurts to look at daiki, too. he shouldn’t have come.

“taiga---”

“i can’t, i dunno if you heard. i can’t play again. i’m still recovering. i had to choose between being able to walk when i’m sixty, or playing basketball another year. i was so close to picking basketball.”

daiki trudges inside. he fights the instinct to sweep taiga into an all-encompassing hug. it’s awful being in this room again. the furniture is different, thank god, but the essentials are in the same place. the kitchen is the same. there’s the spot daiki would always perch when taiga was cooking something for him. the sofa is in a different position. how clearly he can see the old layout now that he stands amongst its replacements. daiki doesn’t know what to say to taiga’s crushing statement. could he speak if he wanted to? there’s a lump in his throat. he takes his shoes off. those are taiga’s jordans. it’s good he still wears basketball shoes. it’s wrong when he doesn’t. they’re like an extension of him, like the colour of his hair. scarlet in the sunlight.

“isn’t that what you wanted to hear?” taiga’s voice is so dark, he hasn’t shut the door yet. when daiki looks over, the hand on the door is tense, as if trying to make a fist through the wood. it takes daiki by surprise to see this rage. “isn’t that what anyone wants to know, whether i care if i played again?”

“i---” he blinks. “i don’t care about basketball.”

wrong answer. the door slams. daiki flinches. taiga stalks into the kitchen.

“i mean, of course i care, it’s just-- you scared the shit outta me. i figured you didn’t wanna see me of all people, then i heard you cut everyone off, all your old teammates. gave everyone the cold shoulder. we just wanna help you, man, you’re not alone in this.”

“i’m over it.”

“i wouldn’t be, if i was you.”

“you have no idea how i feel, daiki,” taiga pulls two beers from the fridge. daiki had half expected banana milk. the thought makes him feel worse.

“nobody does, you won’t talk to anyone.” it’s a leap, maybe he had been, but had avoided daiki’s questions when he’d asked them. did nijimura know how he felt? did satsuki, and they just hadn’t told him?

“i don’t want to,” he takes the drinks to the couch, and daiki follows. daiki sits in a chair where his beanbag had once been. taiga continues, “i don’t wanna even think about basketball. that’s why i never messaged you back. i knew it would all come out once i saw you.”

daiki doesn’t open his beer. he stares at it guiltily, but he can’t bear opening it. can’t bear disturbing the quiet falling between them.

“i would’ve left you alone if you hurt yourself,” taiga goes on, in too smooth of a tone to have been anything but the truth. “i would’ve known you wouldn’t want to see me because it’d remind you of the old times.”

silence. he really shouldn’t have come.

“i’ve always had basketball,” taiga says quietly, sipping on his beer. “all my friends were into it too. back when i had this place first, i figured everyone was only interested because i was good. especially you guys.” he clicks his tongue. “you, generation of miracles. i didn’t blame you, either. i got it. tetsu, ryouta, tatsuya. i’d think about whether you’d lose interest if i got hurt and couldn’t play anymore. i didn’t wanna face it.”

“is that--- is that what you think about me now?”

no reply. he drinks more beer. daiki shifts to the edge of his seat.

“taiga. answer me.”

“i considered it. at first, definitely. then you kept calling, i guessed it was your conscience or something. don’t feel bad about it, or whatever--”

“don’t feel bad? why would you think that? i--” he has to take a breath. it’s taiga’s mistake. it’s something in his past that caused him to think that the limits of his worth are tied with his ability to play ball. that’s awful. but it’s not something to argue over. it won’t help. “look, you’re wrong. alright? don’t ever think that about me again.”

taiga shrugs. “you wanted to know how i felt.”

it’s a blow. it hurts. no doubt about it. when daiki had said i love you, had taiga always heard i love your basketball? that’s ridiculous. daiki had loved taiga’s way of playing, but that wasn’t just it?! there are corners of taiga’s mind that daiki doesn’t like, doesn’t get along with. but despite that, he loves that, too. loves taiga. loves, loves, loves him. he always has, he always will.

“you once said there’s nothing a winner can say to a loser. ain’t that how it is here? what could you say to me i haven’t heard from everyone else who can still play basketball?”

“if you couldn’t walk now, do you really think i wouldn’t wanna be there to help you with your wheelchair?” it slipped out, almost venomously. defensively. taiga blinks, quiet as the dead. daiki sighs, setting the drink down unopened. “you’re one of my best friends, taiga. you’re more than that. i think i made myself pretty clear when i called you and texted you. sorry if that was the wrong thing to do... but... if you stopped playing basketball after high school, i’d still have wanted you around, you know. even if you were some boring ass banker in another country, i still would’ve kept in touch.”

daiki doesn’t look at taiga now. he can’t. it’s too much honesty. there’s too much weight to his words. ( if he had looked over, he’d see the shaking hand raising beer to lips, hiding that they too quiver under the threat of tears. )

“sorry if i’m just saying stuff you’ve heard before. i’ll leave if i’m making it worse. i didn’t mean to.”

continued silence. what does he say next? what can he say? he doesn't want to leave. he should have come. daiki sighs, sinking back into his seat with his eyes anywhere but on taiga. this chair is hard. it's a sand-coloured linen armchair with deep mahogany accents. the kind of chair that really isn't meant to be sat in. sabs had one like this. it was a glorified bowl. totally uncomfortable, and even he was never able to sleep in it. this chair is similar. its voice is loud and harsh: i am an adult purchase. daiki misses the beanbag. the most comfortable thing he'd ever slept on. second most. he finally looks at taiga. the couch is different. it's also sand in colour, and cuboid, but the arm-rests are low and with the right cushion, their rounded corners would make for a good napping area.

the old sofa hadn't been comfortable. he'd convinced himself that it was, until taiga became the perfect cushion between sofa and daiki. it's a stupid thought, but is a toned body really that comfortable of a cushion? the soft lines of taiga's broad shoulders look just as enticing. but... the beanbag... daiki's bought beanbags for himself since then but they've never been the same. even the same brand (model discontinued) hadn't been the same. it wasn't just that it was oblong and firm enough that he doesn't touch the floor, while still retaining body-moulding softness. it was partly that. daiki had realised it the first time he settled into his new and immediately rejected beanbag years ago, when he and taiga had broken up for the second major time. it was that he'd been on taiga's floor, exhausted after an almost challenging one-on-one, waiting for his rival to make him his dinner. even before they'd started dating, daiki had felt a special sort of peace here. there's comfort in finding someone who you can be your authentic self with. daiki's basketball ability didn't scare taiga off.

"daiki?"

daiki had been staring at the window when taiga spoke. he immediately looked over, momentarily forgetting everything that was said minutes before. forgetting why he's here, what brought him, what chair he's sitting in. he's in the beanbag again. taiga's about to ask him to solve a history question, and daiki's half a second away from making up a completely fictitious answer so he doesn't have to bashfully admit that he doesn't know.

“can i ask you something?”

“shoot,”

“were you just thinking about your old beanbag?”

ah. busted. he blinks, dazed. taiga’s expression starts to change. his eyes search daiki’s from across the room and gradually, a smile forms. the sun comes out. literally. the shadow-stealing grey sky gave the city a brief interlude of hope in a few, impossibly long seconds of proper sunlight. the weather, daiki noticed, linked inextricably with a personal epiphany. it doesn’t matter whether he’s an easy read. at any given moment, daiki is thinking about his next meal or his next sleep. but that, in the depths of their conversation, taiga had pulled himself out of it enough to come to the correct conclusion on what daiki was thinking about. it wasn’t basketball, it wasn’t their history ( not entirely, at least ), and it wasn’t taiga’s injuries ( though maybe it should have been? ). it was his old beanbag. not taiga’s. not nijimura’s. his. and he’s smiling again, for the first time today. a wall has come down.

the future starts to fit into place. is that dramatic? it’s fate. it’s fate. does taiga see it too? does he knows that daiki could walk to the ends of the earth for him? daiki smiles too, now. he sinks deeper into his awful seat, shoulders almost meeting his ears.

“i hate this chair, taiga.”

“me too, but i hated the beanbag more.”

“you didn’t,” a critical insult! “why’d you keep it if you hated it so much?”

taiga sighs now, shifting in his seat so that his arm rested on the back of the couch, head against his hand. he stares with an unimpressed downwards turn to his mouth, and a double chin beneath his jaw. because you loved it, his eyes replied in words his mouth couldn’t betray, and i loved you. past tense, daiki can’t flatter himself into thinking that taiga is in any kind of place to be thinking about relationships. but they’d been in love before. daiki had been taiga’s first ( almost ) everything. it’s over in a split second, but he remembers thinking they’d be together forever.

“do you really think i could’ve been a banker?”

the question, offered casually under the guise of an innocent topic change, has weight to it. daiki knows this, but it doesn’t matter. his answer comes from the heart. their eyes meet.

“y’know,” daiki straightens up a little, “yeah, i do. i still think you could be a banker, dude. you’re one of the few people i’ve met who can really do anything you set your mind to.”

“i’m too stupid to be a banker.”

insecure words don’t suit taiga’s voice. they sound wrong. daiki doesn’t look away. “your tenacity outweighs your stupidity any day.”

taiga rolls his eyes and sips his beer. his smile fades. what’s he thinking about? daiki feels guilty realising he can’t read taiga as well as the other way around, but the last time they’d been in this room, it would have been a fair guess to suggest basketball was on his mind. it had almost always been on his mind. and now that his eyes no longer sparkle, basketball or lack thereof would also be a decent guess, but daiki didn’t think it was just that. does taiga think of the past? does he regret not paying attention in school and not giving himself any kind of backup career? daiki does. their parents do.

god, why can’t he think of anything to say? why is he so fucking silent all of a sudden? daiki’s usually quick as a whip, can spark a laugh or a fight at his whim. he usually knows just what to say when taiga’s not feeling great. or knows just what to do. all he can think of is a hug and what good has a hug ever done, really? he wants to wrap his arms around his old friend’s shoulders and tell him it’s all going to be alright. would taiga push him away? would he get mad?

“so,” taiga stands unexpectedly. is he about to tell him to get lost? “how are you doing?”

it takes him aback. uh, he’s been shit. he’s been worrying to death over taiga’s lack of communication, and fearing the worst with every phone call ignored. daiki exhales, watching taiga walk over to the sliding doors to the tiny balcony. it’s early evening and the city is starting to twinkle. does taiga admire its familiar beauty, or does he stare out with an empty gaze? for the love of all things good, daiki, for fuck’s sake! just say something!

“fine,” excellent.

“good. how’s sabs?”

“sabs?”

“yeah. i heard things were getting serious with you two.” his voice is impossible to hear, but he’s not mocking him. taiga’s ignorance at the situation is baffling, but he isn’t being spiteful.

“uh. we-- we broke up, man, ages ago. like, a few months.”

“huh.”

silence returned. daiki hates this. he understands not googling each other, but hadn’t anyone told taiga about sabs and him? had taiga really not asked? he’d been avoiding every other basketball guy he knows, why would daiki be any different? was it possible that taiga doesn’t care anymore? no, cool it. no talking about relationships right now, it’s not the time. fuck knows what conversation this moment does call for, but it’s not that. leave it. chill. have some beer.

daiki follows his own advice and finally opens his beer. it’s gross. he’s more of a wine guy, while taiga has always liked his beers. unsurprisingly, the drink does little to distract him.

“how are your parents?”

so is this what it was going to be? small talk? daiki would prefer going back to aggressively telling taiga how fucking amazing he is, just to fight the voice that had said i’m too stupid to be a banker.

“dad’s retiring soon,” daiki replies in a sigh, “there’ll be a party. you should come.”

taiga chuckles dryly.

you don’t have to, jesus. daiki doesn’t say it, and fights the irritation as best as he can. he’s using the same patience that taiga had used with him in the past when the world had felt like it was collapsing. “mom asks about you all the time.”

a grunt this time; it’s kind of like the surprised huh from earlier, mixed with a noise of amused rejection.

“how’s your dad?”

“he doesn’t get it at all. i tried telling him imagine you lost both your hands and couldn’t work anymore, but it’s not the same. he doesn’t love his work.”

daiki’s moving before he can help it. he comes to stand beside taiga to watch the city. he can’t see beyond the reflection of taiga’s sorrowful face in the glass. he’d been right, earlier. those gorgeous eyes were empty. if he was looking at the view, his eyes were dead on the horizon.

taiga continues without interruption. “he only works as an escape from everything he fucked up in his life. me, for instance.”

“taiga,” daiki’s heart aches.

“i should’a listened when i was a kid. that’s it. i should’a paced myself.”

“would you have joined seirin’s team if you paced yourself?”

silence.

“your intensity is a part of you, taiga,” daiki says gently. taiga’s distant eyes hone in on the reflection, too, and now they’re looking at each other in the glass. daiki is first to look away like a coward. “i think if you had paced yourself, you’d have come to one of seirin’s games. you would’a found out about the generation of miracles and thought i wanna take those asshole down a notch.”

“you told me my light’s too dim when we first met, though.” taiga turns his head so that he’s facing the city again. “even if i joined the team, we still lost before we got to finally beat you.”

“it was tetsu who lifted you up to my level,” daiki’s reply is barely a whisper. he’s falling into his own memories and his eyes drop to the windowpane. it had always been him. they both dwelled on it, he didn’t have to be a mind-reader for that. he misses kuroko like hell.

“you ever wish you hated basketball?” taiga’s voice cracks. he takes a sip of beer and daiki copies him.

“yeah,” before he’d met taiga, he’d been plagued with the idea of never meeting anyone up to his standards. anyone better. kise came close, but daiki had lost to seirin. that felt like lifetimes ago now.

“this fucking sucks,” he’d finished his beer now. daiki glances over in time to see taiga blindly toss his beer bottle over his shoulder. he looks back to see where it landed. it hadn’t shattered, but flown safely onto the sofa where taiga had been sitting. taiga doesn’t move. he doesn’t react at all.

daiki feels it keenly too, can’t taiga see? he’s not alone. sure, daiki can’t fully understand how it feels to be forced into retirement due to injury, but he’s on his way there. his body is tired and it is always sore. one of these days, he’ll land funny and never properly recover. and then daiki will isolate from the world until he can figure himself out. it will be like carving the basketball out of himself. having played for his whole life, what will be left? he comes to stare at taiga so gradually that he hadn’t noticed when it happened. he sees a strong man with a huge heart and the rest of his life ahead of him. he is awesome at cooking, maybe he’ll do something with that? he has enough money that, if he’s sensible with it ( which he always has been ), he’s financially secure. hell, taiga’s always been financially secure.

he sees a man waging a war in his mind. he sees broken pieces desperately held together. daiki sees himself.

“i’ll leave if you want me to, tai. i don’t wanna make it worse.”

taiga shakes his head. he looked, for a second, like he’d say something. his mouth opened, but he changed his mind last minute and closes it again. daiki can’t stand to see him this way. if they never talk about basketball again for the rest of their lives, he’ll find something else to say. they can’t just stop talking because they can’t play against each other anymore. unless that’s really what taiga wants, which daiki doubts.

it’s a bold move, perhaps, but he bumps his knuckles gently against taiga’s hand hanging beside them. the redhead glances between them, but it doesn’t put daiki off. he carefully offers his hand to hold, forgoing breathing lest it spark an outburst. there’s no rage this time. their hands connect like they had a million times before. daiki already feels better for it, selfishly, as if how he feels is what’s important right now. fuck, he just loves taiga so much. he’ll be fine, he’s taiga. of course he will. he’s at a low point and it’s weird to see him so lost, it’s unnatural somehow, but he’ll get through it. daiki believes in him. he believes in him with his whole goddamn heart.

taiga meets his eyes just as he’s feeling like he could just say it outright. daiki sees tired, teary eyes. he squeezes his hand. “what are you thinking about?” taiga asks quietly.

“how amazing you are,” he replies. “you’ll get through this. i know you will.”

taiga scoffs, but it doesn't sound like an outright rejection. not totally, at least.

a silence settles between them as they each think of something to say. daiki wishes there was something he could do to fix it. fix all the hurt. wrap it up in a ball and throw it outside. it's more of a distraction than anything, but hadn't that metaphor sounded like basketball? it would be impossible to cut the sport from himself. he doesn't think he'd be able to do it. this must be hell for taiga. he glances over and meets teary eyes unexpectedly looking at him, too.

"come here," daiki pulls his hand away, only to slide in and wrap his arms around taiga's waist. he hadn't thought twice about it this time. it's the right thing to do.

"i'm fine," taiga sniffs.

"then it's for my benefit," he snaps. it works, and he feels familiar arms wrap around him in kind. they stand in gentle silence, there’s a wall clock ticking somewhere in the background. cars beneath them sound like crashing waves. a siren. daiki runs his hands along taiga’s back soothingly, and notes that the form is softer now where muscles had laid careful marks of definition. taiga had always been bulkier than him, but this added weight makes the guy seem immovable. and here he is, hiding his face in daiki’s shoulder in the world’s saddest hug. he has to stop himself from kissing him there and then. as if that would help anything. it used to. enough kisses peppered on taiga’s face had always been enough to lift his mood. it’s strange to love taiga with restraint, but he will, if that is what he needs.

"you were right, by the way," taiga mutters, "I haven't talked this through with anybody."

"yeah. i'm here for you, tai. but we don't gotta talk about it if you don't want to. hell, we could pretend i'm the one who works at the bank and never talk about basketball again."

"you, a banker? that's just unrealistic." it's a joke delivered totally pathetically, with a shaking voice.

"shut up," and it's a defence without any bite to it.

“sorry about sabs,” daiki feels the words mumbled into his shoulder, feels taiga’s lips say her name against his t-shirt. taiga sounds guilty. he must know.

“don’t worry about it.”

“i heard you say in that interview that you were gonna have kids. i thought you were gonna end up with her.”

“interview?” daiki frowns. taiga breaks out of the hug and opens the sliding door. he comes to lean against the balcony, and daiki is still standing where he had been, racking his brain for what the hell he was talking about? he remembers an invasive question from a dickhead reporter along those lines, but daiki hadn’t said that he was going to? have them with sabs? he had never even considered it. really never considered it. hell no. “uh,” he finally replies, realising that he hadn’t yet, “no.”

“would you, in the future? not with sabs. i just mean, in general.”

daiki slides the door further open and steps into the cool air. he rests against the railing with his forearms, looking down and out at the city. for all that it could mean, he looks over with a gentle expression at the only person that would change his mind about it. “would you?”

taiga remains fixed on the horizon. his shoulders shrug. “i never thought about shit like that before. i think so, maybe.”

daiki hums. he doesn’t say anything. he doesn’t admit to being happy to hear that taiga is open to it, doesn’t admit that he’s always liked the idea of having kids. at least one, maybe two. being an only child is difficult, but then, the adoption process is difficult. hopefully two kids. he recalls a conversation they had had a long time ago, or maybe it had been a moment in passing that stuck out. taiga has changed his mind. back then, daiki distinctly remembers hearing that taiga didn’t think he’d make for a very good dad. he remembers, because he knows how much he disagreed. a guy like him with a heart like that? please. it’s a given.

“while you’re here, you should visit nijimura and his kids at teiko.”

daiki blinks. the speed at which the conversation was going is leaving him behind. he’d done that before, sure, but not as often as taiga. that makes sense though, right? taiga was always good at making time for shit like that. he shrugs his shoulders. “yeah, i guess. i hadn’t thought about it.”

“daiki?” taiga says quietly. when daiki looks over, their eyes meet. god, taiga’s eyes are so fucking sad. he can’t deal with it. daiki nods, taiga continues. “i’m gonna give you a word of advice. you should really think about what you’re gonna do when you can’t play anymore. i wish i had. there’s no point dwelling on the past, but if i can stop you from feeling like this, then it won’t all be for nothing.”

daiki categorically doesn’t like talking about stuff like this. his injuries will heal. they always do. and he will play again. he is not strong like taiga, he can’t just carve it out and build himself up again. taiga will be able to tell by the look on daiki’s face that he has taken the advice to heart, even if he can’t speak for the lump in his throat. when he can, after a moment, daiki replies.

“i get it if you wanna be alone right now,” his eyes drift back to the city, “and i’ll go stand on the side-lines ‘til you’re ready if that’s what you want, but if our roles were reversed like you mentioned earlier, i hope you would know to come find me.”

“of course i would,” taiga rests forwards on the balcony, mirroring daiki. their arms touch, neither move. “when you put it like that... i’m sorry i was so hard to find.”

daiki doesn’t tell him that he loves him now. not in words. he says it between the lines, in the diminishing space between his fingertips and taiga’s skin. any excuse to touch him, he makes. now, as his head comes to rest momentarily on taiga’s shoulder. can he stay there? taiga allows it. he does. on the arm, later, as a story is told, on the hand. taiga returns it in a drifting touch across daiki’s shoulders as he’s passing in the kitchen, or that one, affectionate moment where taiga had playfully scuffed his knuckles against daiki’s chin. god, it had driven him crazy. taiga is so beautiful. his hair is a little longer. the guy’s always wanted a mullet, maybe now he’s actually growing it out? his hands, his back, his thighs. they’d been friends with benefits a few years ago because they couldn’t handle being in the same room without physically reacting to it. then they’d started taking other people. and now, daiki feels that gut instinct to give taiga everything again. but he won’t. not tonight.

instead, he’ll confess his love in the respectful silences, in reassuring smiles, the changes of conversation, the nah, i’ve got nowhere to be when 11 o’clock hit and taiga was embarrassed to have taken up so much of his time. he says i love you in the way that they briefly hold hands. in the words unsaid because now isn’t the time. in the lingering glances, in the i’ll take the couch tonight. ( taiga, in his way, says i love you as he says no you won’t, you’ll sleep with me. or at least he says i know you love me, which is good enough. ) of course they sleep together. taiga’s head comes to rest upon his chest. they’re clothed. it’s weird not immediately making out with him now that all that daiki can smell is taiga. they are silent as their arms find comfortable ways to settle to sleep. daiki waits for the longest time before he speaks. he waits for breathing to even out, and grip to loosen where taiga’s hand had come to rest at his hip. and, when he does speak, it’s barely a whisper scraped through his tired, croaking throat:

“i love you, tai.”

nothing happens. taiga had been asleep. the night wears on and daiki’s mind walks through every sentence they had spoken. he falls asleep as the stars start to fade, wakes up again when taiga is getting out of bed, but doesn’t stay up. later, the smell of breakfast makes him stir ( it’s never failed before ). taiga tells him that he’s got a job at a bakery, so this bread is actually made by him. it’s perfect, but of course it is. it’s his.

[shooter-nobunagun]

Horny on Main (R-18)

//Random smut time; sort of a continuation from “mind games” AKA Sio discovers Adam’s collection and watches it for herself.

She stared at the DVD in her hands; even though both the title and image were, for all intents and purposes, about as vanilla as you could get, still Sio couldn’t help but blush at the thought of holding such a…lurid piece of material between her hands.

‘Calm down Sio, this is perfectly normal; it’s okay for girls to be interested in this stuff too…’

Gulping, she took one last glance around, as if half-expecting Adam to waltz in any moment—even though she knew for a fact he was currently away on a recon mission and she’d definitely be the first to know when he returned. Though she’d initially chewed him out for watching porn, a part of her curiosity couldn’t help but be piqued; what was it all about, anyway? Growing up in Japan meant the sniper definitely saw more than her fair share of 'adult’ videos and hentai offerings—down to the most depraved, obscene scenarios that bombarded her eyes every time she stepped foot inside Akihabara. And yes, she admitted to occasionally flipping through some more “grown up” fare when browsing the bookstores, though still images (and especially anime style) weren’t the same as live-action.

“B-Besides, I’m his girlfriend, I have a perfectly valid excuse for looking at this, uh, stuff…” she muttered to herself in an attempt to work up her courage. Sio vaguely wondered what Adam’s reaction would be if she ever suggested they watch porn together. Apparently, according to magazines this was a thing couples commonly engaged in, but Sio felt they’d both probably die of embarrassment first before getting turned on.

Which was why she was currently locked away in her (very) private quarters, laptop glowing almost ominously before her as she clumsily shook out the disc, her nerves getting the better of her. “My Own Service Maid”… a photograph of a petite woman in a classic maid outfit graced the cover, looking over her shoulder in either an embarrassed or shameful manner (Sio couldn’t tell) as her skirt was lifted until it reached just underneath her butt.

Sio gulped, then popped in the DVD before she could change her mind. Though her room was pretty soundproof, still she made sure the volume wasn’t too loud; lord knew how she was going to explain away the lewd noises if someone happened to hear. ‘Not that I’m super quiet myself, but hey…’

A couple of obligatory logos and copyright jargon later, Sio found herself almost mesmerized at the scene on her laptop: a young woman in a maid outfit, whom (she assumed) was supposed to be cleaning a mansion, but instead had gotten sidetracked and was now shyly teasing herself with a paintbrush she’d found. The music was distractingly cheesy, and Sio wondered for a moment if all pornos were this low-budget.

“Oh, master, please…I’m so wet, I can’t stand it anymore…”

Sio cringed inwardly at how cliché the lines were, but at the same time, she couldn’t deny her body was starting to heat up. As the maid’s actions started growing bolder, the sniper was definitely starting to feel the tell-tale signs of arousal: nipples perking up against her bra and to her slight shock, a faint, pulsing throb started up between her legs.

‘Whoa, I’m actually getting turned on by porn…and watching a girl, no less…’ Though Sio wasn’t sure if she was queer, she’d definitely had crushes on both genders before—and sometimes wondered if she’d have wound up dating Asao-san, if it weren’t for all the e-gene/DOGOO business and she ended up meeting Adam instead.

“My clit is so hard…I’m getting wet, master…” The maid had shed her panties now and was blatantly masturbating with her legs spread wide, her large chest heaving with desperate pants as the paintbrush was pushed inside her cunt; the maid pumping and stirring the makeshift toy and as juices spilled out, Sio felt something hot stain her own panties.

‘Damn it…I’m really getting wet from this…’ Face flushing with a heady lust, Sio began surreptitiously removing her uniform, not wanting to break out of this strange, trance-like state she was in. As the maid on-screen continued her self-pleasure, Sio felt her own hands mirroring the movements; one hand slipped underneath her shirt to tease her stiff nipples, while the other wriggled inside her panties and Sio couldn’t help but jerk slightly as her fingertips brushed against her clit, which was apparently swollen and already quite sensitive before she even began touching herself.

“Haah, hah…this is, pretty exciting…” Gulping, her she couldn’t help but whine slightly as the finger squeezed inside her own tight slit, now hot and sticky with her own juices as Sio began masturbating to the porn. ‘I wonder why I’m so turned on…is it because, I can do the same things she can on the screen?’ Being able to experience the same type of hedonistic pleasure as the girl in the film…biting her lips, Sio kicked off her panties, now lying half-naked on sheets that were steadily getting soaked as she played with herself.

‘Okay, I can see why people watch AVs…it’s super hot…’ All sorts of naughty thoughts were running through her head as the sniper started panting from her own fingers, nevermind what was happening on her laptop. The camera was now zoomed in to the maid’s crotch, giving Sio an incredibly erotic and detailed view of a perfectly pink, shaven pussy, dripping with so much juices that she had to wonder if it wasn’t staged. ‘Wow, it’s so pink and there’s no hair…I wonder if Adam would like it if I waxed…’ The paintbrush from the beginning of the film had made its return and was now brushing in quick, hard strokes against the maid’s throbbing clit and Sio felt her fingers reaching down to do the same, unconsciously matching the tempo on-screen.

“Ah~ I-I’m going to cum! I can’t take it anymore~!”

“S-Same…” Sio moaned, stimulating her swollen clit as her fingers became increasingly slick. “Hnng...gah, oh god I’m definitely gonna cum soon…” Her back was arching and the knot inside her was tight to the point of almost-pain; she could feel her inner walls clenching and pulsing around her digits, begging for release.

A second later the maid climaxed, squirting everywhere on the floor as she cried for what seemed like forever but Sio wasn’t even paying attention—not when she was being wracked with her own orgasm, so strong it left her gasping between the pulsating waves of pleasure while she kept rubbing her clit, trying to keep the stimulation going for as long as she could. “Ooh~ I-I’m, c, cumming…I’m cumming so hard…!” Moaning, the sniper rolled over on her side, panting for air as she gingerly pressed against her clit, letting the little aftershakes quiver all throughout her body as she lazily thrust inside, feeling her inner muscles pulsate slowly and coating her fingers with her own cum.

“Oh…man. I can’t believe I came that hard…jeeze, I made a mess too,” Sio groaned as she slowly sat up, the DVD having ended long before. Heaving a satisfied sigh, she ejected the disc and put it back into the case, intent on slipping it back into Adam’s ‘secret’ collection before he returned. “Maybe I should apologize to him…I have to admit, that was really hot…”

Though the sniper had just satisfied herself minutes earlier, her libido-hazed brain wondered what other secret goodies lay in her boyfriend’s collection as she now sat in his room… ‘I-I mean, there’s no harm in just taking a look…’ Her face turned a bright red as she pulled out another disc at random, this one with a far more provocative cover than the previous: a buxom woman with her ass lifted into the air, servicing a huge man with her mouth while another pounded from behind. 

“Uh, maybe something a little more...tame...”

After browsing around though, Sio could tell that Adam was definitely more than just a little vanilla when it came to the bedroom. Aside from that one threesome DVD, most of them (from what she could tell) seemed to be your standard heterosexual couplings, with some occasional girl-on-girl action. But even then the covers seemed to indicate a more romantic theme, rather than any of those weird, graphically-violent offerings she often saw in hentai. Despite the situation—that is, the sniper hunched over in a corner of her boyfriend’s room secretly perusing his porn stash for herself—Sio couldn’t help the smile on her face and a warm, fluttery feeling in her chest. “Adam...you’re such a sweetheart, deep down...” It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that even his tastes in porn leaned towards the cheesy, romantic kind.

“Ah...how about this one?” A beautiful woman lay on a bearskin rug, completely naked save for a handsome cloak. “Relaxation” the title read, and judging from the short summary on the back, it seemed to be a low-key, romantic morning romp between two lovers. “Seems pretty safe, and kinda romantic...”

Before she knew it Sio was once again seated on a bed, her laptop glowing but this time she was prepared: clothes completely off with the sniper nestled comfortably against Adam’s pillows, his lingering scent adding another layer of arousal aside from the video. ‘Adam...wonder when you’ll be back. I gotta make sure I’m done before he returns...’ Her worries were soon forgotten however, as the video started playing and Sio felt her body ready itself again in anticipation, fingers already lazily fingering her clit throughout the intro.

If it weren’t for the fact the two leads were pretty much naked, Sio might as well have been watching a movie. There was even a decent semblance of a plot, which apparently involved the woman’s lover having just returned from a business trip, and the couple was now getting ready to ‘celebrate’ with some spicy activities. The female actress was certainly much more buxom and voluptuous than the sniper’s own slender build, but at least her breasts didn’t look fake, and to Sio’s surprise there was a shock of matching pubic hair between her legs. It was unusual for porn to feature such ‘natural’ looks, but Sio liked it; it made things more authentic than the usual staged drivel that was often peddled. The male lead though, was built very similarly to Adam: tall and handsome, with ripped muscles and long-ish hair, but as the two actors got down and busy, she could see he was gentle, too.

“Damn, I guess I really do have a thing for muscles...” She groaned, easily transposing Adam’s face onto the actor’s impressive body. She never really noticed but after getting together with Adam, Sio realized that whenever she saw a well-muscled body, she couldn’t help but stare and admire them. Newton had caught her once pouring over a risqué magazine spread, and gently teased the sniper about her ‘muscle fetish’.

“I-It’s not a fetish! Is it a crime to look at buff guys or something... Besides, how can it be a fetish if I’m grossed out by those macho, body-building types?” Sio put the magazine down in a huff, embarrassed at having been caught indulging in her fantasies.

“Even so, it seems pretty obvious what your type is, no? And that is, men with well-defined bodies.” Jess purred, opening the mag right back to the spread on that year’s promising male athletes. “I noticed you seem to forgo the slender, ‘pretty boy’ type your country’s manga is so famous for...”

“I-I, th-that’s not—”

“Don’t be shy, Sio! I think it’s cute. It’s good to know what you want and don’t want. Lucky for you then, that Adam keeps up with his training, hmm?”

Sio walked out of the room with her face in a furious blush and an urgent need for some ‘alone time’.

Luckily for her the camera was an equal opportunist, giving the sniper abundant shots of both the male and female actors. Especially as the foreplay on the screen heated up, the woman now using her well-endowed assets to give her lover a tit-job. Like most porn stars, his penis was clean and bare with no foreskin, but that didn’t stop the sniper’s eyes from following each vigorous thrust, his powerful hips moving like a jackhammer. Although her breasts were nowhere near the size needed to pull this off, there were definitely other places where Adam was able to thrust with almost the same level of ferocity... Sio closed her eyes briefly as she remembered their last tryst, right before he headed off on this current mission. They’d decided to change things up a bit, doing it from behind for once; she could still feel the sensations of his thick cock pounding away inside her, fists clenching the sheets as she held on for dear life. When she finally woke up the next day, her nether regions were still aching tenderly, and during her shower she discovered (to her dismay) his hands had left some minor bruises along her hips. Still, it’d been worth it to be fucked completely, utterly senseless like that. Despite his brash attitude, Sio discovered it usually took a bit of coaxing on her part to convince Adam to not hold back—though she knew a part of it stemmed from his fear of hurting her again.

“Kiyaaa! You came so much...”

“That’s because your tits are too gorgeous, babe.”

She opened her eyes again just in time to see the man cum all over the woman’s face and breasts, the sticky, white liquid looking so much like icing. Her inner walls tightened and she took a break, licking her fingers as the leads exchanged some dialogue and actually moved the plot along. “Mmm...it tastes more sour today...oh well.” With her fingers now well-lubricated with her own saliva, she resumed thrusting a finger in and out, keeping the pace steady as she felt herself getting wetter. Especially as man’s statuesque backside filled the computer screen and she gave a slight moan, wishing Adam was here instead.

“Adam...I want to touch your body...” A hand reached up to massage her breast; using slow, gentle circles until her nipple perked into a sensitive, pink point. Those sexy six-pack abs, his chiseled ass and the cords of steel muscles running between his shoulders...whining about the lack of his presence, Sio continued touching herself, casually glancing at the muscles on-screen and thinking about Adam’s instead. This guy was definitely strong; she could tell by the way his biceps rippled while he spread the girl’s legs, preparing to eat her out. The view zoomed in to the girl’s crotch, all slick and wet with cum and saliva as the man’s tongue flicked about her sizable clit.

‘I wish Adam was doing that to me right now...’ Feminine cries soon echoed from the speakers, Sio ignoring pretty much everything but the actual on-screen action. Her fingers rubbed her clit a little harder as the woman started shaking from the impending orgasm, Sio getting an eyeful of gushing as her own core started throbbing. “N-Nng...uhhn, I’m getting close...” Her own juices were already making a sizable stain on the sheets as she thrust her fingers in and out, making sure to pay special attention to her little pearl. “Mmmph...it’s good...oh man, my clit feels so good...it’s so sensitive, i-if I keep going, I’m definitely, gonna...!” Her stomach was clenching as the actress reached a climax, screaming and squirting everywhere. Wishing she’d had the foresight to bring her vibrator, instead the sniper made do with her own fingers, sticking them inside and letting her walls convulse around them as she desperately humped her hand—rubbing all around the hood, underneath, even pinching the nub slightly as her hips jolted.

“Nnngg...uhhn, it’s coming...!” Thrusting her hips into the air, Sio felt the first twinges of her orgasm start pulsing through, before everything slammed down and she fell back onto the bed, jerking unevenly as she kept up the stimulation, rubbing her clit every so often and shivering from the smaller quakes. “Oooh...god, it’s so good...!” The fingers inside her were slick and sticky with her own fluids, the inner muscles still pulsing strongly as she tried to ride it out for as long as she could. Her head was buzzing with a bit of static sound, the actors’ voices strangely muffled as she gasped for breath, gently massaging her stiff breasts and patting her damp, sensitive crotch as the high slowly receded. 

“Damn...I can’t believe that felt so good...man, does porn really make this better...?” She gazed down at her hand, which definitely needed a good washing. “I can’t believe I’m still thinking about continuing...why am I so horny today all of a sudden...” This was her second masturbation session in the span of an hour, and the film was barely at the halfway point. She glanced at the door, and then at the screen again, which now showed the couple getting ready for the ‘main event’.

‘Might as well...I’ve got time...’ Besides, just watching a few more minutes of the porn turned her on again, Sio feeling herself getting wet. She gently stroked her pink clit, careful to not be too rough as she was still sensitive from earlier; still, pleasant shivers ran up and down her spine as she lay in a tangle of sheets.

The couple in the video were really going at it, now. Loud, lewd sounds were coming from the speakers and Sio gingerly turned it down just a touch, though a finger remained on her clit, swirling and teasing it until she once again felt the small shivers of an impending climax. The sniper bit her lip and dug back into the pillows, fingers stirring her insides and spreading the sticky nectar all around. This one wasn’t going to be quite as explosive as the previous one, but the pleasure was building up at a solid, steady rate. The sniper spared a glance at the screen, which showed the male literally hammering away at his lover, his balls slapping with reckless abandon as their juices squelched all over. Biting her lips, Sio started thrusting faster, mesmerized by the action and her own anticipation of what was about to happen. That moment right before the peak, what it felt like to hang onto the edge before tipping over... The couple in the film was getting closer and so was she.

“Nnng...ha, haah, ahn...!” Her eyes closed as the first powerful rush of pleasure cascaded over; the familiar pinpricks of electricity, then a burst of heat that shook her to her very core. Sio gasped for air as the waves gradually subsided, gently running her fingers between her wet thighs.

She lay there, catching her breath and watching with hooded eyes at the rest of the film. Sometime during her climax, the couple in the DVD had finished as well, and now they were engaged in some fluffy pillow-talk across the bearskin rug from the cover. She was wondering when they heck they made the transition to the floor when the door suddenly opened, Sio looking up in shock; it was too late to do anything though and unfortunately, the afterglow made her too relaxed to move.

“Sio? What in th...” The room’s owner was staring wide-eyed at her, cheeks rapidly flushing as he took in the scene before him.

“A-Adam! Uh, t-tadaima...” Sio smiled weakly at her boyfriend, a nervous giggle escaping her lips as she half-heartedly tried to cover her bare, dripping crotch. “U-Um, you’re back...”

“...Yes...okaeri,” Adam answered on instinct, still trying to comprehend just what the hell was going on. Clearly, the sniper had been enjoying some personal time, but why his room? And more importantly, just what exactly was the open laptop for? Before he could say anything else though, the ending credits started playing, and Adam instantly recognized the cheesy outro of a very particular porn title.

He took a very deep breath. 

“...Alright, I’m not even gonna ask what the bloody hell’s going on.” He dropped the duffel to the floor, not sure how to react or where to begin. “There a, reason you decided to commandeer my bed in particular? And my...entertainment, for that matter?”

Sio squirmed uncomfortably, not sure if Adam was peeved or just confused. Or a combination of both. Granted, this was not the first time he’d caught her while masturbating unawares—even though all those instances had been unintentional, she wondered if there was someone up there who just liked them to be in compromising situations—but this time, he’d caught her watching porn as well.

And right after she’d chewed him out for it, to boot.

‘Yikes...talk about eating my own words...’

Adam remained silent, only a white brow raised in a questioning manner as he stood next to the bed, arms crossed. He tapped his foot and tilted his head to the side, as if to ask ‘well?’

“Erm, I...I’m sorry, Adam...I-I was curious about, you know—p porn,” he didn’t say anything, but merely nodded, “a-and I...couldn’t help it; I know I made such a big fuss before, but...then I started wondering what it really was all about, anyway, and then...u-um...” Her voice started quivering and a wave of guilt washed over her, the realization of just what she’d done hitting her full-on. She didn’t even finish her explanation before a sob choked out, and the next thing she knew tears were falling, the sniper crying and wiping her tears haphazardly. “I-I’m, s-s-sorry...!”

She couldn’t look him in the eyes, not like this; why did she always do things without really thinking them through? ‘I really am such an idiot at times; some strategist I am,’ Sio thought glumly, it was a wonder Adam still put up with her antics. The bed creaked as Adam sat down and gently closed the laptop lid, pulling her into his lap.

“...Oh Sio.” He sighed, not saying much else but instead brushed her hair back. “...Sometimes I just...don’t quite know what to make of you, y’know?” He wiped her tears with his sleeve, before handing her a tissue for her nose. “While I am rather indignant at the fact that you had the gall to tell me off for indulging in smut, only to turn right around and sneak about my collection,” Sio winced, “I’m more wound up about the fact that you felt you couldn’t talk to me about this.” His face was not angry, but she could tell from his gaze that he was serious. “I can understand why you were upset at first—but if you really were curious, couldn’t you have just asked me about it?”

His words made her feel even worse, Sio needing a few more minutes of quiet tears before she regained enough composure. “I...I-I know...and I’m sorry I said all that...” A shudder ran down her as she tried to calm down. “It...wasn’t intentional; but sometimes, I just miss you a lot...a-and I feel, really...” Sio squirmed, burning with shame at her behavior, “...I swear, it feels like I can’t control it sometimes—I-I just, get so...horny...it’s like I can’t think straight...”

“...And so, in your, uh...lust-induced haze, you...decided to impulsively watch my porn?”

“...I’m sorry...I’m such a terrible person—!”

Sio squeaked as Adam flipped her onto the bed, hovering over her with a stern expression on his face. “Y’know, I really wish you’d stop ragging on yourself like that; for the last time, Sio Ogura, you are not a terrible person or anything of that sort. I thought we made that clear already...” A hand reached down and gently stroked her cheek, Sio shivering from such a simple gesture. “You’re the one I care about the most—the most important thing to me, ever. So to hear you think of yourself in such a, a...disparaging manner...it hurts me too, you know.”

“Adam...” His tenderness towards her could be even more overwhelming than his physical touch, sometimes. “I, I’m...I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I guess I just feel really stupid for blowing up at you, and now I’m eating my own words...” Sio couldn’t help but blush at her own blunder. “I’m...sorry I was so harsh about you watching porn...at the time, i just didn’t know what to make of it...I guess I overreacted a bit,” she heard Adam mutter under his breath ‘a bit?’, “b-but, now that I’ve...done the same, I...change my mind.” She swallowed thickly; even though Sio did feel bad about berating Adam, her pride still took a blow. “I...I’m fine if you want to watch porn in your own time. Especially when I’m not around...I miss you a lot, too...so I’m sorry...”

The room was silent for a bit, Sio wishing she could just crawl under a rock and wallow in shame. Adam meanwhile, had a rather peculiar expression on his face as he attempted to take this all in stride. Even now, it struck him at how Sio was able to surprise him, time and time again. Perhaps not all surprises were particularly pleasant, but it kept him on his toes.

“Well...I appreciate your apology, Sio Ogura. And I respect your humility in keeping an open mind.” To be fair, he’d been prepared to basically give it up if it meant keeping her happy, but with this sudden turn of events...perhaps a god existed, after all. “In that case, I...wouldn’t object to you watching my, stuff...or if you wanted to, y’know,” at this he blushed to the very roots of his white hair, “...watch something together...”

Sio’s eyes grew wide as saucers at that suggestion. ‘This is exactly what those magazines said...! So it is actually a couple thing...’ Her body flushed hotly as her eyes swept over to the unassuming set of discs on the shelf. 

“W, Well...I-I, have to admit I’d be curious to try it...” Adam raised an eyebrow at her bold response, “I-I mean, I’m just saying I’ve read about it and since I...was so rude to you and all—” Sio’s arms were flailing all over the place, the sniper in a bit of a panic at everything that had happened in the past 10 minutes. As if the situation wasn’t already awkward enough, but at least Adam seemed to have forgiven her for sneaking around his room and using his material.

“Also, I’m...still kind of horny...” Sio gave a nervous laugh, anxiously crossing her legs in an attempt to hide her wet thighs. 

Both of them blushed beet red at the implications.

“M-Maybe, you can recommend something? N-Not anything extreme but just...I dunno, one of your...favorites?” 

Adam was so stunned you could have pushed him over with a feather. Here was his girlfriend, who was usually so shy and stuttering and prone to nosebleeds whenever he got too close, now sitting on his bed half-naked and proposing he choose some smut for both of them. He gave a small nod, before going through his collection. 

A few minutes later a case landed on the bed, the sniper craning her neck to read the text. “An Openly-Exposed Hot Spring...” Sio raised an eyebrow at the name. “A...voyeuristic title?” She gave him a side eye.

“Hey now, don’t judge a book by its cover; it’s actually not what it seems—well, not all of it anyway. And besides, you’re one to talk, Miss High School Peeping Tom,” he gave her just as pointed a glance back.

Sio groaned. “Oh come on, that was an accident! You’re never gonna let that go, are you,” she groused.

“Considering you made no attempts to look away, no I’m not going to let you forget that anytime soon.” Adam replied evenly. Sio grumbled, but she couldn’t deny it. “Well then, if you wouldn’t mind budging up a bit there, squirt...”

She scooted to the side, Adam sighing as he climbed onto the bed. There was a moment of hesitation as he eyed the damp spots, but then shrugged and sat down. “So that explains the laptop, I guess...”

“Er, yeah...sorry...actually, I...already watched another one earlier...b-before I even came to your room...”

Adam nearly choked on his own spit at Sio’s sheepish revelation. “Wh-What?! You what? Wait, did you just say you...watched more than one?”

“...Yes...sorry...” 

“I-I uh, well...alright, sure. ‘S fine...I guess...” Adam gave a resigned shrug. His brain was basically on overload at this point from the myriad of things he’d learned about the sniper in the past couple of minutes. Not that it was bad, mind you, just...definitely surprising. Including the fact that apparently, the sniper had one hell of a sex drive. “So...out of curiosity, which one did you...choose?”

“Uh, it was like the service maid one...”

‘The solo female one...?’ While he’d always suspected, the fact that Sio admitted to watching and masturbating to a woman... 

“...So, I see you’re a woman of culture, too...” The sniper blushed and covered her face. “By the way, don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but...are you, perchance, also attracted to girls?”

“E-Eh? Uh, hmm...” The sniper was caught off-guard by the sincerity of his question. “...To be honest, I’ve never really thought about it much, but...now that you say it, maybe? I mean thinking on it now, I did have crushes on girls when I was younger...but I didn’t realize it as such.”

Adam nodded. “Sure, that makes sense. Do you consider yourself...bisexual then? I-I don’t mean anything by it, just curious is all.”

Sio blinked. “Bi...sexual? What’s that?”

“It means you’re attracted to both genders, male and female.” 

The girl sat with her finger on her chin, deep in thought. “I...dunno. I’m not sure I’d say that right now, since it’s not something I’m really familiar with...but, it is possible. Or, I guess maybe I am queer, to some extent...” She shrugged. “Hey, who knows, right? Maybe I’ll figure it out later on.” 

Adam couldn’t help but smile. “Sure, love. Anywho, apologies for that odd line of questioning, but...it just seemed like something that was likely. Guess you could say curiosity killed the cat.” Without another word he popped in the disc, Sio nervously squirming underneath the covers as the disc started playing.

‘I can’t believe this is actually happening...’ 

The first couple of minutes were wrought with silence, save for the incredibly stilted, canned dialogue coming from the video. Sio could hardly look at Adam, much less try anything, and it seemed the feeling was mutual. Maybe it was too soon to be engaging in something like this, when she’d barely just watched her first porn.

Swallowing her nervousness, Sio turned her attention to the screen. Some hapless milquetoast office worker had found a hole in the wall separating the two baths, and was now peeping on a seemingly-deserted women’s bath—save for one buxom bather. Naturally, the peeper started jerking himself off as he discovered this opportunity, his cock growing stiffer and Sio blushed the camera made it clear that this pervert was well endowed. 

“Well, I suppose if nobody’s around...”

The camera switched and now it was the lady’s turn to indulge in some self-care. Fingers plunged into her swollen pussy lips, the water churning and splashing as the actress on screen fingered herself with abandon. As the action continued the sniper felt her own core tighten, as it always did when she was aroused.

‘Oh boy...I’m getting turned on...’

“U-Um...sorry about this...b, but I’m kind of, uh...” She noticed his face turn slightly in her direction, “my body...” Her insides pulsed again as the moans from the video got louder, forcing Sio to rub her thighs together to ease the pressure somewhat.

“If you need to...relieve yourself, feel free; that’s kind of the point of this.” Still, even with Adam’s encouragement her fingers stopped at her mound, unable to bring herself to actually go through. Especially since Adam himself remained so still she had to check to see if he was breathing.

“...Man, this is...awkward...m-maybe we shouldn’t do this...” On one hand, she was still fairly aroused, but on the other, this bizarre situation was kind of killing the mood. “I just...I don’t know, it feels weird..” Maybe it was the video, or maybe it was the fact that, despite being together, Sio still considered masturbating to be a private activity.

The video continued playing for a few minutes, both holders sitting in an incredibly strained silence as they watched the peeper now crawling over the fence and getting it on with the female bather. ‘Ugh, I’d rather just have Adam do that to me instead of watching...wait...’ She gave a surreptitious glance to her left; Adam looked so placid she wouldn’t be surprised if he started taking a nap.

“A-Ano, Adam...?” He twitched as she gently poked his shoulder, but nodded, “u-um, I have an idea...”

“...Yeh? You wanna stop?”

Sio shook her head. “N-No—well if this doesn’t do anything then we might as well—but, since I feel really awkward doing this to myself, c-can, could you...” she took a deep breath, “d, do the same thing to me as...the video? I-I think, I’d...prefer it if you touch me instead.”

“...Ah.” Leave it to Sio to come up with a solution, despite being more inexperienced; Adam supposed she wasn’t now head strategist for nothing. “In that case...” Taking off his jacket, he handily lifted the girl into his lap, aware of the wetness still coating her thighs. “So, like this, ‘ey?” His voice took on a mischievous tone as he slid a finger down, right into her tight slit—same as the video. A whimper from the sniper told him all he needed to know; turning the volume down a tad, he leaned in closer, holding her tight against him as his finger started pumping in and out. “My my, we’ve ourselves a rather naughty little Kitty-chan today, don’t we? First you go sneaking about my personal belongings, then you finger-fuck yourself on my bed...and you still aren’t satisfied?” His hot breath fanned the shell of her ear and Adam felt the sniper quiver, her inner walls sucking his digit in until it was buried to the knuckle. “Tsk tsk, you really are quite the pervert, aren’t you?”

“A-Ahhn...ahn, I-I, I’m—aah—sorry—!” Sio momentarily forgot about the video as Adam started to finger her, all the while whispering incredibly dirty words into her ear. He rarely got in the mood like this, but sometimes the ‘Jack’ persona would come out, if she pushed him far enough. “I, know I’m a pervert...I can’t help it, you feel too good...” Right as she said that his fingers plunged straight to her g-spot, Sio crying out from the sensitivity. “Ah—! Ah, oh god, it feels too good...m-my insides, it’s so hot...!” Breathy moans soon overtook the video’s dialogue, Sio glancing between the on-screen action and Adam’s hand that was working her sopping cunt. “Nng...A, Adam, m-my clit, too...”

“Oh? So demanding, Kitty-chan,” he teased, but obliged with his other hand; Sio let out a loud moan as he pinched the pink nub. “So, how’s this working out? Better?” Now that he was actually touching her, the video seemed less distracting and more like a background mood-setter, especially with the way they were almost mirroring the on-screen action. “You’re soaked...”

Sio couldn’t even muster a response, instead nodding as she panted from the stimulation. ‘So hot; everything is so hot...’ She massaged her small breasts, rubbing the stiff points between her fingers that caused her to arch her back. “Haaaahnn...it’s too good...! When you touch me like this... It feels amazing...your, fingers...!” She moaned and bit her hand in an attempt to not completely lose control, though it was difficult when Adam was scissoring her insides while teasing her clit. Sometimes it boggled her mind how such a small, seemingly insignificant little part of her body could unleash such pleasure when stimulated the right way. Though Sio was happy that Adam appreciated her breasts no matter how small they were, she wouldn’t deny her favorite place was that small, secret bud between her legs: a delicate pink that was now flushed a deep red and swollen with arousa. Drops of nectar leaked out and down onto the sheets, nevermind his trousers that were now stained.

“That makes me quite chuffed to hear, love,” he licked her ear and she squealed, “seems my dear Kitty-chan always has some devious ideas up her sleeve...” Hot nectar flowed down his hand and onto the sheets, Sio moaning as he curled his fingers inside to stroke her g-spot. Her cries were almost synced with that of the video at times, Adam having nearly forgotten about it—he casually glanced at the laptop, where the ‘hero’ of the show was now also fucking the actress into oblivion. Such deviant behavior...but, there was no way he could deny how hard it made him, given how readily Sio admitted porn turned her on. 

“Nnngg! How...does it feel...so, good...!” Panting, Sio fell against Adam’s broad chest, needing a bit of a break from all the stimulation; Adam sensed this and his fingers slowed inside her, though not completely stopping, lazily thrusting in and out. When her sex drive kicked in, it really went into overdrive. At first it was scary how high her libido was; it seemed like every other moment she was thinking about having sex, either with Adam or simply masturbating by herself—as often as two or even three times a day. But gradually, it did balance itself out. Though sex was still a major and integral part of their relationship, so too was the emotional support they provided for one another.

Screeching akin to a banshee’s wail grabbed both their attentions, as the porn reached the final act. The ex-peeper now furiously bounced the woman in his lap with white cum squelching out, all the while accompanied by the strangely-cheerful, elevator music background track. Ignoring the dissonance between the screaming and the soundtrack, Adam focused on the action itself.

“M-Mmnn...mou, Adam you stopped...” The sniper pouted as the fingers removed themselves, her gaping hole squeezing itself in an attempt to alleviate the tension. Love juices sluiced down her thighs as Sio made an effort to wipe them up, though she was largely unsuccessful. 

“Now love, just be patient...” He smirked and Sio recognized that mischievous tone. It was cocky and sure, much like when he became Jack the Ripper—but in the bedroom, that could only mean one thing... A second later something hot and stiff prodded against her slick entrance and Sio yelped in surprise.

“A-Adam...! Y, You, you’re...” She whined as Adam started slowly but firmly push himself into her tight cavern, though being so wet helped a great deal to ease his thick length inside her. “Ahhnn—it, it won’t fit like this! This angle...are you sure it won’t just fall out?”

Grunting, Adam shifted his hips upwards, Sio squealing as he grabbed her supple thighs and pulled them apart to help him gain more ground. “Oy love, we’ve not even started and you’re already having doubts? Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it, isn’t that what they say?” Using his strength, he slowly lifted the sniper up and down; in and out, empty then filled as Sio cried from the sensations and writhed in his grip. “Would appreciate it if you would have a tad more faith, Sio.”

“I-I’m not, it’s not...ahn, aah...” Panting, Sio could hardly think of what to say, let alone speak the words. Adam’s cock filled her up in the most satisfying of ways, as her walls finally squeezed around something warm and stiff, instead of emptiness. “I, I’m just saying...i-if you slip out, it might kill the mood...ahn!” A particularly forceful thrust from the silver-haired man, as if to prove her wrong.

“Then I won’t. Simple as that.” Sio had no more quips left as Adam increased his pace, just like the film. The only audible voices now were coming from the video, as both holders were too focused on breathing to even moan or cry out. As Adam settled into a steady grip and good rhythm, she reached one hand down to lavish her clit with overdue attention. Her insides instantly tightened from the stimulation; electricity shot up her spine as she unconsciously struggled against Adam’s hold. Behind her, she heard him grunt slightly as she squeezed him, though the extra friction felt delicious.

“Aah, I’m cumming...iku, iku...!” The porn was about to come to the end, judging from the scene and the timer winding down. At this point, Sio wouldn’t be surprised if they came right after—both of them were getting desperately close, especially as she continued to fondle and tease her swollen clit. She whined through her teeth as her fingers pushed the hood back, rubbing the sensitive nub directly and pinching it lightly.

“Nnngg! C-Crap, it feels too good...my clit, it’s always so sensitive...!” With Adam thrusting deep inside her and occasionally hitting the edge of her cervix, her own hands pleasuring her body all over, Sio felt the faint pulses start to converge in her core. “O-Oh...d, dame, Adam...I, I think I’m gonna...I’m close...” 

“Hah, hah...is that so...” Hot breaths fanned her cheek, Adam himself feeling the tripwire tighten inside as well. His height allowed him to peek over Sio’s shoulder, and watching the sniper please herself was much more erotic than any porno that could be playing. Her bra was crumpled above her breasts, and her panties had long disappeared somewhere amongst the sheets, nevermind their uniforms scattered carelessly on the floor. In public, she was still terribly shy about anything remotely sexual, but behind closed doors, she could let her guard down and be herself. Knowing she trusted him enough to shamelessly show him how she masturbated was even more of a turn-on than the whole ‘fuck while watching porn’, honestly.

“Oooohh...I-I’m, I can’t anymore...” Her head sank back into his shoulder as Adam felt her walls start spasming a bit.

“Hnn...’s that so...” The video was close to the end too, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of the timer. “I wonder, who will finish first...us, or—haah—that daft video...” He heard Sio gulp as she realized his words. “So love, think you can...hold out just a touch longer?”

“W-Well, when you—aah—put it that way...h-how can I not...” Sio bit back a moan as she renewed her efforts to hold back her orgasm, though that was a bit like trying to stop a landslide with a shovel. “H-How much...hnn!” Her clit gave another throb, as if actively trying to sabotage her efforts. “N-No, stop...my body, it’s...!”

The girl in his arms trembled, Adam reducing his pace to help her draw it out. Even though it was tempting to just ignore everything else and thrust until they were completely spent, that stupid video seemed to be goading him on, even though it was entirely fictional... “Hnnngg...j-just, a little more...there’s a good girl, Sio...” 

In. Out. Empty. Full. ‘Oh god...I don’t know if I can do this...! I just wanna cum...!’ Besides, Sio was getting tired--and judging by the tremors in Adam’s arms each time he lifted her, so was he. He may have had genetically-enhanced strength, but he wasn’t a tireless robot. Moaning, she stared at the numbers on the screen, trying not to think too hard about anything other than how good everything felt; her own hands fondling her breast and nipples, then giving some tender touch to her nub, Adam’s penis thrusting into her at a good pace and hitting all the right spots each time... Hearing his gasps and grunts, feeling his sweat-slicked skin pressed against her back as his strong arms supported her was just as enticing as well. Sio felt herself drooling slightly from all the exquisite sensations assaulting her senses. 

“Kyaaaaaa!! Iku! Ikuuuuuuuu!!” The fake onscreen couple reached their limit; after that, the laptop was completely ignored. Adam’s grip tightened on her thighs as he thrust into her with a desperate vigor; Sio rubbed her clit in the tight, fast circles that she always used to bring herself to a roaring orgasm. 

“Haaah! Aah! Nngg! Hnn!” Adam’s thrusts drove like a piston against her slick walls, kissing against the entrance to her womb each time. “Oooh...I-I’m—mmmmnn—c, cumming!” Panting so hard her tongue stuck out like a dog’s, Sio felt her orgasm crash through like a runaway train. A single, long wail tore from her throat, her climax hitting so hard her eyes nearly rolled to the back of her head while the rest of her body twitched and jerked. A burst of juices gushed from her hole, dripping all over Adam’s crotch and onto already-soaked bed as she continued to squirt, even as her orgasm slowly tapered.

“Holy...fuck...” Adam wasn’t sure which was more impressive: the strength of his orgasm, or Sio’s. The girl was practically slathered in fluids—saliva, sweat and a generous amount of their mixed cum—panting and completely limp in his lap. His own climax had been just as mind-blowing, especially after hearing the video finish first; Sio’s walls squeezed him mercilessly as the girl herself cried and pushed back against him. He opened one eye wearily as he felt something drip down this leg, only to see a thick glob of white spunk, mixed with Sio’s nectar, slowly make their way down via gravity. He groaned and sank into the pillows, too tired to even pull his softening member out. The entire room smelled ripe with sweat and the musky odor of their voracious sex, and vaguely Adam thought about a shower. 

“Ooooh...god, that was...haaahh,” Sio had no words to describe the pleasure she felt as she slowly came down from her high. “Oh man, you came so much...I’m overflowing...” Wincing, she gently lifted herself off, Adam finally pulling out of her with a slight ‘pop’. “Urg...I’m definitely gonna feel this tomorrow...”

“Speak for yourself; christ Sio, you’re just...I don’t, I’m just...” As the sniper turned towards him with wide, guilty eyes, he regretted his words. “W-Wait, I didn’t mean anything bad by that—”

“—S-Sorry, I’m such a pervert...I, I know I can be...insatiable at times,” Adam coughed slightly as this, “s, so, I’m...glad you still put up with me...”

“Oh Sio...” Adam couldn’t help but smile slightly as he pulled her into a hug. “You know I’d never hold that against you. That being said, I’m...amazed at your, er...appetite, at times...” Adam was pretty sure if he weren’t an e-gene holder, he’d be worn out by now. He gave her a simple kiss on her forehead. “Remember Sio, I said I love all of you, as you are. And I mean that.”

“Ah, A-Adam...” Now she was shy again, cheeks turning a cute pink as she buried herself into his embrace. “Th, thanks...you’re the best...” Her libido may have been a great source of embarrassment at times, but the amount of pleasure it gave her was enough to make up for it, she decided. His chest rumbled with muffled laughter, causing Sio to blush more, but with happiness.

“...So uh, I take it we’re all cool with the AV thing then?” Adam cautiously broached the topic. “You’re fine with me watching, uh, my stuff and all that? Granted, you’re welcome to it too, now.”

Sio nodded shyly. “Y-Yeah, honestly you should do whatever you want in your private time. I’m really sorry I freaked out the first time...th, thanks for being so chill about everything...” She poked the sheets, too embarrassed to look at him in the eyes. “A-And also, th, thanks for your um, generosity...I promise I’ll keep it a secret between us...”

Adam raised an eyebrow. “What, the fact that we both enjoy porn?” Sio squeaked and he rolled his eyes slightly. “My dear Kitty-chan, you do realize this is quite common, right? I appreciate your consideration in keeping it on the down-low, but there’s no need to pretend otherwise.” He patted her on the head and she looked up with red cheeks. “Feel free to enjoy yourself, Sio.”

“Un...Adamu suki...” He really was the best, the sniper decided. ‘Who’d’ve ever thought I’d get such an amazing boyfriend...thanks for something at least, Invasion Objects.’ 

Yawning, Sio proceeded to crawl underneath the tangled sheets, her body now demanding some measure of rest after what she put it through. Next to her, she heard Adam shutting the laptop and putting it off to the side. before sliding underneath. She sighed as strong arms spooned her against his broad chest, eyes closing before her head even settled on the pillow.

Yeah, adult videos weren’t that bad after all...in fact they could be good...very good, indeed.

[tipsyraconteur]

The Old Razzle Dazzle, Part 3

Pairing: KakaSaku Rating: E Word Count: ~1.6k

Read on AO3 | Read on FF.net

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5

"You're chunin?" Sakura said in an admiring voice. "I never progressed past genin, that's so impressive," she lied. Chunin? This was going to be disappointingly easy. "I bet you both know all sorts of moves that I've never seen," she added in a suggestive purr.

It had been over ten minutes since Kakashi had disappeared backstage, and Sakura now had both of the club's hired nin on either side of her. The first, Jin, hadn't taken his eyes off of her breasts since they'd started talking, and had been pathetically easy to manipulate. The second, who’d begrudgingly told her his name was Asao, was fairly suspicious and resistant at first, but as she’d persisted in charming him, he’d begun to show his interest.

"It looks like you're already busy with Jin's moves," Asao responded in an unmistakably jealous tone.

She held back a smile, knowing she had him. Jin's hand was on her hip and sliding upward, which she stopped under the pretext of weaving her fingers with his. While he leaned in and took a deep breath of her hair like the world-class creeper he was, Sakura focused on Asao and moistened her lips with her tongue before huskily murmuring, "Oh, I think I can handle both of you."

Asao's eyes darkened as his eyes trailed over her form and he got closer to her. "That sounds good to me."

From the corner of her eye, Sakura saw Kakashi slip out of the door to the right of the stage, and a wave of relief washed over her, followed by a bit of irritation. Sure, he had to dress in drag for the mission, but at least he hadn't had to be pawed by some creeps while he offered them a threesome.

Her irritation vanished, however, when she noticed that his wig was mussed and one of his dress straps was hanging off his shoulder. This distracted her enough that she didn't even notice Jin's hand on her knee until he was already moving it up to her inner thigh. From across the room, Kakashi's eyes homed it on her, dropped to where Jin's hand was sliding under her skirt, and then narrowed.

Sakura had raised her hand to put a stop to Jin's exploration, but a puff of displaced air hit her face and his hand was suddenly gone. Kakashi—who had just flashstepped over, looking spectacularly sparkly—had Jin's arm twisted behind his back. His other hand had him by the hair, and in a dark voice Kakashi snarled, "Hands to yourself, darling," before smashing Jin’s face into the bar.

Asao gaped as Kakashi. "What the f—”

Sakura cut him off by punching him in the jaw. She had no idea what was going on, but if Kakashi was fighting, then she was fighting too.

As Asao flew back and landed on his ass, Jin recovered enough to throw an elbow back toward Kakashi's gut. Kakashi easily evaded, but that gave Jin enough room to grab a bar stool and swing it at him. As he leapt into the air to avoid the stool, Kakashi's slitted skirt fell almost to his hips, revealing well-muscled legs that shimmered slightly thanks to the pantyhose he was wearing. Sakura couldn't help but stare as he spun, false ebony curls flying, into a beautiful kick that collided with the side of Jin's head and knocked him off his feet.

Kakashi landed neatly on his heeled feet, his eyes flicking toward her as he smirked and said, "Eyes forward, Momo."

Sakura snapped her attention back to the quickly recovering Asao in time to dodge one of his fists. However, a slight stumble—damn it, Kakashi was never going to let her forget that he fought better in heels—meant that she didn't dodge his second punch right to her face, and she tasted blood as her head rocked back. She heard Kakashi curse, and, feeling kind of embarrassed, she recovered quickly and caught Asao's still-extended arm, turning and flipping him over her shoulder. Adding a healthy amount of chakra-boosted strength, she slammed him into the floor.

There was a crackle of electricity from Kakashi's direction, which caused the few patrons and staff that hadn’t already fled to scream and start running for the exits. Sakura looked up in time to see him touch Jin with a lightning-engulfed hand and shock him into unconsciousness, looking for all the world like some kind of shimmery, bewigged, wrathful goddess. Asao gave a groan from beneath her as he lifted his head, and she dropped to one knee, another quick punch sending his head back to the floor. Knocked out, he went completely limp, and Sakura pulled herself back to her feet with a sigh.

"Took you long enough," she fired at Kakashi, hoping he wouldn't mention the part where she stumbled in her heels.

Instead, he gave her a coy look and said, "Why, did you miss me?"

Sakura blinked and flushed—she was definitely having a hard time keeping her footing this evening, and it wasn't just the heels. For lack of a response, she changed the subject, something which Kakashi seemed to find amusing. "Why did you use lightning to knock him out? You could have just done it the old-fashioned way."

Kakashi looked down at Jin's slightly singed body with the kind of look one reserves for a squished bug. "I was feeling dramatic."

Remembering the anger that had crossed Kakashi’s face before he’d pulled Jin’s hand away from her, Sakura suppressed a small smile. Crossing her arms, she took in the rest of the club—though they'd thankfully managed to keep the scuffle confined to the small area around the bar, that hadn't kept the patrons and staff from fleeing the second they saw lightning dancing on Kakashi’s fist. Since they were alone, Sakura tilted her head and gave Kakashi a questioning look. "So, what happened?"

Holding up a finger to tell her to wait, Kakashi bit his thumb and then slapped his palm to the ground. When Pakkun appeared, he gave an amused snort at Kakashi’s appearance, although he was all business as he said, "What's up, boss?"

"We need an ANBU unit to claim three missing nin," Kakashi told him. Sakura estimated that it wouldn’t take long for a detail to show up; it was known that they were on a mission here, and the tourist town that the club resided in was still in Fire Country, only a day’s run from Konoha. There would be a patrol nearby.

Pakkun barked his assent and then poofed out of existence. Kakashi stood, slumped back into his usual relaxed posture and, before she could ask him again, finally answered her question. "I got back into the restricted area. The owner has the entire backstage wired, particularly the dressing rooms and bathrooms—and I’m guessing none of the staff here know they’re being filmed.” As he spoke, Kakashi shoved his hand down the front of his dress and pulled out his bra inserts, throwing them to the ground in disgust.

“He’s been filming them while they change?” Sakura asked, scowling.

“He seems to be running some sort of cam site from it, and I'm guessing that's where all of the money is coming from. He’s a missing nin, too; he decided to attack me when he caught me in his camera room.” He smiled. “That didn’t work out very well for him.”

Sakura hummed to herself as she processed what she'd just heard. "So, he kept these guys around to protect his investment?" Prodding Jin with her toe, she snorted. "He should have hired better."

Kakashi replied with a distracted grunt, still shifting uncomfortably. He had the look of a man who had recently realized exactly why kunoichi usually fought in bindings instead of bras. She took pity on him. "If you want to go back to the hotel and change, I can stay here until ANBU comes. It shouldn't be long."

The look of grateful relief that spread over his face was unmistakable. "Thank you." He looked ready to spring off, but he paused, stepping close to her and raising his hand to her chin. Tilting her head up, he gingerly touched his thumb to the cut on her lower lip, given her an apologetic look as she hissed slightly.

"Make sure you heal this," he said quietly, eyes meeting hers, and Sakura didn't even realize she'd been holding her breath until the long moment was over and Kakashi was heading out the door.

Blinking her eyes away from the continually fascinating image of Kakashi's ass in that dress, Sakura exhaled, glad for the moment to be alone. The whole night had been so odd, she was no longer able to tell if it was just part of the strange energy of the mission, or if Kakashi had actually been… flirting with her. And what if he was? Did it mean anything? If the way her pulse was still humming was anything to judge by, it certainly meant something to her. Suddenly, the prospect of going back to the hotel room where they would be alone seemed much more consequential.  

In the meantime, though, she had to wait until Pakkun brought backup to secure the two missing nin and their boss. Sakura righted a bar stool and slid back onto it, reaching out to grab her forgotten drink. She took an experimental sip, surprised to find it still cold, and settled in to wait for ANBU.

[apotheosishq-blog]

“my mouth is a fire escape. the words coming out don’t care that they are naked. there is something burning in there. ”

PROFILE

FULL NAME: Paloma Castellar

AGE: Thirty

PATRON GODDESS: Athena

OCCUPATION: University Professor

HISTORY

Love is almost as foreign as Spanish - something he can comprehend, but only scarcely communicate. It’s only every Christmas that the child ever feels what the word truly means - pag-ibig, amor, love in every language overflows; Abuela’s house is full of it. Jacinta Zaragoza is a free spirit, and a talkative one, at that. She weaves the past with her words, spinning stories of Puerto Rico so vivid one could almost smell the salt spray. Her love washes over them like waves off the San Juan coast; she gives it away like it costs her nothing. Pag-ibig, amor, love - it is everywhere, in the telenovelas she makes them watch and in the lechon asao she cooks for Navidad and the sweaters she weaves for her grandchildren, and it is in her laughter, in her jokes, in her songs, in the way she sings that old song from the 50’s, ‘ que sera, sera, whatever will be will be - and the future was not theirs to see but for once, it hardly mattered. Abuela’s house is a tender present.

Nobody ever said Santiago looked like his mama, but some would say he sounded like her: the quiet must have been something inherited. The quaint Indiana suburbs had no room for their voices — Spanish sentences were met with the apprehensive looks of the ignorant while Puerto Rican accents received condescension from people who equated insufficient English with lack of intelligence. In the wake of intolerance, they learn, instead, not to speak. Papa says it’s better this way. We’re in America, we use their language. He’s quicker than Mama to abandon his mother tongue, aside from words of anger, of course. What remains in him is a lexicon of violence and degradation ready to howl whenever Santi or one of his three siblings fail to meet his standard of what a Valmores child should act like. Inutil, he calls them. Tarantado. Walang mararating. In the children’s ears, Tagalog is a language of hate. The older ones try to defend themselves, albeit to no avail; rationalizations are fruitless on a man that has never learned to listen. Their disputes reverberate within the four walls of the family’s small household; everybody screams, nobody is heard.

CONNECTIONS

ICARUS - LITTLE SISTER: Despite the meager three years between them, she practically raised the girl. Alike in potential but not in ambition, she prefers to fly low where her sister strives for the skies, albeit to the elder’s dismay. Call it jealousy, call it smotherly, but the cuts and bruises Paloma once tended to in their childhood are proof that the younger Castellar has far too much tenacity and far too little restraint. Still, family is family. Should Feliciana’s hubris ever lead her plummeting to the depths, Paloma’s nothing if ready to catch her. 

EURYDICE - THE ESTRANGED LOVER: As clever as Paloma and thrice as curious. She reminds her of Feliciana, sometimes, but that’s not why she’s drawn to her. There’s something captivating about the detective’s pursuit of knowledge, how her quests are driven less by arrogance and more by love. So rare does Paloma find intellectual devotions fueled by emotion that the woman’s sincerity makes her consider listening to her heart once in a while, too. It’s unclear what’s to blame for how everything ended, and for all the professor’s pride in her own mind’s power, this is the one thing she would rather not think about.

ARIADNE AND THESEUS - THE PUPILS: Her best and brightest. Each brilliant in their own way, they are reservoirs of untapped potential that she can only do her damndest to unlock, even if it means placing them in labyrinths of her own design, making challenges difficult enough to push them to the edge of their wits. Whether they resent her for it in the present matters less to her than what they could become in the future — if they find that they’ve bested every past version of themselves, they’ll have Paloma to thank.

DAEDALUS IS PORTRAYED BY DANIELLA PINEDA AND IS OPEN.

[zipgrowth]

Teaching Office Hour: How Can Profs Support Students Who Come In With Poor Writing Skills?

The following is the first full installment of the new EdSurge advice column about teaching in higher education. You can pose a question for a future column here.

How can I best support students with very poor writing skills when the class is not one specifically focused on writing? I'm already encouraging them to use the Writing Center and giving feedback that highlights one or two specific grammar/ clarity issues to focus on. Yet I fear that those who enter college with major deficits in this area will struggle in every class, without sufficient resources available to catch up. Thanks Bonni!

—Kerry Moore, assistant professor of social work at Vanguard University of Southern California

Let me start by saying that I hear this question frequently. We professors sometimes misjudge the skill level students will start from on the first day of class on a variety of fronts. And these students vary in which courses they have taken or plan to take before they finish, so there is a bigger picture of their progression to consider.

"The engine of learning is labor."

—Asao B. Inoue, director of the writing center at the U.of Washington Tacoma.

Recently I had a bit of a wake-up call regarding my thinking about developing writing skills. In talking with Asao B. Inoue, director of the writing center at the University of Washington Tacoma, for my Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, he stressed the importance of finding out from students what their goals were around writing, prior to attempting to provide them with feedback. I realize that sounds completely obvious, but it was not something I have always remembered to integrate into my own teaching.

One example we talked about was all the time we might spend emphasizing a particular citation style (e.g. APA, MLA), when the individual has absolutely no intention of ever pursuing graduate school. Yes, I realize that many of us never had the idea of going to graduate school until well beyond finishing undergrad. I also recognize that in some disciplines, teaching students to use particular citation styles is essential, even at the undergraduate level. However, starting by identifying what goals our students have will allow us to provide far more powerful feedback than if we never are aware of them at all.

Inoue also articulated the importance of spending more time writing as vital to growing these skills. He stated that “The engine of learning is labor.” The more we write, the better we will get at it. This is particularly true if we have someone giving us useful feedback who is aware of our broader goals and aspirations.

John Warner’s forthcoming book, Why They Can’t Write: Killing the Five Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities, addresses this question directly. We might just be “teaching writing wrong,” he argues, by conditioning our students to perform “writing-related simulations,” which are too sterile to help them develop in ways that are most relevant to them.

I reached out to John to see what advice he has for us in these pursuits. He shared:

“I always like to remember and remind students that writing is thinking. If they're having trouble with the writing, there's likely an underlying problem with the thinking, and often it's rooted in them not being sure what they're supposed to be thinking about. I go back to trying to decide what kind of thinking I'm trying to privilege with the assignment and then helping students get started on that path.”

I asked others on Twitter for their advice and received far more responses than I ever would have anticipated. J. Scott Self, assistant professor in the school of educational leadership at Abilene Christian University, joked in a tweet that learning more about growing writing skills was the number one thing he was planning on asking Santa for this year, since it is such a challenge to help struggling writers make improvements.

I completely understand the frustrations, yet there is hope. We can look to those who have been able to address the realities while still challenging themselves and their institutions to change their approaches. I will weave the guidance received from Twitter in with my own advice and will link to the recommended resources.

Remember Writing Skills Fall on a Continuum

One paradigm that can be especially helpful is to think of developing writing skills as falling along a continuum. Ideally, we model for our students that we continue to grow our own writing skills and this quest is a lifelong pursuit.

"I always like to remember and remind students that writing is thinking."

—John Warner

Shannon Riggs, executive director for the division of Extended Campus at Oregon State University, stresses the importance of reading the kinds of writing styles we wish to emulate. That has been such a helpful practice for me—each time I have entered into a new form of writing in my work. It is also beneficial to employ this approach when it has been a while since we have written in a particular style.

Align with a Team

One challenge I have experienced at different times in my academic career is the feeling that I am trying to develop skills like this as a solo player. The more we can connect with others who are teaching in our program and across disciplines, the more we can brainstorm and share advice on improving our students’ writing together.

Approaches and resources that were recommended by people on Twitter include:

Writing Across the Curriculum: This is a movement that works to build effective writing assignments into courses well beyond English, composition and literature classes. There are several well-crafted books on the approach, including Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum, by Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen.

Writing Across the Disciplines: Jason Ferguson summed up this approach best in a 2014 essay: “Every academic discipline requires writing of some kind and most of them require it frequently.” He provides an overview of the distinct goals and writing products within various areas of study.

Encouraging Active Learning: One recent book focuses on making sure writing assignments are done in way that promotes active learning, where students learn by doing rather than passively receiving information. It’s called Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom, by John C. Bean

Thanks to Josh Eyler, director of the Center for Faculty Development at Rice University, and Matt Salamone, associate professor of mathematics at Bridgewater State University for suggesting that. Salamone also recommended the Writing Across the Curriculum Clearinghouse, which looks fantastic.

Building a relationship with your university’s writing center can also be foundational in aligning with a team. They often have far more knowledge than we do about resources to support the writing-related learning goals we have for our classes. They are also able to develop relationships with students that extend beyond a given course and can provide individuals with a place where they can see longer-term growth opportunities.

If your institution does not have other departments you can rely on as part of your team, there are online repositories that can support you and your students’ learning. Anthony Schmidt, an educator and Ph.D student, tweeted his recommendation for Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) website, which is one of my all-time favorite resources for my growing my own writing abilities over the years.

Give Plenty of Opportunities for Practice and Revision

If we want to develop better writers, opportunities for practice and for gaining an understanding of the importance of the revisions process need to be emphasized. Laura Gibbs, an online instructor at the University of Oklahoma, shared:

“Exercises on writing can help up to a point, but in the end, writing is a skill that needs practice, and it is a complex skill which means that feedback from a skilled writer is essential. My main job in [my classes] is giving students feedback.”

Riggs, of Oregon State University, also recommended regular practice as a means for improvement. She tweeted that getting three pages down each morning can help all writers become more fluent and to reflect more on our writing.

Thanks for being among the first to write in with a question for my new EdSurge column (I should note that I work with Kerry at Vanguard University).

The fact that you are inquiring means that you care about supporting your students in developing these vital skills. I wish you success in these pursuits. I was going to ask you to let us know how your efforts are going, but now I’m thinking we should read Bean’s Engaging Ideas together and report back to each other on how it helps our teaching evolve.

Teaching Office Hour: How Can Profs Support Students Who Come In With Poor Writing Skills? published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness

[akumanoken]

[/wait, so we doing feelsy what ifs i see. what about reno & rude didn't make back- also, what if demons took his dmc family. then the re guys gone. damn... that's all just no- ]

Ask me what ifs @s1lxcs

Souji would have such a hard time getting close to anyone ever again. His partners in future missions would probably give Souji a title like "ice queen" because he just didn't allow anyone else near him. Not after losing Reno and Rude. They mean the world to him. They are the closest he'd ever come to a family in his life, and the guilt of not being there, of thinking somehow he could've helped them stay alive would eat at him. Either that or the thought that he should've been with them at the end. If he couldn't save them, he should have at least died with them. He cannot imagine becoming closer to anyone else after that.

-----------------------------------------------------

As for Hunter!Souji, someone already asked what would happen if he were to somehow never see Vergil and Asao again, and I answered that.... but losing EVERYONE???

He's lost both his families. Nothing else matters. He's not meant to be happy. Any happiness is destined to be ripped from him. He realizes this now. He knows they'll be angry if he kills himself... if he doesn't live, but it doesn't stop him from throwing himself into fight after fight. Eventually.... hopefully, he can be with his family soon. He's.... so tired.

Why am I the one allowed to live?? It's not fair...IT'S NOT FAIR!!! SOMEONE KILL ME SO I CAN BE WITH MY FAMILY!! I DON'T WANT TO BE IN A WORLD WHERE EVERYTHING I LOVE IS SIMPLY TAKEN FROM ME

[tenacityreturns]

five times kissed with aokaga

i. new to their relationship, but eager, this kiss is exactly as you’d expect it to be. aomine is an annoying little shit, which is a surprise to no one. and kagami loves it.

ii. kagami’s dad calls him at 2am and leaves him feeling bad. if he’d been by himself, he would’ve let it worry him and probably wouldn’t have been able to get back to sleep. good thing he isn’t alone.

iii. aomine’s really good at ghosting him. he had done it before, but now they’re in a relationship, kagami tries his best to help make him feel better. he feels like an idiot but momoi’s there to help. this is the longest because depression, big mood

iv. the vorpal swords reunite, but things are not as kagami would like them to be. this is my fav one because i love kise so much and he’s HERE so that’s all i care about. also you can tell i care about him more than the others bc he has speaking lines.

v. they’ve graduated, and kagami has been in the states for six months. aomine comes to visit.

i) it’s not their first kiss, but it’s still new. instincts tell kagami to push aomine away when he comes close because it’s dangerous to let someone else hold your heart. and his hands are rough, his eyes are cold, and his temper is short, but kagami trusts him. in this moment, they’re both sitting on the edge of their emotional barriers, waiting for the signal that it was safe to fall. he believes that one of them will go first. their personal insecurities are too great to just rush into it wholeheartedly.

     this kiss has a slower build-up than their first. they’re sitting on aomine’s bed, which is dangerous enough territory in itself because kagami is both completely inexperienced and eager to try. as if he could keep his hands off the hottest guy he knows! they inch closer. does aomine know the effect he has? does he feel the same? kagami understands that they both like each other, and want to make out right in this moment, but could he ever affect someone’s pulse like aomine does his? could kagami ever make him speechless? be the only thing he’d want to look at in a room? aomine’s eyes dance across kagami’s face. what’s he looking at? they make eye contact and it sparks a smirk.

     “ah, you’re looking at me with the intensity of a game,” but before kagami can get embarrassed and tell him to fuck off, aomine ducks in close. in a whisper, he continues: “you should loosen up.”

     “you should shut up,” kagami puts his hand on aomine’s chest and pushes him backwards. he climbs on top to straddle him, and it’s the look in widened blue eyes that’s telling him this was the right thing to do. in an instant, the wit returns and he’s smirking again.

     “make me.”

    maybe he would growl, say something like you’re a smartass who always wants to have the last laugh, you know that, right? but kagami is preoccupied. his tense jaw relaxes, and the anger evaporates. the judgement calls between calling out and making out with aomine daiki are often very close. maybe next time, kagami will pretend to be annoyed. ( hint: it won’t be the next time. )

♥

ii) kagami’s ringtone shatters the dark peace of his bedroom. his groggy, half-asleep arm drops heavily to his right, where, usually, it would connect with the bed-side table ( painfully ) and he’d find his phone. this time, he isn’t sleeping alone, and he accidentally hits his barely sleeping boyfriend.

     “hey,” aomine complains as he pushes himself up, “what is it? your phone?”

     kagami doesn’t give a linguistically clear response, but it’s enough of a grunt that aomine gets it. he holds his hand out, and aomine passes it over. it’s dad. it’s 2am. “shit,” kagami presses answer and holds it to his ear. when he speaks, it’s in english. “dad, it’s so early.”

     “good! can we talk?”

     “no, i mean it’s late. can you call me tomorrow?”

     “i’m on a business trip tomorrow, but i won’t be long! it’s friday night, taiga, don’t young people normally stay up ‘til the early hours anyway?”

     “how should i know?” kagami reaches over to squeeze aomine’s arm. it’s a sorry i woke you gesture, which gets a don’t worry about it shrug. as kagami’s father tells him not to be so snappy, he’s just checking in, his son is whispering away from the phone that he’ll be back in a minute. then he’s swinging his legs over the bed and going into the living room.

     “anyway,” asao continues distractedly, and kagami can tell that he’s multi-tasking. “do you want to go to europe with me this winter?”

    “huh?”

     “my business trip! it’s in france, but i was thinking we could take a tour.”

     kagami thought of the winter cup, of getting to have rematches against the generation of miracles. he thought of school ( last, of course ). “what? no, i can’t. i’ve got stuff going on here.”

     “they’ll survive without you for a month! or two weeks, i don’t know, whatever school break is. and you know what they say about french girls?”

    kagami groans. “i don’t care about french girls. i have a boyfriend, remember?”

     silence.

     “go by yourself. or why don’t you grab someone random off the street and tell them to ditch all their plans last minute like this?”

   silence.

    “sorry,” it’s instinctual, second-nature to apologise like this. he isn’t sorry, but he’ll say it anyway for some paternal approval. “people are counting on me and i can’t let them down. --- are you not coming here for christmas?”

    “business trip. alright, taiga. i’ll let you get back to sleep.”

    “bye, dad.”

    dial tone. ah, fuck, he’d hurt his dad’s feelings. he texts thanks anyway, and waits for a reply. it’s a smiley face almost instantly, but that doesn’t put him at ease. it’s not passive aggressive, but at least they weren’t arguing again like last time. when kagami returns to his room, aomine is sitting up on the bed with his arm draped over his legs.

     “everything... okay?” aomine asks quietly. kagami shrugs and plugs in his phone. tentatively as characteristically possible, he continues: “was your dad being a dick again?”

     “he called me in the middle of the night,” kagami climbs across the bed to get back to his side. “what do you think?”

     silence. the urge to apologise bubbles to the surface immediately, leftover from his phone call, but aomine moves and interrupts it. he lowers to one elbow, but it’s the other hand that provides distraction: tenderly brushing kagami’s persistent fringe from his forehead. he never knows what to say in the face of aomine being gentle like this. it’s not uncommon, just surprising, and kagami isn’t particularly good at returning the favour.

     “he asked me to go to europe with him,” kagami says instead, shuffling in a little closer so that his head on aomine’s pillow. his boyfriend is silent again, which is fair, because what the fuck? kagami knows, he gets it. “i’m not going, obviously.”

     “rich people are so fucked,” aomine watches his fingers glide across kagami’s hairline. “he knows you can’t just up and leave, and offers anyway. shit.”

     “right? i have basketball and school.”

     “sounds like it could have been nice, though.”

     “he wants to hook me up with french girls.”

     “never mind. you shouldn’t go.”

     kagami smiles, closing his eyes. “maybe i’ll go.”

     “man, shut up,” aomine pushes kagami’s head into the pillow.

     “hey!” kagami shoves his hand against aomine’s face. they let go. 

     “tch,” as if the last few seconds never happened, aomine tucks himself in close. his head fits just right nestled beneath kagami’s chin. “why couldn’t he call you back in the morning, anyway?”

     “he’s leaving then, or something.”

     “hm. go back to sleep.”

     kagami sighs. usually he can, but sometimes the call disturbs him too much and he’ll lie awake for hours. this is one of those times, he can already tell. ugh. his eyes are open again, blankly surveying the other side of the room. after a few minutes, he can feel aomine’s breathing start to level out and the arm around his body goes limp. red eyes close. please go back to sleep. who cares if his dad disregards all of kagami’s hobbies and relationships in one simple they’ll survive without you for a month? not him! kagami doesn’t care.

     “are you still awake?” aomine makes him jump, which makes a very sleepy sounding aomine jump too. “oiiiii.”

     “sorry! i thought you were asleep.”

     “no, you’re too tense, it’s not relaxing.”

     “daiki,”

     “shhhh,” aomine lifts his head enough to kiss kagami’s jaw. ahhhh!!!! that’s really cute!!!! it gets WORSE. aomine rolls forward, pushing kagami onto his back and lying half on top of him. he holds a hot, red face in his hands and plants three kisses on chin, nose, then forehead. “do you feel a little better?”

    “d--daiki, that’s so cute...”

     “answer the question.”

     “yes?”

     “okay.” he makes kagami’s muscular chest his new pillow. “if you’d have said no, i might have done that again.”

     “huh!!! don’t say that! do it anyway!”

     “shhhh, i’m sleeping.”

     kagami hugs him, but also gives aomine a good shake. a blue head raises with a stern look. “you think you’re getting kissed for that?”

     but kagami’s smiling widely, unable to hold it in. “i wish you were here every time my dad called me.”

     such a statement softens whatever faux grudge had been starting to root itself into the conversation. suffice to say, kagami gets his kisses. brief though they are, because aomine’s half-asleep as it is, it means the world. and it means kagami’s sufficiently distracted to fall asleep again.

♥

iii) aomine hadn’t gone to school that day. of course, kagami wasn’t to know that until after practise when kuroko gets a phone call from momoi asking if he was with them. no, he’s not. they’d been supposed to meet up, but aomine cancelled at lunch time without much explanation. he does that sometimes. at first, it used to annoy kagami, but aomine told him that sometimes he has days when he can’t bring himself to talk to anyone. he’s fine, he doesn’t want pity or anything, just space on days when it happens. i don’t like who i am when i get like that, he’d said. kagami had come to the conversation ill-prepared and hadn’t said anything in reply. he regrets that. so he assumes that this is what today had turned into, one of those days.

     the thing is, momoi also knows when he’s not feeling well. kagami had asked her once if there was anything they could do to make him feel better, somehow, and she said that there wasn’t. she usually takes a box of nice things around to his house for when he comes home. those sexy magazines he likes, a couple of cartons of banana milk, some snacks. kagami thinks of this suddenly as kuroko is ending the call. the words form on his tongue at the same rate as forming in his mind.

     “momoi,” he pulls kuroko’s phone to his ear, holding onto his friend’s wrist. “have you been ‘round to his house yet?”

     “hi kagamin,” she coos, then sighs, “no, i haven’t.”

     “let me do it,” his eyes cannot lift from the floor in his embarrassment ( there are so many of his teammates around, and kuroko’s right there! ). “i can be there in an hour. --------please.”

     “o-okay! i think dai-chan would like that.”

     “i hope so.”

     “i’m in town anyway, why don’t you meet me? bring tetsu-kun and we’ll call it a double date!”

     “how does that work if daiki’s not there? and ain’t the point of this to look out for him, anyway?”

     “ah. yes, i suppose. is tetsu-kun still there?”

     “yes, momoi-san.”

     “ah, tetsu-kun! were you listening? i’m sorry if we left you out! may i steal kagamin for a little while?”

     “i don’t need his permission!” kagami defends hotly, but evens out immediately, letting go of kuroko’s wrist. “i’ll go get changed and see you at that grocery store you mentioned.”

     “grocery... store?”

     “yeah, the one with the, uh,” kagami presses his finger and thumb together and rotates his wrist. like a... key? “the, uh-- popsicle stick? with kuroko, back in middle school?”

     she all but screams a huh down the phone. “why do you remember that!”

     “i don’t know!” because aomine and the others used their basketball ability to take down a bag snatcher, obviously! how fucking cool is that? aomine chasing after a guy on a moped and catching up? kagami’s blushing at the thought.

     momoi sounds like she’s blushing too, and she tumbles into the steep slope of gushing over kuroko and her own, self-described shyness. kagami grimaces. kuroko stares at him. yes, alright, this one is absolutely kagami’s fault for starting. he’ll take responsibility for that one. kuroko finds a nice, polite way to hang up without making her feel bad. damn, if only kagami had an ounce of the tact this guy has!

     but he’ll make do with what he has, and excuses himself from hanging out after practise to attend to something. everyone must have heard that phone-call, but he’s blocking those thoughts from his mind as he speed walks to that fateful store. walking isn’t fast enough. he types out five different texts to aomine that express that he hopes he’s alright, but all of them feel wrong. it’s almost a private joke with himself but as he’s sliding into a taxi to get him there faster, he finds the tiger emoji and the heart emoji. then clicks send by accident. oops. that was... kind of stupid. really stupid. fuck.

     momoi is standing outside with her phone to her ear as he arrives in the car. he pays the fare and gets out. is she on the phone to him? but she doesn’t say goodbye before pushing her phone into her purse, nor does it look like she hung up, so the image is a mystery lost on him. they’re quick inside the store. momoi chooses everything first, starting with the magazine he likes ( ah, thank goodness, mai-chan features a lot in this issue. yes, i’m sure he’ll be fine. but isn’t this strange for you, kagamin? // no, i don’t care. he can like what he likes. // huh! dreamy... ), but then kagami will pick up two others beside it and put it in the basket. she’ll pick up a three-pack of banana milks, and he’ll pick up another. she finds his favourite sweet snack of the week and he grabs five. same with the savoury option. kagami insists on paying, since it had been his idea to quadruple the purchases. on their way over to aomine’s house, they pass a toy shop. kagami only half-glanced, but a little, cuddly crayfish catches his eye.

     “do you think he’d like that?” kagami stops, and presses his index finger against the glass.

     “you want to buy him a toy lobster?” she repeats like it’s insane. he sighs. he has no idea what a good boyfriend would--- “he used to keep crayfish as pets sometimes. you knew that?”

     kagami nods. he doesn’t know how, but he does know that.

     she squeaks. her twinkling eyes and fingers held delicately against her face are making this into way more of an embarrassing ordeal than he’d wanted it to be, so he’s grumbling as he leaves her outside to go and buy it. the little creature is red like a lobster, and speckled, with big plastic eyes and a smiley face. maybe it’s a lobster. what’s the difference? it goes into the little gift bag and momoi has recovered by the time he’s back. she’s all smiles herself, but at least she isn’t saying anything.

     he’s glad she decides to walk him all the way there. kagami couldn’t remember the way. there’s no way of knowing if he’s in, she tells him as they walk up the path. his mother says he’s out, but he could have faked leaving and gone back to bed. he does that sometimes, apparently. it’s cold and wet today, kagami hopes aomine’s in bed. and it’s aomine’s mother who answers the door. she’s working from home today, about to enter a meeting, so she can’t stay and chat, but it’s lovely to see them both. momoi decides to leave kagami to go upstairs by himself. makes sense. she’ll wait in the living room. he takes a deep breath and carries the big bag of nice things up a dark set of stairs. into a dark hallway ( where is the light switch? ). 

     despite the darkness, he knows where aomine’s room is. and there’s a little window near it to bring in the light of a grey day. it’s like the sky sympathises. there cannot be sun when it is not warm inside aomine’s own chest. kagami knocks on the door but there’s no answer. he’s silent as he walks inside. the curtains are drawn, no lights are on. the bed looks empty. damn. he’s not in, after all. something buzzes on the desk and-- it’s his phone. why the hell wouldn’t he take that, what if something happened? kagami sighs. worry gnaws away at his heart. has something happened?

     the decision is made after some deliberation that the best place for the bag is by the desk. the little lobster toy, however, should go on the bed. it’s such a stupid little gift, isn’t it? maybe he should say that momoi chose it. throw her under the bus now, and then when she denies it later, kagami will be long gone and far from the reaches of embarrassment. he snaps the tags off and shoves them into his pocket, carrying it in both hands like a scared offering to a shrine. 

     aomine must have kicked off the duvet in a sulk, because it’s bunched up on one side of the double bed in a long pile. he must be imagining things when he sits and it shifts. the toy looks out of place on the dark pillow-case of a brooding teenaged boy. maybe that’s not fair, but the longer it sits there, the more out of character it feels and he snatches it away. into his hoodie pocket it goes! the blanket shifts again. shit. is--- is someone under there? an apprehensive hand reaches out to where the shoulder would be, connects with something hard. a shoulder.

     “go away, satsuki,” the duvet grumbles.

     kagami doesn’t know what to say. why has he frozen! the hand stays put. is aomine really saying he thinks that kagami’s hands are the same size as the petite girl’s? why is that so offensive all of a sudden... he exhales. the best thing to say is nothing, or so he decides, and instead he pulls the top of the cover down. aomine is facing the other way. kagami runs his fingertips gently through blue hair and still receives no reaction. does momoi do this? he feels as though he should feel jealous, but can’t find it in himself to. aomine should be loved, touched gently and often by those who adore him. whether that’s platonically or otherwise, it’s good if she does stroke his hair gently, and if aomine doesn’t mind, then who is kagami to interrupt?

     “i blew off tetsu and taiga today,” it sounds like a guilty confession. kagami feels like he shouldn’t have heard it, feels like he’s trespassing. “i’m such a fuck up, man.”

     “no, you’re not,” of course kagami knew that once he spoke in his deep voice, and not momoi’s high pitched one, that aomine would roll onto his back and stare in shock. he does, and the heavy gaze makes kagami feel even more like he shouldn’t be here. but he wants to help, if he can. kagami pulls his hand back and reaches into his hoodie pocket for the hidden lobster toy. he produces it. aomine stares at that instead. then back at kagami.

     “what are you doing here?”

     “i got you a crayfish-- thing. ‘cuz you said you liked them, but not to eat.”

     silence.

     “it’s stupid, i know,” kagami’s smile is weak, guilty, and he sets it atop the pillow like before. why he thought this would help is lost on him. “i hope you’re not mad that i came over, uninvited and all. i won’t do it again if you don’t like it.”

    silence. aomine cranes his neck to find the toy, and lifts his arm out of the cover to pick it up. he’s looking at it like he can’t believe it’s right there in his hand. he’s frowning. ah! but there are other things! kagami leaves the bed and grabs the bag from the desk. it’s the magazines he’s after. he pulls out all three of them at once.

     “momoi helped choose, ‘cuz you know i’d be useless.” the magazines are spread where kagami had been sitting. 

     aomine still isn’t saying anything, which is fine, and he can’t expect him to if he’s feeling like shit! but he doesn’t know what to say to fill the silence, and he doesn’t know if he should just leave! maybe that would be best! however, in his panic, he’s disregarding the point of a gift bag and taking everything out instead. snacks of all sorts crinkle in their packaging. to get a better picture of kagami derailing, aomine has shifted up to sit with his back against the headboard. watching. he opens up one of the packets of banana milk cartons to give to him in an act of that panic.

     “well, that’s it,” kagami says in defeat as he meets the end of the bag. “sorry for making a mess. i can go now, if you like. momoi’s just downstairs so i can get her if you wanna talk to her about anything.”

     he shook his head. but... to which part?

     “you-- you don’t need to worry about cancelling on us, you know. we can always meet another day.”

    “or you could come to my house.”

     “yeah, sorry. i wanted to help, but i hadn’t thought about what i was gonna say, i guess.”

     “come here,” he gestures with his head, but kagami looks instead at the pile of dumb gifts on the mattress where he would have sat. so he starts putting things back in the bag. aomine huffs ( but it sounds almost like it could have been a chuckle had the circumstances been different ), and pushes everything, including the magazines, off the side of the bed.

     “careful! what about mai-chan?”

     “come here,” aomine demands, reaching over and tugging his sleeve closer. is this good? kagami has no idea. he just does what he’s told and climbs over to sit beside his boyfriend. “you didn’t have to do all of this.”

     “yeah, i know that. i hoped it might help.”

     “were you mad at me when i cancelled earlier?”

     “no, i understood you weren’t doing great today. i-- i dunno, i just wanna say i don’t, like, expect anything from you when we meet up. we don’t have to do anything. if you wanna be alone, i get it, but i just-- i wanted to say you don’t have to be alone either. ‘cuz i wanna be there for you, if you’re okay with that too. i’m not trying to------”

    kagami’s sincere, if lengthy, statement is interrupted by a kiss to his moving lips. it’s short, but shuts him up nonetheless. aomine stays close afterwards, leaning on the hand resting just behind kagami’s folded legs.

     “do you wanna do nothing with me?”

     a little dazed, kagami can only nod. aomine piles the two pillows together and sorts the blanket out. he pushes kagami’s chest to lie down against the pillows, and aomine slides himself under his arm, head on chest. they lie like this quite comfortably. it’s warm-- no, it’s cosy. this feels just right. after a few minutes of steady breathing, with kagami smoothing blue hair ever so gently, aomine is asleep. kagami texts momoi a quick update, and she tells him that she’ll let herself out.

     maybe doing nothing isn’t half bad.

♥

iv) they’re at a vorpal swords reunion. it’s more of a meet-up than practise, because the hall they were going to use to practise had flooded and they weren’t able to go inside, and it’s too cold outside to play. so they’re standing with hot drinks in the park. ( kagami isn’t, he’d finished his and aomine’s ages ago. aomine will just have to turn up first. ) akashi managed to get a reservation at this nice, not too pricey restaurant, so they’re waiting a few minutes for noon when they can head over. it takes a little more planning than usual to seat, what? a dozen or so people? 

     kagami’s talking with kise and kuroko, waiting for his cocoa. to be clear, he’s standing with them, and kise is going off about something. then kuroko says something to shut him down and it makes kagami laugh. he’s so abrupt! and people say kagami’s blunt! kise pulls a tragic face, asks why kagami’s laughing, and kagami calls him lame. it’s fun everyone hanging out together!

     “taiga,” it’s a half-assed shout from a little way off, but he knows who it is without looking.

     kise’s saying something to him, but kagami’s attention is immediately drawn to the boy in the big puffer jacket, followed inevitably by his pink-haired friend. kagami glares at him. “you’re so late! what’s up with that?”

     “i was sleepy,” still shouting.

     “don’t say sleepy like you’re cute!” kagami is, unsurprisingly, still shouting.

     aomine stops walking and breathes a deep sigh into the air, dissipating in a cloud. “come here then.”

     the redhead turns, balling his hands into fists. his cheeks are heating up already, because he accidentally yelled that aomine sounded kind of cute just now... and in his stupid fucking beanie, he looks it too. they have a silent stand off, but aomine wins. kagami can’t resist going over to see what the hell he wants. can’t resist being near.

     “come here.”

     so he does, and he stalks over like it’s a great effort, or he’s about to end a fight. he’s not, of course, and the balled fists show discomfort and not aggression. he’s still embarrassed. it’s about to get worse. as soon as he’s near, aomine reaches forward with gloved hands and grabs onto the fluffy hood of kagami’s red parka.

     “what the hell do you mean looking so cute today?” he said like it’s an insult, kagami yelps and grabs his wrists. “you dress up just for me?”

     “it’s cold, how else am i gonna dress!”

     “what are you wearing under it?”

     “like, three layers,” he grunts, “get off my hood, asshole!”

    ��“aw, your face looks cold, though,” aomine is completely ignoring kagami, except that he decided, probably separately, to put his hands on kagami’s face. that’s actually super nice, and if there weren’t, what, a dozen or so people around that he wanted to look cool for, he’d have just stood still.

      “daiki!” he is shouting, once again. their best and only method of communication is to make as much noise as possible. kagami gnashes his teeth, threatening to bite. maybe he just will and teach aomine to: “quit being a pain!”

     “quit making it fun, then.”

     and quit looking like that so close! kagami isn’t about to kiss him, but he really would if they were in private. it’s the twinkling playfulness in those blue eyes that show kagami that he’s really the only thing on aomine’s mind right now. ugh, shut up, stupid idiot! aomine knows what he’s doing, too. you can tell by the shit-eating smile on his stupid, beautiful face. red eyes, as they often do, roll. he wraps his arms around his boyfriend’s waist and squeezes. it’s not a hug, it’s an attack.

     aomine’s turn to yelp. his hands move so that he’s hugging around kagami’s head, which is obviously enough to get him to loosen his grip.

     “careful, my hat!” kagami exclaims, as if that’s more important than the structural integrity of his skull. they’re still hugging, and nothing else exists, and god is aomine warm. so warm. “hi, anyway. how come you’re late?” 

     “satsuki slept in,” aomine nestles his cold nose into kagami’s bare neck. it’s fine if he does this, he doesn’t mind sharing body heat either. and who’s to see if aomine kissed him in that moment? nobody. but everyone will see the wide grin on kagami’s face, worlds away from the irritation he’d displayed seconds ago. 

     “sure,”

     their embrace ended, but aomine still kept an arm slung around kagami’s shoulders. he glances around for aforementioned girl, but she’s already fawning over kuroko. aomine sends his own form of greeting to his other friends and all but drags kagami over to see kuroko and kise. nods over to akashi who stands with midorima, probably talking about how much space there is in the universe, or some other brainy thing nerds discuss.

     “i wanna play ball,” kagami groans now they’re standing together. “it’s not that cold, right?”

     “kagamicchi, it’s icy! i’m not risking my neck for a one-on-one.”

     “i’m getting food then i’m going home.” (kagami’s home, mind you.)

     “yes, it is, kagami-kun.”

     somehow, being turned down by all three of them at once was less fun than he could possibly have dreaded. kagami deadpans and takes to sulking.

     “you’re all just chicken i’d beat you.”

     “big words for the guy who lost our last game.”

     “winter’s a hard season for you, isn’t it?” kuroko! traitor!

     kise puts his hand on his hip, looking at kagami like there’s something WRONG with wanting to play his favourite sport! “he’s really a guy with a one track mind, huh?”

     “shut the hell up! don’t gang up against me! we all met to play ball, didn’t we? i got excited about it, alright! winter sucks for everyone, that’s normal!”

     poor kagami. if the others have any sympathy for his plight, they’re pretty good at hiding it.

♥

v) six months, is it? kagami spends perhaps too long trying to figure it out. he came over to the states after graduation in march, and it’s september now... but then, daiki came over to visit in may, only staying for a fortnight because that’s all his job would allow. so really it’s only been four months. but those have been hard. lots of facetime, and phone calls at awkward times. but kagami always thinks to check what time it was in tokyo before he called, and it seemed that aomine has been similarly considerate. all the same, kagami has missed his boyfriend more than anything. it’s only after high school is behind him that he’s really appreciating that his youth ( as he thought of it ) is now over. he’s in the nba now. well, it’s kind of complicated, but he’s on his way!

     basketball is at the back of his mind now, though. aomine’s plane was due to land at 2am, but was delayed by half an hour on both ends. then there was an issue with the bags which aomine called and raged about. they’re so close. in the same building, even! but despite this, and kagami’s irrepressible nerves bouncing his legs and tearing at his heart, the fatigue gets to him and he falls asleep on an uncomfortable chair opposite the waiting area for arrivals. an unopened can of iced coffee sits loosely in his hands. to make an excuse, kagami hadn’t slept a wink the night before in all of his excitement. he’s fully and completely asleep. 

     he won’t hear his phone as it rings several times through. he won’t hear the suitcase roll and come to a stop beside his leg. he doesn’t feel the can get plucked from his fingers. the vague sensation of someone touching his hair doesn’t even bother him, but in the depths of his dreamless sleep, he hears a voice:

     “taaaiiigaaa,”

and it’s enough. crimson lashes flutter open sleepily, slowly. eyes focus on the dark face before him with the delay that only the deepest slumbers could provide. his head spins. is he still asleep? before he can question it any longer, he jerks forwards and wraps his arms around aomine in the tightest hug. kagami buries his face into his boyfriend’s warm neck, feeling the embrace returned. 

     it’s a desperate cling. the kind of hug that says more than words could. i missed you so much, i love you so much, please do not let go - i’ve been thinking about this since you got on the plane to fly back to japan. just in case this is a dream and he’s about to wake up. kagami inhales deeply. aomine. right here. in his arms.

     “don’t do that,” he says, “i smell bad.”

     “no, you don’t,” it’s mumbled, inaudible.

     “what was that?”

     “i said,” kagami pulls his head back so that he can see his boyfriend’s beautiful, gorgeous, perfect face. it mirrors his own. both hold the teary, tender expressions of lovers parted for too long. his words are long lost. he couldn’t remember what he’d said, what aomine had asked, what day it is. all he has to ground him in reality is a pair of blue eyes staring deep into his, and the arms wrapped tightly around his body.

     they move in unison. the kiss is soft, and sweet, and everything he could have hoped it would be. one of kagami’s hands leaves its place on aomine’s back to hold his face. is--- is that stubble he can feel under gentle fingertips? in six months? man! that’s so cool. and hot. god! his boyfriend is so beautiful! the kiss ends as kagami breaks into a wide grin. aomine chuckles. they press their foreheads together.

     “tell me what you were thinkin’ about just now,”

     “you, daiki,” he holds aomine’s face in both hands, now, smiling so much that it hurts, “i’ve been thinking about you ever since you left.”

[tenacityreturns]

15) things you said with too many miles between us / asao

@peachmuses​

i) "it would have been your mom's birthday today," taiga's father says quietly, and all words leave his son’s mind. why did he have to bring it up? like taiga didn't already know that? sure, maybe he'd lost track and woken up feeling heavy and not known why, but he'd have figured it out by himself later. dad never talks about it, this must be a particular anniversary or something. wasn’t ten years a while back, though? but then, he'll say something like this, and change the subject before any questions can come up. taiga knows better than to waste his breath asking any. his chest hurts. today will be filled with friends and maji's and basketball. she wouldn't want him to be miserable. sure enough, before taiga can suggest that his dad does the same, asao has changed the subject and is talking about maybe coming to japan next month for work. that will fall through. there's no point making plans for it. but knowing that asao is in pain, too, taiga makes extra effort to talk today.      “i wanna see you,” he replies quietly, “we’re planning a friendly match with a bunch of us from different schools. like that match against the americans, but just between us. you wanna hear about it?”      “yeah, tell me all about your basketball stuff, taiga,” asao replies distractedly, but it’s good enough. taiga tells him who he wants on his team ( wakamatsu, kuroko, himuro -- do you remember tatsuya, dad? we’re talking again -- ideally, teppei, but he’s not playing anymore ), and the conversation will drift away from the point that struck the most pain. he wishes that his dad wasn’t so far away. as shitty as he can be sometimes, it’s not all the time, and he’s the only family he has.

ii) “happy birthday!” it’s a voicemail. a week late. taiga didn’t message him so that he could see just how late his dad would be, and with each day asao remained silent, a new level of resentment settles in his son’s chest. by day seven, he’s pissed off all the time and throws himself into basketball even more. if he’s not at practise, he’s running drills by himself, he’s demanding one-on-ones with anyone he can think of. he’s texting people and inviting them out, then he’s in a shit mood when they do meet up. he won’t explain it, not to anyone. not even kuroko. it’s fucking embarrassing on all sides. his own father won’t call on his birthday? and now he’s letting it get to him? it’s bullshit. taiga doesn’t respond. he doesn’t pick up the phone for a month and when he does, it was because he’d forgotten that he’s mad at him. he’ll bring it up, asao will brush it off. mom wouldn’t have done this. he doesn’t remember her well, but he knows for a fact that she wouldn’t have just forgotten, right? somehow, this doesn’t make him feel any better.

iii) “i just got off the flight home, taiga. didn’t i tell you i was leaving today?” no. actually, asao had made plans to go to daiki’s last night to meet his parents. it was fucking embarrassing saying that he couldn’t get a hold of his dad, and that sometimes he just did this. sometimes he did that, too. either convinced that he had already told his son, or wilfully fleeing before an argument could be had between them, asao would take a flight to the other side of the world without a word of warning. taiga’s used to that kind of thing, but it’s that other people were involved. important other people. the good, kind, supportive other people who took pity on him when it ended up just being the four of them to dinner. what hurts the most is the obscene contrast between the ever-neglectful asao, and daiki’s dad, who was up-to-date with school news. mr aomine is a busy guy too, often working much longer hours than called for, and going into work at the weekends at last notice. but he makes time. he doesn’t shy away from familial duties. from paternal duties. taiga is still on edge around him because he is daiki’s father, but it is so easy to talk to him. they talk about basketball! he knows about taiga’s mother ( his most guarded of secrets ). the night was not a total write off, but it ruined a good week. 

[tenacityreturns]

kise is in no way reliable, he knows that. he didn't thought himself of being reliable when he doesn't even know what he wants to do for the rest of his life. never felt like he was in control of that, anyway. and maybe he'll never be in control of it. so here the blond was, sitting on a bench as he watched kagami do some throws in the hoop. it was still early and it was just a coincidence that kise was doing his morning jog when he spotted kagami in the court. he approached, received a simple greeting and that's that.

he could tell kagami was fuming about something. “ i can’t make you trust me. but i’m gonna stick around long enough for you to realize you can. ” flatly says, standing up from where he was and stole the ball from the latter. he said that because he wants to be able to be there for kagami, whenever he needed someone, anyone.

@ofmiracles

every so often, the frustration resurfaces that he relies a good deal on his team to support him in games. sure, anyone does to some extent. basketball is a team game. good teamwork is not weakness, nor is it something to take for granted. but kagami doesn't want to be a member of the best team. he is going to be the best. he loves seirin, and gets chastised for being self-centred or even selfish when he voices that sometimes seirin's wins don't feel like enough. so he doesn't voice them. he'll spend practice deep in thought, criticising every choice he makes. comparing it to better players. saying be more like him, or he wouldn't do that to himself. it's something that either his teammates aren't aware of, or are aware and know they can't do anything to help. they can distract him, remind him of the importance of a team, but they can't help.

on days like today, when nothing is good enough and the pressure he's put on himself is so intense that he fumbles, making it worse, this truly reflects on his mood. to try and drag himself out of this dark place, he'd stayed up late last night analysing nba matches, comparing where he is as a 17 year old enthusiast, to fully grown, nba champions. naturally, this doesn't help. as good as he is, as good as he knows that he is, kagami still feels like a small fish in a big pond sometimes.

his late night had made for a restless, tired day today. he'd zoned out through basically all of his classes, staring at the blackboard with his arms folded, envisioning plays and tactics almost as vividly as when he runs drills by himself. practice wasn't fun. the way he has been speaking to himself ( "you're not trying hard enough," / "you expect to make it big doing stupid mistakes like that?" / "that wasn't good enough. again. fail. do it again. that's not any better! try harder! do it again!" ) started to spill into how he spoke to his teammates and naturally he had clashed. like when koganei fucked up a perfectly easy pass because he'd blinked at the wrong time. fuck's sake, open your eyes next time maybe isn't the nicest thing to say to someone? he apologised to koganei, of course he did ( not much choice when there's berating coming from all sides ), but he hasn't been any kinder to himself. he'd come out after practice, followed by kuroko. no, i'm fine, kagami had said to him. and then, hoping that this would stop further questions, he continued i got stuff going on right now that i don't wanna talk about. catch you later, yeah?

he doesn't entertain this thought much, but if, by any chase, kagami is not good enough, what then? if he doesn't make the nba. it's almost unfathomable. he will. but if he can't? he'll keep trying. no-- see, it's relentless. kagami truly believes in himself, he is as tenacious as they come. but if he doesn't, there is no plan b. he doesn't care about anything else as much as this. his dad said he's sure he can get a job at the office, but the thought is laughable. asao, his father, is alive. he breathes, he eats, he sleeps, he works. but he doesn't live. kagami's perception is that a 9 - 5 is a slow death. it probably isn't, of course, but it feels that way to him. kagami recognises that it's stable, though. reliable. he would learn how to fit his life around office hours. it's just... kagami is in no way reliable, he knows that. he yearns for something more. he hopes that basketball will take him there ( and god help him if it doesn't ).

kise arrives on scene to watch kagami fuck up a three-pointer. it's not his fault, it had been in the air before kise could be blamed for it. still just as angry at himself as he has been all day, he scowls and offers a rhetorical 'sup? to his rival. please fuck off, kagami thinks to himself, he really can't handle forced cheer and loud noises this afternoon. kagami scoops up the ball and bounces it around his feet, lining up to go for a dunk. then kise does distract him.

"i can’t make you trust me," he says and kagami looks over at him with a quickly softening frown. "but i’m gonna stick around long enough for you to realize you can."

god, did he just get chills? kise closes the distance between them, and kagami can so little predict what he will do that he is a perfect target to steal from. he can concentrate better without thinking about bouncing the ball around, anyway. kagami stands straighter, closing his gaping mouth. maybe they're just pretty words said by someone who likes to think he's everyone's friend. is that fair? kise has his dark side too, one that kagami can just about see when the joyful façade is lowered enough. but why should kagami open up to him? they don't even go to the same school. they're alike in some ways, and different in others. with these generation of miracles guys, there's even more of that sneaking feeling that they'll just up and ditch as soon as they lose interest. that's not kise's fault, though. not really any of their fault. it's just kagami and his shattered ability to trust in people. to trust beyond a game.

he exhales. come back to earth. kise isn't asking for him to bare his soul, just maybe not to give him the cold shoulder so much. kagami inhales, closes his eyes, exhales, and smiles because he can't fight it. he's too in his head about his skills, where they need sharpening or improving, to think about the weight of kise's statement. but he'll remember it later when he's cooking dinner alone. it'll help him then, too.

"you're pretty full of yourself coming in here and disturbing me like this," kagami lowers again, a familiar spark re-entering his eyes. it's playfulness. he darts over, goes for a steal but it's obvious and kise avoids it. kagami huffs, running a hand through his hair. "you wanna help me out, you can play me."

it's not that he doesn't trust kise enough to voice exactly how he's feeling, or that he thinks kise would drop him and the weight of his problems, it's that he can't. he cannot open up about it. he doesn't even realise that he doesn't know how.

[shooter-nobunagun]

Quarantine UST 4

//Probably gonna have sexual content scattered throughout the chapters...warning, ero content this time includes some masturbation (though not super explicit)

The ocean breeze felt wonderful, Sio enjoying the cool, briny mist as the car zipped along the shoreline. At last they were taking some time to get out of the house, and although the beaches were closed, it was much better than spending yet another day cooped up inside.

“Aaah, this feels soo nice...it really is too bad we can’t go down to the beach itself.” Sighing, the sniper rested her head against the window, letting the wind blow through her hair. There were few other vehicles along the road, and though Mahesh jokingly suggested to Adam (who was driving) that he should test the limits of this car, they only sped up a few times on straight stretches when nobody else was around.

The car wasn’t exactly designed to be sporty, but Adam revved the engine a few times as he shifted the gears with amazing accuracy, Sio shrieking with delight as they blew down the straightaways. “Who would’ve thought you’d also be a speed freak,” Mahesh teased in good humor, the sniper blushing but she wouldn’t deny it was thrilling.

“W-Well, it’s not like I’d go around doing that, normally...besides, Tokyo’s no place to drive, not with all the public transit. Not that I can drive anyways...”

“Sounds like London, honestly. Though I suppose if you had a motorbike it’d be a tad easier to get around. Like Adam—you had one back in London, didn’t you?” Jess queried.

“And so what if I did? ‘S not like it’ll do us any good out here.”

“No, but maybe when the opportunity comes up you can take Sio-chan for a ride; I’m sure she’d enjoy it.” The sniper turned red as a tomato at that comment, and Adam made an odd noise in his throat.

“A-Anyway, we can worry about that later; is there a place where we can get out for a bit? Or are they all closed?” Sio desperately changed the subject, not wanting to get into yet another fit of ‘why do I feel so hot when talking about Adam’.

“According to local news, we may be able to get off and walk around the trail head, so long as we have masks and maintain distance,” Mahesh reported. As soon as they parked to a stop Sio opened the door and breathed in the fresh air. Adam’s driving was impeccable, especially for stick-shift, but she had to admit the winding hills of San Francisco were making her just a touch carsick. 

“Oy squirt, don’t forget your mask; can’t be careless,” Adam chided as he handed the sniper hers, “let’s not get complacent.” Sio blushed with embarrassment, but was grateful Adam didn’t make snide remarks anymore. In fact, ever since he granted her permission to call him by his real first name, he seemed to have mellowed out quite a bit. There were several instances where they’d even been able to have small talk, mostly during times like cleaning up or when she insisted on helping with cooking (so she could learn was her argument), but it no longer felt as forced or awkward.

‘Hopefully this quarantine will get him to open up a bit more...’cause Adam, he’s really not a bad guy once you get to know him...sure he’s a little rough around the edges, but who doesn’t have something they’re trying to improve?’

“What’re you thinking about, Sio?” The blonde suddenly appeared in her view, Sio jumping back a bit on instinct; luckily ever since that discussion, she’d been a lot better about giving the girl her space. After that outburst, Adam called for a squad meeting to lay down some ground rules, including very explicit warnings that harassment of any kind, malicious or otherwise, was not to be tolerated.

‘An’ I don’t give a shit if that’s what you’re used to, but I will not condone any such behavior moving forward, pandemic or not; do I make myself clear?’ 

The other three members nodded solemnly as their leader gave them all a stern look. Both Jess and Mahesh were unusually serious for once, perhaps even remorseful as Adam lectured them on their unsavory behaviors. The sniper couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty; but afterwards, when they were all going to bed and both came by personally to apologize, she knew she’d done the right thing.

“Ah, n-not much...just once again, kind of amazed at how Adam can do...well, pretty much anything,” the girl muttered. “Stick-shift, motorcycles...that’s so cool. Maybe I’m just too young to learn about all these things, right now...”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t say that, dear. You were in your last year of secondary, correct?” Sio nodded. “He’s not that much older, you know. Adam, I mean. If I recall, they picked him up right after he got into university, a year or two before we discovered you.”

Sio’s eyes widened in surprise. So Adam really wasn’t that much older than her, though he sure acted way more mature. “Really? I didn’t know that...I’d always assumed, he’d been with DOGOO forever...”

“Some people grow up faster, depending on their circumstances. That’s all there is to it,” Jess shrugged. “I’m actually one of the earlier members of DOGOO...well, the first among the Second Platoon, anyway.”

She turned around in shock. “Wait, you’re the first member of the Second Platoon?!”

“Sort of. It’s a bit...complicated,” the blonde suddenly looked hesitant. “...If you must know, there was actually a ‘first iteration’, so to speak. Before any of us came along...well, technically that’s not true; I was with DOGOO pretty early on, but not as part of the Second Platoon...”

The sniper stayed quiet as the blonde muttered to herself. So, there had been an earlier version of their platoon? ‘But then what happened? Where are they now? Are they still with DOGOO?’

“You know old man Capa, right?” Sio nodded. “He, along with e-gene holders William Tell and Christopher Columbus...comprised of the original Second Platoon. But then...”

“Then...?” She definitely had not forgotten (nor forgiven) Capa’s trespasses, but she’d only ever heard of William Tell in passing, and Sio didn’t even know Columbus existed. “But Capa’s retired now, isn’t he? Did those two also retire?”

For some reason Jess grew somber at her question. “...William Tell is now part of the Special Squad, same as Hunter and Galileo. And Columbus...he—”

“Oy, what’s the hold up you two? Don’t fall behind!” From far ahead, their leader’s voice barked at the two girls.

“Nevermind. I’ll tell you that story some other time. Let’s go before he loses his temper, again.” Jess rolled her eyes as the two picked up the pace. Sio was dying to know just what happened, but given Jess’ reaction, it was probably better she didn’t pry anymore.

“Doesn’t he ever stop yelling at people?” Sio grumbled as they finally caught up with the guys. “Seriously, and here I thought we were making some progress on being civil with each other...”

“Adam’s not the type to have a heart-to-heart, but I must say, you must be doing him some good. In all the time I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him quite so relaxed as when he’s around you.” Jess winked, causing the sniper to blush. “Seems to me you’ve got a secret touch around him...”

“J-Jess-san...! I-I don’t, I don’t think so...” Her cheeks were still pink though, even as they wandered around the trail, everyone else taking in the sights of the ocean.

“Hmm? Really...well, regardless he’s definitely loosened up a bit. Less scowling, and I think I actually saw him smile the other day! Or was that just a smirk,” Jess mused as the two girls walked along the path. 

‘It can’t be; I-I mean, it’s only because now we’re taking a break from all those battles and stuff that he can relax, so naturally it’s a lot easier to chat with him...isn’t it? Why would he be particularly nice to me?’ The sniper continued to be lost in her thoughts as the group hiked along the cliffs. She hadn’t been paying much attention, but now that she thought about it, Adam’s behavior towards Jess and Mahesh hadn’t changed that much (he was still griping about their lack of modesty), but she definitely noticed a change in his tone of voice and words around her.

No way...it can’t be true, are we becoming...friends?!

Even Asao-san brought it up last night, after the sniper spent a solid 30 minutes regaling about how Adam taught her three different ways to make eggs. ‘So, I see someone’s getting cozy with their leader, yeah? Good thing you guys aren’t regular military—’cause I’m pretty sure fraternizing with your squadmates would be a big no-no’ her friend had teased, which lead to another 20 minutes of sputtering and denial.

‘Yeah, well, didn’t the Commander say this would be a good opportunity to get to know each other and strengthen bonds? I’m just doing that,’ Sio thought to herself, though that didn’t exactly explain why her pulse increased and her body got hot whenever she stared at Adam or thought about him too much. ‘And yeah, I’ll admit he’s...pretty hot, and physically I find him attractive...b-but that’s completely normal! I’m a growing, girl, I have...needs...’

As if on cue her loins throbbed slightly, to Sio’s horror. Ever since she discovered masturbating, it had become something of a nightly activity for her; doubling as both a sleep aid and stress reliever. (And also, hey, it felt really fucking good.) Groaning, she forced herself to act normal and tag along with the rest of the group, though she was definitely going to need some ‘alone time’ as soon as they got back. ------ “Phew, that was a pleasant outing...see Adam, going out every once in a while isn’t going to kill us,” Jess commented as they finally made it back to the house, after stopping by for some takeout from a seaside shack. According to the Brits, the fish and chips were almost as good as any chippy establishment in London. Almost. Naturally Sio, not being familiar with British food, found it to be extremely tasty, and even Adam begrudgingly admitted that Americans could do a few things right, on occasion.

“Why’s it in pieces though, it’s better when the fish is whole...”

“Next time we should try curry; I’ve heard this area’s got a ton of Indian restaurants,” Mahesh suggested. “I’d be curious to see if any of them can actually do ‘Indian spicy’...”

“I, Indian spicy?” The sniper shuddered a bit at that description. Japanese people weren’t exactly the best with spicy food, despite wasabi. “Not sure I wanna find out what that means...”

Mahesh winked at her. “Well, you’ll just have to find out for yourself, Sio. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be fine.” The sniper doubted that, but Indian curry did sound good. Hopefully there would be milder options as well.

“What should we do about dinner? Do we want to do delivery again, or is our esteemed leader going to grace us with his home cooking?” The Indian managed to once again dodge a fork from the silver-haired man. “Hey now, I’m being serious! You’re becoming quite the cook, Adam. It’s a wonder we went all this time without sampling any of your dishes.

Adam grumbled, but Sio noticed his ears were turning slightly pink. Was he...bashful? It was bizarre to see their acerbic leader act so shy, but it was nice for a change, she decided. And kind of cute.

“Do you know how to cook, Mirza-san?”

The Indian turned to their sniper with a start. “Me? Cook? Oh, well I can...but I have to admit, ever since I joined DOGOO I haven’t had much time. Or a reason. It’s a lot simpler when someone else prepares things for you...”

“Like your servants?” Adam snorted, hinting at the Indian’s wealthy background. “You just snap your fingers and someone comes running, eh?”

“I’m not that dependent,” Mahesh’s gaze narrowed, slightly offended. “Just because I grew up with hired help doesn’t mean I can’t do things for myself. I just prefer doing things in the most efficient manner. In any case, if you are interested in trying my cooking, Sio-chan, I’d be happy to make something.”

“O-Oh, well, I don’t want you to go out of your way or anything—”

“Nonsense; after all, it seems like we’re all using this time to try new things, no? Plus it might be nice to give it a go...maybe we can even have some kind of group cooking night.”

The rest of the platoon murmured in agreement, though Sio was a bit nervous. She’d barely just managed to cook eggs decently, there was no way she could whip up something as fancy as Adam or probably even Mahesh could.

“Well, you can count me out, unless you want food poisoning,” Jess commented dryly. “I’m not going to deny it, but cooking is definitely not one of my stronger skills...”

“You can be my sous-chef,” Mahesh gave a cheeky grin, which was met with a napkin to the face. “Oof, I’m sure you’ll do fine. Just leave the actual cooking part to me. So, it seems we’ve decided then? We’re cooking?”

Sio nodded, starting to warm up to the idea. It might even be fun, if everybody pitched in. “I-I mean, I can only make eggs, but...I’d be happy to help.”

“You can never go wrong with eggs. Don’t worry Sio-chan; now, to make sure I don’t decimate your taste buds with vindaloo...I guess I’ll make tikka masala as well. What’re you thinking of cooking, Adam?”

Their leader gave a noncommittal grunt. “Eh, don’t expect anythin’ fancy. Probably Shepard's pie tonight, glazed carrots.”

Even though they’d just eaten lunch, Sio’s mouth was watering just at the descriptions of those dishes. Dinner was bound to be good tonight; she couldn’t wait to try and sample some more Indian and British cuisine, and vowed to do her best to make enough fried eggs and toast for everybody. 

“By the way, do you think we can do something before dinner? I kinda wanted to try some of those board games we found...”

“Oh, that’s a brilliant idea Sio! I think we’ve earned a bit of entertainment. One can only watch so much Netflix...” The group had played a few card games already, but board games were the next level. Sio wasn’t familiar with any of them beyond Monopoly, but the other members assured her there were much better prospects. 

“Mirza, Beckham, how about you two clean up for a change; Ogura and I aren’t your servants,” Adam gave the two a knowing look. “Speaking of which Ogura, you wanted me to spot you today at training, right?”

“O-Oh! R, Right, I almost forgot...thanks.” The petite girl quickly changed into her workout clothes and the two trooped into the exercise room, Mahesh and Jess staring and waiting until the two of them disappeared from view.

“...Oh yeah, there’s definitely something going on between the two. I’ll bet you a quid before the end of this quarantine they’ll be shagging.”

Mahesh laughed. “That’s a pretty bold assumption; I don’t doubt they’ll get together eventually, but in only a few weeks? That’s pretty quick...for both of them.” It was pretty obvious that Sio never had a boyfriend or even much friends before all this, and despite how secretive Adam was with his private life, Mahesh was pretty sure if their leader ever had a lover, he’d have caught wind of it by now. “I have a pretty good hunch this would be a first time for both of them...and given that neither of them are great with their feelings...”

“You don’t trust my feminine instincts?”

“I never said that. In any case, you’re on.” ------- “Ugh...twenty-seven...twenty-eight...twenty...nine...thir...thirty!” Heaving a sigh of relief, Sio let the weights clash onto the stand, her arms feeling like limp noodles after that rep. Her limit had increased by 5 lbs since the beginning, and she could now do 30 reps without stopping, but that was nothing compared to Adam; last time he did 50 reps with almost twice the weight, and barely broke a sweat. “Whew, my arms are gonna be sore tomorrow...”

“Not bad, Ogura. You’ve improved; I can tell your form is much better than when you first started,” Adam nodded in satisfaction as they switched spots. “This should help with your accuracy, so you can better control your shots—instead of firing all over the place.”

“H-Hey! I’m not that bad anymore...not that I’m hoping for an attack to prove my point,” Sio muttered, helping Adam lift the bar up as she spotted for him.

“No, you aren’t...but you’ve got a ways to go, squirt,” he grunted as he started his set. “If we let our guard down for even a second...I don’t wanna think about that.”

“...Do you think this war is going to be that bad?”

Adam eyed her with a stare as he lifted the weight. “...Honestly, I don’t know. It’s not something I like to think about...but I’d rather prepare for the worst case scenario, in case this does end up being some long-term fight.”

Sio nodded. “Yeah, you’re right...heh, it’s strange; out of everyone, I probably have the best e-gene suited for warfare and strategy...and yet, when I really think about it, like, it hits me—holy crap, we’re actually fighting against freaking aliens from outer space, who really are out to just destroy us all. How the heck am I supposed to figure that out...” The sniper grew melancholy as she recalled that conversation with Asao in the hospital, right after Taiwan. “...Even now, I still can’t believe...this is happening. That, this is the state of our lives, now...”

“...Do you regret joinin’ DOGOO?”

“Huh? W-Well, no...I,” the sniper paused, looking away slightly. “I...even though I was scared, I also knew in my heart it was something I wanted to do. No, it was something I needed to do,” she emphasized. “If I just went back and pretended nothing changed...I’d never forgive myself.”

“Heh...a sense of...duty, ‘ey?” Adam let out a breath as he finished the rep, Sio helping him return the bar to its resting place. “I think that’s what drew most of us here, in the first place. No matter what folks say about other motivations or whatnot...in the end, if you don’t have that kind of inner conviction, you wouldn’t have lasted this long in the first place.”

“Mn.” Though he wasn’t directly complimenting her, for some reason, hearing his words made her feel warm. “You definitely have that, Adam-san.”

“Oh, uh...sure.” If the sniper was looking his way, she would’ve seen a slight blush on his cheeks; but as it was she was busy wiping down the equipment and looking at the pull-up bar with dread. “Anyway, let’s see if you can get more than 5 today.”

“Aww, seriously? I just did a bunch of weights too...” She whined, but one stern look from Adam and she sighed, and got into position. “S, Seriously...h-how do, people, do...this...! O-One...!”

“Less talking, more breathing. Don’t waste your breath; remember your breathing patterns,” Adam coached, as Sio strained to lift her chin over the bar. “C’mon, yeh that’s it, three more to go.”

After the fifth one Sio gasped as her hand slipped, her grip too weak to hold on. “Whoa—!” 

“Careful—!” Adam caught her just in the nick of time, Sio squinting her eyes open. “You alright, squirt?”

“Un...y-yeah, sorry about that...guess I’m pretty tired out.” She laid there for a bit, palms stinging from exertion. Adam nodded, but interestingly he didn’t set her down, instead letting her rest in his arms for a bit.

There was something soothing about it, being held by someone; granted this wasn’t the first time he’d held her, but that had been during a mission, with plenty of stakes and yelling. This time though, Sio became acutely aware of everything else; including how strong his arms were, and the sound of his breath, the heat from his skin, his heartbeat... Suddenly those odd tingles came back again, Sio now squirming with the uncomfortable realization that she was feeling ‘this’ again.

‘Seriously body, you do this to me now?! Screw you, hormones...’

“A-Ah, I’m feeling better now...thanks,” she stood on wobbly legs as Adam set her down. “Well, at least I did five...”

“Yeh. Anyway, if you’re tired, you can go up and take a shower first. I’m just gonna finish up here,” Adam launched himself up onto the bars.

“O-Oh, it’s okay, I can wait. I mean, it’d be rude of me to not finish spotting for you, since I asked you first...”

There’s not much to spot for pull-ups, Adam thought, but he didn’t say anything. If the squirt wanted to hang around, it was her choice. Though, he felt a bit self-conscious with her just staring at him; for some reason he felt like he had to impress her, even though he was dead tired himself and suddenly 15 seemed almost impossible.

But his pride would never let him live it down, and so 15 pull-ups it was.

As Adam forced himself through the punishment of 15 reps, Sio sat on the bench and watched him. His form was nearly perfect, barely even a tremble as he lifted and lowered himself at an even rate. ‘Damn, I wonder how long it’ll take before my muscles are that strong...speaking of muscles, holy crap his arms are so buff! No wonder he could carry me like that...also those abs...’ She tried not to stare so intensely, but it wasn’t her fault all holders had to wear what were essentially crop tops underneath their armor.

‘I wonder what they feel like...’ Her head flushed and Sio felt her heart rate speed up. ‘No no, stop thinking horny thoughts! Bad Sio!’ To her relief, Adam finished his set, and she could finally head back up to to the privacy of her own room.

“O, Otsukaresama desu; thanks for helping me out today, Adam-san.”

“You did well, Ogura. Who knows, maybe we will get called to action and you’ll get a chance to prove me wrong with your aim,” he teased, grinning slightly as he wiped off the sweat.

“What?! Oh just you wait, mister, I’ll show you!”

Adam chuckled to himself as the girl stomped off with a huff. She really was too cute not to tease. Admittedly he did feel a little bad for always bursting her bubble right at the peak, but he couldn’t help it. Her reactions and those pouty lips were just too good.

‘An’ since when did you start caring so much about that squirt, ‘ey?’ He took a long, hard look at himself in the mirror. ‘Or is it because that’s the only way you know how to defuse the situation before you get too close—’

No. Those were dangerous thoughts. While not strictly forbidden, common sense said fraternizing with one’s teammates was always a risky affair. Adam shook his head and got in the shower, making sure to turn the tap to cold. Not only was it hot, but a certain...other part of his body was stirring, especially after holding the girl. The feeling of her warm, heavy weight in his arms, the soft skin and even a certain scent; not sweat, but a distinctly human odor...

Adam groaned softly as he took hold of his member. It was already hot and stiff, despite the cold shower. ‘Shit, so much for that...you really are a pervert, aren’t yeh?’ But he couldn’t help it; it’d been weeks since he’d been able to let off any steam, and staying in close quarters with everybody else 24/7 made it hard to ensure much privacy. 

Hoping nobody needed to use the toilet, he started stroking himself; water poured over his throbbing length as his hand squeezed and pulled, Adam biting back another moan as he slowly jerked himself off. The sniper had definitely been staring at him when they were working out. ‘Don’t think I didn’t notice those wandering eyes, hanninmae...’ Initially, he’d been a bit surprised she’d be so bold; but then again when she’d walked in on him the very first time before their first mission, she hadn’t looked away, either.

‘Does this mean she’s...interested? Or am I just another body to her?’ His jaw ached from trying to keep his voice down, Adam trembling as he edged towards his climax. ‘No, it’s only...natural, when you spend so much time together, with the same people...it can’t be...’

But what if she is? A little voice rang in his head and Adam, already hazy with lust, decided to indulge that fantasy a bit. What if Sio Ogura really was interested in him, beyond just teammates or even friends? At this point, he didn’t doubt that they would be on friendly terms after this quarantine, but anything more?

Is this something she wants? Is this something I want?

To go from comrades to friends, to something more than that... Funnily enough, the thought of entering a relationship with her made him even harder than simply thinking about her lithe, slender body. ‘Impossible...am I...actually falling for her?!’

“W-Well, that’s why I’m learning now, aren’t I? So I can do it myself.”

“Th-thanks for helping me, again...heh, it seems like that’s all I’m doing these days...”

“You definitely have that, Adam-san. Conviction.”

“Guh—! Fuck...!” Hand pumping rapidly, Adam came hard as those large maroon eyes firmly embedded itself in his mind, along with that rare, shy smile she only showed around him. So cute. She was so cute whenever she tried so hard, determined to prove him wrong and do her best to improve...well, anything. A sudden rush of heat bloomed from his core, a low moan tearing from his throat as the last of his spunk shot out, chills running up and down his spine.

The effect one petite sniper could have on him...

“Shit...oh fuck...” Heaving, he rinsed off the mess from his hands and the shower walls, before finally turning off the water. The post-orgasm haze was settling in, causing everything to be slightly out-of-focus as Adam slowly towelled off. “Goddammit Adam, you’re really fucked now...”

Even as his mind argued with himself that it was just because he needed to relieve some stress, and she did have a pretty nice body, Adam knew in his heart that wasn’t the real reason. No, before his brain even realized it, his heart had already made the decision; perhaps even before all this virus business.

He was falling in love the Sio Ogura. And there was nothing he could do but take it and run with it.

[akumanoken]

Away from them and to himself and not even with his animal friends -- the small child who's become more scared and upset, not knowing how to control himself and lashed out how he did. His ice was wrapping around him like a ice ball that can't let anyone look inside and as if to protect himself more and crying atill as he holds his knees to his chest, head on them.

Back where the others are at, hearing all that's happening also and so much for the child to handle. Her little hands shaking and then a rare thing to see and hear of her as tears fall down. "ENOUGH....!!! NO GO, NO SAD...!!" Her own water ability was getting out of control and it started raining and the ground started becoming too wet and too much water isn't good for things. She then turns into a wolf and quickly leaves away as the water still is a little out of control.

@silvxcs

"K-Kanae come back!!" Oh great... the child reacted the exact way he figured she would, the rain on the dead grass and leaves making it slippery.

"...now I know I'm terrible..." he sniffled. In the rain, his hair started getting heavy, too heavy for the pins, and they started to slip, falling with a plop on the muddy ground "...How... how am I supposed to deal with all of this now?"

"Stop saying that!! You're not terrible, and you're not alone!!" His fingers dug into the other's shoulders and the tenin winced before Ayato loosened his grip. "...you're not going through this alone... okay? I'm... I know I'm the problem... and I know that the best thing for Asao is to leave, but if I do... Kanae will be inconsolable, and that will cause its own issue..."

Souji was quiet for a while, biting his lip. It was this reason... this was the biggest reason why he felt so terrible... because Asao was right. Ayato came in here... and stole everyone... Kanae was easy to win over...but Souji...

He reached out, gripping the other's top. "I... I don't want... you to leave." Barely audible in the rain, but it had to be said. Losing Ayato now... he didn't know if he would be able to handle it.

Surprise colored the demon's features, but he gave a soft laugh, merely a breath before pulling the celestial close. "....I don't want to leave you." He whispered. "We've made this mess, so we'll fix it, right??" He cupped the other's face again, smiling down at the celestial...

And he could see it, the green that started to reappear with his smile, tears hidden with the rain, but still so much better than before. "You... go to Kanae... I will find Asao--"

"No... I want to talk to him. He may not listen, but I just... I'd like to try. Even if he tries to freeze me." he smiled.

"I'll be back."

[shooter-nobunagun]

Love me tonight 4

//Mature content; nsfw

“A, Adam...” Sio couldn’t help it; tears welled up as she scrunched her face, doing her best to not break down yet again but Adam only patted her hand and handed her a tissue, which she gratefully accepted. “S-Sorry...I-I didn’t mean to get all emotional again...”

“It’s alright; I think it’s been quite an emotional day for both of us,” he stroked her arms lightly. “Seriously though; if you’re not in the mood for any romantic shenanigans, then we should just stop and get some rest. There’ll be other opportunities, later on.”

Would they? ‘Who’s to say we’re even going to have time for a nice date after this? Just because we found Asao-san doesn’t mean our enemies are going to take a break...’ And more morbidly, there was also the lingering fear that something could happen to either of them before that chance came; it wasn’t about dying a virgin or something trite like that, but the events of late had taught her to relish the present, instead of always trying to control the future.

“Sio...?” Adam blinked in surprise as the girl started toying with the straps of her nightgown, as if she were thinking of taking it off. “You’re, uh...”

“...Maybe I’m being the selfish one here, but I...don’t see why we can’t continue. Er, to do, it. I mean why not? Uh...that’s not to say, if you don’t want to right now...”

Adam bit his lips, shaking his head in mild amusement. “No, you’re not selfish at all...if anything, I want to say I’m the selfish one, for hoping you’d want to continue. Nobody’s stopping us from doing what we want.”

A nod. “Right. So, uh. How...do we do this.”

The two stared at the sheets as an awkward silence descended the room. Neither had much ideas on how to begin; sex ed class (and in Adam’s case, smut) had given them some basic understanding and theory, but when it really came down to it Adam found himself struggling on how to take the lead, or if he even should.

“I...well, to be perfectly honest I’ve never done this before,” he gave an embarrassed laugh, but it seemed to break the ice as Sio let out a small giggle herself. “So, we should just...do what we feel like...and go from there. After all, I’ve come to realise, neither of us are much good at sticking to plans.”

“Mmn...it sounds silly, b, but I’m...actually kind of glad this is your first time, too...n, not that it would make a difference but...I feel if we both learn together...that makes me less nervous...” Secretly though, she was glad they would be each others’ firsts; Sio liked to think she was fairly open-minded, and truthfully, even if Adam did have a girlfriend in the past it wouldn’t have mattered—but somehow the thought of him being with someone other than her filled her with a gnawing discontent.

“Then let’s continue where we left off.” Just before their lips met again though, Sio felt herself being pushed back, this time by Adam. “Wait, sorry...I’m so sorry, but it just occurred to me we should probably use...” his face turned red with embarrassment, “...a condom. Or some other type of protection...last thing we need is another incident...” He gave her a sheepish glance. “I suppose it’s a bit much to ask if you have any...”

Ah. A rubber. Sio’s lips split into a nervous grin. “Er, um, n, no...I thought, you’d might have some...s, since, you’re a guy and all...n-not that I mean anything by that it’s just I thought this stuff is pretty standard for guys to keep around—agh!” She grasped her hair in frustration. Why did she always say things without thinking it through? “N, Not that I’m insinuating you think about sex all the time or anything like that—”

She heard Adam trying not to chuckle at her reactions, which only made the sniper turn even redder. Of all the things she’d read about when it came to ‘the first time’, somehow none of them ever mentioned how awkward it could be. ‘I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that real life is never like what I imagined...’

“Well, I guess if we don’t have a condom, it’s not the end of the world; there are other methods we can use, like a morning-after pill,” Adam mused quietly, “though if we do go that route I’d better make a note so we don’t forget tomorrow morning—”

“—W-Wait, I just remembered actually...now that you mention it, I am on birth control,” the sniper mumbled shyly, face blushing a dark pink. Adam raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. “It, it’s not what you think it’s for—after I joined DOGOO, the doctor recommended I be on it to help regulate my...y’know, ‘time of the month’ so it wouldn’t get in the way when I’m fighting...and it also helps decrease all the crappy stuff that comes with it...” Sio buried her face in the pillow; somehow, frankly discussing her PMS symptoms was more embarrassing than figuring out contraceptives.

A hand gently patted her on the shoulder and her eyes peeked up to see Adam quirking a grin. “Ah, that’s fortunate for us then; if you’re already taking it regularly, we won’t even have to worry about anything tomorrow.” Slowly he lifted the sniper up from the covers, Sio shivering as his fingertips brushed against her shoulders; all of a sudden her skin was much more sensitive, goosebumps erupting even though she wasn’t cold at all.

“You know...I’m glad we met; that day in Taiwan, no matter what I said back then...I think, I was already captivated from you by the start,” he gave her a hapless grin. “Only I was too much of a stubborn bastard to admit it.”

“Well, and we were kind of in a desperate situation...but even then, even though you were all scary with that giant knife, I couldn’t help but think, ‘wow, that’s pretty cool...’”

Adam threw back his head and laughed. “Cool? I’ll take it as a compliment, I guess.” Slowly he palmed her face, fingers running through those snow-white locks of hers. “I can only hope I’ll continue to be ‘cool’ for you, Sio Ogura.”

And without another word he kissed her, deeply this time. Sio felt herself tilting backwards, allowing him a better angle as their lips parted, and to her surprise she found herself welcoming his tongue against her own, even though she despised Newton’s greetings.

‘It really is different when you do it with someone you love...’ Sighing, her fingers tangled into his silvery locks, relishing how soft and fine they were. For someone who carried himself in such a rough manner, Sio was pleasantly surprised to discover that Adam took decent care of himself, if only so she could selfishly appreciate how good it felt to touch him. Not just his hair, but even his skin—which, pale as it was, felt unexpectedly smooth and warm beneath her fingertips. As their lips and tongues continued to tangle with each other, Sio became bolder; hands now grasping his shoulders, then his arms, marveling at the steel cords of his muscles.

It was strange to be concentrating so intently on his physical features, but she wouldn’t deny the excitement coursing through her body. The thrill of touching him at last, feeling him so intimately...they weren’t doing anything major yet, but already the sniper felt her body flushing with a heady sort of pleasure, her mind descending into a haze that caused her to think less, instead going with whatever felt right. Adam’s hands were wandering all over her torso as well, as she started to lift the edge of his shirt up--to see if the rest of his body really was as warm as she imagined.

“Whoa there, you’re more eager than I thought,” a husky whisper, Adam grinning suggestively as Sio blushed. “Not that I mind...not at all...I’ve always liked this side of you.” He leaned back slightly and took off the t-shirt, and she couldn’t help but gasp a little at the sight. Of course she’d seen him shirtless before; that one time she accidentally walked in on him changing (and subsequent peeks before/after battles), but this time he was allowing her to look, letting her gaze wander shamelessly. Pale, alabaster-white skin that she was sure would be warm to the touch, though here and there were signs of scarring—especially the jagged gash on his left side, a mark of their first encounter in Taiwan. Her eyes slid to his pecs and she couldn’t help but almost hide her face with her hands. ‘Whoa, men have nipples too...I-I mean, I know that, but still...’ They were a slight pale-pink, the tips starting to form into buds from the sudden chill. Sio gulped as the very air seemed to be crackling with unspoken tension and all of a sudden something inside her pulsed to life.

Damn, he’s hot. Sio felt her entire body heat up and her heart beat faster. Even before she admitted to herself she liked Adam as a person, she couldn’t deny her physical attraction. With broad shoulders, a well-defined jawline and (she knew from experience) strong arms that were perfect for holding, it was a wonder nobody else got him first. He was tall and well-built, with muscles that seemed etched into place—her eyes widened ever so slightly as her gaze settled on that toned six-pack, Adam smirking a bit at her gaping reaction.

“Like what you see?”

Without thinking Sio nodded, slack-jawed until she realized she was drooling. “Yea—h-huh? U-Uh, I-I, I mean...” She blushed heavily, wiping her mouth and Adam chuckled.

“Don’t be shy, squirt. I recall you certainly weren’t that time you just walked straight in and stared.”

“Th-th, that was an accident! I-I’m not that shameless,” she mumbled, “or a pervert...”

“Truth be told, I wouldn’t mind if you were,” he moved closer and Sio blushed even harder, “I love all of you, Sio Ogura. Even the pervert side.”

She whined in protest, which only made Adam smile wider. Those burgeoning feelings had been scary at first; the sniper confused as to how someone who constantly argued with her could also make her so hot and bothered at the same time, but eventually she’d come to enjoy the sensations, albeit secretly.

Now though, there was no need to hide those feelings any longer.

“C, Can I...touch you?”

Emeralds blinked at her slowly, Adam a bit startled at her forward request. But it was that sincerity that made him love her more.

“...Sure, Sio.” To encourage her, he took her slim hand and placed it against his chest, her maroons wider than saucers as those fingertips brushed the skin, as if not believing this was happening. “Don’t be afraid.”

“I, I’m...not afraid,” she murmured, almost in a trance as she traced his skin along every crease and muscle, forming invisible patterns. Warm, so warm... Slowly she pressed a palm against his chest, feeling the steady thumping of his heartbeat. “Whoa...”

Adam didn’t say word; instead he simply let the sniper touch her fill, watching her quietly as her face lit up with wonder. It was amazing, really, to see her fascination at merely exploring his body; to touch and see for herself what he was like underneath everything, literally. Her fingers were hesitant at first, tracing with feather-light touches that almost made him laugh, but as her curiosity continued they were more confidant: smooth strokes against ridges of muscle, trails of heat along his collarbone, and when her nail just lightly grazed his nipple he let out quiet grunt, Sio looking at him in surprise.

“Oh! I’m sorry, did that hurt?”

“No, no…I’m fine. It’s not painful…it feels, quite nice, actually.” What Adam really wanted to say was that her touches were turning him on, but he didn’t want to scare her off or seem crass. Still, it was getting harder to hold his breath steady; certainly she could feel the increase in his pulse as both hands now wandered all over, Adam quietly gritting his teeth to suppress a moan.

“Nng...” As her hands ran over a second time however, Adam couldn’t stop his voice from coming out. “Ah…”

The sniper stopped, startled at the noise he was making, but then she noticed Adam’s expression. It was one she’d never seen before; with heavily lidded eyes that were almost closed, his emeralds a deep green with a healthy blush spreading across both cheeks. If she didn’t know any better, it was almost as though he were…embarrassed?

“U-Uh, Adam…are you okay?”

He nodded, though Sio noticed his breathing was shaky; as if he were trying to restrain himself. “Y-Yeh, don’t…I’m fine, squirt. Just…your hands, they feel…quite good…” He took a deep breath to steady himself. “...Mind if I...return the favor?”

“Eh…eh? A-Ah, I-I, uh…uh huh…” Sio turned ten shades of red in the span of a few seconds, the butterflies in her stomach now coming back with a vengeance. Touch…me? For some reason the concept seemed entirely foreign to her, even though she was doing the exact same thing to him. The idea that he really wanted to feel her skin, to see her true self…a bit awed at the realization, the sniper nodded silently, slowly lifting up her nightgown and, before her courage faded she flung it off, suddenly incredibly nervous as her arms hugged her modest chest, now sitting in nothing but her underwear. “U-Uh, um…I, is this…okay?”

So cute.

The way she was avoiding his gaze but still trying to look at him, cheeks painted a rosy flush as her arms crossed her petite chest. It wasn’t a secret the sniper had one of the flattest busts out of everyone at DOGOO; but right now, to him, she was perfect. He didn’t even realize he’d been holding his breath until he let it out; Adam wanted to get her to open her arms but was afraid of forcing her too soon. Instead, he settled for gently brushing down her shoulders, fingering strands of her locks that were now as white as his own.

She’s so small—

His hands are so large—

Not sure what to do, Sio simply sat there as Adam smoothed his fingertips across her skin—again, the contrast between them seemed to stick in her mind: how much larger his hands were yet they felt incredibly warm; the gentleness with which he touched her, even though she knew he could decapitate an Object in a blink of an eye. ‘Like light and dark, or two sides of the same coin’, he told her once shortly after Nightingale was revealed. Before she knew it her own hand took his, and without any hesitation placed it against her breast.

“Uhm…” Adam was at a loss for words; no matter the situation, the sniper never failed to surprise him. Not only did she bare herself but she was the one encouraging him now, his hand enclosed around the soft, silken mound of her petite breast. “You’re amazingly soft…” A calloused finger ran over the raised pink nipple, marveling at how it reacted to his touch. Especially the way her breast fit so perfectly into his palm, with just a bud of pink at the end that stiffened the more he touched it…swallowing nervously, Adam shifted his legs slightly, hoping Sio wouldn’t notice the bulge that was starting to form between them.

“Is…are they, okay? I-I’m…sorry they’re so small…” A slight stutter peppered her voice as the sniper turned her head, eyes averted as she stared into her lap. ‘What if he prefers someone like Newton’s, instead of mine…’

“…I beg your pardon?” The mood took a backseat as Adam stared at the sniper in disbelief. “What in the world are you apologizing for Sio? There’s nothing wrong with you.” His hand traced from her nipple to the scar that now sat across the otherwise flawless skin, his brows furrowing slightly at the sight. It was healed up now, but the memory of that day was still fresh in his mind. 

“They are definitely not too small…I think, honestly, they suit you quite well. They’re cute. You’re cute.”

Sio squeaked, face a bright red as Adam quirked an eyebrow, though secretly she was pleased he found her attractive. She squeaked again as he started fondling the peak, surprised at how warm it made her feel. 

“Th, thanks...that makes me happy, you know? I’ve always thought, I’m just a below-average girl...I certainly don’t have any assets worth mentioning, so...to hear that, you think I’m c, cute...I’m glad,” she whispered shyly, tucking a strand of white locks behind her ear. “I, I never thought I’d be able to...well, be with someone as good-looking as you...”

There was a nervous chuckle from the man, who was now looking away with a blush. “Funny you say that...I know for a fact some people think my eyes are too downturned, or that I look like the Ripper himself when I scowl.”

“Ah...” Come to think of it, she did hear Galileo offhandedly refer to Adam as “Mr. Droopy Eyes” one time, but she didn’t even notice it. “Well, for what it’s worth...I’ve never noticed it. W-Well, except that maybe you are kind of...intense...when you’re angry. But, your eyes,” Adam stilled as she reached up and cupped his face, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that shade of green before. So, vibrant...”

Her breath was warm, the air sweetly scented with something distinct. Before he could even respond she leaned forward and closed the gap, kissing him deeply. Time seemed to stop and flow all at once as he automatically welcomed her into his arms, holding her tight as their lips moved in sync. Now that her nightgown was gone, the bare heat of her skin pressed against his chest; her nipples occasionally rubbed against his and he shuddered each time it happened. One hand wound behind her head to push her closer, deeper and as the girl fell into his embrace, his chest rumbled with pleasure.

So soft. Every part of her he could reach was warm and smooth against his hands, the girl tangling his strands between her fingers. Even though she felt so small and delicate in his grasp, Adam knew her inner strength was more than enough to carry both of them. Her arms wound tightly behind his neck, the girl somehow having shifted in the last few minutes so she was now sitting firmly in his lap.

“M-Mmnn...A-Adam...” Each time their breaths grew short, there was only a brief pause for air before they swept up into each other again. Their tongues tangled with each others’ as their hands swept all over. Her skin was delightfully warm and smooth, her curves giving in just slightly as he pulled her tight. A full, heady pleasure was working its way through all his senses—he felt himself growing stiffer as they kissed, and though he was embarrassed that Sio would soon sense his erection, a part of him wanted to show her—proof, of how intense she could make him feel.

‘There’s...something hard pushing against me...?’ For a second Sio thought she’d moved too far, but a quick glance told her she was still seated squarely between his legs. ‘Wait, between his legs...’ Her eyes grew wide as she finally came to the realization.

“A-Ano, Adam... You, your uh, um...” She blushed heavily, looking away nervously as she tried to but failed to finish the sentence. “Is that...um...” The sniper twirled her hair around one finger, looking at anything but his face or that...thing...

Instead of answering her however, he merely thrust upwards slowly, eliciting a gasp from the girl as she felt the full stiffness of his arousal. “Hnn...what do you think, love?” He thrust again for emphasis, the sniper squeaking a bit this time as the tip dug into that warm junction between her legs.

“I-I, u-um—ah—!” She squealed again as Adam started thrusting very slowly, up and down; the sensation was both foreign yet delightful, sending a rush of heat throughout her entire body. “Nnng...it’s...ah...” Too embarrassed to admit it felt good, Sio buried her face against the crook of his neck, instead. “Mmmn...”

Despite having no experience, she certainly caught on quick. Within a minute she started rocking her hips, trying to match his own clumsy rhythm. “S-Sio...” Adam didn’t finish his sentence before groaning deeply, pulling the girl deeper into his lap. “Feeling good?” His large hands firmly gripped her round bottom, relishing the soft, yielding flesh. 

“Ah...uh, uhn...” Sio could only nod shyly, but there was no mistaking the heat simmering in her belly. ‘I-It feels...good, rubbing against it like this...’ It was hot and stiff, and even through her underwear she could feel it brush against her most sensitive spot, causing her insides to tighten in a most pleasing manner. His hands felt good, too; one arm wound around her waist to support her, while the other brushed soothing patterns against her breasts. The heat from his body penetrated through to her very core, yet she couldn’t seem to get enough. Their tongues continued tangling as their bodies started moving in sync, Sio tasting him all around as he wrestled against her lips. The faster she pushed her hips, the better it felt—and it seemed to be the same for Adam, given the moans that were quietly vibrating against her lips.

“Sio...can I...” He pulled away, gasping for air as the girl did the same. “Your knickers...” A single finger pushed down the waistband and she knew what he was asking.

“...Only if I can do the same, Adam,” came her quiet response, Adam nodding in agreement. In one smooth gesture, her slender fingers slipped underneath the elastic and firmly gripped his shaft, Adam letting out a slight cry from the sensations.

“Guh—!” His hips instantly jerked upwards on instinct, before he forced himself to remain calm. “N, Not so hard...” No more words came out as the sniper stroked him inside his boxers, gently exploring his entire length and thumbing the sensitive, swollen head that was already leaking precum. “Ooohh...” Her hand was small, but it gripped him so perfectly as she deepened the strokes, Adam gritting his teeth as his erection throbbed with pleasure. A tight tripwire was being wound inside him, moreso after the sniper started gently teasing his nipples again with her free hand.

‘Am I doing okay? I must be...’ Her cheeks flushed with an intoxicating pleasure, Sio now aroused by Adam’s reactions. As Jack the Ripper, he could mow down wave after wave of EIOs without breaking a sweat. She’d seen him continue fighting even when he was covered with blood, and now he was being undone by nothing more than her slender hands and delicate touches. Something slippery leaked out of the tip and she stopped briefly, rubbing the clear fluid between her fingers.

“U-Um, Adam...is this, normal?” Was it sperm? ‘But I thought that was white and sticky, not clear...’

“Nnng—huh? Oh, that’s,” Adam heaved a deep breath, muscles still trembling from her ministrations, “it’s...precum. Not sperm, if that’s what you’re wondering...”

“O-Oh, okay...sh, should I, keep going then?” Even as she said this the sniper continued rubbing the tip, taking advantage of the precum’s natural lubrication to slide his foreskin up and down, then over the bulbous tip that was practically throbbing in time with his pulse. The muscles in his thigh twitched from the sensations, the one finger inside her waistband now withdrawn as he grew lost in the pleasure she was giving him.

“U-Uh...I, I...” Adam wasn’t going to last much longer; the sheer amount of pre-ejaculate leaking out was a sure sign, nevermind the tight ball of heat that was about to burst from his groin. His cock gave another twitch as her fingers gently rubbed the edge of his foreskin, digging around the sensitive tip curiously. “Hnng—s, stop Sio, that’s enough for now...”

“Oh! Sorry...” She sat back as Adam breathed hard, his erection creating an obvious tent within his boxers. Still rubbing the remains of his precum between her fingers, Sio wondered if it was similar to the dampness now seeping between her own legs; she had her panties on, but just by crossing her thighs she felt the moist fluids accumulating down there. “Do you want to take a break?”

Adam furrowed his brows. On one hand, he was very close; but on the other, it seemed a bit pitiful to come first. In all his dreams and fantasies, their first climaxes would be together, right at the same time—though reality was making it very clear that would not be the case. 

“Not particularly; it’s just...I’m quite close to, finishing...”

She did the head tilt thing again, a puzzled expression on her face. “Finishing...? Finish what?” How did you even know you were, well, done?

Adam almost let out an exasperated sigh, but held back just in time. This girl, sometimes... “...Climax, Sio. Or y’know, an...” he took a deep breath, “orgasm.” He sincerely hoped Sio knew what that was; otherwise things were going to get real awkward, real fast.

Her eyes grew wide as saucers, which was all the answer Adam needed. “O-Oh...r, right, of course...” She let out a nervous laugh. “B, But um, isn’t that the whole point? What’s wrong with...c, climaxing? I mean, it feels good, right?”

He nodded. “Yeh, it is...but for most guys, once we...finish, we have a bit of a ‘cooldown’ period, so to speak. So if I come now...I won’t be able to do it again for a bit.” The sniper nodded slowly, as she digested this information. “And...call it selfish, but I was hoping we’d be able to...experience it together.” 

His face was as pink as she’d ever seen, his brows completely raised instead of being furrowed into his signature scowl. It made him look much younger for a change. And cuter. He was so adorable when he showed his sincerity, the vulnerability that made up the human side. Sio couldn’t help but giggle slightly, which only caused Adam to blush harder. 

“O-Oy, what’re you laughing at...I’m being serious here...”

“N-No, I’m not—sorry, it’s just...you’re soo cute, Adam...” The sniper tried her best to stop smiling so broadly. “Th, that’s so...that’s so sweet of you...um...” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to regain a more serious expression. “Honestly, I don’t mind; just being together like this...is more than enough. Like you said, things never really go according to plan; so why stress about it?” She scooted closer, gingerly poking the tip through his boxers and Adam hissed through his teeth.

“Besides, this’ll feel good for you, right? If you need a break, so what.” As she said all this, her hand dipped back inside and gripped him firmly. It was hard and throbbing against her palm, but also soft and extremely hot. The organ twitched as if it were alive, Sio’s eyes growing hooded as she drank in the sight of Adam reacting as she slowly sped up her strokes. A strange ache was growing between her legs, but Sio ignored it as she slowly eased herself into his lap, her hands continuing to move all the while as small gasps and moans started emitting from the man. Even though she wasn’t the one receiving pleasure, just watching his reactions—and knowing she was giving it to him—gave her goosebumps and sent shivers throughout her body. ‘Whoa...I can’t believe something so simple can make him feel so good...and his expressions...’

Adam’s breath was coming in shorter and shorter pants; at times it seemed like he stopped breathing entirely, before letting out a cross between a whine and a sigh. “H-Hnnng...! Nngg, S-Sio...” So his fantasy of them coming together was a wash, but at this point Adam couldn’t care about anything other than how good it felt—how soft and dexterous her hands were, the way she carefully paid attention to certain areas that felt especially pleasurable... The sniper’s solid weight on his legs was a welcome warmth, Adam barely able to keep his eyes open at this point as she shyly leaned forward, and gave just the tiniest flick of her tongue against his nipple. “Gah! Y, You...”

“Does it feel good?” Adam could only nod, watching with hazy emeralds as the sniper tucked a long strand of pale hair behind her ear. “I’m glad...” Her fingers continued along his length, smooth and steady as his groin started tightening and a familiar tingle forming in the pit of his stomach.

“O-Oh...god...!” The first waves were coming, faint for now but he knew the big one would break soon. His boxers and Sio’s hand were wet with precum, letting the sniper stroke and pull his foreskin easily, especially over the sensitive tip—he groaned softly as another throb of pleasure pulsed through him, but Adam managed to hold back. “Mnnn...uhhn, uuh...” His muscles were pulled tight and twitching, Adam feeling the contractions building around his groin. He tried to tell her it was close, that within the next couple seconds he was going to cum but the words remained stuck in his throat. “I-I—nnng...!”

He stiffened and lurched forward, Sio too startled to even do anything other than watch as Adam quivered intensely and his hips jerked upwards in rough, uneven motions; a hot, sticky liquid spilled all over her fingers inside his boxers, and even without looking she instinctively knew he’d ‘come’, and it was his seed she was feeling. Adam was panting with long, deep gasps, his heated breath fanning her neck as he rested slightly against her petite frame. The sniper felt incredibly flushed herself, still unsure of whether she could remove her hand, and so she settled for gently patting him on the back, as the other slowly stroked him just a bit more.

“Nng—! A-Alright, that’s enough...” Adam winced as he very slowly unwound her delicate fingers from his softening penis, which was currently incredibly sensitive. “Fuck, that was, that...” He heaved another sigh as Sio combed out his hair, the relaxing afterglow phase overtaking his senses as his vision blurred slightly and his hearing grew muffled. 

“Okay, you definitely need a break,” Sio remarked drily, especially as the man tilted back against the headboard in a dazed manner. “Shh, just rest for now, Adam. We have all the time in the world.”

Her pets were soothing to his tired body, Adam nodding vaguely as he relaxed against the pillows. That’s right, just because he came first didn’t mean he couldn’t satisfy her. After all, there was more than one way to show his affections towards her... Eyes opening, he sat up with a bit of a start, Sio jumping at his sudden motion. “Oy love, c’mere,” he motioned with his hand and she crawled towards him, before he pulled her into a warm hug. “That was amazing; now, I’d like to return that favor...”

“Ah...Adam? You sure you don’t need to rest a bit more?” The girl eyed him with an uncertain look as they swapped positions, the sniper now reclining amongst the sheets. "You just said guys have a cooldown period...”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I have to just sit around doing nothing. I haven’t had my turn yet to make you feel good,” he smirked and his point teeth showed slightly, “or did you think there was only one way to do this?”

Sio blushed, uncertain what he meant but she definitely wanted to find out. “I...w, well then, I’ll leave it to you, Adam. I’m in your hands now...so, please take care of me.”

He knew the sniper meant it in the most innocent and sincere of manners, but, as Adam realized, she also had a penchant for saying unintentional double entendres. Despite coming a few minutes ago, he could feel his pulse speeding up, that familiar rush of heat starting to flood his body. He licked his lips as he silently vowed to definitely take good care of Sio; with any luck, by the time she was finished he’d be ready again.

“Of course...Sio. Your wish is my command.”

[shooter-nobunagun]

Love Me Tonight [II]

//Eventual mature content; none yet this chapter.

This story attempts to bridge the time gap between chapter 38 and 39, in regards to Adam and Sio’s relationship.

“Ah...Sio-chan, shouldn’t you get some rest now? I know the doctors said you’re fine and all, but...”

“Nuh uh! We’re finally reunited after all this time, and after all, th-that...” The girl’s voice trembled, but she resolutely shook her head. “No...I’m not going to let our time together go to waste, Asao-san.”

Despite her own morales, the bedridden girl couldn’t help but smile. “Sio-chan...you really are a good person, you know? I’m glad we met...”

“M, Me too, Asao...” Sniffling, Sio tried her best to not just burst into tears all over again. To say that today had been a trying day would be a disservice to all the holders and members of DOGOO who’d rallied to help her out. From Galileo, who’d bravely accompanied her and told her how there was a chance Asao was alive, to their pilot Derrin Tanaka, who maneuvered them through the surprise EIO attack and then lead the evacuation of the refugees in San Francisco...

And all the holders who showed up just as things were getting dire, with just her and Jack—no, Adam. Somehow, though not understanding it herself, Sio had been able to reach him; to communicate to him that she needed him and she needed him now. Whether it had all been in her head or if she actually did send a part of her soul into his mental space... It was mostly a blur in her mind even as she tried her hardest to recall how exactly she’d even managed it: a swirl of intense emotions, determination, and their inexplicable bond that had formed before she was even aware of it.

‘Was that...because of my e-gene? Even though Oda Nobunaga’s power is much less than it used to be...’

Unconsciously her hand moved over her heart, the scars still visible. How ironic that she was now sitting and chatting with the one person who had caused this whole SNAFU, however unintentional it might have been. ‘Because I thought Asao was dead, because I couldn’t accept that, and I pushed everyone away, I...I...’

“Sio-chan? Are you all right?” Her head jerked up at the sound of Asao’s voice. “I really appreciate you staying up with me, and believe me, I...want to spend as much time together as we can too. But it won’t be good if you push yourself too hard and collapse from exhaustion.” Asao gave her a stern look, even though she was the one who was suffering from a now-terminal case of radiation poisoning. 

An unfortunate side effect, from the government’s ill-fated attempt to use nuclear bombs to destroy the EIOs before San Francisco could be fully evacuated. If only Sio had invited Asao to come with them back to the Yavin, or tell her to get out of there before it was too late...but what had happened, happened. There was no use in thinking about all the could’ves, should’ves, would’ves—what mattered was the now, and at the very least, Sio was grateful they could at least spend what little time remained together.

“Well, if you say so, Asao...I guess I could use a shower,” she tried to give a smile, but the tremor in her lips did not escape her friend. “Oh Asao...I’m so sorry...!” She buried her head on the sheets and sobbed, even as Asao gently combed her hair. “If only I’d paid more attention...! If only I could have saved you sooner...!”

“Sio-chan...!” Sighing, the girl could only try and soothe her friend with gentle pats. “You did save me, Sio. If you and Jack and everybody else hadn’t shown up when they did...now that I think about it, this is the third time you’ve saved me, isn’t it? First it was Taiwan, then at the hospital in Japan, and now in San Francisco...”

“B-But, you, you’re....!” Sio shook her head violently, unable to voice out the inevitable even though she knew her friend was doomed to an untimely death.

“I know, Sio. And...I’m not going to pretend that I’m not scared, or sad,” a tear ran down Asao’s face, but her voice remained steady. “But to be honest, I didn’t even think I was going to make it this far; everyone at the camp said I’d been exposed for too long without proper protection, and especially with all those monsters roaming about, I honestly half-expected to not even make it out at all. So to be able to be here, now, in this nice bed and seeing you and my family and friends...that’s more than I could ask for, and I’m truly grateful. So please, Sio...don’t blame yourself anymore, okay?”

Sucking in a deep breath, Sio forced herself to nod, to calm down somewhat even though everything was still a maelstrom inside. No, Asao was right; even if their reunion was to be short-lived, at least they did meet again, and at least Asao could spend her remaining days being surrounded by loved ones in a comfortable environment, instead of a cold, dingy refugee camp.

“Yeah...yeah, you’re right, Asao-san. I-I’m...I should let you get some rest, too. And I’ll go take that shower now, I guess...”

Her friend smiled. “That a girl, Sio. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Oh, although if you wouldn’t mind doing me a favor...Jack-san, when you see him, please tell him thank you for me, too. Not just for helping me...but for helping you, too.”

Sio was a bit puzzled by Asao’s last sentence, but nodded in promise anyway. Speaking of which...

‘Adam...we need to talk, don’t we...’ As if finding Asao hadn’t been enough of a hurdle, there was the other person whom she needed to fix things with. She’d been shocked he’d actually shown up: wings, knife and all, neither of them wearing their proper gear but none of that mattered when it was do-or-die. The flood of emotions she’d felt—gratitude, joy, hope, and love... Love. She gulped nervously as her body flushed; for some reason thinking about it now made her feel oddly nervous...and not in a good way. The battle didn’t leave much time for chit-chat, except for his signature quip about how he was saving her butt once more, and how they should go home afterwards, together. ‘Yeah, and the first thing that popped out of my mouth was how he grew a beard,’ Sio griped to herself, suddenly feeling embarrassed at making such a trite comment in a serious moment. ‘God, Sio...why are you always saying things like this...’

Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen him since the battle ended. As soon as it was clear, she’d run up to Asao and flung her arms around the girl’s thin shoulders, crying and laughing all the while. As she replayed that scene in her mind however, her stomach started knotting itself as she remembered Adam opening his mouth, as if he was about to tell her something, but she’d simply pushed past him without a response or even a glance.

A wave of fear washed over her and she had to pause for a second. ‘Oh man, oh man...! I really messed up back there, didn’t I?’ Trying not to hyperventilate, she convinced herself he understood; that he knew Asao was important to her and she didn’t mean to push him away like that, because they could always talk later, he was always going to be around while Asao very well might no longer be—

“Gyaa!” Sio nearly crashed to the floor as she bumped into another body right outside the showers. “Ow, sorry...I-I didn’t mean to...A, Adam...?”

She stared, he stared. Though his hair was now clean and damp from the shower, she couldn’t help but notice his scraggly beard remained. 

“You...didn’t shave?” Once again, her mouth moved before her brain—but she could tell Adam was slightly amused, by the way his eyes crinkled up ever so slightly.

“Hmm...thought about it, but I figured ‘s not worth the effort right now,” he shrugged slightly, running a finger over the stubble. “Though, I have to say I never expected you ‘f all folks to make such a fuss over it...does it really bother you that much?”

“Ch, chigau! It’s not that! I-I was, just...well, it’s just you look so...different,” she mumbled, suddenly feeling very shy and embarrassed. Why did she always say childish, spur-of-the-moment things in the middle of a serious discussion? No wonder Adam still treated her like a brat at times; she might as well still be one.

His eyes took on a somber mood and Sio felt her heart drop. “Really. How so.” To her great surprise he lowered himself down to her level, Sio wanting to but unable to avert from his sorrowful gaze.

“I-I, u-uh...” She gulped in nervousness but steeled herself to not shy away. “I-I mean, it’s not...bad or anything...b, but just...you look so much older...it, somehow...makes you look really sad...”

She hadn’t even gotten the last word out before something wet slipped from her eyes, Sio gasping in surprise. When did she start crying...or rather, why was she even crying in the first place?

There was a deep sigh, and she felt herself trembling even more. “‘Sad’, ‘ey...well, guess same could be said for you, squirt.” A hand gently ruffled her long white locks, but the tears did not stop. “You were so despondent for so long...and then all that shit happened...it made me real sad, too.”

“I-I’m sorry...I’m sorry—!” And she burst into tears, sobbing violently and heaving as Adam held her tightly, Sio finally letting out all the tears she’d held back, back from even before she found Asao again. “I-I-I, I didn’t, m-m-mean to, to...” She tried to get her words out, to tell him she was sorry for pushing him away when he’d only been trying to help and she didn’t mean to put him through all that, but the only thing she could choke out were half-hearted wails, barely able to catch her breath.

Adam said nothing, only patted her on the back and slowly rocked her as Sio cried and cried, until he felt surely his heart would break, as well. To see her in such despair...a pain ached in his chest, but he fought it back down. Sio needed him right now; whatever qualms he had about her behavior once again were pushed to the back of his mind. Even though he knew Gandhi was right, that she needed to know how he truly felt...something always held him back.

“Hey...there there, it’s all right now, ye? Shh...” Gradually her sobs were reduced to a whimper, interrupted by the occasional hiccup. “Look, Sio...listen, there’s...something I want to tell you. Well actually, make that a load of things,” he muttered, wiping up the last of her tears with his shirt. “I know it’s a lot to be asking you, ‘specially now, but...I don’t think I can wait much longer.”

“M-Mmnn...I, I...understand. I’m...I’ll be okay, Adam...” One last, shuddering sigh and Sio straightened herself, determined to do more than just cry all day. “I, wanted to talk to you too, s-so...let’s, talk now.”

Adam nodded, and the two headed for her quarters in silence. ------ It felt like nothing had changed, yet everything had. Their appearances, mood, least of all this strange, unspeakable ‘thing’ that was now hanging in the air. Sio stood awkwardly against the wall, while Adam slouched opposite of her. Neither focused on each other, but rather on the monotonous, trivial details that usually went unseen: how the curtains were still closed since the last time she’d been in here, the desk that held a scattering of survivor’s lists and the bed unmade, even after all this time. Both of them knew it had to be done, yet neither could be the one to start the conversation.

“...So, how’s Asao doing? She seems all right, last I heard anyway.” For reasons unknown to himself, Adam heard his voice query about her friend—though in his mind, he couldn’t help but view the girl with a sort of feared jealousy.

“Ah, Asao-san...w, well, she’s...okay now, but...” Sio suddenly stiffened and Adam felt a tremor of fear working its way through his body, as well. “...Her condition is...pretty bad...”

“...I’m sorry.” Adam whispered. Though Sio hadn’t said anything more, her furrowed brows and inability to look at him confirmed what Nightingale already suspected: terminal radiation poisoning. Normally he would be offering some comforting words, even if it was just fluff, but right now his heart was pounding away in an unsettling a mix of relief and guilt.

Asao won’t be around for much longer. You won’t have to worry about competing for Sio’s feelings. The second the thought rose in his mind he felt ill to his stomach; that he could be so petty and insecure as to look forward to someone’s death, nevermind her being Sio’s best friend and the fact deep down, Adam harbored no ill-will towards Kaoru Asao. Perhaps Sio really did deserve Asao after all, a person who could be so selfless and pure and loving to wish nothing but the best for her true love, even in the throes of death—

“—Adam? Adam, are you okay?” Adam flinched at her sudden touch and Sio recoiled in surprise. “You, you don’t look so good...do you feel okay? You’re not feeling...ill, are you?” Her maroons were wide with concern, the girl no doubt immediately fearing the worst. 

“No, I’m...I’m fine. Just...sorry, it’s just...” There were so many reasons as to why things were so strained and awkward between them: how he’d nearly killed her in the previous mission, his inability to do anything but mope about while she bravely set out on her own, whether or not she truly loved him in the same way he did. “I’m sorry...I’m just not used to...feeling you again.”

He hadn’t meant anything more, only that the last time he’d held her it was to shove a blade through her heart—so being here right now and feeling her soft fingertips against his flesh, while soothing, also sent chills down his spine. Unconsciously the left arm shook, Adam quietly restraining it as Sio looked on in growing horror. “Don’t worry about it...it’s only, temporary...I’ll get over it.”

“...Adam...” Sio choked back a sob, but didn’t cry. Of course he would be traumatized by that incident...for better or worse, she herself remembered very little; it all seemed more like a nightmare, with blurred emotions and images that changed every time she tried to remember more. But for him, the person who had to live through it all while she’d been recovering...silently she berated herself for so foolishly assuming they could immediately go back to how they were. “I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to—”

“—It’s fine. It’s not your fault; it’ll just...take time,” he breathed deeply as the arm stopped shaking. “Besides, I think it’ll help if I...get used to being around you again. In a, you know, normal setting.”

“R, Right...” But what could possibly be normal now, after all that? “...U-Um, A, Adam...” He gazed at her evenly, but somehow Sio felt more nervous instead. “Wh, when you came to...help me out...I, I never got to, thank you properly...I’m sorry...” 

That wasn’t exactly what she’d wanted to say; what she wanted to tell him, was that she was sorry she’d ignored him after the battle, but the words were stuck in her throat every single time. 

“Oh...heh, honestly you don’t have to thank me,” he gave her a thin smile, “after all, it was your...message, that pulled me there, so...” He shrugged, not sure what else to say. “Plus, apparently Nostradamus foresaw this with that AU weapon of his—that’s why everyone else showed up as well. It wasn’t like I went sounding the alarm or anything.”

There it was again, this avoidance of that crucial thing that was suffocating them, condemning them to this uneasy truce. Why could she never say it...no, rather why did she always wait for him to make the first move, instead of taking the lead?

Enough was enough.

“A, Adam...l-listen, I...I’m, I’m sorry...” She heaved a sob but continued forward, not wanting to lose her courage. “Not just for, losing control and destroying a whole city, but I’m sorry...for, pushing you away...I-I didn’t, mean to...ignore you...!” A cry broke free and the tears started to fall, but Sio didn’t bother wiping them away.

“...” A knot was pulsing in his jaw as he watched her trying not to fall apart. How Adam wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her tight, tell her that everything was all right and he forgave her—because he always did, didn’t he? Yet now he just stood there, watching while his heart argued with itself on what the right thing to do was. 

What it was he really wanted to do.

“...Yeh. I know you didn’t mean to...an’ I understand why...but I gotta say, that was pretty low of you; giving me the silent treatment, turning away whenever I wanted t’ talk or else charging recklessly onto the field, then yellin’ at me to come save your arse...and after all that, you still wouldn’t even give me a second to talk.” He said all this without any malice or judgement, but words were still words. “I’m not going to lie...it hurts, Sio. It feels like you didn’t—don’t, trust me...that, you just turn to me when it’s...convenient for you.

Sio was sobbing by now, whether or not the last few sentences made their way through to her he didn’t know, but it didn’t matter; Adam had a feeling she knew all this, else why would she have sought him out in the first place?

“I-I know...I know...! I’m sorry...I, I didn’t...I, d-don’t...!” Her whole body was shaking by now, the girl having collapsed onto the floor while Adam stood and watched. Even though it broke his heart to see her like this, to say such callous words to her...those feelings were eating him from the inside out. “I-I, I...am, really, th-the worst...th, the lowest...”

She’d said the same thing, during that fight when she almost let herself get caught in the EIO’s destructive beam, if it hadn’t been for his timely actions. ‘I’m the worst; I don’t deserve to live.’ Just thinking about it now made his chest ache, the tremors of anxiety creeping up on him. 

“No, Sio...just, stop saying that...!” Adam let out a shuddering breath, forcing his voice not to crack. “...It’s as I told you, last time...that’s not true at all. You’re not the worst—you’re human. You’re you, Sio Ogura. An’ that means you’ll make mistakes, and yeh, you did hurt people with your actions; same as I hurt you, by wallowing in my own misery and self-loathing. But you told me if I wanted to fix things, I should take responsibility for my actions...and so I am.” Slowly he walked over to the prone figure hunched over on the floor, lifting her up and brushing away her tangled locks and tears even as she continued to cry. “Now you’re the one who’s got to take your own advice, instead of continuing to blame yourself.”

She could only stare at him with teary maroons, unable to say anything except hiccups and wails. “I-I...I...mmm...s, so, sorry...o, ooh...b, but just, kn-kn-knowing, how much I—I hurt, y, you...” Gasping for breath, Sio was relieved when Adam guided her to sit on the bed instead of the floor. 

“A, About...th, that battle...when you, c-c-came for me...I-I...I really was, happy...you know? I, I really wanted, t-to, see you, again...”

“...More than Asao?”

“...Wh-what...?” 

Those confused maroons stared at him, a look of pain spreading across her features. “Wh, what do you...mean? I-I...I wanted to see you, both of you—”

“—But who did you want to see more? Me...or, Kaoru Asao...” Every word was harder to get out than the last, the phrase sounding the most ungrateful, accusatory, exact opposite of whom he thought he was, but he had to know. If she really loved him...or Asao.

Sio sat there, a stunned look on her tear-streaked face, but now eyeing him with a gaze he wasn’t sure quite how to interpret. “...Why, are you asking me this...now...how, I don’t understand...!” 

Adam grit his teeth. Of course she wouldn’t understand...otherwise why else would he be feeling so tortured, dredging up possibly one of the thorniest questions in one of the worst situations ever.

“...I know you care about me, and that I’m important to you. But, so is Asao...isn’t she?”

“I, I...” With a desperate cry Sio threw herself onto the bed, sobbing while Adam looked on in despair. “A-Are you saying, y-you don’t, th-think I-I...I, care about, you?”

No. Not quite. Perhaps the most straightforward way was to just say it, consequences be damned. “...Sio, do you...love me?” Her breath caught mid-hiccup and he could see her eyes starting to change with understanding, but he plowed forward anyway. “I know; I’ve never said anything before—neither of us have—and hell, maybe this is way too late t’ be admitting it, but...I love you, Sio Ogura. And I mean that...in every sense of the word.”

Even with her sobs, the room seemed to have quieted until you could hear a pin drop. She simply stared, her expression changing and tears falling again, but somehow Adam had a feeling she now knew exactly what he was trying to say. 

“I-I’m...I’m sorry...! Sorry...I, I...” For a second Adam felt his stomach drop, his pulse increasing until each beat was painful as the anxiety consumed everything. The next few words out of her mouth...he both needed yet dreaded them. 

I’m sorry, but I don’t like you that way.

I can’t love you back.

Asao needs me more.

Would it all be for nothing? These feelings he’d nurtured for so long; sure he vehemently denied them at first when the flicker of realization came about, that she always seemed to be on his mind despite his self-justifying claim that it was only because she was a newbie, and always got in his way so of course he noticed her. It was true neither of them ever confessed anything, not even a simple “are we or aren’t we” confirmation, but hadn’t the kiss atop the hospital roof that night been enough? Perhaps he’d been too cocky in assuming she felt the same as him; maybe she misinterpreted his actions and simply thought he was playing around with her, or maybe she changed her mind after all this time?

“I...I, made you wait until, n-n-now...f, for me to...tell you but,” Sio let out a shuddering sigh, wiping away the last tears before looking right into his eyes, “I, love you, too...Adam...I mean it...”

The room seemed to spin a little, even though he hadn’t moved a muscle. There were too many emotions colliding with each other in his head: euphoria, relief, disbelief, confusion and guilt... But the words, they were real, right? So she did feel the same after all...and yet, this fear that somehow she misunderstood, because how could she possibly love someone like him back—

“...You...you’re, really serious? Even though—”

“—Did you think that, I...I liked Asao instead?” To his surprise, despite the tears on her face Sio now wore an expression of slight contempt. “Did you really think I would take something like our first, kiss, my first real kiss...so lightly? That I only hung out with you, played video games together, talked about our lives and how I feel, just to lead you on like that...do you really think of me as that type of person?”

Her expression shifted from despair to a mask of pain and betrayal, and Adam wasn’t sure which one was worse. He knew going in this conversation would get real messy, real quick; discussing their commitment to one another, after an incredibly complicated, life-or-death situation, was probably one of the worst things he could have chosen after they reunited. And yet the unease in his heart...if he didn’t say them now, before they turned into resentment...

“...No; I know you’re not that type of person, Sio. But, from my eyes...sometimes, it’s hard to tell whom you care for, more. Who’s actually worth your time and feelings, and who’s just...someone you call on when you need something.” Even as her pained looks twisted a hole in his heart, the need to lay his feelings bare overwhelmed the guilt. “You always talk about how important Asao is to you; how you, joined DOGOO partly because you felt it was your duty to protect her. Hell, every single defining moment in your life so far...it’s all been because of her, hasn’t it?” His mouth pulled back into a grimace; as much as Adam didn’t want to blame a person on their deathbed, there was no denying that the whole reason Sio suffered from an out-of-control e-egene and its subsequent consequences was because of that girl. “Maybe I’m being the selfish one here, and you know what, maybe I don’t deserve anything at all...but would it be so much to ask for even just a minute of your time, to know I can talk with you freely, instead of always being pushed to the side?” 

“I...y-you...it’s not...it’s not like that!” She was sobbing again, but determined to make herself clear. “I-It’s...it’s true, that Asao is important...maybe more than just a friend...b-but, my relationship with her...e, even though I can’t explain it well...it’s, it’s not the same as how I feel about you!” Gasping for breath, Sio twisted the sheets between her fingers, willing herself to remain focused even though all she wanted to do was to scream and cry until nothing was left. “If...if you asked me, who I loved...that would be you, Adam. Asao-san...is my dear, precious friend...of course she’s going to be important to me. Her support, trust, and understanding...I’ll always treasure that type of connection I have with her. But you...you make me feel...a-all sorts of emotions and things I’ve...never felt before. New things. Passionate things. Nervous things. It scared me at first...I-I didn’t know what was going on or, or what to even do...but, eventually I knew...even if, I didn’t know what this feeling was, I wanted...to be with you. So p-please, don’t...don’t go thinking that I...I don’t love you back...that’s not, that’s not true at all!” 

The look Sio was giving him would’ve driven the old Adam to his knees by now, begging for forgiveness, but the present Adam finally knew what it was Mirza had been trying to say. “I know; I know that, now...and, I’m...glad to hear you feel the same way I do.” To his surprise the last word came out as a tremble, his voice threatening to crack the more he spoke. “And I’m sorry it had to take something this awful for me to finally tell you...because I’m such an insecure bastard, I can’t even trust my own feelings, let alone yours...so I was afraid, that maybe this was all just in my head...”

A tear slid down, then another and another, but Adam didn’t bother wiping them. Now he felt sick with remorse, what with Sio’s own look of anguish and hearing her own tortured pleas. Why did things between them always have to be so complicated and messy; how was it they could never truly tell the other how they felt until confronted with a crisis? What he wouldn’t give for a normal moment between them, just once. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to make you feel so terrible...but I had to know...because I’m always afraid...that I’m the only one in love...”

The bed shifted as Adam sat down, pinching the bridge of his nose in a half-hearted attempted to stem the tears. The silence seemed even more strained if possible, as both holders ruminated in silence over the others’ words, punctuated occasionally by deep sighs or else a hiccup. Mirza had emphasized the importance of being honest; but as he sat there, letting the tears drip down onto the sheets, Adam wondered if it had been the best course of actions. Maybe he should’ve waited until they were both calmer; maybe he shouldn’t have worded it in such an accusatory manner...but deep down, he knew it wouldn’t have worked. When it came to matters of the heart between the two of them, things never went as planned.

Suddenly the mattress sunk deeply, Adam looking up in surprise as Sio crawled her way over, before stopping just next to his hand. “...You know, I was afraid too. Afraid that you were just playing around with me, and once you met someone better I’d be forgotten.” She gave him a bit of a sarcastic grimace, eyes still not meeting his but instead wandering around the room. “But eventually...I started to think maybe I was wrong. That you weren’t like those typical guys who hook up with the first girl they see; that despite your tough-guy, lone-wolf act, you’re really kind inside. You try to do the right thing even if you don’t always know how to show it; you’re not the best at sweet-talking or compliments or even saying thank you,” Adam winced slightly at her words, “but to me...that’s what makes you you. I realized...I appreciate your honesty...because you always tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. Like right now,” she whispered, finally turning her gaze towards him with her own tear-stained face, “it made me realize...that I’ve been incredibly selfish. Th-that, I’ve been taking your feelings...for granted,” she choked out, a fresh wave of tears starting up but Adam wiped them up this time. 

“Wh, when you came for me...I really was happy, you know? Th-that you came when I needed you the most...s, s-s-so, I...I didn’t mean to...ignore you over Asao...! That’s not...what I meant at all!” Sio shook her head in despair, wanting to crawl under a rock and just disappear with shame. “I know it sounds lame, b-but...when you showed up, I knew you were safe; that you were okay, s-so I thought, we can always talk later...but Asao-san—” She looked at him helplessly, as if trying to send him her feelings even though it was what Adam suspected all along. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings...I-I, didn’t think you’d...be so hurt by it...”

“...I didn’t think so either, but guess we were both wrong,” he offered her a half-smile, one hand slowly curling around her fingers as she opened her palm to his touch. “Oh Sio...well, at the very least we both understand everything, now,” he sighed, suddenly drained from the emotional overload. Strange how quickly his feelings could change, going from fear to anger to relief and even content in the entire span of an hour. Mirza was right; they really needed to be better about this whole communication issue, if they wanted to avoid anymore future emotional whiplash. “Seriously, what I wouldn’t give to just have one single, non-messy, non-complicated moment with you...or at least one that doesn’t involve both of us breaking down.”

“Heh...you’re telling me,” Sio murmured, still not sure how to feel about everything. “I think our entire relationship is made up of messy, awkward moments...but, I guess that’s what makes it special, too. Don’t you think...there’s something to be said that, we’re still together...even after all this?”

He nodded, fingers continuing to caress her digits and now Sio shifted so she was leaning against him, Adam cautiously circling one arm around her shoulders and, when she didn’t pull away, pulled her close and on automatic she buried herself against his chest; nuzzling furiously as he couldn’t help but laugh a bit at how her hair tickled, despite his tears.

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed this...” he sighed deeply, running a hand through her silken strands. “Gods, it feels so good to hold you again...”

“Me too,” a muffled voice came up from his chest, where she was currently buried. “When you hold me like this...it, always makes me feel safe...like I belong here...”

Adam didn’t say anything, only tightening his grip and the girl responding in kind. To know he was the one to make her feel safe and secure...a deep sense of affection coursed through him as they both sat in a now-comfortable silence.

[akumanoken]

Smack!

He cried out, gasping for air as if he was just taken out of the water.  Tied up, pale green fabric binding his arms to his back, his legs tied and bent, he was laid against the bed, lifting a red cheek to the warm, softly rubbing hand. Kyouya was silent, letting Souji's whimpers and cries fill the room alone.  "S-s-seventeen...."

He was hard, whining every time Kyouya's fingers traveled between his cheeks, lightly tracing the plug inside him, pushing on it and moving it around.  He squeezed it for all he was worth, wanting bigger...deeper inside him.  Soft, groaning pleads falling from before he was rapped against the ass again.  "Ah!  E-eighteen... K-Kyouya, Kyouya please..."

Kyouya said nothing, just pressing a kiss to his shoulder blade.  A soft shhh before hitting him again.  Nineteen.  After all the tension and pensiveness, the spiral he saw his lover going down, it was good to see Souji finally letting go.  He was lost in his head, and no matter how much he would try to hide it for Asao's sake, there was no way Kyouya didn't know.

Smack. Twenty.  "...good boy..."  he smirked at how Souji whined, moaning and moving around for him.  So eager.  "I know...hold on."  He pulled the plug out, just a little, pushing back in and watching him flail.  "Does it feel good?? Hmm??"

Souji's frustrated whines made it clear.  "D-daddy I want more... please Daddy please I want..I want..."

Kyouya leaned over him with a smile, chuckling in his ear.  "What's that?? Didn't hear ya... What do you want, baby boy?"  Harsh whines and needy movements against his hand made him smirk.  "That's not an answer.  Use your words now... what do you want from me hmm??"

Souji bit down on his lip, whining in frustration.  "In..in-inside... please... f-fuck... fuck me Daddy I...I need..I need it..."

"Hmmm... now was that so bad?"  He bit down on his neck, determined to make a mark while he fiddled with the toy again, pulling it out and replacing it with a few fingers.  "Hmmm.... don't whine, don't wanna hurt my baby..."  He took his time to explore, rubbing against his most pleasurable spot, watching him shake, his face turn bright red before he pulled them out.  A quick reach for some lube and few strokes to his neglected length, and he slid in behind Souji, holding his mouth for the loud moan he knew was to come.  "Can't be too loud, baby.  Got the kid asleep..."  

Deep and hard, holding the man close, Kyouya rutted into Souji, muffled cries of "more" and "daddy" spurring him on.  As much as it had surprised him the first time he heard it, he couldn't help the rush it gave him to hear it fall screaming from Souji's lips.  "F-fuck baby..."  He could feel that the other was already so close, his other hand traveling up to Souji's neck, squeezing.  

Like a switch, Souji's eyes rolled up, squeezing hard around Kyouya as he came on the sheets below. He slowed down then, pulling out and flipping the boy on his back before sliding in again.  "Keep your voice down..."

Slow and deep, much more difficult than the hard, fast fucking from before, Souji gritted his teeth, trying his best not to squeal from how sensitive he had become.  It was torture, slow always doing him in, making him come undone in aways nothing else could.  Each deep push made his eyes lose focus and flutter up behind his head, and the clenching made Kyouya hiss, letting nails graze along the boy's inner thighs.

He let out a hard moan then, unable to control himself, and Kyouya shook his head, grabbing a cloth to use as a gag, stuffing it in Souji's mouth.  "Want me to stop?" Once he saw him shake his head no, he smiled and pushed in all the way, pressing a finger against the other's hardened length.  

Souji sobbed behind his gag, jerking from the sudden touch, whining and whimpering in frustration while Kyouya's finger just... caressed the sensitive skin. He craved more, and every time Kyouya checked in he shook his head.  He didn't want it to stop he wanted more!! This wasn't fair he needed it so bad why couldn't he have it??

He was twitching underneath his fingers, squeezing for all he was worth when he was teased, first along the shaft and then along his thighs.  Tense muscles and soft quivering... Kyouya smiled and pushed in, leaning in to press kisses along his lover's jaw, his nose and forehead.  "I'm sorry, baby boy... you've been so patient..."

And then he grabbed the other's cock with a full fist, stroking him while his pace picked up, and the sob that left Souji sounded nothing less than relief and victory.  He welcomed the faster pace, pleasure and strain bringing with it soft tears as he finally reached that peak again, screaming behind his gag.

Kyouya rutted into Souji still, chasing his high and pushing all the way in with a harsh moan, mind-numbing tingles up his spine as he released, and then went again, addicted to the feeling of the inside of his lover, watching him squirm and squeal, screaming until it started to sound like sobs.  He slowed down and gradually stopped, pulling out and then pulling out the gag.  "You okay?"

"Daddy...D-Dad..daddy...."  he was crying... he was weakly struggling.  "Please...."

"I got ya I got ya... hold on hold on..."  Hurried pulls freed the other from his bonds, and he held him a moment, pressing soft kisses to his forehead.  "You're alright... you're alright..."  Gently he helped Souji unfold, rubbing his legs and arms, grabbing ointment for any rope burn, for his rear, and they laid there a moment, Kyouya's hands slowly rubbing Souji's back until he stopped sobbing, until he stopped shaking and calmed down.   So much, just to get him to let go... but when he did calm down, he had a smile for Kyouya.  "Hey.  You good?"

Souji smiled, nodding.  "I'm okay... I'm okay..."  He sniffled, wiping his eyes, but that's all he said, clinging to Kyouya a little.  

"...good.  Good."  Another kiss.  "Want some water? Juice? And we'll watch Fantasia or somethin'..."

Souji grinned.  His favorite things.  "Later... can I... just stay like this a while?"

His arms tightened around Souji.  "As long as you want."