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kendochick-moor · 3 years

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December 2009 - SaiMono - Ryuuki/Shuurei - Couch

Literally, this is word-for-word what’s from the original document. *sigh, shaking head*

This is probably not safe to read in public.

They would look back on that night fondly, wondering how they’d deluded themselves for so long: between the late hour, the long day, and the warm couch, Ryuuki and Shuurei could hardly keep their eyes open.

And to the man’s chagrin, he was the only one who could hardly keep his hands to himself. As always, he looked forward to spending time with Shuurei; but she worked so hard, so much, always to exhaustion, she never had much time to spend with him.

“I can turn the movie off?” past midnight, his voice was raspy from fatigue in the darkened room.

Shuurei felt more than heard his offer, snuggled into him against his side with her head resting on his chest. Her eyes spent more time closed than open at that moment, and she shook her head no. “Need to know how it ends….”

He doubted she’d even remember in the morning, going by the half-awake state she was currently in, but didn’t say anything further. And she was fading fast; he gave her another five minutes before she’d be fully asleep. He’d move her to his bed then. Decision made, he picked up the remote and hit the ‘mute’ button. He was happy to read the subtitles, he didn’t need to listen to all the explosions and gunfire.

Turning his attention away from the tv, he let his eyes drift down over her semi-sleeping form as he patiently waited for the inevitable. Ryuuki couldn’t help smiling a bit at how close they’d become since his brother had introduced them. It had been such a hesitant start, and yet they’d become…

A sigh built inside him, and it seeped out quietly when he yawned.

… As close as they could possibly be, in some ways.

Not that he wasn’t willing to wait, but…

This time he let the sigh out softly between his parted lips, smoothing a hand down the side of his girlfriend’s body familiarly, (over her modest halter-top). She stirred but didn’t wake. He was both relieved, and a touch disappointed.

He loved her. He knew she loved him, too—and yet that very last mystery in their relationship remained unexplored. She’d admitted she was more than interested in him physically, but whenever their time together turned more intense, more impassioned, more intimate, she was always the one to pull back, taper off, and once, even turn away from him.

Perhaps if he’d been less experienced, he would have been in a better position to wait; yet as soon as the thought came to mind, he dismissed it as absurd. It had been a long time ago, but he remembered still how eager and… insensitive he’d been in his ignorant virginity. He would never want to be that inexperienced youth around her. In fact, as much as it pained him, he was glad he was as experienced as he was, as the anticipation of what their first time together would be like was entirely different from what he would have wanted as a young teenager. Now, older, he wanted more; not simply the physical connection, but the devotion, attention, and passion that came along with sex when it was consumed between two individuals who loved each other. He wanted to give that to Shuurei, too… if she’d let him.

At this point in his life, he’d had more relationships than she had, and definitely more physically mature ones. And it became increasingly difficult to slow down with her as their time together developed and their feelings deepened. When they’d be lying together on the couch and he’d instinctively pull her towards him, extending their kisses and breathing in her satisfied moans, he had to forcefully remind himself not to reach down, wrap her legs around his waist and rock against her in promise of what was to come; in the kitchen making supper together, where she’d be working at one counter with her hair up in a messy ponytail and chocolate smeared on her cheek, how hard it was sometimes not to go to her, lean into her from behind, corner her, and (supper be damned), make love to her beautiful neck with his hungry mouth, before making his way down, down, tasting her shoulder, the sensitive spot in the crook of her elbow, all the way to the tips of her fingers with his tongue…

Giving in to the fantasy, Ryuuki shifted down a bit and let his legs relax wider in front of him, the object of his fantasy still curled up into his side on the sofa. His arm secured around her, he leaned his head back against the top of the couch, and let his imagination fly a bit further.

…as he would take each of her digits into his mouth, he would take her other hand and rub her wrist, down to her palm, small, slow circles to help her relax. And when she would respond, would lean back into him because she was enjoying herself and needed him to support her, she would hesitantly reach back for him, bracing herself with a hand on his thigh. She’d knead his thigh muscles with her tense fingers, letting herself feel the pressure build inside as he’d transition his warm, wet attention from her fingers back up her arm to her shoulder and the sensitive spot where shoulder met neck where he’d kiss, then nip and soothe the soft, pale skin, making her shiver. He would nibble her delicately and undo the knot of her halter, gently pulling the material away so smoothly she’d hardly realize it was gone.

Still on the couch and becoming far less comfortable than he had been, Ryuuki breathed out hard, trying not to become so invested in the dream, but it was so difficult when Shuurei was so close to him he could feel the softness of her hands through his shirt, smell the faint scent of her shampoo in her hair. His trousers had become uncomfortable, and he knew his fantasy was getting too real in his mind, too tangible, but he needed to feel the end with her, even if it was only inside his head.

Beside him, completely asleep now, Shuurei’s breath was soft and warm on his throat as her head leaned back when he shifted to get more comfortable on the couch. Her long, black hair had loosened from its bun (she had been baking earlier, he noted—normally she wore at least part of it down, and he loved running his fingers through it), soft tendrils limning her cheeks, neck and collarbone as his heavy-lidded eyes swept her profile.

The glow from the silent television illuminated her for him, and he reached a slightly shaky hand up to slip a lock behind her ear, his fingers lingering to brush her cheeks delicately, the soft line of her jaw down to the sensitive skin of her lips. She always felt a bit cold to him, and he used it as an excuse to keep her close to him in private. (“Stop wiggling, cuddling is good for you! You need to warm up!”)

But now that simple touch enflamed him, and shifting further down with his legs stretched out in front of him and his belt loosened, he caressed her cheek one last time with his thumb, and let his hand trail down her arm to her side where he pulled her up against him tighter and closed his eyes, breathing in her breath.

Her head would be thrown back on his shoulder as she panted when he let go of her thoroughly-sucked fingers and moved to spread a hand over her abdomen, rubbing her possessively. The hand she’d been gripping his thigh with he’d help her guide to a far more gratifying place, assisting her with unlatching his belt, loosening his pants, and slipping her delicate hand inside.

Perhaps it was the length of his ‘dry spell’, or even just how near she was to him as he dreamed, but Ryuuki’s breathing became rough as the fantasy took complete control of him, blinding him to his surroundings and usual inhibitions.

She would touch him carefully at first, and he would let her explore for a few moments to see how she reacted; then if she needed some encouragement, he would close his long fingers over hers around his base and slowly teach her how to stroke his length.

Squeezing, then pumping, rubbing her thumb softly across his crown to trigger his first wetness, over and over, he’d help her discover, and let her find her own pace.

When she would be comfortable with her rhythm, he’d take her other hand to his sac so she could knead and stretch it, and all the while he would have been laving attention on her breasts; with his mouth, cupping with his hand, starting from the outside touching their firm smoothness and sampling their weight, then taking his time as he drew to their focus, his thumbs rubbing and plucking her nipples as she’d gasp and moan in arousal.

Ryuuki mentally begged her to say his name, and was rewarded.

“Ryuuki,” she whispered against him, and he nearly shuddered at the extra tension it caused him.

Yes, he thought excitedly. Again…

So he brushed a thumb over her now-taut nipple again and smiled when he heard her responsive gasp.

It caused a reaction in him, too, and definitely a positive one. He felt himself twitch and harden in anticipation; only she did that to him. Only thoughts of her could make him come so close to the edge of the precipice with only her hand.

“Oh Shuurei,” he stroked himself with her fingers again, lost in his sexual reverie. For so long, he’d…

“…Ryuuki?”

Her voice, as it broke into his mind, had become hesitant; less seductive, but still husky with the same need and arousal he felt. It was almost as if…

He jolted back to the present.

He was right. That hesitation wasn’t part of the fantasy.

The stimulated young man opened his eyes slowly, took in the scene, and tried to swallow in spite of his suddenly dry throat.

Shuurei was awake, and watching him nervously; his hand had slid under her shirt to cup her breast; and yes, his trousers were lowered and he’d taken her hand to his member.

Before he could panic, though, the unthinkable happened.

She gave a tentative pull, and nibbling her lower lip innocently, she slowly circled the head of his cock with the textured pad of her thumb. Then she glanced at him to check his reaction, and seeing no reproach, gained some confidence and tried again.

And again. And again, each time more sure than the last, and before long garnering a groan of approval from him. If she was able to do this with just her hands, what would it be like when they—…

“Ryuuki,” she repeated, watching him with dark eyes. Without conscious thought, he’d started kneading her breast again in encouragement, and her breath hitched when he rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Noting her reaction (and pleasantly surprised it matched what he’d imagined in his fantasies), he slowly reached up with his other arm, along her leg, her side, across her stomach, and cupped her other breast, measuring its soft, warm weight in his palm, and holding her gaze, deliberately smoothed his thumb over the most sensitive part of her nipple, agonizingly slowly.

Under his ministrations, the young woman shivered as her eyes struggled to stay open, her eyelids fluttering under the sensual siege he laid on her body.

“I’m…” she started, swallowed, and tried again. “I’m… not used to this. Not too much, ok? … I need to adjust.”

“We’ll just do this for now, if you want,” he assured her, and didn’t miss the relieved smile she gave him.

“Thank you,” she accentuated her gratitude with what he could only describe as a ‘polite’ tug, before she brought both her hands together on his most private of places.

“Could… could I… ?”

“Yes.” He paused, reconsidered. “Wait.”

And before Shuurei knew it, he’d slid his hands from her shirt and carefully lifted her up from his side, turned her and settled her on his lap, before he shifted himself to lie down on his back again on the couch.

“There,” the topaz-eyed man gave a quick stretch, settling himself. “You can sit or kneel, whatever is easier. And you don’t need to do anything you don’t want. I meant it when I said I could wait,” he promised, though he wished anything but.

That was when she took the initiative and, with one hand cupping and massaging his scrotum, she used her other hand to circle his cock, and smoothly slide her hand up, over the top, and then down again on the other side. And back again. Unhurried and deliberate, her motions pulled at him and he felt a coil tighten deep within himself, begging to be freed. Each slide more self-assured than the last, she soon coordinated her movements, and shifted closer on his lap to get a firmer grasp of him.

He almost went then and there.

“Where did you learn that?” he gasped, forcing himself to think of cold showers and ugly paintings and anythingthatwasn’t his darling, innocent girlfriend giving him the best handjob he’d ever had in his life.

Worried she’d done something wrong, though, by his pained expression, Shuurei started to pull back, only to have Ryuuki grab her wrists and hold them in place, rising up into a sitting position—

--to catch her lips with his, kissing her softly, passionately, to soothe her worries.

“That was a compliment,” he said a moment later against her slightly open mouth, smiling. “It felt very good,” he added ruefully.

Oh, he loved the colour that blushed her cheeks then as she looked down, only to actually see her hands currently caressing him absently.

“… It’s smoother… than I expected…” she said quietly, and her colouring deepened.

Ryuuki smiled wider, encouraging her to talk to him, communicate what she was feeling if it would help her ‘adjust’ as she’d put it.

“What had you been expecting?” he asked, trying not to tease the woman comfortably straddling him. His loosened his grip from her wrists to rub gentle circles on the insides of her palms, then further up her arms, rubbing her soft skin slowly, before resting his hands on her back and sides and running his palms up and down in a reassuring fashion.

A puzzled look crossed her face at his inquiry.

“Kouchou-neesan said…”

Ahhhh, everything suddenly made sense to the young man. The way she obviously loved him, but kept him at a distance at times; the way she pulled back during their intimate encounters…

“What you and Kouchou spoke about… did it… make you worry?”

She nodded, but kept stroking him. It was a bit difficult for him to focus, considering how very good the action felt, but he persevered. They needed to talk this out. On the positive side, he found it reassuring she seemed to be comfortable enough with him to discuss the matter finally. And while perhaps she was just working him on autopilot, he wasn’t about to alert her to that fact. (He really was desperate, he realized pitifully.)

“I know that it is different for everyone, but some things…” her voice drifted off, unsure how to continue.

He waited, pulling her close to him with strong arms to cuddle for a moment, and then reached up with one hand to tangle his fingers in her hair. As he looked down at his fingers, wrapped and twisted in the black silky threads, he slid the elastic from her bun and loosened her sleep-mussed hair entirely to massage her scalp. His poor Shuurei had been worrying too much, she needed to give herself a break sometimes.

Much better, he thought, feeling her shoulders relax minutely, and he leaned forward just enough to nuzzle her neck with his nose.

“Hmmm? What things?” he prodded quietly, finger-combing her hair to calm her. Her fingers had stopped their motion on him and now remained still around his hardness, he noted, but he told himself he didn’t mind.

It took the younger woman a moment to gather herself.

“It can hurt. There can be… problems, um, ‘fitting’. Damage. And then, later, if things don’t work out…” her voice trailed off again.

Letting out a sigh through his nose, Ryuuki considered her words (and whom she’d heard them from).

“Kouchou did a good job of warning you,” he admitted, and wasn’t surprised to feel her tense up again against him. “But,” he added, abandoning completely the sexual nature of their encounter in order to embrace her to him lovingly and rock her, like a child, “I think she was warning you about worst case scenarios. When two people love each other, care for each other, and are careful with each other, they learn how to protect each other from those bad outcomes.”

With her head tucked into his shoulder and neck, he felt her nod a bit, and continued.

“My brother gave me a similar lecture when I was young, but I didn’t understand it for a long time… But he said if I took the time to take care of the one I loved, the… experience..,” he chose his wording carefully, still unsure how Shuurei would react to things, “would show that love and attention. That there are ways of avoiding the pain, and that if it’s truly the right person…” A faraway look entered his eye.

This time, it was his voice that trailed off.

Still in his arms, listening to his heart beat, Shuurei looked up at his profile outlined by the television glow. There was something flitting across it like a memory long-forgotten, causing some new realization, and she found herself curious to know what had managed to completely distract him.

“The right person,” she prodded, and poked him in the chest. She was listening.

If it’s truly the right person, it becomes about what you can do together, for each other, not what you can get for yourself, the blond man remembered finally. It’s about the ‘right’ one becoming the ‘only’ one.

“If it’s the right person, you never see anyone else in that light,” he finished, pulling back a few inches to look down at her, happy to see her looking back at him. “That person is the only person for you, and when you come together it will be the best moment of your life.”

They sat in silence after that, reflecting on what Ryuuki had shared.

Shuurei broke the silent contemplation first, by pulling her hands from Ryuuki’s lap and circling them around his waist.

“Thank you,” she said. Her head was tucked into his shoulder again.

For his part, Ryuuki ran his hand down her hair and back one last time before hugging her back. “Anytime.”

“Can we try another time?” she asked then, surprising him.

“Anytime,” he repeated, more emphatically. It was late and he felt his eyes closing; he nudged Shuurei’s shoulder where he rested his chin, and asked, “Anything else you’d like to talk about? If not, I think it’s time for bed.”

“Hmmmmm,” came the non-committal reply.

But when he made to stand, she stayed put.

“?”

“… the pain, when a girl first… is that true?”

He wasn’t ashamed to admit, a part of him really wished he had Kouchou there at that moment to bash her double-edged advice with a shovel. Really, couldn’t she have given Shuurei at least SOME positive information about sex?

Letting out a low breath, Ryuuki raised his head to look at the anxious, self-conscious woman directly.

“For girls, the first time can hurt. But it doesn’t have to be as bad as Kouchou made it sound. If we warm you up properly, you may not notice as much as you think.”

For a second she looked quite confused, and downcast.

“I’m always cold, though,” she muttered.

This time, his cheeks went pink, and he felt his mouth tugging at a smile. “Ah, er… when I said, ‘warm you up’, I meant…”

And that started an entirely different discussion.

-edit:

- WTH, melodrama?!?! Why do I always taper off and write such crappy melodramatic endings?

- didn't I get endings like this out of my system w/ VK fics?

-need to give up being sentimental

-Kouchou-info needs to be cleaned up / Shuurei's reaction & Ryuuki's reactions related more in-character

-OMG so OOC...

-tone wobbles back and forth/ clean up

-hello, spelling?!

-too blunt / need to hash out cadence / timing / descriptions so they flow better

-EDIT #2: Dec31/2009:

-what is the connection between them? Have them come together closer emotionally, then slide in physical moments

-rapprochement

-what makes them vulnerable? How do they protect themselves from vulnerability? how does each help the other overcome the vulnerability/make the other stronger/'play' for them?

-how did they get where they are in their relationship? (What else is going on in relationship? Between them? Think of compassionate/thoughtful moments/instances one did for the other, noticed of the other, remarked on)???

#my writing #my fanfic #saiunkoku monogatari #saimono #shuurei #ryuuki #shuurei x ryuuki

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kendochick-moor · 3 years

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April 2010 - SaiMono - Ryuuki/Shuurei, Kochou/Seiran - Modern Uni AU of some sort...

n need to re-work this to make it fit into the Modern University/College AU with Ryuuren x Shuurei x Eigetsu family love/fluff

n need to write at least 1-2 one-shots where Seiran is escorting/meeting Shuurei to walk her ‘home’ from her job (write one-shot explaining fully why she’s working there?...)

n need to write one-shot where Seiran x Kouchou are together, explain/hint at their relationship?

n Need to write one-shot that explores Ryuuki’s situation a bit (thrust into being head of business/capital? Is known by reputation only, is a loner, is lonely, doesn’t get to socialize much, finds Seiran by chance, hangs out with him when he can, as Seiran is only person who sees him as ‘Ryuuki’, not ‘Mr. Shi.”…)

n Need to write/consider the police force / justice system, where other characters fit in.

n Shouka? Ensei? Reishin? Kijin/Kou?

n Kouyuu / Shuei / Shuei & Shusui?

n Eiki. Three Grand Guardians (Shou Taishi, Sou Taifu, Sa Enjun)

n Also, completely re-do Seiran-searching-for-Kouchou scenes, they are stupid, useless, fanservicey, and could be tons better if given more thought/originality.

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Word count: approx. 5,300 words

Genre: Modern AU, romance

Chars: Shuurei x Ryuuki, Seiran x Kouchou, Ensei

Summary: It takes a village to raise a… date?

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“Do you really think this is the right time?” the pale-haired young man looked back at his older brother as the latter gently—but firmly—guided him towards the door of his apartment.

“Everything will be fine,” assured Seiran with a confident, if tired, sigh. Really, if he didn’t get Ryuuki out the door soon then Shuurei would be left waiting by herself in the cold night outside the cram school where she tutored. The walk from the office building, where the cram school was located, to the bus stop was short but passed through a few unsavoury parts of the city before it connected with the main thoroughfare. Usually Seiran would ‘coincidentally’ meet her on his way home, make sure she made it as far as her connection to the subway, and then be on his way back to his apartment in the opposite direction. The subway was well-policed and brightly lit, and there was a stop just one intersection away from her dorm. The dorm that was located in one of the safest neighbourhoods in the city. He’d made sure of that, with a bit of help.

The after-hours habit had been that way for the better part of the past year, since she’d started working at the Learning Center to make the money she needed for her university tuition. Their routine would have continued that way (with Shuurei none the wiser to how deliberate –and out of his way—his nightly detour truly was) if it hadn’t been for the fact that Seiran’s fiancée, Kochou, was due to return from her business trip that afternoon and he had promised to collect her from the airport. And she’d called him from the stop-over airport, early that morning, to relate to him that, wonder of wonders, she’d just run into their old friend Ensei, and wouldn’t it be fantastic if they all got together? She thought so—and had talked Ensei into re-arranging his plans so he could come back with her to Kiyou. Surely Seiran didn’t have a problem with that? Good, because she was sure everything would be fine and they’d see him by lunchtime.

The plane had now been delayed by several hours.

So far, Seiran hadn’t been able to reach Shuurei, or his fiancée, and while he knew both women were more than capable of taking care of themselves… he worried. He told himself that logically, nothing would happen, everything was fine, and he was just being a mother hen. That really, they were in safe places, surrounded by a ridiculous number of security cameras, and knew better than to wander off. (With Ensei, or random people who asked her for help, in Shuurei’s case.)

That of course the pair of intelligent women would stick to well-lit spaces, avoid talking to strangers, and stay out of trouble… With Ensei.

Unconsciously his right eyebrow twitched at the incongruity of his secret dream and the reality that faced him. Why were all the women he knew danger-magnets?

Well if he couldn’t be in two places at once, he’d at least make sure someone was.

And if he happened to have noticed his little brother making puppy dog eyes at Shuurei when he’d joined him on a few recent excursions, well, there were worse escorts.

At this, Ensei’s rakish grin sprang immediately to mind, accompanied by its usual companion, the Industrial-Grade Migraine.

His younger brother’s voice broke through the painful haze rapidly fogging his brain. “What’s wrong? Why are you angry? Did I do something wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong,” rubbing a hand over his face to ease the tension that had clued his younger brother in to his mood, Seiran begged the powers that be for patience. Nothing is wrong, he repeated internally, nothing is wrong, nothing is wrong…

* - *

Ryuuki had parked at the subway station, ridden to the stop near Shuurei’s office, and walked the rest of the way in an outwardly calm manner, but his insides a nervous rush. He barely noticed his surroundings, except for one last errand…

The flower shops he’d passed were all closed – he’d wanted to get her flowers. But wait—would that be too formal? It wasn’t a ‘proper’ date, it was just collecting her, wasn’t it? Then he shouldn’t be trying so hard. Or should he? Should he be trying to impress her? What had his ani-ue said?!

“It’s ok,” he heard his brother’s voice in his head, “this is supposed to be casual. Kochou just wanted to have dinner together, so you go get Shuurei, and we’ll meet at the restaurant.”

Right, of course.

“Just be yourself,” Seiran had smiled at him, before patting him on the head and literally shoving him out the door.

The young man was convinced something was bothering his ani-ue by that point. And sending him off on his own to meet Shuurei? He’d never done that before!

“—uuki!”

And what if she didn’t like ‘himself’, he wondered slowly. What if she liked someone else? Was she seeing anyone else? He sped up, both his heartrate and his step, and doubt settled coldly into his belly.

“Ryuuki!”

The preoccupied man’s thoughts spiraled. He’d never had the confidence to ask her if she was involved, since he’d been so worried about the possibility of her answer being, “Yes, with the man of my dreams!”– and in his mind, how could someone like her not be seeing someone? Now he was terrified he may be rejected, and then what would they do for dinner?! This was a big night for his ani-ue and his fiancée, Kochou—what if he’d ruined it? Oh no, what if he ruined their entire relationship? His brother would never forgive him!

“Ryuuki! Is that you? Wait up!”

(A young woman’s voice rose in mounting concern, but the blond man’s focus was entirely inwards and he missed the repeated calls.)

The worried young man skidded to a stop at the thought that he’d just irreparably damaged the happiest part of his brother’s life.

It was all his fault--!

Suddenly he startled as someone grabbed his arm.

“Ryuuki, slow down!” huffed Shuurei.

She leaned over her knees to catch her breath a moment before straightening up to look at him again, cheeks pinked. She pushed some of her loosened hair back behind her ear. “I just chased you for nearly a block –you looked so worried! Is something wrong? Can I help?”

Her beautiful dark eyes, large in her concern for him, shone in the darkness as she held on to him, refusing to let him go.

And his mouth went dry.

Then his brain fizzled out.

And he opened the former before the latter had re-engaged.

Whirling on her and grabbing her hands desperately in his, he pulled her to him (“Whu-Ryuuki! What’s going on-!”) and pleaded,

“You need to come to dinner! It’s the only way to save them!”

* * *

Shuurei paused, her eyebrows knit, and she remembered something Seiran had once mentioned to her about his little brother. “He always means well. But he can be a bit… impulsive.”

Ahhhhh… so ‘impulsive’ is Seiran-ese for ‘total spaz’, the young woman quickly deduced. It was so… Seiran… to try to put his little brother’s quirks, said brother being someone he cared deeply for, in a good light.

Actually…

Shuurei paused again…

Seiran’d been talking Ryuuki up to her quite a bit recently. Subtly, always subtly, but definitely a lot, for him. The pieces started clicking into place in her mind, and she controlled a reflexive eye twitch. Great. Her ‘big brother’ was playing matchmaker between her and his little brother. Spazzy little brother.

Oh, brother.

The aforementioned man’s face was inches from hers, still anxious. But noting how sincere he was, how determined he was to take care of his family, and how fiercely he gripped her hands—ow--, Shuurei stifled the urge to sigh and took a calming breath, hoping her escort had absorbed some of her pacifism.

“Ryuuki?” she repeated again patiently, cautiously, for she was sure it was at least the sixth time. She couldn’t help her voice pitching a bit high. She’d never appreciated how strong he was, or that he must work with his hands. The long, tapered fingers gripping hers were rougher than she’d expected. Not that she’d thought about him, or his hands, much. Really. Just once or twice, in passing. As she waved goodbye to him and Seiran, or as she went to bed alone in her dorm apartment. Wondering why she’d catch him looking at her from time to time on their way from her work to the subway…

“Hands,” she burst out, to reel herself back in from her distracting thoughts. She gave a faint tug, not actually trying to pull her hands from his warmth. Well, ok, now it was starting to hurt, but if he’d loosen his grip just a little bit, it wouldn’t be so bad. He had lovely hands, she noticed, the longer he held her, strong and competent, and wow, he must work out…

“Huh?”

This time, he truly looked at her; then down at their tightly clasped fingers; then understanding dawned on him when he became conscious of how white her trembling hands had become in his grip.

“I’m so sorry-!”

“Ah!” she shook her hands carefully, just a tiny bit, as he threw them away from him and stepped back a few inches to give her some space.

“Thank you,” she breathed and smiled at him.

“I didn’t mean to-!”

“-it’s ok!,” she sighed, covertly massaging her hands within the loose sleeves of her coat. That felt a bit better, and she refused to admit she felt even a touch disappointed. Already she missed his warmth. Just not the… enthusiasm. “So, Kochou and Seiran mentioned something about dinner tonight. Are we heading over to meet them?”

“I love you, please go out with me!” he wanted to exclaim, but wisely kept that part locked up behind the closed doors of his eager subconscious. He really didn’t need to scare her off with his desperate infatuation… yet.

“Yes,” he replied instead. One thing at a time, he reminded himself. Things had gotten off to a rocky start, but he just had to convince her he was worth her time, and that would help resolve any lingering misgivings. And he could always call his ani-ue to help him smooth things over if he really botched collecting Shuurei. He really hoped it wouldn’t come to that, though. He wanted to do this on his own. He’d liked her for months now, he just needed to get himself together and talk to her, without Kouchou or his ani-ue breaking the ice or ‘helping’ him out.

So far, though, she looked pretty… happy to see him, actually! His heart soared. Yes, tonight would be the night! He tried to keep his grin under wraps as his ‘date’ started speaking again.

Nodding brightly, Shuurei straightened her coat and tucked her now mittened-hands into her pockets. “Well, let’s go then. The battery on my cell died earlier this afternoon, so I didn’t get a chance to confirm things with Seiran. Do you know where we’re going?”

This time, he nodded at her and pointed back the way he’d come. “Kouchou-neesan chose it. I think we’ll have one of the private rooms for the night, so we can wait there for them. Her plane is late.”

Falling into step beside Shuurei, the young man heard her make a sympathetic sound in her throat. “And she’d been hoping to make it back early this time, too! She’s had so many business trips recently, she must be exhausted.”

“I’m sure my brother will take good care of her,” Ryuuki found the conversation came easily this time, and reveled in having Shuurei’s undivided attention. “So, how have you been?...” He held his breath. Well, gotta ask sometime, he thought. “Seeing anyone these days? Oh, are you ok!?”

“Oh, fine, thanks, sorry, tripped over my own feet, hahaha…” She straightened up, face definitely more red than pink now. Well, he hadn’t wasted time, she’d give him that… “Uh, no, not… not seeing anyone…”

When she made to let go of his arm (which she’d grabbed when she stumbled), he tightened his hold and caught her arm between his elbow and side, not letting her go. While she bit her lip for a second, she didn’t protest. And after a few moments, she relaxed and hooked her arm properly through his. (Because it was more comfortable that way, she told herself, and didn’t look as ridiculous as being pulled along. That was all.) Of course, she had no idea that she was nearly beaming at him, just so sincerely flattered, when he glanced down at her.

For his part, Inner!Ryuuki cheered.

Yes, he could definitely get used to this now that he knew she didn’t have a boyfriend, the young man thought to himself. (What a relief! Why did he wait so long again?) He could get used to it very easily. Hopefully, she would, too, he thought optimistically. Another peek at her profile, her eyes bright and happy, convinced him it might not be as difficult as he’d dreaded to win her over.

*- *

Forty-five minutes.

Seiran glanced again at the illuminated message board that listed the flights that had arrived and what gates they should pick up their baggage from, and he checked the nearby clock.

Her flight had arrived over an hour ago, and he’d been waiting there, just outside the baggage carousel’s security gate, for nearly forty-five minutes, and she wasn’t there. All the bags had been picked up; the information desk had confirmed everyone had left the plane; and no one had missed it leaving its last terminal in Kou province. It had been a full flight, no free seats.

Even in first class, where Seiran was sure Kouchou and Ensei would have been sitting. Together. Causing trouble…

The migraine flared and Seiran’s cheek twitched at the pain. Then he unclenched his jaw and tried to think again of where the pair would have disappeared to.

It was a random, though casual, scene, but as the tall young man turned to look around the terminal, his eyes caught on the sight of several tired pilots steering their baggage behind them as they headed to an escalator. They were laughing about their shift being “finally over!” for the night, and they “couldn’t wait to kick back & relax”.

The sign hanging above them indicated, “WINGNUTS à” .

Seiran felt his shoulders wilt a bit.

After depositing even more money into the parking meter, he trudged up the escalator to the increasingly raucous noise that welcomed one and all to the terminal’s beverage lounge…

*-*

“Anything yet?”

Ryuuki glanced at his phone. No missed calls, no voicemail, no text messages or e-mail. “Nothing. He hasn’t found her yet.”

“Hmmm… Maybe we should order some appetizers for ourselves?” Shuurei wondered aloud, leaning across the table to glance at the time illuminated on the front of Ryuuki’s cellphone before sitting back down her in seat again. “Oh no!” she exclaimed suddenly, her eyes fixed on the windows of the restaurant, just behind them.

Her company turned to look in her direction, and realized the problem.

“Was there supposed to be a blizzard today? I thought it was just a light snowfall!” he said, forgetting about the phone.

“That’s what I thought, too! Oh no, do you think they’re having problems landing?”

“Seiran would have called if that were the case,” he assured her. “More than likely they’re missing each other in the terminal. They just put the new addition on – maybe they’re still re-routing some passengers and flights?”

“Yes… Well…” her voice drifted off as she considered their situation. “How about we order and let Seiran know? We can always bring their food to them, and meet up for coffee at their place after dinner to chat.” Decision made, she looked to him for confirmation.

And that would mean a nice, private tete-a-tete dinner between the two of them….

“… no sense letting good food go to waste,” he agreed, and they signaled the waiter.

*-*

“Sure I saw them!”

Seiran nodded politely to the bartender to continue. It was the fourth bartender he’d spoken with. WINGNUTS apparently was a multi-level establishment, with different locations that catered to different clientele. Very particular clientele.

“I believe they were part of the conga line that went over to the Leather Fairy,” said the man, pointing helpfully at the bar two hops down the conveyor-belt walkway.

“Thank you,” the tired fiancé-turned-chauffeur roused himself from the stool he’d been leaning on and made his way over to the…

… ah, this one had a cross-dressing theme, he observed with another eye twitch…

… next bar.

Noting that it really shouldn’t have taken him 5 saloons to catch on that Kouchou and Ensei were leading him on a wild goose chase, Seiran sighed inside and soldiered on.

“Well helloooooo handsome! What can we do for you tonight?”

…. Why did it have to be a cross-dressing bar with a leather-or-feather dress code? And who’d allowed this kind of establishment to be built within an airport?! The last place had been a Tiki-styled family grill!

The Tiki had been Ensei, he mused dismally. The leather was definitely Kouchou.

As the greeter cheerfully offered up a leather vest or a fluffy boa to him before they’d allow him entrance, Seiran couldn’t help the heavy mantle of despair that slid onto his weary shoulders.

Oh wait, that was his new vinyl cape. (With matching fitted mask, it seemed, as he felt the elastic settling over his ears.) He sensed Ensei’s hand in this, somehow. The man had always had a fascination with capes…

Normally, he would never undergo this, he thought murderously, and wished he could set his glare to Maximum Punishment Beam. But his fiancé tended to tease him mercilessly about that. Or upstage him in that department. Not that he had much pride, (really, he didn’t), but he’d learned early on that that pride wasn’t worth the wrath of an angry Kouchou.

Speaking of, where was she—

The silver-haired man stopped short at the sight before him. Even through the mask, the form clad in glitter and spandex was unmistakable; the sashay in clear heels, the long, lustrous hair, the gown that was clearly more at home on a runway than an airport lounge.

And the 3-day old stubble confirmed it.

Oh hells…

“Ensei, if you come near me wearing that, I will not hesitate to defend myself.”

*-*

The weather that greeted Ryuuki & Shuurei outside the restaurant was nothing short of a white-out.

Ryuuki thanked someone on the phone, and returned to Shuurei’s side with a concerned grimace on his face.

“Any luck?”

“The taxi companies are all booked solid, and they have long waits since so many of the major roads are closed until the ploughs get through,” he informed her, helping her into her jacket.

Shuurei looked grimly at the frozen landscape, not liking their odds. “I haven’t seen a bus pass by since we noticed the heavy snowfall start, two hours ago. I think they’re sidelined, too.”

Which left them with few choices to get themselves home – and they weren’t dressed for the ‘trudging through sleet and snow’ option.

Well, not for very far, at least, admitted Ryuuki as he considered their alternatives. Unless she didn’t mind not going home…

“Do you think you could walk for 15 to 20 minutes in that?” he asked her, studying her reaction.

“Do you know someone nearby?” she asked hopefully. “I’m sure we can make it at least an hour! Better than building a fort in a snowbank…”

“Let me call Seiran to let him know we’re heading out…”

* * *

Kouchou smiled engagingly at the two men as she leaned comfortably back in her fetish chair.

“Really, you’d think you didn’t enjoy this. You should be smiling, you’re the most popular men in the bar at the moment!” she teased, sipping a cup of brandy through full, red lips. Her darkly painted and precisely manicured nails tapped the side of the glass from time to time, beating a slow, irregular rhythm.

“What about Ryuuki and Shuurei? They’re out in the storm, aren’t they?” asked Ensei, showing his usual concern for the young woman they all treated like family. He shifted subtly in his chair to relieve the stress certain parts of his attire were incurring on his person.

“Ah yes, they were to have dinner tonight with us, weren’t they? Did they meet up and find the restaurant all right?”

Seiran watched her feigned curiosity levelly. Then he knew.

“You set this up.”

“Did I? Really? I just thought it would be good for little Ryuuki to show a bit of initiative,” she corrected mildly, and held her glass out to the side for another refill as the waiter (waitress? wondered Seiran—it was hard to tell with the make-up) politely poured her another drink. “And he just called to say he was settling them into one of his hotels, didn’t he? My, my, darling… You taught him well, didn’t you?”

He refused to blush. Was she really insinuating his brother was following in his footsteps? If so… No, better not to follow that path of thought, he decided.

But, how had Kouchou known? He wondered briefly how long his beautiful, razor-witted fiancée had been aware of his brother’s attraction to Shuurei, and how long it had taken her to engineer this little rendez-vous between them (and timed it so exactly to the storm front’s snowfall), and felt a slight shiver on his spine. He was never, ever crossing this woman.

Loved her more than life itself, yes.

… but still, a little bit afraid of her, too.

* * *

“What a lucky break!” gushed Shuurei, gazing around their suite from their shared living room. “You know the owner of this hotel chain? Please tell them thank you so much the next time you meet!”

She unwrapped her scarf and held out her arms as Ryuuki helped her out of her coat, hanging it in the closet by the door. She glanced back at him curiously for a moment, surprised at his gentlemanly behaviour, then realized he’d been doing such little things for her all evening. Opening doors, pulling out her chair, arranging for a stay that night at the luxury hotel his ‘family friend’ owned…

“This place is very nice – please let me know how much it comes to, I’ll pay you back with my next paycheque.”

He bit back a reply of, “No need,” knowing she wouldn’t accept the generosity. So… he’d just have to ‘forget’ or ‘lose the receipt’ by the time she asked him for it. It was one of the business-class executive suites, one that was usually reserved for close family friends or when businessmen travelled for meetings, hence the living room. There were far more upscale ones in this particular hotel, but he knew she would have objected to staying in one of those… so this suited their purposes far better. And the fact the hotel itself was part of his own conglomerate (not that Shuurei knew that), well, that just ensured top level service from the staff. (Though he’d had to send Shuurei to sit in the lobby café a moment as he ‘arranged their room’ with the desk staff when they first arrived. The obvious fawning from the clerks and staff would have clued Shuurei in immediately to the situation, otherwise.)

“There are warmed robes in each of our bathrooms,” he took her through her room to show her, “and there are kettles with tea and coffee if you still need to warm up. Room service is complimentary,” (for us, he added internally), “so if you need anything during the night, don’t hesitate to let them know. Also, the staff said they’d be happy to launder our clothes for us overnight and have them ready for us in the morning.”

Shuurei just stared at him a moment, skeptically.

“And you know all this because?...”

Damnit, he’d said too much; she’d cottoned on.

“The front desk staff were very helpful.”

Still watching him for a moment, she raised an eyebrow but said nothing more.

“Breakfast will arrive around 8am. Is there anything I can do for you, before I go to my room? You look like you want to rest. You mentioned you had class in the morning… unless they’re cancelled, that is. Do they cancel university classes in bad weather?”

He was babbling, and shut up before he further embarrassed himself. He didn’t want to go; he wanted to sit with her, keep talking with her, and greedily draw her focus entirely to him. He hadn’t realized how fascinating she truly was, how intelligent, but he had a much better idea now, and was slowly coming to the conclusion that he’d like more than a simple relationship with her. He wanted more than the occasional rushed lunch or quick wave as they happened to pass each other; more than random conversation over dinner with friends; more than a ‘what if…’ look that passed between them from time to time. For now, it was a start, but he wanted to build on that with her. He wanted her to have everything she wanted, to achieve every goal she set for herself, to support her in her pursuits, and to help soften the blow if and when she fell—and he knew she would, she was just so idealistic and pragmatic, it would draw others to her to support and discourage her in equal measure, and he wanted nothing more than to banish those impediments from her path, except for the fact he knew she would resent him for his own interference. He wanted all of that for her, and he wanted to be a part of it with her. And knowing all this and what it meant, and how it might feel like he’d rushed into these conclusions but had in reality known her, been getting to know her through snatches of conversation and random encounters through his brother for months, it may have been a bit overwhelming... And he would admit, it was partly reckless, to want so much, after so little time actually spent solely in each other’s company. Was he perhaps obsessive, he wondered? To finally know someone who treated him as a person without wanting anything else from him in return (though he had a feeling his brother had not felt the need to inform her of his background, and it hadn’t come up explicitly between them yet, either…). That may change, of course, when she realized who he truly was; he would need to prepare for that eventuality. His soaring mood dampened a bit at that. From what he’d gathered from Shuurei’s disposition so far, she was from a family of scholars, formerly old money, but that had stopped pursuing knowledge for financial gain. She would figure him out soon enough, it was only a matter of time. Seiran had filled in the blanks surrounding her upbringing for him, when he’d made an occasional off-hand remark about Shuurei’s family. It seemed like she didn’t hold much regard for those of the ‘upper’ echelons of society. He hadn’t asked her outright, but there seemed to be something that had happened in the past that had soured her opinion of them. When they were just a bit more comfortable with each other, he would have to find a way to ask without giving himself away. (He had a feeling he’d be calling his brother for advice at some point in the near future…)

But she was so bright. Everything she did, she did with heart and determination. And he admired her for that. In a way, he wanted to be like her – to have that drive and boldness (even if he knew it was a pipe dream for himself in his position). Perhaps that was why he wanted to stay with her, to absorb her enthusiasm for life, her work and life ethic. But to ask for so much now from her would be ridiculous, presumptuous, avaricious; it would take time to build on their burgeoning trust, to see that trust into a warmer friendship, and then, if he was careful enough, more. She’d already shown she was comfortable with his company, to some extent, even trusting him enough to share a hotel suite with him – and he doubted he’d imagined it when she’d pulled closer to him as they vaulted over waist-high, ploughed banks of snow and ice (she’d insisted it was to keep their balance, but he didn’t think she would have blushed and nibbled at her bottom lip about keeping her balance). But he was well aware suggesting they cuddle together for warmth for the night would not go over well now that they weren’t shivering in thigh-high slush and sleet.

So much whirled through the young man’s mind as he watched Shuurei watching him thoughtfully in return. So much had been set in motion now that they had finally had an evening together, without the usual buffering from his brother or Kouchou. And now, thanks to the absence of their older ‘siblings’ and the opportunity to really start to ‘know’ the woman standing across from him, he wanted, finally, so much to start showing someone he was capable. To show her he was worth her rare, valuable time.

“I don’t have class until 10:30am tomorrow, actually,” she said finally, still watching him with a curious look. “And yes, with weather like this, the roads may be bad enough that they cancel classes for a day. Don’t you remember from your time in university?...”

“I didn’t get to go to university. I had to go to work,” to look after my father’s company, when his health failed, he thought. If he’d been born into a normal, regular family, he may have considered going to university – and if his older brothers hadn’t passed away (or vanished, in Seiran’s case), he may still have had the opportunity. But when he’d been the only one left, his choices had been revoked, his path decided.

And he hadn’t realized what his words had implied until he saw the expression on Shuurei’s face change.

“You didn’t get to… Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to--. And all through tonight we were talking about my studies--.”

“It’s ok!” he rushed, and before he could think better of it, blurted out, “I was planning on talking to someone at the university and taking a few courses soon anyway, at night!”

Which wasn’t a lie, exactly, more along the lines of a half-truth; he’d be giving the class to the MBA students, not the other way around…

But it seemed to work in his favour – as Shuurei suddenly brightened enthusiastically and her mouth dropped open in happy surprise.

“I can take you around campus, if you want? Are you free on…”

And there it was once more, her generosity all over again. In spite of how busy her own schedule was, she wanted to help him so he would have the same opportunities she did.

But he told himself he wasn’t misleading her or abusing that generosity… just… accepting it and its benefits, as he smiled back at he and agreed yes, he’d love to meet up with her again…

* * *

The next day, Seiran shrugged awake in his bed – it had taken them hours to get home from the airport the night before, or more appropriately, until close to dawn that morning. He spied Kouchou slipping her cellphone back into her dressing gown pocket as she sat up in bed sipping her coffee.

The silver-haired man debated a moment whether or not to ask why she wore such a self-satisfied Cheshire grin.

Then, remembering the events of the night before, he closed his eyes and feigned sleep again.

From her position atop the pillows, the beautiful woman glanced down at him and smiled, not missing his strategic retreat.

#my writing #my fanfic #saimono #saiunkoku monogatari #ryuuki x shuurei #seiran x kochou

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