[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 6

Ran woke to find himself alone. For one moment of pure despair, he believed it could have been a dream; that he was waking in his own bed, that Yohji didn't want him.

Gradually it dawned on him that the bed was far too soft to be his; that it was further from the window; that the sheets were a deep, rich blue rather than his plain white ones; and he was naked, and his belly was vaguely sticky.

He yawned and stretched, wondering where Yohji was; then he heard familiar clattering and swearing coming from the direction of the kitchen. He allowed himself a smile, snuggling contentedly under the thick quilt. He felt warm, his skin was glowing and his shoulder and belly hurt hardly at all. At some point he'd have to think all this through, but for now he was happy just to lie there, listening to Yohji's footsteps on the stairs and basking in the afterglow.

The door opened to reveal a half-dressed Yohji carrying a tray, his last cigarette dangling loosely from the corner of his mouth. He grinned at Ran, putting the tray on the dresser and taking the unlit cig from his mouth before bouncing onto the bed to kiss him. Ran wound his arms lazily around Yohji's neck, taking the kiss long, flicking the tip of his tongue playfully against Yohji's lower lip.

"Hey," Yohji breathed, softly. "Sorry I wasn't here when you woke."

"Doesn't matter," said Ran, wryly, "I heard you."

Yohji shrugged happily. "I got food," he said. "You're not going to give me any trouble, are you? You know you need to eat something?"

"Yes." Ran seemed to have developed a new smile, slightly lopsided, and with a trace of pure wickedness that made Yohji feel strangely powerless. "I'm starving."

Yohji smiled back, unbelievably happy that Ran actually wanted to eat, and a little smug that he'd had a part to play in bringing about this change of affairs. "I made tea, too," he said, proudly.

"That's kind," said Ran, diplomatically. Yohji was a coffee drinker, and in Ran's experience they tended to make bad tea. But it was the thought that counted, after all.

"There wasn't a lot in the cupboard," said Yohji. "Fruit, mostly. And I stole some of Aya-chan's ice cream. She won't mind."

A cloud crossed Ran's face. "She mustn't know," he said, panic in his voice.

"It's only ice cream," said Yohji, "she probably won't even notice it's gone, we can get her some more tomorrow…"

"No, not the ice cream," said Ran, impatiently, "us. She mustn't know about … this."

"Oh." Yohji stuck his cigarette back in his mouth and pulled his lighter out of his pocket. "Why? Do you think she'll mind?"

"She'd hate me," said Ran, darkly. "She wouldn't understand."

Yohji lit his cigarette, blowing out the first smoke over his shoulder, away from Ran. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," said Ran. "Please, don't tell her."

"Okay. Whatever you say. But, just for the record, I think you're wrong."

"I can't take the risk," said Ran, unhappily. "She wanted me to be with Sakura, you know."

"I think she gave up on that one when Sakura got on the plane," said Yohji. "But it's okay." He grinned. "I like the idea of sneaking about in secret. It'll be fun."

"Oh," said Ran. "Good. So that means…"

His unspoken question hung in the air between them for the briefest of moments, while Yohji dragged on his cigarette, holding Ran's eyes with his.

"This is just the beginning," he said, finally, firmly. "Secret or otherwise, I don't care. So long as you still want me."

"Oh, yes," said Ran, with such conviction he surprised himself. "And you're sure you don't mind, about keeping it from the others?"

"Like I said," Yohji twisted round to pick up the ashtray. "It'll be fun. So long as it's not just that you're ashamed of me," he teased.

"No more than usual," Ran replied, dryly. "Did you say there was tea?"

"On the tray," Yohji waved his cigarette in the general direction of the dresser. "I'd get it for you," he turned to Ran with a look that was playful, but at the same time stirringly intense, "but I want to see you naked."

Ran blinked. This was going to take some getting used to. "Hn. Well, if you're forcing me to get out of bed…" Ran swung his legs over the side of the bed and emerged, pale and beautiful, from the covers. "I need a wash." To Yohji's disappointment he retrieved his jeans from under the bedclothes, and pulled them over long legs, buttoning carefully over sensitive skin.

Yohji leaned back against the heavy headboard; Ran was a joy to watch, naked or otherwise, as he stretched and ran his fingers through scarlet tangles, his eyes closing for a second or two in a passing moment of sensual ease with his own body. Yohji was aware of his heart thumping, and his cock stirring lazily in the confines of his clothing.

Once Ran had slipped wordlessly out of the door, Yohji slid one hand into his pants to readjust his hardening cock, unable to resist a few strokes, his mind almost painfully full of the memory of Ran's touch, his kisses, the way his whole body had stretched rigid when he came… Yohji started at the sound of the door opening when Ran returned, snatching his fingers guiltily out of his jeans.

Ran looked quizzically at him. "You alright?" he asked. "You look kind of…"

"I'm fine," said Yohji, quickly. "You do things to me, that's all. Bring that tray over here," he busied himself with putting out his cigarette, trying to get his body back under control - for now, at least.

Ran fetched the tray and settled it on a level patch of bed. Yohji had found an odd but pleasing assortment of items, including a bowl of the strawberries he grew himself all year round in the greenhouse; the only thing, as far as Ran could recall, that Yohji did grow. He settled comfortably on the bed, one knee brushing Yohji's thigh, and drank his tea. Slightly cool, but actually not too bad...

Yohji watched him from under half-hooded eyes, drinking in the elegant curves and angles of Ran's body, the easy fold of his limbs, the soft shadows his hair cast over his face. He stretched out one arm, draping it over Ran's knee.

"Eat," he said, softly, teasing circles over Ran's denim-clad thigh. "And give me a strawberry," he added, as an afterthought.

Ran passed him the bowl, helping himself at the same time. Yohji watched, barely breathing, as Ran slipped the fruit between tea-warmed lips, the barest tip of his tongue flicking out to welcome it.

Oh God.

"Sure you're alright, Yohji?"

"What? Oh, yes, fine." Yohji popped his own strawberry into his mouth, hardly tasting it, his mind so wrapped up in the pure sensuality of watching Ran eat. "Better than Omi's soup, huh?" he managed.

"Hai," Ran agreed, watching Yohji's fingers as they brushed his leg, aware that he was willing them to move higher. Yohji noticed, but held himself in check, determined to make sure Ran attended to the hunger in his belly before he allowed himself to be tempted by any of his other appetites. Which wasn't easy, watching him put food into his soft mouth with the careful fingers that had so recently been giving Yohji such glorious attention. Even watching Ran peel an orange turned out to be an intensely sexual experience; long slender fingers penetrating the skin with perfect control, piercing it without bruising the delicate fruit underneath and stripping it off, section by section; pushing one finger firmly into the centre where all the segments joined, wiggling just a little, pulling them apart…

"Want some?"

Yohji blinked up at Ran, waiting for his brain to process.

"It's good," Ran encouraged. "They're really sweet at this time of year."

"Thanks," Yohji squeaked, accepting the sticky fruit. "Yes," he added, a little helplessly.

Ran observed him thoughtfully, finishing the orange and licking sticky fingers. His body was rewarding him for finally listening to its needs with a fructose rush that made his skin tingle. Or it might have just been the touch of Yohji's hand on his thigh; either way, Ran felt very good. He licked the last of the orange juice off his index finger, and suddenly became aware of the intense heat in Yohji's eyes.

He felt his body answer that look with a heat of its own, rushing up his spine and flooding him with desire, fervent and instant. Yohji saw it, and pulled Ran's hand to his mouth with a groan, kissing his palm wetly before sucking Ran's fingers between his lips.

"Get those jeans off," Yohji mumbled incoherently, rolling Ran's sensitive fingertips over his tongue, "now."

Ran obediently started to unbutton, one handed until Yohji finally released his fingers. His pants were swiftly dispatched, while Yohji put the tray on the floor. "Lie down," Yohji instructed, retrieving the half-full bowl of strawberries.

Ran lowered himself back onto the bed, his whole body responding directly to the hunger in Yohji's eyes. He pulled Yohji's head down for a kiss, tasting more of oranges than cigarettes this time; then Yohji's tongue was sliding smoothly into his mouth, his hands were stroking him from ribs to waist. Ran realised he was breathing hard, willing Yohji to move his hands lower, to touch him again… but Yohji pulled back, leaving one hand on Ran's hip, the other gone... Ran's eyes slowly opened.

Yohji knelt next to him, shirtless, jeans half undone, hair ragged around his face and skimming his shoulders, so sexy that Ran's cock throbbed just from looking at him, and his body arched as if he were being touched.

Yohji held a handful of strawberries cupped in his palm, and regarded Ran's naked body thoughtfully.

"You know why I grow these?" he asked, unexpectedly, rolling the soft fruit carefully in his hand, "even in the summer, when you can buy them by the truckload for next to nothing?"

Ran shook his head, mute.

"They're European," Yohji explained, "they're bigger than ours, and if you grow them just right they're sweeter, and juicier. But the best thing," he lowered his hand slowly until it was hovering no more than an inch above Ran's rock-hard sex, "is that when they're ripe they get really soft, so you can do… this…" he closed his fist around the strawberries, crushing them in his wire-strong palm, juice and flesh squeezing out to coat Ran's erection. Ran could only hold his breath, eyes wide, as Yohji stroked strawberry into his aching flesh, slick and sticky.

Yohji smiled at him, holding his gaze as he moved slowly back, straddling his thighs. Then he was leaning over, his lips softly parted, and…

Oh God. That felt so good. Almost too good; his skin was so sensitive and…

Ran watched, motionless, as Yohji's tongue licked his straining cock, from root to tip in one wide, firm lick, scooping a line through the strawberry coating before swirling around the head and leaving a tiny kiss… then Yohji was licking his lips, smeared with strawberry juice, before lowering his head again for another lick… the feeling was so intense that Ran blanked out for a second; the next thing he knew Yohji was gripping the head of his cock in firm lips; and then he was sliding his mouth steadily over the length of it, tongue bathing as he went. Ran clasped his fingers in Yohji's hair, breathless and completely powerless, his balls clenching tight into his body... Yohji paused halfway and looked up at Ran through long eyelashes, but just when Ran thought he might be able to get back some kind of control after all, Yohji slowly and dangerously began to slide his mouth further down, starting, ever so gently, to suck...

"Oh, God, Yohji… Yohji, I can't, I'm going to… oh, fuck, Yohji…" and it was too late, he was lost completely, spurting wave after wave into Yohji's hot, wet mouth, his head thrown back, hips bucking helplessly in Yohji's grasp.

Yohji suppressed a cough, taken unusually by surprise, and swallowed, gently licking sweet flesh clean as Ran lay panting, chest heaving, his fingers still tangled in Yohji's bangs. After a while Ran started to twitch at his touch, sensitive skin turned ticklish, and Yohji let his softening cock fall gently from his mouth.

Ran's eyes flickered open, a painful mixture of distress and bliss in his violet gaze.

Yohji scooted up the bed, combing crimson locks back from Ran's face, smiling at him.

"God, Yohji, I'm sorry, I…"

Yohji tipped his head to one side, still smiling. "What the fuck for?" he asked, softly.

"It's… I… and… you didn't get much warning," Ran tried, his brain trying to navigate a combination of embarrassment and afterglow that were conspiring to render him completely inarticulate.

"Not a problem," Yohji reassured, casually, but Ran looked unconvinced. "You taste good," he explained, with a soft brush of his lips to Ran's for emphasis, "especially," green eyes twinkling, "with strawberry sauce."

Ran looked at Yohji for a minute, completely dumbstruck, and then made a noise somewhere in the back of his throat that might even have been a laugh. Close enough that Yohji felt able to join in, chuckling to himself as he left Ran with a kiss to his forehead, and rolled over to the edge of the bed, clanking about with whatever was on the tray.

Ran slowly raised himself up on his elbow. "What you looking for?" he asked, still feeling a little dazed.

"Spoons," explained Yohji, "for the ice cream… oh, here we go."

"Won't it be melted?"

"Only a little," Yohji pulled himself back to sitting, peeling the top off the carton. "I borrowed the vanilla," he said, scraping the inside of the lid with a spoon, "I figured she might need the chocolate. You know how women are about chocolate."

"Hn. How could I forget?"

"Oh, yes," Yohji grinned, "I remember. Manx and the evil vending machine mission."

"Yes. Well."

"She was very scary. And I'm sure it was an evil vending machine. Definitely needed its tomorrows denying."

"She was frightening Omi," said Ran. "I had to do something."

"You did the right thing," Yohji tunnelled his spoon into the ice cream, "there's no telling what would have happened if she hadn't got some kind of chocolate into her system."

Ran sighed, deep enough that Yohji's spoon stopped chiselling for a moment. "I miss her," said Ran, softly. "I wish…"

"I know. But we couldn't… there was nothing we could do."

"Aya-chan misses her too, I know… there aren't enough women in her life. Is it right for her, really, stuck here with a load of men?"

"And every one of us complete screw-ups?" Yohji watched Ran carefully, but his expression didn't change. "It's not exactly a normal family, I'll give you that."

"She deserves better," Ran pulled himself to sitting, his shoulders hunching a little.

"Yes," Yohji agreed, "she deserves to have her parents, and a nice house, and empty headed friends who agree with her all the time because she's pretty… but she doesn't mind, you know, Ran. She's got the thing that means more to her than anything in the world. She's got you."

Ran shook his head, drawing his knees up towards his chin, rubbing his forehead slowly across his knees as if scratching an itch. "But if she really knew…"

"Never mind all that. What you want to share and what you want to keep secret is up to you, but remember this. A lot of girls go though life without having a fraction of the love you give to Aya. Never mind the fact that you saved her life more than once, gave up your whole existence for her for years, or that you keep her fed and warm and in school. Ran, she may live without female company, in a flower shop with a mysterious basement, but she's got plenty of love and protection."

"It means a lot to me," Ran raised his head to look at Yohji, "that you care so much for her."

"Of course I do. We all do, me, Omi, Ken… how could we not?"

"Hai."

"We may be a bunch of crazy assassins who steal her ice cream, but she'll be alright with us. Oh, and that reminds me, ice cream." He passed Ran a spoon and offered him the carton.

"Thanks." Ran delicately scooped out a spoonful.

"See, not too melted," Yohji said between mouthfuls, "and, oh, heaven. I love ice cream."

"I like it melted," said Ran, unexpectedly. Ran rarely stated food preferences; he either ate what he needed to, or didn't, without much discussion. "Just a bit. Sort of soft."

"Mmm," Yohji licked his spoon, "not too cold."

"God, your tongue…" murmured Ran.

Yohji froze in mid lick. "What?"

Ran shook his head, trying to regain some composure. "Sorry, just… it's sexy. Your tongue."

Yohji grinned. "Glad you noticed," he said. "So's yours," he added.

"Mine?" Ran seemed to find this incomprehensible.

"Uhuh. You do that thing with it."

"What thing?"

"When you're concentrating. You kind of run it over your teeth."

"Do I?"

"Yep. Very sexy. Here," Yohji tilted the carton towards him again, "have some more, before I eat it all."

Ran looked at him, contemplatively.

"I've got an idea," he said. "Why don't you lie down and let me take your jeans off?"

Yohji dropped his spoon. "Yes," he said, quickly, as if afraid the offer might be withdrawn, and let Ran take the ice cream from him before gently pushing him back onto the bed. Before Yohji had a chance to wonder what he might have in mind, Ran was kissing him, chasing reason from his mind, and stroking down his chest to his belly, opening the last few buttons of his jeans with ease. Yohji helpfully raised his hips to make it easy for Ran to dispense with his clothing, and settled back with a groan as Ran straddled him, sitting across his thighs and reaching for the ice cream.

"This might be cold," he warned, a decidedly wicked look on his face. He produced a spoonful of ice cream, and dropped it tantalisingly slowly, over Yohji's right nipple. Yohji yelped; it was cold, but once the shock wore off a little he was just aware of his flesh puckering and becoming incredibly sensitive; then Ran's firm little pink tongue was licking the ice cream away, flicking at Yohji's bullet-hard nipple. Just when he was relaxing into Ran's caress he felt the other nipple assaulted with soft, cold wetness, and when Ran had licked that one clean he returned to the first, a continual barrage of hot and cold that brought Yohji's senses into sharp focus.

Then Ran was sitting back, stirring the spoon in the tub.

And watching Yohji's cock.

Yohji gasped, his cock twitching a little as if acknowledging Ran's gaze.

"It might be a bit cold, is that all right?" he asked, a little tentative.

Yohji just nodded, and waited for the icy assault against his sensitive flesh. But it didn't come, at least, not at first. Ran reached out his hand first, enveloping Yohji's hardness in a loose fist and stroking him a few times. Just as Yohji was starting to settle into the rhythm of his touch, however, Ran paused, pulling down towards the base one more time, leaving the sensitive head of Yohji's cock fully exposed, flaring purple and smeared with glistening precome. Then Yohji heard spoon scraping in tub, and opened his eyes just as Ran dropped a large blob of ice cream onto his weeping erection.

Yohji let out a guttural cry at the sudden cold, and again as Ran hooded the protesting flesh, warming now, slick with creamy melt; then he watched as Ran lowered his head, the tip of his tongue thrust between his lips, towards Yohji's sex.

He mustered all the willpower he could to keep still, fists clenching around the sheets beneath him as he watched Ran's agonisingly slow progress. And then he felt the soft, wet tip of Ran's tongue probing protective skin, licking cautiously around the most sensitive parts of his flesh, all the while holding the root of his cock in his wonderfully firm, swordsman's grip.

"Oh fuck, Ran… " Yohji desperately wanted Ran to take him fully in his mouth, to swallow him whole and fuck him with those soft pink lips, but it was too soon… he had to take this slow… "Ran, oh, God that's good…" Yohji found Ran's thigh and squeezed gently, "… that's too good… come here…"

Ran raised his head, "is that OK?" he asked, almost apologetically.

"Yes," Yohji reassured him, "oh, God, yes. I just want to hold you. Come here."

Ran gave Yohji's cock a last kiss and slid gracefully back to Yohji's side, his own hardness pressing into the firm flesh of Yohji's thigh on the way. Yohji rolled over, pulled him close and kissed him, tasting strawberries and ice cream and himself. Ran was pushing against him rhythmically, hardness against hardness, breathless.

"Here," Yohji took Ran's hands in his, and guided them between their bodies. "You take the top, and I'll take the bottom." He wrapped Ran's fingers around the heads of both their cocks, while he gripped them at the root. "Now, look at me. Try not to close your eyes, until you have to."

Green gaze locked violet, as firm hands moved together, hips rocking, breath coming hard and fast. It was easy, Yohji realised, easier than it had ever been with anyone. They didn't have to try to fit each others' rhythm, or to work out what the other wanted; all the years of fighting and killing and just plain living with each other meant that they just knew. There was no clash of purpose or desire, no struggle. Just clean, synchronised strokes, fluid and hard and perfect.

Ran's eyes fluttered shut a second before Yohji's, not arching back this time but snapping his head to Yohji's shoulder, clamping his mouth around his flesh; his first spurt hit Yohji's chest, all the signal Yohji needed to let go of any control he had left. He roared his release, coming into the tight press of their bodies, a tangled rope of heated flesh.

"Yohji." A sated sigh, as Ran folded his sticky arms around Yohji's body, seeking his mouth for a soft, lazy kiss. Then he flopped contentedly onto his back.

"Hn," Yohji grunted, already called by sleep. "Hold me," he murmured, reaching for the quilt. Ran cuddled him into his side and helped pull the quilt over them both. "Showerinaminute," he mumbled, as he slipped slowly into dreams

to be continued...

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