Archive of Our Own

One last kiss

The storm was raging over Tokyo on this summer evening.

Mikey had just ended Toman’s meeting, which took place as every week in their meeting room, on the top floor of the building they used as headquarters. All his captains were now starting to get up, some quickly to go back to their families, others more slowly, taking the time to finish their conversation around the luxurious wooden table they were sitting at. Mikey watched them from the corner of his eye, sitting on his velvet chair, trying to hide his impatience and his clenched fists under his jacket sleeve.  

On the other side of the table, Takemichi hadn't left his seat either.

Ignoring the still-filled dishes on the table, he was stealthily nibbling on candies from a package hidden in his lap, probably thinking that everyone was too busy to notice. His black hair was still disheveled from the wind that was already blowing when he arrived and, unlike others like Mitsuya or Hakkai who always wore a shirt underneath their uniform, Takemichi had only put on a simple white t-shirt, which showed under his half-open black jacket.

For a moment, Mikey thought he would have liked to see Takemichi wearing a shirt as well, but he quickly dismissed the thought from his mind. It didn't really matter.

Both of them would soon end up on the floor anyway.

Takemichi must have felt his gaze on him because he suddenly raised his head and looked into his eyes. Immediately, the room became filled with electricity. Mikey felt his blood boil in his veins and his stomach twist in anticipation at the intense gaze Takemichi was giving him, as he shyly slipped another candy between his lips.

Damn it. 

If the others didn't leave now, he was going to get up and take him right there, lying on the table, and to hell with the others' eyes. The temptation was so strong that he didn't want to wait. Takemichi's lips moved in a way that should be illegal as he chewed, always keeping his gaze anchored in his, and if Mikey didn't know him so well, he would've sworn he was doing it on purpose.   

But he wasn't, and that was probably what was arousing him so much.

Knowing that Takemichi was this mesmerizing without even trying to be.

He tried to distract his thoughts, to focus on the abstract paintings on the wall or on the sound of the rain beating against the windows, but nothing helped. His eyes always ended up on Takemichi, inevitably, like a butterfly attracted by a light beam. Their eyes eventually met again and his desire surged back, even more intense than before.

Unable to wait any longer, he finally got up and almost pushed Pah-chin and Peh-yan towards the exit, indifferent to their protest as they quickly gathered the few chocolate cakes that were still lying around on the table. Takemichi stood up too, his steps silently following Mikey's while remaining at a respectable distance.

As soon as they were alone in the room, Mikey closed the door and double-locked it, before rushing towards him and crushing his lips against his.

Takemichi gasped, surprised by Mikey's eagerness, but he quickly relaxed and wrapped his arms around his neck, already parting his lips to allow him to insert his own between them.

Damn. 

Takemichi's lips were warm against his. They tasted like the candies he'd been nibbling on just a few minutes earlier, the ones shaped like animals and hard to chew. It made him want to devour them, to suck them between his own and soak up their taste, until he could feel it on his tongue as clearly as if he had eaten some himself. He grabbed Takemichi's hips, and pulled him back a bit until his back was pressed against the nearest wall. 

Takemichi let out a slight exclamation of surprise, which Mikey picked right off his lips, before running down his jaw, then to his neck.

"Damn it..." he mumbled against his skin, his voice made feverish by the impatience and the desire boiling in his veins. "I thought they'd never leave..."

Outside, the rain was falling in heavy drops, crashing against the roof in a deafening crash and erasing all other sounds. No more traffic noise, no more police sirens or humming air conditioners. The room felt isolated from the outside world by the curtain of rain that poured down on the windows. Mikey could hardly even hear his own breathing, nor Takemichi’s  , heavy and panting against his ear.  

"Mikey..."

He could hear his words, though. His pleading and hesitant voice, projecting a warm breath against his skin that never failed to thrill him. The way he said his name, like a prayer, like he was about to explode and Mikey was the only one who could hold his pieces together.

And oh , God, he loved that sound.    

Even though it was just a word, just two little syllables almost washed away by the rain, Mikey drank them in greedily, got drunk on their unique intonations until they made his head spin so much he could no longer hear the rain. Another thunderclap echoed, but he didn't even pay attention. He intensified his kisses against Takemichi's neck, lightly sucking his burning skin between his lips, caressing it with the tip of his tongue to taste its intoxicating flavor that he never seemed to tire of. The hand he'd slid through his hair moved back down to the nape* of his neck, and he pressed it with his fingertips until Takemichi's neck was pressed against his lips, until he could feel the air passing down his throat with each gasping breath, and the blood pulsing in his artery in an erratic rhythm.

"Mikey..."

Mikey felt like he was about to lose his mind. Not only could he hear them, but he could also feel his words forming on his vocal cords and vibrating against his lips, he could feel how they were escaping directly from his heart, and it was too much, way too much for him to continue like this without losing himself.

But it didn't matter.

He pressed his body against Takemichi's, crushing him even more against the wall until he lost his breath. Takemichi responded with an exclamation of surprise, but he didn’t push him away. His arms wrapped even tighter around Mikey's neck, grabbing his jacket, his hair, anything he could find as if to keep himself from falling apart.

Mikey slipped his free arm around his waist and pulled him close, forcing him to arch his back in a way far too arousing for what little composure he had left. Takemichi was bending to each of his gestures, each of his kisses, each of his caresses, his body curving under his fingers like a statue of clay, and this simple image raised in his stomach a feeling he knew all too well.

A burning heat arising deep inside him, growing from his most buried and unavowed desires, a heat he gladly let devour him entirely, consume every part of his body, even though he knew it would only leave cold ashes behind. Because in the end, despite his body complying against his, despite the words that escaped from his lips and the sounds that vibrated in his throat, despite his name he repeated over and over like a litany, despite all of this, it would never be enough.

Takemichi would never be his .  

His body would perhaps belong to him for a moment, for a warm night in his apartment or a rainy evening in Toman's quarters but his heart , his heart would never be his.

This simple thought violently tightened his heart, and Mikey compensated by intensifying his kisses even more, drowning his pain in the smell of his skin, intoxicating himself with it until his heart exploded. He wanted to imprint it on his mind, to inhale it enough to take a little bit with him and pretend Takemichi was still with him even after he'd left him, to reek of it so strongly that it would almost merge with his own smell.

He may have reasoned with himself, but deep down he was still a greedy man.   

He would have liked to have all of Takemichi. His heart and his body, his laughter and his tears, his days and his nights, his first thoughts in the morning and his last ones in the evening. He would have liked to share more with him than just casual sex, to be more than the one he had sex with to distract himself, more than the one who only gave him physical pleasure and instead be the one who would share every moment of his life. 

He wanted to be more . 

But he was only him.

So he took what he could take, insatiably grabbing all the crumbs Takemichi agreed to give him, covering his skin with kisses and his body with caresses in an attempt to forget that, when everything would be over, there would be nothing left of him on the body of the one he had loved so much.

"Takemitchy..."

The words escaped his lips without him being able to hold them back.

He knew he shouldn't.

He had set boundaries not to cross, barriers to try to contain this flood of feelings that was surging inside him and threatened to explode at the slightest opening. No words . Not even one. Otherwise, he knew he couldn’t stop them. If he let even one of them out, then all the others would follow, all those he was trying so hard to keep buried inside him but which were devouring him a little more each day, each hour, each minute that passed.

But it was too late now.

It was only a whisper, only a burning sigh against Takemichi's ear, but it was already too much. The words were pressing against his lips, building up on his tongue and constricting his throat, so dense and countless they were hurting him. God, he wanted to let them out. To flood Takemichi's ears with them, close enough to be audible despite the rain, so close his lips would brush against his cartilage with every syllable he spoke.

But he couldn't. 

He couldn't risk Takemichi knowing. Risk that he would reject him, and that everything would stop.

Because even if it wasn't enough, even if Mikey would have wanted more than those stolen kisses and eager embraces, it was still better than nothing.  

At least, for a moment, he could pretend Takemichi was his.

So, before compromising himself further in words he would regret immediately, he moved away from Takemichi's neck and crushed his lips against his, until he choked every word that tried to escape, nipping them in the bud before they even had time to be born. Takemichi gasped in surprise and Mikey inserted his tongue between his lips, intoxicated by the moans that escaped from them. He pressed himself even more against Takemichi, drawing him against him until he stopped breathing. But even then, it was still not enough. He wanted to feel his skin against his without anything to keep them apart, to feel his chest heaving under his erratic breath and his heart drumming against his feverish fingers. Without waiting, he made Takemichi's uniform slide along his shoulders, letting it fall on the ground in a muffled sound. His hands then ventured under the white shirt he was wearing, caressing the burning skin of his stomach and tracing the muscles underneath, worshipping each of his curves, each of his angles like the most sumptuous artwork. He made the garment slide over his head, moving away from his lips a brief second before devouring them again. 

As soon as the t-shirt had joined the jacket on the ground, he wrapped his arms around Takemichi's naked body before tackling him again against the wall, tearing him another muffled moan that Mikey swallowed like the previous ones. His lips then left Takemichi's to explore the rest of his body, leaving a trail of burning kisses against his jaw, neck and collarbone, lingering on his shoulder before reaching his chest.

"Mikey..."

Takemichi's voice was husky, almost pleading, sending an electric shock through Mikey's entire body. His trembling hands were still clutching his jacket collar, his bare arms wrapped around his neck and his head tilted back, breathing heavily from their prolonged kissing.

"Mikey, we−"

Mikey didn't give him time to finish his sentence. He kissed him again, already craving for his lips, their texture against his and their flavor against his tongue, their feverish movements and the muffled sounds that escaped them.

"Mikey− We shouldn't..."

Takemichi used a moment of respite to pull his face away from Mikey's. His cheeks were flushed, bringing out the blue of his eyes even more, his lips panting and swollen from Mikey's treatment and oh − Mikey would have gladly devoured him whole if only he could have.

Instead, he rested his forehead against his, brushed his nose with his own and caressed his cheek with all the tenderness in the world, before gently tucking a lock of hair back behind his ear.

"Don't worry," he whispered against his lips. "Everyone else is already gone. Now it's only the two of us here."

He kissed him again, more chastely this time, simply caressing his lips with the edge of his own as if more pressure might make them explode.

"Just you and me."

Just as he was about to kiss him deeper, Takemichi lowered his head.

"No− No, I..." His hair tickled Mikey's face as he gently shook his head, before gently pulling away from him until he couldn't even feel it anymore. "I'm sorry..." 

Mikey frowned, probing Takemichi's eyes in an attempt to figure out what the problem was, but he couldn't find anything, nothing that made sense.

"If you prefer..." he tried, "We can go somewhere else." 

Takemichi bit his lip, his gaze slipping away, but Mikey pretended not to see and continued his urgent tirade. He didn't care if he sounded desperate, he didn't care about the words that came out, that surged out of his throat without even making any sense.

"Your place, mine, anywhere ."

He craved for Takemichi, his whole body burned with longing for him, and no matter what his conditions were, Mikey was ready to accept them all, without any hesitation. As he spoke, his lips resumed their course on Takemichi's neck, leaving a trail of burning kisses on his skin already reddened by the way he had abused it.

"I can even rent us a hotel room, or even buy the whole hotel if you−"

"No, I− I'm sorry, Mikey..."

Takemichi's voice was only a whisper, a breath barely audible in the pouring rain, but Mikey stopped immediately. Takemichi's fingers slowly loosened from his jacket collar, his arms unwound from his neck, and Mikey felt his hands slide down his shoulders until they reached his chest, and gently pushed him back. Mikey relented, too shocked to react, and took a step back, his hands leaving Takemichi's face to fall limply down his body as if they had suddenly lost all purpose.

"It's just... it's just... I can't keep doing this." Takemichi looked up at him and locked his gaze into his. His eyes looked even bluer than usual, as if he was about to cry, and Mikey's heart clenched at the mere thought. "All this, these moments, doing− you know ..." 

Takemichi looked away briefly, biting his lip in embarrassment, before raising his gaze to him again, more intense and determined than ever despite the tears that were really starting to form in the corners of his eyes. 

"I can't do this anymore − I don't want to do this anymore." A deathly silence greeted his words, echoing the sentence that had just fallen. "I'm sorry, Mikey. I'm so sorry."

Mikey's heart shattered to the ground in the crash of the rain. 

He could distinctly feel the emptiness against his chest, where Takemichi's body had been pressed only seconds earlier. The air felt cold compared to the warmth of his skin, and he had to fight with all his strength not to draw him back against him, despite his trembling arms keeping him away.

"Takemitchy..."

Without answering, or even meeting his gaze, Takemichi bent down to pick up his clothes, and took a few steps away to get dressed, turning his back to him as he put on his shirt again, then his jacket. Mikey just stared at him, stunned, unable to react. He could see Takemichi's skin disappearing little by little under his clothes, the same skin he had covered with caresses and kisses only a few seconds earlier, and he didn't understand, he didn't understand how they had come to this point.

How Takemichi could have wanted him so much, and then push him away like this.  

How the bond between them could have seemed so strong, and then suddenly vanish.

As Takemichi started to walk away to the entrance of the room, he rushed towards him and grabbed his wrist.

"Wait... Wait, Takemitchy!"

Takemichi turned around abruptly, obviously surprised by his gesture. He looked at him and Mikey could only stand there, looking into those wide blue eyes, searching in vain for any answer, any element that would allow him to make sense of what had just happened. His fingers were still closed around Takemichi's arm, soft enough not to hurt him, but firm enough not to let him go.

Neither of them moved.

A thunderclap echoed, followed by a flash of lightning that briefly lit up the room, but Mikey barely paid attention. He didn't even look away.

Takemichi's gaze continued to hold his, and he didn't even dare blink, for fear that the spell would break and he would disappear.

He didn't even know what he was going to say. But one thing was certain. He couldn't let him go. 

Not without trying to understand. 

Not without trying to hold him back.

"Explain to me at least, did I... did I do something wrong?" he finally asked, his voice wavering on the last words. "Please tell me, so I can... so I can do better..."

He scanned Takemichi's face as he waited for his answer, watching his lips pinch, the corners of his mouth twist up and down as if to keep himself from bursting into tears, and his eyes lower, until his hair fell in front of his face and hid them from his sight.

Then he slowly shook his head, and Mikey understood his dreadful answer before he even said it.

"No..." 

His stomach clenched painfully. That was the worst answer he could get. He was ready to hear anything, to admit all his faults, all the things he'd done wrong, and to hell with his pride, to hell with his ego, he was even ready to apologize for mistakes he hadn't even made.

But this, this was worse than anything.

Because it meant that, no matter what he did, he couldn't change anything. 

"No it's not you, it's not your fault, you didn't do anything wrong, it's just− it's just... me."

No matter what he did, it was over.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry."

Mikey still couldn't see his face, hidden behind his hair, but the tremors in his voice were audible enough to guess he was holding back from crying. He loosened his grip on Takemichi's wrist, until it was loose enough for him to pull away just by moving an inch. But he didn't.

If Mikey allowed himself to wish a little, he could almost believe it was on purpose.

"Is this..."

His throat was dry, and his heart pounded with apprehension at the mere thought of what he was going to say. But he had no choice, he had to say it. If it was all going to end, he might as well know the truth.

"Is this the girl you told me about? Hina, was it?"

Just saying her name was enough to trigger a painful twinge in his heart.

From the moment Takemichi had told him about her, a few months earlier, shortly before they had started their affair , he had known he would never be a match. Tachibana Hinata was everything one could hope for in a potential girlfriend. Sweet, funny, brave, intelligent, she had all the qualities one could dream of. Mikey knew, he had known from the start that he couldn't compete, that this situation was only ephemeral and that, even if he could temporarily have Takemichi's body, his heart would always be hers. 

He thought he had made up his mind.

He thought he had accepted it.

But then, why ?

Why did it hurt so much?

"Are you... are you..."

He couldn't even say it. Pathetic . He was pathetic.

He couldn't even verbalize the fact that Tachibana Hinata could get what he would never be able to.

"Huh? Oh no, it has nothing to do with her, we're not together, to tell the truth I never even confessed to her, it's just..." Takemichi seemed to hesitate for a few moments to continue, before shaking his head slowly. "I can't do this anymore."

Still the same words.

And Mikey still didn't understand.

Takemichi finally withdrew his wrist, gently, as if afraid of his reaction. Mikey felt his hand slide against his own, his fingers briefly brushing his, a slow caress against his skin that he wished he could carve into his flesh to relive over and over again.

And suddenly, nothing anymore.

Only emptiness, only air that felt cold in the palm of his hand.

"Sorry Mikey, I... I better go."

Mikey raised his head. 

Takemichi had turned his back and was walking away again towards the entrance of the room, bypassing the more or less arranged table and chairs. He stumbled on the carpet and clumsily caught himself on a shelf, swearing through his teeth before resuming his path. This simple detail made Mikey's heart squeeze. He loved everything about Takemichi, even his flaws and clumsiness, even his weaknesses and uncontrolled tears.

And it killed him to think it would end like this.

"Wait..."

He darted after him, once again, his feet deftly avoiding the crease formed on the carpet. Takemichi stopped and turned his head towards him, surprised. His eyes stared at him with a mixture of apprehension, sadness, and something else Mikey couldn't name. He forced himself not to look into them, because he knew he couldn't help but imagine things, feelings that weren't there. Instead, he lowered his gaze and slowed his pace, until he reached him. He briefly extended his arm to grab Takemichi's hand − a reflex, a habit perhaps − before changing his mind.

He wasn't supposed to do this kind of thing anymore.

He wasn't allowed to do this kind of thing anymore.

Takemichi was no longer his, he had to respect his wish and not try to hold him back. 

He had never been in the first place.

"Please," he breathed in a low voice, "before you leave, could you..." He hesitated for a few moments, then looked up, meeting Takemichi's eyes that still hadn't left him. "Could you grant me something, one last time?"

He knew he shouldn't. He knew he was overstepping the boundaries, both those of decorum and those he had set for himself. But it didn't matter anymore. If everything was to end, and Takemichi was to become just a friend on whom his gaze would linger a little too long, he wanted to take a little bit of him with him.

One last memory. 

"What exactly?" Takemichi frowned and took a step back, playing with his fingers as he always did when he was uncomfortable. "If it's sex you want, I... I'm really sorry, but I can't... I know I shouldn't have kissed you in the first place if it was to leave you hanging, but−"

"One last kiss."

Mikey had said the words in one breath, before he had time to change his mind. There, it was said. There was no turning back now. Facing him, Takemichi widened his eyes, opening and closing his mouth in a vacuum without saying anything.

"Huh?"

He looked genuinely surprised, and Mikey thought bitterly that he must have a very low opinion of him to think he would go so far as to ask for sex in this kind of situation.

"Just grant me one last kiss," he repeated, his voice tight. "And then... then I promise I'll let you go."

Those last words tore his throat and scraped his lips, but he had no choice, that was the deal after all. He was already taking much more than he was supposed to, was already holding him back much more than he should have. It all had to end at some point.

"Don't worry," he hastened to add. "No one will know anything about what happened between us. Not Hina, not anyone else. I promise."

He didn't like that either. He wished he could tell someone about it all, tell about their passionate embraces and fiery kisses, tell about the way Takemichi's body melted perfectly into his and the way he whispered his name, just in the hollow of his ear, so that only he could hear it. He wished he could put words to it, wished he didn't carry those memories alone, because then who would be there to prove that it had happened? Who would be there to tell him he hadn't made it all up? 

That what they had experienced, what they had shared, was truly real ?

"Okay."

This time it was Mikey's turn to widen his eyes. Despite his confident facade, he didn't expect Takemichi to agree, let alone without any negotiation. It wasn't an assured okay , however, much less an enthusiastic one. It was a timid okay , made of sideways glances and blushing cheeks, pursed lips and nervous finger movements.

But it was better than nothing.  

"Are you sure?" he asked anyway, suddenly more hesitant. "I wouldn't−"

"No, it's okay." Takemichi's voice was still low, and his gaze still avoided his, but this time he seemed more assured, more confident. "Let's just say... this will be a nice way to say goodbye."

He punctuated his words with a slight smile and oh, boy, how Mikey loved that smile. His heart leapt in his chest at that simple image, at the sight of his corners timidly turning upwards and the dimple in his reddened cheek, before clenching painfully at the reminder that it would probably be the last time.

He took a step towards him, reducing the distance between them to only a few inches.

Takemichi looked up at him and enveloped him with his magnetic gaze, the one that always caught Mikey off guard, but he didn't cross the remaining distance. He just stood still, waiting for Mikey to make the first move while softly biting his lower lip. His disheveled hair kept falling in front of his face, but he didn't even attempt to push it back. It was as if time had stopped, and Mikey considered for a moment the temptation to just stand there, without making a move, simply admiring him until the dawn broke.

But he couldn't.

He might be selfish, but he knew what was too much to ask.

So he raised his hand, instantly breaking the spell, and tenderly tucked a lock of hair behind Takemichi's ear. He took his time, let his fingers run over his skin before getting lost in his hair and ending on his neck. His other hand settled on his cheek, his thumb in the hollow between his nose and his cheekbone and, after looking one last time at this face he cherished so much, he closed his eyes.

His lips landed on Takemichi's, gently, so gently he felt like his heart was going to burst.

This kiss was far from the passion of those they had shared a few moments earlier. This time it was no longer about desire, nor even about this almost palpable tension rising between them as soon as they were in the same room, making the air as heavy as the looks they were giving each other. Mikey had already written it off.

For their last kiss, he wanted to drop the artifice, put his ego aside and leave Takemichi with a memory that reflected what he felt deep inside him

To let him know that, even if everything stopped, his heart would always be his . 

It had always been.

Takemichi's lips were soft, warm against his, still tasting of the candy he had eaten. Mikey slowly caressed them with his own in the hope that they would soak up some of that flavor, that he would be able to take a bit of it with him too. His movements were slow, so slow they were almost imperceptible, so slow he felt as if time had stopped. It wasn't in his habits, but to hell with habits.

To hell with everything else.

At that moment nothing else mattered.

Takemichi's lips opened slightly, letting Mikey slip his lips between them, to lead them in a last dance, a last waltz before the lights went out. These were no longer the daring dances of the early evening, the ones you do to impress and put glitter in the eyes, twirling to the music that rises up to the sky. No, it was the kind of hesitant, almost shy dance you do once everyone else has left, a dance made of unsure movements and uncertain caresses, a waltz of unspoken questions and unheard promises. There was no music to guide their movements, only the sound of rain on the windows and the beating of his heart threatening to burst. 

Mikey didn't want it to stop.

He kept kissing Takemichi's lips over and over again, even though his breath was running out.

With each kiss, he told himself that this time it would be the last one, that after this one he would have to stop, because he had already done too much, because he had already taken too much for a simple favor. But he couldn't do it. He couldn't stop. Each time he pretended to move away from him, even if it was only a few centimeters, the palpable lack deep inside him took over and he kissed him again, unable to resolve to end it. 

It was not even about desire anymore.

If he could no longer feel his skin against his fingers and his lips against his, he−

He felt like he was going to die .

His kisses became more urgent, more desperate despite himself. His lips went deeper between Takemichi's, enveloping his lower lip between his own before sucking it lightly. The sensation was thrilling, electrifying, and Mikey knew, he knew that if he didn't stop now, then he was screwed. But it didn't matter anymore, he couldn't even think straight. The world stopped at Takemichi and his sweet-tasting lips.

His thumb began to caress his cheek, instinctively, without him even realizing it. He traced the shape of his cheekbone, savored the softness of his warm skin against his fingers before it was replaced by the cold of the night. The dance was coming to an end − it should have ended long ago already − but, without music to guide him, Mikey could still pretend it didn't.

Or at least, he pretended to believe it. 

Takemichi's skin suddenly became wet under his fingers, and his heart missed a beat.

He immediately jumped back, as if struck by lightning, suddenly realizing what he had just done.

No.

No, no, no, no, no.

"Takemitchy, I..."

He didn't even know what to say.

Takemichi was staring at him with his big blue eyes bathed in tears, and suddenly it was as if the words vanished on his tongue before he had a chance to say them.

It's my fault.

That was all he could think.

Takemichi is crying, and it's my fault.

Tears rolled down his flushed cheeks, one after another, and Mikey could only watch them fall, unable to put his hand on his face again for fear that it would fall apart. It was horrible. Unbearable. Takemichi didn't say anything, didn't move either, just stared at him, lips quivering, and Mikey could swear he felt the hole forming directly in his chest.

"Takemitchy... I'm sorry..." he finally stammered. That wasn't like him either. But he didn't care anymore. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, it was wrong of me, please forgive me, I−"

"Why... Why are you doing this, Mikey...?"

Mikey immediately fell silent, swallowing his awkward apology.

Facing him, Takemichi had lowered his eyes, but the tears escaping from them were still distinctly visible. He was biting his lower lip, as if to keep it from trembling, and his fists were clenched on the too-long sleeves of his jacket in a vain attempt to keep them in place.

Mikey was dying to hug him.

He wanted to hold him close, to kiss his tears until they disappeared and to stroke his hair until his shaking stopped. He wanted to beg his forgiveness, to swear to him that it was a mistake and to promise him that it would never happen again, that he would never do anything to hurt him.

But he couldn't.

"Why..." he asked instead. "Why... am I doing what ?"

Takemichi abruptly looked up, seeming genuinely surprised by his question.

"This!" he exclaimed, spreading his arms wide. "All of this... Kissing me like you did just now, running your hand through my hair, caressing my cheek..."

He let his arms fall back down his body, and the tears began to flow down his cheeks again, even more than before.

"Why..." His voice was now just a whisper escaping his trembling lips, barely audible in the pouring rain. "Why are you acting like I'm more than the guy you're fucking?"

Mikey felt like his heart was falling out of his chest.

"Huh? Because you−"

"Shhhh..."

Takemichi pressed a finger against his lips, stopping him from continuing.

"Don't say anything. Please. It's already hard enough like this."

He stayed like that for a long time, long seconds of silence during which only the rain could be heard. Then he slowly moved away, his finger brushing over Mikey's lips before leaving them for good, and he turned his back to Mikey, ready to leave.

However, he did not move. 

"What exactly?" Mikey asked. 

No answer.

He took a step towards him, cautious, as if Takemichi might run away at the slightest sudden movement.

"What's difficult, Takemitchy?"

Once again, Takemichi remained silent, his shoulders shaking and his fists closing frantically on his sleeves. And, once again, Mikey would have rushed to hug him if he wasn't afraid he'd fall apart completely as soon as he touched him. 

"To pretend..."

Mikey held his breath.

Takemichi raised his head, eyes fixed on the ceiling where the rain continued to drum as if seeking strength to continue, before lowering it again.

"To pretend I'm not in love with you."

Mikey's eyes widened.

He couldn't believe what he had just heard. It was impossible, wasn't it? Takemichi couldn't be in love with him, he was in love with Hina, his childhood friend, as he had always been, he couldn't−

"What the..."

But it was stronger than him.

"What did you just say?"

He couldn't help but hope.

"Don't pretend you didn't hear." Takemichi's voice was shaky, tinged with bitterness barely hidden behind the sobs. He was still resolutely turning his back on him, his gaze screwed to the ground as if to avoid meeting his own at all costs. "You know very well what I said. Don't make me say it again."

Mikey felt as if time had frozen, as if the rain had stopped falling and even the Earth had stopped spinning. His heart was drumming in his chest, so hard it hurt, but he was unable to make it slow down. Takemichi's words looped in his mind, he played them over and over again, word after word, syllable after syllable without ever getting tired of them. It was like music to his ears and yes, of course , of course Mikey wanted to hear it again.

He wanted to hear those words until he knew them by heart, to feel again the chill that ran down his spine and the beat of his heart that had accelerated when he had first heard them. He wanted to put that moment in a box to keep it safely somewhere where no one could tarnish it, and at the same time expose it to the world, scream it and sing it to be heard all the way to heaven and beyond.

But he did none of this.

Instead, he took a step forward.

He was now right behind Takemichi, only a few inches from his bowed back, only a few inches from his lowered head and his exposed neck, where his skin was showing in places under his disheveled hair. His whole body was screaming at him to cross the distance that still separated them, to wrap his arms around him and hold him close until he stopped breathing, but strangely, something was stopping him.

Something was telling him it wasn't the right thing to do at that moment.

So for once he ignored his impulses, silenced the urge that was devouring him from within and simply reached out. His hand brushed against Takemichi's, softly, very softly, a simple graze of the fingertips carrying a timid answer. He ran them over the back of his hand, caressed his skin with all the tenderness in the world, hoping that this gesture could translate the words he couldn't say, those he had swallowed for so long that they now seemed to be stuck in his throat. 

The moment his hand touched his, Takemichi jumped, and Mikey feared for a second that he would pull away, break the tenuous contact and leave without looking back. But he didn't. His hand moved back slightly, pressing more against Mikey's fingers until it slowly took the shape of his palm. Mikey waited a moment, then slipped his fingers between his until they were interlocked, and gently pressed his hand.

"What are you doing, Mikey...?"

Mikey froze, but didn't withdraw his hand. There was so much pain in Takemichi's voice that it hurt as if it were his own.

"Do you enjoy playing with me like this, acting like you−"

"I'm not playing, Takemitchy."

His throat was so knotted up with all the emotions flowing through him that his voice became hoarse. Takemichi's hand immediately closed on his own in surprise, but it immediately relaxed, already moving away from him. However, instead of letting him go, Mikey held it even tighter, as if to back up his words, as if to attest to his sincerity.

"Not with you."

His heart was racing in his chest and this time it was sure, it would explode leaving nothing but an abysmal void. Mikey wasn't used to being so vulnerable. He always tried to keep his emotions in check, never letting them show in order to keep the facade he had built up intact, the one of the invincible Mikey.  

But for Takemichi, he was willing to do it, willing to drop the masks and reveal what was hidden deep inside.

"You mean too much for this."

For Takemichi, he was willing to do anything.

Even what scared him the most. 

"There's not a single time I've kissed you without hoping there was more between us, without hoping..." He swallowed hard, vainly trying to keep his heart from exploding. "Without hoping to be more to you."

At the sound of his words, Takemichi turned abruptly toward him. His hand let go of Mikey's, but the other one immediately took over, icy fingers replacing between his own the burning ones that were there before. He shyly took Mikey's other hand in his, nervously intertwining his fingers between his own, and Mikey let him − Takemichi could do whatever he wanted with him that he wouldn't mind anyway.

They were facing each other now, and Mikey could clearly see his eyes, and the tears that were escaping from them and slowly running down his cheeks. He loved those eyes, God, he loved them so much, he could spend hours just looking at them, admiring them for so long that he would drown in them. But he hated seeing them like that. And he hated even more being the one who made them like that.

As he was about to raise his hand to wipe away his tears, Takemichi opened his mouth to start speaking, and he immediately stopped.

"Promise me."

He stared into Mikey's eyes, determination showing in his trembling voice as well as something else − hope , perhaps. 

"Promise me it's true, promise me you're not saying this to make fun of me or take advantage of me, promise me..."

He paused, and looked down briefly while nervously squeezing Mikey's hands in his own. Mikey let him, remaining silent to give him time to gather his thoughts, and instinctively caressed the back of his hand with his thumb in encouragement. When he realized it, he immediately stopped, but Takemichi moved his thumb over his as if to ask him to continue, before finally raising his eyes to him. 

"Please", he whispered "promise me this is really what you want."

Mikey didn't hesitate for a second. He had never wanted anything so much in his life.

"I promise," he breathed without taking his eyes off Takemichi. "On all the gods of the world and even those I−"

He didn't have time to finish his sentence. Takemichi's lips crashed against his, choking his words before he could say them. His hands tightened around Mikey’s as he leaned against him, pressing their bodies together. Mikey's eyes widened in surprise. 

He was like paralyzed, suddenly unable to move while Takemichi kissed him passionately, inserting his lips between his without him being able to make the slightest movement in return.

Noticing his lack of reaction, Takemichi moved lightly away from him, and locked his hesitant gaze in his. Damn it. Mikey loved him so much it was killing him.

He slowly raised his hand, and wiped the tears that continued to moisten his cheeks with his fingertips. He hated seeing Takemichi like this. The only tears he would allow to flow down his face would be tears of joy, caused by a happiness so intense that it would overflow his body. But not that. Mikey refused to let those tears of pain and sorrow taint his delicate cheeks.

This time, it was his turn to lean over to Takemichi, and tenderly kiss his reddened cheeks, wiping the salty tears away with his lips. His thumb resumed its slow caresses on the back of his hand, as if to ask him forgiveness for all the pain he had caused him, and to try to make it disappear from his body forever. 

But it was even more than that.

Even when the last tear had disappeared under his kisses, he didn't move away. His lips kept running down his face, down to his jaw and up to his temples, kissing him again and again and again until every doubt, every hesitation was erased from his mind.

Until Takemichi could never think again that Mikey was not in love with him.

His lips finally met Takemichi's, and they slowly melted together, until they couldn't even distinguish their breaths from each other. One of his hands released his to venture into Takemichi's hair and deepen their kiss, which became more and more intense, deeper and deeper as the seconds passed.

Takemichi's free hand then slid down Mikey's back, tracing his spine with his fingertips before pressing into the small of his back to draw him closer. Mikey opened his lips in surprise, and Takemichi inserted his tongue between them, until it met his own.

Damn it.

Mikey could feel his desire rising at full speed, the chains that were holding it down breaking one after the other under Takemichi's ardent kisses. He kissed him in an urgent, almost desperate way, and Mikey responded with the same fervor, eager to show him how much he was cherished and wanted and loved . His other hand also let go of Takemichi's to embrace his waist, his slim waist that always gave him unholy thoughts that would forever keep him out of heaven, and now the world could even be crumbling around them and he wouldn't even notice.

Takemichi's free hand started to venture under his jacket, and he played with the hem of his shirt for a few seconds before slipping underneath, caressing his stomach with his fingertips. They were only ghost caresses, barely grazing Mikey's skin, but they carried so much desire and longing that they made his blood boil under his skin, and made him feel like he was burning from within.

"Mikey..."

Takemichi didn't even bother to pull away from him, whispering the words directly against his lips in a timid, almost pleading tone that made something inside him tingle. Mikey held his breath, trying to keep his heart from exploding and his desire from consuming him as he tenderly stroked his hair to encourage him to continue.

"Is everything all right, Takemitchy?" he asked anyway.

He couldn't help it.

The mere thought that something might be wrong, that he might have hurt him again in any way, was simply unacceptable. Fortunately, Takemichi didn't give those sinister thoughts time to grow in his mind, and immediately nodded, brushing his nose with the tip of his own.

"Yeah," he murmured, "everything is fine, extremely fine in fact, I just..."

He kissed him again, caressed his lips with his while holding his face against his as if to prevent him from leaving − not that Mikey had any intention of doing so anyway. At that moment, he had no desire to be anywhere else.

"I want to make love with you, Manjiro."

Mikey's heart missed a beat.

Takemichi's breath mingled with his own, intoxicating him completely and preventing him from thinking straight, but he didn't need to anyway − his answer was so obvious that he could say it even without an ounce of reason left.

"Me too."

His feverish hand slid under Takemichi's shirt to taste the softness of his skin, caressing his back as he drew him against him, closer and closer and closer − but never close enough.

"I've never wanted anything so much in all my life."

Takemichi smiled against his lips, before kissing − devouring his lips again, obviously satisfied with his answer. Galvanized by this silent agreement, Mikey continued his slow rise up his spine, uncovering his skin as he went, and Takemichi immediately got the message.

His hands briefly left Mikey's body as he discarded his jacket, sending it to the ground without any delicacy. Mikey took the opportunity to take off his shirt, and slid it over his head before sending it to the floor as well. Takemichi's upper body was then completely naked, exposed to the light under which his skin almost seemed to glow. However, he didn't let Mikey admire it, and immediately took possession of his lips while feverishly taking off his jacket, which quickly joined his own on the ground.

The tears, the sobs and the pain − everything else was already forgotten, swept away by the irresistible, almost magnetic attraction between them. All that remained was the intense desire that threatened to consume them entirely, to which they willingly chose to surrender together.

As Takemichi began to take up his shirt, already exposing a large part of his back, Mikey interrupted him, summoning the last ounce of reason he had left to briefly pull away from him. 

"Wait... Wait, Takemitchy..." His voice was hoarse, breathless, and Takemichi was definitely not making it easy for him, by keeping kissing him as he vainly tried to formulate a coherent sentence. "Are you sure this is what you want? Don't you want to− don't you want to go somewhere else?"

Truth be told, Mikey had no desire to go anywhere else. He desperately wanted Takemichi, from the moment he'd walked into that room and even more so since he'd whispered that confession directly against his lips. He wanted his body and his heart and his soul and everything he had, to make his every part of him he could reach.

But now that he knew his feelings were mutual, now that he had told Takemichi how much he meant to him, he wanted to offer him more. Takemichi deserved more than this stern room, more than being fucked against a wall at the end of a meeting. He deserved to be laid in the most comfortable bed, in the softest of sheets and the most lavish of settings, to be worshipped like the most precious of artworks and pleased in every imaginable way.

Mikey wanted to give him the world, the moon − the whole universe even, no matter how much he had to hold back the desire that was bubbling up inside him.

But Takemichi was obviously not of this opinion.

Insensitive to his good intentions, he finished what he had started, and removed Mikey's shirt completely before reaching for his lips again. His arms went around his neck, sliding his fingers through his hair to deepen their kiss as their chests were pressed together, with nothing left to separate them anymore.

"I don't want to go anywhere else," Takemichi breathed against his lips.

One of his hands left Mikey's hair and moved down his chest, caressing the muscles under his skin. Mikey felt his heartbeat quicken abruptly, and he wondered if Takemichi could feel it, right there under his fingers − he certainly could, and that thought alone was enough to make Mikey's heart beat even faster. Takemichi's hand kept traveling down his stomach, burning his skin wherever it went, until it reached the waistband of his pants. He traced its contours with his fingertips, slowly, very slowly, as he looked up at him.  

"I want you there, here − now ."

Mikey's throat suddenly went dry. His heart began to beat so hard he felt as if his blood was bursting out of his veins and setting his whole body on fire, burning to ashes what little sanity he had left. He embraced Takemichi's waist, holding him even tighter, and took a few steps forward until he was pressed against the wall again.

Takemichi moaned against his lips at the icy touch against his back, but Mikey didn't even pretend to back down. Instead, he pressed himself even harder against him and tightened his grip around his waist, trapping him completely between his body and the wall. Takemichi answered him by a sigh burning with anticipation, his hands running feverishly through his back while Mikey undid skillfully the belt of his pants, before letting them fall back on the ground. Takemichi was now wearing only his boxers, the last piece of cloth on his almost completely naked body, but which still hid nothing of his solid erection. 

Mikey ran his hand over it and traced the shape of his cock with his fingertips, delighting in the way Takemichi reacted to his touch, intoxicated by his hot sighs directly onto his lips. The fabric was already wet on the front, attesting to his arousal even though they had only just begun, even though Mikey had barely started to touch him.

Under other circumstances, he would have waited longer. He was used to making the pleasure last, to innocently touch Takemichi's cock over the fabric for long minutes, to caress the curve of his ass or the waistband around his hips without ever going underneath, enjoying watching him writhing in frustration under his fingers, swallowing with delight each of his sighs and muffled moans.

But not tonight.  

Tonight, Mikey wanted him too much to indulge in these kind of games.

He passed his hands under the waistband of Takemichi's boxers, making it slide along his legs until it joined his pants on the ground. Bubbling with impatience, Takemichi quickly removed his sneakers with his toes, and sent his clothes and shoes to the other side of the room, now completely naked, at the mercy of Mikey and his pressing hands. But he didn't even have time to take advantage of it as Takemichi was already wrapping his legs around his waist, using his arms around Mikey's neck to propel himself against him.

Mikey caught him immediately by the thighs, just below his ass, and began to caress his already extremely sensitive skin. He ran his fingers along the inside of his thighs, drawing a muffled moan from him as well as a pressure of his ankles in the hollow of his back. Mikey easily understood the silent message and, without waiting more, moved his hands up to his ass. He caressed it with his fingers, pressed it into the palm of his hand, and used it to gently move Takemichi's body until his cock was rubbing against his through his pants.

Takemichi sighed deeply, and pulled his face away from his to catch his breath. Mikey then left his lips and moved down to his neck, eagerly kissing his skin already reddened by his previous kisses, letting his scent intoxicate him until his head began to spin.

He still couldn't believe it was all his now.

He still couldn't believe Takemichi actually shared his feelings, that he felt the same way about Mikey as Mikey felt about him, that he too was craving for more, even more, always more, without feeling like he could ever be satiated. He couldn't believe he could finally let down his barriers, finally open his mouth and heart and let the words come out, flowing around them in an unstoppable torrent without risking them taking Takemichi away from him.

"Takemitchy..."

Mikey's hands grew more and more urgent, getting dangerously close to his hole as his lips devoured his neck, sucking at his burning skin and nibbling lightly at it without being able to stop.

"If you only knew how long I've waited for this moment..."

He sucked a little harder, drunk on the sensation against his lips, on the way Takemichi tilted his head back against the wall to give him space, and on the strangled sounds that came from his mouth, encouraging him to continue.

"How I hoped you felt the same way I did..."

Takemichi's hands clutched at his hair, pressing his face even tighter against his neck as Mikey kept sucking his skin between his lips. His neck would probably be covered in marks but it didn't matter, because Takemichi was his, only his , and he wanted the whole world to know it − and he was past the point where he was still able to stop anyway.

"To finally be able to be more to you, and offer you more, much more, so much more than this..."

One of his hands left Takemichi's ass and traveled up his back, wandering along his spine, caressing his skin in every detail, mapping his body until he was sure he could draw it again from memory. His other hand began to brush against his hole, drawing a frustrated sigh from Takemichi amidst his whimpers.

"Let me make you feel good, Takemitchy..."

At these words, Takemichi abruptly tightened his legs around his waist, pressing their bodies even tighter together. Mikey could distinctly feel his erection pressed against his stomach, as well as the precum that kept leaking out of it and whose coolness contrasted with his burning cock.

"Mikey−" Takemichi buried his face in his hair, his breath panting. "Mikey, please..."

Mikey released the skin he was still keeping between his lips, and left a trail of lighter kisses on his neck, where many sucking marks were already starting to appear.

"Shhhh..." he whispered, right against his ear. "I know, don't worry."

As he spoke, he kept on brushing his hole with his fingertips to increase the pressure, while searching his pockets for the bottle of lube he always carried with him for this kind of situation.

"Let me prove you're not just a booty call to me, Takemitchy."

He poured some on his fingers, and put the bottle back in its place before spreading the lube onto Takemichi's ass, resuming his deliberately slow caresses around his hole. His free hand gently moved up his body until it rested on his cheek, and his face left his neck to look straight into his eyes. Takemichi immediately enveloped him with his gaze, and there was so much want and trust and hope and love inside that Mikey felt like he was falling in love again and again and again.

"You were always so much more than this."

And with those words, he kissed him, as he pushed a first finger inside of him.

Takemichi moaned against his lips as he tightened his grip on his hair. Mikey kissed him even harder, using his hand still on his cheek to hold his face against his, as his finger slowly worked its way inside of him. When he couldn't go any further, he started to come out, still as slowly, before entering again. He was able to quickly insert a second finger, and even a third - they were having sex so often lately that Takemichi's hole instantly adjusted to his fingers, molding to their shape without any difficulty.

"Ah fuck- Mikey..."

Mikey let go of Takemichi's cheek to grip his hip, pinning him against his own body. His cock was painfully hard, locked inside his pants, and he had to fight the urge to release it and take him there, now, leaning on that wall against which his back arched every time he pushed his fingers inside him. Takemichi wasn't making it easy, rocking his hips against him to make his fingers sink even deeper inside of him, while uttering breathless moans against his lips. 

But Mikey was holding on, he had to - he wanted to.

He wanted to prove to him that his words weren't meaningless, that he meant it when he told him he was more, much more for him, to prove to him that his pleasure mattered more than his own and that he'd rather take the time to prepare him, rather than rush in and risk hurting him.

For once, he wanted to take the time to make love with him, not only to fuck him.

But, seeing the way his fingers could spread easily inside, he couldn't help but think that even his cock, too, could easily fit in already. That simple thought increased even more the heated pool that was forming in his stomach, and he tightened his grip on Takemichi's hip, digging his nails into his pristine skin as he sped up the pace of his fingers.

"Mi− Mikey..."

Takemichi intensified the movements of his hips, shamelessly rubbing his cock against Mikey's through his pants. 

"Please− Please Mikey..." He kept kissing him as he spoke, uttering those words directly into Mikey's mouth without giving them a chance to get lost in the air. "I don't want to wait... I want you now−"

Mikey didn't even give him time to finish his sentence, and choked out his words by crushing his mouth against his.

Damn it. 

Takemichi was really driving him crazy.

Without waiting any longer, he took Takemichi off the wall, and carried him to the meeting table while continuing to finger him at a steady pace. He placed him on the edge, his lips still pressed against his own, and pushed everything on the table to make room for them. Plates clattered and glasses fell to the floor, crashing against the tiles with a crystalline noise, but Mikey paid no attention. There was something incredibly arousing about the idea of having sex with Takemichi there, on that table around which all of Toman's top men were discussing the gang's business only half an hour earlier, and he intensified his kisses even more, inserting his tongue inside his mouth.

Takemichi's arms had left his neck and were now busy on the waistband of his pants, quickly undoing it before sliding them to the floor. Without even taking the time to tease him − neither of them had time for that anyway − he immediately removed his boxers and finally released his painfully hard cock.  

He was about to start touching him, already wrapping his eager fingers around him, when Mikey interrupted him.

"Don't−" he gasped between kisses, his fingers continuing to move in and out of him faster and faster as the arousal consumed him. "Otherwise I'm gonna come before we even start and I− I don't want that, Takemitchy..." 

He slightly slowed his pace, trying to stabilize his racing heartbeat but without succeeding.

"I want to make you feel good, to make love with you like never before and−"

The end of his sentence was lost in the flow of their kisses, muffled by Takemichi's lips which were already taking possession of his at the sound of his words. However, he didn't withdraw his hand. Instead, he guided Mikey's cock to his ass, placing the tip just in front of his hole where his fingers were still working, and began to lubricate it. 

"So go ahead," he whispered, a single breath burning against his lips but enough to make him lose his mind. "Take me now, Manjiro ."

Mikey didn't need more.

He withdrew his fingers, which came out of Takemichi's hole with a wet sound, and began to thrust slowly into him.  

He tried to go gently, despite the exhilarating sensation of his flesh closing all around him and perfectly fitting the shape of his cock, despite Takemichi moaning directly into his mouth and his nails digging into his back in a way that was far too thrilling to be painful. However, Takemichi once again didn't give him a chance to prove his good faith. He used his legs, still wrapped around Mikey's waist, to press himself against him, pushing his cock deep inside him in one fell swoop. 

"Fuck- Takemichi..." 

Mikey dug his fingernails into Takemichi's hips in an attempt to contain the pleasure that was surging through him. He was used to this feeling though, he was used to being inside him after all the times they had had sex, but it still felt the same as the very first time. 

His arms instinctively came around his slim waist to hold him close, while he left his lips to bury his face in his neck. God he loved Takemichi, he loved him so much he felt his heart explode and then immediately gather to explode again with each of its beats. There, cuddled up against each other, breathing in each other's scent and his cock inside him, he felt like he was one with him, he felt like Takemichi was his, and for once it wasn't just a feeling, it was finally real , and that only made the explosion even stronger.

"Mikey..."

Takemichi began to move against him, and Mikey grabbed his hip to synchronize their movements. He tried at first to contain his urges, and to go slowly to make the pleasure last, but Takemichi quickly made it clear that he didn't want to wait.

"Please− Mikey..."

Mikey raised his head, staring into Takemichi's haggard eyes. Longing showed on his half-opened lips and gasping breath, on his cheeks reddened by the blood rushing to his face, and Mikey felt his stomach clench just looking at him. He brought his face close to his and briefly brushed his lips as he continued to thrust inside him as slowly as possible.

"Please what , Takemitchy?" he whispered, a slight smile on his lips.

This slow agony was just as painful for Mikey as it was for him, but he forced himself not to speed up no matter how much he wanted to. Takemichi's frustrated sighs and the intense red that colored his cheeks were more than worth it, and he wanted − he was dying to hear him say it himself.

"I'm listening..." he breathed as he pushed into him, desperately slow. "Tell me what you want..."

He kissed him again, gently nibbling his lips between his, building up the pressure again and again until Takemichi gave in − he always did, and he loved surrendering to Mikey as much as Mikey loved pushing him over the edge.

"Harder..."

It was a mere whisper, barely audible, but Mikey decided it would be enough.

He didn't feel like waiting either anyway. 

"Please take me har−" 

Mikey muffled his words with his lips before he had time to finish his sentence, and grabbed his hips to hold him in place as he increased the pace. Takemichi answered him with a pleased moan, and tightened his embrace around his shoulders. His hands clutched desperately wherever they could, his arms, his neck, his hair, as if he was afraid Mikey would fade away or vanish in the rain, as if he was afraid of losing him if he let him go for even a second. Mikey released his hips and hugged his waist again, holding him closer and closer, until he was sure Takemichi could feel his heart pounding through his chest and knew, deep inside him, that Mikey had no intention of going anywhere he was not. 

Their bodies moved against each other in a frantic rhythm, barely separating for a quarter of a second only to merge again, already craving the sensation. Mikey's thrusts were getting faster and faster, more and more ragged as the pleasure consumed his mind, but Takemichi was accommodating to each of his movements, using his legs still wrapped around him to soften the shocks and take Mikey's cock as deep as possible inside him. It was as if their bodies were so used to each other that they intuitively knew how to adjust, fitting together like the two pieces of the same puzzle.

Sometimes Mikey came to think Takemichi had been shaped especially for him, and that he himself had been made exclusively for Takemichi.

He didn't want anyone else.

Not now, not ever.

Only Takemichi, Takemichi, Takemichi, Takemichi .

He couldn't even think of anything else. His name was the only thing that still managed to form in his mind, the only word that hadn't been swept away by the desire that surged through him.

Takemichi's fingernails were digging into his skin, so deep that they would probably leave marks on his body, and this simple thought made him lose his mind completely. He left Takemichi's lips to devour his neck again, eager to leave a mark on his skin as well, a bit of himself on the body of the one he loved so much, for lack of being able to offer all of himself.

"Mikey− Mikey I−"

Takemichi didn't need to say more for Mikey to understand. He could feel the muscles of his thighs tightening around his waist and his hole contracting around his cock with every movement he made, signs that Takemichi was getting closer and closer to his orgasm with every passing second. Even his voice was beginning to take on different intonations, uttering his name with so much desire and pleading and love that Mikey felt like he was coming over the edge too. 

"Yeah−" he gasped against his skin. "Me too..."

Without waiting any longer, he slid one of his hands down to Takemichi's cock and started to jerk it, using the precum that kept leaking out of it to lubricate it. He himself felt that he was getting close, and there was no way he was coming until Takemichi was perfectly pleased. His fingers worked around his cock, making wide movements from the base to the tip as he liked it while he kept thrusting inside him, hitting that special spot that increased his pleasure tenfold.

"Ah− Fuck−"

Takemichi abruptly threw his head back, his whole body contracting around Mikey's as he came between them.

"Mikey- Manjiro- Manjiro- Manjiro -"

His words were lost in his uncontrolled moans and erratic breathing, and his nails dug so hard into Mikey's shoulders that it would almost hurt, if he wasn't completely consumed by pleasure as well. Takemichi's ass contracted around his cock with each spasm caused by his orgasm, and Mikey buried his face in his neck as he orgasmed too, right inside him.

"Goddamn− Takemitchy..."

The pleasure was so violent it left him completely numb, and without Takemichi to hold him against him, he probably would have collapsed to the floor. His trembling legs could hardly support him but, instead of moving away to sit on a chair the time to recover his thoughts, he snuggled even more against Takemichi, savoring with delight the caresses of his fingers against his back.

That was not in his habits either.

Usually, he forced himself to move away from Takemichi as soon as the climax had passed, to put some distance between them so as not to let himself be tempted, because otherwise he knew he wouldn't be able to hold back. The orgasm left him totally dizzy, vulnerable even, making his barriers as weak and ineffective as simple pieces of paper swept by the wind. His feelings were taking over again, swelling and swelling and swelling inside him, so much so he knew he wouldn't be able to contain them if he stayed near Takemichi.

But now he didn't need to hold back anymore. 

There, cuddled with Takemichi, his face nestled in the crook of his neck and his arms still entwined around his waist, he could let his feelings overflow, flood Takemichi's ears until they filled him completely.

"I love you, Takemitchy."

He tenderly kissed his neck, covering the red marks that adorned his skin with kisses, while tightening his trembling arms around his waist in a clumsy attempt to hold him even closer. He didn't care about the cum that stuck to his chest, or the one that started dripping out of Takemichi directly onto the table.

He didn't care about anything at all. 

Takemichi was with him and he felt good and nothing else mattered.

"I love you, I love you, I love you."

One of Takemichi's hands left his back to slip into his hair, gently stroking his head with his fingertips. Mikey felt his chest rise heavily with each of his breaths, and he swore he could even feel his heart drumming inside − unless it was his own, he didn't really know anymore.

"I love you too, Manjiro."

Takemichi buried his face in his hair, and laid a tender kiss on the top of his head.

"So, so, so much."

Mikey felt his heart explode with every word he said. He left his neck to admire him for a few moments, caressing his cheek with his fingertips. His cheekbones were still reddened by the effort and the blood that flowed to his face, but no more tears were tarnishing them now. His eyes looked happier than they had ever been, and the smile that graced his lips was far too beautiful, far too bright not to be genuine.

Mikey couldn't help but smile back, and gently pressed his forehead against his, until he was only inches from his lips.

"No more last time?" he whispered, his voice vulnerable and tinged with hope. 

Takemichi nodded gently, stroking Mikey's nose with his own as if to sweep away his fears, before kissing his lips.

"No more last time."