Work Text:
It'd been a long trip, coming here to Richmondshire. After a couple of hotel nights and sightseeing detours, van Zieks found himself here, staring out the carriage window and watching the vast farmlands come and go. Still tucked in his pocket was a letter from Albert Harebrayne, an invitation to his new personal workshop, where he'd apparently succeeded in his lifelong dream: creating his super high-voltage instantaneous kinesis machine. After that harrowing trial from two years ago, van Zieks had his doubts, but, seeing it as an opportunity to catch up with his old friend, he happily accepted.
However, that wasn't the only reason he'd come. Albert had, after all, extended his invitation to another: the man who saved his life. Van Zieks turned from the window to check on the man in question.
Snoozing sweetly against his shoulder was Ryunosuke Naruhodo, soft snores rumbling out from him as drool dribbled from his lips. Half an hour ago, he'd exhausted himself from his very important task of excitedly pointing out every grazing cow they happened to pass and promptly succumbed to sleep. Unable to help himself, van Zieks reached down to gently wipe the drool from the little lawyer's lips, earning him a tiny grunt.
Van Zieks felt a powerful urge to kiss him.
But he didn't. Over the past two years spent oceans apart, they'd penned subtle messages of longing on paper. But they hadn't gotten romantically involved until just a couple of months ago when Naruhodo had returned from Japan and loudly– clumsily– professed his affections in the middle of the prosecutor's office, much to the chagrin of van Zieks's long-suffering apprentice.
Still, ever since then, they'd been hesitant. A light touch here or there. A peck on the cheek. A shy brush of their knuckles as they walked side by side. But never truly beyond that, no matter how much van Zieks desperately wanted to close the distance.
Their carriage came to a steady halt, marking their arrival to Albert's workshop. They stepped out of the carriage together, then paid the driver before sending him off. When they reached the front door, van Zieks hardly even got to lift his hand to knock before the blasted thing lifted on its own with a screeching mechanical noise. Both attorneys jumped back in fear, van Zieks pulling Naruhodo into a protective embrace.
"Ah! They're here!" cried out a familiar, giddy voice from inside. After a few concerning clanging noises and an "ouch" was heard from the back, Albert emerged from behind a huge, dangerous looking machine with the biggest grin on his face. "Barok! Mr. Naruhodo! Welcome, welcome! Please, make yourselves at home!"
They offered their greetings, then stepped inside.
Several thick wires twisted and writhed across the floor, sticking out from large metal cubes and bolted bases on the ground. The wiring all went in two directions– one set towards Albert's messy work desk, where a curious amalgamation of a typewriter and some sort of windowed box rested, and another set leading to a person sized glass cage that was very reminiscent of the one in Albert's first design for his kinesis machine. Bulbs and levers lined the cage's metal frame, blinking in various bright colors. Though, most notably, the machine seemed to be lacking in any laser cannons or thirty foot drops.
"Now, I know what you may be thinking," Albert rambled as he approached, clumsily stepping over the large wires, "but this time I've found myself a pair of trusted mechanics to build this!"
Miss Iris and that asinine detective, van Zieks thought to himself, disdainfully recalling Sholmes's incessant bragging about some "secret project" a few months ago.
"Well, is it true, then?" Naruhodo asked with barely hidden skepticism. "Have you really achieved teleportation?"
"Ha! Even better!" Albert clapped his hands together. "I've achieved time travel!"
Both attorneys just stared at him.
Albert sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I'll admit, however, that it was the result of a rather large blunder, heheh."
… How? van Zieks thought to himself.
"… How?" Naruhodo muttered in that way he does when he doesn't mean to speak aloud.
"It's really quite simple!" Albert pulled out his well loved notebook and started writing frantically. "I've designed the machine to teleport people based on three dimensional coordinates, because the third dimension, of course, is the one we exist in."
"Right. Of course," van Zieks dryly agreed. He hadn't a single clue what Albert was talking about.
"But I accidentally ended up calculating my entire hypothesis using four dimensions!" Albert bit his pencil in frustration before leaning forward to give the pair an anguished frown. "Can you believe it?!"
"I suppose I can't. Sorry." Ryunosuke replied, clearly just as confused.
"After running a few tests, me and my trusty mechanics discovered that the fourth coordinate could take you through time itself!"
…What could they even say to that? Albert pocketed his notebook and beamed.
"Would either of you like to give it a try?"
"Hm. Well…" Van Zieks sighed, trying to find the nicest way to turn the man down. "I don't mean to be rude, Albert, but that machine looks rather… dangerous."
"No need to worry! I've used it a few times myself! I've even gone to the future and gained valuable information to improve my invention. I mean, just look at my computer!" Albert pointed to the odd contraption on his desk. Both attorneys were still unconvinced.
"Is it really okay to mess with time?" Ryunosuke scratched his chin. "What if I go back and ruin the present?"
"That is of no concern as well!" Albert pushed up his glasses. "My adventures in the past have changed nothing and gone forgotten, even when I tried to prevent disasters." He slouched over and sighed. "It seems reality has a way of fixing itself, be it good or bad."
After another moment of hesitance, Ryunosuke spoke up.
"So there's no danger?"
"No danger!" Albert chirped.
"No consequences?"
"No consequences!"
Naruhodo was deep in thought now. Van Zieks had a bad feeling about that glint in his eyes.
"Weeeell," Naruhodo began with a highly suspicious blush on his cheeks, "two years ago, when I was your defense attorney, you told me about what Lord van Zieks was like when you became friends. I believe you told me he was the little darling of the van Zieks family."
So the bad feeling was warranted. Van Zieks heaved out a heavy sigh. "Mr. Naruhodo…"
Albert's grin only grew wider.
"Yes, yes of course! Barok was the sweetest–"
"That's enough, Albert," van Zieks interjected, his voice clipped. He then turned to Naruhodo. "You have endless possibilities and you choose to meet my past self?"
"W-well, it's just, it's been on my mind ever since Mr. Harebrayne mentioned it. I couldn't help but wonder if his words ring true."
"Aha, a man of hard evidence, I see! I suppose that's what makes you such a skilled lawyer!" Albert beamed. "I'd be more than happy to take you there!"
Naruhodo lowered his head and twiddled his thumbs. "Though, Lord van Zieks, if it discomforts you, I could choose a different time…"
He looked back up, large brown eyes as wide and pitiful as ever. Van Zieks crossed his arms and stared him down, unwilling to let this conniving little lawyer sway him. Albert glanced back and forth between them, then stared right back at van Zieks with equally wide, pleading eyes.
…
It seemed he had no choice. With a cough, van Zieks turned the other way.
"Fine. Do what you wish."
Both of them lit up instantly. A truly blinding sight.
"Th-thank you, Lord van Zieks!"
"You're the best, Barok!"
With haste, Albert donned a pair of oversized goggles and practically shoved Naruhodo into the machine. He clasped several belts around the lawyer until he was snug within, then took a small object out of his pocket– some sort of metal plated fountain pen– and placed it in Naruhodo's breast pocket. Naruhodo regarded Albert with a nervous grimace.
"Mr. Harebrayne? What's this?"
"It's a hidden camera!" Albert answered, like it was obvious, then shut the cage.
On the way back to the desk, Albert nearly tripped over the wires scattered about the floor in his excitement as he pulled at various large levers around the room. The machine revved into action, lights flickering and static filling the air. He then went to his computer and began typing furiously, his hands flying across it with loud clattering noises.
"Come on, Barok! Don't you want to watch?"
Feeling like he had little choice, van Zieks hesitantly joined Albert behind the desk. He flinched when the computer lit up and displayed a moving image of the very room they're in, including himself and Albert.
This was beginning to look like witchcraft.
"Now then, let's see here…" Albert muttered as he continued to type with wild abandon. "I shall have him sent to the van Zieks manor… These coordinates will do… And let's make it twelve– no– thirteen years ago!" After entering in a plethora of long equations, Albert held his hand over a large red button sitting just beside the computer. "Are you ready, Mr. Naruhodo?"
Said man was clearly having second thoughts from the way his eyes flitted about, but he nodded anyway. "As ready as I'll ever be!"
"Excellent! Then, without further ado…"
Albert slammed down on the button, and the noise turned to cacophony. Van Zieks shuddered as the fuzz of electricity surrounded him and made his hair stand on end. Flashes of sparks traveled between every metal rod and mechanical anomaly, and the lights around the room shone even brighter.
"Oh! I almost forgot to mention!" Albert shouted above the growing chaos. "You are tethered to the present, so you'll be returned naturally after twelve hours!"
Naruhodo jumped a little as smoke quickly surrounded him. "Tethered?! What do you mean by te–"
"Have fun!"
And the time machine flashed the entire room with a blinding light and an ear splitting POP, as though an explosion occurred. In moments, the smoke dissipated and the machine wound down to a sputtering stop.
Once all was clear, Naruhodo was nowhere to be seen.
Before van Zieks could begin to panic, Albert nudged his side and pointed at the computer.
"Watch closely, Barok! Once he's made it back in time, the hidden camera will display everything from Mr. Naruhodo's point of view on my computer!"
Intrigued, van Zieks's attention was brought to the computer, where the screen displayed nothing but multicolored bars. A spark of electricity shot through the device before the display changed, depicting the image of a familiar chandelier hanging from a ceiling.
"Oh dear…" Albert began nervously biting his thumb. "It seems my coordinates were slightly off. He was to be teleported a few feet lower… next to your manor's front door."
From the looks of it, Naruhodo actually spawned a few feet above the plush settee in his manor's tearoom. And then fell down on it. Van Zieks slammed a fist on the desk.
"Albert–"
"I-I'm terribly sorry! But at least… it wasn't the glass table?" Albert chuckled nervously. Van Zieks sighed, counting it lucky Naruhodo still landed safely.
The screen's view began to lower from the ceiling to the rest of the room, indicating that Naruhodo must've gotten up.
And there he was, the figure of van Zieks himself sitting upon a lounge, his features younger, mouth agape, and eyes wide with shock.
Dread churned within van Zieks's stomach at the very sight of himself. Those large, lively eyes… That unmarred, vibrant skin… That unassuming, approachable aura that remained even as he sat there frozen in fear… It'd been twelve years now since he'd last seen that face in the mirror.
A long enough time to see someone completely different.
~*~
Ryunosuke hardly even realized he'd been zapped away until his back made impact with soft, luxurious cushioning. When he sat up, he was met with a pair of wide, bright blue eyes. They were eyes he most certainly recognized, but not quite the same. The ones he knew were duller, paler, almost grey with layered sheets of ice.
In fact, every part of the man in front of him was an unfamiliar familiarity, from the way his lavender hair housed more angel curls than usual, to the clear skin between his brows where a scar should be. His poofy poet shirt and form-fitting waistcoat made his already smaller-than-usual form look even leaner, and his tall boots seemed to lack the iron plating Ryunosuke knew all too well.
There was no doubt in his mind as to who this was. Albert's invention really worked!
This younger van Zieks blinked several times before suddenly standing up and calling to the butler who was also quietly gawking in the corner of the room.
"Bartholomew! My sword!"
"Right away, sir." The butler replied before grabbing a rapier displayed on a rack against the wall and tossing it over to the young noble. Ryunosuke barely had time to respond before he felt himself getting shoved down onto the settee, the tip of a blade pointed precariously close to his throat.
"Who are you?!" the noble demanded, "and what devilish magic has brought you into my home?"
Realizing his life was in danger, Ryunosuke put up his hands and waved them frantically in defense. He answered quickly, all in one breath.
"I– I come in peace! My name is Ryunosuke Naruhodo! I've come from the future thanks to your friend Mr. Harebrayne's invention!"
The sword faltered in the noble's hand. "… Albert?"
"Yes!"
"Then you mean to say… his lifelong goal was achieved?! His instantaneous kinesis machine?!"
"Exactly! He achieved his dream, and then some!"
"Why, that's wonderful!" The gleeful shine in the young lord's eyes was a sight to behold, but didn't last long as a suspicious frown etched his face. "But that begs the question," he pressed the blade to Ryunosuke's neck again, "Where is Albert? And what's your relationship with him? And why did you arrive at my home?"
Ryunosuke could hardly keep up with all these questions.
"Ah, well… Mr. Harebrayne is still in the future," he began steadily. "I'm just a friend of his." The young van Zieks was giving him a hard stare, and he gulped. "And I came here because I wanted to meet you."
"… Why? What am I to you?"
"To me, you are–er, uh– the you in the future, I mean… you're…"
He couldn't think of the right way to put it. They'd never stuck a label to their relationship before. Partners, perhaps? Though, Kazuma was Ryunosuke's partner, and he couldn't well call that the same thing.
"To me, you're… well, uh…" He grimaced, his voice raising pitch by a few octaves as he sheepishly spoke. "You're my… lover?"
The young noble just looked at him. "Lover?"
"Y-yes! I'm your future lover!" Ryunosuke cast his gaze aside, his cheeks burning. "I was curious to know what you'd been like in the past, so I asked Mr. Harebrayne to take me."
The lord fell quiet, and in that moment, Ryunosuke began to realize just how ridiculous he sounded. After all, Lord van Zieks was a distrusting and skeptical man by nature, not quick to take someone's word without any hard evidence. There was no way he'd believe this nonsense.
"To think I'd have such a handsome lover!"
…What.
"What." Ryunosuke said aloud.
He lifted his gaze to meet sparkling baby blues– a color Ryunosuke still hadn't gotten used to– and the young lord looked positively elated. He released Ryunosuke and set his weapon aside.
"I'll admit, I'd have a harder time believing you had you not quite literally appeared out of thin air…" He muttered, granting Ryunosuke a bit of comfort that he wasn't completely naive. "Anyway, I'm sure this goes without saying, but I've got so many questions for you!" He then turned back towards the highly patient butler in the corner. "Bartholomew, have the maids prepare some cakes and tea, please!"
Bartholomew clearly had his own suspicions of Ryunosuke written all over his face, but bowed nonetheless, his expression carefully neutral.
"Of course, sir."
Soon, a fancy array of sweets and tea were laid out on the table. Feeling a bit famished himself, Ryunosuke helped himself to a few, expressing his gratitude to the young master and his staff. They ate and talked together, Ryunosuke answering an endless onslaught of eager questions as best he could, all ranging from "How did we meet?" to "Have humans gone to the moon yet?"
This version of van Zieks was easy to talk to and utterly oozing with charm, a far cry from the diffidence of his older companion. With his lord, their time together was often spent in comfortable silences and tender moments, only occasionally broken up by a hint of cutting wit. Thinking about it sent a pang through Ryunosuke's chest.
"By the way," the young lord began, interrupting his musings, "I've been asking so many questions about you and the future, but you mentioned earlier that you came back because you wished to get to know me, right?"
"Oh! That's right."
"Well then, we should go on a date!"
Ryunosuke blanched. "A date?!"
"It's not so wrong to want to go on a date with the man I'm destined for, is it? I even have the perfect spot in mind!"
He wondered for a moment if his van Zieks would be okay with that. Then again… they were the same person…
His face clearly betrayed his hesitation because Barok's excited expression fell to one befitting a kicked puppy.
"Oh, but if you don't wish to spend the day with me, that's quite alright." Barok twiddled his thumbs and looked back up at Ryunosuke, eyes large and pitiable. "I simply figured it'd be the perfect opportunity, since Klint's out with his fiance. He left me all alone here, after all."
… It seemed Ryunosuke had no choice.
"Okay. Lead the way, Lord van Zieks."
That seemed to give the young noble pause. He frowned and sent Ryunosuke an odd look.
"You know… You can just call me Barok."
"O-oh! Really?"
"Well, Lord van Zieks is my brother."
"Uh. R-right. Of course…" Ryunosuke held his tongue on any thoughts regarding the late Lord van Zieks. After all, there was nothing he could do to change the past.
"And, pray forgive my rudeness, but I find it a bit odd that my very own lover would not refer to me by my given name."
"…"
Ryunosuke had never really thought much of it before. Ever since his relationship with van Zieks started, neither of them dropped the formalities. He knew better than to believe that meant his lord loved him any less, but something about it still stung.
Before he could spiral down that train of thought, Barok took hold of his hand and grinned. "Anyway, we should go while the sun's still out!"
Shaking off the weight in his chest, Ryunosuke let himself be dragged through the manor's halls by one excitable Barok.
~*~
Van Zieks stared at the screen in awe, in horror, watching his younger self quickly warm up to Naruhodo. The footage lacked sound, but his immediate affection was obvious from the sparkle in his adoring eyes every time he looked at Naruhodo, or the way he'd twirl his hair like a lovesick schoolgirl, or the subtle flush on his cheeks that could just barely be seen through the grainy footage. The boy said something with that irritatingly charming grin, and the screen rumbled as though Naruhodo laughed. Van Zieks felt bile rising up in the back of his throat.
"Don't worry, Barok!" Albert piped up. "Mr. Naruhodo will be perfectly safe! So please, I beg of you to relax those tense shoulders…"
Van Zieks took a deep breath, though he was far from relaxed. "Right. I trust you know what you're doing Albert."
As welcome as his reassurances were, they did little to quell the growing ache in his chest as he watched his younger self take Naruhodo's hand in his own and lead him out the manor's back door.
~*~
It must be summertime, Ryunosuke mused when he stepped outside. Underneath a shining sun, a lazy breeze passed through the forest and vineyards of the massive estate. The backyard garden was teeming with life, from the critters scuttling through fragrant topsoil, to the vibrant flowers embracing fuzzy little bees. Past the garden path were the stables, which housed several magnificent horses, all of them cared for by a large and dedicated service staff.
Ryunosuke recalled how scarce the staff was when he'd visited his lord in the present day. He then decided to not think about that anymore.
Barok approached a huge dark horse, which seemed to be sneering with its pitch black, soulless eyes. It huffed at Ryunosuke, and he flinched, keeping a respectable distance away.
Apparently, the lord's gothic style was always there… in some ways.
"This is Midnight," Barok chimed. "She's a gentle mare, so I thought she'd be perfect."
Gentle?! Ryunosuke wheezed inwardly. "P-perfect for what?"
Barok grinned and turned away from the beast. "For our date, of course. A ride together along the countryside seems rather romantic, don't you think?" He looked at Ryunosuke with those big blue eyes, so full of hope. "Besides, I've always wanted to do this!"
Ryunosuke was starting to understand why he was the Little Darling, what with how difficult it was to say no to him. He conceded quickly, his apprehension towards the terrifying steed forgotten. "It does sound rather lovely, yes."
That sweet smile was going to be the death of him.
Barok mounted the horse himself before offering a helping hand. Ryunosuke took it, hoisted up by the noble's surprising strength, then seated himself behind him. Once settled, Ryunosuke wrapped his arms around Barok before they set off.
The van Zieks estate stretched across acres upon acres of verdant hills and green pastures, with forested hunting grounds and winding dirt paths. Midnight, shockingly just as gentle as the young lord claimed, trotted along one of those paths at a leisurely pace.
Ryunosuke made use of the scenery to distract himself from the warmth of Barok's broad back against him, or the heady floral scent of expensive cologne, or the way the young noble's hips brushed his own, following the horse's steady gait.
Too deep in his distractions, he hardly noticed the slight movement from Barok before Midnight suddenly picked up the pace, shifting into a cantor. He yelped and clung onto the other man for dear life.
Then Barok laughed. He let out a laugh so beautiful, so charming, so light and airy with pure, carefree mirth. The sound replayed in Ryunosuke's mind until he found himself longing to hear it again, to listen to it forever.
He wondered if he would ever have the privilege to hear it from his lord. There was no doubt in Ryunosuke's mind that it'd sound different, perhaps more solemn and restrained. Perhaps it'd hardly be a laugh at all.
But he knew he'd love it all the same.
~*~
Were this any other situation, van Zieks would've sunk into the memories of his estate, back when he'd go running with Balmung and pick flowers in the garden. He'd think of the days he'd sit beneath the shade of the pavilion watching Klint and Genshin spar in the field, his sketchbook long forgotten in front of him. He'd drown in the overwhelming warmth from seeing his favorite horse, who'd long passed during his five year sabbatical.
But instead, that persistent ache in his chest quashed those thoughts, envy rearing its ugly head as Naruhodo wrapped his arms around the spoiled little brat. The camera's view soon became engulfed in the dark cloth of his waistcoat, revealing nothing but the implication that Naruhodo was pressed tight against him.
Van Zieks had always wanted to ride with him like that, but he could never muster up the courage to ask. Just like how he never had the courage to confess, or to even kiss his own lover.
This was it for him. Naruhodo would return to the present, to him, and feel pitiful disappointment for the cowardly, shambling husk of a man van Zieks turned out to be.
"Barok…"
Said man winced when Albert placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, but he kept his tremoring voice level when he answered. "What is it, Albert?"
"I've been checking on you a few times while I was working, but you wouldn't reply." His expression was uncharacteristically grim. A look unbefitting such a sunny disposition. "I think it may be best to step away from the computer for now. How about we catch up instead? It's been a long time since we've really talked, and I think it'd be a good distraction from… whatever may be stressing you out here."
It wouldn't distract him, but he couldn't bear to watch this any longer.
"You're right. Pray, forgive me for making you worry."
With one final glance at the computer, van Zieks shook his head and followed Albert to the workshop's living quarters, where he could have a late lunch and hopefully think about something else.
~*~
Midnight took the pair to a quaint little pond at the end of a forest path, where frogs hopped off of freshly bloomed lilypads at their approach. Near the pond was a log cabin Barok had described as small on the way, though it dwarfed Ryunosuke's own humble abode in Japan considerably. He also claimed that the cabin was Klint's place of escape from his stuffy manor and heavy burdens, where he'd often go with his dog on long hunting trips.
Ryunosuke decided not to think about that too deeply.
Their legs dangled off the edge of a dock where they rested and watched dragonflies flit between lazily waving cattails. Midnight had gone off somewhere, grazing upon watergrass and wildberry bushes. Ryunosuke swung his legs back and forth over the water as he engaged in cheery conversation with his company, talking of anything and nothing all at once.
It turned out Ryunosuke knew very little about his lover. His lover, who faced strict ballet lessons starting at the tender age of five, who would sometimes skip his etiquette classes to read romance novels in the manor's library, who would practice stretching his legs with his brother on the tree right near this very pond.
And with each story, his love only grew for the man back home who wouldn't dare utter a word about these things.
Whenever Barok spoke, Ryunosuke couldn't help staring at his lips, still just as full and pouty as they'll be a decade from now, even when they twisted up into a smile. He couldn't help watching the way Barok's angel curls would bounce around with every turn of the head as the young noble pointed at fluttering songbirds and darting fish. He couldn't help becoming entranced by the way the sun's rays filtered through waving branches and leaves to speckle Barok with splashes of light, shining upon clear skin and brilliant baby blues.
And yet, he couldn't stop wondering if his lord could ever be so carefree again. If they could sit upon the dock together and enjoy the freshwater breeze, just like this, and let their pain fade into nothingness.
"I suppose you weren't lying," said Barok, pulling Ryunosuke back to his senses, "when you told me you were my future lover."
Ryunosuke blinked at him, dumbfounded. "What do you mean?"
"It's your eyes. They're terribly telling, you know." Barok chuckled as Ryunosuke felt heat rushing to his face. "There's a fondness in them, but it's still so clear to me that I'm not exactly the man you're thinking about."
There was nothing Ryunosuke could say to that. Barok stared down at the ebbing waters, then looked up at him, an odd glint in his gentle gaze, raw and knowing.
"Something terrible happened that changed me, didn't it?"
There was no point in lying to him, so Ryunosuke sent a solemn sigh to the sky. "Yes. It did."
The silence that followed was not as awkward as he thought it'd be. If anything, it felt weightless, as though a heavy burden had been lifted. Eventually, Barok was the one to break it.
"Tell me, sir. When are you returning to him?"
"I've been told my time here will be for only twelve hours."
"Ah, what a shame." Barok twirled his finger around one of his wispy curls, once again staring out at the pond. "I suppose, then, that we should make the most of our final hours together, shouldn't we?"
There was an odd lilt to his tone, clearly suggesting something he was too shy to say. Slowly, Ryunosuke raised a brow at him.
"And what, my lord, are you implying we do?"
"Well…" A light blush quickly bloomed upon Barok's face. "If you're leaving anyway, I was hoping you could maybe…"
His words trailed off, lost to the sounds of croaking frogs and rustling leaves. Ryunosuke wasn't dense enough to misunderstand what those rosy cheeks and fiddling hands could mean, but he was shocked at the young lord's boldness nonetheless. His Barok, Lord van Zieks, was always reticent on the subject of intimacy. More often than not, it seemed as though Ryunosuke was trying to calm a spooked animal whenever he tried to get close. So, to hear such a candid proposal from the very same man was jarring, to say the least.
And yet, it was exhilarating. Ryunosuke felt a certain heat coiling in his gut until he realized just what he was being tempted into. This was not his Barok.
"Is this really okay, though?"
"I suppose I cannot say much for the me that I will become," Barok began, fidgeting with the sleeve of his puffy shirt, "but I know for certain that I wouldn't mind it."
"An easy thing to say in your position."
"I suppose so…"
They fell into silence again. Through it, Ryunosuke considered Barok's proposal, then considered the wishes of van Zieks. It was the same person, yes, but they were worlds apart. The action would surely border on infidelity, and the very last thing Ryunosuke wanted to do was break van Zieks's trust. But, on the other hand, he wasn't even sure if they were a couple at all. They hardly acted like they were.
Barok cleared his throat, interrupting Ryunosuke's internal dilemma. His gaze fell to his fidgeting hands while the blush on his cheeks grew ever deeper. When he looked back up at Ryunosuke, his eyes glimmered with a very… deliberate innocence within them.
"You know…" He paused to lick his lips, and Ryunosuke's eyes hungrily followed his tongue. "… If you were to say yes, you'd be my first time."
~*~
They didn't even make it to the bedroom.
Once the log cabin's door was shut, he pinned Barok against it and stood on the tips of his toes to latch his teeth onto his neck, coaxing out a breathy moan. Barok was just as eager, his hands frantic, exploring as much of Ryunosuke's body as they could. He bucked his hips when Ryunosuke shoved a knee between his legs, rubbing his already hardened erection against him.
Ryunosuke took hold of Barok's cravat to yank him into an overwhelming, bruising kiss. He slid his hands down the man's torso to unbutton that meddlesome waistcoat, skillfully splitting it open in seconds before he'd moved on to the shirt. Meanwhile, Barok clumsily mimicked him, fiddling with the buttons of his gakuran jacket.
While it'd have been easier to part from their kiss to strip, Ryunosuke wouldn't dare, savoring the faint taste of tea and cake that lingered on Barok's succulent lips. He grazed his teeth against them and Barok gasped, granting him the opportunity to push his tongue in deep. Every beautiful noise Barok made only drove Ryunosuke deeper and deeper into madness, and soon he was shrugging off his jacket to let it fall to the floor. Just as quickly, he nearly tore at Barok's waistcoat and shirt before they too dropped to the floor.
He parted from Barok's lips to catch his breath and drink in the sight before him, letting his gaze roll over smooth, lean muscle and flushed skin. Barok averted his eyes and squirmed, modestly crossing his arms over himself.
Ryunosuke felt an almost painful throb in his pants.
It took every ounce of discipline to tear his eyes away from the young man and look around the room. If he cared, Ryunosuke would take note of the cabin's rustic decor and cozy atmosphere, but he was too fixated on finding a spot to fuck Barok senseless. His eyes landed on the ruddy sofa near the fireplace, to which he practically dragged Barok. The young noble offered no protest, pliant and willing, even as he was bent over the sofa's arm with a hungry– nearly savage– desperation. Ryunosuke unclasped Barok's belt and tugged down his trousers and underwear, not even bothering to remove them all the way.
Now bared and vulnerable, Barok's thighs trembled as they hung over the couch's arm. Between them, he was already hard and leaking, making Ryunosuke wonder if he would've cum from their kissing alone. The very thought shot a jolt of heat through him.
Looking down at Barok, Ryunosuke seared this moment into his memory in hopes that he could eventually compare it to his van Zieks. As he dragged a finger down the curve of Barok's spine, he wondered if the prosecutor would still be this smooth to the touch, or if the years had made him rough with scars, like the one adorning his face. As he squeezed at the supple flesh of Barok's ass, he wondered if the man he knew would sound like the man beneath him, with soft whimpers and feeble moans falling from pink, parted lips. As he teased the sensitive skin along Barok's inner thighs, he wondered if his lord would be just as responsive, squirming and quivering at even the lightest of touches.
Languidly rolling his hips against Barok, Ryunosuke leaned in, stomach pressed against his lover's back, then slipped two slender fingers into his mouth. Barok was ever so obedient, suckling and licking them like a delectable treat, then chasing them even when they were pulled out. With slicked digits, Ryunosuke pushed into Barok's virgin hole, fighting the tightness with tender touches and soft reassurances. He took his time, teasing the rim with one finger and pushing inside with the other, helping the writhing man beneath him adjust to the sensation. Barok's pitiful whines only grew more and more desperate, and soon he was pushing his hips back against Ryunosuke and groveling for more. Ryunosuke indulged him, curling his fingers into his most sensitive spot and making him keen.
All the while, Ryunosuke had already freed himself from his trousers, pumping and dragging precum along his length until it was sufficiently wet.
He was beginning to reach his own limit, so he pulled his fingers out, spread Barok's cheeks, and pressed the head of his aching cock against Barok's puckering rim. When Barok whined for him to hurry, Ryunosuke teased him for just a bit longer, rubbing his leaking tip along the edge and smearing it with precum to drive the poor young man insane. Barok sobbed and bucked his hips up in a desperate attempt to fuck himself. Then, finally, with a deep breath, Ryunosuke pushed in.
Barok's heat was all-encompassing, a tight pressure unlike any other. Every slow thrust was a test of Ryunosuke's restraint, easing in deeper and deeper until he could fill the young man completely. By the time he'd bottomed out, his nails were digging hard enough into the soft flesh of Barok's ass to leave red, crescent-shaped marks. Barok was clenched around him, his whole body quivering, his back muscles tensing with every labored breath. To calm him down, Ryunosuke rubbed a gentle hand along his thigh and hushed him, whispering out low and lulling words of comfort.
"It's okay… You're okay… You're doing so well, Barok."
Immediately, Barok squealed and his whole body shuddered from a sudden orgasm, his untouched cock staining the couch's side with thick ropes of milky white. He clawed at the couch cushions beneath him as he came, all the way up until his scream simmered into a quiet mewl.
Ryunosuke paused in surprise, watching Barok's slumped form twitch and pant from the aftershocks.
Perhaps he'd teased him for a bit too long.
"S…sorry…" Barok choked out beneath him, still shaking. Ryunosuke smiled and gently squeezed his thigh.
"Hey, it's alright. If you need me to stop for now, I can–"
"No!" Barok cried, his voice muffled by the couch's cushion. He turned over his shoulder to look Ryunosuke in the eyes, tears pricking the edges of his own. "K-keep going," he whimpered, "don't stop… please."
Ryunosuke swallowed thickly and hissed out a curse in his mother tongue, feeling himself twitch inside Barok. Slowly, he pulled back, up until the head of his cock caught at the rim, then snapped his hips forward. Barok pawed at the cushions again and let out the most obscene noise Ryunosuke had ever heard, which only egged him on. Again and again, Ryunosuke fucked into him, dragging his cockhead against the rough patch inside, just barely holding himself back from completely destroying the man beneath him. Barok's oversensitivity soon seemed to give way to returning pleasure until he was hard and begging again, his pleas gradually growing more desperate, demanding Ryunosuke's all. Faster, harder, more and more as though it was never enough. And Ryunosuke, letting go of his final shred of discipline, happily obliged, pounding into Barok and chasing a sensation he'd been longing for since the day he knew he loved van Zieks.
He screamed Barok's name when he reached his climax, blissful, plangent, utterly adoring. Waves and waves of pent up ecstacy washed over him as he filled Barok with every drop of affection his body could muster.
Then ecstasy soon yielded to exhaustion, and Ryunosuke pulled out with a tremored gasp. Looking down, he could see that, at some point, Barok had reached orgasm again, his whole body flushed and limp, cum dripping from his abused hole and flaccid, reddened cock alike.
A twinge of remorse tugged at him, seeing Barok in such a state. Though, from the young lord's satisfied sigh, it seemed there really was nothing he should feel too sorry about.
Well there was the matter of his Barok. He hoped the man had it in him to forgive him.
Ryunosuke pushed his guilty thoughts aside for now to tuck himself back in and search the cabin for something he could use to clean the results of their deeds.
The aftercare was a quiet affair. As Ryunosuke slid a wet cloth along his skin, Barok would look up at him from where he lay completely bared on the couch, half lidded and hazy eyes filled to the brim with reverence.
"He's lucky to have you,'' he purred. Ryunosuke chuckled in response, tracing circles along the smooth muscle of Barok's arms.
"I'm awfully flattered, but I should remind you that he is you."
"I know, but–"
"We'll meet again. It'll just take some time."
"Yeah…" Barok beamed up at him, the messy curls of his hair framing bright eyes and a brilliant smile. "And I'll wait for you, until that day comes."
He would forget this all, Ryunosuke reminded himself. Perhaps everything he'd done today would simply be undone. But, despite this, a small part of him hoped that Barok's words would stand true.
As the daylight peeking through the window took on warm, pink hues, Ryunosuke rested atop his lord, taking in one last glimpse of his sweet, sleeping face before letting his exhaustion prevail.
~*~
Spending the day with Albert had been refreshing, even if only slightly so. For that, van Zieks was grateful.
But when they both returned to the computer, he felt his blood run cold.
The video feed was dark. In fact, it'd been displaying nothing but darkness for hours. Van Zieks spent his time watching and pacing, every worst-case scenario running through his mind. Even Albert was starting to worry, biting his thumb until it turned red with quiet mutterings of what ifs and miscalculations.
But eventually, the twelfth hour turned over, and the machine began to whir. The two men watched with bated breath as smoke and static filled the air. With a flash of light and a loud pop, the room was quickly filled to the brim with smoke.
Then the air cleared, and Naruhodo was there again, strapped up inside the machine's cage as he was before, head slumped over as if in slumber.
Van Zieks and Albert approached him in haste, and relief washed over them when they caught him softly breathing. Albert freed him from the cage, and van Zieks caught his limp form, holding him in his arms.
Naruhodo looked completely disheveled, his hair strewn awry and pants slightly undone. He was missing a layer of clothing, with just his wrinkled, slightly unbuttoned dress shirt covering his torso. Albert raised an eyebrow at this.
"Wait, where's the–"
The machine sputtered, then the jacket spawned right over Albert to fall and drape itself over his head.
"… jacket…"
Well, that explained why the camera wasn't picking up much of anything.
After a gentle shake from van Zieks, Naruhodo stirred from his deep sleep, blinking his eyes open to gaze up at him.
"Mngh… g'morning, Barok."
Van Zieks blinked a few times. "… Barok?"
He never called him that before. Despite the foreboding feeling it brought, the sound of his given name on Naruhodo's lips was heaven.
Realization flashed in Naruhodo's drowsy eyes before he suddenly jolted awake and frantically looked around. "Wh… Huh? Am I back?"
"Indeed!" Albert exclaimed with a grin. "You've returned to the present!"
Naruhodo immediately looked at van Zieks, his expression reminiscent of that nervous, flittering appearance he'd have whenever he was about to present evidence he was not confident about. An expression of obvious guilt. Van Zieks frowned.
"Mr. Naru–"
"I slept with your past self!"
The whole room fell silent at Naruhodo's sudden outburst. Even the machines seemed to stop whirring.
"I think… I have… forgotten something important!" Albert stuttered out frantically, already stepping away from them. "Yes, yes! Of course! I have some important, post-time travel things to organize!" He then ran to the door so fast that he tripped twice. "Goodbye!"
The sound of the door slamming behind him was deafening. Van Zieks looked back at Naruhodo, whose face was furrowed with regret.
"I'm sorry, Lord van Zieks…"
Van Zieks let out a heavy sigh, ignoring the twinge of pain in his chest from being called by that name.
"… I'm not upset with you. Your choice was an obvious one."
"W-what? What do you mean by that?"
"It's simple. The man I used to be was polite and sociable. He was unburdened and unscarred." Van Zieks reached out to caress Naruhodo's cheek. "And he never treated you with the cruelty I had when we first met."
For once, Naruhodo's expression was unreadable. He put a hand to his chin, deep in thought. "Well, admittedly, he was much more polite to me. And quite charming as well."
Van Zieks lowered his head and sighed with resignation. He knew it all along. Naruhodo deserved the better version of him anyway–
"But," Naruhodo continued, breaking van Zieks's spiraling thoughts, "he isn't the man I fell in love with."
Van Zieks felt his heart leap in his chest.
… But he still couldn't shake that miserable envy within him.
"And yet, it only took you a few hours to lay with him."
"W-well," Naruhodo sputtered, "That was all the time I had! And– and your younger self is dangerously convincing!" He then cast his gaze downward, expression suddenly solemn. "Besides… It's not as though I've never wanted to be… intimate with you. It's just, you would always look so frightened, so I figured it'd be best to wait until you were ready."
Flashes of memories played in van Zieks's mind, memories of him flinching from Naruhodo's tentative advances, of his own hands that trembled with restraint whenever he longed to touch his love, of their lips mere centimeters apart from each other, only for him to cower away like the feckless fool he was.
Then he recalled the pure understanding in Naruhodo's chestnut brown eyes that persisted, no matter how many times van Zieks would push him away.
He lowered his head and swallowed the ever growing lump in his throat. "I suppose, then, that the fault is entirely my own. I apologize for being so difficult."
Naruhodo frowned. "You've nothing to apologize for. I'm willing to wait for as long as it takes."
Van Zieks sighed, wondering what on earth he did to deserve Naruhodo.
"I– well… It's not that I don't wish to. Quite the opposite. But…" He fixed his gaze to the wires on the ground, unable to look at his love. Heat was quickly rushing to his face. "I've… I've never…"
Large brown eyes grew even larger, widened with shock and… excitement?
"You mean to say… I'd be your first?"
The heat was becoming unbearable. Van Zieks tried and failed to will it away as he gave a hesitant nod. Naruhodo's expression lit up even more, his next insane sentence stumbling out in broken pieces.
"W-well, I'd be honored to! To be your first! A… Again!"
Van Zieks blinked at him a few times, baffled by such logic. Yet, all the while, he was mesmerized by the pure, joyous smile on Naruhodo's face. It washed away the foul envy and fear that took hold of him, and he found himself pulling Naruhodo into an embrace.
"Nothing would make me happier." He tightened his hold on the lawyer, burying his face into soft black spikes of hair. "But, please, I request your patience for just a little while longer."
Van Zieks knew they'd soon have to part. They'll have to reassure Albert that everything was fine and thank him for the invitation. They'd eventually have to call back the cab and return home. But none of that mattered. At this moment, there existed nothing more than the low thrum of machinery and Naruhodo's warmth against him.
"Of course, my lord. I'll wait for you, as long as it takes."
~*~
