Author: Himoki Maeko

Spoilers: Some. The first chapter is the OVA, but the second and third chapters are also spoiled a little. This takes place durring the time in the third chapter inwhich they lived together but were not yet a couple, even though it doesn't actually last that long. ^^'

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Kei swallowed hard.

It was pure torture, waking up beside the one single object of every drop of heated desire that burned inside him.

What he would give to be able to reach out and touch that man; that warm, delicate, despondent man who aroused unbearable desire with his cruelly close proximity.

All he needed do was reach out and take him, as he lay so unawarely blissful with slumber. Sure it was well earned slumber, claimed only after hours of anxiety and dread of what might be done to him if he let himself become vulnerable...but that did nothing to make Kei feel better.

The man really was so vulnerable.

That was why he defended his causes with such venom, and why his pride was so unbreakable. That gentle heart was too fragile to give away to a violent monster like Kei.

His body was very tense.

He needed to put space between them. He always did. Whether Yuki was returning to their mansion, or returning to Kei's bed each night, he had to make sure he kept Yuki just out of reach. From the minute he closed the door behind him, stood still to remove his shoes and called out "I'm home," to the moment he said "Goodnight, Tonoin," and wrapped safely in his pajamas, gave Kei his kind smile as a peace offering...

Oh, when he would discretely make it known that he would be bathing in the evening, so that Kei would not accidently walk in, find him unclothed and get bad ideas...oh Yuki, Kei breathed heavily. No clothes, not a loose collared shirt nor three winter jackets was buffer enough to discourage Kei's unsavory thoughts.

Yuki shifted. Slowly his hand fell from up near his face to loose on the bed at his side.

Kei wanted desperately to take that hand in his. To bear weight down on it and its counterpart, allowing every part of Yuki to feel his weight pressing down upon him again.

He tore his eyes from the pretty sleeping violinist, pulling loose strands of hair out of his face with the hand nearest Yuki, trying to give it something else to do.

It seemed worse today then usual.

Kei shrugged off his covers to free his long legs from the confines of the futon in which he slept beside his own bed. Somehow it was worth sleeping on the floor to wake up beside his Yuki each morning. He always knew where the man was at night. It felt somehow guiltily reassuring to know that while they lived in the same mansion, no man would ever follow Yuki home but Kei himself. He would lay awake on the nights that Yuki returned late, wondering if he would return in tears, as he had when he had first run to Kei for solace...but he never did.

"Is everything alright?" He would ask, groggy, but aware of Yuki crawling into the bed above him. Of course he would always receive nothing more then a simple, "Mm, everything's fine," and not a shred more explanation...but it was enough to allow him to sleep.

As long as he knew that Yuki wasn't suffering the hand of another man, Kei could sleep. Of course, he was never really sure if it was the guilty need to keep Yuki from falling victim again, or that he just wanted Yuki all to himself, that was pleased to find Yuki safe. It was most likely both equally, but what he had done to him had bothered the man so much...and he was so vulnerable to that sort of thing, as had become disturbingly obvious in Yuki's misjudging of complete slime like Yasaka...

He struggled to his feet and, against better judgement, allowed himself one more lingering gaze to creep the full length of the man whose body was visible only as raised sheets. He was such a perfect size. Shorter then Kei, but not by too much...just enough so that he was easily tucked inside an embrace. Just enough so that he was easily lifted, held, carried...and so easily...well...conducted. Kei could feel the tingling of his skin and a tightening in his muscles as they recalled perfectly the way it felt to lay atop his live-in guest, covering him completely, and breathing in the scent of his hair as he clung to Yuki.

Shudders ran down Kei's neck and small bumps on the skin of his arms became raised.

Yuki shifted again, though this time much more energy was put into moving the limbs. He would be waking soon, and he would speak. He would say the words that he always did in the morning. Kei didn't know why he said them, he just knew that when Yuki said them, Kei wanted nothing more in the world then to hold Yuki in the tightest non-lethal embrace he was capable of.

Ah, even his lust would dilute to pure happiness, when he looked into those eyes, dull with sleep, but radiating the surrendered, unconditional kindness that he knew Yuki was made of behind the walls and guns...but Kei did not want that now. Right now he would keep his lust burning, as he stole into the shower where Yuki would never dare to follow Kei.

...but he did love that look. And one day Yuki would give him that look while Kei was touching him. Perhaps just as Kei was holding him down against the soft bedcovers...Yes. One day those worlds would find their way to each other. Of that promise, Kei was certain, no matter the cost.