Standard disclaimers apply.

- : Nightly Indulgence : -

It seemed not too long ago that sake was enough to warm him for the night. After a walk around the grounds, he would indulge then in a bottle or two in the privacy of his own room, alone by the low table. He favored a particular blend, somewhat strong but sweet and slightly spicy at the same time. It left a distinctive aftertaste that seemed to linger till the next drink.

It really seemed not too long ago…

These days, what lingered and kept him anticipating for the coming nights was not confined to his sense of taste only. His sight, hearing, touch and smell were also in genuflection of a certain deity crafted with perfection in mind – long, fiery red hair like liquid flame, a sculpted frame with firm, well-defined muscles, smooth skin flawed only by those artful, dark lines, a face hardened by strong determination but softened by compassion that mirrored the heart.

Abarai Renji.

He truly appreciated the taste of Renji's skin, just as how he loved having the other in his mouth, melting deliciously. He appreciated watching that handsome face writhing in pleasure of which he had given. He appreciated listening to the honest whimpers and moans, the way his name seemed to be the only words Renji knew. He appreciated the feel of Renji under his ministrations. And when the cloud cleared, he appreciated the thick smell of their lovemaking.

With sake, the concern of getting drunk acted as a lid on the indulgence. Still, the warmth was enough to grant him a good night sleep. But with Renji, no matter how he willed himself to get intoxicated, it never seemed possible – he always wanted more. And when he finally managed to extricate himself from the seductive elixir, he returned to his own room restless and strangely cold.

But the aftertaste was there still when he woke up in the morning; his senses kept it fiercely alive. His tongue throbbed, his eyes stole a glance or two, his ears caught echoes from the night before, his hands tingled and his nose recalled a musky scent. And when night came, his indulgence once again generated a pleasure so intense that it seemed surreal.

Preoccupation with sake was really far simpler.

- : owari : -

Thank you so much for reading!