[Lamento] Between Two Thieves, Epilogue
Title: Between Two Thieves
Fandom: Lamento - Beyond the Void
Part: Epilogue
Rating: R
Characters/Pairings: RaixKonoe, Bardo
Warnings: Sex
Disclaimer: Lamento belongs to Nitro+Chiral.
Notes: Thanks to sexual_ennui for betaing.
Summary: We tend to crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future. ~ Fulton Oursler
Story Index | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Epilogue
Between Two Thieves
Epilogue
There was no reason for him to be awake, save for his body telling him that he had slept enough.
That was not surprising, since he had done little more than laze around for the better part of three weeks. Of course, if he had had any say in it, he would have been doing something productive, but arguing with Konoe about it was simply not worth the headache.
Keeping his eye closed, Rai rolled over on his side, fully intent on sending Konoe bolting out of bed by nibbling on his ears, only to discover the space beside himself empty, the faint depression left in the mattress holding no traces of lingering warmth. Frowning, Rai opened his eye, blinking into the darkened room.
No Konoe.
He slid out of bed, walking over to the window and pushing the shutters wide. Cool morning air hit his face and chest, carrying the sweet scent of blossoming trees. The first pale hues of dawn were starting to appear in the sky.
Staring into the empty street below, he wondered where Konoe could have gone so early in the morning, since his partner usually liked to sleep in and tended to complain about Rai's own habit of getting up with the first light.
Then, he shook his head, feeling a little foolish. After all, he did not need to stand around, wondering.
Closing his eye again, he directed his attention inward, searching for the string of power deep within himself. From what he had heard of bonds, he had always assumed it to be an overwhelming presence in his mind, like having somebody looking over his shoulder at all times, but it was actually little more than a faint tingle, so unobtrusive that he often forgot that it was even there.
Tapping into the bond, he concentrated on seeking out Konoe's familiar essence. After a moment, he was able to feel it, a warm, soundless resonance inside his mind. It was muted but still clear, telling him that Konoe was not close by, yet somewhere within the city.
Satisfied for the moment that Konoe was safe and within walking distance, Rai let go and returned to the bed to gather up his clothes. He could always ask questions later.
----
He was still in the middle of grooming himself when the door opened and Konoe walked in, untying his cloak. He paused briefly when he caught sight of Rai sitting on the edge of the bed, before smiling.
"Oh, you're awake. I thought I felt you, earlier."
Rai stopped licking his arm and huffed. "I didn't know where you were."
An apologetic look flitted across Konoe's features as he hung the cloak over the back of a chair and made his way to the bed. "Tokino was leaving on a trip today and I wanted to see him off, but I didn't want to wake you. I thought I'd be back before you woke up."
He leaned down, nuzzling Rai's cheek in greeting. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry."
Rai rolled his eye. "I wasn't," he grumbled, but returned the affections anyway, sliding his nose along Konoe's cheek and into his hair.
After a moment, Konoe drew back, directing his attention to the layer of bandages still wrapped around Rai's torso.
"How's your side?"
His fingers drifted down, gently brushing against the place where there had been a gaping wound not three weeks before. All that remained of it now was a long, thin scar, certainly nothing that warranted dressings, but Konoe had insisted on them after removing the stitches last night.
"Fine," Rai grunted, somewhat irritated when Konoe began to remove the bandages to examine the scar properly.
Some aspects of Konoe's nursing skills he had definitely enjoyed, such as the tongue baths and the singing, although he would not admit it under torture. However, being poked and prodded in this manner was definitely not among them.
"Are you sure? We could-"
"I'm fine."
"Okay. Sorry, I just-wah!"
There was something rather precious about a surprised Konoe, and from the way Konoe was blinking up at him in utter bewilderment from where he was sprawled across his lap, it was safe to say that his partner had not anticipated the move.
Konoe's eyes widened when Rai leaned in close, making sure he had his full attention before stating pointedly, "I'm. fine."
A second passed before Konoe's lips twitched. "Alright. Message received loud and clear."
"Hn. Stupid cat," Rai murmured, causing the smile to widen.
"Sweet-talking me so early in the morning?" Konoe teased, and Rai nipped reproachfully at his chin. "Ow. Okay. Not sweet."
Rai chose to ignore the complaint in favor of soothing the abused spot with his tongue, feeling Konoe shiver.
"We'll miss-nnnn-breakfast."
Deciding that the breathy objection was not much of an objection at all, Rai moved upward, delivering another nip to Konoe's bottom lip and enjoying the small hitch of breath that brought him. He had not planned this, but who was he to let such a delightful opportunity go to waste? Besides, after a three-week embargo on all "strenuous activities", he was more than a little ready to call an end to it…
Konoe's fingers on his lips effectively prevented the kiss.
"Breakfast," the younger cat whispered, and promptly rolled out of his lap, leaving Rai to glare at his retreating back.
----
Halfway through breakfast, Rai stopped scowling at Konoe in favor of scowling at the tea, steam rising from the mug.
"What?" Bardo said with an expression of vague disappointment on his face. "Still too hot?"
Rai merely glared at him and hissed out something that sounded suspiciously like, "Shut up."
Bardo's lip curled into a teasing smile. "I swear, Rai, that tongue of yours keeps getting more sensitive every time. Pretty soon, I'll have to start spoon-feeding you again… You know, like that time when you were sick and couldn't keep anything down but soup. You were so cute then, all tail and no kid. Well, the throwing-up part wasn't cute, but-"
He beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen when a sharp piece of cutlery embedded itself in the doorframe next to his head, but Konoe was fairly sure that he could still hear Bardo snickering from within.
Deprived of his target, Rai's glare turned to him, and Konoe quickly hid his smile behind the rim of his own mug, blowing at the steam until the tea turned lukewarm in order to soothe Rai's wounded pride.
----
"Here!"
Konoe turned just in time to catch a small, cloth-wrapped package against his chest.
Bardo grinned at him from behind the reception desk, nodding his head at the bundle. Konoe sent him a questioning look before untying the knot at the top of the package, revealing a pile of ripe pink kuims.
"You're going to miss the actual pie, so I thought you might like to have this," Bardo said. "And just between you and me… he likes them, too."
He grinned, winking conspiratorially.
Konoe grinned back, retying the bundle and storing it safely at the top of his travel bag. Although it seemed at first glance like the two men had merely returned to their old routine, Bardo teasing and Rai reacting with insults and violence, Konoe could tell that something had changed.
He did not know what exactly had transpired during their talk, but ever since then, he had noticed an absence of tension in Rai's stance, a lack of scorn in his words. And Bardo himself had changed, too. For the first time in all the time Konoe had known him, he was smiling freely when he spoke of Rai.
"Who likes what?"
They turned their heads at the flat voice, Rai appearing at the bottom of the stairs and glancing between them with no small amount of suspicion.
Bardo's eyes were positively gleaming. "Oh, nothing…" he said, trying and failing to put on an innocent face. "I was just telling Konoe about your… delicate sensibilities."
Rai's ears flattened. "Stupid cat," he growled, sweeping past them. "We're leaving."
Konoe shrugged at Bardo, before slinging the bag over his shoulder and hurrying to Rai's side.
"See you in two weeks!" Bardo called, leaning over the reception desk. "And remember… love bites are more fun than monster bites."
Rai merely glared and dragged Konoe out the door.
----
The golden dusk light was already filtering through the trees when Rai abruptly stopped and surveyed the area.
"We rest here," he declared when Konoe caught up to him, also looking around.
Just up ahead, the dense forest opened up a bit, smaller trees and rocks lining the banks of a shallow stream. It seemed like a good place to set up camp for the night, even though it would be light for a while yet. But they had been walking since the early morning, only stopping briefly for a quick lunch, and although Rai would never admit it, Konoe could detect the faint signs of fatigue in his posture.
Letting his bag slip to the ground, he stretched. "Sounds good to me."
Rai frowned, moving to clear an area of the ground of leaves and twigs to set up a fire. "We can make up for lost time by leaving earlier tomorrow. If we hurry, we might make it to Karihide by nightfall."
"You want to get back to work, huh?"
Rai glared, clearly not happy with betraying himself so easily.
Konoe smiled. "Hey, I don't blame you. It's good to be back in the flow of things. I missed this."
Rai grumbled something that might have been an affirmative as he knelt to arrange a small pile of tinder and dried twigs for the fire. Konoe shook his head fondly, knowing full well that this was as close as Rai would come to revealing his feelings on the subject. He sat down and began rummaging around in his bag.
His fingers bumped into the cloth-wrapped kuim bundle and he pulled it out, untying the knot. He had wanted to savor this treat properly.
"What's that?" Rai asked, untying the scabbard from around his waist and sitting down beside him.
"Kuims. Bardo gave them to me this morning." Konoe held up one of the reddish-pink fruits.
"Heh. You and your sweet tooth."
"There's more than enough for both of us. Besides, Bardo said you like them, too." He grinned, offering the kuim to his partner.
"That guy talks entirely too much," Rai scoffed, turning his face away.
Konoe's expression softened. He waited for a little while to see if Rai would take the kuim, and then said gently, "Your secrets are safe with me."
"Hn."
Suppressing the small sting of disappointment at Rai's anti-climatic response, Konoe shrugged and withdrew his offering, demonstratively biting into the fruit. Pale pink juice spilt over his chin and fingers, and he quickly put the rest of the kuim into his mouth, chewing noisily. Rai remained frustratingly unimpressed.
Konoe made a face at his stained hand, concluding that this was to be the first and last time he would try to tempt his partner with food. He swallowed, bringing up his hand to lick the juice off his fingers.
When he looked up in mid-task, Rai was staring at him intently.
Konoe lifted his head. "…What?"
Rai's hand closed around his wrist, drawing Konoe's stained hand to his lips.
"Hey…" Konoe could not suppress a shiver as Rai began tending to his hand for him, not merely cleaning, but bathing, with slow, deliberate licks of his tongue, paying attention to each individual finger.
"Ngh!"
Rai glanced up at the noise, and Konoe recognized all too well the gleam in his eye.
"I do like kuims."
"I can see that..." Konoe trailed off when Rai leaned forward to rest his cheek against his temple, scenting him, the warm puffs of breath stirring his hair and tickling his skin.
"You smell nice."
Rai moved, slowly sliding his nose downward, along his jaw line and down the side of his neck, and Konoe tilted his head almost subconsciously, giving him better access. He did not need to see to know that Rai was smirking, could feel the slight, pleased curl of the lips brushing his pulse point.
"I… need a bath," Konoe returned, knowing full well that this was not the response Rai was expecting.
Rai nuzzled along his jaw, his voice almost a purr. "You promised me something."
"Hm?"
"Something good."
"I did?"
The only warning was a low growl before Konoe found himself pulled into a passionate kiss.
He did not resist, sinking forward against Rai's mouth and feeling more than hearing his pleased hum in response. It would be a lie to say that he had not missed this, the feel of Rai's teeth scraping along his bottom lip, the demanding hand in his hair, the intimate sensation of their tongues moving together.
Kissing was easily one of his favorite things, and Rai was damn good at it, with clever lips and a sly tongue, dragging it out until he was dizzy with the slide of mouth on mouth, a tight knot of heat coiling low in his stomach.
Wrapping an arm around his neck, Konoe shifted into his lap, delighting in the feeling of Rai's chest moving with each breath, the large hand coming to rest on the small of his back, its warmth palpable even through the layers of leather and cloth.
Rai grunted at the change in position, lips leaving Konoe's mouth to trail down his neck, tongue and teeth rasping over the tendons. His hand slid down, pushing the cloak out of the way and reaching for the sensitive tail, and Konoe shuddered.
"No fair," he moaned, squirming against the touches.
"Payback for being a tease," his partner whispered, obviously reveling in his embarrassment. His fingers closed around the hook-shaped tip, very deliberately rubbing back and forth, tracing its shape.
Konoe's face burned. He still disliked having attention focused on his crooked tail-grooming it was all right, he had become used to that, but this blatant toying…
Fighting against the urge to hide his flushed face from view, Konoe tugged off one glove with his teeth, determined not to remain the only one flustered and breathless. He pulled Rai's shirt free from his belts, slipping a hand inside and lightly running his fingers along his side.
The touches on his tail faltered.
Barely able to hide a smile, Konoe trailed his fingers over the warm ridges of Rai's stomach, the pad of his thumb tracing the bellybutton, barely touching the skin. He had noticed it before, the peculiar effect the gentlest of caresses seemed to have on Rai, and this time was no exception-Konoe could hear the involuntary tremble in his breath, felt the way his entire body was tensing in anticipation, hyperaware of touch.
Konoe lifted his head to meet Rai's eye, the darkened gaze sending a thrill down his spine. In the beginning, that hunger had used to frighten him a little, as new and confusing as it had been to be desired by somebody, but now, something in him was answering with equal ferocity, and he was not afraid to let it show on his face. Slowly, he leaned in to kiss Rai on the mouth, their lips just barely brushing.
A strangled groan tore from Rai's throat, and he crushed their bodies together, locking their mouths in a forceful kiss. His hands went for Konoe's waist, yanking at his belt, trying to push the clothes out of the way.
"Hold on," Konoe protested. "I still-still need those."
Rai growled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Off!", but relented, allowing Konoe to take care of them himself.
He fumbled with the strings of his cloak, hands made clumsy by his own impatience. Rai seemed to be having much less trouble with his own clothes, if the rustling and clinking of buckles was any indication. As soon as Konoe managed to get rid of his shirt, his partner pulled them together again, licking his neck and tugging his pants down his thighs.
Konoe drew in a breath when the cool air hit the sensitive skin, calloused hands kneading his backside, spreading his legs.
"Wait," he choked out, "We need-"
"Yeah," came the reply against his throat, Rai trying to grope for the vial of oil without abandoning their current position.
Konoe wrapped his arms around Rai's neck, breathless noises tumbling from his lips at the feeling of those slick fingers preparing them both-rougher than usual, no teasing, no fancy tricks, even though Rai usually loved to draw this moment out-and then Rai's voice, thick and urgent-
"Konoe… you-"
"Yes."
It felt a little bit like losing his mind every time. The experience was so much more powerful because of the bond, Rai's pleasure melting into his in the same way their bodies joined, until he was unable to distinguish where one of them ended and the other began.
There was no room for embarrassment, no room for anything but the overwhelming want and heat, and he loved the feel of it all, the hot, laving tongue trailing over his neck and chest, the shocking slide of cool, soft hair against his overheated skin, the fingers digging into his hips hard enough to bruise.
Dimly, Konoe was aware that he was saying something, was pretty sure that it was far from anything coherent, wordless pleas mixing with Rai's name, loudly, shamelessly, praise for every new sensation that sparked through him.
His own hands were scrabbling over Rai's skin, grabbing, stroking, trying to touch everywhere he could reach, and delighting in Rai's response, breathed against his throat, his chest, his shoulder in the form of strangled moans.
He could feel himself getting closer, could feel the tension inside himself rising like a wave, threatening to spill over, but what finally pushed him over the edge was hearing Rai say his name in that hoarse, needy voice-
"Konoe…!"
-and being clutched tightly against that heaving chest as Rai shook with his release.
----
When Konoe slowly opened his eyes again, it was to the sight of the night-moon's soft glow shining through the gaps in the leafy canopy. Faintly, he could hear the soft chirping sounds of nighttime insects.
Blinking away the blurriness of sleep, he discovered to his surprise that he was lying on the ground, resting on both their spread-out cloaks. At a crackling sound, he turned onto his side to regard Rai, crouching beside the campfire spot and adding dry twigs to feed a steadily growing flame.
Konoe watched quietly, fascinated by the play of the firelight on Rai's features, dyeing the pale spill of his hair the same color as the dancing flames. He still harbored a dislike for the element, but it was hard to look at such a scene and not feel its allure.
Sensing the eyes on him, Rai turned to meet his gaze.
"Hey," Konoe said, swallowing past the slight roughness in his throat, "Hey."
Rai did not reply, but rose and walked over to their makeshift bed. Konoe could hear him moving around, and then a warm weight settled against his back. Smiling, Konoe shifted closer, enjoying the contact of skin on skin. His partner hesitated for a moment, before leaning forward to busy himself with Konoe's ears.
Konoe sighed deeply, feeling the faint echo to his own languid contentment in his heart. When he had first met him, he never would have thought Rai to be the type to engage in, much less enjoy, those kinds of activities, as forbidding as he had seemed. Even now, he never asked for anything, rather left it up to Konoe to give or request closeness, but Konoe could easily sense his enjoyment during those moments without ever probing their bond.
Rai's tongue smoothed the fine fur on the inside of his ear, and he shivered, goosebumps rising on his arms.
"Cold?" Rai murmured, his breath tickling, and Konoe's ears twitched.
"No," Konoe said. Despite not wearing a shirt, the night air felt pleasant, hinting at the warmth of coming summer. "I'm good."
Rai still looped an arm around him, drawing him tighter against his chest.
"Sleep," he ordered, though not unkindly. "I want to get an early start tomorrow."
"Hm, yeah. You wore me out." Konoe did not even need to look to know that there was a pleased gleam in Rai's eye. "Wake me up for my watch."
He curled in further upon himself, tail loosely wrapping around his legs. Then, a stray thought occurred to him, and he chuckled. Behind him, Rai perked.
"You know, I never did get to eat those kuims."
Rai snorted, nudging him insistently. "Sleep."
Still smiling, Konoe returned his gaze to the edge of the circle cast by the fire's glow, where the flickering light was melting into the shadows. Rai returned his attention to his ears, and between that and the warmth surrounding him, Konoe felt himself becoming drowsy. His last impression was of something big and fluffy being draped over his waist, before sleep claimed him.
- FIN -
----
A/N: And that, as they say, is that. Whee! I'm a little sad that BTT has now definitely come to a close, but this certainly won't prevent me from writing a few spin-offs. The sex, as always, gave me one hell of a headache, so I'd love to hear your thoughts. ♥
- Karihide (pronounced: kah-rih-hih-deh) does not exist. I made that village up. But you can't tell me that the total population of Sisa lives in exactly five settlements. XD
- I already mentioned bonding a few times - it seems to be a rudimentary psychic connection which allows touga and sanga to sense each other's presence, but I don't see why a strong bond shouldn't enable them to sense strong feelings from one another, as well.
- Ear- and tail-fetish? Present and accounted for.
- I think of Konoe as a sexually mature character. He may be a little overwhelmed when it comes to sex in the game, since it's his first time, but even there, he's far from the stereotypical blushing virgin.
- Rai ordering Konoe to sleep - is this familiar? Why yes, it is. Consider it an in-joke from the game. ^^
- THERE YOU HAVE YOUR CHIRPING, sexual_ennui. ♥
<< Return to Lamento Index | Return to Fanfiction Index >>
Fandom: Lamento - Beyond the Void
Part: Epilogue
Rating: R
Characters/Pairings: RaixKonoe, Bardo
Warnings: Sex
Disclaimer: Lamento belongs to Nitro+Chiral.
Notes: Thanks to sexual_ennui for betaing.
Summary: We tend to crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future. ~ Fulton Oursler
Story Index | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Epilogue
Between Two Thieves
Epilogue
There was no reason for him to be awake, save for his body telling him that he had slept enough.
That was not surprising, since he had done little more than laze around for the better part of three weeks. Of course, if he had had any say in it, he would have been doing something productive, but arguing with Konoe about it was simply not worth the headache.
Keeping his eye closed, Rai rolled over on his side, fully intent on sending Konoe bolting out of bed by nibbling on his ears, only to discover the space beside himself empty, the faint depression left in the mattress holding no traces of lingering warmth. Frowning, Rai opened his eye, blinking into the darkened room.
No Konoe.
He slid out of bed, walking over to the window and pushing the shutters wide. Cool morning air hit his face and chest, carrying the sweet scent of blossoming trees. The first pale hues of dawn were starting to appear in the sky.
Staring into the empty street below, he wondered where Konoe could have gone so early in the morning, since his partner usually liked to sleep in and tended to complain about Rai's own habit of getting up with the first light.
Then, he shook his head, feeling a little foolish. After all, he did not need to stand around, wondering.
Closing his eye again, he directed his attention inward, searching for the string of power deep within himself. From what he had heard of bonds, he had always assumed it to be an overwhelming presence in his mind, like having somebody looking over his shoulder at all times, but it was actually little more than a faint tingle, so unobtrusive that he often forgot that it was even there.
Tapping into the bond, he concentrated on seeking out Konoe's familiar essence. After a moment, he was able to feel it, a warm, soundless resonance inside his mind. It was muted but still clear, telling him that Konoe was not close by, yet somewhere within the city.
Satisfied for the moment that Konoe was safe and within walking distance, Rai let go and returned to the bed to gather up his clothes. He could always ask questions later.
----
He was still in the middle of grooming himself when the door opened and Konoe walked in, untying his cloak. He paused briefly when he caught sight of Rai sitting on the edge of the bed, before smiling.
"Oh, you're awake. I thought I felt you, earlier."
Rai stopped licking his arm and huffed. "I didn't know where you were."
An apologetic look flitted across Konoe's features as he hung the cloak over the back of a chair and made his way to the bed. "Tokino was leaving on a trip today and I wanted to see him off, but I didn't want to wake you. I thought I'd be back before you woke up."
He leaned down, nuzzling Rai's cheek in greeting. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry."
Rai rolled his eye. "I wasn't," he grumbled, but returned the affections anyway, sliding his nose along Konoe's cheek and into his hair.
After a moment, Konoe drew back, directing his attention to the layer of bandages still wrapped around Rai's torso.
"How's your side?"
His fingers drifted down, gently brushing against the place where there had been a gaping wound not three weeks before. All that remained of it now was a long, thin scar, certainly nothing that warranted dressings, but Konoe had insisted on them after removing the stitches last night.
"Fine," Rai grunted, somewhat irritated when Konoe began to remove the bandages to examine the scar properly.
Some aspects of Konoe's nursing skills he had definitely enjoyed, such as the tongue baths and the singing, although he would not admit it under torture. However, being poked and prodded in this manner was definitely not among them.
"Are you sure? We could-"
"I'm fine."
"Okay. Sorry, I just-wah!"
There was something rather precious about a surprised Konoe, and from the way Konoe was blinking up at him in utter bewilderment from where he was sprawled across his lap, it was safe to say that his partner had not anticipated the move.
Konoe's eyes widened when Rai leaned in close, making sure he had his full attention before stating pointedly, "I'm. fine."
A second passed before Konoe's lips twitched. "Alright. Message received loud and clear."
"Hn. Stupid cat," Rai murmured, causing the smile to widen.
"Sweet-talking me so early in the morning?" Konoe teased, and Rai nipped reproachfully at his chin. "Ow. Okay. Not sweet."
Rai chose to ignore the complaint in favor of soothing the abused spot with his tongue, feeling Konoe shiver.
"We'll miss-nnnn-breakfast."
Deciding that the breathy objection was not much of an objection at all, Rai moved upward, delivering another nip to Konoe's bottom lip and enjoying the small hitch of breath that brought him. He had not planned this, but who was he to let such a delightful opportunity go to waste? Besides, after a three-week embargo on all "strenuous activities", he was more than a little ready to call an end to it…
Konoe's fingers on his lips effectively prevented the kiss.
"Breakfast," the younger cat whispered, and promptly rolled out of his lap, leaving Rai to glare at his retreating back.
----
Halfway through breakfast, Rai stopped scowling at Konoe in favor of scowling at the tea, steam rising from the mug.
"What?" Bardo said with an expression of vague disappointment on his face. "Still too hot?"
Rai merely glared at him and hissed out something that sounded suspiciously like, "Shut up."
Bardo's lip curled into a teasing smile. "I swear, Rai, that tongue of yours keeps getting more sensitive every time. Pretty soon, I'll have to start spoon-feeding you again… You know, like that time when you were sick and couldn't keep anything down but soup. You were so cute then, all tail and no kid. Well, the throwing-up part wasn't cute, but-"
He beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen when a sharp piece of cutlery embedded itself in the doorframe next to his head, but Konoe was fairly sure that he could still hear Bardo snickering from within.
Deprived of his target, Rai's glare turned to him, and Konoe quickly hid his smile behind the rim of his own mug, blowing at the steam until the tea turned lukewarm in order to soothe Rai's wounded pride.
----
"Here!"
Konoe turned just in time to catch a small, cloth-wrapped package against his chest.
Bardo grinned at him from behind the reception desk, nodding his head at the bundle. Konoe sent him a questioning look before untying the knot at the top of the package, revealing a pile of ripe pink kuims.
"You're going to miss the actual pie, so I thought you might like to have this," Bardo said. "And just between you and me… he likes them, too."
He grinned, winking conspiratorially.
Konoe grinned back, retying the bundle and storing it safely at the top of his travel bag. Although it seemed at first glance like the two men had merely returned to their old routine, Bardo teasing and Rai reacting with insults and violence, Konoe could tell that something had changed.
He did not know what exactly had transpired during their talk, but ever since then, he had noticed an absence of tension in Rai's stance, a lack of scorn in his words. And Bardo himself had changed, too. For the first time in all the time Konoe had known him, he was smiling freely when he spoke of Rai.
"Who likes what?"
They turned their heads at the flat voice, Rai appearing at the bottom of the stairs and glancing between them with no small amount of suspicion.
Bardo's eyes were positively gleaming. "Oh, nothing…" he said, trying and failing to put on an innocent face. "I was just telling Konoe about your… delicate sensibilities."
Rai's ears flattened. "Stupid cat," he growled, sweeping past them. "We're leaving."
Konoe shrugged at Bardo, before slinging the bag over his shoulder and hurrying to Rai's side.
"See you in two weeks!" Bardo called, leaning over the reception desk. "And remember… love bites are more fun than monster bites."
Rai merely glared and dragged Konoe out the door.
----
The golden dusk light was already filtering through the trees when Rai abruptly stopped and surveyed the area.
"We rest here," he declared when Konoe caught up to him, also looking around.
Just up ahead, the dense forest opened up a bit, smaller trees and rocks lining the banks of a shallow stream. It seemed like a good place to set up camp for the night, even though it would be light for a while yet. But they had been walking since the early morning, only stopping briefly for a quick lunch, and although Rai would never admit it, Konoe could detect the faint signs of fatigue in his posture.
Letting his bag slip to the ground, he stretched. "Sounds good to me."
Rai frowned, moving to clear an area of the ground of leaves and twigs to set up a fire. "We can make up for lost time by leaving earlier tomorrow. If we hurry, we might make it to Karihide by nightfall."
"You want to get back to work, huh?"
Rai glared, clearly not happy with betraying himself so easily.
Konoe smiled. "Hey, I don't blame you. It's good to be back in the flow of things. I missed this."
Rai grumbled something that might have been an affirmative as he knelt to arrange a small pile of tinder and dried twigs for the fire. Konoe shook his head fondly, knowing full well that this was as close as Rai would come to revealing his feelings on the subject. He sat down and began rummaging around in his bag.
His fingers bumped into the cloth-wrapped kuim bundle and he pulled it out, untying the knot. He had wanted to savor this treat properly.
"What's that?" Rai asked, untying the scabbard from around his waist and sitting down beside him.
"Kuims. Bardo gave them to me this morning." Konoe held up one of the reddish-pink fruits.
"Heh. You and your sweet tooth."
"There's more than enough for both of us. Besides, Bardo said you like them, too." He grinned, offering the kuim to his partner.
"That guy talks entirely too much," Rai scoffed, turning his face away.
Konoe's expression softened. He waited for a little while to see if Rai would take the kuim, and then said gently, "Your secrets are safe with me."
"Hn."
Suppressing the small sting of disappointment at Rai's anti-climatic response, Konoe shrugged and withdrew his offering, demonstratively biting into the fruit. Pale pink juice spilt over his chin and fingers, and he quickly put the rest of the kuim into his mouth, chewing noisily. Rai remained frustratingly unimpressed.
Konoe made a face at his stained hand, concluding that this was to be the first and last time he would try to tempt his partner with food. He swallowed, bringing up his hand to lick the juice off his fingers.
When he looked up in mid-task, Rai was staring at him intently.
Konoe lifted his head. "…What?"
Rai's hand closed around his wrist, drawing Konoe's stained hand to his lips.
"Hey…" Konoe could not suppress a shiver as Rai began tending to his hand for him, not merely cleaning, but bathing, with slow, deliberate licks of his tongue, paying attention to each individual finger.
"Ngh!"
Rai glanced up at the noise, and Konoe recognized all too well the gleam in his eye.
"I do like kuims."
"I can see that..." Konoe trailed off when Rai leaned forward to rest his cheek against his temple, scenting him, the warm puffs of breath stirring his hair and tickling his skin.
"You smell nice."
Rai moved, slowly sliding his nose downward, along his jaw line and down the side of his neck, and Konoe tilted his head almost subconsciously, giving him better access. He did not need to see to know that Rai was smirking, could feel the slight, pleased curl of the lips brushing his pulse point.
"I… need a bath," Konoe returned, knowing full well that this was not the response Rai was expecting.
Rai nuzzled along his jaw, his voice almost a purr. "You promised me something."
"Hm?"
"Something good."
"I did?"
The only warning was a low growl before Konoe found himself pulled into a passionate kiss.
He did not resist, sinking forward against Rai's mouth and feeling more than hearing his pleased hum in response. It would be a lie to say that he had not missed this, the feel of Rai's teeth scraping along his bottom lip, the demanding hand in his hair, the intimate sensation of their tongues moving together.
Kissing was easily one of his favorite things, and Rai was damn good at it, with clever lips and a sly tongue, dragging it out until he was dizzy with the slide of mouth on mouth, a tight knot of heat coiling low in his stomach.
Wrapping an arm around his neck, Konoe shifted into his lap, delighting in the feeling of Rai's chest moving with each breath, the large hand coming to rest on the small of his back, its warmth palpable even through the layers of leather and cloth.
Rai grunted at the change in position, lips leaving Konoe's mouth to trail down his neck, tongue and teeth rasping over the tendons. His hand slid down, pushing the cloak out of the way and reaching for the sensitive tail, and Konoe shuddered.
"No fair," he moaned, squirming against the touches.
"Payback for being a tease," his partner whispered, obviously reveling in his embarrassment. His fingers closed around the hook-shaped tip, very deliberately rubbing back and forth, tracing its shape.
Konoe's face burned. He still disliked having attention focused on his crooked tail-grooming it was all right, he had become used to that, but this blatant toying…
Fighting against the urge to hide his flushed face from view, Konoe tugged off one glove with his teeth, determined not to remain the only one flustered and breathless. He pulled Rai's shirt free from his belts, slipping a hand inside and lightly running his fingers along his side.
The touches on his tail faltered.
Barely able to hide a smile, Konoe trailed his fingers over the warm ridges of Rai's stomach, the pad of his thumb tracing the bellybutton, barely touching the skin. He had noticed it before, the peculiar effect the gentlest of caresses seemed to have on Rai, and this time was no exception-Konoe could hear the involuntary tremble in his breath, felt the way his entire body was tensing in anticipation, hyperaware of touch.
Konoe lifted his head to meet Rai's eye, the darkened gaze sending a thrill down his spine. In the beginning, that hunger had used to frighten him a little, as new and confusing as it had been to be desired by somebody, but now, something in him was answering with equal ferocity, and he was not afraid to let it show on his face. Slowly, he leaned in to kiss Rai on the mouth, their lips just barely brushing.
A strangled groan tore from Rai's throat, and he crushed their bodies together, locking their mouths in a forceful kiss. His hands went for Konoe's waist, yanking at his belt, trying to push the clothes out of the way.
"Hold on," Konoe protested. "I still-still need those."
Rai growled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Off!", but relented, allowing Konoe to take care of them himself.
He fumbled with the strings of his cloak, hands made clumsy by his own impatience. Rai seemed to be having much less trouble with his own clothes, if the rustling and clinking of buckles was any indication. As soon as Konoe managed to get rid of his shirt, his partner pulled them together again, licking his neck and tugging his pants down his thighs.
Konoe drew in a breath when the cool air hit the sensitive skin, calloused hands kneading his backside, spreading his legs.
"Wait," he choked out, "We need-"
"Yeah," came the reply against his throat, Rai trying to grope for the vial of oil without abandoning their current position.
Konoe wrapped his arms around Rai's neck, breathless noises tumbling from his lips at the feeling of those slick fingers preparing them both-rougher than usual, no teasing, no fancy tricks, even though Rai usually loved to draw this moment out-and then Rai's voice, thick and urgent-
"Konoe… you-"
"Yes."
It felt a little bit like losing his mind every time. The experience was so much more powerful because of the bond, Rai's pleasure melting into his in the same way their bodies joined, until he was unable to distinguish where one of them ended and the other began.
There was no room for embarrassment, no room for anything but the overwhelming want and heat, and he loved the feel of it all, the hot, laving tongue trailing over his neck and chest, the shocking slide of cool, soft hair against his overheated skin, the fingers digging into his hips hard enough to bruise.
Dimly, Konoe was aware that he was saying something, was pretty sure that it was far from anything coherent, wordless pleas mixing with Rai's name, loudly, shamelessly, praise for every new sensation that sparked through him.
His own hands were scrabbling over Rai's skin, grabbing, stroking, trying to touch everywhere he could reach, and delighting in Rai's response, breathed against his throat, his chest, his shoulder in the form of strangled moans.
He could feel himself getting closer, could feel the tension inside himself rising like a wave, threatening to spill over, but what finally pushed him over the edge was hearing Rai say his name in that hoarse, needy voice-
"Konoe…!"
-and being clutched tightly against that heaving chest as Rai shook with his release.
----
When Konoe slowly opened his eyes again, it was to the sight of the night-moon's soft glow shining through the gaps in the leafy canopy. Faintly, he could hear the soft chirping sounds of nighttime insects.
Blinking away the blurriness of sleep, he discovered to his surprise that he was lying on the ground, resting on both their spread-out cloaks. At a crackling sound, he turned onto his side to regard Rai, crouching beside the campfire spot and adding dry twigs to feed a steadily growing flame.
Konoe watched quietly, fascinated by the play of the firelight on Rai's features, dyeing the pale spill of his hair the same color as the dancing flames. He still harbored a dislike for the element, but it was hard to look at such a scene and not feel its allure.
Sensing the eyes on him, Rai turned to meet his gaze.
"Hey," Konoe said, swallowing past the slight roughness in his throat, "Hey."
Rai did not reply, but rose and walked over to their makeshift bed. Konoe could hear him moving around, and then a warm weight settled against his back. Smiling, Konoe shifted closer, enjoying the contact of skin on skin. His partner hesitated for a moment, before leaning forward to busy himself with Konoe's ears.
Konoe sighed deeply, feeling the faint echo to his own languid contentment in his heart. When he had first met him, he never would have thought Rai to be the type to engage in, much less enjoy, those kinds of activities, as forbidding as he had seemed. Even now, he never asked for anything, rather left it up to Konoe to give or request closeness, but Konoe could easily sense his enjoyment during those moments without ever probing their bond.
Rai's tongue smoothed the fine fur on the inside of his ear, and he shivered, goosebumps rising on his arms.
"Cold?" Rai murmured, his breath tickling, and Konoe's ears twitched.
"No," Konoe said. Despite not wearing a shirt, the night air felt pleasant, hinting at the warmth of coming summer. "I'm good."
Rai still looped an arm around him, drawing him tighter against his chest.
"Sleep," he ordered, though not unkindly. "I want to get an early start tomorrow."
"Hm, yeah. You wore me out." Konoe did not even need to look to know that there was a pleased gleam in Rai's eye. "Wake me up for my watch."
He curled in further upon himself, tail loosely wrapping around his legs. Then, a stray thought occurred to him, and he chuckled. Behind him, Rai perked.
"You know, I never did get to eat those kuims."
Rai snorted, nudging him insistently. "Sleep."
Still smiling, Konoe returned his gaze to the edge of the circle cast by the fire's glow, where the flickering light was melting into the shadows. Rai returned his attention to his ears, and between that and the warmth surrounding him, Konoe felt himself becoming drowsy. His last impression was of something big and fluffy being draped over his waist, before sleep claimed him.
- FIN -
----
A/N: And that, as they say, is that. Whee! I'm a little sad that BTT has now definitely come to a close, but this certainly won't prevent me from writing a few spin-offs. The sex, as always, gave me one hell of a headache, so I'd love to hear your thoughts. ♥
- Karihide (pronounced: kah-rih-hih-deh) does not exist. I made that village up. But you can't tell me that the total population of Sisa lives in exactly five settlements. XD
- I already mentioned bonding a few times - it seems to be a rudimentary psychic connection which allows touga and sanga to sense each other's presence, but I don't see why a strong bond shouldn't enable them to sense strong feelings from one another, as well.
- Ear- and tail-fetish? Present and accounted for.
- I think of Konoe as a sexually mature character. He may be a little overwhelmed when it comes to sex in the game, since it's his first time, but even there, he's far from the stereotypical blushing virgin.
- Rai ordering Konoe to sleep - is this familiar? Why yes, it is. Consider it an in-joke from the game. ^^
- THERE YOU HAVE YOUR CHIRPING, sexual_ennui. ♥
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