Crossing Lines

 

"What time is it?"

Hatori didn’t even need to look at his watch to know, but he did anyway, simply for the sake of appearing normal.

"Almost four."

There was a pause, then, "What time are you leaving Monday?"

"Seven."

"In the morning?"

"Why would I leave at seven at night?"

Shigure shrugged, upsetting his balance slightly, but not teetering over. He walked along the low stone ledge that surrounded the Souma lake front property with slightly more grace than Hatori would’ve given him credit for, arms outstretched to keep him from tumbling off the side. To Shigure’s right was a wide dirt road that wound around from the lake to the lake house; on his left was a precarious drop through thorny foliage and underbrush that, though not deadly, wouldn’t have been pleasant.

"I don’t know. Maybe you like long goodbyes."

"I hate any sort of goodbye." Hatori’s voice was a bit more vitriolic than usual as he spoke to his slightly younger friend, keeping his eyes trained on the road as he walked alongside the wall, a good distance from Shigure’s reaching fingers. The two were returning from the lake, where Shigure had taken a short swim, unable to convince Hatori to strip to his undies (or less) and join him. Swims in the lake weren’t uncommon in the least, not even skinny dipping. But this time was different. In two days time a lot of things would change.

Monday Hatori was leaving for the University. He would study to become a doctor and replace the current family doctor, becoming Akito’s prime caretaker and the medical provider for all other family members. He would no longer be "Ha-kun" or "Tori-kun." He would no longer be the quiet, reserved boy he was now. This was his final transition into adulthood, and he wasn’t quite sure what it meant in terms of his relationship with Ayame and Shigure. This was why he had declined joining Shigure for a swim. He had accompanied him to the lake because he was his friend and cousin and in truth he wanted to spend as much time with him and Aya as he could, but the more complicated aspects of their relationship he wasn’t sure how to work out just yet. And since he would be leaving, it meant he would either never work them out or had to have it figured out in the next two days.

Shigure himself had been acting strange. He was obviously not happy with the thought of Hatori leaving them behind. He was also obviously trying to work through the specifics of their relationship as well. Normally he swam naked in the lake, but this time he’d went in denim cut-offs, which were wet now, clinging to his slim thighs and buttocks. His damp hair hanging loose in his eyes, his naked arms stretched out and his upper body twisting and bending to keep his balance... All he wore were those wet cut-offs and it wasn’t very nice in Hatori’s opinion. It was tempting. It was sexy. It was Shigure being clueless, as usual.

Or was he?

It was easy to believe he had no idea how tempting he looked right now. Or how tempting he was on most days. Since it had come out that Hatori and Aya were slightly more than just good friends, he’d been feeling a real strain in his relationship with Shigure. They had let it be known to the excluded member of their trio that he hadn’t been left in the dark for any reason other than a fear of rejection. Shigure’s acceptance of their little love affair had been complete, and in no way whatsoever was he put off by it. Aya even saw fit to include him in some activities, knowing that Hatori didn’t disapprove of it, and truthfully Hatori got a great deal of satisfaction watching the two of them together. But neither of them had crossed the line with Shigure, limiting their contact to heavy petting and deep kisses, though there had been a few occasions when Aya had went a bit further and taken those kisses between Shigure’s legs. Hatori, on the other hand, had never gone any further, and though he really wanted to, he wasn’t sure how to approach the other boy with it. He didn’t know how much Shigure wanted to be involved and wasn’t about to even bring the subject up. For all his lustful bravado, the dog of the family was still very much a pup.

"Oi . . . Ha-kun?"

"What?"

They were coming upon a slope in the road, the house coming into clear view before them. Aya was supposed to meet them there – this was their last weekend alone as a threesome before Hatori left. It was supposed to be special, but Hatori didn’t understand how. Nothing would change until he was gone, so there was nothing special about it. It was just sad.

"Why did you even come to the lake with me if you weren’t going to swim?"

Hatori emitted a heavy sigh. Shigure could sound so childish sometimes, especially when he used that whiny little voice. Pinning him down was like trying to pin down water.

"I figured you didn’t want to be alone."

"Yeah..." Shigure lost his balance slightly, but caught it again, bare toes clenching against the worn stone. "But you almost always get in the water. Is it because . . ." What Shigure said next was hard for him to say, and for some reason it was hard for Hatori to hear. " . . . because Aya’s not here?"

Hatori made a face, stopping and looking up at his friend. "No. Why would you think that?"

Shigure dropped his arms and looked confused for a moment, staring dumbly into Hatori’s hazel eyes. "I don’t know..." He smiled good-naturedly. "I just thought you must like Aya more than me that way."

Hatori’s jaw clenched, and his voice rose of its own volition. "In what way?"

Shigure looked even more taken aback. "You know... in that way." He smiled again, putting on airs and rubbing the back of his head. "That’s why I didn’t take everything off when I got in. I didn’t want to offend your pretty green eyes!" He winked.

Hatori snorted and turned away, his face growing warm. Looking at Shigure in the state he was in – so fresh and simple and clean in those stupid denim shorts – did more for him than seeing him naked. The dip of his navel in the flat expanse of stomach, one hip an inch more exposed than the other, the denim clinging around the slight hill of his groin, teasing him... "Don’t be absurd. Your mouth is the only thing that offends me."

Shigure laughed. "Ahh... so if I were to ask you something like, ‘Why don’t you ever touch me like you touch Aya?’ you would be offended?"

Despite his light tone, Hatori knew he was serious. Flame roared in Hatori’s eyes, and before he knew it he’d swung around and punched Shigure square in the stomach. Shigure gasped, eyes flying open wide, and hunched around the force of the blow. Though his eyes were swimming with bursts of light, he could still think well enough to throw his weight forward so he didn’t roll down the hill. Doing this caused him to crash into Hatori, who fell beneath Shigure’s dead weight. Bracing himself on one hand, Shigure coughed hoarsely into the dirt, his face turned away so as not to wheeze in Hatori’s ear.

Hatori was shocked at himself and his sudden act of violence. He usually didn’t lash back physically; he was much better with words. But Shigure’s casual admittance to feeling left out of his favor had sent a flare of anger through him so white hot he’d had no choice but to hit him.

"Does that answer your question?" he asked in his normal reserved tone as Shigure struggled to catch his breath.

"I... I guess so..." He coughed once more, then broke out into a high whine, "Ooow!! Ha-kun! That hurt!!"

"Shut up," Hatori admonished, moving to get up but then finding he couldn’t. Shigure’s upper body was all but pressed against his, and his left knee was wedged between his legs. He was shaking, most likely from the punch. Hatori froze upon realizing this, as he was now suddenly aware of Shigure’s warmth, his smell of lake water and the faint traces of shampoo still caught in his damp black hair. Said hair was tickling Hatori’s cheek, cool to the touch and satiny. His smooth torso was cool as well, a stark contrast to the warmth Hatori was feeling, and he realized it was his own warmth, moving in powerful waves through his button down shirt. He took a deep breath to steady himself. He was dizzy and wasn’t even standing up.

Shigure sat up slightly, just enough so that he could see into Hatori’s eyes, his expression serious. "Is it true?" His voice was barely a whisper.

"Don’t be stupid!" Hatori retaliated, intending to yell but only able to procure an angered and somewhat hurt murmur. "I . . . I don’t touch you like that because you’ve never asked."

Shigure blinked, his blink saying, "All I had to do was ask?" Then he smiled slightly, a smile that was almost shy, and leaned down to place a small, beckoning kiss on Hatori’s lips.

The other boy was startled even though he’d seen it coming. Another deep breath and he opened his mouth slightly, inviting Shigure further into his warmth. The lake water was still on his lips, a faint sulphuric taste. He didn’t want to think of what was probably in that lake water, so he thought of Shigure’s body instead, and the way he held it above him, that left knee placing the barest amount of pressure between his thighs. Shigure wasn’t about to give in so easily – he didn’t take Hatori’s bait, ignoring the open mouthed kisses returned to him and concentrating solely on working the other boy’s bottom lip, formed to perfection and soft as silk. When he pulled away he was still smiling that shy smile, his cheekbones flushed red.

Hatori’s breathing was pained. He’d really wanted this, wanted it maybe more than he’d wanted Aya that first time, and his heart was telling him so by the way it beat so hard it made his chest feel raw.

"That was me asking," Shigure said after a pause. "In case you didn’t notice. You never noticed all the other times."

"Don’t be a smartass," Hatori warned, but he was smiling when he said it. He reached up to run his fingers through cool hair, watching it fall back into place around warm eyes soft and eager and surprisingly modest. He pulled Shigure back down, meeting him halfway with a kiss so deep it made him whimper in the back of his throat, lowering more of his bare weight against Hatori’s clothed body. Shigure was making a lot of noises, all but panting into his mouth, his tongue tangling insatiably with Hatori’s, and Hatori was amazed because Shigure’d never made noises like that all the other times. He really did want this. And he was driving Hatori mad with it.

He pushed him away, having to catch his breath and needing a moment to think. Shigure pouted at him, looking so much like a kicked puppy it wasn’t funny. "Ha-kun . . ."

"What do you want?" Hatori asked, needing clarification. It was obvious that he wanted Shigure anyway he could have him by the way he was breathing and pressing himself against Shigure’s knee. The other boy stared at him a moment, as if thinking it over, but a slow smile spread over his face as he bent closer to Hatori, murmuring, "I want everything. But mostly I want you to fuck me like you fuck Aya."

He nipped Hatori’s lower lip, playful and sweet, and was immediately after flipped onto his back with Hatori looming over him, kissing him voraciously, baring his hips into Shigure’s. Shigure groaned, pressing back, hands bunching up Hatori’s shirt in an ecstatic attempt to remove it. Hatori had already plunged his hand into Shigure’s shorts, ignoring the zipper (the button had been popped off a long time ago), and had him in his hand, using touch and constriction to build the less experienced boy’s excitement to a greater height. Shigure accidentally bit his tongue, clenching his teeth as he bit back a moan at being so harshly fondled, but Hatori barely noticed the pain and the taste of blood mingling between their lips was twice as erotic as Shigure’s hips bucking against his hand.

Shigure finally realized he wasn’t going to get Hatori’s shirt off unless he unbuttoned it first, but he didn’t have the patience and he didn’t have the state of mind to get patient, so he tugged it apart with more strength than he knew he had. The buttons popped off, flying into the dirt, granting the frantic boy access to the lean chest hovering over him. He ran his hands across his pecs, scraping his nails lightly down Hatori’s stomach. He made a puzzled face.

"Ha-kun . . . how come you’re so . . ."

Hatori squeezed his fingers tight around him just at that moment, cutting off Shigure’s speech receptors and making his eyes roll back in his head.

"How come what?" Hatori asked, nuzzling his nose against Shigure’s in the most affectionate manner, as if to counter for the purposeful roughness of his hand.

". . . so . . . so . . ." Shigure wasn’t sure what he’d wanted to say anymore, and the glorious attention Hatori was showing him – tongue now lapping softly just behind his ear, his breath pooling inside – it left him only able to say, "...so nice."

Hatori chuckled, a low reverberation that shivered through Shigure’s skin as he suckled his throat. "Are you asking? Aren’t I nice all the time?"

Shigure couldn’t answer. He could only turn his face into the other boy’s fine brown hair, sliding his hands beneath the loose shirt and up the firm lines of his back. Hatori sat back enough to slide the shirt off his shoulders, which forced him to take his hand out of Shigure’s shorts, leaving the rough scrape of denim over arousal all he had. Shigure found himself grabbing his own crotch, pumping his hips against both his hands and violating the clammy, worn denim in the best way possible. Hatori started to slip his hand back below his waist, but paused, instead undoing his jeans just enough so that he could pull his own half-formed erection out. Shigure was moaning quietly as he humped his own hand, denying himself the feel of skin for the moment.

Hatori gnawed on his throat, raking teeth over skin then sucking till Shigure groaned and drug one hand down his back. Not too long from now he would have a vivid and lovely assortment of bruises on his neck, but he could give a damn. It was all worth it for this.

"Ha-kun... this is how I imagined it to be..."

Hatori was barely aware of Shigure speaking to him, his hands gripping hard onto his friend’s hips as he used them for steadying his hard-on against Shigure’s shorts. The cold metal teeth of his zipper were nipping at the base of his erection, but it would only take seconds before he’d hardened beyond their reach.

"Imagined what to be?" he asked, sucking at a vein visible in the gray area where throat, shoulder, and collar bone all meet. He pulled Shigure’s denim clad hips against his, sharing in the delicious feel of coarse fabric over hot, sensitive skin. He was unbearably hard, torturing himself on purpose.

"Being with you, stupid," Shigure replied with a tiny bit of impatience, but there was a loving quality to it. It was the only time he’d ever called Hatori stupid, and would be the only time he was ever allowed. But this small slight even went unnoticed as the gist of what Shigure had said hit home. Hatori rose and looked into Shigure’s eyes, all thick glaze and black pupil.

"You imagine being with me?"

Shigure smiled lazily. It was the birth of the Lascivious Shigure Grin. "I’m not imagining anymore," he said sweetly, and brazenly thrust his hands past the loose waist of Hatori’s jeans and clenched on hard to his ass. Hatori grunted, thrusting forward against Shigure’s groin, making their mutual frustration grow.

"I shouldn’t be telling you this," he said through heavy breaths as he lifted a hand to cradle Shigure’s face. The lascivious grin instantly melted away into a look of inquisitive tenderness, and he was just a boy again, nineteen and callow. "I’ve been wanting this for a long time."

Shigure’s smile was a surprised one. "Really?"

Hatori nodded, barely getting out, "Really," before his lips touched Shigure’s and all conversation was ended for the moment. They drew hard on each other’s mouths, as if dying of thirst and this sharing of fluids was their only means of survival. Shigure wrapped his legs around Hatori’s waist, pushing hard against him, more than just frustrated. He wanted the feel of skin, wanted the feel of Hatori’s skin – so sleek and soft and taut over his lissome frame, like heaven under his fingers as they sought to memorize ever dip and ridge of his back. His shoulder blades and his spine and the curve of muscle just between scapula and ribs, the flexing in his lower back as he pressed his hips forward into the juncture of Shigure’s spread legs. He arched his back wantonly, pressing his head into the dirt, the two of them creating an awkward silhouette in the dusty earth. Shigure was desperate, had to be let out of his jeans, was starting to resent Hatori for making him wait like this, even if his kisses were divine and deep and drawing low moans from his throat that he was unaware he even had hiding there. He reached down between them, sadly abandoning the exploration of his lover’s beautiful back in order to release himself, but his questing hand was met with a surprise. The softest skin of all, burning to the touch, exquisite and velveteen and hard. Hatori whimpered when he touched him, easing himself slowly into Shigure’s hand as the curious boy wrapped his fingers around him.

"It’s not fair," Shigure murmured with a quick smile, reaching up to place tiny wet kisses along Hatori’s throat. "You’re bigger than me."

Hatori looked at him through a haze of hunger and saw those wide eyes the color of woodsmoke pouting at him. God, he was fucking cute. Hatori thought that was unfair, that he could be so damn cute all the time, sexy and fuckable and free flowing as water.

"Shut up," he mumbled, and he reached down to finally set Shigure free, much to his relief. Hatori relished the mindless closing of those eyes and the pucker of those brows, his lips parting soundlessly. He kissed those open lips then pulled away, sitting up on his knees so he could work the cut-offs off Shigure’s narrow hips. Shigure still held on to him as he did so, wiggling his hips just so, his erection slick and shiny and bobbing against his stomach. It looked almost painful, making Hatori feel sort of guilty.

Once the shorts were gone he traced a fingertip across the slippery wet slit of the head, smiling dreamily. "You’re not to be laughed at, you know."

Shigure sighed, pulling with barely any pressure at all on Hatori’s prick, finally getting the attention he deserved. "I know," he stated mildly, shifting in the dirt, spreading his legs a little wider, a silent, casual invitation. "Actually, I think I’m harder, so we’re even."

"You’re hotter," Hatori clarified, easing out of Shigure’s grip and taking himself in one hand and Shigure in the other. He pressed their cocks together, rubbing himself up and down Shigure’s sticky length, watching the erotic display with the barest shred of control left. When he glanced up at Shigure’s face he saw his eyes were closed, face knit with concentration. It seemed he was trying to hold on, too.

"Look," Hatori coaxed softly, his voice like that of a compassionate teacher’s. "Look at us."

Shigure was hesitant, taking a deep breath before opening his eyes and looking down at himself and Hatori, two thick pearly beads dribbling from his tip. He was trying to force a smile, even though it was hard to. All he wanted to do was yell and moan and get fucked seven ways to Sunday.

"See... you are bigger." His voice was ragged, but it made Hatori laugh anyway. He let go of them, bending to kiss Shigure lovingly, gathering him in his arms.

"Have I teased the puppy dog enough?" Another deep kiss.

"More than enough." Hands on his ass, groping and pulling him against his body.

"It’s not going to be pleasant at first."

"I don’t give a fuck." Shigure laughed. "Well, okay, I do." He kissed him back hard, ready and more than willing.

Hatori reached down to take hold of him once again, pulling with deliberate strokes meant to soothe and relax as he pressed a finger to Shigure’s opening. He reflexively tightened, refusing the intrusive digit. Hatori pressed on anyway, gently massaging the ring of muscle that clenched to refuse, relaxing it with coaxing pressure so that he could slip his finger in past the first knuckle. He watched Shigure’s face, looking for signs of pain or nausea. It was a well known fact that Shigure’s tolerance for pain was very low, which made him feel even more guilty for punching him in the stomach. It was a wonder he hadn’t made the idiot throw up on him. But that was all the more reason to make it up to him, and no matter what, he wasn’t about to hurt Shigure again.

"How are you?" he asked, kissing the tiny wrinkle between Shigure’s eyebrows.

"Okay..."

He pushed in a little farther, to the second knuckle, hooking his finger and moving it some. Shigure’s brow wrinkled a bit more, but when he spoke it was the opposite of what Hatori had expected to hear.

"Mm . . . Ha-kun . . ."

Hatori swallowed hard, his chest aching and his own patience wearing thin. The cock in his hand was sticky-sweet with wanting him, the body before him was young and perfect and not much different from his own. Narrow hips and slim thighs, skin flushed pink and nipples neat swollen peaks of need. He probed further, up to the third and last knuckle, pushing forward so that Shigure spread against his hand, spiraling his finger inside until the other boy gave a sudden buck and yelped. Hatori thought he’d hurt him. But when Shigure opened his eyes and gave him a wanton, desperate look and said, "Do that again," he figured it was time to add another finger.

Shigure closed his eyes and pressed down on the subtle invasion, enjoying this intimacy even more than he’d expected. It was as close as he’d ever get to Ha-kun, and he knew he wanted to be that close before the other boy had to go away. If he wasn’t then it would truly feel like he was the third wheel, the odd man out, an outcast among the two closest friends he had. That was the last thing he wanted to feel. Within the Souma family friends were hard to come by, and he understood all too well how precious his friendship with Hatori and Aya was. Though he’d probably never admit it in a simple way, he would show them how much he needed them any way he could.

His train of thought was veering about wildly in his head. Hatori was moving his fingers around inside him, coming so close to that place and just missing it every time. Shigure bared down on him hard, forcing his fingers into that tiny place where stars were born and died before his very eyes. He could feel him so close, Hatori’s heat and his prick against the inside of his thigh, rubbing against the seam of his leg and just missing the base of his own weeping erection. He couldn’t stand it anymore.

He sat up some and yanked down Hatori’s pants, then pulled the other boy forward in an effort to get him completely naked. Never mind that he was wearing shoes and still had two fingers up Shigure’s ass. Hatori was taken by surprise, but when Shigure’s efforts only served to cause him to press into his prostate again, the boy became a puddle of near orgasmic trembling. Hatori pulled out and steadied his hard-on against Shigure’s opening.

"Ready?" he asked curtly, voice husky. Shigure nodded weakly, running his hands down his own body, teasing his own hard nipples then sliding one hand down his stomach and over Hatori’s fist. It would become a sexual habit that would drive the other man wild, the way he touched himself like that. With a deep breath to calm his own nerves, he pressed forward, Shigure stretching around him until the head was fully enveloped, and Hatori realized he’d greatly underestimated Shigure’s tolerance for pain.

He was so insufferably tight that for a split second he considered pulling out, thinking he had to be hurting the other boy, there was no way he couldn’t be in pain. But Shigure wasn’t making a sound, and he wasn’t crying, and his dick was still hard as stone in Hatori’s hand.

"Shi...Shigure?"

"More," he whispered, eyes closed and an expression on his face that was nowhere near uncomfortable enough. "More, Ha-kun. Don’t stop."

Hatori swallowed again, his heart pounding in his chest and in his cock, and eased himself further into his lover’s body and heat. The stretch that accommodated him was natural, but he still felt unnecessarily tense and tight.

"Shigure – "

He was cut off by woodsmoke eyes sliding open and staring at him with such a look of peace – something about the way he looked right now was almost angelic. It was so endearing. It made Hatori want to kiss him, but he was too afraid of hurting him to move.

"Ha-kun..."

"W-what?" His voice was shaking uncontrollably.

"Don’t stop," he said again, closing his eyes, and he sounded so small and content and nothing like how Shigure normally sounded. Hatori just lowered his head and murmured, "Alright."

He slid in all the way, till there was nothing separating his body from his best friend’s and lover’s. Shigure strained against him, arching his back as he steadied his hands on Hatori’s ass, digging his fingers into muscle and skin.

Hatori bent forward, kissing the upward curve of Shigure’s chest, shaking. He hadn’t expected it to be like this.

"Oh God, Shigure..." He tried to go farther inside, even though he couldn’t. Shigure was breathing hard, chest rising and falling against Hatori’s lips, fingers bruising on his backside.

"Ha-to-riiiii...."

"What?" He looked up, bent so far over him that his own chest was pressing into Shigure’s stomach, his throbbing hard-on hot and slick against the bottom of his breast bone.

"I said don’t stop!"

Hatori managed a laugh. What a pushy lover Shi-chan was turning out to be. He caught himself as soon as he thought it. Shi-chan? He snorted, smiling at his own silliness.

"I’m sorry, Shi-chan, don’t take off my head." Sarcastic and affectionate.

"I already . . . have one head . . ." Breathless and a little triumphant.

Hatori pulled back a little, then forward, small thrusts that were rough and exquisite. "That you do."

Shigure was still arching up against him, toes baring into the dirt as he tried to spread his legs farther apart. "Touch me, goddammit..."

"Sorry..." Hatori wasn’t sure when he’d released him, but he took him again, trying to time his strokes and his thrusts, wanting both methods of pleasure to work in getting him off. And though he was trying his best to be slow and gentle and not his usual rough self (as Aya had once complained that he was way too rough and a little gentility was appreciated sometimes), he couldn’t help but get faster, and thrust harder, until the other boy was jostled by his thrusts, hands slipping on his ass and fingers digging closer to his own entrance. Shigure was being loud, surprisingly louder than Aya, pumping up into Hatori’s hand and putting all his weight onto his shoulders as his bottom half was lifted off the ground. He drove into him at an angle, forcing the choked gasps from Shigure’s lips, where he begged for more and pleaded to come.

From his perspective it was everything he’d wanted – Hatori looming over him, sex on legs and knowing it even if he tried to hide it, thrusting between his legs and jacking him off at the same time, his hand gleaming in the stuttering sunlight that fell through the leaves. His best friend, one of the first and only people he’d come to respect and love, and this reality he considered better than any fantasy he’d ever had about girls.

Hatori was so near orgasm he could taste it, bending Shigure near double as he pounded into him, squeezing his cock in a frenzy to see him come. He always needed to see Aya come and had always dreamed of seeing Shigure do the same. The few times he had watched them it had been a veiled view, Aya taking it inside and hoarding it so Hatori could never see. The thought sent a different sort of pleasure jolt through him, and he already knew what he was going to do when he came back for his first visit.

He was completely unaware of the path of Shigure’s fingers, slipping further and further until he had Hatori’s ass practically pried apart. It was a last minute thought, probably just some knee-jerk reaction to feeling the pucker of flesh he’d inadvertently found, but Shigure wasted no time slipping one long finger inside Hatori, the angle he was bent at and the angle at which Hatori was bent providing perfect entrance. Upward it slid, shocking Hatori to the point of where he nearly stopped everything, but it was so quick it had already pressed hard into the place it was seeking, making the dominant boy nearly choke on his sudden orgasm. He thrust twice as hard as before, the pleasure forced from his body like a torpedo, and the resulting impact within Shigure’s body caused him, in turn, to reach climax, his voice dropping five notes as he came. The angle of his body caused him to barely miss coming on his face, the ejaculate instead going into the dirt and even into his hair. Not that he cared either way. Hatori’s tension and release rang through his body and back out again, and if there were ever any doubts as to the meaning of their relationship, it all went out the window.

Hatori literally collapsed on top of his friend, spent to the point where he could barely form words. Still twined together, they lay until they caught their breath, both their minds completely blank. Shigure eventually realized his finger was still caught rather immodestly between Hatori’s ass cheeks and sheepishly removed it. Hatori snickered like a little kid.

"You sneaky dog."

Shigure would’ve laughed, but for once it really hadn’t been his intention. "I didn’t mean to do it, actually..."

"Mm... glad you did."

Shigure smiled. "Me too."

There was a moment of silence. Birds were singing – had they been singing all along? – and the sunlight shone at a different bend through the leaves. It was Autumn, but they were still green. Looking up, Shigure found himself depressed thinking of the day when they would start to change colors. He knew he’d be alone. It would be the first fall where he’d have to watch the leaves turn on his own.

Tentatively, he reached his arms up and enfolded Hatori against him. The other boy murmured some noise of approval and snuggled close, sliding up so that his face was nestled in the crook of Shigure’s throat.

"Is it wrong of me to say I don’t want you to leave?" he asked softly, his eyes wide and empty as he stared into the trees.

Hatori was quiet, contemplating. "Is it wrong of me to say I don’t want to leave? We’re all feeling the same thing. We haven’t been separated in all the years we’ve known each other. I think it’s time we learned to live on our own."

"But . . . you’re going away . . . and Aya’s going to be busy with that silly shop idea of his, and where am I going to be?"

Shigure sounded truly pitiful, using his small childish voice again, only this time it didn’t seem like an act. Hatori lifted his head and looked down at him. He was definitely not acting.

"Shigure . . . I thought you were going to send some of your manuscripts in to publishers?"

"I am," he admitted, looking away from the intense olive eyes of the dragon. How could a dog ever stand up to a dragon? "But I’ll still be here. It doesn’t mean I’m going anywhere."

"We’re not going anywhere either, stupid. I’ll be back when I’m done with school. I have no choice. And Ayame’s not moving into the city. We can’t go anywhere. We’re Souma’s. We have to stay here."

Shigure looked back at him, his eyes completely serious. "I know. And sometimes I wish we didn’t."

"Then why are you sad about us going away?"

"It’s true . . . you’ll only be gone sometimes . . . and we do need to learn to live on our own. But as long as we’re apart of this family, that’ll never truly happen. I hate it here sometimes." He looked away again, up into the trees. "The only thing that makes it tolerable is you and Aya. That’s why . . . I don’t want to be alone. Because I can’t stand this place."

"Shigure . . ." He touched his face, not knowing what to say to comfort him. He thought maybe it was wrong, but it was all he knew to do - he changed the subject. "You’ve got cum in your hair."

Shigure smirked. "Wonder how that happened?"

Hatori feigned indifference, but he was fooling no one. He rolled over and sat up, frowning at his dusty knees. His pants were tangled around his ankles, also rather grimy. Shigure sat up, his entire back covered with dirt.

"We’re a disgusting, wretched mess," Hatori exclaimed. "And it’s all your fault."

"Ha-kun didn’t have to fuck me!" Shigure chimed pleasantly, reaching for his shorts then wincing. He tried to hide it, but he couldn’t hide anything from Hatori. They knew each other too well.

Hatori was careful in his questioning. "How do you feel?"

"Like a fresh spring shower!"

"Stupid. I hurt you."

"You didn’t hurt me. I hurt myself. It was my fault anyway, right?"

"Stupid," Hatori said again, but he was saying it to himself this time, looking down at himself. If he saw blood he would lose it.

"I’m tough, Ha-kun. You – " He stopped mid-sentence, great distress flashing in his eyes.

"What?"

"I just realized something. When you go away and come back, I won’t get to call you Ha-kun anymore!" Of course this was said in a desperately upset whine.

"You can call me Ha-kun if you want to. We’re family." Hatori stood up, pulling his pants back up. He felt very gritty and kind of gross. In a good sort of way.

Shigure shook his head. "No. I’ll have to call you Ha-san. It has a ring to it, doesn’t it? Ha-san~!" He beamed.

Hatori rolled his eyes, shrugging back into his shirt. A perfectly fine white shirt, ruined. He thought this before he even realized all the buttons had been popped off.

"And when I’m a famous novelist, you’ll have to call me Shigure-sensei!"

"In your dreams." He reached down and helped the prattling idiot stand up, since he was obviously not going to do it on his own. "I call you Shigure now and I will always call you Shigure."

Shigure gazed into his eyes, batting them girlishly. "Really, Ha-san? Always?"

"Idiot. Put your shorts on."

He turned his back only because he knew Shigure didn’t want him to see how much pain he was in. He even walked ahead a little as they made their way to the house, knowing that Aya had probably made it there by now and would either be fuming at their late arrival or pushing for obvious answers to obvious questions. He made a vow to himself as they walked back, Shigure bantering on about how things would be when "Ha-san" made himself a doctor: he wouldn’t be separated from his friends again. No matter what. If it meant that much to Shigure and Aya, he would be there for them. He knew that they would be there for him. He had no idea how much he would need them to fulfill that promise in the future. He also promised himself that he’d treat Shigure’s sore bum for all the pain and strain he’d caused. He knew that it was only a matter of time before the silly dog started whining. Might as well start into his doctoral duties early...

____________________

In my place, in my place
Were lines that I couldn't change
I was lost, oh yeah
And I was lost, I was lost
Crossed lines I shouldn't have crossed
I was lost, oh yeah
I was scared, I was scared
Tired and underprepared
But I wait for it
If you go, if you go
Leave me down here on my own
Then I'll wait for you....
(Sing it) Please, please, please
Come back and sing to me
To me... me

"In My Place," Coldplay