Work Text:
Being of the first to arrive at the scene, it was crucial that he approached the situation properly, assessed the possible dangers and evaluated what needed to be done to ensure the safety of both his colleagues, any possible witnesses and most importantly the victims.
They got the call that would change Hanma Shuji’s life a little over a month before Christmas time. The caller reported a car accident off the highway leading into the city, there were two cars involved according to them, one had swerved into the opposite lane and in an effort to regain control of his own vehicle, the second driver had crashed right into the traffic barrier.
The first thing they did after arriving at the scene was to redirect the traffic and gain control over the crowd that had begun to gather near the sight. The car wasn’t yet burning but there was smoke and one of the first things Hanma was to notice as the first one there was the possible fuel leakage. At first glance, there was no immediate danger that called for evacuation before the rest of the crew arrived, so right after evaluating the situation he turned his attention towards the victim.
“I have absolutely no idea how it happened,” the young man and owner of the car attempted to explain, wildly gesticulating and in an obvious state of panic as he looked at what was left of his car and the barrier. He appeared unhurt and his only injuries were minor bruises and a couple of bleeding scrapes, nothing that needed medical attention. “I kept telling myself to be careful ‘cus it was a long day, I was going to pick up my boyfriend ‘cus he finishes work very late and...and...the car...”
“You lost control of the car?” Hanma summarised helpfully, feeling compassion for him and having enough training and self-control to know not only how to deal with the situation but also with the victims that were often if not always under severe stress.
“Yeah, there...There was just another car that got in my lane, I don’t know why, it...I think it was trying to, like, speed ahead, I don’t know...” He stuttered, breathing deeply a couple of times before looking up at Hanma. “Will I be in trouble? Do I have to go to the police or something, I called my friend to pick me up, I-I gotta go get my boyfriend-”
“Okay, okay, calm down first,” Hanma reassured him. “Listen, first of all, we’re waiting for the police and the rest of the response team to make sure everything is safe, yeah? You have no injuries?”
The young man shook his head, hesitating only briefly as if to decide whether he really was injured or not.
“Alright, then you’ll be alright, it’s great that you called someone too. At the moment you’ll need someone to at least drive you home, not to mention first and foremost keep you calm and take you to a hospital if you decide you do need medical attention. Now, when the police come, it’s likely that they’ll need your names and personal information to make a protocol...”
“Yes, right, of course,” the young man nodded quickly when Hanma trailed off to give him the chance to introduce himself. “My name’s Matsuno. Do I give you my social number and address, or...? My phone number maybe, I don’t-”
“Chifuyu!”
They looked up towards the source of the voice only to see another young man running towards them down the highway, pushing through everyone and even one of Hanma’s colleagues who he had put there to keep everyone out of the perimeter. Judging by his disregard for everything and everyone on his way and the urgency he ran towards them with the moment he saw Mr Matsuno talking to Hanma, that must’ve been the friend that had just been mentioned, coming in just on time.
“Shit, Chifuyu, are you okay!” He gasped, not minding Hanma’s presence and focusing only on his friend. His eyes were wide and struck with fear and worry. “What happened? Fuck, let me see that, shit, are you hurt? Does it hurt anywhere? We need to get you to the hospital, I can’t, like, check anything here.”
“I’m fine, no, no hospitals,” Chifuyu refused. He was still shaking quite badly but otherwise, he appeared alright. “Seriously, please, just...I was headed to get Kei, I...”
“You mean you didn’t call him!” The friend exclaimed. “Why?! What if something worse had happened, huh! Jesus, Chifuyu!”
“Okay, okay, no, nothing happened, I’m fine. I swear. Look, I just have to wait for, um, the police, yeah? Then we can go, I'll call Kei...”
He looked at Shuji as though to get a confirmation that their presence wouldn’t be needed there once the basic procedures were through. As soon as he did, acknowledging Shuji’s presence, his friend finally noticed him as well and when he looked up at Shuji, the tension in his shoulders considerably lessened and he heaved a quiet sigh, almost one of relief. He looked Shuji up and down, colour flooding his cheeks briefly, and Shuji couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes showed interest.
“Lieutenant Hanma Shuji,” he introduced himself, “I suppose you’re the friend that was called. There's nothing to worry about, the situation is under control and you should be able to go in a couple of minutes, excuse us for the wait.”
“I’m...Um, Chifuyu’s friend,” the other replied carefully. “Kazutora. It's really nice to meet you, thank you for being here and watching out for Chifuyu for me, his boyfriend is about to beat his ass in a couple of hours, so...”
“Kazutora,” Chifuyu warned, nudging his side. “How about you shut up?”
“Don’t tell me to shut up, you dumb idiot, you can’t just call me while I'm asleep and go, I was in an accident, the car is trashed, come get me! What were you going to do if I was at work?!”
“Still call you,” Chifuyu shrugged after a moment of thought. “You would’ve come, with an ambulance...”
“No, shut up!” Kazutora exclaimed, obviously terrified by what Chifuyu was suggesting. “Don’t say that, fuck, but, no, listen, we’re going to the hospital, someone has to check you out. Wait, no, let me see-”
“Tora, no, not now, I'm okay, I swear. Just some bruises...”
“I work at a hospital,” Kazutora said suddenly, turning towards Shuji again. The blinking bright lights on the sirens around them made it seem as though his eyes were changing colours. It was an odd thing to blurt out, especially in a situation such as the current one, but Shuji found it endearing. Actually, he himself wanted to say something, anything, to get the attention back on himself, and not just any attention, Kazutora’s . “I’m a nurse, I just got off work actually, I know you know what it’s like, being a first responder. You must be really stressed, right before the holidays and everything...”
“Actually-”
He grinned, ready to continue the casual conversation, when the sudden appearance of a couple of police cars up the highway towards the scene caught both him and Kazutora off guard. That and the sound of the sirens reminded Shuji that he was at work and his duties were not to be ignored.
When he looked at Kazutora again to excuse himself, he was back with Chifuyu who was talking over the phone, most likely with his boyfriend. Shuji had been so caught up in looking at him, captivated by the way the lights danced in his eyes, to even enjoy the fact that Kazutora wasn’t the one dating Chifuyu. He couldn’t know but he had a small, irrational hope that...He wasn’t seeing anyone.
With a job like his, surrounded by statistics, always on the clock, and properly stressed all year ‘round, Hanma Shuji didn’t believe in the holiday spirit anymore. He had lost it early on in his life, growing up as an unruly kid without parental supervision. His early childhood had passed on the street sharing instant noodles and premade sushi rolls with the guys that followed him. There were hardly ever presents and family dinners during Christmas, so Shuji thought of it as just another day.
Obviously, with an attitude like that, boyfriends and girlfriends didn’t stick around for long. They demanded attention and his company during the holidays, things Shuji could rarely give, if only because his job was demanding. A good number of bad things tended to happen during Christmas and New Year’s, various accidents and fires, some of which dangerous and ranging in severity. His exes never believed what a responsibility Shuji carried, they hadn’t seen the results of even the most minor mistake before, but Shuji knew better.
He hadn’t gotten a gift for Christmas since his last breakup and it had been well over two years now. Well, another year without any romance in his life, he could live with that. He had plenty of time, and his career was more important anyway.
So Shuji thought.
Every year once Halloween passed and the end of November neared, the holiday spirit came to town, and with it, people’s unimaginable urge to buy gifts and decorations. It was actually funny how most people acted as though they’d never been in a store before then, buying and wasting money on rather pointless things to treat themselves with for the occasion. The streets were packed, the stores were so full there was hardly any room to shuffle and look around. Shuji wasn’t the type to shop, but he enjoyed people watching, catching bits and pieces of their conversations and feeling for a brief moment that he was a part of...something.
It was during one such early afternoon walk that he got to see him again. Life worked in mysterious ways, apparently, and sometimes the paths of fate led us towards each other without any obvious reason. Shuji didn’t believe in coincidences but there was no other way to call whatever happened that day.
He was just on his way home from the grocery store, ready to make himself a pot of ramen and watch some TV while he enjoyed the time he had to himself, when he spotted Kazutora walking out of one of the stores lining the side of the street. He stood at the door frame, talking to somebody inside with a bright smile, his high spirits and energetic chatter stealing Shuji’s breath as if it was his own energy Kazutora was feeding on.
He decided that there was no reason standing there like a creep just as Kazutora noticed him approaching. His cheeks were bright pink just like the tip of his nose and it was a rather cute look on him.
“Well,” Kazutora smiled, recognising him quickly, and just like that night on the road, for a short moment, he looked at Shuji as though he was the only other person in the world with him. “Hi! Doing some last-minute shopping?”
“No,” Shuji shook his head, pulling on a smile and walking closer. As he did, he noticed that Kazutora had just walked out of a pet shop. “I don’t do any Christmas shopping, fortunately.”
“What’s fortunate about that?!” Kazutora exclaimed. “There's nothing better! Ah, hey, Chifuyu, look who’s here!”
When Shuji took a look inside the spacious store, at the register he noticed another familiar face.
“Oh!” Chifuyu gasped when he noticed him next to Kazutora at the door. “Hi! What a surprise, I never expected to see you again.”
“Lieutenant Hanma, was it...?” Kazutora said, looking up at Shuji again with a discreet grin. “You’re off work?”
“So I am...You too?”
“Yeah, I just came by to see him, Chifuyu owns the store...”
“I see, that’s...impressive, really.”
Noticing the way their awkward attempt at a conversation was blocking the door, Chifuyu interrupted them, “Listen, either get in or get out, and close the door! It's freezing...”
Kazutora did close the door, the bell above ringing merrily, before looking back at Shuji, “Um...It is freezing, actually, mind if we...”
“I was going home,” Shuji raised a brow. “I mean...It’s lunchtime.”
“Well then, I'm hungry too, we can...?” Kazutora trailed off, kicking at the frozen snow on the ground.
“Go get something,” Shuji finished, enjoying their little back-and-forth efforts of talking to each other like adults.
Kazutora grinned, “I’d like that.”
They snuck inside a pretty casual place, fitting for both of them considering neither was prepared for anything fancy. Shuji was actually surprised that it was Kazutora’s first pick, it left him with the pleasant thought that he was humble and had invited him to lunch, not for the sake of taking advantage but to talk to him in a setting more intimate than the crowded street in the freezing weather.
“How’s your friend doing?” Shuji asked as soon as they sat down and placed their order; they could watch the cook make their ramen bowls right in front of them and it was pleasing to watch him work to feed them with such obvious care. “I mean, it’s been a couple of days since his little accident...”
“Oh, Chifuyu? Yeah, no, he’s tough, he got really mad about the car later actually,” Kazutora laughed. “Yeah, the car is trashed, don’t worry, he has insurance. Baji was mad though, they got in a bit of a screaming match when we went to get him...Nothing serious though! They always do that.”
“And Baji is...?”
“His boyfriend. Yeah, they’re...They’re a cute couple...”
He might’ve said something that would be considered quite positive on its own, a compliment every couple would love to receive, but judging by his tone of voice and the way he bit his lip right after made Shuji think that though happy for them, Kazutora wasn’t particularly entertained by it.
“Why that face?” He decided to tease him, perhaps not the best choice. “Are you the third wheel in that relationship?”
“Not...really,” Kazutora sighed, drumming his fingers atop the wooden counter. “It’s a long story.”
“You can tell me another time then, as long as I'm not making anyone jealous by stealing your attention.”
“No, there’s no one to be angry about that. How about you? Do I need to state the obvious, or...?”
Shuji scoffed, “The obvious?”
“Yeah,” Kazutora smiled again, “the obvious, it being that you’re single too.”
“And how did you decide that?”
“Well, you’re out here buying instant noodles and premade sushi rolls for lunch. You don’t do Christmas shopping, so you have nobody to buy presents for. You're a first responder, a firefighter! I mean, that was my first hint actually, the first time we met.”
“Oh?”
“Hey, I work at a hospital. I know how hard it is to have a relationship with a job like that...”
Shuji couldn’t help but smile as he listened to Kazutora pointing out all the little things that had caught his attention about him, it stroked his ego a little bit to know that he had maybe thought about it. He might not have been bright enough to make a good protagonist in a crime story but he didn’t need any intuition to understand right away what Shuji’s situation was. And Shuji liked that, he liked it a lot, he had never been the type of person anyone could see right through in only a couple of minutes but Kazutora was doing it seemingly without any effort.
“I was gonna say that you don’t really look like you work at a hospital,” he said just as their food was served, the two steaming ceramic bowls now placed in front of them.
“And what do the people that work in hospitals look like...?” Kazutora asked, not especially pleased to hear that. He seemed a bit hostile, to say the least, and Shuji wondered if he was doing the right thing by changing the subject. Of course, he spoke first and thought about it later...
“Well, one, they don’t have cool tattoos,” he counted, “two, they don’t have wacky hair? Did you get custom yellow scrubs with kitten paws on them or are they animal print?”
“Ha, ha,” Kazutora mumbled blandly, taking his chopsticks. “I see your sense of humour is the reason you don’t have a girlfriend. Or boyfriend.”
“I've never thought about it, could be,” Shuji chuckled. ”No, seriously, I’m sorry if I offended you just now. I'm sure you're awesome at your job. Why nurse and not doctor?”
Kazutora shrugged. Maybe he hadn’t taken Shuji’s attempt to joke with him that seriously but Shuji was nevertheless a bit concerned now.
“I guess...I don’t know. It happened like that. It's just...Baji, I mean, Chifuyu’s boyfriend, so he’s my best friend, right, since we were kids. So, he decided he wanted to be a vet one day and someone made a joke that I should be his nurse. But, honestly, I’ve always been scared of the thought of working with animals...”
“Why?”
“’Cus...They look at you with those eyes, man! Don't laugh! I mean, they look like they’re so...Like babies, and you can’t explain to them that it’s going to be alright, ‘cus you don’t even know if they understand you...No, I can’t do it, I really can’t, it takes a special kind of nerve.”
He looked over at Shuji, properly insulted now when he laughed despite Kazutora’s warning not to. The way he spoke was awfully endearing and Shuji really couldn’t help himself.
“And why firefighter then?” Kazutora asked, quickly shifting the attention towards Shuji rather than himself.
“Because with the number of times I've run from cops when I was younger, becoming one seemed like a really bad idea,” Shuji said, not particularly bothered by the truth. The only reason he hadn’t ever gotten in trouble with the police was that he had always managed to run faster, he never said he had been a good boy. He hadn’t been one of the bad ones...But his teen years could’ve gone much smoother than they had.
“No way,” Kazutora gasped, “you too?”
They looked at each other and as soon as they did, as soon as Shuji noticed the way Kazutora’s lips wobbled as he struggled to stop himself from laughing, both of them did.
“Oh, I get it,” Kazutora said, catching his breath as he nodded towards Shuji’s hands wrapped around the hot bowl of ramen for warmth, “so that’s the reason for the awful tattoo choice, you were a bad boy.”
“And you?” Shuji asked, adding to their back-and-forth game of cat and mouse, only he couldn’t decide whether he was the one doing the chase or the other way around. Frankly, it had been a long time since he last had so much fun flirting with anyone, and Kazutora seemed like he enjoyed it just as much. “Nobody but a kid gets a tattoo as tacky as that and in a place so hard to cover.”
“Turtle necks are comfy...Hey, when I got it, I was convinced I'd die by twenty or something, how was I supposed to know I'd go to nursing school! Plus,” he added, not without a pinch of pride, “I work at a kid’s ward and they love it. It's insane how much I've drawn on kids’ arms to cheer them up.”
“Well, then you’ve definitely not been a bad boy in high school, that’s for sure.”
“I never said I was...Well...I might surprise you.”
He looked up at Shuji, a playful spark dancing in his eyes, and that was the moment Shuji realised that he wouldn’t mind getting a surprise or two if Kazutora was the one to give them.
He was of the younger ones on the force and yet he had taken part in plenty of seminars and trainings to know that teamwork was the essence of their chosen profession, thus teambuildings were often organised and participation was required.
And yet, despite knowing all of that and understanding its importance, Hanma Shuji would do anything he could to save himself the effort of socialising and avoid attending the gatherings the department organised on a monthly basis at least. The problem wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy spending time with his colleagues, they were all perfectly fine and great guys, the thing was that most of them considered Shuji their boss and so tended to approach him not exactly as a friend, if they dared approach him at all.
No, Shuji wasn’t a workaholic. He enjoyed his free time and he also liked hanging out with friends, the problem was that he thought of most of his colleagues as nothing but that, their relationship was strictly professional, so, of course, as soon as he was told the department was organising a party to celebrate Christmas a couple of days before the holiday, he felt nervous.
He spent the next few days wondering if there would be some kind of way to excuse himself, but after having missed the last few events, Shuji didn’t feel like planning a quick escape this time. He'd show up, stay for a couple of drinks and go home to enjoy the rest of his night with a movie and a glass of whiskey, nothing too fancy. He had been informed that reservations were already made and the general consensus was that he was going, whether he liked it or not, and that was quite flattering, Shuji couldn’t help but reluctantly agree.
He realised that he had made the right decision only a couple of minutes into the evening, having finished most of his first drink and having a good time, when he walked towards the well-lit bar where friends and couples were comfortably talking and enjoying their own company, to get a refill. As soon as he did and raised a hand to call for the bartender, he caught sight of one very familiar person doing just the same right next to him.
“I’ll pay for both of them,” Shuji told the bartender as soon as he turned to get Kazutora’s drink.
His attentiveness surprised Kazutora enough that he looked at him startled, realising quickly who he had accidentally bumped into, again. When he did, he smiled, the genuine smile Shuji loved to see, and as he realised his gesture, his cheeks grew rather red even though it was hard to see in the dim club.
“Hi!” Kazutora exclaimed. “Are you chasing me around or something? This is the third time this month we run into each other.”
“You’re the one that’s constantly popping up wherever I am,” Shuji laughed. “How do I know you’re not the stalker?”
“I’m pretty sure neither of us has the time or patience to be stalking anyone. You're looking really fancy, are you here with a date?”
“Just a gathering with a couple of colleagues from the department. Which isn’t so unfortunate though, I would prefer to see you than be on some random blind date.”
“Oh, really?” Kazutora raised a brow, visibly trying to keep it cool though his short nervous laugh ruined the image quicker than he could’ve saved it. “Well...That’s a good thing then, I'm here with some friends too.”
“I wouldn’t want to keep you busy here, I bet a lot of people are lining up to try themselves out with you. By the way, I'm just joking, you look great.”
That was an understatement. While the last two times they met each other by accident Kazutora had been casually dressed or so distressed that taking note of his attire wasn’t top priority, Shuji couldn’t help but notice how good he looked now. His jeans, tight and dark, formed his thighs and butt perfectly, even though it was adorably flat, the tank top he wore left little to the imagination, and the subtle touch of eyeliner around his eyes only made them pop.
The bartender put their glasses on the bar in front of them and only then did Shuji notice that neither of them had said anything quite yet, staring at each other – him with a deep appreciation for Kazutora’s looks and Kazutora at him with a rather goofy, joyful smile as though he was a bit tipsy already on the compliment alone.
“I...wouldn’t want to take you away from your colleagues,” Kazutora said, clearing his throat and looking down at his drink.
“I don’t think they’d mind, I didn’t want to come much anyway,” Shuji grinned lazily, crossing his arms over the bar. “Unless I'm stealing you away from your friends...I wouldn’t mind spending more time with you here.”
“Careful, I might convince myself this is a date...”
“It can be whatever you say. Personally, I wouldn’t mind whatever it is.”
It was rather naïve to refer to a few accidental meetings as dates or the reason for something more serious than that, but they were both adults and Shuji knew that with Kazutora’s job, he most likely didn’t have much time to think about a serious relationship either. That made their situation quite convenient...
What was he even thinking? It was impossible that he would allow himself to fall for a completely random person he had met under various circumstances thrice now. He didn’t know Kazutora at all and their limited time together hadn’t given him the chance to really get to know him, all he knew and felt was that there was a kind of attraction between the two, and he didn’t mind it a single bit.
But attraction, be it emotional or sexual, had little to do with thinking of a serious relationship, something Shuji wasn’t sure he was prepared for. He wouldn’t want to disappoint Kazutora if he somehow began thinking of something serious with him either.
It was dangerous, the thoughts and feelings he was having at that moment, but Shuji couldn’t find it in himself to care. Kazutora's company felt good, better than anything so far. He understood him, his sense of humour and eagerness to talk to him and learn more about Shuji were so lovely.
They spent the next hours sharing drinks at the bar and the more Shuji got lost in his own head where his feelings for Kazutora were concerned, the more he began to realise that Kazutora must’ve been thinking something quite similar. The more he spoke about himself and his work, the quicker Shuji began to realise that at this point, all he wanted was to enjoy his company, just like Shuji did, and he did so without any fear or remorse of what could possibly happen were they to meet again, no matter the circumstances.
Kazutora was incredibly honest about what he liked and disliked, about what he wanted and didn’t, and so far he hadn’t mentioned anything about a serious relationship with anybody even once. Shuji liked to think that that was a positive thing, unless he was waiting for him to make the first step.
But what Shuji hadn’t figured out yet was that Kazutora wasn’t the type to wait and tease when he knew what he wanted. While all those pointless thoughts of his bounced about in his head as they talked, enjoying the intimacy of each other’s company, Kazutora’s train of thought was easily going in a similar direction, if not the exact same one.
“I had a really great time tonight,” he told Shuji just as the evening was soon to come to its end, both of them being called over to their separate groups much more stubbornly now. The truth was that neither of them wanted to leave the other’s side at the moment but making excuses to stay at the bar or with each other was becoming difficult.
“It really doesn’t have to end like this,” Shuji told him, wondering if Kazutora would understand that his words conveyed a not so straight forward message. “We can go somewhere, together. The night doesn’t have to be over.”
Kazutora seemed to hesitate, not because he didn’t know Shuji was right and because he didn’t want and wouldn’t follow him wherever he led him, but to continue their elaborate, flirtatious game of tag that had been going on since their first meeting.
Hearing his suggestion, Kazutora bit his lip to stop himself from smiling, “Well...I wouldn’t mind that either.”
His laugh was endearingly awkward as the two grabbed their jackets and made it towards the exit together, for once careless of their company and caught up in each other’s presence, feeling what was about to happen and planning on seeing it all through without giving the other the chance to back out.
“So, where are you taking me?” Kazutora asked playfully, walking out on the sidewalk. It had gotten dramatically cold and Shuji shivered briefly as he followed him out.
“Anywhere special you want to go?” He asked him back, having no particular idea what to do now but ask the important question – what did Kazutora prefer, his place or Shuji’s?
“Not really...I was thinking that we could just walk.”
“Isn’t it a bit too cold for a romantic walk?”
“No,” Kazutora replied with great certainty. “I don’t think so. I'm actually feeling pretty hot right now.”
“You look like it...”
“Did you say something?”
Shuji waved a hand in a dismissive gesture, catching up to walk by Kazutora’s side. The ground was covered in a layer of ice and frozen snow that made walking rather difficult but Shuji was thankful for every slow step they took, it gave him another few seconds with Kazutora.
He couldn’t believe what he was doing, no other date of his had been the same and he had had plenty. Be it with the intention of having sex after a not-so-romantic and boring dinner or not, he had never spent his time with someone as interesting as Kazutora, someone who made holding a conversation so effortless.
They had only had the chance to talk a couple of times and it somehow still felt as though he had known Kazutora for much longer. It wasn’t the usual attraction he felt towards the other people he had dated or had gone on dates with, it was something else, something more. It burned and left him cold, it excited and terrified him, like an overdose and yet a hangover. Shuji couldn’t tell what it was about Kazutora that made him feel that way but he knew that he wouldn’t walk him home like a gentleman tonight until he found a way to soothe the fire Kazutora had set under his skin.
One look was enough to make his thoughts known to Kazutora, who looked away quickly as soon as he saw the way Shuji couldn’t help but look at him.
“So, what? We're gonna tease each other now? Maybe you’ll take me somewhere to watch the sun rise?”
“No,” Shuji shook his head, he had no such plans, but romance had never been his strong suit, to begin with. “I guess you can tell what I want.”
“And you still won't say it? Am I making you nervous? Or do you think you’ll offend me?”
“Well, we’ve never talked about that, I wouldn’t know your preferences, or...Or if you even kiss on a first date?”
Kazutora scoffed, looking at him with a raised brow, “A date? This is really a date now?”
“It could be. It could be whatever you want to call it, sure, it’s a bit sudden but it happened.”
“Well, then, I wouldn’t mind it be-”
He yelped suddenly, the short sound of surprise morphing into a shout that echoed into the empty night as Kazutora slipped on a patch of ice he failed to notice when he looked up at Shuji. It lasted no more than a couple of seconds, a moment Shuji witnessed in slow motion – Kazutora losing his balance and falling backwards, him reacting quickly and grabbing his clothes carelessly while his left arm went around Kazutora's body.
When he opened his eyes again, Shuji found himself looking down at Kazutora. They were so close suddenly, almost nose to nose. Kazutora's face had gone pale and his fingers trembled as he gripped the front of Shuji’s jacket in an effort to stay on his feet. His own eyes were as wide as Shuji’s. It seemed as though he wasn’t breathing, looking down briefly at Shuji’s lips as he subtly bit his own; a discreet invitation that Shuji wasn’t about to miss.
There was no buildup, no fireworks and no shivers to be felt across their skin as they kissed, swallowing each other up with passion and aggression. Kazutora's arms found their way around his neck as Shuji held him, pulling him up and holding him against his body tightly, enough to feel how small he felt against him. There was no hesitation, only eagerness to please and receive pleasure in return.
Kazutora was obedient, pliant against him as Shuji ran his hands down his body, feeling his waist and the muscles of his slender thighs as they flexed when he tried to get on his tiptoes and press into Shuji until there wasn’t an inch left between them.
“At your place, or mine...?” Shuji whispered, gasping quietly against Kazutora’s lips when he pulled apart long enough to say the words. Right after the question had finally been asked, he kissed Kazutora again, teasing a groan from him when he bit his bottom lip.
“Mine,” Kazutora mumbled, breathing harshly.
He took Shuji’s hand, their fingers slotting together by accident, and led him home. They didn’t resume their conversation, sharing promises with looks alone, whispering words each time their fingers closed tighter around the other’s hand.
Unlike his own dull apartment, Kazutora’s home was decorated for Christmas. As soon as he unlocked the door and let them both in, Shuji noticed the bright hues of the colourful Christmas lights, greens and blues, and reds emitting a soft glow that shone brightly before fainting to black and coming back to life right after. There was no Christmas tree though Kazutora had said once before he was a fan of the holiday, the role of one was appointed to a potted plant in the corner of the living room. Its leaves were wide and thick, too much so to properly be decorated aside from a couple of dangling ornaments.
Come to think of it, what caught Shuji’s attention was the contrast between reality and Kazutora’s words and excitement over the holidays. As though he wanted to convince himself that there was something worth celebrating but he didn’t care quite enough to play into his own delusion, thus there was nothing more than a bland, minimalistic copy of a true Christmas.
Shuji was interested to know why, too fond of Kazutora to say nothing and ask no questions. There were so many things Shuji wanted to know, and that was a dangerous feeling, one that had nothing to do with Kazutora’s sex appeal.
“Come on,” Kazutora interrupted his train of thought, toeing off his shoes in a hurry and taking Shuji’s hands in his own again, pulling him into the living room.
Shuji followed, letting Kazutora lead them both. He didn’t mind it as much, it was even rather hot when Kazutora spun them around and pushed him back into the nearest chair. He didn’t bother turning on the lights, the Christmas ones taped neatly along the window’s frame were enough for them to see each other and whenever they’d shine the brightest, Shuji would see the blush beginning to bloom across Kazutora’s face as he straddled his lap before taking off his jacket and then his tank top.
He barely weighed anything, Shuji couldn’t help but run his palms up his sides, feeling his skin and enjoying Kazutora’s audible gasp as his cold hands touched his warm skin. When he looked up, meeting Kazutora’s heavy-lidded eyes, he saw the tip of his tongue peek out between his lips, running over them teasingly as Shuji leaned in to drag his own lips across his skin. He trailed kisses along his sharp collarbones, sucking wetly on the hallow between them and watching as Kazutora nibbled on his lip, his breath hitching, his heart beating much quicker as Shuji teased him with his tongue.
Rolling the tip around one pebbled nipple, Shuji earned himself a breathless moan as Kazutora’s fingers shook around his shoulders, digging into his skin until Shuji’s own held his waist just as tightly. His impatience grew the more Shuji kissed and sucked on his body, teasing and playing with his chest as he would with a girl’s, and it didn’t take long for Kazutora to reach down and begin undoing the buttons of Shuji’s shirt. He was quick, his movements rushed as he pulled each button free, tugging the shirt out of Shuji’s belt and reaching down to run his palms down his abdomen, feeling the lines of his hard muscles and running the pads of his fingers over the cold buckle of his belt and the bulge of his cock filling up on his pants.
“Do you want to try something?” Kazutora asked, his voice rough and quiet, dripping with need. His eyes alone promised a nice surprise when Shuji looked up at him again and, really, he couldn’t wait to have his hands touch him more, no matter what he had in mind.
Kazutora pushed him back against the chair and sat up somewhat so his weight wasn’t entirely in Shuji’s lap. Dragging his fingers down from his strong shoulders past his chest and abs, leaving behind ticklish trails, Kazutora tugged on his belt until it was free of the buckle. The anticipation had Shuji biting his lip, a playful grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as he watched Kazutora look down at him, eyes wide and clouded with thirst.
He pulled off his belt easily before again climbing in Shuji’s lap, running his palms down Shuji’s arms and leaning forward again. Shuji held his breath, enjoying the brief spark of hot pleasure that coiled around his body as he felt Kazutora’s skin against his, bare and warm. Sighing through his teeth, he looked up at Kazutora, eyes narrowed in suspicion when he felt him tug his arms behind the back of the chair, the tips of his hair tickling his neck and his lips just barely teasing the shell of his ear with something that was too light to be a kiss.
“Have you done this before?” Kazutora whispered, holding Shuji’s wrists and giving him time to back out if he decided it was too much for him.
“Yeah,” Shuji admitted, feeling his mouth go dry. He was already fully hard in his pants and it was painfully obvious to Kazutora every time he moved; it seemed he was doing it on purpose now, rolling his hips gently just to keep Shuji hooked. “But, I gotta be honest...It’s not like I've been in this position much.”
“And do you want to be now...?” Kazutora asked again, tugging at the soft part of his ear with his teeth.
“I didn’t suppose you’d be the dominant type.”
“I don’t think I am either. Just...If it’s something you’re interested in...?”
Honestly, anything Kazutora had to offer seemed like the hottest thing in the world and his cock looked like it thought the exact same thing. Who was Shuji to deny himself of small pleasures like this?
If it was anyone else maybe he wouldn’t have accepted the new position so eagerly, maybe he would’ve taken charge or turned the tables around with a kindhearted laugh, but all it took to convince him was a single kiss of Kazutora’s, open-mouthed and sloppy, licking into his mouth and sucking on his tongue until Shuji was arching into him with an impatient groan. In the meantime, behind his back, Kazutora guided his hands to cross before looping the belt over his forearms. He was obviously looking at what he was doing, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so quick to find the buckle and tighten the leather around Shuji’s arms.
Kazutora hadn’t really been joking, one gentle tug on the belt told Shuji that it was tight and the strain he felt in his arms and shoulders was rather hot in a way he wouldn’t ever have thought. He rarely dabbled in bondage, even the minor kind, so he was surprised when he decided that he wasn’t feeling any less aroused.
He was in Kazutora’s hands now.
“You really like that, don’t you?” Shuji teased, watching as Kazutora hesitated, struggling to decide whether he wanted to tear the clothes off him or keep them on, to keep kissing him or use him as his own personal sex toy for a change.
“Will you believe me if I told you I haven’t done this in ages,” he mumbled, dragging his palms down Shuji’s front again, dipping his fingers under the edge of his pants and thumbing the button in front. “Do you like it...?”
Shuji hoped that his expression alone would be enough to tell Kazutora that not only did he enjoy it, he was also very eager to move things along.
Kazutora didn’t make him wait. Biting his lip, he reached up again, running his fingers through Shuji’s hair, tugging with just enough force to make him groan and lean his head back. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped in anticipation, closing his eyes to feel the full pleasure of Kazutora’s kisses as he trailed them down his jaw and neck. Wet, open-mouthed, swift drags of his tongue and soft hums and moans of joy each time Shuji would inhale or exhale just a bit sharper and with an obvious effort to breathe.
Kazutora's fingers circled his nipples briefly enough for Shuji to feel the spark of pleasure before moving downwards again. He opened his eyes again, blinking down at Kazutora and finding out that he was still observing him, every reaction and change in his expression, every breath and noise he made. He was already on his knees in front of the chair, right between Shuji’s thighs and it was obvious by his position alone what was about to happen.
What Shuji hadn’t expected, however, was for Kazutora to lean forward and, making sure he had his full attention, placed another couple of wet kisses from his belly button down to the edge of his pants. Finding his zipper, he held his thighs apart and, taking it in his mouth just between his teeth, Kazutora tugged it down. The signature sound, just like that of the belt buckle, had the effect of a physical touch, leaving in its wake goosebumps.
His cock was so hard, it ached, and it brought Shuji only brief comfort when Kazutora pulled down his zipper and undid the button. He wondered if Kazutora would give him a quick blowjob now, if he would tease him until he was begging and thrusting his hips up into his mouth, if he would ride him...Each possibility brought Shuji a different kind of satisfaction to imagine, if only he could see in Kazutora’s eyes what he wanted to do and what he thought at the moment.
One thing Shuji was sure of was that Kazutora knew exactly what he was doing.
He kissed Shuji’s throbbing cock through the thin cotton of his underwear, soaking the material in saliva until he felt the salty taste of precum through the damp cotton. He was getting into it with every broad stroke of his tongue, every kitten lick and the deep rumble of his groans, the vibrations subtle and good against Shuji’s skin. It drove him wild.
“Stop teasing,” Shuji sighed, biting his lip to hold back a desperate groan as his hips searched for ways to fuck inside Kazutora’s mouth even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to get much satisfaction from that unless Kazutora let him. There was a certain charm there too, in his inability to do any of the things he would normally do in such a situation.
“I think you’re a bit too impatient,” Kazutora chuckled, nuzzling his bulge before slowly standing up.
“Really?” Shuji raised a brow when Kazutora dug his fingers under the elastic of his boxers; his confidence was quickly shaken up when those same fingers wrapped around his cock and Kazutora stroked him teasingly slow before rubbing his palm over the leaking head.
“What?” He chuckled, repeating the motion and looking down at Shuji as he panted, visibly trying to hold back on the lewd noises and most importantly, struggling not to come too early, no matter how good his soft hand felt around him. “Are you complaining?”
It took Shuji some effort to answer, “After all this teasing...is a handjob all you can do, ah ...mmhm, shit, like that...!”
“It seems like you’re enjoying yourself though...”
He slowed down his strokes almost to a halt, his fingers wrapping tightly around Shuji as if to stop him from coming even though Shuji wasn’t even close with how feather-light his touches were.
“Oh, do you want me to stop? I knew you wouldn’t like this...”
“I never said I didn’t,” Shuji gasped, slumping back against the chair as Kazutora tugged his pants and underwear down low enough so his cock could spring free, red and swollen. Judging by the hungry way Kazutora looked down at him, he seemed impressed.
He knelt again, lapping at the head before rolling his tongue around it sloppily and Shuji held his breath, a flash of heat running through his body as his muscles tensed up, a sure sign that if Kazutora carried on he wouldn’t need more before he came in his mouth. Strings of saliva and precum connected Kazutora’s tongue and his cock, falling gently and rolling down Kazutora’s fingers as he held his cock and a loose grip.
Not only did he know what he was doing, he was good at it, better than anyone Shuji had slept with before. With his lips around the tip, sucking on it without a hurry and with enjoyment as if he had a lollipop in his mouth, Kazutora stroked his shaft. Up, down, up, down, turning his wrist just the right away as if it was a hobby of his learning and practising how to pleasure a man just like this.
“Stop,” Shuji begged, throwing his head back as he felt the telltale signs of orgasm. “Wait, hold on...”
Kazutora didn’t stop, his strokes even grew quicker as he looked up at Shuji and noticed the effort he was putting in holding himself back, “Why? We have all night, you can come.”
“What about you...?”
His consideration surprised Kazutora somewhat, enough so that he let go of Shuji’s cock so he could stand up again. This time, however, he didn’t let him suffer much longer before he wrapped his arms around his shoulders again and braced himself against the chair with a knee just between Shuji’s thighs.
“Get yourself off,” he demanded cheekily, holding back a chuckle at the sight of Shuji’s confusion. He had leaned so close into his space that their noses were touching and Shuji could feel each word of Kazutora’s against his lips. His fingers were back on his body, touching his hot skin, his thumbs brushing over his nipples, before circling his neck impatiently as if wanting to squeeze, suffocate him with arousal like a succubus. “Come on, I know you can do it. Get yourself off against my thigh.”
God, if he only could, if he hadn’t complied and let him tie him up like that, Shuji would’ve wiped that cocky look off his face really quickly. However, Kazutora was right about one thing, he was desperate enough to take the opportunity once it presented itself to him.
Were it anyone else, Shuji wouldn’t be so quick to do what he was told. He reached the conclusion again when Kazutora kissed him with as much aggression as before when he held him tightly and dragged his blunt nails across his shoulders and chest; when Shuji himself was unable to stay still anymore, fucking upwards as violently as an animal would and chasing all the satisfaction he could get from rubbing his stiff cock against Kazutora’s thigh. The rough material of his jeans felt odd against his length but not unpleasant enough for him to stop.
Like a dog...
Shuji wasn’t sure he could come like this without any additional stimulation but he was only slightly wrong. As soon as Kazutora bit on his bottom lip with a lewd groan and dragged his nails down his abdomen before rubbing his palm over the head of his cock again. The sudden touch, almost painful where he was most sensitive now, made Shuji breathe in deeply, his back arching off the back of the chair. His muscles tightened suddenly and as the knot of pleasure that had been pulsing in the pit of his stomach popped like a balloon, he found himself floating.
“Shit,” Shuji gasped, blinking rapidly as he tried to find his way back. The Christmas lights faded in and out of existence, like a fire alarm in slow motion, and when he opened his eyes he found himself looking up at Kazutora, his kiss-swollen lips parted in surprise as his thumb stroked along Shuji’s jaw, brushing away the droplets of cold sweat.
Turning his head sideways into his hand, Shuji held their eye contact as he kissed Kazutora’s palm in the silence of his bliss.
Had he ever had a better orgasm than the one he had experienced now, overwhelming his body and mind? Shuji couldn’t recall such a thing, and this hadn’t even been what most people considered actual sex.
“Wait, let me...” Kazutora mumbled, his confidence slipping at the sight of Shuji. Reaching around him, he quickly undid the belt and finally, Shuji could feel his arms and hands again as the blood rushed back into his limbs. “Ah, shit, sorry, I got it...dirty...”
He dropped the belt, remembering suddenly that one of his hands was pretty much covered in cum, but just as Kazutora tried to get out of his lap to go and get him a paper towel, Shuji wrapped an arm around his waist, the other around his thigh, hoisting him off the ground and making him yelp. His arms went around Shuji’s shoulders and his legs locked around his waist as Kazutora clung to him, startled by the sudden way Shuji got off the chair.
“Wait-!”
“I’m done waiting,” Shuji grinned, nudging Kazutora to look at him again, the colourful lights turning his bright eyes into a fairy tale. “Where’s your bedroom?”
“Well, well...Look who’s here.”
It was bound to happen sooner or later. Shuji had always considered himself quite lucky, he rarely got injured on the job and when he did it was nothing worthy of immediate medical attention. However, this year his bad luck managed to land him in an unpredictable situation.
It was just over an hour before Christmas and despite the general assumption, life in the hospital was buzzing as it did always, unaffected by the holidays. Nurses and doctors were working, taking care of patients, some of them offered them their comfort while some were about to give distraught relatives a dose of bad news. Nothing ever changed and nobody was capable of betraying the significant rhythm of life within the sterile walls.
There was an odd amount of Christmas decoration, much more than Shuji had in his own apartment, that was for sure. It was entertaining to watch the lights and stickers of Santa and his deer lining the walls. It made him appreciate the effort the staff had put into cheering their patients up and even though he was pretty much still in pain, looking miserably at his broken leg covered in a tough cast, Shuji felt almost good.
Next to his bed with his hands in the pockets of his scrubs stood Kazutora. His expression was hard to read but Shuji could only guess that, judging by his frown and the wrinkle between his furrowed brows, he wasn’t happy to see him. No, not just because he was actually in a hospital bed all bandaged up after falling off a ladder just a few hours ago. Considering the way Shuji had snuck out the morning after their last meeting, he supposed that Kazutora would’ve looked at him the same way regardless of the circumstances they saw each other under.
“Merry Christmas,” Shuji wished politely, smiling up at Kazutora who only raised his brows in a way that showed how little he cared for his holiday cheer. “I’m happy to see you!”
“Oh, really? I would’ve guessed that you wouldn’t ever want to see me again, after last time...”
He trailed off, making sure to remind Shuji of his mistake. Of course, a couple of days ago when he had woken up before Kazutora the morning after a sleepless night of sex, kissing Kazutora’s shoulders and face for what he believed would be the last time before seeing himself out, Shuji hadn’t thought of what he was doing as a mistake necessarily. He guessed it was only polite and proper to leave after what he had considered a one-night stand. It hadn’t been any easier for him to leave, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking of Kazutora, of his body and his voice, ever since. But people rarely got what they wanted and he knew that without having talked about it, it would be wrong to make assumptions about what Kazutora felt.
Well, at least now it was clear that Kazutora hadn’t enjoyed waking up alone after the best sex of his life. And because Shuji was sure he had done the wrong thing, he was ready to make it up to him. Of course, not while he was stuck to the hospital bed with minor burns and a broken limb, but eventually...
“I’m really sorry,” he said, figuring that this was the right way to begin even though Shuji knew he’d have to do much more to show that he really felt regret for leaving without a word.
“And that’s why you snuck out without even leaving me your number or anything,” Kazutora huffed. “Right, okay...”
“I didn’t think you’d want me to do that...”
“Oh, so you thought I sleep with random people and that I bring men home all the time, huh? Do you sleep at strangers’ places often then?”
“No...” Shuji mumbled, looking off to the side. “We just didn’t discuss anything before, so I figured it was the right thing to do.”
Kazutora didn’t say anything, however, he did proceed with his duties in silence, checking Shuji’s IV before hooking him up to a new bag of fluids. He was careful and gentle whenever he had to check Shuji’s bandages, working quickly and efficiently, something he had managed to perfect through a reasonable amount of experience.
So far, Shuji remembered suddenly, only Kazutora had seen him in a professional setting, so it was rather interesting to be on the other side this time.
“It hurt me,” Kazutora suddenly said, checking the IV again, though at this point he was just looking for things to do and look at to busy himself and not look at Shuji. “When I woke up and you weren’t there, I felt really dumb, you know. I thought we could...start something. And you didn’t even leave your contacts, so how was I supposed to text or call you again?”
“We keep meeting by chance,” Shuji tried to smile to lighten up the mood as much as he could.
“I don’t want to keep meeting by chance, Shuji,” Kazutora huffed, looking at him this time with his signature pout. “What if we eventually stop doing it, huh? It's pretty dumb of you to keep expecting that...”
“But I'm not. I stopped wanting that after the last time. Leaving hurt me too, Tora.”
Kazutora looked at him carefully with suspicion, trying to decide what he felt about his words and if it was worth believing him. Shuji hoped he would.
After a moment, he sighed, putting his hands back in the pockets of his scrubs, “Just make sure you recover quickly, dumbass. It's bad for my image if anyone catches me talking about romantic stuff with one of my patients.”
Shuji couldn’t help but grin, “I’m sure I'll be out of here in no time. Take good care of me?”
“I take good care of everyone. Merry Christmas, Shuji.”
Kazutora crossed the room, walking quickly towards the door to finish the rest of his rounds before stopping at the frame and looking back at Shuji over his shoulder. This time, Shuji could tell he wasn’t as angry with him as before.
“When you’re good to go,” he promised, “we’ll go on an actual date. And this time I don’t want you to sneak out on me, okay!”