Thursday 1.20 - Reconvene

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji continued his deliberately slow pace until he heard the start-up of Schwarz’s car. He listened closely, and as soon as he was certain that they were out of range he broke into a run.

Schwarz was at the Koneko while you were wasting time picking out movies. Idiot. Anything could have happened.

…You might have been back in time if you hadn’t chased after Prodigy.

Now that he had his attention all to himself, his mind wasted no time inventing horrendous scenes of what might have transpired in his absence. Schuldig had given his imagination plenty to work with from the kidnapping incident.

He was having trouble breathing. He was barely in any condition to walk; it was a wonder that he even managed to move still…

Somehow, in spite of it all, plastic DVD boxes still remained grasped in his hand. He all but threw them onto the stoop as he struggled to get the door open. Once through, he looked around frantically.

Everything seemed peaceful enough….

“--Hello?” he called out tentatively.

Comments

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran was in the storeroom when a loud clatter and the sound of someone struggling with the door came from inside. He grabbed a pair of shears, holding them by his leg, before emerging at a quick limp.

He relaxed only marginally when he saw that it was Yohji. There was a pile of DVDs on the stoop and the man's expression told him something had happened.

Schuldig. He guessed immediately. He'd gotten to him already. Again.

His hand tightened to the point of pain on the shears. Yes, Yohji was an assassin, just like him, but Ran irrationally felt he was responsible, for not being there to protect him.

Again.

He forced himself to loosen his grip on the shears, but ended up slamming them on the counter of the shop anyway.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji's eyes widened at the sight of Ran brandishing pruning shears. He was torn between relief at seeing the other man (visibly) intact and a new wave of panic at the sight of him agitated and creatively armed.

Shit. Something did happen. Ran definitely looks like something happened.

He stumbled a little in his hurry to transverse the space to the counter.

"What'd they do?" he breathlessly exclaimed.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran relaxed at that. If Yohji was asking him, then Yohji himself was more or less okay. Simple logic. "It's okay, Yohji. Schuldig stopped by again, he seemed to be looking for you. He brought Farfarello. Ken threatened them with a vase, they left." He had a hard time not rolling his eyes at their teammate's unlikely choice of weapon.

Ran held back his next words, and then decided to voice them aloud for once. "I was worried..." He took a deep breath. He wasn't used to admitting things like that. "...that they had found you."

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji slumped against the counter, the over-exertion of rushing home finally catching up with him. It took him a moment to be able to breathe regularly again.

As he'd already known that Schwarz had dropped by, Ran's account actually eased his nerves, quickly dispelling all of the worst-case scenarios his mind had concocted as he dashed back.

He actually smiled faintly at the admittance of worry.

"They found me," he finally confirmed with a grim nod. "And they made sure I knew that they'd found you first. Which is why I'm about to collapse from running just now."

He closed the gap between them and put his arm loosely around Ran.

"A vase, eh?" He repeated with a grin. "That sounds like Ken."

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran tensed, out of conditioning, but didn't shrug out of Yohji's touch. He gave him a nod. "He handled himself despite that," he mentioned.

He examined Yohji's face. "What did Schwarz say to you? Why did they try to find you again?"

The idea of Schwarz hunting Yohji down after letting him go was entirely reminiscent of a cat playing with their food, and it was unsettling. It made him want to hunt them down and take care of them once and for all. Even if they didn't seem intent on making themselves a direct threat.

He didn't want them near Yohji. Yohji was...

...Weiss. One of their own.

Not what he'd almost thought, but it was true, and what he was comfortable defining.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

The questioning tripped Yohji up a little. In his frantic concern for what might of happened at the Koneko, he'd forgotten just how much he didn't want to tell Ran about his own encounter. Crap.

"Um..." he searched frantically for an explanation that might bypass the detail that he'd gone looking for them first. His brain failed on the uptake. "They weren't looking for me per se. It was more of an accidental run-in, really. No biggie."

"You're sure everything's alright here?" He looked around, hoping to find something suitable to change the topic with.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran narrowed his eyes. He took a step back, away from Yohji's touch. There were definitely things the man wasn't saying. He didn't appear to be hurt, however, and he wasn't acting particularly different, or traumatized.

"They didn't stay long," Ran reiterated shortly. "If something happened that could affect Weiss..."

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

"Nothing happened," Yohji was quick to reconfirm.

He felt a bit of a twinge as Ran pulled away and became noticeably cooler.

Ran's last statement resonated though and Yohji reevaluated the importance of everything that had happened.

"Well," he resigned himself to admitting, "the youngest Schrient girl might not be dead. But I doubt she's a threat."

He watched Ran closely for his reaction. Whatever information the younger man had been anticipating, Yohji was pretty sure that wasn't what he'd expected to hear.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran studied Yohji's face. He wasn't giving much away. "No, I wouldn't think so." He frowned. "How do you know?"

There was definitely something Yohji didn't want said, and that meant that it probably should be.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran drew in a sharp breath at the touch on his stomach, he was finding that the feel of Yohji's fingers on his skin was igniting. He let his body respond naturally to it, taking time to bend his knees and rise in a slow drag of their bodies against one another.

His eyes stayed open and trained on Yohji's face. It shocked him that he was able to put that expression on the other man's face, the proof of the night before completely discounted. He wondered how many others had seen him look like that, and immediately stifled his curiosity. It was Yohji's business, not his. Ran's body at the least wanted this, now, but beyond that he would be crossing his own boundaries. Yohji did not belong to him.

Not a relationship.

And for some reason, the thought he'd had moments before prompted him to press their mouths together more fiercely. Ran's hand slid from the wall to Yohji's good shoulder as he thrust his tongue between Yohji's teeth, touching it to Yohji's. His other hand slid down the wall until it reached Yohji's hip and Ran brought it between them, finding where Yohji was beginning to strain against the fabric of his pants.

Even as warmth began to build and spread through the center of Ran's body, the friction of bodies a tease through layers of clothing, Schuldig's smirk came to his mind, as did images of Yohji being kept hostage by the other team. And he'd run into them again not more than a day later, and he was keeping what had happened to himself. Frustration and worry seeped into his motions, manifesting as an almost-anger. Ran palmed Yohji between their hips, teasing him, as the hand on the blonde's shoulder shoved him back against the wall.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji's eyes never broke from Ran's, although they widened slightly as the pace became more frantic and the movements more possessive.

Possessive. It almost seemed like he must be mistaken somehow. He'd spent too long reminding himself that Ran couldn't possibly spare this much emotion for anyone but his sister. He’d seen the potential, of course, but had long ago written off his chances of ever witnessing such a phenomenon.

It was great to be wrong.

His mouth opened, inviting Ran’s tongue and meeting it with enthusiasm, before drawing back to suck on his lip. He gave the shove no resistance although it elicited another subtle flinch as his injuries protested the treatment. He was still shaky from the strain of frantically running so he simply allowed his legs to give out and slid down the wall to the floor, dragging Ran with him.

No longer needing to worry about pesky things like balance, Yohji ‘s hands gravitated to Ran’s waistband, where they took a moment to glide over newly familiarized angles before getting to work on unfastening Ran’s belt.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran straddled Yohji's hips, the strain on his leg something he chose to ignore in deference to the building ache and spreading dull burn of desire. His breathing was quickening as he rocked against Yohji, feeling their erections touch and both shift for more. Yohji reached for his waistband and Ran followed suit, making quick work of Yohji's belt.

You fought this. He claimed he could be yours. He's said he-

Ran didn't have to force himself to stop thinking. He watched Yohji watching him, and reached for the other man's clothing.

You're in the shop.

Also discarded.

He lifted up, not managing to bite back the hiss putting weight on his leg elicited, and tugged Yohji pants open only at the waist. He pushed Yohji's shirt up and spread his hands over the man's abs, sliding them up over his chest, then back down, all the way down, one hand gripping Yohji's length. He pumped him and watched pupil's dilate in green eyes, watched the swallow of his throat, and took satisfaction in knowing it was his actions that caused the reaction in the other man.

His other hand slapped on the floor by Yohji's head for balance. He bent over and claimed Yohji's mouth again. He pumped him slowly, with hard, sure motions, and pressed himself down into the other man's body, seeking to build on the sensations already threatening to overwhelm him.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji rocked back against Ran's quickening movements, his hands scrambling to shove his own pants down further to increase the contact before returning to slide inside Ran's briefs. He momentarily paused as Ran hissed and Yohji doubted whether the other man was physically up to continuing. But Ran barely faltered and Yohji wasn't about to challenge his judgment at a time like this.

He mirrored the movements of Ran's hand as he kissed him back. Without warning he broke away and shoved Ran off, attempting to reverse their positions. The move was clumsy as he again remembered the injured leg but he succeed in squirming out from under Ran and guided the redhead down to the floor. He hovered over him for a moment, appreciating the view of Ran spread below. It was still difficult to believe that this was okay, that Ran wasn't just allowing it but encouraging it...

But encouraging it for how long? Ran still seemed to be fighting this, how many more times would it be allowed? Ran could easily change his mind again....

Yohji shoved the thought aside and ground against Ran's hips before backing off and releasing Ran from the confines of his underwear. He stroked him a few times before lowering his head and taking him into his mouth.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran wasn't entirely happy about the change of position - he'd meant their encounter to be quick, efficient, a release of emotion and desire and frustration and whatever this other thing he was feeling was, the need to touch the other man in order to purge his anger at Yohji being kept hostage. It didn't make sense to him.

He barely allowed himself to be flipped, still struggling with the desire for dominance in this particular situation, but Yohji had his clothes off before he'd reached a decision and the touch of lips and hot warmth silenced the protests that weren't yet spoken. He almost didn't keep himself from bucking upwards too hard into Yohji's mouth, because it was at once exactly what he needed and not enough.

He let out a surprised gasp and sought a handhold on the floor, finally making do with burying his fingers into Yohji's hair, feeling the man bob over him. He wanted despite the white heat to make Yohji stop, so he could make Yohji feel him as well, but there was no purchase and no sense in hurting his leg further to do so. His hips thrust, still controlled so as not to hurt the blond, but it was becoming harder to hold back. His chest heaved with shallow breaths.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji's movements started out a bit rushed, as he was afraid that if he let himself think too hard about what he was doing, he might get tripped up in the knowledge that he had no real experience to back up his actions this time. The awkwardness was short lived though, because Ran's reactions where more than a little bit encouraging. His usual confidence quickly returned with each breathy noise Ran attempted to stifle, and Yohji slowed his pace, paying attention to what drew the stongest reactions from the man splayed in front of him. It wasn't surprising that his awareness of what he knew felt good to his own body seemed very agreeable to Ran's as well. It didn't take long for him to have Ran jerking uncontrollably.

The feel of Ran needily digging his fingers into his hair was possibly one of the biggest turn-ons Yohji had experienced to date. He let his hand wander as his head bobbed, his body wanting to make full contact with the redhead, and his fingers making do with as much as they could touch.

His pace sped up again as Ran's thrusts increased in frequency, and he focused on taking Ran in a little deeper as he went. His own breathing began to grow erratic as he became caught up in Ran's abandon. It was all that he could do to remain completely focused on Ran and not touch himself as well.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran was biting the inside of his lip hard, all too aware that they were in the shop and Ken was still in the house, but his body wasn't doing anything he wanted to tell it to. Like, pick himself the fuck up and get off the floor and get Yohji's mouth off of his -

A noise escaped from his lips anyway, throaty and breathless. Yohji took him in farther; Ran tightened his fingers into Yohji's hair and attempted to pull his head up.

He wanted to touch Yohji too.

His hips thrust automatically into the heat of Yohji's mouth. He pulled up again on Yohji's head. "Yohji. Stop -"

He could barely get the words out. Ran wanted to simply come right then, even as he struggled to hold on through the haze.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji responded to Ran's insincere command by going down with renewed intensity. The grasp on his head turned into more of a pull but he ignored it, continuing to alternate between running his tongue around the hard shaft in his mouth and sucking on it, his hands still roaming haphazardly across Ran's thighs and abdomen. A dull throb in his chest was protesting at all of his sporadic movement but he found it easy to ignore in favor of encouraging Ran to keep making those noises.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Yohji chose not to listen to him so Ran stopped attempting to do him any favors, at least for the moment. His head hit the floor as he relaxed and gave in, letting himself simply feel.

He shove himself forward into Yohji's mouth, still being as careful as he could, but his thrusts were picking up intensity. His eyes closed and his free hand scraped against the floor as it sought something to latch onto, something to ground himself to, but there was no purchase.

His breathing was shallow and fast and hitched with every movement Yohji made. "Yohji-"

The name slipped out. He hadn't meant to say it.

It was too late. The heat spread in a quick burn from where Yohji was swallowing him to his brain, overwhelming him with sensation. He slapped a hand up into his mouth, biting down to muffle the deep shout as he came, shuddering, his back arching even as he bucked until it suddenly became too much.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Now there was a difficult question to answer.

Not that answers were in short supply. Yohji could think of lots of ways to respond to that.

A fucking lot.

Everything.

Enough that I might try a little harder to not die next time....

All came equipped with red flags that he might freak Ran out.

It was probably unavoidable.

"What do you think?" he asked, with no intention of being antagonizing. "I don't just freely offer to alter my behavior for anyone, you know."

He moved closer so that his body was flush to Ran's side. "It's kind of unheard of," he added.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran's breath caught. Yohji had taken it differently than he'd meant it, but his answers, lowered voice and body contact shot adrenaline through his veins.

He should have been getting used to Yohji prompting reactions like that in him.

He wasn't.

"No." Ran corrected. He wanted badly to look away. He was glad Yohji didn't elaborate on his answers, the intimate conversation was hard enough for him as it was.

He'll be someone else to lose, his mind whispered.

Yohji didn't seem willing to leave Weiss, however. It was a risk he'd be taking with or without this step.

"What does...you being my business...mean to you." He took in a breath, then shook his head after a moment. "It doesn't matter."

He would find out what Yohji expected of him soon enough.

He looked away, then glanced sideways at Yohji. The other man was warm against his side. So he was offering to change his habits for him? Ran was doubtful, but amazed nonetheless. "If you're saying you will stop flirting...I would not expect miracles, Kudoh."

Ran bent his head forward and ran a hand through his hair, trying to get a hold on the turmoil of his thoughts. Finally he realized although he'd reached a decision in his own mind, one that he thought was simultaneously the only option and a path to potential disaster, he had not yet voiced that. It seemed Yohji knew anyway, however, as he had invaded his personal space so freely and with that smirk.

"But that might be a requirement." Ran finally concluded. The smile returned, truer this time, holding both truth and jest in his statement. He faced Yohji straight on again, although it brought him uncomfortably close to Yohji's face.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji's brow wrinkled for a moment in confusion. Wasn't Ran just repeating the question he'd already answered?

Oh. Ran-logic slowly clicked into place. By 'mean' Ran was searching for parameters. That figured.

"I never said anything about miracles," Yohji snorted. "I said alter. Not have an overnight personality transplant, heh."

He watched Ran's nervous fidgeting and caught the subtle shift in his mood. He felt some of his own tension ebb. He no longer felt quite so much like he was walking on eggshells, risking wrecking whatever progress they'd made with a misplaced comment.

"What I mean," he clarified, "was that I don't think I'll be very interested in flirting if I'm allowed to pay attention to you instead. I flirt because I'm bored. I'd find life a lot less boring with someone constant in it. Believe it or not, I'd like for you to get jealous sometimes. It'd be worth accommodating."

He let his hand gravitate to Ran's thigh. He met his eyes, relieved to see Ran smiling. "I'm giving you permission to publicly declare me off limits." He winked. "But I won't expect miracles either, Ayan."

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran just slightly raised an eyebrow. "Permission?" His voice was low. If Yohji was asking this of him, permission was not something he felt he'd need to make sure Yohji understood his own requirements.

But Yohji seemed to understand that, after all.

Yohji was still regarding him with a warmth Ran was unused to recognizing. His face was only a couple of inches away from Ran's.

Perhaps he needed to make sure Yohji understood the guidelines.

He covered the distance between their mouths, scanning Yohji's eyes as his only warning, and pressed their lips together. He made sure the kiss was possessive, his eyes open and on Yohji's. He half turned his torso toward the other man so he could take one hand and hold the nape of Yohji's neck with it, brushing the skin and soft hairs with his thumb.

He broke away just as quickly, watching for Yohji's reaction.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji responded to the kiss with approving possessiveness of his own, fisting a hand in his shirt and yanking him closer. Ran broke away far too fast, and Yohji let his hand remain tangled in the fabric for a few moments before letting it slide back to where it had been resting on Ran's leg.

"Shit, that's what I'm talking about," he broke into a wide grin.

"The permission was just catering to your game of unlabeled non-relationships. This is preferable. You're mine." He smirked, knowing that he'd chosen a dangerous way of phrasing that.

"We could put up posters," he joked happily. "'Carnations half price today. Special on Peruvian lilies. Ran and Yohji are exclusive.' That would certainly take care of the flirting."

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

"Somehow, I don't think it would take care of the non-paying customers." Ran gave a short chuckle. It wasn't that he never laughed, but he was awkwardly out of practice with having the energy to find banter more than a farce or a nuisance.

He refocused on the first part of Yohji's declaration.

Mine.

It was fair.

More than that, it was obvious. He admitted to himself he had more attachments to Yohji than he knew what to do with, categorized or un-categorized, and he was still struggling to act on them. Anyone other than Yohji having a claim to him (Aya-chan notwithstanding) was simply outside the possibilities.

It didn't feel entirely uncomfortable to have the man say that, or look at him so possessively, as it did even a few days ago.

Yohji would probably call this progress.

His hand mirrored Yohji by finding a resting place on Yohji's inner thigh, non-verbal acknowledgment of the blonde's claim. He felt the warmth radiating from the muscles there beneath his palm.

He wondered if Yohji was so used to the sensation of touching other people that he didn't notice, or if he was able to be affected - not only sexually - by the intimacy of such gestures as Ran was.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji let himself relax against the wall, a stupid smile still fixed in place. An underlying current of ever-present tension was suddenly absent.

Ran hadn't disputed it. He hadn't verbally confirmed anything either, but Yohji knew that the understanding was there.

With the physical barrier already broken, it might not seem as if anything had really changed. But Ran's demeanor was steadily warming and the subtle affection was like a lifeline. To Yohji the difference was substantial. He felt a sense of calm that he hadn't experienced in several years.

The constant aching hollowness that had formed in Asuka's absence was finally receding. Not gone by any means, but for the first time he could feel the distance between his present and the loss. The potential to actually consider himself happy was something he'd cynically dismissed ever since joining Weiss. In this amiable silence next to Ran the concept no longer seemed so unattainable.

He was genuinely content. At least for the time being.