Shades and Shadow

Byakko recovered at the usual speed for a shikigami. Within a day
he was back to his old self and mobile, with no lingering ill effects.
Touda had contacted Tsuzuki to give him the news. His shinigami had been
happy to hear that the white tiger would be okay.

In Touda’s eyes though, nothing was okay. Byakko had nearly died. By
the end of the day his mood had dropped and the tiger had noticed.

“Touda? Something wrong?” he asked.

"You were a fool to fight that devil!" he told the younger shikigami,
anger still quite prominent in his voice.

For the hours he had sat watching Byakko sleep and heal, the had thought
about all the scenarios. None had ended happily.

Byakko had nearly died.

Byakko scowled. "Tsuzuki called me. It was my duty."

"Not when you're sick!"

"We serve him, Touda. You would have done the same, even if you had
to carry your head under one arm!"

He gazed into the determined, set features. Yes, he would do the same,
whatever condition he was in. So why was he so upset about Byakko doing
in?

Because he cared.

Because he had been worried.

Because he was currently very, very furious.

"You could have died!" he hissed instead of saying what he thought,
what he felt.

"The devil wasn't that strong, really!" Byakko huffed. "No match for
a God, even one with a cold."

"You could have died, you foolish fur ball! Your servants would nearly
have scraped you off the ground!"

Byakko's eyes flared, his own temper reaching a dangerous point. "They
didn't! So it's a moot point!" he snarled. "He Summoned me, I came! That's
what we do! You answer him just the same as I do!"

Touda stepped forward, towering over Byakko despite them being almost
the same size. Red feline eyes met visored ones.

"He didn't call me!" Touda grated out. "He called you! That's the point!
I'm not the one who had a cold!"

"Tsuzuki could have died if I hadn't followed!" Byakko yelled, his
tail whipping around dangerously. "You want that? You want me to be responsible
for our master's death!"

Touda growled, baring his teeth.

"Of course not! So what's this all about? You're sworn to Tsuzuki!
More than any single one of us! You would protect him! Discussing not following
his Summoning is stupid! We all would follow, wherever we are, whatever
condition we are in!"

Byakko closed the last distance between them, clearly pissed.

"Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, Touda? Did
Suzaku tread on your toes? Or what the devil is wrong with you? We're not
discussing our loyalty to Tsuzuki here, right? Just spill it, damnit! I'm
sick and tired of playing your games!"

Touda didn’t exactly see red, but his temper got the better of him.
With a snarl he grabbed the annoying little tiger and pushed him against
the next wall, holding him there with his body. Heated red eyes stared
at him in anger, but suddenly there was something else glittering in them
– and Touda found his mouth being thoroughly plundered… and holy, the tiger
could kiss. That he already knew, and his body remembered all too closely,
too.

Groaning he responded just as enthusiastically, pressing his body flush
against the lighter one, hearing Byakko moan… oh yes, the tiger liked it.
Eager hands roamed over his back, searching for bare skin, for more contact…
Byakko pulled back, panting heavily.

“Touda,” he whispered roughly, ”want you…“

And who was Touda to disagree?

A fluid motion sent Byakko flying, letting the lithe body land on the
large bed, and with a low growl Touda was after him, all but tearing the
hindering clothes apart. And then there was only pure skin between them,
and even that was too much. Byakko mewled into his kisses, arched into
his touches, and when Touda unceremoniously rolled him onto his stomach
the tiger was on all fours in a second, spreading his legs in a silent
invitation.

Byakko cried out harshly when Touda entered him after a minimum of
preparations and bucked wildly, meeting his every move, whimpering when
he set the right angle to brush over that special spot. Touda reached around,
stroking Byakko and the tiger didn’t last long, sobbing his completion
into the pillow. Touda had to hold him still, thrusting one last time before
he followed his lover over the edge with a choked moan.

* * *

Soft rays of sunlight illuminating the bed room, a cool breeze moving
the curtains and the chirping sounds of birds in the trees outside slowly
woke Touda, and he stretched lazily, finding himself in bed, closely snuggled
against a living hot water bottle. Byakko made a soft sound when he moved,
still deep in sleep, and Touda closed his arms around the slender form
once again, letting his hand splay over the flat abdomen. Byakko moved
again, his backside with the soft furry tail pushing against Touda’s groin
– and sending a rush of pleasure through his body.

The serpent let his hand wander deeper, finding Byakko’s manhood, closing
his fingers around it and stroking gently. Byakko mewled softly and stirred,
red eyes fluttering open in confusion while his body was already reacting
to Touda’s ministrations.

Twitching slightly into his hand Byakko turned his head, looking at
Touda from still sleep dazed eyes, and the serpent leaned in for a kiss.
The tiger responded after a second, reaching around to weave his fingers
into his hair. Touda sighed when Byakko pressed himself backwards, rubbing
against his own manhood, spreading his legs in the process.

He had gotten hard in his hand and Touda teased and stroked him with
one hand, pulling him even closer with the other, while he carefully entered
his bed mate. Byakko inhaled sharply, head falling back and shivered when
Touda found a slow but steady rhythm. Clutching at the arm that hold him
securely against Touda’s chest Byakko panted and whimpered as Touda picked
up the pace before he tensed for a second and shuddered ad he climaxed
with a hoarse cry, closely followed by the serpent.

 

Harsh breathing filled the room and Touda stroked over the body in his
arms which he was still joined to, enjoying the feel of the heated, soft
skin, the texture, the sensation of something living and breathing. He
didn’t try to arouse his lover once again, just calmed him with each stroke.
Byakko moaned softly, hands clenched into the sheets.

Touda moved, slipping out of his lover, and Byakko groaned a little,
shivering. He licked at the warm shoulder, delivering a little bite. Sunlight
played over the silvery white hair, highlighting it, and Touda smiled at
the rumbling purr his caresses drew. He felt pleasantly sated, at peace,
and looking at his bed partner he detected the same satisfaction from Byakko.

Last night had been intense. This morning had been like a completion,
and the attraction had only grown. He was in bed with the Protector of
the West, had slept with him, not just a handjob, and he wanted nothing
more than to stay like this, with this man in his arms.

“What a wake-up call,” Byakko murmured, smiling lazily.

Oh yes. Quite a wake-up call. Very intense. Byakko hadn’t been a virgin
to male sex and neither had been Touda. Shikigami had no problems with
gender-related issues, unlike humans, as Touda had found out in his time
with Tsuzuki. His last encounter with any partner, male or female, had
been quite some time ago, but his body had remembered. Oh yes, it had remembered.

Touda pushed away the long hair and kissed the inviting neck, drawing
a pleased purr. He liked the sound. He wanted to hear it, he wanted to
be the one to make Byakko purr… and cry out in pleasure, in need, he wanted
to hear him cry his name as he came.

Oh hell, he had it bad.

“That was intense,” the tiger said softly. “Very intense.”

He turned in Touda’s arms, red eyes filled with so many emotions, it
made Touda swallow. He reached up and touched the other shikigami’s face,
finger tips skimming over the sides of the visor. The control mechanism
sat snugly on the skin, leaving no room, and it had never bothered Touda
as much as it did now. He wanted to look a this lover unimpaired.

"You were worried, right?" Byakko asked.

Touda didn’t answer. He just couldn’t.

"About me?"

He froze. Had he been worried? About the white tiger? Or had he been
worried about Tsuzuki?

Both, was the disturbing answer.

"You were worried about me," Byakko answered his own question, voice
full of wonder and awe.

He wanted to deny it. He wanted to call it a lie. But it wasn't. He
cared about this hyper, annoying, energetic, irritating feline.

"Thank you," the tiger murmured, eyes so very serious.

Touda felt his whole body freeze as tender fingers brushed over his
lips. When Byakko tugged at his neck, he found himself lean down, and then
those lips were touched by Byakko's.

It was a loving contact, barely a kiss, really, but it did things to
him that nothing had ever done.

"Thank you, Touda," Byakko whispered again.

And he had no reply for it. None at all.

Byakko apparently didn’t expect one. He lay on his side, looking at
the black shikigami, while Touda almost absent-mindedly caressed his side.

"Stay…? Please?" the tiger suddenly said.

Stay?

"How long?"

Today? Tonight? The week?

"As long as you want. It doesn't have to be in my room, I mean, you
can get your own. I have a few you can decide on. I’m not using all of
the palace. It’s rather empty and I figure we can clean out one wing and
you can have your own part. If you want to redecorated, just tell the servants.
We can come up with something so you feel at home here. That is if you
want to stay. If you don’t want to, it’s okay, really.”

Touda shut up the runaway mouth the only way that was effective: he
kissed him. When they parted, he looked into the slightly dazed red eyes.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Sure."

"Do you know what I did?" Touda clarified.

"I do."

Byakko’s voice was quiet, serious, such a far cry from his cheerful
mood. Of course the God knew who he was. Everyone did. Touda was the criminal
who had killed thousand. Touda was a mass murderer. Touda had only been
pardoned because of Tsuzuki.

"And you want me within these walls?"

"I think I said that."

Touda was silent for a moment. "People will talk."

"Let them."

"You're the Protector of the West."

"I know that."

"Sohryu will not be amused."

"Screw Sohryu."

Touda raised an eyebrow behind the visor. That had been rather clear.

"He's not my father. He doesn't run my life. I'm my own person and
my decision stands.”

Touda winced at that. Thank the powers he wasn’t…

“Stay?" Byakko repeated the request.

Another silence, then Touda sighed. There was no going up against this
stubborn individual. And part of him didn’t really want to leave. He wanted
to be close to this man, to explore their relationship and more. He wanted…more.

Byakko beamed. "I take that as a yes!"

And he was enveloped in a pair of strong arms and Byakko was kissing
him like there was no tomorrow.