004. just a bite

[takasugi]

Aaa 👊💥
magi 👊💥
kun 👊💥

( he's always wanted to do this first...

as they prepare for their departure from this world, takasugi works on the interior of their small commercial vessel. they need to ensure that safety measures are in place and connect the wires between the proto-arahabaki's mechanisms and the boat's engine. or at least, takasugi needs to, and as fun as it would be to do everything live and leave their chances up to fate, he'd much rather not for once. their safe passage is everything.

most importantly, though, the work is starting to stir his muscles with a need for something that borders on affliction. the nice weather and spring season are probably making him more restless than usual, surely, and while it's easy to endure and move on... takasugi knows he probably doesn't have to. )

How's my sugar baby faring?
It's busy-busy out here by my lonesome... and with you on my phone and all,
It had me thinking of you
So
Send me a little encouragement, maybe
What're you wea
Doing
What're you doing, I mean

Comments

[hanikamu]

Huh?

[ Rinne nearly stumbles into Takasugi. Here's when he really starts to sweat. This grip feels tighter than it is. Takasugi is scaring him, but more than that, Rinne thinks... maybe Takasugi is just stupid. ]

I'm a guy, dumbass! [ Rinne tries to wrest his arm away. ] If anyone's getting knocked up, it's Niki!

[ ??? ]

[takasugi]

Why does only Shiina-kun get the privilege?

( ???

only, no. he knows the reason, and he’s aware that they’re all men. still, his sudden lustful panic shifts to a disappointment he can’t hide, even if it feels a bit irrational. with bag relinquished and wrist forgotten, takasugi tilts in and tries to slide a hand slowly up rinne's shoulder. he presses his cheek into the pec that isn't turning folds of fabric damp, nudging against him with a breath like that might give him the answers. maybe he's off and it has nothing to do with that. maybe it's simply disinterest, or disappointment in him because he wouldn't give in to their dual smothering so easily, or maybe even a secret third thing.

he turns his cheek to press further in, blatantly using the broad plane of rinne's chest for comfort. )

Is what's going on really so bad that you won't share it with me? Our bodies are changing in strange ways all the time, and...

( the blood inside him settles for the moment, tension falling. his voice draws quieter. )

Do you not... like the way I drag you into things all the time? You can just tell me.

[hanikamu]

[ If this were anyone else, it wouldn't be half as cute. But this is the man who saved Rinne from despair, and when he rests his cheek on his chest and asks so sweetly, it's hard to pretend he can't stand him at all. Little by little, Rinne lowers his guard. He gingerly places his hands on Takasugi's shoulders. ]

Sounds like you got a good hunch, but... [ Suddenly, a push. Not a harsh one, but enough to place some distance. ] Fuck, it's so embarrassing. If I start leaking on stage, my idol life's over.

[ He then steps away from the counter. There's no point in hiding it anymore. There, behind where Rinne once stood, rests a steel bowl of sweet-smelling milk. ]

( 1 / 2 )

[takasugi]

Wow.

( from mind to mouth.

takasugi leans into the counter, gut stirring with heat for the way he can perfectly picture a trickle of white pulsing from each swollen teat. his tail sweeps across the floor, clearly excited by the milky liquid filling the bowl below. to an outsider, it might just seem like the setup for a dish or pastry, but that smell is unmistakable in its sweetness, and... there's a bestial sort of content that settles in chest in knowing the obvious: that no one knocked up amagi rinne before he could, as if something like that were even possible. it's easy to recognize where these thoughts come from at this point, takasugi meshing so well with his fox-like features and their urges.

as long as he doesn't voice it, it's fine. probably. ... probably. there's a twinkle in his eye as he looks back at rinne. )

Now I understand why you were holding back. How often do you need to do this, actually, and how does it feel? I assume a lot, and ... Hold on. Don't tell me what you think I don't want to hear. More importantly, this bowl isn't as full as it could be.

( his lips part, tongue pressing against the corner of his mouth to pant out a little breath he was holding in. )

( 2 / 2 )

[takasugi]

Judging by the front of your shirt, it seems you didn't finish in time, though.

( his pelvis feels tight all of a sudden, the excitement getting harder to mask in other ways.

but maybe that's just par for the course, given what he had texted rinne about in the first place. his smile brightens a little lopsided, head tilting in an innocent gesture as he looks back. his gaze drifts towards that damp circle again, tenting beneath the tight folds. )

Amagi-kun... Will you show me?

i see it... i see your vision

[hanikamu]

[The command paints Rinne with a bright red glow. His eyelids, once heavy with shame and heat, lift as the sweet sound of Takasugi's words sink in. Show him? This shameful, unnatural body that couldn't be further from the ideal of a king? His nervous tongue darts out to wet his dry lips. His very breath shakes at the thought. A trembling claw tugs on his shirt, twists it in his fist, stretching it taut over his broad chest. The damp spot grows larger, wetter, the shape and color of his swollen teats clear in the light.]

It used to hurt, but— [He turns away, fox tail curled and ears flat against his head.] The other soul in me, she won't let anyone else have it but family. Shinsaku, what are we?

If I give this to you, will it make you happy?

[Or is it just something to laugh at? He needs to know. He doesn't really like taking risks when the chances are low.]

[takasugi]

Kin. We're kin, ...

( his throat has never felt more dry before. a blush spills over his own skin, and as rinne turns, takasugi embraces him gently from behind. )

Aren't we?

( he palms land properly against hips that he's seen gyrate with more intent than the rest of them during practice, thumbs pressing neatly into bone. the sounds that are born from his eager teasing are like fingers in someone's hair, takasugi nudging his chin to rest it against rinne's shoulder from behind. the blunt weight of him that he can't hide anymore, too, presses rinne's tail aside to push a prominent heat that's building in takasugi into his backside. it's a little awkward to do this standing, but he uses the thick of the counter to steady himself. there are more important things to pay attention to, anyhow, like the want in him that's beating so hard that it might burst straight out of his chest. )

I want to know everything about you, Amagi-kun. See all there is to you. Taste you in every way possible.

( this isn't about him entirely, even if that sweet scent cradling the both of them makes takasugi's length twitch. his voice draws lower, flowing like silk against skin. )

So teach me... teach me the proper way to free you from this fullness that I didn't realize was a problem.

[hanikamu]

Kin, [ he repeats. He likes the sound of it. If Takasugi says he is kin like Rinne deems him to be, then surely, showing him this body will be alright. He tends to forget this, but as far as he can recall, Takasugi has never, ever make him feel otherwise.

The pressure from behind, too, is strangely welcome. A small sound is all he makes at the solid heat pressing into his behind. It hasn't been long since he's left these matters to Niki, but he's sure that Niki wouldn't think to hold him down like this, or make his warm poetry gently lick the shell of his ear. Takasugi always had a way with words that neither of them had the years to replicate. ]

M'fine. [ It comes off like a whine. ] I can do it myself.

[ Or so he'd like to. Rinne lifts his shirt and tucks it into a firm bite. His broad chest spills out of the fabric with a slight bounce. Light reflects off his flushed skin's wet, milky sheen. Niki says these things make him look all the more delicious, so he makes sure to show Takasugi too. Can he see it? With rough palms, he cups the weight of each pec to guide his heavy teats, already beading with pearls of milk, toward the metal bowl. Then, he pinches and gives them a firm squeeze.

Milk gushes into the bowl in thin forceful streams, tickling the ducts of his tender nipples. There's been an odd pleasure to drawing this milk lately, a whimper for every drop, and the more he imagines Hiiro recoiling in disgust, shame stabs into his heart for every second he enjoys it. But he can't stop. Even when he struggles to express his milk in jets for longer than a second, he soothes the pink areolae with a rub, flicks the puckered nubs, and tugs again. ]

Nnh... Fuck. Hngh...

[ He can't say much with his shirt in his mouth. Will Takasugi help? ]

[takasugi]

( he's more than glad to, even if it comes after a long moment of awe.

rinne always makes music flawlessly with his hands and his mouth, but now the sounds that flow out of him as so enticingly erotic that takasugi needs to catch his breath before glancing down. the sheer scandalous bounce of rinne's pec coming free, already blooming with heat and dripping what which could fill someone's stomach and more, is stunning. he watches rinne reach up to smother each mound with a palm, massaging, teasing himself lightly to test the full weight of what hangs heavy in cupped hands. every squeeze, done with a practiced tenderness.

so it's no wonder that desire hits him stupid between the legs the second he both hears and sees milk splashing into the bowl. if being kin means getting to witness every dirty moan and secret, then he'll embrace rinne like a brother whenever he wants. not that he doesn't genuinely want that himself, but. )

Amagi-kun...

( the yearning gets the better of him. it always does.

as rinne's chest heaves evenly and his thighs tremble against a hardness that grows fuller behind him for every tweak of swollen peaks, takasugi lifts his hands to cover them. he brushes the ghost of his fingertips against the tip of each nipple, hesitating at first. )

You're so soft here.

( he mimicks the earlier movement, cooing into rinne's neck for every full-palmed squeeze, every grope of his pink teats angled down and towards the bowl. the liquid spills through his fingers, wetting them for every pinch, but that's fine. if anything, it only makes his leaner hips deliver a hot, vulnerable little push that only gives himself away further, takasugi's usual elegance struggling to remain constant. his tail thwaps against the kitchen floor, palms squeezing all they can hold. )

Hey. Does it feel good, ... the way you're practically shivering with need as you empty yourself? Let me know if it's too much.

[hanikamu]

[Rinne's ears point up, and the sound he makes is something between a gasp and a moan. He can feel the liquid rolling down their fingers and his tight stomach, his chest still leaking with excess, but he's far too concerned with the sudden pleasure in his nipples to pay attention to the wet mess below.]

How else would it feel, you... sick perv! Ngh—!

[Rinne grits his teeth. The blood rushes to his heavy chest and head with every murmur against his shoulder. Takasugi's hands are cold, yet every touch warms upon his smooth skin, and it's as if the cold melts on it so beautifully. He shudders in delight.]

... It's all your fault. My tits wouldn't be like this if you and Niki didn't tease me—

[Rinne seizes a bony wrist. Then, sighs pour out of his lips like honey as he releases steadier streams of steaming-hot milk. Something tells Rinne this development would have happened anyway.]

[takasugi]

I mean. I am a completely shameless pervert and all, but I'm not convinced all the groping I did of you really contributed to all this milk production. Which, can you blame me for immediately having that scare over whether Shiina-kun got you pregnant or not?

( it's still so mesmerizing to watch, takasugi nudging his chin further to see.

the warmth spreading between his own thighs to witness it is overwhelming. takasugi punches a shaky breath out through a smile, trying to ignore the damp spot on his front as he reassesses the heft for what's occupying his hands again. he's getting pretty good at this, actually, the way every firm tug of nipple spills thick cream through his fingers. for every other pull, there's a pause, a moment to gently fondle. )

If milking you felt this good, you should have just been honest. What was I going to do, shun you in your time of need? If anything, this is a turn more interesting than I could have expected in a hundred years or more.

( and, ... hmm. should he go for it? he's going for it, the inside of his head pounding loud. )

Actually, ... I want to try some. Just a taste. It's fine, right? ... Just a lick, maybe.

[hanikamu]

[Takasugi weighs Rinne's pecs in his palms, pushing them just enough to let the beads of sweat roll into the valley of his chest, and Rinne whimpers again, his body at his hero's utter mercy. Him and Niki are both so nosy. What's so mesmerizing about watching an act as unnatural as this? His huge nipples tingle as milk continues to pour into the metal bowl—milk that shouldn't even be possible. If he made milk like this, maybe his relationship with his brother would have been different. Whether that's a good thing or not, Rinne can't say. His world right now is just this: the deft fingers tugging on his teats and the pool of milk before him.]

Mmh... If you're askin', then you're hungry. I get it. Good food's hard to come by. Niki said that, too...

[Another spray of milk hits the still surface. Rinne moans, and for a second, he almost sounds animal.]

Sorry, Shinsaku. I was so worried about being the leader you two needed, I kept this secret from you.

Let's move to the couch. I wanna make up for it.

[takasugi]

These noises you're making, Amagi-kun... you'll ruin me with sound alone before we make it there.

( seriously. he licks his lips, feet tapping and tail swaying to follow. )

Being a leader might be about providing, but honestly, you don’t need to go to extremes when things aren't going well. That's what you've told me time and time again, right? That family looks out for each other. Which means there's no need to do some sort of penance when I'm not seriously upset with you. I just want...

( there's the press of knee into the soft of the couch, followed by a shameless fit of thighs around rinne's front to straddle him. the coming admittance, so direct to be said comes out a little more boyish than usual, takasugi able to sense the way his cheeks heat. maybe because it feels incredible to be on top like this, but also— )

I just want you.

( there's that ache to feel even closer somehow. here, takasugi isn't the ingenious prodigy with a thousand ideas to set their lives alight with fireworks, nor is he the great hero that strolls fearless with fingertips plucking away to the tune of his comrades pealing out their final cries on the battlefield. he's simply takasugi shinsaku, smiling through his coming statements like he hopes that the answer will be good, fingers that are still damp in warmth curling into the fabric at rinne's front to tug on it blithely, albeit not all the way up. the careful, deliberate movements calm the excitement beneath his skin, giving him the space he needs to breathe. )

And you want to feed me. Not just because you feel guilty, but... because you love me, right? Just tell me that that's why.

1/2

[hanikamu]

Ngh...

[ Rinne is patient by nature, but Takasugi's hands linger far too long for so small a touch. The temperature within him rises with every distance closed, the bloom of heat across his tender chest spreading like wildfire. It's not the first time Takasugi has ridden his hips. Over and over, the nature of their souls compels them to share what they never would have sought in each other. Every time the man does, he acts like a boy again, tempting Rinne with permission to do the same.

His claws gently dig into Takasugi's shoulder to... slow him down? Hurry him up? ]

Fucking dumbass. What kinda moron would do this with someone he didn't love?

[ He's not sure. But as Rinne grits his teeth, milk dribbles from his chest all the same, begging for someone to drink it. ]

2/2

[hanikamu]

...

[ So Takasugi shouldn't hesitate. If he needs a little encouragement, Rinne's more than happy to give him a push. He starts with an exasperated sing-song sigh. Then, the hand moves from gripping his shoulder to hooking a finger under his chin, and the shy scowl soon eases into a gentler alluring smile. ]

Kyaha! Why the long face, huh? It ain't like you to think twice. What happened to the asshole who stole a kiss from me?

[ His fingers carefully trace the path from Takasugi's chin to his jaw, and they push his bangs up, hoping to find the same wide surprise in that shy, hidden eye. When he does, his laughter is a warm rumble in his chest. ]

I love you, Shinsaku. I love that you're honest and greedy.

[ With Takasugi's head in the palm of his hand, Rinne urges his hungry mouth toward the part of him bursting with flavor. ]

( 1 / 2 )

[takasugi]

( the flush that rises further from having his bangs played with is almost too endearing to put to words. a man his age shouldn't pout, on top of it all. a man his age shouldn't be plenty of things that he's been with amagi rinne, but his heart gives a little catch all the same as both eyes light up at the affectionate pushing of fingers towards his roots. if only he could freeze this moment in time, the way rinne plays fingertips against his skin like he's reading the lyrics of his feelings outright. )

Happened? A lot happened. So much so to where I can hardly focus on anything else sometimes besides the way you trill that "I love you." Do you know how much each utterance means to me now, after the way I had panicked so long ago to think I had turned you away for good? Only the gods might know the things I want to do to you on the daily, Amagi-kun...

( the encouragement, though. from the very start, he had shamelessly asked for it. for more than just the words that soothe a wound that's yet to close. )

And for how often you bring up the way I caught you off guard, I should really start surprising you again.

( 2 / 2 )

[takasugi]

( the care unmakes him. it twists him round, being handled both like a child and taunted like a lover.

as his head is angled just under the breastbone, takasugi laps up stray threads of milk on the way up to the nipple. he closes his mouth around it carefully, and while truly, the one time he had done this in the past out of curiosity it had tasted very mild, the richness of the stream here hits him instantly with just one squeeze. as the sweet taste of milk shakes through him, takasugi suckling at the soft skin that pulses for every shallow pull he makes for more, his pace is slow. slow to savor and slow so as not to graze sharp canines against what's swollen in fullness.

it really is like feeding, this, only he can't seem to keep every muscle in his body relaxed when every push of tongue prompts more.

seriously, though. could anyone blame him if they knew?

amagi rinne's very essence, flowing right into his mouth. amagi rinne's scent, coiling beneath the skin to try and tame a wild creature that doesn't understand a flat palm against its nose.

it's more than he could ever want, and for every movement that's too awkward and too warm, the patience in him loses out to instinct that refuses to know any shame. for every sweet suck, there’s a roll of hips against rinne's front, and the friction is just as satisfying as everything pooling in his mouth before it goes down his throat. )

[hanikamu]

[ Rinne forgets himself. His voice pours from his lips, the sound sweeter than honey and richer than cream with every squeeze and lick. Fingers comb into his Takasugi's hair, loose locks the color of apple blossoms, as he encourages him to drink. Why would Rinne deny him? Rinne wanted this. He had always wanted someone who would choose him. Someone would accept everything he had to offer, from the stars in the sky to the fruit of temptation.

But Takasugi must have done this before. The milk keeps flowing from his full and tender breast, the force and pressure of Takasugi's mouth drawing out a string of shudders and sighs. Another firm hand encourages the hips, rolling the solid shape against his own burgeoning need. His flushed and tight core, clenching to keep some semblance of shame within. He won't embarrass himself in front of the many women Takasugi has bedded before. But Takasugi's hunger wrings out another burst of milk, and— ]

Fuck, that's good. [ He throws his head back. The smooth column of his neck, bared to the world as melts into the cushions. ] Shinsaku...

[ It's getting hot. Little by little, Rinne's shirt slides back down with the threat to deny him relief. ]

Sh-Shinsaku, leave some for Niki... please.

( 1 / 2 )

[takasugi]

( takasugi rests there for two long, warm breaths, collecting him. memorizing him. tilting his head instinctively for where the blooming place is soothingly damp, the rasp of skin on skin illuminating the terrific awareness of their bodies. but he's always paid attention to rinne's requests, even when just satisfying this hunger doesn't feel enough. as he opens his mouth, freeing rinne, his nose tickling the areola as he lifts his chin up and away, takasugi's hips tilt. his cheeks, red. )

Y-Yeah.

( is all he can say to that, agreeing. of course niki would be hungrier than him. it's a treat for him to be able to share.

share... something that he's only experienced in the dim light of a conjugal bond, the weighing note of this milky fragrance stirring to life a want for something he used to believe had only been thrust on him to fix him. he's been trying to ignore this change in him, because even asking for a happy life together was too much. as family, maybe. as brothers, of course. but he knows where amagi rinne ought to be, regardless of their promises. he was a man who was never content being a voyeur, though, a million notes in him plucking all at once to create this song he isn't sure how to play just yet. )

( 2 / 2 )

[takasugi]

Hey, ... Amagi-kun.

( it's on the tip of his tongue, the things he can't say. that he won't say.

so instead, fingers wrap into the fabric of rinne's shirt to help tug it down, the clammy atmosphere between them hot and sweaty.

the untouched brain between his legs keeps the pace, spurned on by the hand on his hip, another red hot part of him on the verge of release as long as things keep up, as long as he keeps quiet about wanting to see rinne's face lit up with laughter in every possible world, about wanting to see him budge for him with his own eyes and be taken next to the hearth somewhere far away, dressed in robes so unfamiliar that he feels like a stranger. )

I think, ... I'm almost there.

( there's no "help me" in there, no want for more than the honey-sweet inside of rinne's mouth as he reaches up to claim him, sliding tongue atop tongue to accentuate every chasing buck of hips with a deep kiss. his arms wrap around that neck, pulling him in close as he lets out a groan into his mouth. to make it last, what's left of the both of them. guiding, slanting the rupture of their bodies together to make the damp spot on his front even damper. with every wet press of lips, his jaws relax, and as the seam of his pants brushes against the hidden outline of rinne's thick arousal, takasugi can only sigh for how much it turns him on. )

[hanikamu]

[ The friction builds pressure and heat. Rinne's cock is thick and hot against Takasugi's own, a wet and sticky mess at the tip covered in cloth stretched taut. Pearls of cum ooze through the fabric with each rock of Takasugi's hips, but what spurs Rinne is the kiss. Takasugi always wants to kiss like this, throwing himself at him like an impatient lovebird before their wedding day. A day like that will never come to pass, so Rinne holds him tight, closes his eyes, and for a moment, he pretends. Takasugi might never be an Amagi. But when the man kisses Rinne's mouth and drinks from Rinne's breast, it's enough for Rinne to feel like this isn't breaking a rule to becoming his brother's perfect king. ]

I'm there with you.

[ His strong, masculine hands pull Takasugi's arms down and catch them by the wrists. He brings the hands to the smooth expanse of his chest, the area around his sensitive nipples glazed with a coat of milk and spit. ]

Here, [ he murmurs in the sliver of air between them before they drink each other in. ] Make me feel it.

[takasugi]

Ah, ...

( the demand and the direction consumes his domain of thought entirely.

the heat spreads from his groin all the way down to the tips of his toes, fingers curling tight around the prominent nubs that push through the tight folds of rinne's shirt. the muscles of his stomach, wrinkling as he bends in the straddling position, their faces still so close. he brushes his lips messy against rinne's, trying to coordinate each nipple tight between warm fingertips that graze against the puffy tips beneath that have already endured so much from each needy suckle. it makes him shiver in clumsy little bursts to tease them while he isn't watching. it makes his breathing more erratic to think this is what he wants, to be pushed to the edge almost painfully so. )

... Amagh, ... Rin... Rinne. When you hold my wrists tight like that, I—

( he nips rinne's lower lip, the words shuddering out. unsure if he should mention the way being pinned in place sends a thrilling shiver up his spine.

but then the relief threatens to spark through him so intensely that it feels like it could break through skin, and takasugi just lets himself go.

he gasps in the younger man's mouth, feeling the skin stretch over his knot, straining and swelling with blood to the point of making him lightheaded. his whole body staggers and starts to unwind in place, soft lips trembling as a cock starved for touch feels so agonizingly good. in the rhythm of their breathing, he pulses. he doesn't stress the front of his hakama with a girth as prominent as rinne's, but the outline still throbs, every jump pushing the seam as to let cum dribble on through in milky dollops. every joint, shaking, eyes closed and brows furrowed for the way he's too dazed in the moment to maintain any dignity. every messy, involuntary answer to all this arousal comes in hoarse breathing and even huskier pants, takasugi soaking himself from his seat atop rinne's lap until he's spent. )

[hanikamu]

[Rinne's world is nothing but him, Takasugi, and their shared breaths and heat. Whatever barriers they have between them, he can barely feel them when Takasugi catches him by the lips. The kiss is raw honesty. Sweet sounds and spit pour from the corners of his mouth as it overwhelms him, and he just takes it. Takasugi is an adorably selfish man, after all, so everything that he's willing to give, Rinne will gladly take. Sweat and milk trickle down his chest in rivulets as Takasugi kneads pleasure back into it. The pressure on his puffy nipples makes him hiss through his teeth. His tongue makes room for Takasugi's own, and he moans when Takasugi fills it.

Then Takasugi trembles. Rinne knows what's coming. He wraps his strong arms around him, locking him in place. Impatient hips start bucking into the swelling knot, chasing his own pleasure against it. For a moment, nothing else matters. Not what they were before they met, not what they will do after. Takasugi called for Rinne and Rinne alone. For that, Rinne should only respond in kind.

Rinne shudders at the wet sound of his release as it seeps out of seams like cream. More of his sweet-smelling milk spills from his puffy teats. He comes, and when he does, he holds Takasugi long after the crest of their release, letting their fluids settle in a sweaty, sticky mess.]

Good. [Gently, he strokes Takasugi's safflower hair like he would a beloved pet — the kind of pet he was never able to keep.] You did good, Shinsaku.

[At this. At everything he's ever done to show Rinne what he means to him. Might as well say it now, before the shame settles back into his bones. He nuzzles into the crook of Takasugi's neck.]

One day, when all of this is over... Can you call me by my name again?

[Plainly, without anything attached, without pretense or fear. Because no one else ever has.]

🎀

[takasugi]

( "when it's over".

takasugi's throat runs dry, the curve of his cheek brushing against red locks. he doesn't like the sound of that word, "over". because when is that, exactly? how many years and how many cycles will takasugi get to spend dreaming beside him, on the edges of a relationship that makes him want to defy all the odds and break free of the otherworldly forces that confine him and his history in another realm? he knows well of the cruel reality he refuses to accept now. it's amusing to think about a time when he wasn't quite so captivated, still trying to avoid any mention at all that they might be parted by the inevitable.

so why does it have to end?

takasugi holds back. he holds back tight enough to pretend that rinne will pass straight through him and maybe they'll fuse. he holds like embracing him is the most important thing in the world, like maybe he was meant to do this, more so than ancestors and elders that didn't deserve to witness the talent they could've snuffed out. as the sweet scent of milk continues to bring a strange comfort, takasugi wrenches his claws into the back of rinne's shirt. after all, there's only one thing he can say. )

You can count on it. When the time comes, I'll say it so often you'll have to beg me to stop.

( love creeps into his voice and lays on his tongue. it helps keep the dread away, takasugi prompting his nose into rinne's hair to breathe him in. the words punch out with the slightest tremble, the exhaustion from all that excitement leaving him momentary dazed and in need of some time to recover. )

I'll hold your true name like you hold mine, ... the tremor of it so memorable. A fire that mapped out every corner of my being.

( his heart, illuminated, where an afternoon is only long in name for how the two of them cling to each other until it's almost evening. takasugi ruffles the back of rinne's head gently, knowing they need to clean up soon. knowing he'll have to return to the ship before dark and work on the final touches before arriving for dinner, his face less like a lover and more like a comrade as they eat and he wonders, "how can i keep this, how do i create a future that takes us to fantastical heights and doesn't die?" )