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It had been a long week.
"Mister Seimei, two giant sea serpents will reach the shore at sunrise."
"Two at a time?"
Yao Bikuni opened her eyes and nodded. "According to my divination, those are the last ones." The azure glow of her staff dimmed, slowly lowering itself into her palms.
A pair of loud gasps interrupted their conversation before Seimei could let out a sigh of relief. The two onmyoji turned to the elderly couple making their way into the dimly lit room.
"Is it true?!" the old man asked. "The serpents will really stop coming here after this?"
Though his wife quietly placed a tray of food on the nearby table, the same eagerness could be seen on her face.
Yao Bikuni offered them a reassuring smile. "Yes, once we catch the last two, they won't bother the village anymore."
"We can't thank you enough," the old woman whispered, a quiver catching in her voice.
"The one most deserving of your gratitude is Mister Seimei here. Ikuchi serpents prefer messing with ships on the high seas, not with people on land. But judging from their numbers over the past days, I suspect they overbred and approached your village in search of more food."
"It didn't help much when we killed them," the old man muttered bitterly. "It only caused more of that appalling viscous substance to gush out of their bodies and soil our waters..."
Seimei and Yao Bikuni winced. They had spent only one week in the village, but the stench of that goo would haunt them for months to come. The serpents left traces of it everywhere they moved.
Yao Bikuni cleared her throat. "Yes, which is why Mister Seimei's idea to catch and shrink them to the size of a leech with our spells proved to be the most effective."
Seimei glanced at her. She had yet to wash her clothes after their earlier encounter with an ikuchi, which only added to the weariness of her expression. Catching slippery serpents was no easy feat.
"Don't sell yourself short. I wouldn't even be able to predict their movements without your help."
Yao Bikuni smiled. "Only two more left," she repeated and let out the sigh Seimei had been meaning to for a while now.
Once they finished talking, the old couple invited their humble saviours to feast on the remaining uncontaminated, thankfully-not-slimy-nor-stinky fish still left in the village.
They had generously provided them with shelter and warm meals over the week, even though the two onmyoji had insisted that they not go to such trouble. However, the only food left in the village was fish. The treacherous part of Seimei's stomach soon began to crave something different. He chewed on the grilled salted mackerel and set the thought aside.
Preferably something not salty.
The sleep hadn't been the most restful either, the blame falling mostly on the permeating stench caused by the serpents over the course of the week. But the couple of hours of napping they've managed to secure proved to be enough to successfully catch the remaining serpents the following morning.
Seimei walked a few steps into the water and opened a fishing net. Two tiny wiggly creatures immediately slithered out into the sea, far away from the shore, leaving behind only negligibly thin trails of viscosity. Their desire to wreak havoc on land had been permanently quenched now that their size no longer posed a threat.
As he watched the wiggling dissolve into the horizon, his gaze fell on the warm morning glow reflected on the water. The sky was clear, and gentle ripples moved slowly towards the shore. It felt peaceful.
Before his drowsy mind could lure him into relaxing and taking a much-needed break, Seimei had to remind himself that there were still responsibilities and duties to take care of—such as helping the old couple scrub away all the freshly added goo around the house. And washing their clothes, of course. If they worked fast, they would be back home by evening.
He let out a yawn and continued to watch the horizon. The sea was really beautiful that morning. Seimei could only wonder if a similar man of duty was also enjoying the same sight from his deck.
"I can't wait to return to Heian-kyo and take a bath," Yao Bikuni declared as she approached him into the shallow water. "And sleep."
Seimei laughed. "I couldn't agree more."
-
The sun was setting when they stepped into the courtyard. Seeing as Kohaku cheerfully rushed towards them, then reeled the second he got too close, everyone concluded that a long bath took priority over catching up.
Seimei could feel every muscle in his body melt at the touch of hot water. The rising steam and the faint fragrance of the cherry blossoms in the garden were comforting enough to temporarily make him forget that he shouldn't fall asleep and drown in a hot bath of all things. So he got out, put on his regular white sleeping garment, and walked along the engawa looking for his companions.
However, Yao Bikuni and Kohaku were already sound asleep, and Hiromasa seemed to be out in town with Kagura, so Seimei headed back to his room. He skimmed through some of the recent letters Kohaku had gathered for him: one from the Minamoto clan, one from Lord Michinaga, two from people thanking him for his aid, another from Lord Michinaga, three from several nobles requesting his support, another one from Lord Michinaga. Hm. Seimei could feel himself dozing off, so he set the letters aside and finally lay down on his futon.
His first night in a week when the foul smell didn't seep into his mouth. Or maybe not—he could taste it again now that he remembered it. Seimei sighed. He was craving something sweet. Something so rich it would wash away that taste from his mouth.
The image of the peaceful morning sea flashed through his mind.
As he stared at the ceiling, he decided to head to the incense burner on his desk. Relieved to see he still had some mugwort incense left, Seimei carefully lit it before returning to his futon.
He closed his eyes and took in the sweet, earthy scent of the incense.
Maybe he could send Kohaku to buy something from Amezaiku tomorrow. At least sweets were easier to acquire than some other desires.
It wasn't long before the pleasant fragrance grew faint and Seimei's thoughts began to drift. For a while, the hours slipped by unnoticed in the quiet of the night.
He couldn't tell when exactly the earthy scent had returned to fill his senses. What stirred him awake, though, was the teasing touch of fingers on his lower lip, pinching and letting go only to pinch again.
When Seimei opened his eyes, he found a familiar pair of blue ones watching him with quiet amusement.
"You're finally awake," Taki spoke softly, pulling back his hand.
It took Seimei a few blinks before he could assess his surroundings. Falling asleep on a soft futon and waking up on a low wooden bed inside a ship cabin was more disorienting than he had imagined. Thankfully, Taki's presence anchored him in the moment—or rather, to the bed, because Seimei's back was pressed against several cushions and the wooden wall behind, while Taki lay before him like a cat trapping its prey. There was a glint in this cat's eyes, but he simply waited and observed, head resting on his hand. Just for a moment, Seimei allowed his gaze to travel, and Taki's lips curled into a grin. His hair, loosely braided, fell over golden body chains studded with gems and pearls that draped over his naked arms and chest, and joined in a layered necklace. That, and a pair of black trousers hugging his legs, seemed to be enough clothing for Taki.
"Were you thinking of me tonight?" he prodded.
Seimei realized he'd lost track of how long he'd been ogling the blue gleam of jewels against his chest and collarbones. He could only offer a smile.
"I was thinking of something sweet."
Taki's chest rumbled with a pleased chuckle. "Then allow me to indulge you."
He slowly sat up on the bed and snapped his fingers. In the blink of an eye, a golden tray appeared in Taki's hand with a light clink! He seemed to have already adapted to the convenience enabled by some of these dreams.
When he presented the tray, a soft gasp escaped Seimei's lips. It was filled with a myriad of desserts, ranging from regular mochi and deep-fried sweets dusted with arrowroot or cinnamon to exotic pastries covered in what looked like shredded dough and pistachios, crispy, elongated shapes coated in syrup, and round, crumbly cookies powdered with sugar.
The traitorous part of Seimei's stomach wondered if it was possible to try them all at once.
Taki pointed at one of the deep-fried sweets. "Chocolate is your favourite, isn't it? You should try this one."
Judging from the moneybag-like shape, it seemed to be a kangidan, but its characteristic blend of sandalwood, clove, and cinnamon with the chocolate was so unexpected that Seimei could only close his eyes and savour the taste with a blissful sigh.
Taki laughed and lay down again. Seeing how much Seimei was enjoying it, he felt compelled to take a kangidan from the tray as well.
"Have you had a rough week?"
Seimei took one more bite and let the flavour linger before the memory of the goo could seep into his mouth again. "Have you ever encountered ikuchi serpents out at sea?"
Taki's grimace was answer enough.
"This week I've learned that they can also approach the shore. I've had much worse weeks, but this one might stick to my memory for a while," Seimei said with a wry laugh.
"The stench of that goo also stuck to the ship for days," Taki muttered into his kangidan. "But your mugwort incense helped me take my mind off it at night."
Seimei returned his grin, then picked up one of the sugar-powdered cookies. Oh, it was filled with some heavenly mixture of nuts and honey. He took another bite.
"How did you know I was craving sweets, though?"
"I did not. You simply happened to have perfect timing. I made these today."
Seimei paused. "You made them?"
"Yes. We have recently acquired a fine selection of goods and spices from the Western seas, so I decided to put them to good use before they spoiled. Do you like them?"
Seimei cleared his throat and nodded sheepishly, reaching for another cookie. One would not be worthy of the Golden Tentacles' perfect first mate title without being capable of crafting mouthwatering marvels as well, he supposed.
His musings got interrupted when Taki prevented his hand from touching the tray.
Seimei's quick nod earlier must have really pleased him because Taki's eyes were practically beaming. "Please let me do it."
"Do what-"
One of the pastries coated in syrup touched Seimei's lips.
Oh.
It took him a moment to make peace with the lingering self-consciousness and give in to nibbling the pastry. Whatever Taki had mixed into that syrup, it made Seimei's thoughts melt.
"It's a blend of honey, vanilla, cloves, and rose water," he answered his surprised face, then brought the pastry covered in shredded dough and pistachios to his lips. "Try this one too."
Despite its crunchy exterior, the crust was cradling a molten layer of sweet cheese. A chuckle escaped him at the sight of Seimei struggling with the stretchy texture. He nonchalantly brought the stretched cheese to Seimei's mouth, letting a finger brush against the tip of his tongue, then proceeded to explain in ample detail the process of mixing wheat flour, starch, salt, sesame oil, and water for the dough.
Whether the way Taki inched closer with each bite was intentional or not, Seimei soon realized that his eyes were no longer resting on the tray, but on the flush of his skin. The way blue beads and gold nestled against it was oddly mesmerizing.
Taki was quick to notice, so he placed the tip of a thin, rope-shaped pastry between Seimei's lips. When his attention returned to the sweets, Taki grinned and leaned closer, biting half of it with effortless ease. Seimei's heart unavoidably skipped a beat.
"Would you like a taste of something other than these sweets?" he cooed.
Seimei chewed on the remaining pastry in a daze. How could he resist such an offer? He took the tray from Taki's hand, set it aside, then cradled his face in his palms and began peppering it with light kisses. Taki found himself chuckling at the tickling sensation.
Bracing himself on his elbow, Seimei settled on top of him, then finally shifted his attention to his lips. Not at all surprising, he tasted like he belonged with the cookies and pastries on the tray.
As the kiss deepened, Taki slipped his arms around his neck, the movement prompting a faint jingling from the chains adorning his body. Invited by the sound, Seimei's hands began to roam the expanse of his chest. The way Taki softly gasped into his lips when cold metal brushed against a nipple was already addictive.
"Do you always dress like this at night?"
"If you sleep with me more often, you'll find out," Taki hummed. A smirk played at his lips, but it quickly switched to a startled breath when his nipple was firmly pinched.
Seeing his pout, Seimei couldn't resist kissing him again. How come his body was this sensitive tonight?
To test the extent of it, he pinched both nipples, drawing out a low groan from him this time. Teasing fingers continued to have their way with his chest while the light bites right above the layered necklace added to the soft sighs spilling from his mouth. A gentle flick and the tingle of fingernails grazing tender skin were all it took for Taki to grow restless under him.
Satisfied with the flush melting into his needy expression, Seimei concluded that the next sensible thing to do was to lightly trace a finger along Taki's lower abdomen. A shiver coursed through his body, and he bit his lip.
As the finger traveled downward, it brushed over a chain encircling Taki's hips just beneath his navel, connecting two other beaded chains that hugged his thighs in intricate patterns. The trousers were low-waisted, so Seimei's finger brushed his skin a few extra seconds before stopping right above Taki's already hard dick. He was really looking forward to this, wasn't he?
Unfortunately for him, it soon became clear to Seimei that untying those trousers posed a challenge in and of itself.
Why did they have so many strings?
Why did he have to tie them like sailing knots?
Taki, seeing him fumble with his lone piece of clothing instead of taking it off already, was kind enough to offer a word of advice: "You don't need to untie all the strings." His voice was somehow laced with both amusement and arousal. Hooking a finger under the chain at his waist, he added, "You should remove the beads first."
Seimei quietly complied, striving to set aside the lingering traces of embarrassment. Luckily, it wasn't so difficult when Taki's breathing quickened in anticipation with each chain getting unclipped.
He was halfway through pulling off the trousers when Taki whispered again, "You haven't removed them all." A hand covered his lips, but the faint twitch of a smirk underneath was unmistakable.
Seimei peeked at the delicate beaded chains that draped across his flushed chest and clung to his arms. He wasn't entirely willing to remove them...
"Not those."
Taki slowly, carefully raised his knee and settled his leg behind Seimei's waist, allowing him to gradually take in the one spot his eyes had missed. There was a golden ring, larger than one was meant to fit on a finger, fastened to a string that very notably slipped inside his ass, keeping the rest of it hidden from prying eyes.
To say Seimei had stopped breathing at that moment would have been an understatement. He could feel every inch of his skin flush crimson while his gaze remained glued to the inky-black string.
Delighted to have successfully stirred such a reaction from him, Taki's smirk deepened into a grin of satisfaction. Just as slowly as he had lifted his knee, he let the hand fall from his mouth down to the gleaming ring.
"Like this," he murmured and then pulled.
A moan escaped them both when a bead matching the colour of the metallic ring slipped past the tight, already slickened hole. But the string stretched beyond the bead and continued to snugly fit inside his ass.
Seimei, in his hazy mind, dumbly remarked that the bead was the size of a ripe plum! He swallowed, trying to get a grip on himself. But then it finally dawned on him that the beads—plural!—had been inside Taki long before he woke up on his bed. He had even nonchalantly handfed Seimei sweets this entire time.
Liquid heat coursed down to his groin and lit his heartbeat on fire. Seimei suddenly grasped Taki's wrist, preventing him from pulling the ring any further. "You said I should do it," he whispered with a remarkably steady voice.
Taki blinked in surprise and let out a soft exhale. Seeing the look in his eyes, Seimei felt compelled to kiss him again. Taki seemed to gradually melt on his tongue like chocolate, so Seimei took the opportunity to carefully tug at the ring and pull another bead out. The gasps he let out were quite irresistible, encouraging Seimei to continue. Two, three...
"How many?" he breathed.
A smug spark flickered across Taki's face. "Why don't you count them yourself?"
Seimei immediately pulled another one out, drawing an outright filthy noise from his throat. "Four."
Taki sweetly clung to Seimei's sleeves, squeezing his eyes shut in anticipation. Seeing him succumb so eagerly to pleasure under him never failed to cloud Seimei's thoughts with aching desire. And yet, instead of pulling out the next bead, his hand stopped abruptly. Before Taki could ask any questions, he had already picked up a ginseng cookie off the nearby tray and brought it to Taki's lips.
"If you manage to hold it in your mouth without breaking it, I'll let you do whatever you want to me afterwards," Seimei rasped softly.
Taki's eyes lit up at the challenge, and he accepted the cookie between his teeth.
Seimei smiled. He opened a vial he had grabbed from beneath the cushions scattered on the bed—the perfect first mate, as always, was well-prepared—then turned his attention back to the beads. A generous amount of oil was drizzled over the sensitive muscle tightening around the string. Taki squirmed at the sudden coolness and closed his eyes, waiting.
However, if he thought that removing the remaining beads would be it, he was sorely mistaken. Instead of giving the ring yet another tug, Seimei's dick rubbed right against the spot where the fifth bead waited to be popped out.
An incredulous gasp slipped from Taki as realization struck, and a fierce flush frantically rose to his face.
Seimei carefully pushed the tip of his dick deeper inside. The second it pressed against one of the beads, Taki threw his head back, biting the cookie in half.
The raw, drawn-out moan breaking past his lips went straight to Seimei's groin. Taki was tight—impossibly so—yet something inside him completely loosened at that moment. The blue of his eyes smoldered with need, desperate, begging Seimei for everything he could possibly offer and more. It was an insatiability they had both just become aware of.
But Seimei's hips were slow, purposefully thrusting one maddening breath at a time. Taki could only grasp his sleeves for support once more and moan as if all sense of shame and restraint had been abandoned.
Seimei wasn't that far off either. The soft warmth was a stark, intoxicating contrast to the metal pressing against his dick. He firmly grabbed a hold of Taki's hips and let out a shaky exhale.
Skilled at adapting to any situation as he was, it didn't take too long for Taki to grow used to the wicked stretch of being stuffed with beads and a cock at the same time. In fact, as his breathing settled, his dazed expression soon shifted into another pout.
"Seimei," he muttered, not yet in full control over his shaky voice. "This is playing dirty."
Seimei blinked. The greedy way Taki's ass gripped his dick was rather distracting, so there was a brief delay before he fully grasped his words. His gaze fell on the broken cookie pieces that slipped around Taki's cheek. Seimei reached for a piece and took a bite. Less sweet than the previous ones, but significantly more spiced.
Grinning faintly, he brought another ginseng cookie to Taki's lips. "Then do you want to try again?"
He grabbed it with determination and nodded, wrapping both legs around Seimei's waist and pulling him closer. The sudden movement made Taki whimper.
It wasn't a sound he got to hear from him very often, which only left Seimei craving for more. He quickly snatched the fluffiest pillow on the bed, placed it under Taki's waist, and then finally gave him what he wanted.
A slow but steady rhythm settled between their bodies, and Seimei soon found himself enthralled by Taki's stubborn resolve to keep the cookie whole between his teeth. Each attempt to suppress his voice drew out more choked pants and hushed whines. He already seemed to be on the edge of pleasure, so Seimei picked up the pace, eager to find out the extent of his resolve.
Frankly, the pressure of metal also drove Seimei wild, but he swallowed his groans and focused on pushing the beads against the one spot he knew Taki loved best.
His back instantly arched with another drawn-out whimper, giving a delicious view of the dainty chains sticking to his skin. A sight just as mesmerizing was the glistening tears clinging to his eyelashes. And somehow, he still stubbornly held onto the cookie!
Seimei found it necessary to kiss the corners of his glassy eyes and whisper breathless words of praise against his temples. With a shaky meowl, Taki pulled him into his arms and squeezed his legs tighter. A low, strained groan escaped them in tandem.
The sensible side of Seimei grasped Taki's thigh in an attempt to untangle himself from the hold of his legs, but he refused to budge. With a confused whine, he furrowed his brows and shook his head.
"But I'm close," Seimei chuckled. "Do you want me to come with the beads still inside you?"
Taki moaned at the teasing tone of his voice. He buried his head in Seimei's shoulder and gave a few quick nods. Oh.
Seeing that there was no room for holding back, Seimei's palm, still resting on Taki's thigh, slid to the back of his knee and hooked it up over his shoulder. The new angle let him sink deeper, and it wasn't long before he came with a low groan and Taki's sweet, desperate whines seeping into his ears.
The tight heat of his body eagerly accepted everything, reluctant to let go even after being well and truly filled. Seimei, breathing heavily, still pulled out, enjoying every twitch the slow drag of his dick brought to Taki's knitted brows. He only needed one more push. Or rather, a few more tugs.
"Taki," he murmured, his voice steady enough to draw those dazed eyes back on him.
Seimei grabbed the backs of his knees and raised his hips a fraction higher. That had to grant him a clear view of two fingers playing with the golden ring. Taki's breath hitched.
"Five," Seimei whispered as a bead was eased out.
Taki must have realized how loose he was when the sixth one smoothly followed.
"Seven."
A most filthy whine slipped past his lips at the sight of come sticking to the golden glint of metal.
"Eight," Seimei rasped, breathless. It was the last one, leaving Taki completely blissed out. He threw his head back, flung an arm over his misty eyes, and surrendered to the relentless wave of pleasure. Only a choked gasp and the soft clink of jewelry remained of him at that moment.
Seimei intertwined their fingers and moved Taki's arm away from his face. He looked utterly debauched; come spilled all over his abdomen, chest heaving, skin flushed a beautiful shade of pink, loose strands of hair sticking to his temples. And somehow, he had managed to still hold the cookie between his lips, completely intact.
Taki all but purred when Seimei's free hand angled his chin to bite into the prized cookie. Hushed words of praise soon followed. Taki summoned what strength was left in his body to squeeze Seimei's hand and pull him close enough to melt into his embrace.
Seimei lightly nuzzled into his neck, waiting for their breaths to settle. Taki's skin felt so warm that the prospect of falling back asleep on top of him at that moment almost sounded like an excellent idea.
But that thought was soon cut short by a quick nip to his ear.
"I can do whatever I want to you now, right?"
A shiver had yet to finish running down Seimei's spine at the raspy, playful tone when he felt the rough touch of scales coiling around his waist. He yelped. Taki's tail tightened its grasp and yanked him into a sitting position. Soft hands followed immediately, sliding to the backs of Seimei's thighs to bring his hips closer to Taki's face.
His breath caught in his throat.
Well, Seimei was nothing but a man of his word.
"I should make up for keeping my mouth shut for so long," Taki drawled, slowly tracing a finger down the underside of Seimei's dick, "don't you think?" He accentuated the question with a light press against his balls and the low rumble of a chuckle.
Seimei gasped in response, already feeling hot pink rising to his face. Maybe tugging at the golden ring had let several other cravings slip from Taki along with those eight beads.
Pink quickly turned to crimson when he felt the feather-light touch of lips pressing kisses to his dick. A warm tongue joined the teasing pecks, lapping at the tip as Taki's lips gently squeezed it between them. Judging from the curl of a smirk around the cock in his mouth, Taki seemed to truly savour the sight of Seimei squirming on top of him.
His movements were gentle yet mercilessly teasing, drawing out countless shaky pants from Seimei's lips. The need to thrust his hips became all-consuming, but the tail held him firmly still; he was at the mercy of Taki's whims.
"There's another vial under this cushion," Taki murmured after pressing a wet kiss to the tip. "Can you pour it on my fingers?"
Seimei stared—perhaps a second too long—at the cushion Taki's head was resting on, and the hand that currently wasn't stroking him at a maddeningly slow pace. He complied and watched as oil smeared Taki's elegant fingers.
"Is this part of the dream, or do you always keep multiple vials around your bed?" Seimei quipped despite the tingle rising up his spine when slick fingers prodded at his ass.
Taki simply smirked, slipped a finger inside, and opened his mouth wider. He had to commend this unbelievable man for his steadfast desire to stuff himself full of Seimei, because with each passing second, he took his dick deeper down his throat.
Seimei was overwhelmed, not only by the relentless sensations, but the view was making his mind come apart at the seams. When Taki's needy gaze met his, he felt an irresistible urge to touch. So he let go of the tail he held onto for balance and traced along the tender flesh of Taki's throat. His finger pressed ever so lightly. A muffled groan escaped Taki around his length, the vibrations catching them both completely off guard.
Seimei was certain they looked equally ruined at that moment.
But he also knew that Taki was determined to unravel him further. It was by no means a difficult feat to achieve, given that, by the time a third finger slipped inside, any trace of a coherent thought had vanished from Seimei's mind. He was so close...
But Taki suddenly squeezed the base and removed his fingers.
"You can't come yet," he whispered against the tip, his voice hoarse yet firm.
With the flick of a hand, Taki loosened the ribbon that could barely hold his messy braid together anymore and smoothly tied it around the base of Seimei's dick.
He audibly gasped, which prompted a pleased grin from Taki. The tail shifted, guiding Seimei's hips away from that greedy mouth, until he felt Taki's length rubbing against his ass. He moaned again, sensing another deep flush rising to his face.
It was only then that he truly started reaping the fruits of challenging Taki's need to have his way with him.
As opposed to his earlier teasing pecks, his thrusts were anything but. The tail tightened its grasp and rocked Seimei's hips up and down on Taki's dick, settling into a quick, intoxicating rhythm that chipped away at Seimei's self-control with every hit against that one sweet spot.
He bit his lip and shivered as fingers traced the inner side of his thighs.
"Spread your legs more."
Seimei obeyed without a second thought, giving Taki a view satisfying enough to draw a grunt from him. The thrusts deepened, and the final grip Seimei had on his voice loosened under Taki's gaze.
His whole body drowned under a wave of agonizing pleasure.
"Taki...ngh, when will you..." he faltered. A part of him still had the presence of mind to wonder if that shaky voice really belonged to him. "When will you let me come?"
He met Seimei's dazed eyes with another grin. The tail retreated from his hips, only to immediately be replaced by a pair of hands. Seimei suddenly found himself lying on top of Taki, gasping at the cool touch of jewelry and the press of his own dick between their bodies.
He nestled his face next to Seimei's ear, then let a hand travel downward. A truly shameful moan escaped Seimei's lips when two fingers joined Taki's length inside him. His hips buckled in vain.
"Whenever you say you want to," Taki finally answered, emphasising the last words with a light puff against his ear.
Seimei's brain stuttered. Ah, this merciless, relentless, incorrigible tease.
He took a deep breath and rolled his hips to the best of his strained abilities. "I want to come," Seimei rasped into the curve of Taki's neck. "I want to come so bad...Please, please, please-"
The instant the ribbon loosened, Seimei bit his lip in a final attempt to reclaim some control over himself, but the moans spilled free with his release. Heat poured inside him, and he groaned, hiding his face further into Taki's neck.
His skin was a bundle of oversensitive nerves, quivering under every caress along his hips, spine, and nape.
Seimei wished his hazy mind could grasp the loving words Taki whispered against his temple at that moment, but hums were all he managed in response. A tinge of regret washed over him as he realized sleep would soon overtake him. At the very least, he enjoyed the sweet taste of a gentle kiss right before succumbing to his drowsiness.
-
When Seimei opened his eyes again, the mugwort incense had long finished burning, yet the sweetness still lingered on his tongue.
Sitting up on his futon, he stared blankly at the morning sunlight seeping through the translucent shoji paper. His mind simultaneously brimmed with unspoken thoughts and fell into a quiet stillness.
He only broke out of his reverie when Kohaku cheerfully called out his name from the hallway.
"Good morning, Master Seimei! You have a package!"
He ran a hand through his hair and adjusted the night garment that had slipped down his shoulder. His hand stopped abruptly. Peeking out of the loosened attire were numerous tiny scratches embracing the sensitive skin of his waist. Scale marks, to be more precise. Seimei immediately covered the area with the sash he hastily tied up, then headed for the door.
"Good morning, Kohaku," he greeted his companion with the calm of someone whose heart wasn't doing somersaults inside their chest. "A package, you said?"
"Yes, Kohaku has just found it in the courtyard. I thought I smelled the sea breeze, but then I got closer!" His tails started wagging while handing Seimei what seemed to be a moderate-sized box tidily wrapped in a silk cloth. If the black lacquer box with gold inlays hadn't given away the sender right away, then the contents certainly did.
"It smelled like sweets!" Kohaku continued with added enthusiasm.
Mochi and kangidan, deep-fried sweets coated in syrup, pistachios sprinkled on top of exotic pastries, and a wide variety of cookies. Holding the box, Seimei attempted to maintain a neutral face, but it naturally turned the deepest shade of pink as each piece came with specific memories attached.
Clueless to his master's simmering agitation, Kohaku went on, "It seems to be from the Golden Tentacles. How nice of them, Master Seimei! I wonder if they knew you liked sweets. Oh, look, there's also a letter from Master Taki on the inner side of the lid!"
Seimei wordlessly picked up a cookie, tucked the letter inside the chest of his garment, and closed the lid.
He cleared his throat. "Thank you. Please go bring Kagura, Hiromasa, and Yao Bikuni to enjoy them together."
Watching Kohaku sprint down the hallway with sparks in his eyes, Seimei let out a soft exhale. He quietly bit into the only ginseng cookie in the box, then retreated to his room to change his clothes. It was just as spicy in the morning as it was at night.
