Chapter Text
After two years, everyone still looked up when Aresh stepped into the Royal Accounting Department office at closing time, but they no longer got up, continuing to finish their tasks for the day like he was simply another colleague of theirs. It was auditing season, the halfway mark of the year, so everyone was busy; a few apprentices had been brought in to help sort out the paperwork. Aresh caught the odd quick nod, but that was it. Other commanders or nobles might've taken offence, but Aresh found it to be a relief. He had spent most of his life walking into rooms and having everyone tense up at his presence.
Seiichirou visibly did tense up when he saw him, pursed his mouth and started writing faster, his pen scraping against the document.
"Yes. I know. It's past time to go home. Just a second, please," he said, bracing himself like he expected to be hauled up and out of the door. Not altogether unprecedented, so Aresh supposed it was fair enough.
"Is that the revised budget for the northern cave expedition?" Aresh saw the unmistakable blue insignia on the cover, and leafed through the document.
Seiichirou flipped open a folder to check something in his notes, and then went back to writing. "Yes, and in order to compile it, I had to leave this report until the last minute, so – "
"No," Aresh snapped, knowing exactly what he had been about to say.
Seiichirou took a deep breath, the kind he heaved when he wanted to protest but his sense of propriety warred against it. "I have to present it tomorrow at the early Wood Hour meeting."
"You're not taking any work home with you. Finish it now. Just a second, right? I'll wait."
Aresh pulled up a chair. They could kill two birds with one stone. He had been curious about the final details on the cave expedition, which had bounced from one department to the next, drastically changing shape and purpose along the way. If Seiichirou had revised the final budget, it had to be meticulously put together.
Seiichirou still looked suspicious. "How... much overtime are you allowing me?"
"As long as you need. But just that one report. You start working on anything else, and the deal's off, we're going home immediately."
There was a moment of hesitation before Seiichirou apparently decided that he was wasting precious overtime talking about it, gave a tiny relieved smile and went back to scribbling. The smile may have been fleeting, but it still warmed Aresh to see it.
The other accountants left, one after another, saying their goodbyes to Seiichirou and receiving mumbles in reply, until finally they were alone. With only one lamp glowing, the room looked different, more like a cosy sitting room than an accounting department. Aresh settled in, and immersed himself in the expedition details, making mental notes on how best to prepare his knights.
Eventually, the long lists of items started blurring together. Aresh put away the heavy bundle of paper and rested his eyes on Seiichirou. The frown had melted into a look of concentration. He didn't know how Seiichirou had managed to get that smudge of ink on his nose. Maybe while adjusting his glasses? A strangely endearing detail. Aresh spent a long time looking at it.
It felt nice, sitting side by side like this, doing something normal like going through paperwork. Aresh had always considered documentation a necessary evil, just something to be delegated away or powered through. But Seiichirou saw endless value in it, so now Aresh couldn't ignore it either. He liked to think his increased awareness had made him a better commander. The job felt more satisfying, at least.
For years he'd used to wonder why his parents would insist on taking tea together at Earth Hour sharp, just the two of them, when neither of them particularly enjoyed the taste. What a useless ritual to repeat for no reason. Only after moving into his own house with Seiichirou did he understand: there was an inherent pleasure in mundane, daily rituals with someone you cherished.
Once Seiichirou had finished the report, read it through and made two tiny corrections, Aresh already had his cloak ready, and draped it over his shoulders. The report had taken more than a second, but the afternoon was still just turning into evening; Aresh had lingered in his office for longer than this right before expeditions. Seiichirou made a point of showing him that he was not putting a single sheet of paper into his satchel when he left his desk.
Aresh couldn't resist: he reached out with a tendril of magic and hummed a quick spell to clean out the ink smudge. Seiichirou wrinkled his now spotless nose.
"Excuse me! Why are you using magic on me now? It's been a long day. My knees are going to be wobbly all the way home."
"Or you can just hold my hand and I'll fix it."
He got an exasperated look. "Honestly." Seiichirou sighed out his irritation, and let fondness seep through to his expression. "You couldn't just ask."
He did take Aresh's hand, in a tight and warm grip.
It was a warm afternoon, perfect for a walk. Seiichirou had spent far too long sitting down, so he could use the light exercise, but they would be late to dinner and Aresh wanted to get home fast, so he went to call the carriage driver back from his smoke break.
Aresh had to let go of Seiichirou's hand when they climbed into the carriage; he kissed it before he did so, it felt appropriate, and got another tiny smile in response. Seiichirou didn't seem unsteady on his feet at all. It had only been a quick clean-up spell, and Seiichirou's magicule resistance had come along in leaps and bounds. Sometimes Aresh did exaggerate the need to acclimatise him, just for an excuse to touch him.
The journey was quiet, both of them deep in their own thoughts. They didn't really need to talk to enjoy each other's company, they'd just proved it in fact, but Aresh could sense Seiichirou chewing on something that bothered him. The slight irritation radiating from him felt like a prickle in the air between them.
"What's wrong?" he finally asked, unable to bear it.
"Oh, nothing." Aresh thought that was it and he just had to keep getting increasingly worried, but then Seiichirou opened his mouth again and let the truth spill out. "Well. I've just been wondering. Is it... really that important to you, to dictate everything I do according to your whims? Does it have something to do with your rank, or your social status? Maybe it feels appropriate for you to make the decisions for a commoner like me."
"No!" Aresh reflexively reached out for Seiichirou's hand again. "No, I don't – That's not it. I don't give a damn about that. I just – You are my partner and my responsibility. I've sworn to take care of you. That's all."
Seiichirou tilted his head and regarded him with level curiosity. "Oh? Then tell me, why let me work overtime at the office instead of at home? You knew it would take me just as long, either way. That wasn't care-taking, that was an arbitrary decision. A decision you made for me."
Curse this clever man and his analytical mind.
"It wasn't arbitrary," Aresh argued, raising his voice in spite of himself.
He'd just wanted to spend the time with Seiichirou. If he'd allowed him to take the documents home, he would've closed himself in his room to finish his work alone. If he'd flat out told him not to do it Seiichirou would sneak out before dawn so he could finish the report then, once again, leaving Aresh alone. Aresh had chosen the only option that worked out for them both; why did Seiichirou have to make it some kind of a problem?
"You're only proving my point. That it was about control, rather than care." Seiichirou took a bracing breath. His big dark eyes were serious behind his glasses. "It's like – like you don't trust me."
"I don't. Not always."
Seiichirou looked slightly taken back. "Wh- Well – "
"Tonics."
"Oh, not that again – "
"So you don't feel the slightest urge to have them? Not even a little tempted? Don't lie to me."
Seiichirou snapped his mouth firmly shut and looked out the carriage window in silence for a long while.
"We're getting off topic," he said quietly, at length. "You – monitor my health and magicule resistance, and my working hours, and my diet. Fine. I appreciate the care and effort. As your – your partner. But as your partner, I can't help pointing out that I'm not your ward, I'm a grown man and fully capable of making decisions for myself."
That… sounded like something he'd been holding back for a while. Seiichirou wasn't in the habit of speaking his mind like that, which meant it must've really bothered him. Aresh swallowed down the sudden lump in his throat. Was Seiichirou unhappy? Had he neglected some vital part of their relationship, and not even realised it?
"We'll be home soon," he said, buying time because he didn't know what else to do. "We'll discuss it more then."
"The home you own," Seiichirou mumbled into his hand, and continued to stare out the window.
Oh no. This might be a serious problem.
It got wedged in Aresh's mind like a splinter, and stayed there while they got changed and had dinner, all in seemingly perfect harmony. Seiichirou didn't glare, didn't avoid him; he met his eyes across the dinner table and exchanged a few polite remarks with Pavel, and finished everything on his plates with apparent enjoyment. Aresh did his best to also act like nothing was going on, but he wasn't confident he was succeeding.
After dinner, they were served low-magicule tea and an assortment of biscuits in the sitting room. Seiichirou opened a hefty book on cosmology, something Aresh was fairly certain had nothing to do with his work, settling in on the plush sofa.
Once Seiichirou had poured himself a second cup of tea, immersed in his book, Aresh couldn't take it anymore. He took a decisive breath, and left his seat. Seiichirou's sharp glance stopped him just before he could sit next to him. Underneath that calm demeanour, he hadn't been forgiven.
He crouched down next to him on the floor instead, not knowing what else to do, and put his hand on Seiichirou's knee like a question, just needing to touch him. Seiichirou put his teacup away, and waited.
"Tell me how to fix it," Aresh blurted out. "The… control thing."
"I know you mean well." Seiichirou's expression softened at the edges. He laid the book across his lap, and extended his hand to pull Aresh up onto the sofa next to him. "Don't think I'm not grateful. I am. Immensely. But I can't live a life where all my decisions are made for me. It stings one's pride, you know? I'm weak to magicules, not a helpless child. I should think I've proven that much."
Aresh nodded. That could not have been more true. "What if I let you make more decisions at home? When it's not about work, or life or death situations. Would that… make you feel better?"
He felt like he was already doing that, in a way, looking to Seiichirou for cues. It wasn't like he had any experience in taking care of a partner, so he had to learn it little by little. It could be immensely frustrating. He'd already made so many embarrassing mistakes. A prodigy from a young age, he wasn't used to living with failure.
"Oh, Aresh." Seiichirou brushed back his hair, tucked it behind one ear. His smile was warm to the point of smouldering. His eyes narrowed with that cunning look he got when he ensnared someone in a bureaucratic trap of his devising. "You can't just hand it over like a conciliatory box of chocolates. It's not control unless I take it."
For some reason, a shiver went through Aresh at the words. A shiver of possibilities, still finding their shape in his mind.
"Take it, then," he found himself saying. "How...ever you wish."
Seiichirou raised his brows, intrigued, waiting for the catch.
"Like I said. Unless it's about work. Or tonics."
Seiichirou rolled his eyes. "Fine. I swear I will not have a single tonic to increase my work efficiency. And what work would that be? I didn't bring a document home with me. You saw to that."
Aresh huffed. "Don't give me that. You don’t need a reference library at home to do your calculations. I've seen how little you have to check your previous work when you put together a report. Your memory's amazing when it comes to numbers."
"Oh hush." Seiichirou bit his lower lip. "If you mean it… Hm. All right. I'll think it over. Later tonight, then, perhaps."
And he raised his book, and went back to reading.
Aresh did his very best not to immediately sink into a sulk for being dismissed like that. Before he could leave – definitely not to sulk anywhere else in the house – Seiichirou cleared his throat, and reached out, palm open.
His eyes were still glued to the page. "The key, please."
Aresh knew which key he meant. The one unlocking the door between the master bedrooms. "I thought it couldn't be just handed over."
"A key certainly can." Seiichirou made a beckoning move with his hand.
Now who was making decisions without explaining them? But Aresh had no ready argument. It was a perfectly ordinary week night, Seiichirou's barriers were strong and layered, and he would be heading nowhere in particular other than the Accounting Department for the next few days. He wasn't in danger. There was no need for Aresh to have ready access to Seiichirou's room at all times, especially when these days they spent every night in his.
His. No. Their bedroom. One more thing Aresh certainly thought, but had never said out loud. Did that bother Seiichirou too, to sleep in his bed? Like it had at first bothered him when Aresh had joined him in his? Suddenly it all seemed up in the air.
Aresh swallowed, and took out the key, placing it in Seiichirou's hand.
"Thank you." Seiichirou glanced up, dark eyes inscrutable, and hid the key in his pocket.
Aresh had no idea what went on in his partner's head, but it was clear there was nothing more he could say to him for now. He vented his confusion against several swordtraining targets out near the stables, sending splinters and hay flying until his muscles screamed. A long late-night soak and a soothing healing spell later he stepped into the bedroom, now slightly less frustrated, and found Seiichirou, for some reason, tying up his chair with a length of thin rope.
Seiichirou's hair was glossy and freshly combed. He'd also taken a bath earlier, then. He was fully engrossed in his project, crossing two lengths of the cord and deftly tying them into a loop around the back of the chair. He pulled them taut, adding one more elaborate knot to the pattern, then gave his handiwork a critical eye. That chair was definitely not going anywhere.
"Ah. Aresh. It's coming back to me," he said, half talking to himself, and undid all the knots with startling efficiency until he was holding a neatly looped length of rope. "But I need to practise some more."
"What are you doing?"
"Shibari." Seiichirou set the rope on top of his folded clothes; he too looked ready for bed. "But it's been a few years. And I want to make sure I get it right."
"Seeb… what?" The word sounded like total nonsense; it had to be of otherworldly origin.
"Huh. So there's no equivalent word here. Interesting." Seiichirou took off his glasses and set them where he always set them, on the nightstand. He rubbed at his eyes and yawned. "It's rope bondage. But don't worry about it for now, I'm nodding off. Are you coming to bed? Dim the lights, if you'd be so kind."
Well, it was either that or stand there and keep repeating "what" until the end of time, it seemed.
Seiichirou sighed, and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Aresh pushed his arm underneath his pillow so he could snuggle close. Seiichirou's hands smelled faintly like hay, from handling the rope. It was a familiar, cosy smell, reminding Aresh of taking care of Diana. He fell asleep easily that night.
The following day went by in perfectly ordinary fashion, except that when it came time to go to sleep, Seiichirou was nowhere to be found.
The door connecting the two master bedrooms was closed and locked. Aresh had an inkling. He dimmed all the lights, and saw it: a faint glow coming from underneath the door. Seiichirou was in his room, then. Aresh pressed his palm against the door he had no way to open.
"Seiichirou," he called out. "Are you coming to bed?"
There was no answer. After a moment, Aresh could swear he could hear a faint creak of the floorboards, but the house was of a fair size, and sounds travelled in unexpected ways.
He lay in bed, alone, and hated it, hated this game Seiichirou was playing, with the key and the tied-up chair and whatever else he was doing, without him. To teach him some kind of a lesson.
Aresh stirred awake some time later when Seiichirou crawled into bed next to him.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" he whispered.
Aresh grumbled, and pulled him close to him, enclosing him in a cage of his limbs to make sure he wouldn't go anywhere.
It was no use. Seiichirou was good at squirming out of tight spots. The next morning, Aresh woke up to an empty bed, and found Seiichirou downstairs complimenting Pavel on his fluffy omelets.
That night, lying in his empty bed, again, Aresh was sure he heard the floorboards creak in the next room. Why had he handed over the key like that? This was pointless torment. Seiichirou was so close, but he couldn't touch him, couldn't even see him and confirm he was all right. Not being needed was worse than being wrong and unable to fix it. It was unbearable. Aresh glared at the door.
When it suddenly opened, he jolted upright in bed.
The only thing Seiichirou had on were the loose linen trousers he wore to bed, baring an expanse of pale skin and the slight curve of his belly, proof that he hadn't neglected himself. He would probably always be on the slender side, but Aresh could no longer see bones poking out everywhere, setting him at ease. Seiichirou's dark hair was uncombed. His smile oozed confidence. The length of rope in his hand was uncoiled and loose; he tossed it onto the bed next to Aresh, then climbed in on top of him, straddling his legs. His mouth closed in hungrily to fit against Aresh's.
By the third kiss, Aresh had forgotten he'd ever been the slightest bit peeved. He did feel disoriented, especially when Seiichirou leaned back to give him a serious look, a-righting his glasses. Usually he would've already taken them off at this point.
"It's easier for me to be in control when there are clear parameters," he said, as evenly as if they were discussing an expedition budget, and pushed Aresh's hair back, tugging at it slightly. Why did that feel so nice? "And props. Props help. Like the rope. Something that signifies that this is play, not everyday life, and different rules apply. Yes?"
"All right," Aresh agreed, because it did make sense, and also because he would've agreed to anything. Seiichirou looked so good, so incredibly good like this, steady and sure and full of ideas. He wanted him all over him.
"So. Rope. We'll start with something fairly simple." Seiichirou took the rope, turned it over. Snapped it tight, and nodded, satisfied. "I want to tie up one of your hands. Will you let me?"
"Just one?" Well, that didn't sound too... controlling.
"Yes. Just one." Seiichirou was already measuring out the rope, catching it at two places and twisting it together. "Hm. Five twists, I think, your hands are bigger than mine. Well? Your pick."
Aresh gave him his left one, instinctively guarding his sword hand. Seiichirou put it through the loop so the twisted, knotted part of the rope hung down below. He tugged the loop fairly tight around Aresh's wrist, and then pulled the rope across his palm, bringing the knots to lie against it. So far, nothing felt too tight or uncomfortable, just… strange. Once more, Seiichirou brought the rope around Aresh's hand, and tucked it under the knots once, twice, until it made one, big knot pressing against the palm of his hand. Seiichirou pulled the rest of the rope through with a satisfied noise, and gave it a tug.
"That's not too tight, is it? Try pulling against it."
Aresh did. That was it? It was like having the reins of his horse looped around his hand.
"Good. Now the other end."
Seiichirou reached up past Aresh, and after a few quick, practised tugs, he'd tied the other end of the rope securely around the bedpost. Aresh knew basic knots, but he'd never seen the type Seiichirou used. He gave the length of rope a stronger pull, straining his muscles: the knot didn't tighten, didn't budge. The rope wasn't so tight it would've brought Aresh flush against the end of the bed. He could prop his arm up on the big pillow to keep his hand up without having to lean against the rope. It was surprisingly comfortable, he thought, nothing chafing or pressing against pulse points. The big knot rested against his palm. He could squeeze his fist closed around it.
"There we are. Good boy." Seiichirou patted his cheek, then finally took off his glasses, setting them in their usual place.
A shiver instantly went through Aresh at the words. He was hardly a boy, but...
"You know I can get out of this in an instant with magic," he pointed out. He felt awfully close to a blush and fought it back.
Seiichirou chuckled at him, running his hand down the side of Aresh's face. His hay-scented fingers dipped into Aresh's mouth, and he kissed them, instinctively.
"Aresh, you could just reach over and undo the knots with your other hand. But you won't, will you? Because you're being a good boy for me."
He pushed two fingers further into Aresh's mouth like a dare, and Aresh caught them between his tongue and the roof of his mouth, sucking until Seiichirou's eyes darkened, his gaze turning hazy. Seiichirou pulled his hand back, and traced his saliva-coated fingers down Aresh's throat to his chest, along the edges of muscles, undoing buttons of his night shirt until it hung open.
Aresh's hips worked as his cock filled up from the anticipation and the teasing touch. He reached out to pull Seiichirou closer with his free hand, burying his fingers in his hair and kissing him deeply, deeper than breath. Seiichirou met him with every drag of tongue, leaning his body readily against his. For a moment Aresh almost forgot about the rope.
But then he tried to reverse their positions, throwing Seiichirou down to tease him with touch in turn, and his hand stopped him. Not only was it hard to maneuver Seiichirou's weight with only one hand, but he also couldn't turn over. The rope didn't press against any vulnerable points, it was simply there, a reminder of the limitations. He was not used to that loss of control of his body. Even when it was voluntary.
A hiccup of something like panic arose in his throat, but he swallowed it back down.
"Need some help?" Seiichirou asked, raising his eyebrows as he shimmied away, putting distance between them in order to reach the strings of Aresh's trousers. He matter-of-factly undid them and pulled them down his legs, until all Aresh was wearing was the open shirt.
Aresh managed to catch hold of Seiichirou's waist when he moved closer again, and pushed down his trousers, to get at more of his skin, glowing warm from their activities rather than from magic coarsing astray. He couldn't get on top of Seiichirou, but this… this would also work. He just needed Seiichirou, needed him closer, moving with him. And Seiichirou was hard, too. Not desperate and leaking yet, but he knew how to get him there.
But once he'd stripped naked Seiichirou just sat astride Aresh's thighs and tilted his head at him, regarding him like he was an intriguing number puzzle instead of a lover.
"Don't you get tired of it, too? Being responsible all the time. Having to take care of me, of everything?"
He ran his fingers over Aresh's tied up hand to his wrist, all the way to the thin skin at the crook of his elbow. The skin tingled in the wake; Aresh found himself squeezing the knot that lay against his palm. It provided strange comfort.
"No," he said, and tried again to pull Seiichirou fully onto his lap, towards his cock, itching for attention.
"Never?" Seiichirou tilted his hips close, grinding against him. The friction almost hurt in its precision, suddenly hitting Aresh right where he was neediest. "So you're perfectly satisfied? I suppose there's nothing for you in what we're doing now, in that case. Shall we stop?"
Aresh clutched desperately at him with his one free hand. He couldn't lift him, could only push up his hips. "No! No. Don't – don't stop."
Seiichirou smiled. It was a tight, evil smile. "Try that again. Nicely."
"...Please?" Aresh whispered. Why was he whispering?
"Very good." Seiichirou petted his hair, and leaned in for a kiss.
He kept Aresh locked underneath him, stuck in this mutual writhe that felt amazing, yet not enough.
"Please, Seiichirou. Aren't you done punishing me?" Aresh asked between breathless kisses, voice strained.
"Oh, this is hardly punishment. If it is, you have a rather strange reaction to it." Seiichirou held out his hand. "Lubrication, if you would."
He'd never asked before; Aresh had used the spell when needed, of course, but it had been his call to make. His voice broke around the hum, too distracted by his arousal, by being ordered around, but he persevered, coating Seiichirou's fingers with the thick, slippery substance.
"Isn't that clever." Seiichirou wrapped his slick fingers around Aresh's length, making him bite back a needy noise. "Look how hard you are for me from just a little kissing. Maybe you like it when I'm a little mean to you."
"W-why would I like that?" Aresh managed, feeling a heated overwhelm come over him and fighting it back. The knotted rope was a soothing shape against his palm. He tugged at the rope holding him to the bed, dizzy with the realisation that he was reassured by its presence.
"Mm, there doesn't have to be a reason." Seiichirou levelled him a calculating look – there was a man who could make calculating sexy – and Aresh tugged desperately at the unyielding rope again. "But speaking of magic words, I suppose we need one, if we're going to get into proper punishments."
He circled his thumb around and across the head of Aresh's cock, and Aresh was going to go mad any second now, and he was going to enjoy it. Curse this infuriating, inexplicable man who'd captured him wholly and utterly – mind, body, heart.
"Pick a word to make us stop what we're doing."
Aresh swallowed, and tried to gather his thoughts. "Stop…?"
"No. Too generic. A specific word, just for this purpose." Seiichirou lifted his hand. "Think. And while you do that, more lube, please."
The repeated spell made Seiichirou flush, his body reacting to the sudden wave of magicules, but he was still breathing normally. Soon enough, that reaction would subside, Aresh thought fervently, watching as Seiichirou worked his slippery fingers inside himself, his untouched cock bobbing up and down with the movement.
"Fine," Aresh said, and stroked Seiichirou's cock, the feel and shape of it strangely helping him focus. "Expense report."
Seiichirou chortled, and withdrew his fingers, biting back laughter.
"What? If either of us says it, we're done."
Seiichirou still shook with withheld, silent laughter, although he did his best to make it look like he was just clearing his throat. "Khm! It's a little – cumbersome?"
He moved in closer, guided their bodies to meet and sank down, finally, finally taking Aresh in. The fit was tight and perfect and smooth, but Seiichirou locked down his hips, keeping them in place. Aresh tried to push up, but could do little under Seiichirou's weight and effort but throb needily, his cock caught in a sweet, hot vice.
"Can you say it like this?" Seiichirou asked, and sweat drops gathered at his temples, his breath coming out hot and halted.
"I don't want to stop."
Seiichirou's face twitched as he adjusted. When he raised himself up and sank down again, even the slight movement sent a wave of pleasure crashing through Aresh.
"I know, I know," Seiichirou promised, out of breath, flushed for reasons that had nothing to do with magicules. "We won't. Just to try it out."
Aresh moved up to meet him as much as he could, seeing the strain on Seiichirou's face. But this had been his plan, his idea. He had to let Seiichirou have his way with him. It wasn't as vigorous as he usually liked it, but the slow rocking together brought its own kind of deep friction, heating up his very blood.
"Expense report," Aresh said, right into Seiichirou's ear, and sucked a kiss underneath it. "Easy. Your turn."
"Ah… You would take it as a c-competition, wouldn't you," Seiichirou managed, hiccuping slightly in the middle.
His smile was slow and dreamy, and only the slightest bit wicked. He pressed the word against Aresh's mouth like a shared gift, and started to move in earnest.
*
Aresh let Seiichirou open the knots he'd tied, since he was obviously going to be faster than him at it. As soon as he'd done it, and thrown the rope over the bedpost, Seiichirou flopped down like a puppet with cut strings.
"Ow, my hips," he moaned into the pillow. "And my lower back. And my thighs."
Well, they had been… very thorough. Aresh wasn't sure he could've gone for a second round, either. He kissed the top of Seiichirou's head, and got only agonised mumbles in response.
He dimmed the lights, then pulled up the blankets over them both. His spell started out very mumbly, half muffled by the pillow and Seiichirou's hair. Aresh forced his pleasure-hazed brain to focus, and weaved in a spell to clean them up, used to combining those two. His ability to combine healing properties to other spells had shot through the roof since he'd met Seiichirou.
Aresh ran his hand up and down Seiichirou's back, his right hand. He could still feel the knot pressing against his left palm, a reassuring phantom weight.
"Oh, thank you." Seiichirou sighed. "That's better."
"You know, if you took up my offer to join me for some exercise every now and then…"
"Ugh, forget it. I don't have the time. This is much more efficient and to the point."
Like he had read his thoughts, Seiichirou reached for Aresh's left hand, and kissed the palm, sending a tiny shock through him. The distraction worked; he dropped the topic of exercise immediately, the rope the only thing on his mind.
"Hmh. That was… interesting." Aresh had other words for it, but those needed a little time to churn within before he could let them out. "The rope. Seebari, did you call it?"
Seiichirou rubbed his thumb over the marks the rope had left on Aresh's hand and wrist. It didn't hurt, but the skin felt thin and vulnerable, making him squirm all over again.
"Oh, this was not shibari. Just the most basic wrist restraint, to see if you take to the rope." Seiichirou kissed Aresh's wrist this time, right over the pulse point. "I'd say you pass with flying colours. We'll see about proper rope play next time. But now, sleep. We've both got work in the morning."
"Right," Aresh managed to say. Proper rope play? What kind of things did people in Seiichirou's world come up with?
He leaned in to kiss Seiichirou good night; he was already half-asleep from the soothing spell, and didn't open his eyes. He reached out a hand, found Aresh's face by touch, and patted his cheek.
Good boy.
Aresh reminded himself again that he wasn't a boy, didn't like being called that, but he wasn't sure if he believed it anymore. Seiichirou took the things he thought he knew about himself and twisted them out of shape, and he could barely keep up.
Maybe he did need to practise saying expense report under fraught circumstances.