Flying

 

Once they reached Shunsui's private rooms, battle roughened hands slammed him up against a wall, warm lips sealing over his own. Responding as well as he could, Jyuushiro took a brief moment to wonder what was going on, then those calloused hands shoved under the layers of clothing covering his shoulders and gently trailed down his scarred chest. Shunsui's forehead rested on Ukitake's shoulder and the larger man started shaking, strong arms slipping around Ukitake's waist to hold him tight.

"I thought I had lost you." The words were barely louder than a whisper, more hot breath than speech. "I saw you fall. I saw him pierce you with his hand and I saw you fall." Shunsui's power suddenly flared around them, all bounds released in an instant, and the sorrow and pain laced in it had Jyuushiro gasp.

"I'm sorry." Not really knowing what to say, it was all the white haired captain could come up with.

"Not your fault." Big hands slowly moved over the pale skin of Ukitake's back, movement restricted by the clothing and the proximity to the wall. "You being distant and unfocused the last weeks is, however, your fault." The soft words took on a harder edge as lips started trailing over Jyuushiro's neck.

Jyuushiro should have known that his long time companion would notice and suddenly, everything came crashing down, a need to talk rising like a tidal wave. He let his own power unleash, matching his fellow captain's, a small thought spared for the poor souls daring to come closer to the building at that moment.

"Can..I need to lay down, Shunsui. Can we?" The white haired captain felt a little proud that his voice hasn't even wavered and a small smile played over his lips as his companion led them to his bedroom and the futon already rolled out there.

Shedding everything except the white kimono and his fundoshi, Ukitake lay down on the futon and snuggled up against the other man, idly playing with the other captain's hair. Shunsui had removed just as much clothing, not bothering to close his own kimono before laying down.

"What is going through that head of yours, Shiro-chan?" Ukitake swatted Kyuuraku's shoulder at the nickname, then rolled onto his back and stared at the beams above them.

"I felt weightless." It was so easy to talk when he didn't have to look at Shunsui.

"Huh?"

"When I was falling. I could see the ground. I felt that shattering pain. All the gods know, the pain was... But I felt weightless. Like I was flying."

"You're not making sense."

"Let me explain, then, in terms you would know, Kyuuraku-kun." A wicked grin played over Ukitake's lips. "You know that moment when you find sexual release and nothing matters except the high."

"Mhmm." Jyuushiro didn't even flinch as a tongue darted out to lick his ear.

"Falling without being pushed or thrown is something like that. I dream about the moment I was falling, except in my dreams, there is no pain. I keep wondering if I could get that high if I was to jump off the edge of Soukyoku Hill, but I don't feel like dying, so I won't."

Fear raced cold and sharp along his side, making Jyuushiro painfully aware of how his quiet contemplation was affecting his friend. At the final words, the fear turned into solemn worry, and the white haired man just smiled at Shunsui, looking at the other out of the corner of his eyes.

"Jyuushiro. Don't scare me like that."

"It was not my intent to scare you, my friend. Just thinking." He switched to his side, facing Shunsui and started fiddling with the other captain's curling hair. "I am still trying to figure out how to get that peace back, though. Without causing bodily harm to myself or others, of course."

Shunsui had grown still next to him, and the power twining with his own had taken on a mischievous glint that Jyuushiro wasn't entirely sure he liked, but turned him on immensely nonetheless. Then Shunsui jumped to his feet and disappeared with a "I think I have an idea", leaving Ukitake to wonder what had just happened.