Remembering the Innocence

 

Okay, my dear readers, I've bumped the rating up to M! Enjoy~

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When Kisuke returned from the bathroom with a fresh bucket of warm water and a clean towel—how did he know where to find them?—Juushiro's breath quickened. He hoped fervently that the man would leave the bucket for him and go, but much to his mortification, Kisuke knelt down next to him, showing no sign of leaving. Too embarrassed to speak, Juushiro stared dumbly at Kusike's hands as the man wrung the towel dry.

"Well?" Kisuke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Huh?" Juushiro blinked in confusion as the man paused, his hand draped over the bucket as if he was waiting for something. When silence stretched, Kisuke tugged at his own collar with an amused smile on his face. "Oh!" Juushiro said, feeling more than a little foolish. Hands trembling from embarrassment, he untied the loose knot around his waist and allowed his sleeping kimono to fall open, revealing his pale, toned torso. Then, he hesitated. What do I do now? Should I take it all off...?

Juushiro's eyes flicked to Kisuke's face and caught the man's questioning gaze. Cringing inwardly, Juushiro peeled the garment off his shoulders. When the kimono finally pooled around his waist, he looked down at his lap silently, feeling very uncomfortable.

If Kisuke noticed Juushiro's flushed face, he kept it to himself. He shrugged off his coat and rolled up his sleeves, then, he smoothed out the bunched-up towel and set to work. Placing one hand protectively on Juushiro's back, his other hand gently glided over Juushiro's shoulder and chest, the damp, warm towel heaven on Juushiro's skin. After a while, the white-haired captain gave a contented sigh as his tired muscles gradually relaxed.

The room was silent except for the occasional low sound of water splashing in the bucket as Kisuke dipped the towel in it.

"Your hand," Kisuke said as he reached out for Juushiro's hand. The captain flinched a little when Kusike's warm hand grasped his, and he watched quietly as Kisuke lifted his arm and wrapped the towel around the thin limb. Juushiro's skin flushed from the friction, and he felt Kisuke's touch become even lighter as the man tried to be gentler.

Once that arm was clean, Kisuke turned to rinse the towel. Juushiro risked a glance at the younger man; his face was serious, eyes focused on the task at hand, his messy blond hair partially covering his face. Watching the muscles flex as Kisuke wrung out the towel, Juushiro suddenly blushed and felt his heart beat a little faster.Don't be ridiculous, he's just a boy.

Whether Kisuke didn't notice the unusual shade of color on Juushiro's face or he simply chose to ignore it, Juushiro wasn't sure. Satisfied that the towel was ready, Kisuke moved closer to Juushiro—oh god—and leaned in to wipe his abdomen. The man was so close that Juushiro could feel Kisuke's breath against his scalp, and he gulped. The towel—and hand—moved to Juushiro's stomach, and, much to his horror, he felt a stir between his legs.

He didn't even realize that he had been holding his breath until Kisuke suddenly asked, "Are you alright?"

Slowly letting out a shaky breath, Juushiro nodded, keeping his eyes averted. When the towel left his stomach, a wave of relief washed over him, and his tense muscles uncoiled. He jumped slightly when he felt fingers tickle the back of his neck. Turning, he realized that Kisuke was holding his hair up and looking at him expectantly. Eyes widening in understanding, Juushiro pointed to a chest of drawers behind Kisuke. There was a soft shuffling sound, then Juushiro suddenly felt a not-so-gentle tug on the back of his head; Kisuke, who'd never had long hair in his life, appeared to have some trouble tying Juushiro's hair.

"Here," Juushiro offered, holding out his palm.

Kisuke sat back and watched as the older man pulled his hair easily into a ponytail and brought it to the front, letting his long, white hair spill over his chest. His hair now out of the way, Juushiro took a deep breath and waited. He heard shuffling of feet, then felt the hair on the back of his neck rise as Kisuke's breath ghosted against his skin. He subconsciously closed his eyes and sighed at the sensation; it felt so comfortable.

"You should go out in the sun once in a while," Kisuke commented with a chuckle as he rubbed the towel over Juushiro's back. The hand that had been supporting Juushiro's back went up to grip a shoulder to hold the older man in place.

Juushiro laughed. "I try to," he said, feeling wistful. "I tend to not last very long out there." He heard water splash as Kisuke's hands left his body to rinse the towel. He felt a stab of disappointment at the sudden loss of Kisuke's warm touch, and his cheeks flushed. It had been a long time since he felt such closeness to another person, and apparently his body missed it...a little too much.

His body broke out in goosebumps when the warm towel returned. He heard Kisuke hum softly as he worked his hand expertly over Juushiro's back, and for a brief moment, Juushiro found himself wondering if the man had done this before to someone else. As his thoughts wandered, he felt his other arm being lifted gently. Once again, for a split second, Kisuke's breath tickled the side of his face, and Juushiro forgot to breathe.

"Kisuke-san..." Juushiro whispered.

"Hmm?" The younger man stopped and looked up at Juushiro, his hands cradling Juushiro's hand, which he had been wiping.

For a moment their eyes locked; Kisuke's grey eyes inquiring and Juushiro's glazed over with exhaustion and a little confusion. Juushiro couldn't understand why he felt so troubled when Kisuke was obviously unaffected by this intimate act. "N-nothing," he said after a pause.

Kisuke arched an eyebrow and let go of the captain's hand. "What is it?" he asked in a concerned voice. "Did it get worse? Do you need to lie down?"

"N-no." Juushiro's voice came out so soft that he nearly couldn't recognize his own voice. He felt a little breathless, his heart beating irregularly in his chest. But he knew it wasn't from his illness. Too much, too warm, too...

A palm covered Juushiro's forehead. "No fever," Kisuke said. "Excuse my bluntness, but you look really bad."

Juushiro nodded numbly and looked away. All he could really hear was his heartbeat echoing in his head. Thump. Thump thump. Thump. Kisuke's voice seemed distant.

"Okaaay, let's get you back under the covers," Kisuke announced. He pulled up the sleeping kimono from Juushiro's waist and draped it over the older man's shoulders and arms, then, he leaned in closer to pick up the thin obi. Juushiro felt Kisuke's hair graze his forehead and suddenly, his vision blurred.

"Kisuke-san..." he said, not really understanding why he needed to say the man's name.

The blonde turned his head to look at Juushiro.

For a moment, Juushiro's world stopped when he looked into the man's worried eyes. So close...so...close... Kisuke's face was barely two inches away, so close that Juushiro could feel his breath on his face. He caught the light scent of green tea, then, he did the unthinkable.

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To be continued...

I know, I'm such a tease, right? Fear not, I'll update soon. In the meantime, let your imagination run wild!