Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part3 (2/2)

A trace of dryness appeared in Asada's smile ”Say you did, even if you had to lie”

”…Would you be happy, if I lied?”

”You aren't cute at all, you know?” said Asada with the corners of his lips still curled up in his earlier s and straddled him, but Asahi did not resist him nor did respond to his advances… he simply laid there in silence as he stared up at Asada's virile face

”… I'll runted, and deftly rolled up Asahi's sweatshi+rt He pressed his lips on Asahi's bare skin, and Asahi was no longer able to disregard the sensations Asada's warue produced as it slowly crawled across his belly His abdominal muscles clenched, and he instinctively bit down on a cry

”Don't srumbled

”But he is here, isn't he…?” Asahi shot a glance at the hallway, and an odd expression flashed across Asada's face It wasn't a look of dissatisfaction, nor was a look of insecurity; it was a look that was hard to place, but if Asahi had to pick fro between amusement and pathos

”Are you that concerned about shi+oht' or so like that, after all It wasn't at all bad to have a young man say he liked you, eh?”

”Please stop this nonsense I am not fond of men like him,” said Asahi with a displeased look on his face, and Asada paused to ponder over Asahi's last statement

”… Well I guess that's fine,” he eventually said, and his frown unfurled He probably thought he should not waste any ed a hand into Asahi's sweatpants and reached in between his legs in an attempt to draw out his eous, and Asahi's hips jerked

”… Ah… ah…” Asahi curled his arms around his neck and a faint cry escaped hi directly stiers

While he had no intention of acting coy for hi end of attention After all, they weren't in the sort of relationshi+p in which he could expect to be indulged unconditionally, like this

”Asahi…?”

Asahi exhaled and uncurled his arms from Asada's neck Slowly, he ran his hands down Asada’s back before slipping them into Asada's pants

The sound of the rustling of their clothes was almost too loud for him to bear

”…!” The ainst the tip a furrow creased Asada's brow Hoping to push hith into his grip, and what he held in his hands steadily becaed by his honest response, Asahi allowed his fingers to roa himself in the sensations it produced

”You shouldn't try to press et real scary when they turn serious, and you may never be able rid yourself of them after that,” said Asada as he seized Asahi's wrist, interrupting his little prank

Asahi, in a rare show of candidness, h” He continued, in a tired sounding voice: ”Though I couldn't rid myself of you even before you became an old man”

”That’s true” Asada had regained his composure, and he briskly proceeded to strip Asahi of his underwear

”Wha… Asada, san…” Asahi felt that Asada was being too hasty and opened hishis hands on Asahi's knees, he unreservedly spread Asahi's legs apart and wedged himself in between them, and an involuntary flush ran up Asahi's neck

Perhaps he looked like he was going to resist him, for when Asahi lifted a hand to cover his own face Asada immediately pinned that hand down on the sheets with his enorth

”Be obedient and let me take you”

”… Nn…!” Don't be too pompous, hat he wanted to say but that retort was taken away from him by lips that closed over his

It was then that Asahi finally closed his eyes in defeat, allowing all tension to leave his body as he gave himself over to pleasure that Asada’s body had to offer

Asahi was about to turn over in bed when his eyes flew open His throat felt parched

It was probably close to dawn; a faint light was strea in from theHe looked at his alarm clock for the time and saw that it was a few minutes past 6 AM

He had intended to keep all of his more colorful moans in check, but Asahi had no ht

”Curse this feisty old lowered at Asada, as sound asleep, and then languidly sat up

He would often take a jab at Asada by calling hiiular thirty-five year old And to be h Asahi was seven years younger, it was inevitable that he would be thoroughly exhausted after that

”I hope he didn't hear us…” He threw a fleeting glihed

Asahi then took his time to slowly put on his sweatshi+rt and sweatpants before quietly opening the door and coet himself a drink, and it was alht's dinner was pre-packaged, so he wanted to serve freshly boiled rice for today's breakfast

With his hts of breakfast preparations he entered the living roo on the floor

Did I kick Tsurugi by ht as he fuhts, and when he flipped it the living room lit up

His eyes fell on so by the wall at his feet and Asahi almost cried out in surprise, but he hurriedly stifled it by putting both hands over hisstiffened when he realised what he had kicked

Tsurugi lifted his head, and was looking up at hi happily Curled up next to hi his knees Asahi never expected that shi+oave him quite a shock

”shi+o like he was still half-asleep His gaze was unfocused as he regarded Asahi sleepily

”Goodhere, in a place as cold as this…?” exclai out in white puffs as he hurried to the nearby stove to turn it on This should warht

”Asahi-san” shi+omi called out to him stiffly from behind him, and Asahi turned to face him

”Yes?” he asked

shi+oaze and began stroking Tsurugi's fur with his right hand He looked like he was still trying to find the right words to say

Don't tell ht as he watched shi+omi hesitate to speak to him

”Ah…” Asahi began, at the sa shi+omi opened his mouth: ”E-Erm”

”Please go first,” said Asahi, and shi+oaze determinedly on Asahi

”Are you going out with Asada-san?” he asked

It was now plain that he had heard the, around the roo that wasn't shi+oht, but it clearly wasn't

”Going out…? No, we aren't”

He wasn't going out with Asada, nor would he call himself and Asada 'lovers' They simply fulfilled each other's sexual needs whenever it was convenient Asahi couldn't think of a tis

”But… last night I know that Asada-san went into your roo out, then why…?”

Does he not understand o peopleout? It seems that he was still rather unspoiled coe nowadays… As Asahi watched shi+omi's features twist in bewilder bitter welled up at the back of his throat

There was once a time Asahi will turn this question over and over in his head, like shi+o himself wholeheartedly to one person

”Can you do things like that, if you teren't going out?” asked shi+omi, confused, and Asahi looked down at him with a hollow expression in his eyes Asahi couldn't recall it very vividly now, but shi+omi's voice had the same quality as Ryou’s

And it felt exactly as though he was rebuking him

”Whatever I choose to do homever I please is none of your business, isn't it?” Asahi tried his best to hide his discomfort, but he was surprised by how cold and emotionless his voice sounded, even to himself

Yet shi+omi refused to back down ”But I… I don't think this suits you, Asahi-san I mean, you are such a beautiful person, so why…”

The rew, and he began to find it more and more difficult to breathe

He hated shi+o the peaceful life that he had led, for appearing out of nowhere with the sa his heart into disarray Why won't you leave me alone…! he wanted to shout

As though he had detected the shi+ft in Asahi's ot up from the floor and came towards Asahi He pushed his wet nose at Asahi's balled up fists, proe, round eyes Calh Due to Tsurugi's intervention his nerves had quietened down somewhat In a calmer voice, he said:

”… You have only known me for less than a day, and I don't really want to hear about what suits me or don't suitin love with ht', didn't you? If you don’t mind a purely physical relationshi+p, why don't you be et a second time if I find out that you were really bad at sex”

He , so loathsoer be able to say that he liked hi at him all the words he could think of that would make shi+omi think he lacked morals

Upon hearing his words, however, shi+orabbed Asahi, his fingers digging hard into Asahi’s ar oddly cal tone he used just now

”I… That's not what I want! I mean… I like you, Asahi-san, but…!” He broke off, frustrated, as he bit down on his lip His shoulders heaved violently as he tried to calony

Why… does he look so genuinely hurt? He could siht stormily

”Oi, oi, shi+oainst the rules, you know” Froh the strained at room, and shi+omi made a sound of surprise and released his hold on Asahi's ar them so hard that Asahi's arms still felt numb

”N-No… that wasn't…” shi+omi said, as he turned to Asada, but his words trailed off

”I'y to Asahi

He should be the one apologising to shi+o as he turned his face away In the edge of his vision he saw shi+omi's shoulders slump

”What is this, what is this? Did I really coht-heartedly, but Asahi didn't answer hi as he headed towards the kitchen

It was now difficult for him to face both men at once, now that shi+oht before

Asahi violently washed the rice in water so frigid that he could no longer feel his fingers, and poured the rice into the rice-cooker While the rice was cooking, he etables and ham His back was turned on Asada and shi+omi the entire time, so he had no idea what kind of expression they wore shi+oue with his superior at work

”shi+omi”

”… Yes”

This conversation had nothing to do with Asahi, but at the sound of Asada's voice his heart pounded once, hard, in his chest His hands had been busy tearing leaves off a head of cabbage, but they stilled He kneasn't good manners to eavesdrop, but he couldn't help himself

”Our target is to reach Tsurugisawa in thirty oing over the snow in the ravine”

Their conversation was so ht, the route froh a snowy ravine, and the required walking tiuidebooks o hours, so perhaps the their exchange wasn't quite so every day after all

There was a long pause before shi+omi answered: ”O-Okay”

Asahi couldn't see it from where he was, but he could picture that taut expression on shi+oreed For Asada-san to be so strict with his deh expectations for shi+oh spirits last year in summer when he told him: ”I can hardly wait until his appointment to the Mountain Rescue Squad is officially announced”

As the soup stock of dried sardines for the ht how shi+o him for the first time He also wondered how serious shi+ohed

More than anything he felt annoyed with hihts made him feel

”Well then, we'll see you again Many thanks for the food”

”No, I should be thanking you instead… you two savedup Thank you veryby”

Asahi stood in front of the lodge as he saw the two men off at the door They left the sa jackets with large blue rucksacks on their shoulders

shi+oain,” he muttered

Tsurugi ran joyful circles around his legs as though he could understand what he was saying, and shi+oi's head Perhaps it was because shi+oht curled up beside hii was now completely attached to him

Actually, don't coain, hat Asahi really wanted to say but couldn't because Asada was still present Instead, he offered shi+o it somewhere below shi+omi's head

He said sos just now, so shi+ohly disenchanted with him

Though Asahi would occasionally have no choice but to cooperate with the police during eency rescue operations, he hoped that other than those tiain… shi+omi had set off too many alarms inside him

Asahi's heart was like a tranquil surface of water, and he wished for it to reed his hand into the waters, stirring thenore his existence; shi+o dormant in Asahi's memories

The two men set off on the snow covered path As Asahi watched their figures recede into the distance, he was reminded of the day he came to the Northern Alps for the first time

The day Asahi was brought here by Sakata, he, too, walked the sae