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Kazutora didn’t know when it started, but when he noticed it was already too late.
This… darkness inside Chifuyu, this fear of losing someone else important that clouded his thoughts until he went to a place Kazutora didn’t know. It was so scary at first, Kazutora had no idea what to do, not until Chifuyu cleared his mind and awkwardly explained everything to him, trembling like a leaf with tears running down his cheeks. Afraid of rejection, afraid that Kazutora would leave too.
But… Kazutora understood .
Him, a man full of sins that destroyed everything important to him, someone who had been thrown in prison for his crimes where he had seen the best and worst of humanity.
After everything they had gone through in all these years, after losing so many important people, Kazutora wasn't surprised that something snapped inside Chifuyu.
And then, the night after Pah's wedding, he suddenly got worse.
"Takemichi is back." Chifuyu whispered to Kazutora, hiding his face against his chest as Kazutora ran his fingers in his soft black hair.
Kazutora hummed, rubbing his scalp to ease some tension from Chifuyu's neck. If Chifuyu said that, it meant that future Takemichi just came back from his trip in the past. Kazutora hadn't believed Chifuyu at first when the other man had spilled everything about the time leap in a drunken stupor, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. It would explain the boy’s strange behaviour and his sudden mood shifts. It all clicked perfectly in place like a puzzle.
If it was Takemichi, everything was possible. Kazutora had learned that twelve years ago and it kept being their reality.
"He wants to see Mikey, of course he does." Chifuyu blabbered, his voice shaky from the four beers he had drunk. He was gripping Kazutora so tightly it was almost bruising. "But he can't. Takemichi will get hurt, he will… Mikey might kill him."
Fear clunged to Chifuyu's voice, his eyes full of unshed tears. Kazutora didn't want to see him like that, not after Chifuyu had done everything for him.
"Chifuyu." Kazutora gently but firmly pulled Chifuyu's face up to make their gazes meet. "We can protect him. We're not middle schoolers anymore."
A darkness crept in Chifuyu's eyes. His breath became heavier as his body stopped trembling. Kazutora's words had awakened something inside of Chifuyu, something that should have been left alone. But Kazutora preferred to see this side of Chifuyu than a broken one.
I'm sorry Takemichi, but I owe Chifuyu too much. I just want him to be happy. I'm sorry if I have to bargain you.
"’Tora…" Chifuyu's fingers brushed over Kazutora's lips, his touch was strangely warm. Kazutora kissed his palms gently, nuzzling his face against him. Then Chifuyu spoke again, his voice barely more than a whisper.
"Will you help me keep Takemichi safe?"
Kazutora sent him an adoring look and closed his hands around Chifuyu's palms in a tender show of affection. His answer had been clear since the beginning, no matter how deep Chifuyu's darkness was, Kazutora was ready to move at his command.
"I would do anything for you. Just ask."
And that was how he sealed Takemichi’s fate.
“Kazutora… please let me go…”
Takemichi’s pleas fell in deaf ears, Kazutora ignored the spark of guilt in his chest and grabbed a wet cloth to bathe Takemichi. It had been difficult to put him in the tub in the first place, Kazutora had received a loud slap against his cheek as Takemichi fought him with his teeth and nails as Kazutora stripped him and placed him in the hot water. Kazutora had been splashed from head to toe - Chifuyu was surely going to laugh at him - so much that he had briefly thought about joining the other man in the bath before discarding the idea.
Takemichi was already terrified, Kazutora couldn’t pull his leg too much.
Thankfully after a few minutes of violent thrashing, the muscle sedatives Chifuyu had mixed in Takemichi’s food - that Kazutora had forced down his throat since Takemichi decided not to cooperate - finally began to work, so Kazutora could have a moment to breathe.
Pouring the liquid soap on the cloth, Kazutora took a few seconds to take a good look at Takemichi.
His face was pale and his usual bright eyes were dull, unemotional while they stared at an unknown point in front of him. Takemichi had always been skinny, but Kazutora knew he had lost some weight since coming here. The first days he couldn’t stomach anything and he refused whatever food Chifuyu brought to him, so Kazutora had to do it the hard way. The sedatives were working wonderfully, making Takemichi sleepy and weak most of the time, but Kazutora knew they couldn’t abuse them too much.
It had been so easy to take Takemichi, the boy was so trusting, he walked in their home on his own, a goofy smile on his face as he drunk and ate whatever Kazutora and Chifuyu brought him, not knowing everything had been carefully prepared to knock him out.
When he had woken up, his mind still half-asleep, Takemichi’s eyes went from confused to terrified when they noticed the heavy collar wrapped around his neck, connecting him to an iron hook on the wall.
“Chifuyu? Kazutora?” Tears spilled from his eyes as he stared at his
friends
captors, who made no move to help him out. “What’s going on?”
“It’s for your own good. You’ll see, Takemichi.” Chifuyu wrapped his arms around Takemichi’s head and nuzzled his friend’s head gently, a crazed smile pulling his lips up. “I can’t lose you. I’ve already lost Baji. I’m sorry I have to do this, but I knew you wouldn’t listen.”
“Chifuyu, please, Chifuyu !” Takemichi’s cries were ignored. No one would come for him, not until Takemichi understood just how much his friends loved him and wished to protect him.
And if he had to learn it the hard way, Chifuyu and Kazutora would take the job.
That was what friends did after all.
Kazutora spread the soap all over Takemichi’s body, making sure to be careful around his neck - Takemichi liked to thug his collar until he bled - and his most intimate parts. Takemichi flinched and cried a river of tears again, begging Kazutora to stop and let him do that on his own, ashamed and humiliated by what was going on.
“You can’t even move, how can I trust you to do a good job?” Kazutora scrubbed Takemichi’s thighs with strength before placing the used cloth to the side. He took the shower spray and turned the water on. Kazutora carefully waited until it was warm enough and used to rinse Takemichi’s body.
He tried not to stare at how the skin flushed at the change of temperature, how it went from ghastly pale to a healthy peach. Kazutora bit his inner cheek as a familiar heat spread through his abdomen.
It was an open-secret how everyone had at least a crush on Takemichi, the boy had been so bright since his teenage days, pulling everyone to him like moths to flame. It wasn’t far fetched to say Takemichi was most boys bisexual awekening, they all wanted a piece of him, but kept that desire deep buried in their hearts, not wishing to upset the friendship they had formed, swallowing their feelings until the soffucated.
But right now could Kazutora keep talking about friendship?
“Takemichi…” Slowly he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Takemichi’s wet cheek. He tasted his tears and soap, he wanted to drag his tongue all over the younger boy’s skin, but knew he couldn’t pull his leg too much. Takemichi’s body shuddered at the touch, he whimpered from the back of his throat and tried to get away, his eyes turning terrified at what Kazutora could do to him.
Kazutora sighed and pulled back, already missing Takemichi’s warmth. “I won’t touch you, don’t look so worried. Do you trust me so little?”
The glare Takemichi sent his way was rather telling. Right, they have imprisoned him here for more than two weeks, it was obvious that Takemichi didn’t have any trust in him, but Kazutora was more surprised that he still had all this fire inside of him.
“Have you not finished yet?” Kazutora jumped at Chifuyu’s voice right beside his ear. He hadn’t even noticed he had entered the bathroom, less that he managed to walk so close to him.
“‘Tora… the water must be cold.” Chifuyu clicked his tongue and pulled Takemichi up gently, making sure that his head would press against Chifuyu’s shoulder. Takemichi whimpered, but was more compliant when Chifuyu was there. Maybe because they shared so many things together in the past? Kazutora tried to swallow his jealousy.
Chifuyu hummed a song under his breath and helped to dry Takemichi’s hair, bringing down the cotton towel with slow, circular movements. Takemichi unknowingly closed his eyes, his body relaxing as Chifuyu handled him with gentleness.
Takemichi liked to play favourites. He was a really, really awful man.
Kazutora stared at them for a few minutes, enchanted by the tempting sight in front of him, before he moved to dry Takemichi’s body. The younger boy’s eyes snapped open, his shocked gaze meeting his. Kazutora ignored the fear rolling from Takemichi’s body as he got to work, knowing that it wouldn’t be good if he became sick.
“Don’t be afraid of ‘Tora, he has been good since he got released.” Chifuyu whispered in Takemichi’s ear while looking straight at Kazutora with an amused glint. “He has helped me so much, he is a really good boy , you know?”
Kazutora shivered at the pet name, his fingers twitching around Takemichi’s calf. Chifuyu was in a teasing mood, Kazutora wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.
"You…" Takemichi looked between the two of them, still wary but always so curious. "Are you two like… together…?"
Chifuyu hummed and nuzzled his face against the now dry hair. "You can say we're lovers."
Kazutora's traitorous heart skipped a beat at that. Having Chifuyu confirm their relationship always made him unconsciously happy, like a boy with his first crush.
With a small smile pulling his lips, Kazutora grabbed the clothes he had prepared and started to help Takemichi putting them on. It seemed that the sedatives were starting to lose effect since Takemichi's movements were a little clearer, but Kazutora wasn't worried since both him and Chifuyu were there.
"He still blushes after a year, he is so cute." Chifuyu chuckled and was rewarded by hearing Takemichi unconsciously giggling at his words.
Kazutora's hands stopped for a moment, the sound was so nostalgic, he had missed it.
Even Takemichi seemed to notice it and quickly pulled his lips together once more, looking down ashamed at that show of emotion. But Chifuyu behind him looked so happy that Kazutora couldn't be mad.
"Let's go eat something." Chifuyu muttered and pulled Takemichi up, holding him up gently as the shorter man stumbled over his steps.
Kazutora took Takemichi’s hand and led him towards the kitchen, guiding him firmly. He ignored the way Takemichi flinched at his touch again .
"Don't worry he is okay."
"Yes, with time he will understand."
“We’re fine. He is taking his time with ‘Tora but he will lose himself soon enough.”
"Mh mh, yes, yes. See you later, bye."
The change started slowly, but Kazutora was the first to notice it.
Slowly, Takemichi began not to shy away from their touches, instead he started to search for them like a touch-starved beast who had been denied a kind hand for too long.
Kazutora had to admit, Takemichi’s shy, humiliated face when he asked them for affection stirred something deep inside of him that he thought had died.
“Kazutora…” The chains around Takemichi’s ankles clattered on the floor as he slowly walked closer.
Lately he had been fighting less and less so Chifuyu and Kazutora allowed him to roam around the house when they were both there. Takemichi seemed to prefer staying in his room, but sometimes Kazutora found him reading some of Chifuyu’s manga and falling asleep on the floor. He was so cute like that, Kazutora had taken so many photos he jealousy kept hidden in his phone galley.
“Uhm?” Kazutora wiped his hands as he had just finished drying the plates and tilted his head to a side. “What’s wrong, Takemichi?”
And suddenly his arms were full of a black-haired beauty, Kazutora was so stunned it took him a few seconds to hold Takemichi back. He wrapped his hands around his back and pressed his nose against his hair, smelling the shampoo he now shared with Chifuyu.
“You okay?” Kazutora’s heart skipped a beat every time Takemichi didn’t flinch at his touch. They had grown closer during these months, Takemichi was greedy of cuddles and Kazutora was more than happy to give them to him since he was the one who was home more often, even if Takemichi had been so terrified of him.
He didn’t know what fucked up psychology was happening in Takemichi’s mind, Kazutora had never been good at studying, yet he was happy Takemichi was starting to reciprocate the care and love both him and Chifuyu had been showing for months.
Takemichi was finally starting to understand they were doing this for him, that they were only protecting him from being hurt.
“Kazutora…” Takemichi tilted his head up and looked at him shyly, his cheeks flushed red. Kazutora could feel his body heating up at the sight and couldn’t stop himself from leaning his head down and pressed a quick kiss on those pretty lips that were begging to be touched.
Takemichi blushed furiously, the flush reaching his collarbones, but instead of running away like he always did, he chewed his lower lip anxiously and peaked at Kazutora’s face.
“... Another, please?”
And who was Kazutora to deny such sweet words?
It was after six months they completely took away the chains and the sedatives.
At first Takemichi looked at them like they were kidding, but both Chifuyu and Kazutora were serious. They smiled at Takemichi, gave him a kiss on the lips, and told him they were going to work before leaving the house.
This was the final test, today was the day they would find out if these months had been worth it.
They patiently waited around the corner, Chifuyu’s arms were anxiously wrapped around Kazutora’s torso, his eyes never leaving their house.
Kazutora felt Chifuyu’s body tense when they saw the front door opening. Kazutora clicked his tongue and ignored the hurt of his heart as Takemichi took two steps out the house.
“We were too optimistic…” Kazutora whispered, his fingers trembling as they watched Takemichi looking around anxiously, his body trembling all over.
They would need to start training him again, maybe using stronger drugs to make Takemichi understand the danger he was in every day.
Kazutora’s mind was already conjuring new plans to make sure they would succeed this time when Chifuyu suddenly sucked a breath.
“Look.” He said in awe, his finger pointed towards their house direction.
Kazutora’s head snapped to the side and watched with blown eyes how Takemichi shook his head, his cheeks covered in tears and an expression full of panic, and retreated inside the house, closing the door behind him with a loud noise.
They waited a few minutes, or maybe it had been hours, but the door remained shut.
Kazutora’s face was suddenly pulled down and his lips were captured in a passionate, long kiss that left him breathless. Chifuyu sucked his tongue eagerly, pressing their bodies together until there was as little space as possible between them, tightening his hold around Kazutora.
Chifuyu pulled back with a giggle, his eyes shining like a kid in a candy store. “We did it…! Finally… finally…!”
Kazutora hummed and nuzzled his face against Chifuyu’s cheek, his own mouth curled up into a pleased grin.
Yes, finally Takemichi had understood.
(Finally he was theirs .)
All the wait was worth it.
(Maybe Chifuyu wasn’t the only one with a hidden darkness inside of him.)
And they couldn’t wait to show Takemichi how happy they were of his progress.