Work Text:
"Stein."
"Senpai."
"Hey. Stein."
"One minute."
"Sit up, Stein. You look like a shrimp."
The keyboard went on clacking. Spirit sighed. With one hand, he reached out, fingers poised to deliver a sharp flick between Stein's shoulder blades, but Stein pre-empted him.
"There." The Enter key made a satisfying chunk noise as Stein punched it; his chair creaked in protest as he sat back. "Happy now?" His tone was flat, as usual, but Spirit could see the faintest hint of a smile crease the corners of his half-lidded eyes as Stein tilted his head back, then rolled it slowly from side to side. His neck popped like the sound of distant gunfire.
"You are a hazard to your own health," Spirit muttered in reply.
Even as a kid, Spirit had never known Stein to be the kind of person to let his guard down easily. Still, he left his eyes closed as Spirit stepped up behind him, and his expression stayed serene. The screw through his skull meant his head was off-limits, Spirit knew, but Stein made no move to stop Spirit from cupping a hand around the back of his neck.
"You're really tense," he pointed out, and squeezed.
The sound that slipped out of Stein's mouth in response was decidedly indecent. Spirit felt his face flush hot.
"What was that?" he croaked, and did it again.
"Gnh," said Stein.
Spirit adjusted his grip. Stein's neck was warm in his palm; Spirit settled the pad of his thumb below Stein's ear, where the muscle was knotted like rope beneath his skin, and pressed, hard.
Stein moaned outright. His head fell back against Spirit's torso, just below his chest. His glasses slipped crookedly down the bridge of his nose, but Stein didn't seem to notice. Behind the lopsided lenses, his eyelids fluttered faintly.
"You okay?" Spirit asked, barely above a murmur.
Stein's eyes flicked open, faintly bewildered. "Don't stop."
Spirit dug his thumb in again, and Stein's eyes slipped shut. Stein's moan was quieter this time, maybe a little self-conscious. Stein's soul wavelength thrummed against Spirit's fingertips, pulsing under Stein's skin like blood; Spirit felt his own slide into place against it, felt the gratified sigh that left Stein's lips in response. He plucked Stein's glasses from his face without opposition, and tossed them gently onto the desk.
Pleasure bloomed through Stein's soul wavelength as Spirit settled both hands around the back of Stein's neck. "I guess this would be pretty new for you, huh," Spirit murmured, lacing his fingers together. The heels of his hands bracketed Stein's neck perfectly; he squeezed, and Stein let out another moan.
"Yes."
Spirit's face flushed even hotter, but he rolled Stein's neck muscles under his skin, swept his thumbs idly down the column of Stein's throat. Stein's head was heavy against the base of his sternum; moans dripped from Stein's mouth with every press of Spirit's hands into the mess of tension.
"Am I hurting you?" Spirit whispered.
"Yes," Stein breathed. "It's good."
"Are you sure?"
"Very."
"Okay." Spirit's palms were sticky with sweat; they caught against Stein's skin, friction rubbing red patches that stood out against Stein's pallid complexion when Spirit's hands moved. "Okay." He could feel the tension easing, knotted muscles softening ever-so-slightly under his touch. Stein's expression was slack, his eyes closed. His soul hummed with satisfaction, a quiet mechanical buzz like static against Spirit's fingertips.
The computer beeped, startling Spirit out of his intimate meditation. Abruptly, he pulled away — instinctively, as though he'd been caught doing something illicit.
Stein didn't comment on it. He merely sat up, rolling his shoulders. "Thank you, senpai." He tilted his neck to one side, then the other, and this time, no machine-gun-fire popping accompanied it. The nape of his neck was flushed friction-red beneath the edge of his steel-grey hair.
"No problem," Spirit managed.