roneal | (no subject)

(no subject)

The market is, objectively speaking, a miserable place. Precious few of the merchandise are happy to be there, nude and bound and collared - sometimes even caged - free for every prospective customer to examine. Few of the customers are happy either. Prices are high, and the press of so many bodies create a stifling atmosphere.

All in all, it is exactly what Jade had expected. He strolls leisurely through the market, not particularly bothered by what is going on around him. It was one of the reasons he had been chosen for this assignment. Today is his first day at the market; he's meant to speak with the vendors, make connections, and walk away with a cheap but handy acquisition.

He's working on the last part now. It's surprisingly difficult to find someone useful and docile, but still with some spirit left - he does not trust the older slaves who are complacent with the system.

It's during his second time looping through the market that someone catches his eye - for all the wrong reasons. He stops, stares at the familiar figure in front of him, an uncharacteristically surprised expression flashing over his face.

Then he's smiling again. He's still unsure if this is a good turn of events, but perhaps he could use this to his advantage.

"My my, I didn't expect to see you here."

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Almost an hour passes before he finally goes to find Shinjirou. He doesn't bother to search through the rest of the house, just heads to the bedroom directly, trusting that Shinjirou would have obeyed his orders.

Things hadn't gone as well as he had hoped. He's worried, on edge, and while he hides it behind his usual mask of flawless calm, there's a fine tension in his steps as he enters the bedroom. Some stress relief would be nice, he thinks idly, then immediately berates himself. He shouldn't even be thinking about using Shinjirou as an outlet for his frustrations.

Picking at scabs has kept him awake. Shinjirou isn't particularly proud of the chosen method, but whatever works. Besides, he's made sure not to get any dead skin onto Jade's sheets. He sits up straight the very moment he hears the quiet creak of the door, hands folded in his lap. Frowning, his eyes wander up and down Jade's frame. He doubts the goosebumps he's getting -- Jade looks no different and if he's indeed stressed, that's not something Shinjirou can blame him for.

He leans back, head tilted. The best approach he can think of is to stay accessible, either way. "Huh. Already all done for today?"

He settles down, on the edge of the bed at first, then moves closer with no preamble when he decides that he'd prefer less distance between them. Shinjirou is clearly making an effort to please him; it seems like a shame to let his efforts go unappreciated.

"Not yet, but I have some time before I need to return to work." It'll take some time for his messages to be replied to, for contracts and negotiations and plans to find their way back to him. "In the meantime, let's take care of you."

Shinjirou is so close, so open, one point of stability among all this chaos. Jade studies him for a moment - then gives in and kisses him, tasting the syrup on his lips. When was the last time he had kissed Shinjirou just for the sake of kissing him, and not because of work? He doesn't remember. He isn't sure, in fact, where his work ends and their...relationship begins. If there is even a distinction between the two.

He pulls away after a moment, his usual light smile firmly in place. "Shall we begin?"

Shinjirou watches with quiet interest, not that it prepares him all that well for Jade's behavior. What Jade's telling him isn't surprising, he already figured that there would be more work. Isn't there always more of that?

His smile broadens when Jade edges closer. Perhaps Jade isn't in such a bad mood after all.

What follows is one highly unexpected move. Too dumbfounded to respond in any other way than closing his eyes and leaning into the kiss out of habit and need, the actual reaction starts when the kiss ends; both his eyebrows fly up to hide under his bangs. That was ... certainly nice and he almost raises a hand to check if his cheeks are indeed flushed.

Is it ever going to get easier? Predicting what's coming next, that is. He should ask for some fortune-telling books. In the meantime, he nods and feels like an idiot doing so. "Uh? Uh-huh. My wrists itch like hell."

If nothing else, at least he can still keep Shinjirou off-balance. There's the urge to kiss him again, followed by an urge to do even more, but Jade has plenty of practice at self-denial. He returns Shinjirou's nod with one of his own and reaches out for his hand.

"It looks like it's healing fine," he reports after a second. "I'm afraid you'll just have to put up with the itching for a few more days."

At least the cream should help. Jade starts applying it in quick, practised motions.

"So," he begins, deciding he may as well keep trying to throw Shinjirou off-balance. "It looks like the weather might be getting colder soon. Would you like to wear clothes again?"

It's calming, having someone else do this. In fact it's so nice that Shinjirou's head ends up dropping onto Jade's shoulder. The cool of the cream stops the itch for a bit and he sighs, almost too content to question Jade's motives.

Jade can't be serious about this. Fine, he knows about the little problem Shinjirou's body has dealing with temperatures that others still find pleasant. Getting to wear a sweater and pants sounds far too kind, though. Too good to be true.

"Hah, yeah." He snorts, offering his other hand when Jade's finished taking care of the first. "You're just trying to trick me into wearing something weird... right?"

"Oh no, you caught me." Sarcasm hangs heavily in his voice. For once, his intentions had been wholly innocent. Shinjirou knows his place now, that much is clear. There's no need to constantly reinforce the lessons with a permanent low-grade buzz of dehumanization and objectification in the background.

Still, now that the question of outfits had been brought up, Jade turns it over in his mind, a contemplative expression on his face as he applies a generous amount of cream to Shinjirou's wrist.

Chuckling, he rolls his eyes. Is that a topic he should be laughing about? Perhaps not, but for some reason or another, while naturally doubtful ... he isn't exactly panicking here. And that's probably a good thing in the long run, considering Jade knows about Castor now. "I do, if it's alright."

His eyelids droop as he watches Jade work, nuzzling his neck to make up for his inability to simply believe what he's hearing all of a sudden. "Is it because you know I'll strip when you ask me to anyway?" If that's it, well. Shinjirou guesses he can see why putting clothes onto him isn't a problem anymore.

"Naturally," he admits smoothly, without a hint of self-consciousness. Then he switches tactics. "Of course, that's not the only factor. Is it so hard to believe that I care for you?"

This is one part of Shinjirou he hasn't spent much time exploring yet: how he responds to concern, to affection, to love. It's something Jade had been purposefully avoiding; it seems unnecessarily cruel to manipulate him in this manner, even for his purposes. But what he's doing right now is just an investigation. Not manipulation. He can always brush it off with a haha, just kidding later.

That's a question far more difficult than he expected and he squirms in turn, but stays put all the same. Showing just how much that topic bothers him won't help anyone, least of all himself. "I ... don't know?"

"It would be smarter if you didn't. I mean, apart from making sure I don't, uh, become useless. And you're not an idiot." He's tried and failed spectacularly at not caring, times and times again. Shinjirou can't see Jade making mistakes like that more than once. But then Jade just kissed him and he isn't complaining about the closeness now either. Which -- is that a sign of affection, or merely Jade not minding Shinjirou's antics? "I can't tell. Sorry."

Instantly missing the warmth, he leans back to look up at Jade. "If you do care, you should stop."

All valid points, but Jade brushes them aside, not about to let go so soon now that he's found a point of vulnerability.

"Why?" He counters, as casually as if they're having a regular conversation. He smiles at Shinjirou indulgently, red eyes glittering. "Someone should, since you seem to have little interest in caring for yourself."

It's not entirely an exaggeration. Shinjirou had demonstrated a reckless lack of regard for his own life so far, and that's even without considering how pliant he is when the right leverage is applied. Honestly, it's a miracle that nobody had taken advantage of him before before Jade had.

"That's ..." Not true would be an embarrassingly obvious lie. He shrinks under that smile, averting his eyes. Akihiko cares for him, but it's relatively easy to push him away -- again and again. Someone like Jade, on the other hand, is a lot harder to impress. Well, he's older. Plus, Shinjirou isn't sure if he'd risk a fist fight with Jade.

"And you're that person?" He looks at his hands, wrists still glistening from the cream. It feels too good to have someone's shoulder to lean on, someone to treat your wounds. It's a trap he can't fall into. There's people who deserve this; he isn't one of them and he mustn't forget. The carrot dangling in front of him makes it hard to keep that in mind, though. Mouth dry, he continues in a much smaller voice and with one hand grasping for Jade's sleeve. "I don't know. Even if that's true, could you not let me believe it?"

Sometimes he forgets just how young Shinjirou is, but then he tugs on his sleeve like a nervous child, and Jade remembers. He makes a considering noise as he turns over Shinjirou's words in his mind. There's so much self-loathing there, Jade doesn't know if he could help, or if he even should, when this is part of Shinjirou's repentance. All he knows is that Shinjirou can't last very long like this.

"Are you asking me to be even harsher with you?" His voice is still light, still playful. He's careful not to agree or disagree with anything; for all his faults, Jade isn't very fond of making promises he isn't sure he'll be able to keep.

"What? No." He wraps his fingers around Jade's hand, finally looking up at him. Despite the pout he can't force off his face and the knowledge that Jade will just find that amusing. Shinjirou can't bring himself to glare at Jade, though. But he's already naked and bruised, so that would probably not look all that frightening anyway.

"Ugh. I can't tell you what to do. I don't want to." What with the chances of that firing back and all, on top of the fact that he'd feel bad for getting what he asks for. And he desperately wants to believe his own words when he says, "If you want to be kind and shit, whatever."

"Is that an attempt at reverse psychology?" Jade teases, curling his fingers against Shinjirou's in a gesture that might be sweet, if it came from anybody else. He leans in to kiss Shinjirou again, mouth curled into a smile against Shinjirou's downturned lips. His free hand skims down the curve of Shinjirou's spine, the fingers of his hand barely brushing the skin, slow and suggestive as they move.

He can't solve Shinjirou's problems for him. His self-loathing is something he'll have to resolve on his own; the best Jade can do is not needlessly aggravate it.

But Shinjirou also wants to be useful. Used. That, Jade can help him with.

...Or at least, that's the reasoning he uses to smooth away the last of his reservations. If he wants this, and Shinjirou does as well, then there's no reason to hold back.

He wants to say that he's not smart enough for that, yet holding his breath from the moment their fingers interlace to feeling Jade's lips on his own renders that impossible. Despite his initial reaction -- a small grumble -- he closes his eyes and responds, albeit slowly, by opening his mouth against Jade's.

This isn't the time to let his guard down, not again, not so soon. On the other hand, he can't figure out what strategy would work here and it's hard to come up with anything when goosebumps settle on him, head to toe. Some of the bruises on his back react without any pressure applied, as if expecting the burn of pain were enough to beckon it into being. Holding perfectly still throughout the journey down, Shinjirou ends up relaxing with an audible sigh giving him away.

None of this is exactly good; at least he isn't used to this sort of treatment enough to know what the right approach would be. Pushing Jade away? Always an option. However, he doesn't want to betray his own words. And all that's left, then, is to follow his instincts and urges. They suck; he ends up with his free hand clutching Jade's shoulder to pull him closer.

He smiles at the quiet grumble that vibrates against his lips, smiles even more as the fight seeps out of Shinjirou. Jade deepens the kiss, enjoying the simple pleasure of the motion, languidly exploring Shinjirou's mouth. He can still taste the syrup there, light and sweet.

There are no clothes for him to remove, just a broad expanse of bruised skin to explore. His hands roam across Shinjirou's back, as unhurried as the kiss, feeling for the spots that make him flinch, the spots that make him jump and shiver.

It's awhile before he finally breaks the kiss, and he's breathing a little heavily when he does, just enough to be noticeable. He's surprised by how much he wants this - just a bit of fooling around, maybe a little more, if things go that way. He is hands itch - he wants to keep running them over Shinjirou's skin, mapping out the planes of his body, see how much he had changed from a few weeks of this kind of living, as opposed to a life spent on the streets.

But for the moment, he holds back. "Are you sure you're well enough to continue?"

Perhaps he should have asked earlier, but Jade isn't too bothered. Better now than never, and technically speaking, he doesn't have to ask at all.

The warmth is a disgusting, mean trap, and it's spreading to regions of his brain that it shouldn't. He doesn't want to turn into a harsh-breathing puddle of goo like some love-starved kid desperate for attention. That Jade isn't completely unfazed is both a surprise and a relief, if only a small one. His mind's still yelling at him for taking a risk. His body is a lot less defiant and hell, what's not to like. Gentle and soothing and pretty damn new, too, he sinks into every touch.

It's not just the swollen bumps of the bruised areas that he can feel through Jade's fingertips brushing over his skin. More subtle than that, but it's there: Bones and ribs aren't as pronounced anymore and allow for a smoother exploration. He's put on weight. Regular meals will do that to anyone, he figures. That getting kidnapped would in any way improve his situation is crazy, but he can't deny that it's a positive thing.

"Nah. Not sure at all." There's no hesitation when Shinjirou leans in and covers Jade's mouth all the same. He can at least play pretend for a while, flushed cheeks and uncertainty and all. Pretend that pulling Jade's hand towards his chest isn't dumb, nor letting go of it to encourage more of the gentle strokes. What he really doesn't know is where to put his own hand; it ends up resting lightly on Jade's thigh. "But I'm sure you should continue. That enough for you?"

"Well, I'm not about to refuse." And he kisses Shinjirou again, pressing so close he can almost feel the warmth radiating from Shinjirou's cheeks. For the moment, he allows himself to be directed, teasing at his nipples and stroking at soft skin when he's let go. He misses the bumps and the hard angles, just a little, but this new smoothness is just as satisfying.

At the touch of a hand on his thigh, he shifts, subtly spreading his legs a little. For the moment, Jade remains quiet and focuses on exploring Shinjirou's mouth as thoroughly as he's exploring his body, allowing his actions to do the talking.

Fooling around has never been a thing for him, not until today -- always sounded like something cute, nice, and harmless. Didn't sound a lot like him. There's a flutter in his stomach he hardly gets anymore when he's with anyone, from that part of himself that's shy and unsure. His hand strays higher, squeezes Jade's thigh when a pleasant wave rushes through him and barely cups Jade's crotch in the end.

He never interferes, though. Whenever he feels it's necessary, he twists his body to make himself available even if it means taking his own hands off. It seems like Jade wants to touch and not be bothered, so Shinjirou doesn't and merely clings to him when the chance arises. Something about leaving himself open and kissing back with a need he normally tries to push away is thrilling and soothing at the same time. Whether that'll come back to bite him in the ass later is a worry he does push away, firmly.

There are scars, old and new, that sizzle with little pressure needed. All those fist fights and all the rough handling, and apparently he's still sensitive to a lot less than that. Getting him to move in a particular way isn't difficult which is new to him; he doubts it's as big of a revelation to Jade.

He's not exactly learning anything new about Shinjirou through this, but then and again, not everything has to be about work. If anything, he's had enough of work for today. Right now, there's only Shinjirou, pliant and willing against him, the heat of his mouth and the lingering sweetness from the syrup. Jade chuckles into the kiss as he feels Shinjirou shift around, responsive to every little suggestion.

Gradually, his exploratory touches hone in on less innocent areas. He toys around with Shinjirou's nipples for awhile, with playful little pinches and swipes of his thumb. His other hand drops to Shinjirou's thigh, squeezing slowly.

And, ah. Jade can feel warmth pooling in his groin, helped along by the gentle cup of Shinjirou's hand. It's a little strange that he's reacting so quickly - maybe Shinjirou is rubbing off on him - but he can't bring himself to mind.

The only retribution Jade gets for the small laugh is a light dig of nails into his sides that doesn't last long and is followed by slow, gentle strokes. Alas, he can't stay calm like that for long, with the teasing taking its toll: it seems like he can't get enough air into his lungs, no matter what. The first startled moans at least are somewhat muffled. Sucks to be that sensitive, sometimes. On the other hand, whatever, Jade's getting hard as well. The boost his ego gets is almost better than the prickle of arousal.

Pressing down to get a better hold through the fabric, he spreads his legs at the same time in response to the squeeze, the nearby bruises making him shudder. Maybe he should be a bit more embarrassed about all of this. His skin is flushed, nipples stiff and tender from just that tiny bit of attention, and his cock is hard enough that he's got to wonder if he could come from nothing but this. He leans in even closer, fingers sneaking towards the cold metal of the zipper, his other hand scrunching up Jade's shirt to bare skin. Hell, he wants to touch, too. And he sinks even more into the kiss, trying to find the taste of Jade beneath all the sweetness that covers it.

The sudden dig of nails prompts another laugh from Jade, low and amused, spurred on by how quickly Shinjirou's compliance turns into heated moans and hot, sharp arousal. Not that he's much better himself. While he's never been as vocal as Shinjirou is, he can't help the way his cock twitches as Shinjirou's hand goes to his groin, reaching for the zipper.

Willingly, he adjusts his position to give Shinjirou better access, legs spreading a little further apart. Both his hands are resting on Shinjirou's thighs now, carefully out of the way. It looks like their fooling around is already starting to edge into something more serious.

The speed with which things had escalated is a little concerning, a little amusing, but mostly Jade wants Shinjirou to continue what he's doing. He makes sure Shinjirou knows it too, leaning a little closer in an obvious invitation to continue.

Shinjirou's grumbles come and go, sometimes accompanied by a pout, but mostly he's too relaxed to grimace and get pissed at Jade for laughing about him. He takes some comfort from the fact that Jade started this. What he genuinely enjoys the most, however, is that Jade allows him to be curious, too.

Normally, the approach he uses when he's with someone is direct; his hand doesn't go straight for Jade's cock now, though. Once the zipper is down, Shinjirou slides his hand beneath the fabric, fingers pushing along the inside of Jade's thigh. Warm skin over firm muscles. He takes a sharp breath and stops despite wanting more, leaning back just far enough to lock eyes with Jade.

Hesitant to try, he moves his hands towards the hem of Jade's shirt, tugging lightly. A part of him expects his hands to be slapped away, while the other is busy going through with his attempt to undress Jade. He's done way worse than stripping someone, but still: his heart's beating somewhere up in his throat.

It's so different from their first time. Shinjirou had been half-drunk then, sloppy and eager as he grabbed for his cock, any shred of finesse masked by lust. Right now, there's something pleasingly deliberate about Shinjirou's touch. It's still very forward, very eager, but there's a control there that hadn't existed before.

"Go ahead," Jade encourages him. Another little shift of his body, and he studies him with playful red eyes. "Don't tell me you've suddenly developed a case of shyness."

Shinjirou seems to be full of hesitation today, little pauses mingled into his skilled touch. Although Jade could very easily make things even more difficult for him, he's feeling indulgent enough that he'd rather coax Shinjirou into his usual confidence.