Heroes & Ghosts

by SA Payne

  he'd never liked them touched before but something about Rye's careful contact was almost as

  thrilling as if he'd touched lower.

  And when he thought he might have to beg for those teasing hands to touch him more, Rye took

  pity on him and lower his hands went. Ichi fell against the shower wall, clinging to it, his knees

  shaking too much to hold him upright on their own as Rye touched him. Only, when he fell

  forward even those few inches, it pried their bodies apart and he struggled for the words to ask

  for the tormenting contact he'd nearly been ready to curse at to be returned.

  "So beautiful." Rye sighed and drank in the sight of Ichi lost to pleasure. He wanted him and Rye found himself sliding Ichi's legs further apart, pulling his hips back away from the shower wall.

  There was no doubt that Ichi would let him and it would be so easy but that would just be sex and

  need and Rye craved more. That didn't mean he wouldn't unravel the man as much as he could.

  "Oh, God!" Ichi nearly screamed and half stumbled to move toward or away from the single, slender finger that slid into his body. It was enough, the touch, the feel, the hand knowing just

  how to stroke him and that single, teasing finger. Ichi came with blinding force. His ears rang with the sound of his pulse and missed his own desperate moans. His legs crumbled and it was only

  Rye's arm around his waist that held him upright. He was shuddering, lost in sex that was better

  than anything he'd ever felt and they'd barely started. As his vision focused, he saw the last of

  his release wash away.

  His breath was still burning in his throat and Ichi knew it was because he'd been trying to hard to

  hide just how turned on he was. The wall was cool under his hands but Rye's hand was still hot

  against his waist, only there was one hand now and from the gentle rocking motion transmitted

  along the soft contact, Ichi knew why. There was a sudden start of fear that if he moved or

  reacted the red head would spook again and Ichi had no desire to ruin pleasure for Rye. As he

  caught his breath, and his sense, Ichi squashed that fear.

  "Rye." He whispered and turned in the light grasp he was held in. Ichi hadn't been sure just what he was going to do, he knew what he wanted to do but he wasn't sure Rye was ready yet to have

  the intimacy of a good old fashioned blow job. It didn't matter, the sight of Rye hard, his eyes

  fluttering between open and shut in a loosing effort to keep watching, his face flushed with

  desire, all logical thought melted in Ichi's mind.

  Rye gasped at being able to see Ichi's face and he fell into those eyes. There was something

  with Ichi's eyes that he simply adored, or maybe it was the shape of his mouth or maybe the way

  he tilted his head when thinking or trying to anyway. It didn't matter, seeing the golden width of

  Ichi's back, the round curve of his ass, had been delicious, seeing his face, his chest, pulled

  whimpering moans from his throat. He struggled to keep his eyes open but his eyes kept

  fluttering shut and he desperately clung to the need to make this moment last.

  So his eyes were shut when Ichi's hands slid across his neck and up to his jaw line but they

  sprang open when the shorter man's mouth found his own. He moaned into the kiss and let Ichi

  plunder his mouth, let the surprising dominance control him. It felt safer to be in control, to be the one pushing Ichi's limits but having the normally reserved scientist nearly pounce on him was

  better.

  He stumbled back, his hand faltering and release no longer the top most concern in his mind.

  The wall offered support and the shock of a cold touch to his shoulders but he pulled Ichi along

  with him. The fear was starting to rise, a small screaming voice that was growing louder. It

  shouted at him to run, that if he had a single bit of affection for Ichi they'd stop before it happened again. Rye groped after what it was and found nothing but blankness but it wasn't

  something horrible to his person but it would leave Ichi in a pool of blood.

  "Shhh." Ichi whispered, breaking the kiss and seeing fear in the steady face. He let his hands slide across strong shoulders. "Nothing bad is going to happen, I promise, nothing at all." It was difficult to think in comforting terms when he wanted to bite the strong chest and bring back the

  gasping moans of a moment before to the red head.

  Rye shivered at the voice and bit his lip. He wanted to believe but it wasn't simple, belief wasn't enough. His eyes popped open and he caught Ichi's and held his gaze. "I will die before I let

  anyone hurt you." The words came out easily, strongly and with a voice that had a power he

  hadn't known before.

  The intensity made Ichi shiver too but he nodded at the solemn words that held the weight of a

  vow. "So let me..." He glanced down and trailed a hand across Rye's chest, swirling over the un-pierced nipple.

  Pleasure exploded in Rye, his head cracked back against the wall and his voice disappeared.

  There was no room for thought or fear or anything but Ichi and the pleasure he was able to

  control. The voice that had spoken with such strength scoffed at him and mocked him for the

  whore they'd made him into but he didn't care. It reminded him of how so very recently, people

  no where near as kind as Ichi had played his body's sensitivity against him and left him begging,

  moaning, needing pleasure and pain and wanting more. Rye didn't care.

  On his neck, Ichi licked and nipped, tasting shoulder and collarbone but it was when the

  uncertain hand found the piercing that Rye nearly collapsed. He hated it, hated the reminder of

  it, the pain is often caused but he loved the way the smallest touch to the metal, the merest tug,

  created a pleasure beyond his words to express. The hand that had been carefully exploring

  where flesh and metal joined paused.

  "I didn't mean to hurt you." Ichi apologized.

  "Huh?" Rye gasped out and struggled to open his eyes. His breath was short and at every touch his cock twitched but he refused to touch it, liking the painful pleasure of need.

  "This." Ichi touched the speared nipple gently again. "We can take it out."

  Black spots exploded in Rye's vision and this time he heard the tormented moaning the small

  touch dragged from him. It did sound a lot like pain. "Oh.. N...no. Feels t...too good."

  "Really?" Ichi questioned and tugged a little harder on the faceted gold.

  Rye slid a half a foot down the wall before he caught himself. "God... ye..yes." He was able to come just from having that gold bar tormented and he was dancing along that edge now.

  "St..stop or I'll come." He warned and tried to get his legs to push him back upright.

  Seeing Rye so lost in lust and need was almost enough to get Ichi hard again. His desire for days

  of lovemaking might not be such a fantasy and he smiled softly, wondering if Rye really could

  find release just from having his nipples tormented. One day, Ichi was going to find out, but right now he wanted to watch Rye come. Right now, he wanted to be the one to make him come.

  "So." Ichi sighed near one of Rye's ears. "Come already." He wrapped his hand around the ignored, begging, still soap slicked cock and very gently stroked it. Ichi was learning what one

  aspect of double terminated nerve endings meant and guessed that too rough or demanding of a

  touch when Rye was already so excited would bring pain, not pleasure.

  There was no shame in Rye and none of the lingering fear was strong enough to override the raw

  bliss of that hand touching him. Ichi knew and was gentle and it was perfect. It was better than

  an
y fantasy, any hidden thought or longing, any dream of what it would be like to have Ichi touch

  him and Rye moaned and struggled to open his eyes.

  When he did, the sight was too much. Ichi wet, looking sated with a happily freshly fucked look

  just from their mild playing, his hand wrapped around Rye's swollen length, it melted something

  in Rye's mind and for a long moment he forgot how to breath. Legs moved to stand between his,

  golden around pale, thigh rubbed to thigh and Rye lost it.

  His eyes were closed so he couldn't swear his vision went black but he was light headed enough

  that Rye felt he might have blacked out, if just for a moment. The only thing holding him up was

  the cool wall behind him and the thigh between his legs. Even his clenching grip on Ichi's arms

  were useless and Rye gave into shuddering, moaning release.

  He was shivering, cold and spent under the hot water. Rye pried his eyes open and glanced

  down to the hand still lightly petting him, not even stroking him, just lightly touching his softening length. His release painted across Ichi's stomach and the dark haired man had a wicked, almost

  naughty look to his eyes.

  Rye caught the hand still teasing him, knowing if he didn't stop the touch he'd be hard again and

  if he got hard again, all bets were off. He wasn't sure he could resist dragging Ichi from the

  shower, carrying him over a shoulder to the bed and dropping them on the covers while sopping

  wet. There, he'd fuck the shorter man silly and that was a thought that he didn't need at the

  moment.

  One of Rye's hands reached out and smeared the hot sticky release across Ichi's stomach. "You

  like this." It was a statement but seeing his release, his mark, on the other man made him want to lick it off. Rye dragged his thoughts back into line.

  Ichi blushed, hoping that Rye wouldn't notice how he'd nearly pressed his body against the red

  heads in an effort to feel his climax. "Yes, I do." He'd always liked to feel his lover come in any way he could.

  The embarrassed confession made Rye lick his lips and he let his eyes shut for a moment. "I

  kn..know I never did an...anything good enough to deserve some...some...someone like you."

  "I doubt that." Ichi protested but his mouth was stopped with a quickly stolen kiss.

  "Sh..shut up." Rye shook water from his hair and forced his legs to work. He snagged Ichi's washcloth from it's hanger and ran it over the soap dispenser. It lathered up easily and he quickly and thoroughly scrubbed his lover's body. Which was amusing because the cloth drew startled,

  tiny gasps even on normally less sensitive parts.

  "I can wash myself." Ichi protested and blushed further.

  Rye didn't even try to counter the protest, just continued the gentle washing. When he'd soaped

  Ichi from head to toe he hung the cloth back up and gently cupped water in his hands to help it

  slide off the suds. When his lover was clean and rinsed, Rye swooped in to put a quick kiss to

  the tip of Ichi's nose before wrangling him to the back of the small stall and moving to take over

  the hot water for himself.

  Ichi stood a little baffled and overwhelmed and had to push his mind into working again. When it

  kicked in, he understood he was standing there, ogling a naked Rye. He blushed deeper shades.

  "I'm going to..." beg you to fuck me silly. His mind filled in. "I'm going to go get dressed."

  "O..okay." Rye nodded and glanced over his shoulder.

  Ichi took the chance to escape and quickly stumbled from the shower. He snagged a towel as he

  went past and wrapped it around his waist before staggering into the bedroom. At first he sat on

  the edge of his bed but soon he collapsed down across it.

  "Oh, god." He rubbed a hand over his eyes. "I just had the best sex of my life and he barely touched me. Ichi, Ichi, Ichi, what are you doing?"

  Part Twelve:

  It felt a touch surreal to go from something that felt so far from his day to day life to fussing

  about grabbing a quite bit of lunch before leaving the apartment. He couldn't rightly call it

  breakfast, so late in the morning. Rye dressed and ate whatever was put before him and while he

  no longer gave into the small, happy sounds of delight at real food, Ichi still would catch the other man's eyes sliding half closed as each bite brought pleasure. It made him more aware of his own

  daily life and the little things he just accepted, even if this morning the sight of the red head

  made him want to blush.

  The bottom line was, Ichi had little real experience with what happened after a sexual encounter.

  What did normal people discuss over breakfast later? How were they supposed to react? His few

  encounters were limited, a fumbling lover in college, his tutor as a teenager and Andrew. The

  fellow in college had been a one time thing at the only party he'd ever gone to, his tutor kept their sexual life and the educational life very separate and easily switched them from one to the other

  leaving Ichi free from having to worry about it. And Andrew? Well, he rarely spent the entire

  night with Andrew and when he did the easier tempered man would tease him. He'd laugh with

  no malice and tease Ichi about being as emotional as one of his insects when it came to pillow

  talk. Sad thing was, Ichi was more comfortable with Andrew thinking him cold rather than have

  him know just how socially clueless he really was.

  Rye saved him by not making a big deal of it. Ichi took the cue and went about their morning as

  they always did and slowly some of the skittish uncertainty faded. It was in his patterns and routine that he found comfort and sense. Ichi clutched at the distance the order gave him,

  needed it to keep from melting into a puddle of nerves and lust. He would process everything,

  just he needed his time to do it in.

  When they were done eating in their normal companionable silence, Rye dropped the plates and

  glasses into the washer while Ichi went to make the bed. It was normal, something so mind

  blowing had occurred and yet life went on as normal. Before he left he placed fresh water and

  rice on the small table by his mother's photo and bowed respectfully. Seeing her face made him

  blush a little, certain she wouldn't have approved of the extravagance of the morning.

  Everything was just as it always was except when Ichi left, Rye paused outside of the apartment.

  He turned but the red head looked thoughtful and more than a little distant.

  "What's wrong?"

  "I..." He glanced down the hallway they didn't normally take. "It's ju..just..." He drew a slow breath and tried to find words to put the his desire into.

  Ichi shook his head. He wasn't sure what it was that Rye was trying to ask but he suspected. "Go on, do what you have to do. You know where I'll be, it's about time you've gone off and had

  some time to yourself. Just be careful exploring around, a lot of the station is walkways, ladders

  and crawlspaces." He smiled gently. "Be back before dinner so I don't worry, okay?"

  Rye nodded, grateful that he didn't have to try to explain his motives or thoughts. "O..okay." But before he left he leaned forward and kissed Ichi, lightly, on the mouth and left him standing in the hallway startled and blushing.

  It took him a long moment to stop standing in the hallway like an idiot but with Rye off exploring

  or thinking or whatever it was he'd wanted to do, it gave Ichi the freedom to go straight to Will

  and Amanda's lab. Only when he got there, he found only Will inside.

  "Morning." He broke into the softly playing music.

  "Hey," Will sat up from where he was taking no
tes. "How are you?"

  Ichi shrugged. "I'm fine. Where's Amanda?"

  "Hen gathering." He answered as if it explained everything.

  "I'm sorry?"

  "Oh, the women are getting together this morning. They do occasionally, every month or so and

  spend the morning gossiping about us men folks. I'm sure you'll be top of the list, something

  about making sure someone comes by to make dinner or something. Thought you'd like the

  heads up." There was something different about Ichi this morning and it wasn't something bad.

  Will tilted his head a little and tried to sort it out but it wasn't until he caught sight of the small bruises on the side of Ichi's neck he understood. Grief did different things to different people and if it had made Ichi horny enough to finally let Rye pounce, all the better.

  "Thank you." He glanced around the lab. "I was wondering, you have some samples of Rye's blood on file, yes?"

  "A couple, Amanda would like to study him more but I talked her into waiting until he's more

  comfortable. Where is he anyway?" It was unusual to see one of the pair without the other.

  "He wanted to go off exploring a bit, needed time to think." He prayed he wouldn't blush and for once, he didn't. "If I send you an antibody protein, can you see if he has it in his bloodstream?"

  "Sure, I take it this is to be kept quiet?"

  Ichi nodded. "I don't want Rye to know, not yet, either way. How long will it take?"

  Will shrugged. "Not long, I'll page you when I'm done."

  "Thanks." He nodded his head and disappeared out of the lab to make his way to his own.

  For a change, Will behaved, he actually waited until the door was shut to start a chorus of

  `somebody got laid' in a sing song childishly teasing voice.

  An hour later Will showed up in Ichi's lab and in spite of the man's frown he was a welcome

  distraction. The hour had been spent in thoughts that found no logical direction and Ichi was

  ready for any distraction. "Hello, Will." He greeted before the man was even past his doors, disgustingly grateful for the interruption.

  "What the hell is going on here, Ichi?" Will blurted out as soon as he'd glanced to the side and found the cushion and blanket Rye refused to surrender empty.