Hidden in Sunlight: Updates are very slow lately, I know. ZirciX: Thank you for reading this and catching up, then. I don't read the manga, though. I just pick random characters and include them. ExtremeBoss: Thank you! I've never actually had anyone recommend me before, haha. Rinneko Tsukinomori: Honest drunks are the best! (My brother is one.) This chapter is the size of two, really. asdfghjkl: Thanks! mew mew panda-chan: Thank you. axelluver300: Thank you! Yep, calling him by his name. Ciaou: Thank you! There is a lact of D18 stories. I look in the archive and just find my own. The Red Undertaker: lmao, Mukuro's just an idiot. Thank you! miawpyon: What promise was that? I have a bad memory, ahaha. Aimeeshiifan: Thank you! (I see what you did with your name, aha.) Pen E Forthotz: Thank you for the review. Paradoxismminant: What's up, Tutu? Yep, secrets! Takoizumegane: Sorry for the long wait. I'm just lazy. defy(dot)mrt: I actually thought your review was sarcastic at first lol. All the bits you've complimented are what I hate the most. (Apart from the newer chapters, the rest of this story was just to piss off a friend. I purposely wrote everything she hated and cliché stuff.) Thank you ever so much, though. It means a lot. twovoice: Thanks! Jennifer Lee: Thank you! FanGurrl101: Thank you! Late updates, always. nightingale mistress: I know, right? It's creepy! I actually drop a story as soon as the characters get together lol. Thank you! JayJayXiao: Thanks. Sollux Vantas: Thank you! Different? Different because... it was a troll story? Ahaha. Thank you for the compliment! Blush away, Sollux. Luri: Thank you for writing such a lovely review! It made me smile. Fran-anisca Grave: Ahahaha, I'm not a die hard fan at all. I hate Kateiykoushi. I just like Dino, Kyouya and Bluebell, so I make use of them. C: Yes, there is a lemon in this chapter. Thank you for the review! JayJayXiao: Calm down, boy.

家庭教師ヒットマン REBORN! © 天野明

Chapter twenty-four—Temptation

Just as I was about to knock on the door, I paused. "Kyouya," I called, turning around to face him with a neutral expression. I was expecting the worst; the worst there was to imagine. He was going to find out all about me, about what I did for a living and understand, I hoped, what went through my mind. I had risked my chances in the past and allowed the truth to be told and it had never granted me any good experiences but bad ones, mostly.

He eyed me suspiciously but thankfully stopped.

"Will you allow me to be selfish?" I asked, taking in his expression before adding, "just for a moment, please."

Kyouya's expression didn't change, but he didn't make shift his position to move anywhere. I took his silence as confirmation and leaned down to his level, looking into his eyes and trailing one of my hands tentatively over his jawbone. Surprise flickered within his irides as he could clearly feel my breath on him, and yet he didn't reject me as I softly pressed our lips together. The kiss wasn't fast or aggressive as I wasn't pushing myself upon him; rather, I was looking for an answer. I wanted to know whether he trusted me without having to ask, to know whether I was going to be able to kiss him again after. He had tensed at first, but as soon as he realised that I wasn't pushing to deepen the kiss and allowing it to be innocent, he was slowly easing up.

He was even leaning into me, our chests almost pressing against each other whilst I continued to cautiously stroke his cheek, making sure to keep the kiss going. If he wasn't rejecting me, I wasn't going to retreat. I'd already said I wanted a selfish moment and by far, I was having one. He was all I wanted at that moment—and for many moments to come—and I couldn't have cared less about introducing him to the people I knew. Staying on the porch and having him within my personal bubble would have been far better.

I murmured his name under my breath, adding more pressure against his lips. Although the talking wasn't returned, the action was and by hearing his sharp intake of breath, I smiled softly. Certainly, I would have traded any of our previous kisses for the one we were sharing then. It meant a lot more. It couldn't have been one-sided, not any more.

"Kyouya," I breathed, feeling a swell of hope, "I—"

I was cut off before I could even begin. "We leave you for a month and you've already got your tongue down another girl's throat?"

The voice caused me to pull away and look over my shoulder, still with my hand caressing Kyouya's cheek. "Look a bit closer." I rolled my eyes, the corner of my lips already curling into a smile. "And thanks for giving me a bad reputation, Pantera." I had slipped back to my native tongue automatically, thankful that Pantera had started the conversation so Kyouya couldn't understand it. Without a doubt, he would've been angrier if he'd heard that his gender had been mistaken.

As soon as the words were out, Kyouya smacked my hand away and then pushed me back. A flicker of surprise crossed his expression as he saw me recover rather than fall over, and my answer was to smile with confidence.

"A student?" she observed. "My, you really have changed, Boss."

"I haven't changed." I shot her a teasing glare, smoothing any wrinkles my clothing might have had. "You've just missed me, that's all."

"I thought you had a thing for large breasts." She raised a thin dark eyebrow, giving Kyouya a once over before pivoting on her heel and walking inside. Pantera didn't look over her shoulder as she switched languages so Kyouya could clearly understand. "Nana's gone out with a friend. We're alone."

"Could you please stop trying to meddle already?" I asked, switching back as well. I shot a worried glance over my shoulder, but Kyouya was glancing through the bay window to see who was seated in the living room. As he grimaced, I grinned in recognition.

"I'll leave the meddling up to someone else, then, Boss." She laughed. Her bare feet glided soundlessly across the oak floorboards as she entered the living room, plopping down on the sofa next to someone else I smiled to see. I should have known that Pantera would not have come alone; she always had another girl attached to her hip. She said it was since it made her more secure, or since happened to rip her dress most of the time and needed someone to sew it up for her. Pantera wasn't one to stick to the normal unannounced dress code, instead wearing fancy dresses that must have cost a fortune.

"I thought you hated me, Bianchi," I commented, leaning against the door frame. My aim was to block their view for as long as I could, just so Kyouya could get accustomed to the atmosphere and how many people there were without becoming snappy.

"Oh, I do," she said coolly, her eyes slightly narrowed, "but your reasons for staying here any longer make no sense. Our alliances are weakening because of this, idiot."

"Probably not," I lied through my teeth, knowing how selfish I had become, "maybe they'll realise that I have a life, too."

"Your life is running this famiglia." Bianchi scoffed, breaking eye contact as she was obviously frustrated.

"She's right," Pantera pitched in. "You're making it easier for us to be killed just because you've got some winter romance going on."

"Winter romance?" one of the men on the other sofa questioned, bursting into laughter immediately along with another male beside him. My cheeks warmed instantly and I prayed, silently, that Kyouya wasn't going to announce his arrival at that moment. I was shutting him out, keeping him in the dark as he stood just to the side hidden behind the wall. Although I had said he'd received answers, I never promised that they would be directly. He was smart enough to realise we were lightly talking about something serious. "Boss, you left us with your last conquest. She was screaming bloody murder for a few weeks."

My gaze shifted to Romario, silently accusing him of not informing me of it more openly. I wanted to soothe Kyouya that it was nothing serious, but that would've given him away. Pantera hadn't mentioned his presence yet; at least, not directly.

"Maybe I got fed up with Italian women," I snapped at Brutus, irritation coming naturally. They were digging me a hole without realising it. "None of them were serious."

"They were serious about wanting your money, that's about it." Pantera laughed, covering her mouth innocently with her hand. "Poor Boss, it's just like you had prostitutes all this time."

If it wasn't for the fact that she was female, I would have done more than narrow my eyes and jut my lower lip out. "You wound me," I proclaimed, mockingly holding my heart. "Prostitutes are found on street corners, not in clubs and at functions."

"I believe we're going off topic," Bono, the male beside Brutus, announced loudly. "What's this winter romance business? I'm not in this country just because of a bit of ass, am I?"

"Watch your words," I snapped, glowering as I could see Kyouya tense in my peripheral vision. He wasn't happy with the direction of the conversation. Slipping back to my native tongue I added, "You don't have the right to refer to him like that."

Bono was taken aback before he dropped his head apologetically. The curve of my lips was still disapproving as Pantera said, "Him," whilst staring at me, dumbfounded.

I nodded in conformation.

She shot to her feet, jabbing her finger into my chest. "You mean we've been putting up with countless women for years just because you were unsure?" She'd reverted back to Japanese. Pushing past me, Pantera stood almost nose to nose with Kyouya. His expression would have seemed surprisingly neutral to anyone new, but I could see how irritated he was from not only the stance, but the curve of his brow. "I thought you just had short hair and cold legs."

They were almost the same height despite the fact that Pantera was in her early twenties.

"If you were intelligent you would have realised I was male," he replied lowly. It was obvious that he was trying his best to hold back the irritation from his voice, but some still leaked in.

Well, there wasn't going to be a better time to introduce them. I ran a hand through my hair, weighing my options as I said loudly, "Kyouya, please don't attack them yet. You don't even know their names." The suspicious stares that were directed at me surely were saying something along the lines of he didn't need to know their names to attack them, even if it was more polite that way. "Can you two stop having a face off and break it up?"

"You don't have the right to order me around, Cavallone." He was back to last name basis and that alone made me realise I'd chosen the wrong choice. I should have chastised Pantera instead of him, clearly.

"I'm not ordering you, Kyouya," I answered, fully aware that we'd caught everyone's attention, "I'm merely suggesting you don't start fighting with a girl."

Brutus jumped in before he could reply properly, but thankfully he was still sitting down on the sofa. "You found someone that talks back to you? That's a first."

"It's no longer like you having a puppy licking you all of the time," Bianchi murmured, quietly enough that I'd only just got it.

"Very funny, guys." I rolled my eyes, still dreading what they were going to say next. It was Bianchi's favourite game to ruin whatever I had going for me, and if Bianchi was in, then Pantera was, too. They tag teamed at the worst times and from the flicker in their eyes, it was one of those times. "Pantera, sit back down already."

"Yes, Boss," she obeyed sarcastically.

"Well, thank you for ruining my surprise as well." I shot her a disapproving look. "I wanted him to be incognito for a bit, but it didn't really happen." Shuffling into the room, I was waiting for Kyouya to appear in the doorway. But, of course, he didn't and stayed firmly where he was out of sight. "Kyouya," I called.

"I've already seen you two playing tonsil tennis, it doesn't really matter any more," Pantera butted in.

"You're the one that—Hey!" I interrupted myself, groaning lightly in pain. Kyouya had taken it upon himself to kick me harshly in the shin, shutting me up in the process. "Was that really necessary?" I questioned, sucking in a breath through my teeth to deal with the stinging sensation. He was definitely not pleased, and Pantera's comment hadn't helped at all. "I was just being selfish back there, Pantera."

"And that's supposed to mean what, Boss?"

She was going to make me say it aloud. I flushed irrevocably, only just noticing that Kyouya was smirking beside me. He was still behind the wall, only having come closer to kick me. "That means I get rejected on regular occasions."

"That's a new record for you." Bianchi smirked, leaning against the arm of the chair and meeting my eyes. "Isn't it normally the other way around?"

She and Pantera were out to get me as some sort of revenge tactic. They probably saw their task easy in their minds; they needed to convince Kyouya I was a womaniser, end anything we had going on between us, so I could get my business head back on. It was refreshing to be selfish, of course, but it really had gone on too long. I was turning back into the irresponsible child again, the one that I hadn't been able to become for years on end.

"I get it. Everyone's frustrated and I'm reverting back into a child," I admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of my neck, "but there's a reason I dragged Kyouya along. I want him to know."

"Know that you're an idiot? Already covered."

I shot Pantera a look to shut up, and she seemed to understand it that. She pursed her lips, frowning only ever so slightly. There had been many scenarios going through head about how I'd tell him what I ran and was involved in, but none had ever contained Pantera and Bianchi. If I had known they were both coming, I would have had second thoughts about my choices. They had always done their best to keep what was going on under wraps so anyone I was dating didn't catch wind of it.

"He's already seen anything you've sent over to me. I wasn't paying enough attention and he found out, so..."

"You want to spill everything because you let him see police papers? You're being too hopeful, Dino," Bianchi chastised. I grimaced at the language swap and the use of my name. That meant she was serious at that moment, and wasn't going to let my position get in the way of what she was trying to say. "You're being too irresponsible."

I answered back so Kyouya couldn't understand as well. "Actually, Bianchi, I'm being responsible and letting him know everything. I trust him and want to keep him around."

"When has it ever worked between you and someone who knew you were a murderer?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Her question, which was supposed to be rhetorical, was a stab at how well I was doing. "All those deaths were accidents," I corrected her, my tone even. "I've never once ordered someone dead."

"Oh, just into the hospital." She scowled, still not convinced what I thought was best really was good for us. "And how will you handle him knowing all this useless information when you're back in Italy? He's going to remember it for no reason." I hadn't given much thought to how he would have taken the information when I was gone, so I couldn't answer her. When Bianchi saw this, though, she scowled even more and let her eyes travel over to Romario.

As my right hand man, he had more of a say in my decision than anyone else. He'd also heard more about it than the others, so I tried to keep my face neutral as everyone shifted their attention to him.

"It's Boss' decision, not mine." He shrugged his shoulders, shifting the conversation back so Kyouya could understand us.

"Well, please do explain." I grinned, gesturing for Kyouya to come forward.

I had been expecting the worst. Of course, Bianchi and Pantera were backtracking and trying to see whether the rest were going to admit what was happening, and adding in a few jokes at my expense. Kyouya was staying oddly quiet through it all, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He wasn't replying to any of the questions, so whoever was speaking just carried on after an awkward silence. The words were still dying in my throat as I thought of how to word them, so Romario was explaining most of it.

"So," Kyouya finally spoke, his tone unidentifiable, "you expect me to believe that this idiot is the boss of an Italian Mafia group?"

"Pretty much," I answered, smiling sheepishly.

"Then why are you here, Cavallone?" he asked with a distasteful tone. His expression wasn't lessening the fact that I was abandoning my duties, it was only making me realise it even more. "You should be doing your job."

"I've told you before, I'm here for Tsuna."

"Were," he corrected me, scowling. "You spend more time with me than with him nowadays."

I smiled. "There's your question answered, then."

"Don't blame your irresponsible behaviour on me," he warned, shoving one of his hands into his pocket. For a moment a flicker of doubt flickered within his expression before it was gone, the evasion mask back up. He wasn't going to explain what he was thinking—he never did. If I had thought we were getting closer, he'd take us back two steps before by being a recluse. I'd been on my best behaviour around him, too, not pushing any further than being able to sleep next him, save for the kiss on the porch. "Go back to your home."

We were back to him rejecting me, apparently. I couldn't help but flush as I heard a few trying to stifle their laughter, only a few guffaws sounding.

"You picked a keeper, Boss." Michael laughed.

Pantera smirked, shooting Kyouya an approving glance. "He knows what's best for you, it seems. Why don't you listen for the first time in your life?"

"Mock me any more and I'll no longer put you on missions, Pantera," I threatened, half joking. The threat was enough for her to shut her mouth, humour reflected in her eyes as Bianchi teased her. "Great, now that's all out in the open..." I trailed off.

"You want to leave to get back to your winter romance?"

"Thanks to you guys I don't think there's going to be any romance, actually," I replied, trying to ignore the glare Kyouya sent my way. My reply probably didn't help my case, but that wasn't my problem at that moment. I grinned at Romario who had a small smile himself; he knew more than enough about Kyouya without meeting him. Romario hadn't looked surprised at all about his attitude as I'd tried to explain clearly enough whenever we had spoken to each other. "Anything else anyone wants to add?"

Kyouya was the one to cut in, leaning his head back to stare at me. "Does your cousin know all of this?"

"My aunt does," I confirmed, "but Tsuna's oblivious since he's not exactly the brightest crayon in the box."

He raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Surely he's visited you in Italy?"

"Of course, mostly when my parents were still alive, though." I could count on one hand the amount of times Tsuna had visited ever since. "He just thinks I'm rich and irresponsible, really."

"Don't try and win him over with money," Bianchi murmured, only loud enough so I barely caught it.

"Very funny." I rolled my eyes. "As I was saying, Tsuna doesn't know, no."

Kyouya pursed his lips in response, not replying verbally. He avoided my eyes after that as more jokes were thrown around, and I kept glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. Even though there were a lot of people in the room, he wasn't reacting violently at all; rather, he was subdued and neutral, only speaking when it was completely necessary.

"Nana's going to be back soon, right?" I asked Pantera, looking for confirmation. "...Is Tsuna sleeping or something?" I questioned, finally, only just realising that I didn't know his whereabouts.

"He's staying at his friend's house, I think."

"I see." I hummed. "I'm guessing not everyone is staying here, though? There can't be enough space. There's just one guest room."

"We're sharing it," Bianchi and Pantera said at the same time, smiling smugly.

"Good luck getting to a hotel, everyone else." I laughed, glancing down at my phone to see how late it was. "We're," I said, gesturing between Kyouya and I, "taking our leave now, so don't bother me unless it's something important."

"Boss," Romario called, his moustache crinkling with his smile, "your car is here, so pick it up whenever you want."

I could have kissed him. I was fed up with having to stay close so I didn't get lost and walking everywhere—the taxis weren't ever that polite, so I had been avoiding them as much as possible. "I love you, Romario." I laughed, knowing full well which car he was talking about. "I'll probably come by tomorrow."

We left soon after that and Kyouya was back to being quiet as we walked. He had his arms crossed over his chest from the weather, and I knew that if offering my coat wouldn't have meant I had painful injuries, I would have done so. When the silence was getting awkward, when we were almost at the apartment complex, I gently elbowed his arm to get his attention. His reaction was to frown and take a step away, not acknowledging me more than that. I laughed to myself at his attitude. Whether I had been expecting a different reaction or not was out of the question—he was back to being secretive and quiet.

As I opened the door and allowed him to go in first, I asked, "Are you going to say anything at all?"

"What's there to say?" he asked, the question rhetorical. He looked straight ahead as he ascended the stairs, talking so only we could hear and he wouldn't disturb the other tenants. "You've done enough."

He sounded angry. I furrowed my eyebrows, walking at a quicker pace to lightly catch onto his elbow. He didn't resist. "Then why do you sound so irritated?" I questioned. "You said I had to be honest with you so you'd believe I love you, so I have."

"You told them unnecessary details," he proclaimed, turning his head to narrow his eyes at me. "I don't care how close you are with them; they didn't need to know."

I blinked. "Are you, by any chance, embarrassed?"

"No." He quickly pulled away from my grasp, unlocking the door and walking inside without so much as answering more or looking over his shoulder. Just as he'd arranged his shoes and started to walk off I let out a small laugh—I'd caught the light tint of pink along his cheeks as he'd denied it.

"I didn't know Pantera would come out," I called out to him, taking my time. "How was I supposed to know? I didn't even hear the door unlock. You can't put the blame solely on me."

"It's my fault that you kissed me?" From where his voice was coming from, I assumed he was in the bathroom. The sound of running water came a moment later and he didn't add on, so I guessed he was brushing his teeth. It was late in the night, after all, and he wasn't the type to skip out on sleep without a damn good reason.

"Did I say that?" I asked, smiling to myself as I got a glass of water. "How about it's both of our faults?"

"No," he denied, coming out and walking to his bedroom. "It's yours. Don't come near me again, Cavallone." By slamming the door shut, it seemed that Kyouya thought that was the end of the conversation.

I knocked on the door, opening it not a moment after. "We're back to last name basis?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow at his frustrated expression. "Come on, Kyouya, I finally thought you liked me."

"No," he answered immediately, placing his jacket on the chair, "now get out of my room."

"Is this some sort of punishment?"

He scowled at my interpretation. "I don't want to sleep with you."

"See, that's a punishment," I insisted, taking my chances are walking further into the room whilst trying not the think of another way to interpret his answer. I needed to keep my head out of the gutter, clearly, if I wanted to seem in control and not put any strain between us. By just kissing him in front of someone else, Kyouya was pushing me away again. As he scowled at me, I settled down on the end of the bed with a sheepish smile across my lips. "Am I supposed to hug a pillow instead of you?"

"Please do." His next action meant that he was either comfortable in my presence or trying to tempt me as revenge—I chose the latter. As Kyouya started to undo the buttons of his shirt, I fell back onto his mattress so I was staring at the ceiling instead of him, purposely avoiding temptation. As much as I wanted to hum to ignore the rustling of his clothing, it seemed too childish of a thought. He was taking his time with undressing, dragging it out; or, rather, that was how it seemed as I swallowed to distract myself.

I didn't want to mess up our relationship again. It was always one step forward and two steps back with him, and it was slowly becoming obvious that I should have been worried about him being bipolar.

My vision was soon covered in white. I tried to hide my smile as I pulled the shirt off of me, still resisting looking up as Kyouya continued to change. He was definitely trying to get some sort of revenge, and I wasn't going to have any of it, even if it meant I was frustrated. "Are you finished now?" I asked, not being able to mask the amusement in my thoughts. I balled up his shirt in my hand and then tried to throw it back at him blindly. From the noise that was produced, it seemed that it had hit his wardrobe.

"Why are you still here?"

"Why would I leave you alone when you're irritated?" I asked, still staring above me. "That would be horrible."

"Everyone else does so take a page out of their book," he answered dismissively.

Despite his harsh words, I smiled to myself. "When have I ever treated you how everyone else does?" And how I've treated others? I added in my head. He was just a special case—a stubborn one. "I'm not the type to just leave you alone. I like you far too much for that."

"Stop confessing whenever you deem it necessary." I half expected him to throw something else at me, so when he opened a drawer most likely to get his pyjamas out. From the first night he'd shared the bed with me, he made sure to be clothed so there wouldn't be any added temptation, and it seemed he was sticking to that after teasing me nonchalantly. "It's getting old fast."

A chuckle escaped my lips. "Is it?" I hadn't said as much as I'd wanted to. Even if I wanted to chant it under my breath whenever he was close, Kyouya would've pushed me away even more if I did. "I guess I'll have to change my wording, then."

"Don't you dare," he threatened quietly, his words almost covered by the rustling of clothing, "just keep it to yourself, Cavallone."

"Why would I do that?" I laughed, still, knowing full well that he was covering up his embarrassment with threats. It was one of his favourite techniques; in the beginning, I would not have known and truly thought he was threatening me. I knew him too well at that point in time, if he was trying to push me away this far into our relationship, I wasn't going to go along with his half-hearted wishes. "Your reactions just make me want to tell you over and over."

"Masochist," he accused, sounding closer than before. I leaned forward to see him standing in front of me and grinned. "Get off my bed so I can sleep."

"Fine, fine," I said, pushing myself off and allowing him to climb into it. Kyouya purposely had his back turned to me as I started to undress.

Apparently he hadn't expected for me to do that, though. As soon as my shirt hit the floor, he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I hummed, fiddling with my belt. "I'm not going to let you sleep alone, especially whilst you're annoyed."

"I don't want to sleep with you."

After draping my trousers and sock over his chair's seat and turning the light off with a soft click, I pulled the duvet back to get in as well. The bed was only a single, so there wasn't much space between us and with Kyouya shuffled into the corner and clutching onto the edge of the covers, it didn't exactly feel welcoming. "I'm just sleeping beside you."

"For about five minutes before you wrap your arms around me," Kyouya protested, elbowing me sharply in the ribs. "Why won't you listen to me?"

One reason was enough to justify how persistent I was being. "Did you know your ears are red?"

In the morning he was still being stubborn. Rather than waking me up in a normal way, I regained consciousness just as he kicked me off of the mattress and onto the floor so he could get out. As frustrated as I felt first thing in the morning, just as much as when I had been trying to sleep next to him innocently, I tried to subdue the feelings and carry on normally.

Kyouya wasn't bothered. He continued to get ready and leave the apartment and soon as possible, claiming he had important things to get to. As did I, but I announced that to the silent hallway before leaving. I still couldn't get used to how quickly he left when something was deemed worth his time. His attention was constantly somewhere else, and it frustrated me to no end. Whenever I had some sort of work to do or form to fill out, he distracted me without knowing it. Even if I didn't see him in my peripheral vision, thoughts still popped into my head. I wanted to know what occupied him all of the time, what relationships he had with other people, too. From what I could tell he didn't have that many friends; just subordinates, as he'd said before. Tsuna wasn't remotely close to a friend—he was petrified of Kyouya, after all.

I needed to keep him out of my thoughts, at least for a few hours so I could think correctly.

When my phone buzzed within my pocket I answered immediately. "I'm on my way over now," I said, slipping on my shoes in reassurance. "Just give me fifteen minutes."

"All right, but Bianchi's going to have your head for this." Romario chuckled, not surprised.

I groaned softly. "I already gathered that much."

Maybe I'd been walking faster than I'd expected as it only took me ten minutes to make it to my aunt's house. She greeted me happily with a kiss on the cheek, ushering me inside and placing me within the living room with Romario and Bianchi. They were the only two there as they were the ones I trusted most—everyone else hadn't exactly been invited over, but they'd decided to show up anyway. I offered Bianchi a soft smile and got a frown of disapproval in return.

"Before you say anything, I am alone," I cut in.

"Good. We need to talk seriously," answered Bianchi, crossing her arms over her breasts.

Nana came in just after that, offering me a hot beverage and then winking at my curious glance. "Don't worry; Tsuna's visiting his friend again. It's safe to talk here."

"Thanks, Nana." I smiled.

As soon as she'd disappeared, I was left to face the consequences of my spontaneous break. Having the boss being away from anything was never a good idea, let alone in a different country and in a different time zone. I ran my fingers through my hair, wondering how I could make it work at all. I needed to stop being selfish and nip the problem in the butt by going home. I just needed to pack my bag, hand over the rent money and be on my merry way. Kyouya was the only one stopping me, and he himself was telling me to leave, so there was no hope whatsoever. There was no choice in the matter; I had to go and remember my position and suck it up.

"I know," I answered my thoughts, and the two in front of me at the same time, "I know I have to go back. I've been ridiculous."

"There's an important event next week. We can't risk sending Romario or I, you know more than us. You've got the connections, not us."

"Okay," I agreed, reluctance clear in my voice. She hadn't lied at all—my dad had taught me all I had needed growing up. Even if Romario had been by his side whilst I was too young, there were details that had been passed down to me that he didn't know. "I get it. When do I have to leave?"

"As much as I want to say whenever you want to, the latest has to be by next Thursday. It's Friday evening when you have to leave—it's a function, you have to just smile and bear it."

One of my worst nightmares. "A function where I have to bring a date, am I correct?"

"Well, you have two lovely ladies that work for you." Bianchi raised an eyebrow, leaning forward so her elbow was resting on her knee, chin on hand. "If that doesn't please you, you'll just have to get another conquest—a female one, Boss. You can't jeopardise your position especially after this absence."

"I understand," I grumbled, falling back into the sofa and staring up above me. "We need this, right?"

"We do," Romario confirmed.

"I'll leave Thursday, I promise," I vowed, "no one will realise I'm jet-lagged."

"They better not. Sometimes our deals just have to depend on your pretty face." Bianchi sighed, not pleased with that piece of information.

I smiled despite myself. "Was that a compliment, Bianchi?" There had never been anything between the two of us, but that didn't stop the teasing relationship we shared. Ever since she first became part of our famiglia she had a strong personality and didn't mind flicking her purple hair over her shoulder in harsh situations. She was surprisingly down to Earth, and that was what I needed.

She grimaced. "Definitely not, Boss."

After that pleasant talk, there were only a few more things that we had to go over. They always revolved around work—either about what there was going to be in the future or how some were slacking just because I was away. Despite the fact they were slacking, it seemed I was enough of an authoritative figure to make them work when I was there. A few had taken my personality for granted in the past, and that had never ended peacefully. When the talk was done and everyone was slouching back into their seats, I just about wanted to tear my hair out. Of course, I had been expecting a lot to worry about, but realising how much had suffered in a matter of a few weeks was ridiculous. As I ran my hand through my hair with a stray thought that I was slowly going to become bald at the rate I was going, Romario decided to surprise me.

"Here, Boss," he said, extending his clenched hand towards me. I answered by thrusting mine forward, surprise flickering within my irides as keys landed on my palm. "I told you your car is here, didn't I?"

"Where have you hidden it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bianchi rolled her eyes. "How on Earth would you be able to hide that? It's in the street beside this and as ostentatious as usual, idiot."

A laugh left my lips from imagining how much it stood out. "I seriously love you, Romario."

"Save your love for someone else," he suggested with a ruthful smile, "Lord knows you'll need it when you tell him you have to leave."

"Expect me back with more than a few bruises," I said, smiling still.

Bianchi was right about the car standing out. The red stood out beside the white walls surrounding the houses and even more so against the pavement. At least there weren't any bystanders on the pavement with enquiring stares. I was free to slip into the front seat and swiftly turn the engine on. I hadn't thought it was necessary to have a car sent over, but Romario always thought of everything. He overthought things, really. The only problem I encountered was parking—in the end I found a series of parking spaces beside the apartment complex which had allocated areas. I'd probably taken his mother's spot.

When I walked into the apartment and heard noises from the kitchen, I was surprised. Kyouya was busy ignoring my presence and continuing to cook whatever it is he had started without so much as battering an eyelid at me.

"What are you making?" I asked, hovering behind him and resisting the urge to wrap my arms around his waist.

He hummed in return, supplying no more information than that.

"You don't normally cook," I commented, knowing full well that he preferred to quickly make instant food instead. Seeing him in the kitchen by the stove wasn't an image I was used to. We usually ate alone as well. I made my meals, he made his, and we didn't push it any further than that. My cooking skills weren't up to scratch to attempt to impress him with, so I never invited him to have dinner with me and eating out would have surely become boring after the first time. "Have you run out of instant noodles or something?"

"I don't eat instant food all of the time, it's bad for you," Kyouya replied, stirring his food.

"You're right about that," I agreed, peering over his shoulder. He wasn't tensing up from our close contact, not like in the beginning. "Are you staying in tonight?"

"No." He switched off the gas, extinguishing the flame and then grabbing a plate. "I have something important to do, so don't think of trying to bribe me to stay with you."

A laugh escaped my lips. "Do you think I'd do that?"

"I know you, Cavallone."

"That's a good thing, then," I replied happily, leaning towards him as he walked past. I placed a soft kiss on his temple as he scowled before moving back, holding my hands up in surrender. "That's a kiss everyone gets, even from their parents, so you can't tell me off."

He frowned, settling down at the table. "I'm not from an affectionate family."

"Do you know when your mom's coming back, by the way?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows whilst thinking of how to bring up the topic of leaving. If she was coming back soon, that would've made it easier to say than knowing full well that I was leaving him alone. I didn't know how many times he'd been left by himself in an empty home, but I knew from experience that it wasn't a nice feeling. Even though it was easier to sing loudly and not have anyone listen, it was still empty in the end. "I have been here for more than a while."

"She won't be back for a few months more, probably."

I blinked in surprise. "Did she contact you?"

Kyouya shook his head, chewing a mouthful of food. After he swallowed, he said, "I just know from experience."

The topic was a sensitive one. Kyouya never responded positively when I mentioned his mother—and I had to assume his dad was out of the picture, as I'd never seen any evidence of him anywhere—and tried to brush the subject away as quickly as possible. Even if he was comfortable with me, he didn't want to mention topics about his personal life.

"Kyouya," I started slowly, wanting to touch a subject that had been on my mind for a while. "Why aren't you in high school?"

"Do you need to know?" he asked, finishing his food and walking to the dishwasher.

"I'm just worried for you," I admitted sheepishly. He wasn't the same age as Tsuna. He should have been in a different school, acting his age. "You shouldn't be in middle school still."

"I already have a mother, I don't need you to nag me," he protested.

"Your mother isn't here," I defended myself. "You obviously already know all the material you're learning, if you even go to lessons, that is, so you're just wasting a year." It took me a moment to remember the school system in Japan. "No, you have wasted a year."

Kyouya scowled, disapproving of this conversational topic more than the last. "I don't need you to tell me that."

"I'm probably sounding like a nag, right? But I'm just thinking of you. It won't look good if you've willingly repeated a year."

"I'm not repeating anything—I'm doing whatever I like."

"You're not old enough to do that." I didn't flinch when I could see that he was becoming visibly irritated, clenching one of his hands in frustration by his side. Over his shoulder Kyouya shot me a look of pure loathing and for a moment, I almost believed it. "I know I don't get a say in what you're going to do with your life, but I should be allowed to be worried for you."

"You have to right to be worried about me," he announced angrily. "You'll be out of my life soon and that will be it. I don't need you pretending to care right now or in the future."

It seemed the topic had somehow shifted back and was allowing me to blurt out that I was going to leave whenever I wanted to. I couldn't get the words out, though. They died in my throat as I saw him glaring at me, his hair covering half of his expression and restricting how well I could tell whether he was truly serious or not.

"I do care. Now is not the time to think my feelings are half-hearted again," I replied testily, trying not to let him rile me up. "Kyouya, even though you're as stubborn as a mule, I love you."

"And what do you want me to say in response?" he spat, my words not having the calming effect that I had anticipated. I only just resist running my hand through my hair, trying to think of how to change the atmosphere. He walked right up to me, our chests almost touching, as he looked at me in anger. "You shouldn't concern yourself with me. It's useless."

"Are you saying my love is useless, too?" I smiled despite myself. His eye twitched ever so slightly in response—he wasn't pleased that I wasn't getting offended and just taking his comments on the chin. "I don't have the most tact, but I'm not lying to you."

"Stop it," he demanded. "I don't want to hear it."

"I love you."

"I said I don't want to hear it," he stressed, not meeting my eyes. I wasn't going to push him any further. It would've been rude to and I wanted him to take the initiative, if that was ever going to happen. "Get out, Cavallone."

"I believe you're the one going out," I pointed out, trying not to sound too stuck up. Apparently, it didn't work to well—my words only caused him to frown further. "I'll still be here when you get back, though."

Kyouya disappeared after that with a huff of irritation and then took his sweet time with coming back. It was like that for the next few days as well. I spent my time either doing what I pleased or buckling down and trying to sort out the business side of being a boss. Bianchi had travelled back to Italy, along with most of the others, leaving just Romario in my aunt's house and there to talk with. Even though he still pushed me, it was more refreshing for it to be just the two of us, rather than having Bianchi becoming frustrated from my lack of responsibilities. Three days had past and I hadn't found the time to tell Kyouya that I needed to leave the coming Thursday. We ate breakfast around the same time and that was about it. When I asked, he said that he was busy with school. Busy with important things, so he only came home, showered, and then went to bed and his bed certainly wasn't comfortable enough for the most of us, yet he insisted on sleeping there.

Just as I'd finished my dinner Kyouya came home early for once. I raised my eyebrows but didn't say anything, choosing to clean up after myself and see whether he'd initiate a conversation for once. To my surprise he did after emerging from his bedroom having rid himself of the jacket.

"Dino," he called with an identifiable tone. It would've been a lie to say I didn't smile to myself from hearing my first name—he'd insisted on calling my last ever since we were round my aunt's. "Do you actually do anything with your day?"

I laughed at the unexpected question. He hadn't asked anything like that before and I was pleased he seemed to have been taking an interest in me. "I do," I clarified, grinning. "I'm busy with work; I've neglected my famiglia far too much."

My answer only caused him to frown. Kyouya sat down on the arm of the sofa, staring at me with an inquisitive expression. "Am I supposed to know what that means? I don't know any other languages."

That slip up was my own fault. I scratched my neck, flustered. "…It means family, it's kind of how we refer to it, so it's less obnoxious."

"I see." He hummed. "So you've been trying to manage it from here?"

"Trying." I smiled sheepishly, not wanting to know where this conversation was heading. Was he going to tell me to leave again?

"You're finally acting like an adult," he remarked. Surprise flickered within my eyes; the conversation was the opposite of the one I'd had with him the other day. I was implying he was acting like a child, and he was saying the complete opposite about me. If I had had feeling of guilt from accusing him of acting too young, it seemed to have given him the push to actually talk to me.

"Finally?" I raised an eyebrow. "Have you been waiting for me to grow up?"

"That will take far too long," Kyouya replied as I sat down next to him.

"What do you do with your day?" I asked, making it so he was only just leaning into me. "You leave for school and come back when you need to sleep—it's actually getting lonely around here."

"Just be satisfied that I'm able to tolerate you sleeping beside me." He scowled.

Even though he was reiterating my words, I felt the need to tease him. "Since we're touching each other, I think it's more appropriate to say we sleep together." As he elbowed me in the shoulder, enough for the flesh to skin slightly, and grimaced at my comment I laughed it off. The last time he had used his tonfas to threaten me had been more than long enough ago. He was letting his guard down more often than not, and that brought another smile to my lips. It was an improvement even at the worst time. "Where have you really been, Kyouya? You can't be at school all that time, surely."

"I'm busy dealing with things," he answered, choosing his words carefully.

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, taking in his expression and trying to see whether he was telling the truth or not. Kyouya averted his eyes, not wanting to expand on his answer. "What is there to deal with? You don't have any problems with your classes as you've already done them before."

He sighed, adjusting his position on the arm of the sofa, obviously uncomfortable. "It's not to do with school."

"Eh?"

He proceeded to shoot me a look that clearly said I was the dumbest person in the country. "I'm the discipline around here."

I'd forgotten that he liked to put himself upon a pedestal at certain times. I held a hand up in apaology, smiling at in humour at his proclamation, trying hard not to burst out laughing. Although it sounded ridiculous, it was something he would do. Even if it was a way just to let off steam, if he thought that something good would come out of it, that I couldn't correct him for it. It was most likely the reason Tsuna, and probably many others, weren't in Kyouya's best books.

"Are you always this serious?" I asked, lightly pressing my fingertip against his nose. He looked taken aback from the contact before slapping my hand away, frowning. "That's not what a sixteen-year-old should be saying at all."

"And how old are you, Dino?" he retorted, most likely going to bring my immaturity into the conversation.

"Twenty-two," I admitted, waiting to see his reaction. He didn't have one other than staring blankly at me, as if waiting for me to carry on talking. So, I did. "You bring out the child in me, you know." I leaned back against the cushions, stretching my arms above my head. "I don't feel like this often at home and with you, I'm like a possessive child."

"…That's not a good thing," he mumbled.

"It's refreshing for me, at least." I grinned at him, closing my eyes. "You know how children have their favourite toys? Well, you're mine, and it seems you're going to be for a long time. I don't want to anyone else playing with you."

If I had had my eyes open Kyouya probably wouldn't have surprised me so. Instead of a verbal answer he leaned towards me and snaked his fingers into my hair before pressing his lips to mine. I didn't pull away in surprise—which I was thankful for—or laugh in glee like I wanted to. I let Kyouya choose that time and as he moved his lips against mine, obviously demanding for some movement back, it was clear what he wanted. It wasn't me forcing a kiss upon him, or teasing him to kiss me in return. Kyouya had initiated it, and I was going to take as much as he offered. The fingers in my hair were gripping almost painfully, but I wasn't going to complain. My hand moved to hold onto his waist, pulling him closer as I responded enthusiastically. I was elated, clearly, and it seemed like I was reverting back into the hormone controlled teenager I had once been.

Rather than the kiss being only a few seconds long, it continued. I'd expected him to pull away and then frown at me, but rather than that, Kyouya leaned further into me and added pressure onto my lips. At first the kiss was slow and cautious, by letting him decide what it would be like, but now I couldn't hold myself back.

I didn't pause to whisper his name under my breath or anything remotely similar. I allowed my free hand to fall onto his thigh as I trailed my appendage over his bottom lip, feeling a bubble of glee within my lower half as he responded instantly. Kyouya parted his lips in acceptance, his tongue seeking mine within seconds.

A soft moan started to build up within the back of my throat, much like it did in his, too—I could tell from the slight vibration within the kiss, adding a whole new sensation to it. He pulled on my hair and I took that as a signal to push further; so, he was almost falling off the sofa as I pulled his waist closer and thrust my appendage deeper. Within no time my cheeks had heated up from the occasional supply of oxygen and the feeling in general. Kissing Kyouya was always a challenge as I never knew when he was going to push me away. As he moaned softly against my mouth, a coil of heat became apparent within my abdomen. I was enjoying the contact, certainly, and I hoped he was, too.

Whenever I had tried to push further and slip my hand either to his backside or up his shirt in the past, he'd rejected me, so I wasn't going to risk the chance. When Kyouya moaned more heartily that time, I pulled away in order to regain our breaths. As I sucked in a breath through my now swollen lips, my face grew hotter from seeing his expression. His lips were scarlet and damp and curled down into a soft frown, an easy sight to admire.

I couldn't get a word out before his lips were on mine again. The kiss was more aggressive that time, meaning the noise of us produced more noises of approval. He almost fell into me at one point as he was still awkwardly sat on the arm of the sofa, somehow trying to balance—that was most likely why it felt like my hair was being ripped out at some points. Kyouya was taking the initiative again, and I couldn't have been happier. My thumb was moving in small, hopefully soothing, circles on his waist through his shirt, still not touching his bare skin.

We pulled away again, both panting quietly to ourselves, and I placed chaste kisses on his scarlet lips. "Kyouya," I murmured, knowing full well that my voice was low from the building desire.

He responded again by kissing me, and by calling myself a fool in my head, I worked up the courage to slowly move my hand down from his waist. My fingertips skimmed the porcelain coloured skin of his stomach and I hummed in appreciation, realising again just how soft he was. Kyouya reacted immediately, though. He broke the kiss, meaning a bond of liquid settled down onto his lower lip, and bit down softly onto my own. He was making a point, apparently, and the slight sting of my lower lip only made me smile.

Knocking my hands away, he pulled back and wiped his lips with the back of his hand.

"Sorry," I apologised, "my hand was cold, wasn't it?"

He abruptly stood up and started to stalk towards his room. Emerging with his jacket upon his shoulders a few moments later, I raised my eyebrows in question. Surely, I thought he couldn't have been leaving already, but I was always proven wrong.

"I'm busy," he said.

Despite the rejection, I laughed. "Sure," I replied, "have fun." It seemed better to just go with the flow, rather than questioning him about where he was going; and, it worked, too. Kyouya glanced at me as if I was mad for a moment and then swiftly left, not even murmuring a good bye. But I was all right with it, as I was accustomed to his quirks by then.

What I wasn't accustomed to, though, was him coming home late still. It was well past midnight when he finally turned, looking more tired than usual. I could almost see the purple bags under his eyes. I didn't say anything as he went to the kitchen and searched through a few cupboards, purposely looking for the medial kit. There were a few splotches of scarlet on his white shirt—the black of the rest of his outfit hid any blood that could have been there—and the wounds seemed to be mostly around his torso rather than his face.

"I'm guessing that you had fun, then?" I asked, not bothering to chastise him. There was no chance in Hell that I would be able to control him, let alone just for a night. "Just make sure to wash out the cuts, Kyouya."

He scowled, finding the kit. "Why would I listen to you?"

I smiled that he was back to being difficult. "Never mind," I answered. "You're home so I'm going to bed now." Rather than saying aloud that I was sleeping with him, I wanted to see whether he'd come back and sleep next to me on my bed, rather than his tiny single one. All the lack of space certainly hadn't been good for my back. I undressed at my own pace and purposely stayed on one side of the bed and almost time minutes later, it was worth it.

The door slowly creaked open, letting a beam of light come into the room, and he walked in already clad in a pair of pyjamas. I grinned at him, laughing as he narrowed his eyes when I patted on the mattress beside me.

After he'd slipped under the duvet, I spoke. "Isn't it better now we have more room?"

Rather than replying, Kyouya pushed his head further into the pillow and ignored me. I followed his lead and closed my eyes, trying hard to fall asleep without letting my thoughts wander further. It was usually relatively easy to fall asleep next to him, but that night the air around us seemed charged. Either I was really feeling frustrated or the kiss from earlier was still toying with how I was thinking. Kyouya, obviously, wasn't feeling anything of the sort, so I had to suppose that it was just my imagination. I was aware of his every breath, though, and how close he was beside me. If he wasn't clad in his pyjamas, the situation would've been even worse. Frustrated, I shifted my lower half uncomfortably, trying not to give away my discomfort. I couldn't just leave without expecting him to notice and the shower might have woken him up at that time of night. I had to uncomfortably wait for the throbbing down below to go away and attempt to keep my dignity.

I wasn't about to force myself upon him again as that didn't end well the first time, let alone all of the other times it was slightly more innocent. I wanted to go about it the right way; if Kyouya was responding to me already, I just had to wait patiently. And waiting patiently certainly didn't mean touching myself beside him.

Whilst I was trying to keep my mind on the right line of thought, Kyouya shuffled back so he was pressed against me. I gulped, trying to move my lower half away from him as subtly as possible, hoping that he hadn't noticed. He was looking for warmth, nothing else.

Calm down, Dino, I told myself, and don't ruin it already.

"…Kyouya." I had to clear my throat; my voice was too thick. "Are you awake?"

There was only a slim chance that he'd respond and, surprisingly, he was asleep. I laughed softly to myself, trying not to disturb him as I wondered how many times I'd been in a similar situation. There were not actually that many—I normally preferred to sleep alone as tangled limbs became annoying after a few days.

"I'm trying to sleep," he responded when I wasn't expecting him to answer. The seconds had ticked by until he had said that, disturbing my thoughts. Were we both in the same position?

"I can normally sleep with you beside me," I admitted, dropping in a hint as to why I'd moved away from him. "Are you having the same problem?"

"…You're just breathing too loudly."

"I'm not." I chuckled. "It's just… I can't relax next to you." He, hopefully, understood what I meant. I decided quickly that his next answer would determine whether I was leaving to shower or staying frustrated next to him, trying to cover up my problem. I was just too aware of him—I could clear hear every breath that he took.

"You're too close to me," Kyouya replied quietly, and I clearly felt a small jolt of excitement shoot through me.

"You were the one that moved closer to me," I pointed out, smiling to myself. There wasn't any light in the room, so when I reached out my arm and wrapped it around his waist, I was surprised that I'd gotten the position correct. Pulling him closer, I asked, "Is this okay?"

Kyouya didn't give me any sort of answer. I held my breath, wondering whether I'd pushed him too far, before instinct got the better of me. My lips were skimming the soft skin of his neck soon after, placing light kisses along it. There were no protests to my movements, so I continued and bit down lightly. As I purposely left a mark, a quietest of moans escaped his lips but halfway through the sound was stopped. Kyouya had closed his mouth, embarrassed, apparently, and I smiled against his skin in response. He was acting stubborn again, trying to keep quiet so it wouldn't urge me on.

His cut off moan had the opposite effect on me, though. I wanted to coax him to make more of those noises, even if they were breathless or hearty. My arousal was pressed into his clothed lower back, but he wasn't moving away in rejection. Kyouya was staying where he was, breathing slightly heavier than normal as he was pressed against me. When I was sure I'd left a dark mark, I trailed my tongue over the irritated skin, elated when his body jerked back into mine.

As I worked my way up to lightly nip his earlobe, making sure to leave a few kisses on the way, Kyouya was starting to become more responsive. He lightly pressed his lower half back against me, causing my arousal to stir more from the movements. I groaned under my breath in approval, matching his noises.

"Are you sure?" I asked lowly into his ear.

I'd just trailed my teeth over his cartilage as he answered, "I'm not a child."

That answer couldn't have been rejection. I grinned despite myself, trailing my hand from his waist to run over the smooth skin of his stomach, much like I'd done earlier that day. Kyouya didn't flinch or pull away; rather, he hummed softly as my fingertips skimmed the waistband of his underwear. They dipped down, brushing against his arousal and I felt my cheeks flush from knowing that I wasn't alone. He had been feeling the same way, after all.

I purposely applied teasing touches to his member, breathing against his ear. "Can I?" I asked, needing to clear my throat, and probably my thoughts, too. I was trying to redo the way I'd touched him before; I was going to be cautious this time and tentative.

"Quit asking me about every little thing," Kyouya snapped, his voice lower than usual. A laugh of appreciation left my lips from his answer—he wasn't like anyone else.

A gasp soon escaped him as I slowly pumped his member. It felt hot in my hands and if I could only feel my pulse down by my groin, I supposed that Kyouya was the same, too. My movements were slow as I wanted to make it last, to replace his memories of me touching him before. I wasn't demanding anything more than for him to enjoy himself, and as I ran a finger over his tip, it was painstakingly clear that he was. He moaned under his breath as I moved my hand tentatively, setting a slow rhythm so he'd feel more and be able to be more vocal about it.

With every move of my hand, Kyouya either produced a throaty moan or jerked back into me, pressing his backside against my member. Whether it was on purpose or not, though, I didn't know and didn't particularly care. I didn't need to seem demanding by pressing my lower half against him and wanting friction; he was allowing me some pleasure, even more so than just hearing him.

I groaned his name and closed my eyes, seeing no difference to when they were open. My face was clearly far too hot; I should not have been reacting as much as I was, but I had been frustrated for hours. His moans were becoming louder and more frequent as I increased my pace and started to nip his neck again. I sucked on the skin as my fingers moved swiftly, feeling his member twitch within my hand.

"Dino," he moaned.

Having him moan my first name was far better than my last, as he had done so in the past. The happiness I felt quickly turned into arousal, shooting down and joining the rest within my lower half. I groaned in return, giving his member a harsh tug as he twitched against me again. He moaned my name again, that time quieter, as he attempted to move his hips further into my hand.

Kyouya gasped. "Wait."

He was close to releasing—the liquid from his tip clearly showed that. I grinned against his neck, nipping his skin just to hear him moan softly again, and worked my hand faster. He writhed against me—causing more friction than I was expecting against my arousal—and produced a muffled noise, most likely biting down on his lip.

"It's okay," I murmured, applying a harsh tug to his member.

His backside was once again pressed against me as he moaned louder than before, his body tensing as I clearly felt what was happening. I stroked his member, still, until I was sure that he had finished. The warm liquid had landed onto my fingers and the back of my palm, and most likely onto his stomach, too. As Kyouya regained his breath against me, I kissed his neck softly.

"That tickles," he complained, not quite pushing me away yet.

I smiled, still continuing. "Does it?"

"You've had your moment, stop sticking close to me," Kyouya protested, elbowing me lightly in the chest.

I took that as my signal to sit up, reaching inside the nearest for a couple of tissues to clean up the mess. It was hard to locate them in the dark, so I switched on the lamp just in time to see Kyouya get up from the bed. His cheeks were a shade of crimson, either from pleasure or embarrassment. He smoothed out his clothes with a frown across his lips.

"Kyouya?" I called, furrowing my eyebrows as he opened the door.

"I'm sleeping alone."

That idea was probably for the best. After he left and I'd cleaned up any of the reminders of what had just happened, I fell back onto the mattress, frustrated. If he had stayed I might have gone too far, once again.

AN: Do you know what I hate in stories? When a character gets someone else's life story told to them and it lasts for pages. So I skipped that. I don't like advertising anything (not even names of drinks), so it's no surprise that the car is left unnamed. It's the same as in the anime (if I remember correctly), since I don't read the manga. I promised that this chapter would be long and it's from Dino's point of view, so, of course, it took me ages to write. It was going to have another lemon and some more dialogue, but I thought that would be overkill.

300th reviewer will get whatever he/she wants. Just PM me if you know you've got it, or I'll get back to you in the next chapter (and that seems three months away).