A/N – This chapter rated MA

…

The late afternoon air was warm, and the sun was just beginning its long descent across the sky. It would have been a lovely evening, were it not for the noise coming from the group of people arguing in the middle of the garden.

"I think they might need some time off," Yukimura said with a thoughtful look as he sat on the edge of the veranda watching the group. Isanami was clinging onto the sleeve of Sekai's top, desperately trying to hold him back from confronting Kamanosuke who was mostly ignoring him, instead glaring daggers at Saizou who, in turn, was shouting something at Sarutobi who had turned a rather alarming shade of red in either anger or embarrassment – he wasn't entirely certain.

"It's true that there are… certain tensions within the group, Yukimura-sama," Rokuro said tactfully and he got a snort of amusement in response.

"I think someone might actually end up permanently injured if they don't let off some steam in a more controlled environment," the Sanada lord said as he watched as the Koga ninja flew off into the trees, after which Saizou turned round to confront Kamanosuke and the entire group did an about-turn. "I've decided. Tonight, we'll have a party!" He nodded and clapped his hands together decisively.

Rokuro looked up hesitantly. "A party? With sake? Are you certain?" He was sure that this couldn't end well, but he could also see that Yukimura had made up his mind. The one thing he had learnt from his years of service was that once the man had an idea in his head, he was like a dog with a bone and wouldn't give it up without good reason.

"It'll be fun," Yukimura said confidently, and Rokuro raised a questioning eyebrow.

"For who?" he asked drly, but all he got was a grin in reply.

…

So far, things were pretty much going as well as Rokuro had expected them to. Which was, to say, not too smoothly.

Isanami had kicked up a fuss when, after everyone had finished eating, Yukimura had announced that neither she nor Benmaru were allowed to drink.

"But whyyyy?" she asked petulantly, and Yukimura just shook his head.

"I'm not having kids drunk on my watch," was all he said. Rokuro looked at him –although he knew there was more to it than that, he sat quietly and said nothing. It wasn't his place to speak up.

"But he's drinking!" Isanami pointed at Kamanosuke, who had already downed half a flask of sake and was grinning, He stuck his tongue out at her, which just made her more annoyed.

"He is older than you… I think." He leant forwards closer to Isanami's face. "Besides, are you going to tell him to stop?" he whispered conspiratorially, and she scowled.

"Fine!" she declared and stood up. "Benmaru and I will go find something exciting to do istead!"

"Really?" the boy said excitedly and he jumped to his feet. "Can we go on an adventure?" He ran up to her and grinned.

She smiled back. "Of course! We'll have much more fun!" she declared as she took his hand and, without looking back, walked out of the room.

Yukimura watched them leave and bit back a sigh. It was all for a very good reason but he still felt a bit mean. Still, he was sure they would actually have more fun together than they would if they'd stayed with the rest of the group. He looked up as Sekai glanced over at him then followed in Isanami's wake, and he relaxed a little. At least they wouldn't be alone.

"Come on then!" Yukimura said as he turned back to the rest of the room when he saw the rest were out of earshot and raised his sake cup in a toast to a round of cheering.

…

Kamanosuke had decided he was having fun. It had taken him a while to identify what it was that he was feeling – initially he'd felt slightly awkward, a bit frustrated and had an overwhelming sentiment that he should be doing something but wasn't quite sure what and he wasn't sure that he would go and do it even if he did remember what it was.

Not that he'd have let anyone know it but it was a nice feeling, to be around people that weren't actively trying to kill him or, he had to admit, the other way around. He'd kept an eye on Saizou the whole evening so far – it had been a couple of days since their… whatever it was… and Kamanosuke was feeling a bit uncertain. He'd avoided Saizou the next day, and he wasn't entirely sure why – it wasn't that he'd hated what had happened, more that he wasn't sure what happened next. It was a bit of unchartered territory for him and all this thinking was really getting on his nerves. He raised his cup to his mouth and realized with surprise that it was empty – along with the two flasks by his side. He reached out for a third flask sitting in the middle of the room, and almost knocked it over as his coordination failed him. Scowling, he tried again, this time managing successfully to wrap his fingers around the flask and he poured another cup for himself. As he took a sip, he looked across the room at Saizou and watched as the ninja sat in the corner with Yukimura. They were obviously discussing something important and he scowled – it looked serious, and he wanted to know what they were talking about. Deciding that he wanted in on the secret he got up a little unsteadily and made his way across the room.

The sake was stronger than he'd thought and he was halfway to his destination when he managed to slip on the tatami mats covering the floor. He went to regain his balance but instead felt two strong hands clamp around his hips. Confused, he looked down to see Jinpachi staring up at him with a grin.

"You sure you're not a girl?" the pirate said with a drunken grin as he brushed a thumb over Kamanosuke's hips who, surprised, blushed in response.

"Let go of me!" he demanded and tried to pull free of the larger man's vice-like grip, but it was impossible. He felt rooted to the spot and, after a brief flush of confidence from the sake, he felt a faint wave of panic start to spread from somewhere inside him.

"I can let you pretend you're a girl if you want?" Jinpachi continued and he was just about to lean forwards when Kakei put a hand on his shoulder.

"Old man, I've decided - I will take you up on your challenge after all!" Kakei declared loudly, his face serious but showing the faint flush of the alcohol. Jinpachi looked at him, confused for a moment, and then laughed.

"Excellent idea! We can find out once and for all who the better shot is!" Jinpachi declared and stood up, letting Kamanosuke twist free as his hands let go. He watched as the young man stared at him. "I can come back for you if you want?"

"Dammit, I'm not a girl!" Kamanosuke shouted in Jinpachi's face and the pirate blinked in surprise and then laughed.

"Let me know if you change your mind," he said cheerfully, and he waved goodbye as he and Kakei made their way out the door into the courtyard to set up their shooting targets, arms around each others shoulders as they boasted of how great a marksman they were.

Kamanosuke huffed in irritation and spun round. He was annoyed and frustrated and embarrassed and, more than anything, wanted to take it out on someone. As he looked around he caught sight of Rokuro sitting quietly by himself near to where Saizou and Yukimura were and he stormed over.

"You're more of a girl than me! Why aren't people mean to you?" he said accusatorily as he leaned close to Rokuro and poked him in the chest, and the man instinctively drew back, uncovered eye wide in surprise.

"Uhhh…" Rokuro started, but his words were cut off.

"You have pretty hair! And wear those hakama!" he jabbed a finger in mid air. "It's not fair!" Kamanosuke continued as he leant forwards even more, bringing them closer.

"You think we should interrupt?" Saizou asked Yukimura lazily, as they watched from across the room, though he was only really asking to be polite. In reality, he had been kinda enjoying the show, even if he did now feel a bit sorry for Rokuro. He knew how it felt to be in the crosshairs of a rather inebriated Kamanosuke, but he couldn't deny that the way Jinpachi had handled the young man had been quite intriguing. And, yes - he had drunk enough sake to also realize that it had been… intriguing, to see the boy handled that way, the pirate's large hands making Kamanosuke's slender frame seem even more so.

And maybe it had made him a little jealous.

Yukimura looked over to the two men and laughed softly. "It's fine. He can handle himself quite adequately. Plus, I think he likes the attention," he added with a wink and Saizou had to swallow a laugh. He watched as Rokuro scowled and said something back, which obviously affronted the redhead in some way as his face turned almost the same color as his hair.

"I didn't know there'd be entertainment tonight." Saizou said off-handedly, as he downed the last of his sake, and it was Yukimura's turn to snort in amusement. He tapped his closed fan against his chin as he pretended to be deep in thought.

"Maybe we should get Isanami to teach him some of her dances for next time?"

The mental image of Kamanosuke dressed up in one of Isanami's robes doing a temple dance was too much – he put down his cup on the floor and let out a laugh.

Kamanosuke stopped in the middle of what he was doing and looked up as he recognized that laugh. As he thought, Saizou was looking at him, a grin on his face and his eyes bright with amusement. He scowled. How dare the ninja make fun of him! Standing up, he forgot about his previous target and found a new one in his sights as he made his way over.

"What?" Kamanosuke demanded, hands on hips, as he bent over Saizou, his hair falling over his eyes, which were shining brightly from both the alcohol and the lamps around the room. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that he really shouldn't confront Saizou here – not in this state, not after what had happened, and yet… he couldn't stop himself. The man was making fun of him and he couldn't let that go. No-one humiliated him!

Saizou closed his eyes and shook his head. "I think you've had enough," he said bluntly and placed his hand on Kamanosuke's chest to push him away gently - which was obviously the wrong thing to do.

"Don't touch me!" he shouted and automatically went to reach for his kusarigama, remembering too late that he'd left it back in his room. He froze mid-reach and was just trying to work out what to do next when he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders.

"Time for bed," Saizou said as he stood up. He could see it had gone on too long, and he'd seen the confidence and fire replaced by frustration, and he felt he had to do something otherwise it would all end up tears or, more likely, blood – and he really didn't want to lose any more than he had done so far. With a perfunctory nod at Yukimura, he grabbed Kamanosuke by the collar and all but dragged him outside, ignoring the swearing and threats coming from his captive.

"You think they'll be ok," Rokuro said with slight concern as he moved to stand behind his master as they watched the two of them leave, and Yukimura smiled at the echo of concern he showed.

"They'll be fine, I'm sure. Though someone will be sore in the morning," he added with a laugh. "Now, look – my guests have all left and it's just the two of us again! Ah well, will you keep this old man company tonight?" Yukimura asked with a smile and he was pleased that he got one back in return.

"If that's what you want," Rokuro said with a small smile as he leant forward to pour another cup of sake for them both.

…

"Get in there," Saizou said as he slid open the door to Kamanosuke's room. What a way to end the night, he thought as he rolled his eyes and steeled himself for the inevitable comeback.

"Why?" Kamanosuke scowled through his wayward hair and went to lean on the door, which was when he suddenly realized that his current depth perception was about as reliable as his spatial awareness. He missed the doorframe by a few inches and his eyes went wide as he felt himself fall into the room when, for the second time that night, he felt someone catch him – this time, strong fingers wrapped around his upper arm.

"Che!" Saizou swore as he saved the kid from landing on his face. "You are the worst drunk ever. Have you never had sake before?" he asked incredulously as he all but marched them both into the room, sliding the door shut and sighing, shaking his head. He turned round, ready to face the oncoming tirade and blinked in surprise.

"It's all your fault," Kamanosuke said quietly as he stood in the darkness, his head handing down dejectedly. Saizou blinked in surprise and was about to say something when suddenly Kamanosuke raised his head and the fire was back in his eyes. "It's all your fault!" he shouted and, without warning, lunged at the other man. Unfortunately for him, the ninja was taller, stronger and significantly more sober than him.

"The fuck…?" Saizou swore as he saw a red-headed whirlwind fly at him. Maneuvering out the way easily, he quickly grabbed Kamanosuke's wrists, spun him round and pushed him against the nearby wall, pinning the kid to the wall with his hands above his head. Saizou felt him struggle in his grip, felt his pulse quicken from it, and swallowed dryly. Maybe he wasn't as in control as he thought.

"Hey, calm down!" he said sharply, and Saizou was relieved when Kamanosuke actually obeyed him, all but going limp in his grip. He took a moment to collect his thoughts, and he noticed that his entire field of vision filled with bright red hair. It really is something, Saizou thought randomly, and he bit back the urge to touch it.

"Better?" He asked, and took the silence as acquiescence. Saizou leant forwards, close enough so that their bodies were almost touching entirely from toes to head and he took a moment to enjoy the sense of power and dominance it gave him, then he swallowed it down. Showing too much of it in front of someone like him would be the wrong move – especially now they were back on familiar ground with a familiar weapon a few feet from where they were. "Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?" For a few moments, Saizou thought he was going to be ignored then Kamanosuke spoke up.

"I hate it! I hate you! It was so much easier before!" he spat out, and he was surprised and frustrated at how sharp his voice was with emotion. "Why can't you leave me alone?" he said viciously and tried to escape from Saizou's grip.

Saizou pulled back slightly. "Is that what you want?" he asked quietly.

"Yes!" Kamanosuke shouted, and then instantly added, "No! I… I don't know!" and he stopped struggling once more. I don't know what's going on anymore, a small voice said inside him, and it terrified him. He would rather face an army of opponents on the battlefield than his own emotions – and, in fact, had managed to do exactly that for many years. Why now? Why him? he asked himself, but he had no reply.

"I'm not going to force you to do anything. You need to make a decision as to what you want me to do…" Saizou said with surprising self-restraint. Fuck, I really am no good, hitting on a drunk kid who has no idea, he thought to himself as he tried to resist the expanse of smooth skin in front of him at the junction between Kamanosuke's neck and shoulder.

"I… don't know."

"Is that a no?" Saizou asked roughly. It was getting harder to keep control – fuck, what was wrong with him? He hadn't felt like this in so long, wasn't sure that he'd ever felt like this, a raw emotion that had seemed to come from nowhere that he was finding harder to keep in check.

"No!" Kamanosuke replied hotly, "it's just…I don't know…" he trailed off, clenching his fists in frustration and he swore under his breath.

Saizou couldn't resist any longer and bent down to take the soft skin between his teeth, biting down hard. He felt Kamanosuke shudder underneath him, and he moved to secure both of the small wrists in one hand against the wall, the other trailing down over smooth curves that no man should ever have.

He wanted more.

Reaching around, he pressed his palm against pale skin and he paused for a moment as he felt Kamanosuke's shallow breathing. Taking a deep breath of his own, he slowly moved his hand down until he slid his hand between skin and material and found that they were both as hard as each other, and he quickly fumbled at the fastenings to free himself as he wrapped his fingers around Kamanosuke's cock. It was hot and hard and, as he did so, he felt the boy round his back and tilt his hips forward to push it deeper into his fist, a soft moan coming from behind closed lips. He leant in further, pressing them both against the wall but leaving enough room for his hand to move – slowly at first, lingering at the tip, where he slid the pad of him thumb against sensitive flesh and felt his fingers become wet and sticky. Saizou bit his lip as he slid his hand down and forced himself to stay there.

"You want me to stop?" he asked huskily as he leant in close.

"No… fuck, no" Kamanosuke managed to gasp out, surprised at how needy he sounded yet almost beyond caring. The alcohol combined with whatever Saizou had awakened in him seemed to be a lethal combination. "I need… more."

"I can give you more," Saizou said softly as he move his hand from the front to the back and, in one smooth movement, pushed down material to expose Kamanosuke's ass to the chill evening air. He trailed a finger between his cheeks, lingering briefly at his entrance, and he felt the kid tense briefly, then relax as he began to massage at the tight muscle there. "It will hurt," he said without thinking, then bit back a laugh.

"I don't fucking care," Kamanosuke snapped suddenly as he pushed backwards against Saizou's hips. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he did know what he wanted. "Just give it to me," he demanded.

"Such a pushy bottom," Saizou said with amusement as he pressed further against the hole. It resisted slightly, and then gave into the pressure, and he was able to slide one finger in, quickly joined by another.

"Fuck," Kamanosuke swore, his mind overtaken by new, overpowering sensation.

Saizou moved his hands from Kamanosuke's wrists and briefly clamped them over his captive's mouth instead. "Che, do you want the whole of Ueda to hear you?" he hissed as he thrust another finger in, moving his hand back and forth, as he curled his fingers inside the heat. "Can you imagine what everyone'd say if they caught us like this; if they caught you like this?" He got a muffled curse in response and he grinned. It was like playing with fire – beautiful and addictive but potentially very painful.

For who, he wasn't quite sure.

Saizou withdrew his fingers briefly, which caused Kamanosuke to complain until he replaced them with something else. He took himself in his hand and gave himself a few long strokes, coating himself in enough precum to provide some lubrication. He paused for a moment with his head up against tight skin, and then eased forwards slowly. The feeling of tightness sliding over his sensitive skin made Saizou inhale sharply and he had to pause halfway in to try to catch his breath, something that was made even more difficult by Kamanosuke trying to effectively impale himself on Saizou, all the while swearing and cursing under his breath.

"Fuck, can you stay still for a second?" Saizou muttered as he finally managed to get himself fully in, and he took a deep breath. "You ok?" he asked, without thinking.

Kamanosuke nodded without speaking, his breathing shallow and his head down. Saizou couldn't resist any longer and reached up to grasp a handful of long hair in one hand, the other still pinning his wrists to the wall and he pulled back hard. Kamanosuke let out a surprised cry which served only to make Saizou start thrusting again, long and slow to start, almost completely withdrawing before plunging back in, leaving them both sweating and gasping, Kamanosuke clawing at the wall trying to find some purchase to grasp onto.

"I can't hold on much longer," Saizou said quietly and he got a single nod in response. Taking that as confirmation, he began to move faster, alternating the deep thrusts with shallow, quicker ones, his focus narrowing down to the feeling of tightness and need. After a few moments, he felt a familiar feeling inside him, a small flame of desire that was burning hotter. Without thinking, he reached forwards, grasped Kamanosuke's cock in his fist and started moving his hand up and down in an erratic rhythm to his hips.

"Saizou, wait… no, don't stop!" Kamanosuke gasped as he lost all sense of control. He felt free, his mind clear of anything else but this strange, addictive and almost painful contentment. He closed his eyes, blocking out anything else other than feeling, and it hit him almost by surprise, one last surge of nerve blasting pleasure-pain and then he was coming, hard and fast which left him gasping.

It took Saizou by surprise as well, though the moment he felt the hot, sticky liquid flow over his fingers he didn't have to do much before he came himself in one long, shuddering breath. It always felt different with another man, more depraved, more raw, and as he spilled into Kamanosuke he took a mouthful of air and tried to catch his breath, then exhaled and leant against the wall, their bodies barely touching and awaited the incoming tirade.

Initially, there was silence, and then he felt Kamanosuke shudder under his touch. For a moment, he thought the kid was crying and he had had a brief moment of panic before he realized it was laughter. Saizou blinked in confusion then took a small step backwards, fastening his trousers as he did so – who was to say he wouldn't need to make a hasty exit – but when Kamanosuke spun round to face him, he had a smile on his face, different from his usual look and not one that hid thoughts of pain and chaos. It lit up his face and made him seem younger, more innocent, and Saizou inwardly snorted with amusement at the last thought.

"That was fun," Kamanosuke declared after a moment, a mischievous grin on his face. He looked up at Saizou and then he dropped his head to glance up at through dark eyelashes and his eyes narrowed wickedly. "It doesn't mean I don't still get to kill you – though I might hold off a while."

Saizou looked down at him and raised a eyebrow, then closed his eyes. "You get weirder every day," he said with a sigh, then broke into a grin of his own. "But I suppose I can deal with that."

…

Omake chapter

Kamanosuke stretched as he got up from the futon and immediately winced as various parts of his body protested at the movement. "Ow!" he swore aloud as he clamped a hand on his hip. It wasn't that he minded Saizou being so rough – hell, he actively encouraged it – but he was a little worried he might end up permanently injured at some point. The man could be surprisingly enthusiastic when given the chance and really didn't like to stop in the middle of something, especially if he was enjoying it. Not that Kamanosuke could blame him – they'd eventually stopped when they'd both collapsed in a pile on the mattress, breathing heavily and unable to even move their heads. He grinned at the thought and reached up with his hands to try to gain some kind of control over his hair. Yet again, he'd forgotten to tie it back before going to sleep and it was now tangled and damp from sweat.

"I give in," he muttered to himself as he lost the battle with his own hair and he made his way over to the shoji door, sliding it open slightly. It was still early – too early for most people to be up – and the perfect time to have a bath. He pulled on his trousers that he'd found lying on the floor in the corner where they'd obviously been discarded last night, but despite his best efforts he couldn't find his top anywhere. "What the hell?" he said, confused as to how it had managed to disappear and then sighed. It wasn't far to the bathhouse and no one would be around, and he could get there and back no problem. He grabbed a towel as he left – apparently one of the few things he could find, thankfully – and slipped out the door, straight into something.

Into someone.

"Yuri-san?" Rokuro said in surprise as the redhead walked straight into him, just about managing to keep hold of the tea set he was carrying.

"Aah!" Kamanosuke cried as his eyes went wide. He hadn't expected anyone to be out at this time and it took him a second to realize who it was that he'd managed to plough headfirst into. He looked up to see the taller man regarding him with interest, then saw his eyes drop south and widen slightly. Too late, Kamanosuke realized that he was covered in bruises, bites and other marks that he hadn't thought about in his hurry to get to the bath. Panicking, he brought the towel up to try to hide his chest, which, in hindsight, had probably just made it worse. He felt himself staring at Rokuro with a mixture of surprise and embarrassment, and he could feel his face flush.

Rokuro closed his eyes briefly and inclined his head. "Please forgive my rudeness - I have to get this tea to Yukimura-sama," he said with the barest hint of a smile and then turned to carry on down the walkway towards where head of the castle stayed.

Kamanosuke stood rooted to the spot in disbelief as he watched the man walk away unhurriedly. Of all the people…. He reached up to grab a fistful of hair in frustration and swore silently to himself as he made his way to the bath.

This was not going to be a good day.

…

Kamanosuke made sure to wrap the towel around his upper half before stepping out of the bathhouse. Of course, he didn't meet a single person on his way back to his room, despite it being late enough that everyone should've been awake. Sighing with resignation, he opened the door and stepped into the room and as he turned to close the door, he noticed something small and round by the wall. Curious, he bent down to have a look. It was a small, round glass jar, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand, and seemed to be full of some kind of cream or liquid. Kamanosuke saw there was a small paper note attached to it and, curious, he picked it up and untied the note:

'Useful for healing scars, bites, bruises and other injuries caused by over-enthusiasm.'

…

"Did you hear that?" Yukimura tilted his head up from where he was sitting cross-legged in the middle of his quarters, his usual pipe in one hand and a mug of tea in the other.

Rokuro hesitated for a second and placed his own mug down on the floor carefully then lifted his own head to look up. "Hear what, Master?" he asked blankly.

Yukimura pursed his lips and looked puzzled. "I could've sworn it sounded like someone shouting your name," he said as he looked at the other man curiously.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean," Rokuro replied, his face and voice calm as he placed the dirty cups onto a small tray. "I'm going to check on the food now, if you'll excuse me?"

"Of course," Yukimura replied and nodded his head. He watched as the young man got to his feet lightly and slid the door open silently, stepping out without a sound as agile as a cat. When he was finally alone, he placed his mug down on the floor and burst out laughing.

It was proving very amusing indeed having his Braves around him.