Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mitsuba gently pulled Minamoto's wrists up to the top of the bed frame, and one had bandages peeking from below the buttoned sleeve. With a slight tilt, he smiled at Minamoto, who took a gulp, meeting his eyes with an uneasy expression. Mitsuba leaned down to place a small peck on his lover's forehead and left, in search of their stash kept in their cupboard and away from prying eyes.

Mitsuba came back with a box and found Minamoto still sitting up on their bed, and his arms held up in the same position he left the exorcist in.

His smile widened into a Cheshire grin at the sight, which sent a shudder down the blonde's spine.

'Good boy,' Mitsuba praised the other as he climbed onto the ruffled bed and on top of Minamoto to tie the wrists to a ring embedded into the wall above the bedrest with a ribbon. The latter looked away when Mitsuba leaned in again, his smile tickling his ear as he continued, 'now, open up to where I can see them.'

Mitsuba patted Minamoto's knees that has knocked together when the red haired got close and coaxed the other to spread them by sliding his fingers down Minamoto's outer thigh, to rest them momentarily over that slender waist before slipping them into his waistband, and a slight tug; his intention clear to Minamoto.

It didn't take long for Minamoto to do as he's told, parting his legs reluctantly, allowing Mitsuba to make short work of his pants and of course, those ridiculous printed boxers of 'traffic safety' omamori that he loves so much. With his intimate part in full view, Mitsuba left out an amused whistle for Minamoto's has lifted its head when Mitsuba had barely touched Minamoto.

'Someone's excited. Is it the ribbon? Do you like being tied up? Oh~ someone's a pervert~'

'Shut up,' Minamoto muttered and hid his face in his arm in embarrassment, as much as he could in whatever limited cover and decency he had left.

'So shy. Like a virgin,' Mitsuba chirped as his fingers wrapped themselves around the hot member, which only required a few pumps to bring it to full mast. His thumb brushed the sensitive tip while his other hand reached down for another item that he needed. The whole time his eyes stayed on the other, who was now biting his dress shirt to avoid any sound from leaving his mouth and with his eyes closed, Minamoto was unaware of what Mitsuba was searching for, preoccupied by the sensation of the strong grip around his member.

The minute pleasure did not last long, a moment after the shuffling sounds stopped, Minamoto felt the coldness of metal pressing into the tip of his sensitive member and his eyes flew open.

'Hah!' Minamoto gasped and groaned at the sudden intrusion as Mitsuba slid a long pin down his leaking hole.

'No…'

He tried to close his legs, to stop Mitsuba from pushing the remaining in but with his hands tied up, his efforts were rather fruitless as the Third Wonder summoned his extra bony appendages to pull those struggling legs apart and bend them to either side of his chest, leaving Minamoto completely open to him. The fight was lost when Mitsuba chose the same exact moment to enter without any preparation. A second thrust, Mitsuba was fully seated inside him, pressing him into the bed frame, the hard wood digging into his back.

Minamoto could do little more as Mitsuba's hands returned to his penis and the pin. He could only sit there, pinned to the bed, rocking to Mitsuba's momentum as the pin too entered him inch by inch, driven in with each thrust, with Mitsuba simply holding them in alignment.

The movement finally came to a halt, stopping momentarily when the pin was completely inserted, Mitsuba probably admiring his work, like the pervert he was, to pick up pace again. He almost hissed when Mitsuba gripped his bandaged arm, probably on purpose. It's rather obvious now Mitsuba has no intention of being gentle despite the tone in his voice.

The pin shifting outwards from the movement would be pushed back in roughly. Mitsuba wanted to cause him pain, evident from how Mitsuba was pulling all the way out and slamming in. The burn was not just because his body was taking something bigger than it should and without lube, but also the piercing coldness seeping into his body where their hips meet, where his knees are held down, where Mitsuba's hands are holding his waist.

Tears began forming under his closed eyelids.

It hurts. It hurt.

Tears that were only supposed to wet his eye lashes, were coming down in beads, wetting his cheeks.

Minamoto did not notice Mitsuba had stopped moving, until he felt him looming over him, untying his wrists and once his tired arms were let down, he curled into himself, shunning Mitsuba's hand who originally wanted to wipe those tears away, to settle on the messy blonde locks.

He reminded Mitsuba of a certain teenager sobbing in front of his mirror so many years ago, Mitsuba guessed he did take things a bit too far when he looked up to see Minamoto was not simply in tears from the pain but sobbing miserably.

His rough treatment was because he's angry but Mitsuba would have to wait for Minamoto to calm down before he could get anything out of him. And he has so many questions.

Why did Minamoto leave for a job without bringing him?

They aren't just life partners but work partners as well!

His pride as a powerful apparition, a ex-Wonder, was wounded when he exited into the house they share to find the pocket mirror, his link to Minamoto left on the study desk.

He could not find Minamoto, could not sense his location with the pocket watch not on the person. Knowing Minamoto and his usual bullshit, Minamoto has deliberately made sure he could not follow. A job that was most likely dangerous to both of them.

His anger blew up as after waiting for the entire day and night, Minamoto came home in bandages which weren't there yesterday, which he attempted to hide under his shirt but Minamoto had forgotten the smell of disinfectant was coming off him in waves.

He is upset Minamoto is an idiot, not trusting his strength and most importantly, trying to shoulder everything on his own.

After all they went through, Minamoto had little faith in him, and he saw the need to give Minamoto a lesson, but Mitsuba's bubbling anger subsided, no longer having the heart to when those tears fell. The last Mitsuba has seen him cry was the man breaking down from the pressure of the Minamoto clan and the despair that he had to choose between the two.

Why couldn't we just live in harmony?

How Minamoto Teru has seen him as a threat to his baby brother, still attempting to separate them because he will always be an apparition that could one day turn on his beloved.

Even Hanako gave him worried looks on their occasional encounter, because unlike Yashiro, Minamoto is a pure, hundred percent human in the flesh and blood.

And considering his history, their concerns are valid to a sane mind.

'Is it Tsukasa?'

'..........'

Minamoto kept mum but along with the way his breath hitched, his silence answered Mitsuba's question.

If it's not the Minamoto clan, it's always about Tsukasa.

From the first day Minamoto reunited with Mitsuba, everything and anything either leads back to Tsukasa or ends up with Tsukasa, and often in a life threatening situation.

And honestly, Mitsuba could not fault Minamoto for how protective he became whenever Tsukasa's name popped up.

It must be traumatizing for Minamoto when Mitsuba Sousuke was changed and killed before his very eyes while he could do nothing. His kind hearted Minamoto had blamed himself and his hopes rekindled by his appearance, to be dashed once more, constantly reminded that he's only a fragment of the original one.

Minamoto would convince himself that Mitsuba was simply just like a amnesic
with his memories lost, since he is technically one part of the original Mitsuba. He is still Mitsuba.

But everyone knows he's just lying to himself, which Tsubasa exploited.

'He was there on today's mission, wasn't he?'

A long pause and a small nod confirmed his speculation.

Minamoto's afraid.

There was a time when Mitsuba was heavily susceptible to Tsukasa. Letting Mitsuba near Tsukasa is dangerous.

Afraid he would be swayed by Tsukasa's sweet talks.

Leaving him behind again, despite the fact that he has proven himself, multiple times, that he has his ways around Tsukasa.

Who was it that allow him, Yashiro and Hanako to escape his realm?

Or that time Minamoto tried to kill his ownself and if he hadn't used his wing to shield him, the human would have ended up as meat mash?

Sometimes, Minamoto just confuses him. He has some sort of blind faith in Mitsuba that he would not harm him. At the same time, he does not trust Mitsuba to be himself.

Pulling the blanket up to cover Minamoto's very naked bottom for it's winter outside and equally cold beside him, he threw it over Minamoto who's still hugging his legs and head buried in his arms. Settling beside the white lump on their bed, Mitsuba let himself slip sideway, his weight pressing full into his personal art piece.

Guess there's still work to be done till he could convince Minamoto completely.

Chapter Text

Sometime during the twilight, Minamoto's blond locks emerged from beneath the blanket. Well, he had to before he suffocated and his body, whacked from the mission in the day and whatever Mitsuba tried to do, Minamoto extended his legs and lowered himself into a more comfortable position.

Keeping his eyes partially hidden under the edges of the wool, it was enough to know that Mitsuba was still awake while sparing himself from Mitsuba's imploring eyes. He let out a grunt when Mitsuba also shifted after he did, immediately throwing himself onto Minamoto, limbs wrapped around his sore body, effectively trapping him under a blanket under a apparition, which was honestly not light.

However, it was a comfortable weight as he snuggled in closer. Burying deeper into the sheets, he closed his eyes for some much needed rest. Around him was a mixture of scent, the smell of detergent and the sun, seeping in was Mitsuba's cologne which was weaker today, which usually was another assault at his sensory, but tonight gentle, both comforting and alluring. And eventually, he did fall asleep despite the events from the day.

When he woke up, it was dark in their room. The shades were tightly drawn and the only clue to it being day was the minimal sunlight on the ceiling.

By the color, a deep orange paired with the lazy cawing of the residential raven, it's probably late afternoon. He had slept through most of the day.

Other than the shade of the sky, nothing else has changed much. He's still on his side of the bed, blanket tugged up to his neck. Rubbing his arm where Tsukasa has stabbed him, he curled into Mitsuba, who's still wrapped around him. It seemed like Mitsuba intend to keep him to the bed today. Not that he would fight his decision as his body ached, not wanting to move either.

Tell you what, when you die, I will make another offer to Mitsuba to turn you into a supernatural and you two will be together forever. HAHAHA!

Nosing into Mitsuba's chest, he noted Mitsuba's wearing a new scent, even softer, musky like baby powder.

He thought he wouldn't be able to sleep as Tsukasa's laugh and words crept into the space.

Chapter Text

Kou thought he wouldn't be able to sleep for a good while, but in reality, he didn't have to worry about sleeping at all.

For the next couple of days, he was bed ridden with a climbing fever, nothing delirious, just really tired. Slipping in and out of slumber, before Mitsuba realized it's the wound. The wounds that were under the shirt when Mitsuba was changing Kou out of his sweat sodden shirt from a fever that wouldn't break.

In his hurry to get home, in hopes of avoiding Mitsuba's wrath, Kou didn’t clean his wound as thoroughly as he thought he did, resulting in a pus oozing wound.

And so for a whole week, Kou was nursing not just a stab wound but an infected one. And by nursing, it was Mitsuba mainly doing the 'nursing', fetching water, cooking simple porridge and letting Kou use his arm as a iced pillow.

Unlike them, when there's a hole in their chest now and later, hole's all gone, there's no miracle cure for a human that quick. They would have to wait for the body to heal itself, gradually through the ache and the heat.

It was a good thing that Kou always keep a collection of medicines, bandages and solution, for other than it being a common occurence for him, Kou didn’t want his Teru Nii to show up and possibly stab Mitsuba. As Teru Nii once almost did, Kou came home, finding his living room looking like a hurricane passed through, and in the center of it all, The Terror named Minamoto Teru was helping himself to a cup of tea, while Mitsuba, all teary eyed, was being trapped inside a cage; one made of flowing electricity and so small, that if Mitsuba moved as much as 1cm, he would be zapped. And Teru Nii did all that just to pass him meatballs made by Tiara.

Ever since, Mitsuba flinched each time the doorbell rang, and he did when their loud doorbell sounded as he placed a new Koolfever on Kou's forehead.

After a second rang, he mustered up the courage to check the intercom, as Kou was too far gone in Lala land to help put him out of his misery. Mitsuba let out a sign of relief when it was their favorite Nene Senpai shown on the screen, and he's a ghost, he didn't even need to breathe!

Unlocking the door, he let their senpai in, whom he welcomed in, along with a much needed pot of chicken soup. Yashiro has assumed that Kou would need it and she wasn't wrong, it was more nutritious than porridge could offer.

'He's looking better than I thought he would be,' said Yashiro as she exited from Kou's room after a quick check on him.

'Yeah,' Mitsuba agreed. At least, Kou didn't shiver coming out of a bath, while just yesterday he was shuddering the moment he stepped out of shower like he dipped in some frozen water from a lake or something.

'I brought some more antibiotics cream. Try changing the bandage one more time later. And tomorrow, I will bring more soup too,' Yashiro instructed as she unpacked.

She was interrupted when the doorbell rang again and Mitsuba immediately hid behind her. Is it Burakon? Caught wind of Kou being sick?

'Hai~'

Mitsuba almost screeched in terror when Yashiro straight out answered the door without checking the intercom.

Luckily for him, he escaped electrocution by the hands of an insane, overly protective Minamoto Teru as it was only a delivery, a small box which Yashiro brought in.

On it, 'Mitsuba Sousuke' as the receiver and in it, a bottle of perfume, one very familiar looking perfume…

'Oh, I have this one too. Mitsuba kun, so you like a fruity scent, like me.'

Mitsuba paused for a moment before replying, 'yeah, like a fruit tart. You know, like those fruit tarts that Kou makes. It's sweet, like aromatherapy.'

'Oh,' Yashiro exclaimed again at the mention of said fruit tarts, 'they were so good. How is Kou so good at cooking? I tried making them but they always turned out dry. And I still can't make donuts for Hanako the way Kou did. Mitsuba kun, you are so lucky, you get to eat them everyday.'

'Uh-huh.' Mitsuba hummed as he took the bottle and floated back to their room, to place it beside the array of cologne on their dressing table, which were all his, bought by Kou for him.

The first bottle was a gift that Kou bought because he accompanied a colleague to help her choose cologne for her boyfriend and thought Mitsuba would like one too because of one reason–he seemed the type because he dressed up.

Then, more joined it as Kou bought more each year. Kou looked so happy when he took it, and eyes full of anticipation when he sprayed and said he liked it.

Mitsuba couldn't say anything else but lied.

He lied it's aromatherapy much like Hanako saying he likes handmade donuts.

Mitsuba couldn't tell Kou or Yashiro the truth.

That the dead cannot smell or taste anything.