The Butterfly's Return - Ch. 7 (Epilogue)
This is it, the last little segment of this staggeringly long fic! I never imagined it would turn out this long, I just started out writing and ended up with nearly 20,000 words (*le gasp*)- that's very nearly three times the length of my previous fic. Don't think I'll be doing this again for a while, but it was great fun to write! Hope you've enjoyed it! :D
Chapter 6 is over here!
It was approaching ten thirty when they finally returned to their rooms at 221B Baker Street, the stars that might have been gleaming in the sky masked by a combination of smog, cloud and light pollution. It was a chilly night, much like the morning that seemed so long ago, and rain had begun to fall as they left Sakura’s apartment, slow at first but then hammering down like it hadn’t rained in months, droplets bouncing heavily off the pavements and roads. They were drenched as they got out, even though it was only a few steps to the front door, and Kurogane almost wanted to strangle the sleuth as he dug awkwardly through his pockets for the key.
Couldn’t you have gotten it out in the taxi, idiot? I just managed to get dry again! I’m going to be shivering for the next three days at this rate, and don’t think I won’t make you suffer for that! Damn it, why did I leave my key on the table when we left?
Mercifully, he found it and turned the lock moments later, both of them rushing inside and shutting out the awful weather. The place was dark except for the small lamp on a table near the door. They dripped all across the hall and up the stairs, but Kurogane really couldn’t give a damn what Mrs Hibiya would think right now. Being courteous to their landlady was pretty low on his list of priorities compared to his pressing need to get out of the clothes now clinging uncomfortably to his skin. Again.
They reached the top of the first flight of stairs, facing the open door leading into the living room and study. It was mostly dark inside, light from a streetlamp streaming weakly through a gap in the closed curtains the only illumination. The sleuth looked like he was heading for there first, so Kurogane decided to rush upstairs for the blissful warmth of a hot shower (unclothed this time) before the blonde could decide otherwise.
He froze on the second step, however, when Fai’s attempt to flick on the light in the study was met with a cold instruction of “Don’t turn on the light”, accompanied dangerously by a click that could only be from a firearm.
Goddamn it. I let my guard down too easily...
“And put both of your hands in the air and turn around, Dr. Suwa.” The mysterious voice commanded, stopping Kurogane’s attempt to reach his own gun, still stashed in his waistband. He did as he was told, descending the stairs to stand by the blonde, who was squinting at the armchair that faced the door. Kurogane did the same, and could just make out a figure seated, right arm extended and confirming his suspicions. It was faint, but light reflected off of the end of the barrel, currently trained on his companion; it wavered between the two of them as he drew level with the smaller man.
“Why are you in the dark? It doesn’t take my intellect to know who you are, Fei-Wang Reed’s most trusted assistant. Mr. Rondart, was it? I must say, your organisation’s structure isn’t all that secret...”
The man in the chair showed no reaction, and simply replied, “It matters not that you know my identity. Just know this. I came here to deliver a message on behalf of my employer.”
“You mean you came here to threaten us?” Kurogane growled back at him.
“Ah, Dr. Suwa, ever the hot-headed sidekick. Do try to restrain your pet, Mr Fluorite; I can’t be responsible for any slips of my finger if he decides to pounce.”
Kurogane swore at him in response, all his willpower focused on not losing his temper and proving the bastard’s point. You’d better keep hiding behind that gun, he raged internally, hoping his eyes could relay his thoughts, because otherwise I can’t guarantee your life...
“Say what you mean to and then kindly leave,” Fai stated matter-of-factly, yawning a little. “We’ve had a long day, and I’d like to finish up my experiment in the kitchen before retiring.”
The lack of intimidation likely bothered the mobster, since the air in the room suddenly grew a lot more chilly, tension rising enough that Kurogane thought he could actually physically feel it. The shadowy figure stood, his growing proximity causing the adrenaline coursing through Kurogane’s body to increase, and stalked over to them, weapon held steady. He appeared to be built similarly to the mage, tall and stick-like; if he didn’t have the gun, Kurogane suspected he might be able to snap the man like a twig.
“’I’d like to point out the possible side effects of tangling with me, gentlemen.’ My boss told me to inform you. ‘You’ve caught the culprit of the murders, so there’s no need to do any further investigation; the case is completely done and dusted. I have a great many friends in the underworld, Mr Fluorite, many whom would love to see if your insides look the same as everyone else’s, so let this be my advice to you: stay away from my business interests in the future.’”
With his piece delivered, the shadowy man moved to pass them and descend the stairs. As he reached level with them, however, Fai’s hand shot out, gripping the tall man by the shoulder. Kurogane, eyes now adjusted to the gloom, saw a flash of something dangerous gleaming in the gangster’s gaze for a moment, hidden partially by small lenses. Then it was gone, replaced by the icy coolness he had demonstrated earlier, an impenetrable wall hiding all emotion. The hand that had almost fired on instinct was lowered, finger loosening on the trigger. Kurogane let out a breath that he hadn’t realised he had been holding.
“You almost left without giving me a chance to reply,” the consulting detective said calmly, hand still on the man’s shoulder. “You gave me a piece of advice, sir, so I think it’s only courteous that I return the favour. Tell your master this: if any of my future investigations provide evidence indicating your involvement, it will not end well.” His grip tightened on the shoulder, the smile on his face emphasising the wicked gleam in his eyes. This one was dangerous too, Kurogane reminded himself. “At that time, I will do everything in my power to bring you down. Better men have tried to take me out, Mr Reed, and none have yet succeeded. You have been warned.”
He released the man, who quickly snatched away his body and started forwards, only to be stopped again as Kurogane grasped him by the wrist holding the gun. He turned to face the doctor, whose face was very close to his as he growled his own warning.
“Stay away from the girl,” the large man threatened, red eyes speaking of the blood to be spilled if his warning went ignored. “If I find out any of you bastards have been near her from now, don’t expect that little toy to protect you.” He gave the wrist an extra-hard squeeze just to emphasise his point, then stalked away up the stairs to the shower. The mobster left as quickly and quietly as possible, unable to think of any final insults as he fled.
*
Kurogane entered the living room again, now fully lit by the bulbs overhead, heading straight for the sofa on the far right. He could still hear the storm raging outside, wind beating raindrops against the windows in a rapid rhythm. He flopped down, slouching as he sank into the cushions, glad that he had changed into a comfy (and dry) pair of jogging bottoms and a baggy T-shirt. His uninjured hand came up to the back of his head, lightly grasping the spikes there. The headache he had felt coming on after the mobster left had never fully emerged, and the hot shower had done something towards helping it stay that way. It was merely a very dull throbbing now, mostly overshadowed by the fatigue spreading through his muscles. It had been a very long day, and the surprise visit had only increased his exhaustion now that the adrenaline had drained away. He’d get something to eat in a second, since it had been a long while and his stomach was protesting, then he would go to bed and hope for uninterrupted sleep. Now the only problem was gathering the motivation to move.
“Nice shower, Kuro-doctor?” His flatmate called from the kitchen, out of sight.
“Well deserved, I think. It’s been a hectic case, and all in one day.”
“Yeah,” Fai agreed, stepping into his line of sight. He had taken off his coat, which lay draped over the back of one of the armchairs, but it had been partially open when they had arrived. The shirt he wore had been soaked at the top, his hair still adding to the damage, and the fabric clung to his chest, revealing the dips and curves of wiry muscles.
“It’s been a bizarre one, though,” Kurogane continued, attempting to distract his brain from heading somewhere he didn’t really want to know about. “What started out as a weird string of murders ended up being a ploy to get the inheritance of an innocent girl for a pissed off mobster. It’s better than anything I could’ve read in a book.”
“Ah, Kuro-fiction,” the sleuth said, moving towards him (no, that’s really not necessary- we can talk across the room to each other) “You should know by now that life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent.”
The blonde came to a stop in front of him, and suddenly his torso was so close that it obscured the majority of his field of vision, meaning his eyes snapped right back to examining the lines of his body beneath the near-transparent shirt.
“You know,” Fai said suddenly, and Kurogane quickly moved his eyes to the man’s face for fear that he’d been caught staring, “something’s been bothering me all day about you.”
Crap- he did see me staring! What is wrong with me today? Why do I suddenly find him attra-
nonono you did not just think that! Maybe the headache is getting to me? He’s not going to let this go, is he? I’ll never live it down!
“You see, Kuro-strange, I’ve noticed certain signs that point towards a certain conclusion. For example...” His fingers came up to brush against his cheek, and Kurogane had no way of escaping with the man looming over him like that. What was worse was that his cheeks had begun to burn wherever those fingers touched, and he was quickly starting to turn towards a shade reminiscent of the two teenagers earlier.
“See, your face is quite hot, Kuro-furnace,” he said, hand trailing down his neck and over his collarbone. He (goddamn it) shivered involuntarily at this, trying to keep as still as possible until the blonde decided he was finished trying to figure Kurogane out. He thought he saw a small flicker of a smile from the blonde at his reaction, but it might have been his imagination.
“You’re cold, sleuth,” Kurogane blurted out, quickly covering for himself, “and you’re dripping all over me!” He brought his own hand up to the blonde’s hair to demonstrate, which was doing a good job of wetting him all over again, and squeezed a handful of golden mess in his hands. It was a mistake, he realised, since now he didn’t really know if he wanted to let go of it. He quickly dropped his hand before he did anything he might regret.
“That may be so, Kuro-dry,” Fai countered, hand descending further, “but I don’t think that accounts for how quickly this is beating...” His palm came to rest on his chest, damp fingers stilling to feel his heart pumping far too rapidly.
“Well, I did just have a hot shower, which is also why I’m still warm.” He explained, attempting to keep his voice steady. Water had seeped through his shirt at the point of contact, and he had to stop his breathing altogether to prevent any embarrassing noises escaping as that palm rubbed against a nipple. To his great horror, he realised it was hardening, along with other (much more obvious) parts of his body, straining to meet the fingertips that dragged across it. He almost leant forwards as they left his body, returning to rest at their owner’s side, but restrained himself. He had no idea what was going on, only that this could only be some terrible new way for the blonde to torment him.
At least he had retreated, for now. It’ll give me some time to work out what the hell is happening in my head.
Or so he thought, but the blonde was coming closer instead of leaving, leaning over him with his hands on either side of Kurogane’s head, boxing him in and demanding his full attention.
“You should probably get a shower, sleuth, before you catch hypothermia.” It was an absolute last-ditch attempt to rid himself of the most awkward situation he’d ever been in.
“This is more important,” Fai replied softly, azure catching onto crimson and holding him there, frozen, as he revealed his line of thought. “You see, all of these things indicate something very particular, especially when combined with one last piece of evidence...”
Before Kurogane could move or stop him, the smaller man had brought up his knee onto the sofa, planting it between his legs and leaning forwards slightly. The leg pressed lightly against his groin, but it was enough to make him hiss and grab the front of the blonde’s shirt, fingers scrunching into the wet fabric.
“W-What the hell do you think you’re d-doing, sleuth?” He demanded, struggling to maintain his composure. The knee was still creating a pressure against him, and he could feel himself start to push back against it.
“Just confirming my deductions,” Fai smirked, leaning down further into Kurogane’s space, one hand coming up to run through his hair. The change in position increased the pressure on his lower half, and he gasped before he could help himself, fingers twitching against the blonde’s chest. He knew he was bright red now, and probably made up a lascivious picture with the blonde leaning into him like this; he hoped Mrs Hibiya was already asleep. Heat was thundering through him right now, mostly concentrated at the point where that knee refused to move, and he knew that there was no way he was getting out of this.
“If I’m not mistaken, I’d deduce that you find me attractive...” The smaller man whispered against his ear, drawing his face back to hover before Kurogane’s. The blonde was close now in a way that he hadn’t been earlier in the day, that smirk growing by the second, but thoughts of revenge were halted when he caught the look in those eyes.
A smouldering fire of barely restrained lust stared back at him.
He suddenly reassessed everything that the man was doing. Sure, he thought it was a little too far for a joke, but he had never considered the possibility that the blonde was serious about this. And his deduction was right, Kurogane realised with startling clarity; why else would he be responding this way to another man, particularly this annoyance of one?
“Are you sure about that, Mr. Consulting Detective?” He growled in reply, dragging his hands down the blonde’s torso to rest on his hip bones, and earning a delightful shudder from the other man.
Fai responded by shuffling onto Kurogane’s lap properly, knees resting on either side of the doctor’s thighs. He rolled his hips slowly against the larger man’s groin, revealing his own growing arousal, causing a low growl and a tightening of the fingers grasping at his hips.
“I’m not stupid, Kuro-obvious...” The blonde man whispered against those lips.
“You’ll always be an idiot to me, sleuth.” Kurogane growled back, exhaustion and desire to stay dry forgotten as he crushed their bodies together, finally closing the distance between them with an insistent kiss.
~~~The End~~~
Chapter 6 is over here!
It was approaching ten thirty when they finally returned to their rooms at 221B Baker Street, the stars that might have been gleaming in the sky masked by a combination of smog, cloud and light pollution. It was a chilly night, much like the morning that seemed so long ago, and rain had begun to fall as they left Sakura’s apartment, slow at first but then hammering down like it hadn’t rained in months, droplets bouncing heavily off the pavements and roads. They were drenched as they got out, even though it was only a few steps to the front door, and Kurogane almost wanted to strangle the sleuth as he dug awkwardly through his pockets for the key.
Couldn’t you have gotten it out in the taxi, idiot? I just managed to get dry again! I’m going to be shivering for the next three days at this rate, and don’t think I won’t make you suffer for that! Damn it, why did I leave my key on the table when we left?
Mercifully, he found it and turned the lock moments later, both of them rushing inside and shutting out the awful weather. The place was dark except for the small lamp on a table near the door. They dripped all across the hall and up the stairs, but Kurogane really couldn’t give a damn what Mrs Hibiya would think right now. Being courteous to their landlady was pretty low on his list of priorities compared to his pressing need to get out of the clothes now clinging uncomfortably to his skin. Again.
They reached the top of the first flight of stairs, facing the open door leading into the living room and study. It was mostly dark inside, light from a streetlamp streaming weakly through a gap in the closed curtains the only illumination. The sleuth looked like he was heading for there first, so Kurogane decided to rush upstairs for the blissful warmth of a hot shower (unclothed this time) before the blonde could decide otherwise.
He froze on the second step, however, when Fai’s attempt to flick on the light in the study was met with a cold instruction of “Don’t turn on the light”, accompanied dangerously by a click that could only be from a firearm.
Goddamn it. I let my guard down too easily...
“And put both of your hands in the air and turn around, Dr. Suwa.” The mysterious voice commanded, stopping Kurogane’s attempt to reach his own gun, still stashed in his waistband. He did as he was told, descending the stairs to stand by the blonde, who was squinting at the armchair that faced the door. Kurogane did the same, and could just make out a figure seated, right arm extended and confirming his suspicions. It was faint, but light reflected off of the end of the barrel, currently trained on his companion; it wavered between the two of them as he drew level with the smaller man.
“Why are you in the dark? It doesn’t take my intellect to know who you are, Fei-Wang Reed’s most trusted assistant. Mr. Rondart, was it? I must say, your organisation’s structure isn’t all that secret...”
The man in the chair showed no reaction, and simply replied, “It matters not that you know my identity. Just know this. I came here to deliver a message on behalf of my employer.”
“You mean you came here to threaten us?” Kurogane growled back at him.
“Ah, Dr. Suwa, ever the hot-headed sidekick. Do try to restrain your pet, Mr Fluorite; I can’t be responsible for any slips of my finger if he decides to pounce.”
Kurogane swore at him in response, all his willpower focused on not losing his temper and proving the bastard’s point. You’d better keep hiding behind that gun, he raged internally, hoping his eyes could relay his thoughts, because otherwise I can’t guarantee your life...
“Say what you mean to and then kindly leave,” Fai stated matter-of-factly, yawning a little. “We’ve had a long day, and I’d like to finish up my experiment in the kitchen before retiring.”
The lack of intimidation likely bothered the mobster, since the air in the room suddenly grew a lot more chilly, tension rising enough that Kurogane thought he could actually physically feel it. The shadowy figure stood, his growing proximity causing the adrenaline coursing through Kurogane’s body to increase, and stalked over to them, weapon held steady. He appeared to be built similarly to the mage, tall and stick-like; if he didn’t have the gun, Kurogane suspected he might be able to snap the man like a twig.
“’I’d like to point out the possible side effects of tangling with me, gentlemen.’ My boss told me to inform you. ‘You’ve caught the culprit of the murders, so there’s no need to do any further investigation; the case is completely done and dusted. I have a great many friends in the underworld, Mr Fluorite, many whom would love to see if your insides look the same as everyone else’s, so let this be my advice to you: stay away from my business interests in the future.’”
With his piece delivered, the shadowy man moved to pass them and descend the stairs. As he reached level with them, however, Fai’s hand shot out, gripping the tall man by the shoulder. Kurogane, eyes now adjusted to the gloom, saw a flash of something dangerous gleaming in the gangster’s gaze for a moment, hidden partially by small lenses. Then it was gone, replaced by the icy coolness he had demonstrated earlier, an impenetrable wall hiding all emotion. The hand that had almost fired on instinct was lowered, finger loosening on the trigger. Kurogane let out a breath that he hadn’t realised he had been holding.
“You almost left without giving me a chance to reply,” the consulting detective said calmly, hand still on the man’s shoulder. “You gave me a piece of advice, sir, so I think it’s only courteous that I return the favour. Tell your master this: if any of my future investigations provide evidence indicating your involvement, it will not end well.” His grip tightened on the shoulder, the smile on his face emphasising the wicked gleam in his eyes. This one was dangerous too, Kurogane reminded himself. “At that time, I will do everything in my power to bring you down. Better men have tried to take me out, Mr Reed, and none have yet succeeded. You have been warned.”
He released the man, who quickly snatched away his body and started forwards, only to be stopped again as Kurogane grasped him by the wrist holding the gun. He turned to face the doctor, whose face was very close to his as he growled his own warning.
“Stay away from the girl,” the large man threatened, red eyes speaking of the blood to be spilled if his warning went ignored. “If I find out any of you bastards have been near her from now, don’t expect that little toy to protect you.” He gave the wrist an extra-hard squeeze just to emphasise his point, then stalked away up the stairs to the shower. The mobster left as quickly and quietly as possible, unable to think of any final insults as he fled.
*
Kurogane entered the living room again, now fully lit by the bulbs overhead, heading straight for the sofa on the far right. He could still hear the storm raging outside, wind beating raindrops against the windows in a rapid rhythm. He flopped down, slouching as he sank into the cushions, glad that he had changed into a comfy (and dry) pair of jogging bottoms and a baggy T-shirt. His uninjured hand came up to the back of his head, lightly grasping the spikes there. The headache he had felt coming on after the mobster left had never fully emerged, and the hot shower had done something towards helping it stay that way. It was merely a very dull throbbing now, mostly overshadowed by the fatigue spreading through his muscles. It had been a very long day, and the surprise visit had only increased his exhaustion now that the adrenaline had drained away. He’d get something to eat in a second, since it had been a long while and his stomach was protesting, then he would go to bed and hope for uninterrupted sleep. Now the only problem was gathering the motivation to move.
“Nice shower, Kuro-doctor?” His flatmate called from the kitchen, out of sight.
“Well deserved, I think. It’s been a hectic case, and all in one day.”
“Yeah,” Fai agreed, stepping into his line of sight. He had taken off his coat, which lay draped over the back of one of the armchairs, but it had been partially open when they had arrived. The shirt he wore had been soaked at the top, his hair still adding to the damage, and the fabric clung to his chest, revealing the dips and curves of wiry muscles.
“It’s been a bizarre one, though,” Kurogane continued, attempting to distract his brain from heading somewhere he didn’t really want to know about. “What started out as a weird string of murders ended up being a ploy to get the inheritance of an innocent girl for a pissed off mobster. It’s better than anything I could’ve read in a book.”
“Ah, Kuro-fiction,” the sleuth said, moving towards him (no, that’s really not necessary- we can talk across the room to each other) “You should know by now that life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent.”
The blonde came to a stop in front of him, and suddenly his torso was so close that it obscured the majority of his field of vision, meaning his eyes snapped right back to examining the lines of his body beneath the near-transparent shirt.
“You know,” Fai said suddenly, and Kurogane quickly moved his eyes to the man’s face for fear that he’d been caught staring, “something’s been bothering me all day about you.”
Crap- he did see me staring! What is wrong with me today? Why do I suddenly find him attra-
nonono you did not just think that! Maybe the headache is getting to me? He’s not going to let this go, is he? I’ll never live it down!
“You see, Kuro-strange, I’ve noticed certain signs that point towards a certain conclusion. For example...” His fingers came up to brush against his cheek, and Kurogane had no way of escaping with the man looming over him like that. What was worse was that his cheeks had begun to burn wherever those fingers touched, and he was quickly starting to turn towards a shade reminiscent of the two teenagers earlier.
“See, your face is quite hot, Kuro-furnace,” he said, hand trailing down his neck and over his collarbone. He (goddamn it) shivered involuntarily at this, trying to keep as still as possible until the blonde decided he was finished trying to figure Kurogane out. He thought he saw a small flicker of a smile from the blonde at his reaction, but it might have been his imagination.
“You’re cold, sleuth,” Kurogane blurted out, quickly covering for himself, “and you’re dripping all over me!” He brought his own hand up to the blonde’s hair to demonstrate, which was doing a good job of wetting him all over again, and squeezed a handful of golden mess in his hands. It was a mistake, he realised, since now he didn’t really know if he wanted to let go of it. He quickly dropped his hand before he did anything he might regret.
“That may be so, Kuro-dry,” Fai countered, hand descending further, “but I don’t think that accounts for how quickly this is beating...” His palm came to rest on his chest, damp fingers stilling to feel his heart pumping far too rapidly.
“Well, I did just have a hot shower, which is also why I’m still warm.” He explained, attempting to keep his voice steady. Water had seeped through his shirt at the point of contact, and he had to stop his breathing altogether to prevent any embarrassing noises escaping as that palm rubbed against a nipple. To his great horror, he realised it was hardening, along with other (much more obvious) parts of his body, straining to meet the fingertips that dragged across it. He almost leant forwards as they left his body, returning to rest at their owner’s side, but restrained himself. He had no idea what was going on, only that this could only be some terrible new way for the blonde to torment him.
At least he had retreated, for now. It’ll give me some time to work out what the hell is happening in my head.
Or so he thought, but the blonde was coming closer instead of leaving, leaning over him with his hands on either side of Kurogane’s head, boxing him in and demanding his full attention.
“You should probably get a shower, sleuth, before you catch hypothermia.” It was an absolute last-ditch attempt to rid himself of the most awkward situation he’d ever been in.
“This is more important,” Fai replied softly, azure catching onto crimson and holding him there, frozen, as he revealed his line of thought. “You see, all of these things indicate something very particular, especially when combined with one last piece of evidence...”
Before Kurogane could move or stop him, the smaller man had brought up his knee onto the sofa, planting it between his legs and leaning forwards slightly. The leg pressed lightly against his groin, but it was enough to make him hiss and grab the front of the blonde’s shirt, fingers scrunching into the wet fabric.
“W-What the hell do you think you’re d-doing, sleuth?” He demanded, struggling to maintain his composure. The knee was still creating a pressure against him, and he could feel himself start to push back against it.
“Just confirming my deductions,” Fai smirked, leaning down further into Kurogane’s space, one hand coming up to run through his hair. The change in position increased the pressure on his lower half, and he gasped before he could help himself, fingers twitching against the blonde’s chest. He knew he was bright red now, and probably made up a lascivious picture with the blonde leaning into him like this; he hoped Mrs Hibiya was already asleep. Heat was thundering through him right now, mostly concentrated at the point where that knee refused to move, and he knew that there was no way he was getting out of this.
“If I’m not mistaken, I’d deduce that you find me attractive...” The smaller man whispered against his ear, drawing his face back to hover before Kurogane’s. The blonde was close now in a way that he hadn’t been earlier in the day, that smirk growing by the second, but thoughts of revenge were halted when he caught the look in those eyes.
A smouldering fire of barely restrained lust stared back at him.
He suddenly reassessed everything that the man was doing. Sure, he thought it was a little too far for a joke, but he had never considered the possibility that the blonde was serious about this. And his deduction was right, Kurogane realised with startling clarity; why else would he be responding this way to another man, particularly this annoyance of one?
“Are you sure about that, Mr. Consulting Detective?” He growled in reply, dragging his hands down the blonde’s torso to rest on his hip bones, and earning a delightful shudder from the other man.
Fai responded by shuffling onto Kurogane’s lap properly, knees resting on either side of the doctor’s thighs. He rolled his hips slowly against the larger man’s groin, revealing his own growing arousal, causing a low growl and a tightening of the fingers grasping at his hips.
“I’m not stupid, Kuro-obvious...” The blonde man whispered against those lips.
“You’ll always be an idiot to me, sleuth.” Kurogane growled back, exhaustion and desire to stay dry forgotten as he crushed their bodies together, finally closing the distance between them with an insistent kiss.
~~~The End~~~