Tangled Up Like Branches (In a Flood)

Word Count: >7K Relevant tags: transgender male character, stealth transgender character, anal fingering, anal sex, loss of virginity

The night was cold. In the dead of winter, you just wanted to stay home, wrap yourself up in furs and blankets, and sit as close to a heater as you could. This kind of cold made you think of empty endless gray skies, of being alone in a bed too big for one body, of doing desperate, silly things just to get your hands to stop shaking.

Silly, desperate things like going to a party of mostly strangers just to stand on the edge of the room and sip your drink alone.

Karin took another sip of his drink. It wasn’t strong enough to get him drunk, but it was enough to take the edge off the noisy atmosphere around him. He breathed in deep through his nose and forced some of the tension out of his shoulders. He was half-paying attention to the conversation he’d been roped into. He didn’t know any of the other players, and lacked context that made this story funny. Still, he laughed when everyone else did, and ignored the prickling feeling at the back of his neck.

He was being watched.

Hardly surprising. Being Black, being tall, being pretty…he was used to getting stared at, and since moving to Japan, all eyes tended to follow him. He stood out everywhere he went, and that tended to attract trouble.

This was different though.

He lifted his eyes from his drink. Blue met blue-and-orange, and a visible shiver went through one of them.

The other man had been watching him almost the whole night. At first, it had been the usual stare: curiosity, mostly, though the man had a furrow to his brow that suggested a hint of aggression. Also not really that unusual. But then…then Karin had met his gaze for the first time, and watched that pretty blush spread across his face. Their eyes met and the man choked on his drink and stumbled over his words, and looked away as if hoping Karin didn’t notice. The second time it happened, Karin knew that this wasn’t just curiosity, wasn’t just aggression, wasn’t just the spectacle of a foreigner.

Being wanted wasn't as common, but Karin knew it when he saw it.

He was more than happy to return those types of stares.

The man was quite good-looking himself. A sharp jaw, a pretty aristocratic face, and the posture of a man who felt extremely out of place and was trying very hard to hide it. Straight black hair framed his face like a painting, though Karin caught him multiple times trying to keep one side tucked away. Dark blue eyes, far darker than Karin’s own, watched the crowd from behind a pair of rectangular glasses very similar to Karin’s own, though they seemed to fit poorly as often as the man fiddled with them. He was wearing all white, a tailored and smart suit that in this more casual crowd was already enough to draw the eye.

It had been a few hours since they'd first caught each other's eye, and Karin was starting to enjoy the game. The first time he'd given the man a full, purposeful once-over, he'd thought he was either going to combust on the spot or march across the room. Instead, he’d recovered himself and deliberately looked over Karin as well, ending with what could only be described as a challenging glare.

Since then, it had been a constant game, one of them making the conscious choice to meet eyes, and holding it as long as they could. They'd come close enough at one point to overhear each other's conversations, and Karin had even overheard the man's name: Uryū. They were here with different people and separated by several degrees of acquaintances, so much so that being introduced by mutual friends wasn't likely. Even so, Karin was sure they would meet by the end of the night.

At this point, Karin hoped Uryū was at the end of his patience. He certainly was, but he didn't want to spook him by being aggressive. As the bigger, darker man, it had happened all too often that he was perceived as being more forward than he was.

For now, he was content to sip his drink and pretend to know the names in the stories he was laughing at.

Finally, their orbits around the room collided.

Karin had moved to a window to get some cool air and to ease the growing overstimulation, and Uryū seemed to have the same idea. For a few minutes, they just stood beside each other, staring out into the snow-covered streets.

Karin was surprised that the other man spoke first, after only a few minutes of silence.

"I don't believe we've been introduced," he began, and then made a motion that looked suspiciously like he was going to push his glasses up, and remembered too late he was holding a drink. He only ended up bumping it a little too hard against his mouth. He had a look Karin was familiar with: he was realizing now that he was standing right next to him that Karin was very tall. There was probably a foot of difference between them, and while he didn’t seem intimidated by that, he definitely noticed. There was a familiar flush to his cheeks as his eyes dragged over Karin’s chest and shoulders, and finally to his face towering above.

Karin tried, and failed, not to be instantly charmed.

"I don't believe we have," he agreed. He turned to give him his full attention, and leaned back against the wall to try and minimize the height difference. "My name is Karin…and I'm guessing you're one of Ichigo's friends."

It was a guess, but evidently a good one. Uryū perked up, but there was a hint of wariness. Maybe “friend” wasn’t the right word.

“Something like that,” he said. "Do you know Ichigo?"

Karin shrugged. "Vaguely. He is a friend of my grandmother's coworker, but we’ve never met." He lifted his drink slowly. “I’m here for the food.”

"I see. My name is Uryū Ishida." He was very formal, but not in the same way that Karin was. There was a stiffness to him, like he was waiting for something to come along and shatter that composure.

Karin would happily oblige, given the opportunity. "How are you enjoying yourself, Uryū?" he asked.

"This is…not quite my scene, but my friends are here." He shot a quick look back over to the eccentric group that was gathered around Ichigo. "And yourself?"

Karin gestured towards their only friend here. "A friend of a friend invited me, and I had nothing better to do." He took a sip of his drink, holding Uryū's gaze. "Cold nights like this are better with someone to keep you warm, don't you agree?"

The implication wasn't lost, and Uryū responded with grace…after a few stunned seconds of silence.

"It is rather cold," he agreed, and turned to look out the window.

It was comfortable to slide into a shallow, pleasant conversation. Uryū revealed he was Ichigo's former classmate, a much closer relationship than Karin being the relative of a friend of a friend.

"I don't know even what we're celebrating," Karin admitted in a conspiratorial whisper, "but I'm getting in the habit of always taking advantage of good company."

"A good habit,” Uryū said.

"Whose company are you keeping, when this is over?" Karin asked.

Uryū wore his surprise openly, responding with a flustered, "I don't know what you mean."

Karin blinked. This was the moment of truth. "Well…I assumed a man as pretty as you would have someone to keep his winter nights warm," he said plainly. “And if not, I was hoping to fill that spot myself.”

Uryū turned a shade of red that was almost concerning. He choked on air and made to push his glasses up again. This time, the rim of his drink collided with the bridge of his nose, splashing liquid all over his face and making a very uncomfortable crack! sound against his nose. He let out a noise not unlike a squeaky toy being stepped on, and nearly fell over.

"Oh goodness…is your nose bleeding?" Karin grabbed him by the shoulders, trying to keep him from making things worse. “Oh, here…”

They were attracting a lot of attention as Uryū began to flail and rub at his face. Karin tried to calm him down, pulling his drink out of his hands and using his sleeve to try and stop the bleeding.

"Don't rub it in, tilt your head back…c'mon, we'll get you cleaned up."

Karin corralled Uryū to the nearest bathroom. He sat him down on the counter, found a non-white towel, and began to carefully wash the blood off of his face. Uryū stopped squirming once he realized Karin wasn't doing anything untoward or harmful, and instead stiffened up like a board. Karin ignored the somewhat dazzled look on the man's face as he gently wiped his face clean, holding him easily in place with one hand.

It took only a few moments to stop the bleeding and get him cleaned up.

"There…all better…" he said finally, and sat back to make sure he hadn't missed anything. “I tried to keep your clothes from getting any blood on them…there is a little on your sleeve, though.” He dabbed at the sleeve, trying to blot it without making it smear all over. “If there’s some salt, though, I can get this out real quick.”

Without his glasses, Uryū looked a lot more vulnerable. That might have something to do with the way he was rubbing his reddened eyes with the back of his hand, but either way. The attraction Karin felt shifted a little bit to include charmed protectiveness. He resisted the urge to tuck his curtain of hair away from Uryū’s face. Instead, he leaned in and pressed the wet towel he'd been using to the corner of the eye he was pawing at. Whether it was tears or alcohol, he gently rubbed away at what was bothering him. Uryū watched him with one wide eye.

"Better?" he asked gently when he was done.

"Much…thank you." He broke eye contact quickly, reaching for his glasses.

"Don't mention it. I do feel responsible," Karin said, fully pulling away. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Uryū's eyes went wide and he shook his head. "You didn't upset me,“ he insisted, with a bit more aggression than the statement warranted. “…I was just surprised." When he pushed up his glasses this time, it was a success. As he finally completed the motion, a fraction of the tension left his shoulders. "I should really be the one to apologize for my overreaction. I was under the impression that you were…propositioning me."

Karin blinked, and considered for the first time that the silent flirtation he'd been engaging with for hours might be one-sided. He was pretty sure he’d read everything properly.

"I…I was…?" he said.

"Oh." Uryū took a breath, noticeably shaky, and nodded. "I see…well then, I definitely must apologize. That reaction must have seemed…extremely rude."

Karin swallowed the rising hurt and forced himself to shrug one shoulder as casually as he could manage. "Think nothing of it. I'm used to it," he said. He knew the gentleness was gone from his voice, but he kept his tone neutral and cool. Unhurt, unbothered, prim, and proper.

"I see."

The silence was a lot more awkward this time. The muffled sounds of the party outside seemed to fade away, drowned out by the drip drip drip of the faucet.

Panic and embarrassment began to rise up in Karin’s chest, but years of schooling his features kept his face relaxed. The distant smile he kept on his face was a little bit more forced as he moved completely away from Uryū and began to rinse the washcloth he’d been using in the sink. He patted at his own sleeve, which had a great deal more blood on it than Uryū’s, and might at this point be a lost cause. That was alright. He had other shirts.

He was working out the politest way to leave this room and never be seen by anyone in this town again when Uryū spoke up.

"That is unfortunate…that you are used to that kind of rejection. You are…" he seemed to choke on the next words, but got them out on the second try. "You are a very attractive man, so I can't imagine why…anyone wouldn't want to…you…you know." He trailed off, covering his blush in the guise of holding his glasses up. He coughed, and began to adjust his shirt, though it was already pulled tight across his chest. "I mean…if you're going to…I wouldn't deny you. I mean…I would have been…I…"

Even with his mumbling and trailing off, Karin was pretty sure he got the picture. He swallowed down the avalanche of anxiety rising up in his chest. He moved in front of Uryū, and took his chin again.

Their eyes met, and this time, Karin read him clear as day. The same uncertainty and fear of rejection he felt (and hid), but also the same excitement, the same desire.

"Well…as apologies for the misunderstanding, let me try again," he said. He leaned in, close enough that their lips touched when he spoke his next words. "Would you like me to warm up your night, Uryū Ishida?"

"Yes," Uryū breathed, and Karin kissed him.

It was sweet and careful. Uryū kissed uncertainly, as though he were waiting for Karin to push him away. He had no such intentions.

Instead, the kiss deepened gradually until they were chest to chest, and Uryū's knees were pressing insistently on Karin's hips. His lips and tongue moved hesitantly, without coordination, but Karin was more than happy to take the lead. The small room shrunk til Karin felt the walls crowding into them, forcing their bodies to curl into each other. Their hearts were beating in time, excitement and anxiety and the lingering adrenaline of making a scene in a room full of near-strangers. The party outside faded completely from Karin’s mind, focused entirely on the chapped skin of Uryū’s lips, his hands gripping his upper arms like he was afraid he was going to float away, the lingering taste of sweet alcohol on his tongue.

He grew bold when Uryū made it clear he wasn't going to pull away. Though it was a bit awkward, he moved his mouth lower, pulling aside the high collar of Uryū's white shirt to kiss the flushed pale skin at his neck and collar. He was rewarded with what he knew must be an uncharacteristically loud whine, and fingers squeezing impossibly tight on his shoulders.

Uryū shifted his body closer, seemingly without noticing. Their hips met for the first time, and as desire shot through him, Karin reluctantly had to be the voice of reason.

"As much as I would love to devour you here and now," he murmured, tracing a line up Uryū’s neck with his mouth, "I don't think you really want to be had here in the bathroom."

It took a few moments for Uryū to gather the sense to speak, not helped by Karin playfully kissing and nibbling his throat.

"My apartment is close by," he said, not sounding remotely certain about the offer.

"You sure?" Karin offered the out. "You don't need to do anything you don't want to."

To make his meaning stick, he pulled away, getting a shaky sigh and another tight grip on his arms in response. While Uryū clearly gave his proposition deep thought, he just waited, propping one hand on the counter to lean on.

"Yes!" Uryū said suddenly and loudly, and then, realizing what a racket he'd made, quieter, "Yes." He met Karin's gaze strongly. "My apartment is very close.”

Karin smiled gently, leaning in to press a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. “You’re adorable,” he said genuinely.

Uryū choked, but didn’t deny it. His hands slid down Karin’s arms, almost exploring, and he seemed reluctant and unsure as he fully pulled them away.

When they left the bathroom, the door opened directly into the face of someone Karin didn’t recognize, but Uryū obviously did.

“Are you okay? Are you leaving?” she asked, hands hovering anxiously at her chest. She wanted to reach for Uryū, but kept her hands to herself, which he seemed to appreciate. “I didn’t see what happened, but someone said you were bleeding!”

When Uryū didn’t speak, Karin spoke for them both. “Yeah…he hit himself quite hard. He bled quite a bit, and ruined his sleeve. I’m going to walk him home.”

She looked at Karin without suspicion, face breaking out in a wide smile. “Oh! You’re so kind! Thank you! Feel better, Uryū!”

They bundled up, Karin grabbed his bag, and they left.

The night outside was cold, but Karin was buoyed by the events of the night. Uryū walked close to him, so close that their elbows brushed every few steps. They made polite conversation at first, but eventually fell into comfortable silence…well, hopefully it was comfortable for Uryū. Anxiety hounded Karins steps, and he did his best to outrun it. He’d never done this before, taken a stranger home in one night. Unfortunately, his relationship experience in general was limited, especially after his transition.

If it turned out to be an awful mistake, it wasn’t as if he was obligated to ever come to this place again.

To his shame, he didn’t really pay any attention to their surroundings. The specifics of the building where Uryū lived were quickly forgotten, and any notable details on the walk to his apartment were forgotten in the excitement and anticipation of what was to come. As soon as they stepped inside, Uryū apologized for the (non-existent) mess and Karin wondered whether it was too forward to pin him to the wall right that second.

They took their coats off, removed their shoes, and then just stood there by the entrance. The eye contact that had gotten them here in the first place was forsaken. Uryū was staring at the smudge of blood on Karin’s sleeve, and Karin was looking at the reddening skin on Uryū’s barely exposed collarbone.

After a few minutes, the silence was broken. Uryū laughed quietly, pushing his glasses up.

“I’m…hopeless…” he murmured, and turned away. He slid his jacket off, and took a moment to assess the sleeve. “The blood should come out. I have some peroxide in the bathroom…” He moved to drape it over the back of a chair, and Karin took the opening. In a few short steps, he’d closed the distance between them.

“You look cold,” he said, sliding his arms around Uryū’s waist from behind.

Uryū stiffened, then relaxed into the touch. “What do you want to do?” he asked. His breathing was already getting heavy, and Karin was barely touching him.

“Well…I want to take you…if you want to be taken,” Karin answered plainly, bending down to kiss the exposed skin at the back of Uryū’s neck.

"That's...a very tame way to ask me that," Uryū laughed breathlessly. He leaned eagerly into Karin's touch. Now that they were alone, his open-mouthed whine filled the empty space around them. One of his hands grabbed at Karin’s, lacing their fingers together. He didn’t pull him off or push him away…he just held him.

"I am a gentleman." Karin slid his free hand down over the hardening bulge in his pants. Almost immediately, Uryū thrust his hips forward, letting out a small “Oh!” as if the motion surprised even him. Karin delighted in the reaction, rewarding it with more pressure and a back-and-forth motion in time to his own heart."You haven't answered me."

"Of course I want--" He cut himself off, unable to say it.

That was alright. He might not have the guts to say the words, but Uryū was vocal in other ways. He responded to Karin's mouth and hand with loud appreciative moans and embarrassed little whines, one right after the other as if he was constantly policing himself. Karin made a vow after the third time that he would fuck the embarrassment right out of him before the night was up.

Only when Uryū’s cock was straining for release and the white skin of his neck was red and warm did Karin pull away. He whined, chasing his touch with both his neck and hips.

"Where do you want this to go?" Karin asked.

“Bedroom,” he answered quickly, and then remembered his manners. “Please…”

Karin grinned, and kissed the top of his head. “Get in there, then. I’ll be right there. You got lube?”

“I, uh…maybe? I have…oil…?”

“I’ll find something. Get going.”

Uryū must’ve used some kind of ability for how quickly he left the room. The door to his bedroom barely moved as he fled the room.

Karin worked quickly. He hadn’t really planned on taking anyone home tonight. He got his other cock out of his bag, swapping out the soft for the hard, and did a quick dig through Uryū’s cabinet until he found something bodysafe.

The whole time he kept looking at the bedroom door, praying Uryū wasn’t too curious. This was not a conversation he was going to have tonight…or ever, if this was the only time they did this.

When he finally joined him, Uryū was kneeling on the floor by his futon, hands balled up tightly on his knees. He’d shed his shirt, now wearing just his pants and an undershirt. His arms were more muscular than Karin had been expecting, and there were a myriad of faded scars crisscrossing up his right arm. He was staring vacantly off into space, cheeks and ears still blushing.

“My, my…you’re so tense,” Karin said, mostly just to announce his presence.

Uryū whipped around, eyes comically wide. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but as he looked Karin up and down, nothing came out.

“I had to get creative,” Karin said, wiggling the bottle of makeshift lube. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Uryū’s eyes followed him as he crossed the room…or more accurately, followed his cock. His eyes grew larger as Karin grew closer, and he decided to give the poor man a break, and moved behind him. He knelt down, moving forward until his chest touched Uryū’s back again.

As they settled back into position, movement caught his eye. He turned his head and saw a full-length mirror propped up beside the door, facing the bed and, incidentally, them. Uryū caught his eye in the reflection, and blushed.

“There isn’t a mirror in the bathroom…” he defended himself, and Karin smiled. "I don't use it for…anything like that."

“Never implied that you did. I don’t mind it at all,” he assured him, dropping his chin to rest on his shoulder. He met his eyes in their reflection, and fluttered his eyelashes at him flirtatiously. “It means I still get to look at you from back here.”

Uryū somehow got even redder, and broke eye contact.

“Come on…relax,” Karin coaxed him, pulling him closer. One hand slid up and the other slid down, resting on Uryū’s shoulder and hip to hold him in place. He picked back up his actions from earlier, using a finger to tilt Uryū’s head to the side to gain access to the untouched skin on the other side of his neck. “Let me touch you?”

“Please…” Uryū gave quiet permission, purposefully scooting his knees further apart.

Karin took the hint, sliding his hand up and down Uryū’s inner thigh gently. He was delighted that his reactions were so strong, shivering and sighing with just this (comparatively) innocent touch. Every single time he moved back and brushed against Karin’s cock, he jumped and gasped, as if it was a surprise each time. Keeping an eye on his expression in the mirror, it wasn’t revulsion or discomfort on his face…it was genuine surprise every time, like he was forgetting it was there. It was utterly adorable.

You want me to undress you?” he asked, pressing his mouth to his ear.

Uryū just nodded, breathing heavily.

Slowly, carefully, still giving him time to back out, Karin began to undress him from top to bottom. His undershirt was lifted and tossed gently aside, in the vague direction of what Karin was pretty sure was a laundry hamper. He took a moment to run his hands down the soft curves of his chest. Getting his pants off was a team effort that ended with Uryū slipping and nearly falling elbow-first onto Karin’s dick.

Karin discarded his own overshirt and pants, and kept his undershirt and boxers on. The scars on his body weren't the type he liked to show off, especially not to strangers. And he definitely was not taking his pants off. If this was a one time thing, then Uryū would never see what was underneath his clothes. And it wasn't a one time thing…well, then it wasn't.

Karin took a moment to admire, dragging his eyes over Uryū’s bare skin. He was slender, but muscular. More scars were visible on his torso and back, and what looked like a tattoo over his heart. Delightfully, his blush extended all the way down to his chest.

Even though Karin was still partially dressed, Uryū looked at him like he was bare. Open appreciation was written across his face, eyes lingering on his broad shoulders and chest. He didn’t seem to care that he was completely naked while Karin still wore clothes.

Karin held out his arms, spreading his legs for Uryū to sit in between. He hesitated for a moment before settling back where he was. As their skin pressed together, Karin had to take a deep breath to steady himself. His heart began to pound, anxiety and anticipation mixed up in his belly. The heat of their bodies was like an inferno compared to the winter chill of the night and the empty coldness of the room, almost overwhelming despite how slow they were going. For a moment, they just sat like that, Karin's arms wrapped loosely around Uryū's waist.

When Uryū had settled back down, Karin reached around his hip and took him in hand. The first few strokes were slow and careful, but he quickly gained speed. The room quickly filled with strangled moans and soft sighs, undercut by the drag of skin against skin. Uryū moved as if on instinct, hips bucking weakly into Karin's grip.

Karin shifted his hips, pressing his own cock against Uryū’s backside. He yelped and jerked, not quite away but certainly not towards.

Karin immediately backed off, hands off, hips back. Before he could apologize, Uryū beat him to it.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to…” He was breathless, words tangling up in his throat. “I’ve never…” His eyes flew to Karin’s cock in the mirror, then looked away quickly.

Karin’s stomach fluttered. Guilt, maybe, or fear? “Been with a man?” he guessed.

“Well, no I haven't, but…never with…anyone,” Uryū specified.

Karin blinked. He hadn’t expected that. “Oh…I see.” He thought about it for a second. “Do you want to stop?”

“No!” Once again, Uryū seemed to forget the force of his own voice, shouting out before he could reign himself in. “No, I…” He turned around, hands resting on Karin’s thighs as he stared up into his face for the first time since they’d come to his apartment. “I do not want to stop.”

And then he leaned up and kissed him, taking strong initiative for the first time. It was a sweet and clumsy attempt, all eagerness and no technique. It was a gentle reprieve from the growing fever inside of him, a soft flutter in his chest. Uryū was a quick learner, and after a few moments was mirroring Karin's movements back at him. The kiss remained chaste, and yet Karin's heart was pounding. When he pulled away, his gaze slid away, another adorably embarrassed expression on his face. Karin resisted the urge to pinch his cheeks.

Instead, he kissed the corner of his mouth. "Are you ready?"

Uryū’s face hardened with a look of determination completely out of proportion for what was going on. "I'm ready," he announced with the same fervor.

Karin couldn't help his fond smile. "Turn around again," he said. "Lean forward."

Uryū obeyed, blushing deep again and avoiding Karin’s eyes. "Like this?"

"Just like that.”

Karin took a moment to just admire the planes of Uryū’s back, the pleasing red-and-pink of the hickeys and bruises he’d left on his neck, the dip of his hips that fit perfectly in Karin’s hands. The lust Karin had been working to keep down began to spill over, and he couldn’t resist his hands wandering over everything he saw.

Uryū was so responsive. He put up a show of resisting at first, or perhaps he really was resisting himself. It only took a few seconds for him to give in every time, softly sighing as Karin explored to find the places on his body that made him shiver and ache.

“Are you relaxed?” he asked gently, letting his hands slide lower.

“I’m…” Uryū was breathless and pliant. “I’m relaxing.”

Karin hummed. “Keep relaxing for me, okay?” He reached for the oil, thoroughly coating his fingers before pressing one finger to Uryū’s hole.

“Nngh!” Immediately, his entire body went tense, and he pushed himself up.

Karin didn’t push him, but kept one hand on his shoulder. “Relax, Uryū…I know what I’m doing.”

“How…how many times have you done this?” Uryū asked, sounding adorably indignant, and even a little hurt. He did seem to be making an effort to relax. He stayed upright, petulant expression reflected in the mirror.

"Not that much," Karin admitted, "but enough to know what I'm doing."

That seemed to placate him, and he slowly relaxed. "I guess it's better for one of us to know what we're doing, but I don't know how much I like the thought of--unnh…"

Uryū's words were cut off by a strangled moan as Karin returned to what he was doing. He massaged and prodded at his hole, waiting for him to relax enough to enter. To distract him from the strange sensation, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to Uryū's shoulder. They were nearly right back in the position they'd started in, Karin kneeling with Uryū upright between his spread legs.

"That's it," Karin encouraged him. He nibbled at his ear, mostly just to hear that strangled moan again.

Karin slid the first finger in slowly, working Uryū open little by little. To his credit, the other man seemed determined to see it through, brows furrowed with concentration as he made the conscious effort to relax.

"You're doing good," Karin assured him, nuzzling into his neck. "So good…"

"Oh…it's…strange," Uryū moaned, but began to move his hips, ever so slightly, back against Karin's hand. "Not bad...strange."

"It’ll feel good soon, I promise." He kissed his cheek gently.

Then, he found what he was looking for. His fingers found that spot, and Uryū's eyes flew open.

"O-oh…" He fell forward, hips tilting up to meet Karin's fingers with a sudden eagerness. "Oh, that's…that is good..."

"Told you," Karin teased him lightly.

Uryū's next moan was breathless and high, and his head rolled to the side. He leaned his cheek against Karin's. Their eyes met in the mirror, and a thrill went through him.

Uryū looked delicious, cheeks flushed and eyes heavily lidded. The wrinkle in his brow was starting to loosen, replaced with a look of wondrous pleasure. He held his gaze, not a challenge this time.

When he was loose enough, Karin added another finger and began to explore. Uryū closed his eyes, turning his head to nuzzle into Karin's cheek. He sighed, suddenly the picture of bliss.

He kept at it until Uryū was completely relaxed, hips moving back eagerly and face completely relaxed. He withdrew his fingers, chuckling at the sorrowful whine he got in response.

Karin leaned forward, putting his weight on Uryū’s back. His body went limp and he fell forward without resistance, cheek hitting the floor gently. Karin took a moment to admire the picture before him, long legs supporting that lovely ass presented just for him. Uryū's arms were wrapped around his head, and he was trying to hide the blush on his face despite the fact that it extended across his shoulders and ears.

"Are you ready for me?" Karin asked gently. He stroked down his spine gently. He waited until he got a small nod. Uryū's eyes were open, staring at him from the floor. When he was sure it was fine to continue, he got a generous amount of lube and made a show of slicking his cock in addition to Uryū’s hole.

"Try to relax," he said. "It will feel strange at first." He lined himself up carefully, and then pushed in.

Uryū’s eyes went wide at the intrusion, and he sucked in a hard breath.

"Breathe," Karin said. One hand held Uryū's hip in place, while the other kept stroking his spine comfortingly. He worked himself in slowly, shallow thrusts that pushed into centimeter by centimeter. Uryū took it well, making it clear when he needed a moment to breathe.

It felt like an eternity before flesh met flesh and Karin’s hips met Uryū's backside.

"That's all of me," he said.

Uryū was trembling, and his breath was slow and careful.

For a moment, they were still. Karin basked in the moment, the feeling of flesh against his, the pounding of blood in his cock, the affection growing in his chest. He leaned down, covering Uryū's body with his own. His arms caged the smaller man's chest, and he pressed his nose into his temple.

"You feel so good," he murmured into his ear.

Uryū trembled at the praise, voice strangled in his throat. "You feel...strange..."

When they had both caught their breath, Karin began to move. Still slow, still careful, but with power now. And slowly, Uryū began to open up. He began to move back against him, gaining strength as the initial discomfort gave way to pleasure. In mere moments, the quiet stifled breaths became open mouthed moans. Karin couldn't contain himself either, lost in the sensation of his dick dragging against tight, slick walls. He hadn't put any lube in between his skin and his cock, but his own arousal was providing more than enough glide. The shape of the prosthetic felt as good as if he were fucking Uryū with his own flesh, and it was amazing.

He fucked him slowly at first, but as their excitement grew, he let himself go a little faster, a little harder. If this was Uryū’s first time, it would last long, but Karin wanted it to be good.

That arrogant, self-absorbed part of him wanted to ruin him for anyone else.

"You feel so good," he murmured into his shoulder. "You look so good…"

He shifted his hips slightly, and found the angle that made Uryū lose himself. He raised his head to look at him in the mirror, and could have come from the sight alone.

Uryū was braced low on his elbows, head rolled to one side, mouth open, not even trying to keep quiet his high moans and whines. His hair was plastered to his face, and the marks Karin had left on him early were starting to fade to colorful bruises. One of his hands had snaked beneath his own body, loosely stroking his cock in sloppy time with Karin's thrusts.

Uryū met his gaze in the mirror and whined. He raised himself up on his elbows, twisting his head around to meet Karin's eyes.

"Kiss me," he pleaded, "kiss me…"

When he asked so sweetly, Karin had no choice but to give in. He tilted his face up the chin and captured his lips.

This kiss was…different. Fevered and desperate, but deep. Their hips slowed down as Karin focused on kissing Uryū as deeply as he could. The weight of another tongue in his mouth was addicting, and he swallowed Uryū’s moans like they gave him life. The feeling of it was so overwhelming he almost lost his rhythm.

Uryū whined again as they pulled apart. The position he was in, twisted around just so he could kiss Karin properly, couldn't have been comfortable, but fuck it was hot. Karin caught a glimpse of him in the mirror--the erotic arch of his back, the way his legs shook from holding himself up, the deep flush on his chest and throat--and felt his core tighten. When Uryū fell back down, he chased him, pressing his lips desperately to his shoulder.

Pleasure washed over him and his hips stuttered as he came with a low moan of his own, hands balled into fists on either side of Uryū’s head. A tremor ran down his whole body, ending at his own clenching hole, soaking wet underneath his prosthetic.

He let his weight down again, forcing Uryū almost completely to the ground. He angled his hips and thrust hard, desperate to take his lover down with him. It took only one, two, three more thrusts before Uryū’s body began to shake, and after one more sharp whine, his body went loose.

Karin slowed to a complete stop before either of them could be worked to overstimulation.

They remained like that, Karin almost embracing Uryū with his entire body, chest to back, lips to temple. The chill of winter stayed away. The heat of their bodies, of their pounding hearts, was more than enough to keep the room warm.

When the wet heat became sticky and uncomfortable, Karin pulled away. Slowly, carefully, he pulled out. He took another moment to admire, this time the way Uryū’s hole clenched and fluttered around nothing, framed by cheeks red and bruised from being fucked thoroughly. His whole body was shaking, and Karin ran his hands down his back.

"Here, roll over."

The smaller man obeyed slowly, obviously experiencing some lingering discomfort. Karin leaned down and kissed him again, gentle and without hunger.

Languid and easy, their lips moved together. Their chests were pressed together, and when Uryū's legs wrapped around his waist, it was out of an instinctual need to have him close, rather than the lust that had propelled them earlier. Uryū's hands slowly came up, shakily sliding into Karin's hair, undoing the ponytail that, at this point, was barely hanging on. He clung to him, all uncertainty banished now.

Karin almost let himself get lost in this, holding and being held, kissing and being kissed, feeling his heart beat in time with another.

They kissed for what might have been hours, until the stickiness between their legs was too hard to ignore. When they pulled apart, Uryū sighed and then chuckled.

“Hm? What’s funny?”

“Nothing, just…to think I…” He sighed, fully relaxing. “Nothing.”

"I'll get something to clean up," Karin murmured against Uryū’s lips, and pulled reluctantly away.

Uryū barely let him leave, trailing his fingers through Karin’s hair and down his face and neck, tracing his skin almost reverently. He looked like he wanted to say something, but then turned his eyes away quickly, face red.

Karin smiled, chest warm. "I'll be right back," he said, planting a quick kiss on his chin.

He left the room reluctantly, venturing alone back into the cold of the living room. The bathroom had enough towels for the both of them, and he took a moment to relieve himself and rinse off his cock. He could wash it more thoroughly when he got back to his hotel. He swapped it back out for the softer, more comfortable packer, and returned to Uryū.

He was still lying right where Karin had left him, heavily lidded eyes watching the door. His gaze followed Karin as he closed the distance between them, and he eagerly leaned up into the kiss he offered.

"C'mon, let's get clean."

They cleaned up in comfortable silence. Once they were clean, Uryū found some clothes to put on, covering up the masterpiece of bruises and hickeys Karin had left on his back. When he was dressed, he shot Karin an uncertain glance as he pushed his glasses up.

"What…happens now?" he asked carefully.

"Well…that's up to you." Karin stood up, returning his gaze easily. "I can stay the night." He tried not to let any hope or hurt bleed into his tone either way as he found his overshirt and pants. “Or I can go back to my hotel, and then go home in a few days.”

"And if you stay…?"

Their eyes met, and Karin felt his cool front dissolve in the face of Uryū’s open hope, the vulnerable desire he wore plainly on his face.

When was the last time anyone had looked at Karin like that…like they really wanted him, for more than just something quick and empty?

He had to look away.

"Well…" Karin let himself yawn, wide and loud. He tried to keep his voice from shaking, but he wasn’t sure he succeeded. "Some sleep would definitely be appreciated. And the best place to stay warm is in someone's arms…don't you think?"

Uryū looked relieved, and his face relaxed as he scooched over to rest his weight on Karin’s shoulder. It was unexpected and so…soft. Karin slid his arm around his shoulder and pulled him to his chest. His heart skipped a beat as their bodies slid together like puzzle pieces.

"I agree,” Uryū said quietly.

They sat like that for a while. Karin had to work hard to control his breath, his heart, from exposing how scared he felt, how warm, how wanted.

Eventually, exhaustion took them over, and Karin corralled them to bed.

Uryū’s bed wasn't meant for two, which only meant they got to hold each other tighter. For the first time in a long time, Karin slept well, and warm.