Business as Usual, XXV
by Laura Bryannan

Absolution was a fine thing, Mugen decided. Once his passion had abated last night he'd been in turmoil, guilty about what he'd done and pissed there was no fixing it. Everything changed when Jin took matters in hand this morning, literally beating all the bad feelings out of him—and himself too, if the sex was any clue to his mood.

Jin was spooned behind, buried to the hilt, thrusting so slow and measured Mugen knew he was in for a long one. Sometimes he resented how his lover could impale him for hours, moving only enough to stay erect, keeping him pinned and helpless, unable to escape. But today he welcomed it, settling into the warm arms surrounding him and letting his mind wander.

Relieved of his guilties, he surveyed the night's work with pleasure. It had been totally hot to screw a protesting Jin, working him so right he didn't want to stop—couldn't stop—even though he was pissed as hell. It felt evil to like it so much, but he didn't care, welcoming it into the heady mix of sensations and emotions Jin's cock was stirring deep inside him.

Mugen considered the promises they made to each other and decided they suited him fine. Yatsuha was off-limits, Kohza was no way and Fuu-san was jackoff material, so No Pussy was easy. But he was flattered and amazed that Jin made the same promise without a second thought. Considering Fuu-san's yumminess, it was hard to believe, but he trusted Jin to keep his word so the whole thing was pretty amazing.

A bite on his shoulder startled him out of his reverie. “Where are you?” Jin asked.

“I'm floating cuz you're hiding back there,” Mugen complained. “Lemmie turn around so we can make out.”

His lover obliged, withdrawing enough so they could change positions. Jin was getting close, his thrusting more purposeful, and Mugen craved the sensation of being entered at both ends. So when Jin lowered his mouth to his, he opened and let himself be plundered, allowing Jin to take happy advantage. Mugen sucked and bit at the tongue teasing the roof of his mouth, fucking the back of his throat, even as his lover's other long member felt as though it was coming up behind so both parts could meet in the middle.

Spine melting, unable to hold out any longer, Mugen clung with teeth and nails as the orgasm consumed him. Jin bit back and Mugen tasted blood—he wasn't sure whose—as his growling lover pounded him hard as he came himself. Both of them moaning, Mugen wrapped his limbs around the velvet steel body and pulled it close, wishing he could take the pounding heart, sweat and bones and hide them away so no one else could have them. Jin collapsed on his chest, apparently fine with his killer death grip, and they floated back to earth together.

Mugen sighed. There were things he should do today, and Jin had said he'd promised the afternoon to Fuu, but he wasn't done. He wanted more and didn't want to share. And since Jin didn't seem to be in any hurry to move along after their triumphant conclusion, Mugen began to plot. Almost on cue, two cell phones rang, causing two lazy bodies to rouse and dig through the piles of clothing on the floor to find them.

Flipping his open, Jin announced, “It's Fuu.”

“Yuki,” Mugen told him.

They looked at each other and considered for half a moment. Then, eyes twinkling, they snapped their phones closed.

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Fascinated as he was with Mugen's morning rituals—so different from his own—Jin liked to get in and out of the shower first so he could observe them as he shaved. Jin's routine was over a decade old: he washed his body, his face next, then untied his hair and washed that. Mugen started with his hair, dumping shampoo on his head and into his pubes and using it to clean the rest of himself...without a washcloth or loofa or anything.

Even though his hair was short now and required less work, Jin still dried his head off first and the rest of himself after. Mugen would throw a towel around his hips and not dry himself at all, wandering around the apartment getting ready for work with his hair still dripping. It made no sense, but Jin found it bemusing.

Today was no different. Out of the corner of his eye Jin could see Mugen shake the water off his head like a dog and step out of the shower. Standing behind, dripping on his back, Mugen peered over his shoulder at their reflection in the mirror. “You really have to do that every day?” he asked, skeptically.

“Yes,” came the reply.

“Hmph!” he sniffed, exiting the bathroom so Jin didn't have to hide his smile. He knew Mugen clipped what he had to a quarter inch to keep it from looking like the peach fuzz it mostly was.

However, watching the fine ass leave caused Jin unexpected grief. The cutting glared at him, angry and accusing, looking red and miserable where Mugen fell on it last night. Jin sincerely regretted marring his beautiful, perfect playground, and couldn't remember why he'd given into Mugen's demand to do it. He hoped the scar would fade as the cutting healed, but there was no getting around the sense that he'd damaged his lover permanently, and that made him heartsick.

Sighing, he went to Mugen's bedroom and dug through his underwear drawer for some clean clothes. He'd brought a razor to Mugen's place, but that was it, preferring to borrow his lover's things rather than bring his own when he stayed overnight. The Ts Mugen wore under his dress shirts always smelled faintly of his cologne, and Jin liked catching a waft of it as he moved about during the day.

Finally clean and dressed, they hit a local restaurant for some eats, sitting outside because it was a nice day. After their meal, Jin enjoyed the people watching while Mugen smoked one last ciggie, venturing, “So, you gotta hang with Fuu-san later?”

“Yes,” Jin said, "tomorrow too. However, the dorms open in the afternoon, Monday is Freshman Orientation and classes begin Tuesday, so my schedule should regain some normalcy after tomorrow. Did you make plans with Yuki?”

“Yup.” Mugen paused for a moment, then exclaimed, “Hey, why don't we all meet at the beach or something later?”

“It would look way too suspicious for you to suddenly show up again.”

“Who said anything about sneaking around? You need to tell her about me.”

Jin considered a moment and agreed, “You're right. However there is one problem.”

“What?”

“Fuu and Yuki do not get along. Putting them together in the same space is usually unwise.”

“Heh! They hate each other cuz of you?”

Jin didn't want to say it out loud, but he believed it the case. While he would have preferred that his two dearest friends like each other, he was insecure enough to take secret pleasure in the way they fought over him.

“That's one possible theory,” he admitted, “but Yuki goads her unmercifully and she can never stop herself from rising to the bait. It's hard for me because I don't like to take sides, and I'm often biting my tongue to keep from laughing.”

“I'm thinking it'd be fun to see 'em in action.”

Mugen's rakish expression made Jin smile. “It would be a wicked thing to do,” he declared, trying to sound serious.

The grin broadened. “Aw, come on. Just think of it...Licorice Boy versus Yummy Peach, round one, fight!”

Jin chuckled. It would be funny, that was certain, but it didn't seem right somehow. “I don't know, Mugen....”

“Let's do it!” his lover insisted. “I could use some entertainment this afternoon. If they go for each other's throats, we can spank 'em and take 'em to bed without supper.”

“Take who to bed?!?”

“Down boy! I was talking outta my ass. Come on, Jin. We'll meet at the city beach and grill some dinner, K?”

Despite its evilness, the plan was too delicious to refuse, especially since it meant seeing Mugen again this evening. “All right,” Jin finally agreed. “Let's do it...after.”

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Mugen walked a few paces behind to get the best view and he was not disappointed, for it started the moment they saw each other. “Fuuuuu-swaaaan,” Yuki called in a high falsetto.

Fuu turned and stuck out her tongue, glaring at him, and Mugen chuckled. “Oh great, it's Pukey,” she complained, moving closer to Jin. “Why did you ask him to come?”

“I didn't,” he replied. “He's probably here with Mugen.”

“Mugen?!?” she gasped, finally noticing him.

“Hey, Fuu-san,” he called, flattered by her blush. In denim cut-offs and a pink t-shirt short enough to reveal some tummy when she moved, the girl was looking mighty tasty.

She walked over and peered up at him shyly through her bangs. “Jin told me you two were together,” she said, and his jaw almost dropped off his face. Jin told her, and she's still smiling like that? “I'm glad for him, you seem nice. But why did you bring that jerk?” She gave his companion the evil eye behind his back.

“Aw, Yuki's amusing. I'll sit on him if he gets outta hand, K?”

Mugen could see the wheels turning in her head, trying to figure the situation out, but she sniffed and retorted, “Oh, I can take care of juveniles like him myself. Do you want something to eat?”

He nodded, taking the apple she offered. Boy, she was cute! And he still couldn't believe she knew about his scene with Jin. Fucking amazing!

“Hey,” Yuki announced. “A friend of mine was looking for something to do this afternoon so I invited her along. Hope that's alright.”

“Her?” Mugen asked, still finding Yuki's bisexuality hard to fathom.

“Oh yeah! She's a keeper too, a good girl. So be nice to her, okay?”

“I can just imagine,” Fuu began, sighing dramatically. “If she's a friend of yours she's probably a horror.”

“Jin's a friend of mine,” he purred, “but you're the horror part.”

“Chill,” Mugen demanded, dragging Yuki away from the battleground, not finding the fight as amusing as he thought he would. “Come on, let's get the hibachi going.”

The charcoal was finally ready when Mugen's jaw did drop. “Yatsuha, over here!” Yuki called, waving at a figure walking toward them. It was her! What the fuck? She was smiling as Yuki took her hand and they did that European air kiss thing, which was closer than he'd ever been to her so...damn, what the fuck?

“Everyone, this is Yatsuha-san,” Yuki announced.

“Mugen!” she gasped. “What are you doing here?”

“I'm here with....” He nodded at the rest of them, unsure how to describe the situation.

Her eyes widened. “Fuu-san! Jin-san! What a....”

“You know them?” Yuki gasped.

“We just met Yatsuha-san the other day,” Jin explained. “Mugen introduced us.”

“You know Mugen!?!” Yuki sputtered.

“How do you know Yuki, Yatsuha?” Mugen asked, demanding her attention, needing to get to the bottom of this now!

“The same as I met you,” she told him, meeting his gaze directly. “Yuki's been attacked three times in the past few years.”

“You really know Mugen?” Yuki asked her, looking indignant, which served him right. Mugen wasn't feeling particularly generous at the moment, considering how his heart was sinking. He and Yatsuha weren't even dating, let alone exclusive, so of course she'd have other men in her life. But to be faced with one, and Yuki no less, made Mugen more depressed than jealous. The day was becoming crazier by the minute.

“Yes, I handled Mugen's file after the gang shot him,” she said. “We've known each other for a long time now.” Yuki nodded, obviously deflated by the information. She looked uncertain, trapped, and Mugen wasn't ready to rescue her.

“Come over here and get something to drink, Yatsuha-san,” Fuu called out. “Stop letting those guys interrogate you.” Yatsuha smiled in relief and took Fuu up on her offer, sitting near and grabbing a plate of salad.

Yuki was giving him a look like, don't think I'm backing away from this one, boyo, and Mugen wasn't sure he was up for the fight. He was more focused on how the power between them had shifted, for while he had Preferred Partner status with Jin, he did not with Yatsuha. It was so weird to think of Yuki as a threat, Mugen couldn't get his head around it, but Yuki was no longer the uke at the bottom of the pecking order and that was discomfiting.

He looked up to find Jin watching, wearing a compassionate expression that made Mugen's throat tighten. Damn! Feeling like he was getting some karma back for trying to stir up trouble, he looked at Yuki and said, “Let the best man win, K?”

Yuki's face softened. He leaned near and whispered, “I'm not sure if any man's gonna get in those jeans.”

They eyed each other knowingly, suddenly conspirators, and Mugen's heart lifted. Yuki was a good guy, and since Yatsuha clearly wasn't lovers with him either, he didn't feel so put out. “Let's cook this shit before it rots,” he said, and they threw the burgers on the grill.

When they sat down to eat, Mugen left Yatsuha to Yuki, preferring to observe their interactions rather than talk to her himself. All the better to get to know Ms. Peachcakes, anyway, whose eyes kept straying away from Jin to peek at him often enough to puff his ego nicely.

His imagination kept dreaming up so many Fuu-san sandwiches of various varieties—hot, open-faced, dripping in juice—his burger paled by comparison. Thinking about Jin was always a turn on. Thinking about the both of them together was even better than thinking about Jin and Yuki, which was unbelievable, but he couldn't deny it. Peaches and Cream, yes sir!

He pondered, enjoying his brewing hard-on. Maybe agreeing to the No Pussy rule had been a little reckless. Maybe rules were made to be broken.

end