What is this life?

What is this Life?

Chapter 22

It's a great day. Suguru and K are packing up the last of their presents from the surprise wedding shower that Ryuichi just hosted at his mansion. Everyone has had a lot of fun and the atmosphere is light. Everyone showed up that was invited, and no one that wasn't. That means Tohma Seguchi is nowhere to be found. Tohma's less than thrilled about the engagement of his cousin to his overseer. His appearance here today would put a damper on the upbeat mood.

Ryuichi recalls Tohma's rantings. Tohma fired and rehired K four times the afternoon he was informed of the engagement. Suguru was in tears and K threatened to shoot anyone that made his Su-chan cry. It was a fiasco! If Mika hadn't blackmailed Tohma with his unsavory business dealings going public, Tohma would've never backed down. Ryuichi shakes his head to get that replay out of his mind.

A gentle hand on Ryuichi's shoulder and a kiss on the neck bring Ryuichi back to the here and how. He turns to find Hiro standing just behind him. "That was some party, Ryu-san. I think it went extremely well. K-san and Suguru-chan enjoyed themselves. I think Suguru’s most impressed with your wedding gift to them."

Ryuichi looks longingly into Hiro's blue-gray eyes. He loves this man very much. He nods in agreement. "Yes, it's one of the best parties we've had here. I'm glad that everything went so smoothly. I was a bit afraid Tohma would find out about it and wreck everything." He motions towards the happy couple. They’re sharing a kiss under the hanging wedding bell by the gift table. “They do seem quite happy, don’t they?”

“Yeah,” Hiro sighs. “If only…” he stops his train of thought.

“If only what, Hiro?” Ryuichi sees an almost hopeless look in Hiro’s eyes.

Hiro sounds a little melancholy. “If only it was us.”

Ryuichi smiles, “Who’s to say we can’t have something just as good. It’s true we can’t get married, but that’s a technicality.”

Hiro’s expression questions Ryuichi’s suggestion. He’s about to ask something when he sees K and Suguru making their way over to them. He motions for Ryuichi to turn around.

Totally unexpectedly, Suguru gives Ryuichi a big hug. “Thank you so much for having this party. It’s so kind of you to do this for us.” Suguru is almost gushing. “It’s the nicest thing you could’ve done for us, and then the present. Oh my! I don’t know how I can ever truly express my gratitude.”

Ryuichi beams from ear to ear. “Oh, Suguru-chan, it’s my pleasure.” He looks at K and glances at the clock on the wall. “If you two don’t get going, you’re going to miss your flight. Leave the gifts here. I’ll have them sent over to, “ He stops and asks. “Where are you going to live? I never asked.”

Suguru blushes and turns to K who answers. “We have a little place on the edge of the village. Seguchi-san and Mika-san gave it to us for a wedding present. I don’t think Seguchi-san’s too happy but Mika-san insisted. It’s perfect for us.”

Ryuichi just smiles. He knows that Tohma didn’t have any say-so in the matter. “Well, I’ll get the address from Mika-san and have the gifts sent there. Now, go and have a good flight. I’ll see you both in four months.”

Suguru gives a respectful bow and takes K’s hand. They make their way to Ryuichi’s limo waiting by the front door.

Hiro spies Shuichi sitting in a corner by himself, hands around his up-drawn knees. He walks over and squats down beside his friend, “Why so gloomy Shu?”

Shuichi looks up with tears welling in his violet eyes. “It’s just so romantic. I wish it was us.”

Hiro wraps his arm around Shuichi and holds him. He understands exactly how Shuichi feels. He wants the same thing, but he wants it with Shuichi and Ryuichi. “Well, we kind of do have it. We aren’t getting married but we have each other and Ryu-san. I don’t know about you, but that makes me pretty happy.”
Hiro is almost surprised to hear himself say he’s happy, but he is. Six months ago he thought his life would be nothing but misery. Now he can’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else.

Ryuichi walks over and sees two of his lovers huddled together. He kneels down by the pair. “Is everything ok?”

Shuichi looks up and sees the other man he loves. It’s strange but he never expected to fall in love with Ryuichi. He smiles and nods. “Yeah, we’re fine.” He wiggles his arms slightly to let Hiro know he wants to be released from the embrace. He stands up and looks at the mess in the room. “I think Tatsuha is going to need a little help cleaning up.”

Ryuichi turns his head and sees his butler/other lover starting to clean up the banquet hall. There’s wrapping paper and ribbons strewn on the floor near a set of chairs that used to be occupied by the engaged couple. Plates, silverware and glasses are littering the tabletops. Then there’s the cake. Whatever possessed him to get a four-tier wedding cake for the party? With the exception of the second layer being cut, the cake is intact. Ryuichi stands up and walks over to the cake table. There are still several plates with untouched cake on them. “Hey guys, we never did get our cake. Come on over here.”

Tatsuha stops his chores and heads over to the table followed by Shuichi and Hiro. Ryuichi picks up a plate and breaks off a piece of cake. “Who wants the first piece?” He holds up the little chunk of vanilla-frosted yellow cake.

Shuichi opens his mouth so he can be hand fed his cake. Suddenly he’s bombarded with the pastry on his nose and cheek. Ryuichi starts laughing hysterically. “I’ve always wanted to do that!”

At first, Shuichi stands there with a stunned look on his face. Then he starts in with the laughter. He takes a piece of the cake and breaks it off, offering it to Hiro. Hiro should know what’s going to happen next but is just as unprepared when Shuichi smashes the cake against Hiro’s face. Laughter echoes in the room as each person takes pieces of cake and starts a food fight. Cake goes flying everywhere, in hair, on clothes, and splattered on the walls and floor. When the four men finally run out of pieces of cake they look at each other. No one has been spared and they are all in need of showers.

Ryuichi looks around, the mess from before is now five times messier. He throws his arms up and brings them down behind his head. “The fun’s over guys. Let’s get the maids to clean this up and go grab showers.” He takes Hiro by the hand and starts running for the door. “You’re coming with me!”

Shuichi and Tatsuha stare as the other pair leaves the room. Tatsuha looks at Shuichi. He has a naughty glint in his eyes. “Wanna take a shower with me?”

Shuichi is speechless. He knows that Tatsuha and Ryuichi have become lovers and the four have become fast friends. He brushes any doubts aside. A shower with Tatsuha might be fun. After all, they can wash each other’s hair and scrub each other’s backs, “Your bathroom or mine?”

Tatsuha wraps his arm around Shuichi’s shoulder. “Mine”

The two leave the room and head down the hall towards the staff quarters. Tatsuha opens his bedroom door and motions for Shuichi to enter. Shuichi sees a room almost as grand as Ryuichi’s just a smaller. It has the same marble floors and walls as Ryuichi’s room, but the furniture is smaller in scale and in number. Where Ryuichi has two walls of dressers, Tatsuha has a triple dresser and chest of drawers made of the same mahogany. Those stand against the wall opposite the door. The bed is a rectangular shaped queen-sized bed with black satin sheets and comforter. The headboard and footboard are polished brass. This is situated against the wall to the right of the door. There’s a mahogany nightstand on either side of the bed. Along the wall to the left are two double closets, and in the far corner of that wall is the door leading to the private bath.

Tatsuha opens a closet, grabs two hangers with clothes on them and heads for the bathroom. “Come on Shu-chan.” As he walks past the chest of drawers near the bathroom door, he stops and opens the top drawer, pulling out two pairs of boxers – one red silk, the other black silk. After closing the drawer he steps into the bathroom. Shuichi follows close behind.

The bathroom is far more spacious that Shuichi imagined. He enters the room via a pathway as deep as the closeted wall, but beyond that is a room almost as big as the bedroom. The floor is ceramic tile in a royal blue color. The walls are also ceramic tiled, but the color is a more pearlescent sky-blue. A Jacuzzi sits in the far left corner of the room, just behind the wall that houses the closets. In the corner to the left of that is a shoji screen which hides the commode. Along the wall opposite the entryway is a shower big enough for several people to occupy at one time. Shower heads extend from the three walls of the shower. A clear curtain with dark blue swirls covers the entry to the shower from just below the ceiling to the floor. Its purpose is not aesthetic but to keep the surrounding floor from getting wet while the shower is in use. Luxurious bathmats lay scattered across the floor between the shower and Jacuzzi.

Finding a hook near the Jacuzzi, Tatsuha hangs the clothes there and places the boxers on a bench beneath. He grabs two towels and washcloths from a table near the bench. Tatsuha goes over and starts filling the Jacuzzi, pouring some bath oils in. After the water starts flowing at a temperature he likes, he turns and walks over to the shower and starts to undress. He motions for Shuichi to do the same. “We need to get this cake off our bodies and out of our hair before we get in the Jacuzzi. Come on, get undressed.” He goes and starts the water in the shower testing to be sure it’s not too hot and steps in.

Shuichi quickly undresses and slips in behind the shower curtain. The water is just right. He finds a bar of soap on the shower caddy and lathers up a washcloth. He starts to wash off the remnants of the cake. Once that’s done, he grabs a bottle of shampoo and pours some into his hand. He rubs his hands together and then lathers his pink hair. The shampoo smells of strawberries. As he washes his hair, he notices Tatsuha looking at him. Tatsuha doesn’t seem to be washing himself. He’s standing under two of the shower heads, water cascading over his black hair and down his back. Shuichi gets a little self-conscious at the stare from Tatsuha. “Aren’t you going to wash up, too?” Shuichi asks as he rrinses his hair.

Tatsuha blinks and nods. He grabs the shampoo from the caddy and lathers his own hair. The hair is washed and he grabs some soap and a washcloth, making quick work of the actual bathing process. Once both men are rinsed off, Tatsuha turns off the water and pulls back the curtain. He walks across the room to the Jacuzzi and notices the automatic sensors have stopped the water flow. He steps into the tub, sits down and motions Shuichi to come over and join him. After Shuichi is seated, Tatsuha turns on the jets to make the water pulsate from the hundred openings around the sides and bottom of the Jacuzzi. He leans back and rests his head backwards in the curve in the side.

Shuichi finds his spot and lies back. He closes his eyes and relishes the tiny pulsations against his back and bottom. He sighs. This is a heavenly feeling. The jets massage him all over and the sensation is quite relaxing and stimulating at the same time. Tiny pulses against his groin cause him to get an erection. As he gets stimulated more, his shaft perks up until the tip is extended just above the bubbling water.

Tatsuha too is getting stimulated from the multitude of jets lightly pounding against his body. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem. He would simply masturbate until he’s relieved of the erection. This is not a normal circumstance. He has company in the Jacuzzi and he’s well aware of the effect the water jets are having on that companion. He smiles as he sees Shuichi’s length extend higher above the waterline. While Shuichi is basking in the sensations his body is experiencing, Tatsuha slides closer to him. Shuichi looks like an angel to Tatsuha. Tatsuha reaches over and places a hand on Shuichi’s cheek, causing Shuichi’s eyes to fly open. The two stare into each other’s eyes for a moment before Tatsuha leans in and kisses Shuichi causing him to moan. Tatsuha glides his hand from Shuichi’s face down his neck, chest and finally coming in contact with the Shuichi’s hardened shaft. He takes the length in his hand and starts to stroke it.

Shuichi slides down a bit until his chin is barely above water. He’s feeling extremely relaxed, at least above the waist. Below he’s hardly relaxed. He’s getting more aroused and his heart is beating almost as fast as the water jets that are rushing through the Jacuzzi. He relishes the firm but gentle touch of Tatsuha’s hand against his flesh. A moan escapes him when Tatsuha applies more pressure to the underside of the shaft with his fingertips. Tatsuha’s strokes get faster and harder, and Shuichi slips from his seated position and almost goes completely underwater. Tatsuha slides his free hand under Shuichi’s chin and guides his head back up, never missing a stroke with his other hand. The movements cause Tatsuha to momentarily clamp his hand hard around Shuichi’s erection, and Shuichi gasps. He can’t wait any longer. As Tatsuha strokes faster Shuichi loses all self control. With no warning to Tatsuha, Shuichi comes, stream after stream of his white essence landing in the water.

Tatsuha looks upon Shuichi’s flushed face and partially closed violet eyes. It’s one of the sexiest sights he has seen, other than the look Ryuichi has when he’s in the throes of ecstasy. Shuichi reminds Tatsuha so much of Ryuichi and that makes Tatsuha want Shuichi. He moves closer and tilts Shuichi’s face to look at him. He leans in and whispers, “Turn around and bend over the side.”

Shuichi does as requested. He kneels on the contoured seat he just vacated and rests his arms along the top of the Jacuzzi. He leans into his arms and rests his head against his shoulder so he can watch Tatsuha’s movements. Shuichi’s bum is still partially below the water level.

Tatsuha rises from his seated position and moves behind Shuichi. He bends over Shuichi’s back and wraps an arm around Shuichi’s chest. Butterfly kisses are run along Shuichi’s neck. Tatsuha dips his other hand under the water and gingerly probes alone the crevice of Shuichi’s ass. When two fingers finds Shuichi’s puckered hole, he presses into it causing Shuichi to moan. The swirling oiled water from the tub acts as a lubricant. Shuichi is able to remain relaxed so all he feels is pleasure, no pain. Tatsuha’s getting quite hard and impatient. A few more thrusts and he withdraws his fingers and places his erection against Shuichi’s anus. He whispers “ready?” With a nod of assent Tatsuha pushes into Shuichi’s backside, burying himself to the base of his shaft. No adjustment time is given as Tatsuha begins thrusting in and out of Shuichi. Groans and loud moans fill the room as both men get lost in their lust.

Shuichi is getting hard again and his erection is pressed against the side of the tub. Each push into his ass also presses his throbbing erection harder against the tub wall creating much needed friction. Tatsuha pushes inward and as Shuichi bucks backwards. Contact is made on the bundled nerves deep within Shuichi. He lets out a gasped breath. Over and over the prostate is attacked until Shuichi again reaches his peak and comes. The ensuing tightening of his inner walls around Tatsuha’s length push Tatsuha over the edge and he comes. Tatsuha collapses against Shuichi’s back, still holding onto the smaller man. Their breathing is as hard and the pounding of their hearts. Both men are sated and exhausted.

Several minutes pass before Tatsuha can move. He stands up, pulling Shuichi away from the side of the tub. He finds the valve release and pulls it to empty the watery contents of the Jacuzzi. He grabs a towel as he steps out of the tub and wraps it around his waist. He extends a hand to Shuichi and aids him in getting out also. A towel is wrapped around Shuichi’s lower body and the ends tucked into the makeshift waistband. Tatsuha pulls Shuichi into his arms and holds him for a brief moment. He then pushes back and heads for the bedroom, leaving the assembled clothes on the hook. Shuichi follows and once in the bedroom, both men climb onto the bed. They wrap themselves around one another in a warm, loving embrace. In a matter of minutes, both are sound asleep.

TBC