Akira lay in Shirogane's arms and wondered if humans, or shin for that matter, could purr. He felt like he wanted to try. The sun had gone down, but the air was still clear and warm with spring, and Shirogane's hands were just that comfortable bit warmer as they slid up and down his back and over his shoulders.

"The shadow in you is thinning," Shirogane murmured against his hair.

"I'll take care of it. Watch what I do, so you can learn it."

Now Kengo frowned, stubborn. "I should do more than that. I can do more than that, I know it."

Echoes of the past twitched at Shirogane's nerves and he told himself firmly that Kengo was nothing like Homurabi had ever been. "In time."

"All right, you said you found something," Lulu said, settling on Kou's best chair. "So what is it?"

Kou blew out a stream of smoke. "Think it's the king you want. You'll never believe who it is, though." He certainly hadn't.

"Hah! Take that!"

The screen flashed with colorful explosions and Akira tossed his controller down in disgust. "You're even a demon in games."

"Mm." Kou hadn't looked away yet. "So you're not worried he'll be pissed off if you just show up unexpectedly?"

"Probably will be," Akira allowed. "So what?"

Kou choked on a swallow.

"Sometimes he needs something he doesn't want to admit to." Akira shrugged. "So I should know how to go."

Kou laughed through his last few coughs. "Yeah, you're you all right." He leaned back, mouth quirked. "And totally in love too, aren't you?"

Akira jerked upright. "I am not!"

Whenever Akira had changed in the past he'd been too occupied with, most usually, almost dying to notice before he was suddenly waking up again. This time was different. This time, Akira could feel it happening, like walking down a see-saw and reaching the fulcrum, the tipping point, when uphill suddenly became downhill and the world turned over.

Shirogane's hand stroked down his back and the thought escaped on a sigh. "Do you ever undo your hair?"

Shirogane paused and lifted his head. He was smiling but his eyes were darker than they usually were in bed. "Not... for some time," he murmured.

Akira hunched down on his chair. Great. He wasn't supposed to sleep with Shirogane because of his past incarnation; yeah like that made sense.

Akira was getting used to the fact that he couldn't have a calm, normal walk home from school, anymore, with nothing more exciting than maybe a gang of seniors wanting to beat him up. If it wasn't kokuchi it was some shin and if it wasn't either it was Aya. And he was starting to think he preferred the attacks to the friendly conversation.

"So." Aya swung her school bag casually in one hand. "You and Shirogane, huh?"

"Hey." Kou shook his shoulder gently. "I get it. It's only natural." He sighed. "I just worry about you with him."