Page 24 of Doubts of the Egoist
With his fist pressed to his mouth, Yugo fought back a grin. He’d already forgotten how much fun it was to watch an embarrassed Kuon. The clear flow of emotions on the scarred face was fresh yet so painfully familiar that it stirred a longing in his chest and beckoned him closer.
Yugo waited until the laughter no longer bubbled in his throat, then approached the nail clipper. He picked it up, put it in his pocket, and went toward the bathtub.
With an elbow on the rim and ribbons of steam swathing around his torso, Kuon watched Yugo’s every move warily but without hostility. Droplets fanned out from his hand as he lifted it out of the water and brushed his chestnut hair back, spiking it. His bent knees parted, revealing the soaked fabric that concealed his most intriguing parts.
Two buttons popped free from their holes as Yugo pulled at his collar, then circled the tub to stop behind Kuon. The marble surround along the window wall left enough space for Yugo to reach the window from both sides and move around freely. Yugo’s hand landed on Kuon’s smooth, wet chest, slid across his collarbones, then inched upward to clasp around his throat. Kuon swallowed sharply, the movement reverberating against Yugo’s palm a second before Kuon’s chin lifted.
Yugo unscrewed the cap of the eye drop bottle with his teeth and turned it upside down. One by one, two crystal drops tore from the plastic tip and hit Kuon’s eye, where the black zigzags of thread suturing his cornea stood out against his rich brown iris. His pupils shrank, and his eyes filled with tears. He blinked. The scar tissue darkened where the excess liquid ran down his temples.
Flawed. Mature. Rough. The former cop couldn’t look more different from what Yugo usually found attractive in men, yet he couldn’t stop looking at him. The need to touch those scars, kiss them, lick them, and rewrite their origins corroded his blood; instead of doing so, he carefully repeated the ministration with the other eye.
Even when the bottle disappeared into his pocket, the brown, watery eyes kept looking at him in silent expectation. Rough lips parted. The trails on his temples glittered in the dim light as Kuon blinked again. His chin jerked in a silent demand for a kiss, and Yugo inched lower.
Their lips met. Velvet against velvet, his tongue brushed Kuon’s. A shuddering breath hit his throat. Powerful muscles flexed, veins swelling in his arms and lower abdomen as the younger man arched up.
Impatient fingers stabbed into Yugo’s shoulder and pulled him down. His shirt soaked through under Kuon’s grip as the upside-down kiss deepened. With lazy flicks of his tongue, Yugo explored the tender surface of Kuon’s mouth, swallowing the shaky breaths melting the air between them and the soft, needy noises coming from the back of his lover’s throat. Yugo’s gaze feasted on a thick blue vein throbbing on Kuon’s corded neck, the golden light glinting off the water droplets on his broad chest, and the soaked fabric of his boxers strained over his swollen cock. With a last long lick, Yugo pulled away. Unwillingly, Kuon’s hand released his shoulder, leaving a cooling, damp spot. Panting, they studied each other until Kuon lowered his chin.
Running his hand over Kuon’s shoulder blades, Yugo sat down next to him on the edge of the bathtub. His cock desperately wanted to play another game, but he ignored it,mentally preparing himself for what might be the first real conversation they’d ever had. “Go ahead, ask.”
“What’s the game?” Kuon rasped, fidgeting in the same kind of discomfort. The water rippled away from his hips as he rested his head back on Yugo’s thigh like a pillow and looked up with a heated gaze.
“Simon Says,” Yugo managed with a straight face.
“Simon Says? What are you, five?”
“Oh, it looks like you don’t want my answers. Fine with me.” Yugo shrugged and tried to get up when a wet hand grabbed his forearm and pulled him back to the edge.
“No, I’ll play. What are the rules?”
“Simple. You ask a question; Simon tells you what to do to get your answer.”
“I know how to play Simon Says. How do I know you’re not lying?”
“I give you my word. If that’s not enough, don’t play.” Yugo shrugged again. He didn’t intend to lie or tell the whole truth, but to say just enough to ease his lover’s mind.
“Can I ask you anything? Will you answer even the most uncomfortable questions?”
“You can try, but the price will be higher.”
“What if I ask something you refuse to answer?” With his eyes cautious and hair standing on end, Kuon resembled a wet sparrow. Yugo fought the urge to ruffle his hair, not sure if he would be able to stop once he started touching it. “Like something work-related?”
“Then you won’t get an answer. I’m not going to discussmy work with you. Not yet, anyway.”
“Fair enough…” Kuon muttered, but he didn’t look disappointed. “What if I refuse to comply?”
“Then I won’t answer. Not now, not later, so choose your questions wisely. Ask away.”
“Fine. You said there are cameras all over the mansion. Do they record audio as well?”
The familiar, stubborn glow settled in the depths of his dark eyes.
Yeah, being a cop isn’t a profession; it’s a diagnosis.Yugo snorted to himself, noticing the flicker of the former Kuon through the hardened, rough shell. It’d been a while since Kuon’s face had shown real interest, not indifference or desperation to escape the darkness and boredom. He loved it.
He rested his forearm on Kuon’s chest and turned his palm up, offering it. “As an act of good will, I’ll answer this one almost for free. Simon says, give me your hand.”
“For the record, you sound ridiculous…” the younger man grumbled but obediently slapped his wet palm over Yugo’s. “Can’t we be adults and skip this Simon says thing?”
“Is that a question?” Yugo jeered, rubbing Kuon’s knuckles with his thumb.
