"You really don’t have to worry about Hisoka," Tsuzuki assured Sohryu, tagging anxiously after the dragon back to his rooms.

"He’s ill omened," Sohryu snapped, glaring straight ahead. When was Tsuzuki going to start learning how to be careful?

"I’m sure it wasn’t him," Tsuzuki persisted, following through the fountain room.

Never was clearly the answer to Sohryu’s question, and he sighed. Neither of his children had given him a quarter as much trouble as his master. He rounded on Tsuzuki, hems flaring out with the speed of his movement, and caught the man’s shoulders. "Have better care for yourself," he scolded. "This world is not as well protected as it once was."

Tsuzuki stood still and trusting between his hands, smiling. "But you’re still here."

Sohryu fought not to slump in defeat. Had he done his job too well? Was that why his master wandered around in this mooncalf innocence?

But he could hardly do less. Not for Tsuzuki.

A hand touched his chest and he looked up to find Tsuzuki smiling more softly. "It will be all right. Believe me."

Sohryu looked aside. "All right," he muttered, finally.

Tsuzuki made a happy sound and promptly hugged him.

Sohryu snorted and crooked his fingers at the door to bid the lock turn. He should never have let Tsuzuki get the idea that it was all right to be so familiar with him, even in private. And, to be honest, he knew that one bark of reprimand would make his master back away, conciliatory.

But then Tsuzuki would look at him with sad eyes.

He was a fool, Sohryu decided as he swept Tsuzuki up, folding his master in strong arms and soft layers of cloth, safe the way he always should be. He settled Tsuzuki against the cushions of his bed and wrapped himself around him, hair slipping down to shield Tsuzuki from everything outside.

"You’ve been sleeping poorly," he stated, fingers tracing the faint shadows under Tsuzuki’s eyes.

"I can’t stop thinking about some of our recent cases," Tsuzuki admitted, mouth tightening.

"Hm." There were several ways to deal with that, but it would take some time to produce enough sweets to do it. In the meantime, Sohryu supposed he could use the other way all the shikigami shared. He set his fingers under Tsuzuki’s chin and lifted it, kissing Tsuzuki firmly. Tsuzuki gasped, hands tightening on Sohryu’s sleeves for a moment before relaxing. His lips parted and he made a soft sound as Sohryu’s tongue swept into his mouth.

Sohryu undressed Tsuzuki swiftly and undid his own sashes, shedding the layers of his robes with a shrug the better to wind around Tsuzuki. Tsuzuki was pliant for him, skin flushed and eyes hazy, and Sohryu thought that Tsuzuki wanted the peace of exhaustion as much as Sohryu wanted to secure him that peace.

He slid into Tsuzuki on long, slow thrusts and Tsuzuki made breathless little moans each time, legs straining wider until Sohryu’s hands kneaded down them gently. "Relax," he told his master. "You say I’ll take care of things. So let me."

Tsuzuki’s smile was sweet and fragile and Sohryu gathered him up, kissing him with passion and concentration until he cried out.

When Tsuzuki finally stilled in his arms Sohryu stroked back his damp hair and brushed a kiss over his forehead. "Sleep," he whispered, weaving his power into the command, and felt Tsuzuki catch hold of the magic, climbing down it into rest. He sighed with a shade of relief; that only ever worked when Tsuzuki let it, and he could be so foolishly stubborn sometimes.

He watched Tsuzuki sleep, stroking his forehead to smooth the lines away, tender here as he could not afford to be outside the doors. Whatever it took to protect Tsuzuki, he would do it. He’d known that from the first.

Whatever it took.

End