Fic: Ucchii's First Kiss (Utsusemimaru)

[libbydango]

(the utsusemi part of Utsusemimaru's name is a slightly old-fashioned word for "cicada")


The sun finally began to set on the summer solstice celebration in Iwaizumi Moushinosuke's palace, but his company of loyal samurai had been passing around the sake bottle for hours already by the time it disappeared behind the mountains. Their revelries winding down, the warriors began breaking off into small groups or pairs to while away the rest of the evening in quiet conversation or drunken trysts. It was how Jurota found himself alone on the veranda with Utsusemimaru, who fixed him with a playful grin.

"Does something weigh on your mind, Jurota?"

It was no surprise to Jurota that Utsusemimaru would ask; he had not once taken his eyes off Utsusemimaru during the past few minutes.

"Something does indeed," was his reply, and his brow furrowed.

Utsusemimaru sobered a little. "Please be honest with me, my friend. I shall do anything in my power to ease your worries."

"To be frank," Jurota said, setting his cup down and leaning back, tucking his arms into the sleeves of his yukata, "I was wondering why you sat silently while the others were sharing stories of their first loves. Yours was one I wished to hear especially."

Utsusemimaru blushed. "Surely that cannot be of interest to you."

"No?" Jurota chuckled. "You'd be surprised."

He slipped one of his arms out of his sleeves and filled up Utsusemimaru's sake cup once more. "So come on. Out with it. Surely it cannot be worse than Gentarou's was."

Utsusemimaru sipped nervously.

"It can be neither worse nor better for it does not exist."

Jurota laughed. "Come, come. That can't be true, surely. We all know you're shy, but..."

"It is as true as anything I say. I have no story of love to tell because I have yet to experience it."

Trying to cover for any awkwardness on Utsusemimaru's part - and to distract his own attention from the way the last rays of sunlight caught Utsusemimaru's hair - Jurota scratched the back of his neck and said, "Well, love maybe not. But it doesn't have to be a love story. What about your first kiss?"

Utsusemimaru was silent, his blush steadily deepening. At last he shook his head.

"You're pulling my leg! Seriously?!"

The situation was starting to get dangerous. Jurota knew as well as any in Iwaizumi's company that Utsusemimaru was off-limits - though their lord always got defensive and changed the subject when questioned about the rule. Jurota had always just assumed Iwaizumi was the one taking Utsusemimaru to bed, but Utsusemimaru didn't seem capable of telling a lie, not even for their lord's sake. If anything that blush certainly looked honest. Honest... and quite attractive.

Jurota grabbed his cup and downed the rest of his sake. Dangerous was hardly a strong enough word to describe it.

"So... is it that you never wished to seek companionship, or...?"

Utsusemimaru sighed. "No... though I am loath to admit it, I do envy the rest of you at times. But I do not fraternize much outside of the company with those my own age, and within it my lack of experience despite my years puts me in an awkward position."

Unbidden, Jurota called to mind a few other awkward positions he would be pleased to see Utsusemimaru in. He cleared his throat, if not his thoughts. "But... you do have the inclination? If someone were to show interest."

"Of course."

The wistful expression on Utsusemimaru's face, still flushed with embarrassment, proved irresistible. Jurota leaned in then, keenly aware of how close together they were sitting. "It's a shame to think of you spending any lonely nights, Utsusemimaru. You deserve more than that."

"Jurota?"

"It's a shame... to think those lips have never been kissed..."

Maybe it was the sake making his head spin, or maybe it was the way Utsusemimaru's lips trembled as he repeated, "Jurota?"

It was remarkably easy to close the space between them and press his lips to Utsusemimaru's in a gentle kiss. The younger samurai was still for a moment, but when he did relax it was with a sigh so sweet that all doubts fled from Jurota's mind. Once he had recovered from the initial surprise, Utsusemimaru, it turned out, was as responsive and yielding as Jurota had guessed he would be. Utsusemimaru submitted eagerly when Jurota coaxed his way into his mouth, making a needy sound in the back of his throat and clutching the neck of Jurota's yukata to draw him closer. Jurota cupped Utsusemimaru's face with one hand, pressing the other flat against Utsusemimaru's back to ease him down onto the tatami.

The cicadas were loud in the approaching nightfall. Jurota broke the kiss to smile down at his own little cicada.

"Will you sing just as loudly as they do, Utsusemimaru?"

Utsusemimaru flushed but reached up to pull Jurota closer. He was just leaning down for another kiss when-

"JUROTA!"

-Iwaizumi Moushinosuke's voice boomed from the doorway.

"... E-Evening, my lord."

"Oyakata-sama!"

At least he had given Utsusemimaru a good story to tell.