It was always the same.

No strings attached—

No lingering feelings—

No love.

It was just sex.

Just sex.

Just sex.

It wasn’t like he was in love. Or at least, it wasn’t like he could act on his love.

Tendou and Semi had a very… complicated relationship.

It began a Thursday night after one too many beers.

Okay— Twelve too many beers.

Semi was a lightweight, so he was finished after about five of the piss-tasting drinks, but Tendou was able to finish the remaining seven without gaining as much as a subtle blush dusting his cheeks. The other, though… The other had a rough night.

A bad night.

A bad night.

His elbows were on the table, head resting in his palms.

He slurred about how he wouldn’t cry—

About how he wouldn’t act this way again—

But yet again, Shirabu had usurped him…

“Why does he take everything?”

The crack in Semi’s voice is what coaxed Tendou to look up from his final bottle. He stared for a few moments; head now tipped to the side. He could see the slow forming storm that loomed over Semi – could see the rain that trickled from his eyes… the cloud that began to blur his mind.

“Semisemi…” Tendou said in a softer voice. “Don’t say it like he means to—”

“I know he doesn’t, Satori!”

The sudden snap elicited a palpable silence between them. Tendou wasn’t offended by any means. He was more surprised than anything else.

“I’m sorry…”

Tendou shook his head. “Don’t be. You’re okay, Semisemi…”

The ex-setter slowly looked up, his glassy eyes meeting Tendou’s for a moment before glancing away.

“Am I unattractive, Satori?” An audible ‘pffft’ was heard from Tendou and Semi shot him a weaker glare. “I’m being serious!”

Putting his beer down, Tendou crawled over to sit beside Semi.

“My dearest Eita~” he purred in a playfully sweet voice. He reached out and cupped Semi’s cheeks, smiling. “Even like this, snot and all, you’re sooo~ pretty.”

Semi clicked his tongue. “Idiot.”

He leaned into Tendou’s larger hands, his eyes falling shut momentarily. Thick lashes dusted his pink cheekbones, fluttering slightly as he sighed.

The sight made Tendou’s chest oddly tight.

His mouth was dry.

That was when Semi’s eyes opened, and their gazes met.

That was when it began.

That was when Tendou threw fire into the wind—

That was when Tendou broke his own heart.

His lips were so soft but so hungry—

His hands were shaking slightly as he feverishly tugged and pulled at Tendou’s clothes; first his shirt, then clumsily fumbling with the waistband of his track-pants.

Their mouths were desperate; Panting—

Swallowing one moan to exhale another.

Tendou felt as if he was on fire the entire time—

Especially when he saw Semi beneath him:

His lips were swollen, His eyes were hooded, darkened with some sort of lust Tendou had never seen before.

“Make it stop, Satori,” came his broken whisper. Tendou had been fixed on the constellation of red and purple that painted Semi’s neck when the other had spoken. “I don’t want to feel this way anymore, Satori…”

His hand trembled, reaching up to trace Tendou’s heated cheek.

“Take it away, Satori… I don’t want to think about them anymore…”

His mouth met Semi’s palm, tongue rolling against the calloused skin.