Psync by Zile Elliven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Eli

Everything was a bit of a blur when they finally touched down in Japan. Eli would have expected it to be something akin to a religious experience, visiting the country he’d been obsessed with since he was little. Instead, jetlag had joined forces with the stress of suffering a blackout and having a fight with Haruka to create a surreal bubble around his mind.

He allowed himself to be led through customs and responded automatically when given the perfunctory questioning by airport security. It was only when he was bundled into the back of a massive black limo that he came back to himself.

Haruka was buckling him in, lifting his arm out of the way like a doll when Eli asked, “Where are we going?” He tried to tug his arm out of Haruka’s grasp, but it was held in a gentle, but iron grip as he finished buckling Eli in.

“Home.” Haruka took Eli’s chin and lifted it, placing a light kiss on his lips. Then another one that lingered and grew until Eli’s head was spinning and he’d forgotten what they’d been talking about.

Haruka didn’t pull away until Eli was gasping. Unconsciously, Eli reached for Haruka to draw him back in and grumbled when he didn’t budge.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that,” The twinkle of mischief in Haruka’s eyes didn’t make him look sorry at all. “I think it’s better to stop before I forget where we are.” Haruka motioned toward the glass divider between them and the driver. “I don’t want anyone else to hear the sounds you make when I fuck you.”

“Oh my god, Haruka.” Eli groaned and tried to bury himself in the seat cushions. He failed because Haruka had been too thorough when he’d belted Eli in. How the hell had he forgotten they were practically in public?

“I promise to make it up to you when we get home.” Haruka leaned back, and the heat that had been building in his eyes banked and went dormant.

Something about how easily he’d regained control irked Eli.

He really shouldn’t. He knew he shouldn’t, but there was something in him that wanted to knock down the walls Haruka so effortlessly built around himself, and it made Eli say, “You’ll be lucky if I ever let you touch me again.”

Haruka’s eyes flashed, and he raised an eyebrow. He leaned in until his forehead was touching Eli’s. “You say that like it’s a deterrent. But we both know you like it when I hold you down and make you cry.”

Eli hissed as all the blood in his body tried to get to his dick at the same time.

Haruka cocked his head to the side like a bird of prey when it saw something interesting. “Don’t look at me like that unless you want me to forget about not wanting other people to hear you.” His thumb ghosted over Eli’s lower lip.

Words stopped being a part of Eli’s toolbox of abilities.

How quickly Haruka could take him from a thinking, rational person to a being of pure sensation. One whose sole focus was Haruka and Haruka alone.

Distantly, Eli heard the sound of leather protesting as it was crushed under Haruka’s hand, now very close to Eli’s head.

“If you are very, very good for me right now, I won’t fuck you into screaming my name until we get to my room.”

Eli was having trouble remembering why exactly it would be a bad thing if they didn’t wait.

“Because I think you will be very upset with me once your head clears.”

That felt a lot like future-Eli’s problem. Now-Eli was positively vibrating under his skin. The way Haruka’s eyes were glued to Eli’s lips as his fingers flirted with the seam made him think it wouldn’t be difficult to push him into doing anything Eli wanted him to.

Night black eyes watched him closely, waiting to see which way Eli would tip.

It would barely take any effort at all, one little bite, one tiny little lick, and Eli knew he’d be getting his ass pounded into the leather seat of the most expensive car he’d ever ridden in faster than he could blink.

But . . .

Haruka didn’t like to share. He’d made it clear that he wanted to keep this part of Eli all to himself, and it felt wrong somehow to take advantage of the fact that Haruka would give Eli anything he asked for just because he asked for it.

“I’ll be good.” Eli squeaked.

Haruka closed his eyes took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders. When he opened his eyes, the fire was slumbering once more.

They took the bullet train to Osaka, which was freaking awesome—or at least it should have been, but Eli couldn’t stop thinking about what had almost happened in the back of the limo.

To distract himself from the sexual tension still buzzing under his skin, Eli looked out the window and proceeded to act like a three-year-old at Disney World.

“Look at the size of that Sanrio store!

“How is it possible for everything to be crowded and beautiful at the same time?

“Can we go to that shrine sometime?”

He wanted to see everything, do everything, and talk to everyone. Eli had never experienced anything quite like it in his life. And through it all, rather than teasing him, Haruka simply gave an occasional hn in response to the nonstop stream of chatter Eli couldn’t keep to himself.

After about an hour, Eli’s brain went a little numb from sensory overload, and he felt his head begin to nod. Before gravity could exert itself, Eli felt Haruka’s large hand guide his head down to rest on his boyfriend’s shoulder.

✽✽✽

Eli woke up in another limo. Either he had suddenly become an incredibly heavy sleeper, or Haruka’s magic touch was just that good.

“Good timing.” Haruka’s voice rumbled under Eli’s head. “We’re almost home.”

“This is your home?” Eli sat up, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head as he tried to take in the towering chrome and glass skyscraper before them.

The limo breezed through the security of the private entrance and stopped in front of a private elevator. The driver got out and opened the door on Eli’s side, took a step back and lowered his head respectfully.

Eli brushed Haruka’s hands away when he tried to unbuckle his seatbelt. “I’m not three.” His hands were shaking from overstimulation, but he managed to trigger the release.

“Wait.” Haruka put a restraining hand on Eli, halting him before he got out of the car. He held out Eli’s brain meds and a bottle of water.

“Oh.” He’d completely forgotten. The change of time zones combined with his blackout had him so out of sync he didn’t even know what day it was, let alone what time it was. How the hell had Haruka remembered? Eli touched his chest. There was a little glowing ball inside, and it wanted him to say mushy things. “Thank you.”

Eli swallowed the pills and tried to exit the car but was stopped again until he drank the water he’d been offered. “Pushy jerk,” he said, trying to suppress a smile.

“Stubborn cat.”

“I’m excited, sue me. Can we go now?”

“Hn.”

Eli catapulted himself from the car before Haruka could change his mind.

“Who isn’t three years old??” Haruka called after him, taking roughly five hundred thousand minutes to join Eli at the elevator.

“Kidnappers don’t get a say in how their captives behave.” Eli’s eyes darted to the driver, only then realizing his words might be taken seriously. “He didn’t actually”—shit, what was the word for kidnap in Japanese?—“um, steal me, I really want to be here, I promise.”

Then he realized he’d been speaking in English to Haruka, and the driver might not have understood him in the first place. He smacked himself in the forehead and resisted the urge to climb inside Haruka’s jacket until the trip was over.

The driver didn’t move from his position by the car door, but there was a hint of a smile on his face.

“Can we go before I die of embarrassment?” he whispered miserably.

Haruka placed a large hand on the back of Eli’s neck. It was warm and grounding. All of the crazy energy that had been building momentum since Eli woke up settled, and his body relaxed. He resisted the urge to purr, but his limbs went all floppy without his permission.

When the elevator doors opened, he allowed himself to be led inside, letting the pressure on the back of his neck guide him. When the doors closed, he leaned into Haruka’s side and just existed, enjoying the way Haruka folded him into his warmth, still keeping his hand firmly on the back of Eli’s neck.

Fuck anxiety meds, he had Haruka.

The elevator made a soft chiming noise, and the doors started to open. Automatically, Eli sprung away from Haruka. This was his home after all. What if he wasn’t out to his family?

The loss of contact with Haruka shot his stress meter to a five. When the doors opened all the way, Eli saw an older, statuesque woman smiling at them. She had Haruka’s eyes, but her smile was nothing like his. Behind it was a hidden blade, dripping with poison.