Warnings: Angst, Citrus. Angry and Lustful teenagers. You've been warned.

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~Mate~
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Seichirou sighed as his king bowed in defeat to Ren's queen once more. But he didn't seem all that unhappy. Certainly Ren wasn't; the night-haired, cocoa-eyed youth across the chessboard from him was grinning with more triumph than usual as he eyed his defeated opponent. "C'mon, c'mon...."

"Anxious, aren't you?" Seichirou pushed the chair back and stood in a motion impossibly graceful for most awkward high school students, 4th-year or no. And although he didn't mind losing, considering the circumstances, he wasn't about to appear as anxious as Ren was. He was going to maintain as much pride and dignity as he could, all things considered.

"To the victor go the spoils...." Ren grinned lecherously, happily letting his gaze take in the strong arms and well-built chest before him.

Shoulder-length black hair swung as Seichirou shook his head. "Only you would come up with the concept of strip chess..."

"Why shouldn't I? I always win. Although that third game was awfully close." Ren leaned back in his chair, fully clothed and warmly backlit by the slowly setting sun outside. Seichirou unfastened his pants and slid them down those powerful legs, Ren's eyes taking in every inch of flesh revealed. I really really love this game...I mean really... Ren thought ecstatically. To say nothing of how much I love the fact that Seichan prefers going sans underclothing...

He sighed happily and kicked himself up out of the chair. He walked over to his boyfriend and, still grinning, looped his arms around Seichirou's neck. "I do love winning. But I'm still sorry you lost. Just a little," he added when one dark eyebrow shot up in skeptical question. "So....let me make it up to you, hmmmm?" He leaned in and kissed Seichirou. He kept his eyes open while he did so, not needing to close them and resort to some dream world. Seichirou was wonderful; he didn't need anything except this reality.

"I think," the young Date replied when he could again, "that you should make amends, yes. It's only fair."

"Of course. I don't want to treat you unfairly." Ren nuzzled his love's ear and walked them both backwards until they hit the bed and tumbled onto chessboard comforter. Ren resumed kissing Seichirou with much more enthusiasm; as his fingertips brushed over, in turn, every erogenous zone he knew of, Seichirou's hands were deftly unhooking his pants, tugging at his shirt. It was a nuisance to sit up and help pull the shirt off, and even so long a separation as five seconds engendered an almost desperate response as Ren seized upon Seichirou's lips again.

Ren was intent upon his lover, upon "making it up to him", making him happy. Seichirou always seemed so very in control, but Ren wondered if there wasn't a part of his Seichan that didn't like that. One thing was for sure: breaking Seichirou's mental/emotional restraints, especially via sex, was Great Fun. It was even more fun than chess, and he had never believed such a thing was possible.

He was kissing down along Seichirou's neck while simultaneously wriggling out of his pants. All he could see was ebony hair and pale skin; all he could hear were the soft whimpering moans that were sure to grow louder as things progressed. All he could smell was the soap and shampoo Seichan used, along with the building musky smell of sex in the air. All he could taste was the quietly delicious taste of excitement generated between the two of them. Like...electricity.

And then suddenly, there was a startled gasp.

That didn't belong to Seichan.

Ren whipped his head up and around to the door and his eyes practically bugged at what he saw. "T...To....Tousan?"

Seichirou was quite definitely shocked. Ren at least was still wearing underwear (Ren at least wore underwear in the first place...). And....Seichirou had never met Asano-San. He didn't even know his boyfriend's father's first name.

"What...are you....?" the older Asano asked, shocked. He nearly filled the doorway, and looked impossibly modern in his suit and briefcase. "Nevermind. It's rather obvious what you're doing....in MY home."

"YOUR home?" The spell holding Ren immobile and impassive snapped almost audibly. "YOURS?? You're never here!!! NEVER!!!!!!"

"Ren, he has to go."

Ren crouched low over Seichirou, like a tiger protecting its family. "NO."

His father was now more shocked than ever. "What did you say to me?"

"I said NO. And I'll keep on saying it."

"Now look here...."

"Oh don't try to act the father NOW," Ren yelled at him. "You don't have the practice!!"

Asano-San stalked the short distance to the bed and attempted to pull Ren away from Seichirou. He might've succeeded had Seichirou not grabbed hold of his love as though some sort of reflex action had kicked in.

Asano-San's eyes flicked to the naked boy sprawled beneath his son and Ren saw what was going to happen the same way he saw an opponent's next move in their eyes. He jerked himself between his father's hand and Seichirou.

"STOP IT!!!" he screamed. "You're trying to discipline me NOW?? NOW?!??! After 18 YEARS of not even being around, you want to try to play the outraged parent? How DARE you? What makes you think I should listen to anything you say? Why should I listen to some stranger?? I have half of your DNA and your last name. That's it." His voice was pure dripping venom as he finished, "I don't really Have a Father."

The smack echoed in a room not normally providing of such resonance, and his father threw his son down against the disgusting boy beneath him, who caught him and held him protectively, eyes suddenly fierce. Asano-san blinked, caught off guard by the unmistakable light of warrior fire in otherwise peacefully violet eyes. But soon his anger rebuffed his amazement.

Ren, for his part, pushed himself up and away from Seichirou. Turning to face his father, he commented softly, hot tears in his eyes and his cheek slap-red, "I...I've finally found something...someone...I love as much as chess, MORE than chess, which is the only thing I ever really cared about before, and you want to take it away from me?" His voice was heating up towards his own anger again as he continued. "You wanna know something, 'DAD'?? I dated girls before. I even slept with a couple. But it didn't mean anything to me. Nothing at all. Seichirou is my first boyfriend. I hope..." his eyes turning briefly back to those of his lover's, "...my only boyfriend. So tell me, 'Tousan', what bothers you more? That I was having sex or that I was having it with another guy?"

"I am still your father. This is still my house."

"Your apartment. Your oh-so-empty apartment. It is nice though. I doubt your secretary has so nice a one as this. But you'd know that better than I would." His eyes were a challenge.

Asano-san moved as though to strike him again, but Seichirou sat up suddenly, and wrapped his arms around Ren protectively.

"Your mother and I pay the rent here. We give you all your money. You've never wanted for anything..."

"WRONG! WRONG!! I have!! I've wanted your LOVE. I've wanted your attention and...your PRESENCE. Your PRESENCE might've been enough. Yours or Mom's...or should I say Mrs. Asano's?...would've been...wonderful. You weren't there at my graduations. You weren't there at my chess meets. You weren't even there on my FUCKING BIRTHDAYS, and you think I've never wanted for anything? That's Fucking BULLSHIT."

"You watch your language!"

"Dad, with All Due Respect....Shove it up your Ass. You wanna kick me out? Fine. You wanna disinherit me, stop giving me money? Fine. I don't need you." There was a pause, and then, when he repeated, "I don't need you," it sounded...like fact. Not anger, not hate, not even self-denial. Honest truth. "I used to. But now...I just don't need you. I have Seichirou, who's willing to give me all the love you and Mom never did."

Asano-san saw it in his eyes, heard it in his voice, this sad, cold truth. Combined with the rage in the other boy's eyes, it was enough to make him stumble back a few steps. He shook his head, tried to speak. Nothing came of either gesture. He retreated...out the bedroom door, across the living room. The front door to the apartment shut with a soft click.

And it was only then that Ren collapsed, so suddenly it knocked Seichirou back down. He pulled his love in close to him and let him cry. Quietly he used Korin to heal the red stinging on Ren's cheek. "If only I could use Korin to heal your heart, itooshi...." "It's okay, Seichan. I...I'll be okay. Eventually. For now...." He snuggled up close, a child seeking comfort.

Seichirou stroked his fingers through Ren's hair and along his scalp soothingly, his other hand rubbing his back. "Hai. For now. For always, if I have anything to say about it." He thought about the scene just recently finished. "You won, you know...."

Ren shook his head. "No, not yet. But I do think I have him in Check. It's just a matter of time until he makes his move."

"You always win, remember?" Seichirou whispered softly, punctuating it with a kiss on his temple. "You have Mate in three, maybe less." He tried to grin, wanting desperately for Ren to smile.

Which, very softly, Ren did, sitting up to lock cocoa gaze with twilit violet as the last of the sun's rays dimmed and faded. "I think I may have Mate...in one," his voice low with significance as he bent down to gently brush his lips against his love's.