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“Sorry I’m late,” Will said as he got closer. Itori didn’t move, just kept gazing up at the stars. “I–how are you?”

As he got to the tree, he lowered himself down onto his knees to be eye level with Itori. He saw at once the fatigue on his face.

“Look,” Itori said, and then raised his arm to point farther down the road.

The moon was a sliver, and Will had to squint in the dark to see it.

But out of the gloom, he recognized piles of dirt. Piles and piles of dirt.

“Tomorrow they will take this tree,” Itori said. His chest rose and fell with a deep breath, as if the sorrow of that thought was dragging him down, folding him in.

Will’s heart spasmed. He looked from the dirt to the tree, and then to Itori.

Then he made a decision.

He pulled his shirt up and off, tossing it carelessly at one of the tree branches. He made quick work of stripping his pants and underwear next, and discarding them. Then he knee walked into Itori’s arms, tucking himself close.

Itori’s arms wrapped around him.

“I won’t let them kill you,” Will vowed, his face pressed into Itori’s shoulder. “I’ll figure something out.”

“You have done so much,” Itori said. His hands found Will’s hair and sifted through it. “It is just not enough. We cannot shore me up as quick as they can tear it down.”

Will pulled his head back, his hands finding Itori face, thumbs rubbing over his cheek as Itori had done to him.

“I will protect you.” Will tilted his head down until their foreheads were touching. He felt Itori’s next big breath, scented oranges in the air. “Let me make you strong again.”

He tilted his head and kissed Itori. This time, Will’s kisses weren’t tentative, they were full of anger and need and fear. He kissed Itori like it might be the last time, and he wanted to leave a mark.

Itori returned it, his kisses becoming fierce and biting. Will sank into it, letting himself be devoured. A sharp tip of one tooth grazed his lip, and he felt the heavy press of Itori’s hands on his hips. He moved his body encouragingly, rocking up against Itori, opening his mouth to let Itori’s tongue slip inside.

Everything was wet and warm. When he was with Itori, it was like nothing was wrong in the whole world. Like Will was exactly who and where he was supposed to be.

The first round between them finished quickly with Itori’s hand wrapped around the two of them, stroking as they shared kisses back and forth. After, just as Will was catching his breath, Itori raised his hand to lick clean the mess.

Will, on a whim, pulled the messy fingers toward his own mouth.

Itori had slick, long fingers, and they slid into Will’s mouth easily. He was delicate with them, keeping the claw tips raised as to not prod Will’s tongue. Will sucked gently, licking the bright, orange flavor away.

He wanted to ask why Itori tasted so much like oranges, but he imagined the answer was like anything else about Itori. He was just like this. His people tasted like oranges.

Or was it the other way around? Did oranges taste like Itori? Had the same lifeblood of the land that gave Itori energy, also supplied the fruit?

That was a nice thought. That Itori didn’t simply live here, he was the beating heart of the land.

When Itori’s fingers slipped out of Will’s mouth, Will leaned forward to kiss him, spreading the taste between them.

“You taste so good,” Will said after a handful of kisses.

Itori made a thoughtful noise. “You taste of food often. But your pleasure always tastes of the sea.”

A hot flush went over Will. “Is that… good?”

“I like it. Most of all, I like the taste of our pleasure combined.” Itori reached down between them as if to touch where his cock was slowly retreating back inside himself. Will looked too.

“It must be convenient to have it tucked away,” Will said.

“Humans do not have the same,” he said, statement not question. “But is it not distracting to have it always out?”