Author's Note: I revised this story because I felt that it was shaky in places and lacked attention in others. There were also quite a few discrepancies in the plot if anyone noticed. Not much has changed in the first part, just some altering here and there and the addition of a poem. The next parts may be modified a little bit more drastically. Be warned of male/male graphic sexual interactions and other themes which may offend. Copyright ©July 27, 1999 by Silver Rayne™

Sparring Partner
By: Silver Rayne

I sit back in a chair thinking of you...
Holding back the feelings, I cried for you...
The tears slowly fall from my chin

I won't let go of the feelings I have of today...
The memories of us are frozen in my mind...
I want to remember everything just the way it is.

I wish, how I wish I had been there...
I wouldn't have dried up even if I cried and cried...
I wish, how I wish I had been there...
I've gone on living even though.

- Cry
Street Fighter 2V

Part 1

“HADOUKEN!”

A flash of blue-white light sped off into the distance, exploding somewhere above a small field. As it died out in a wave of small flickers or light, Ryu calmed his fighting stance and smiled. Or at least it seemed like his lips moved, one could never be quite sure. There were only a few expressions that this Shotokan warrior was familiar with; tolerance, strict attentiveness and mild amusement.

To one side of the dark, tanned fighter stood his best friend of several years. It bothered Ryu that Ken took a unique interest in his powers. For whenever he was practicing, Ken would occasionally creep forward too close. The hadouken was not a safe or easy movement to perform. Anyone within range might be a potential target if Ryu were to lose control or aim incorrectly. Still, no matter how sternly he warned his friend, Ken refused to listen. The idiot was attracted to the fireball like a moth to a flame. No shying away from it.

“I don’t know how you do it.” Ken shook his head in amazement. He looked down at his own hands, the ones which weren’t accustomed to holding a fireball. Only Ryu could fully harness the energy of the hadouken (wave motion fist). A powerful fighting technique which could seriously injure or even kill an opponent. Although this was true, Ken preferred to think of it as a skill to master. A flashy trick to catch attention and stylize his own fighting ability.

“Practice, Ken. If you were to remain focused…”

“Oh, shut up!” He gave his best friend a playful shove and bent down to gather up the remains of their afternoon picnic. “It’s getting late. If we aren’t back for dinner, my dad will call an army to find me.”

When Ryu had decided to visit America, he automatically assumed that the Masters’ family would be gracious enough to invite him into their home. Lucky for them they had more than enough space to accommodate many guests. He liked Ken’s parents a lot because of their modern attitudes towards life. They were polite, inquired as to how he was getting by but didn’t ask too many uncomfortable questions. Just the way he liked it, calm and easygoing. Nothing to stir up arguments.

However, it shook Ryu up to learn that Ken’s parents had changed their son’s curfews and house rules. In the past, Ken had been allowed to go wherever he pleased and not have to report back in every hour. Evidently, this was no longer the case.

“Do they know what happened?” As he asked this, his dark eyes scrutinized Ken curiously.

“Not entirely. Guile helped me recreate some parts, like when Bison was swept off of the astral plane.” Ken laughed a little at that. “Can you imagine what my mother would have said? I’d be in therapy so fast my head would start to spin.”

They were currently discussing their misfortune that had occurred a year ago. When a psychotic man with unbelievable powers and influence had kidnapped Ken and tried to use Ryu for his own evil purposes. Bison had demanded that Mr. Masters hand over a couple of billion dollars for Ken’s safe return. Instead, Mr. Masters, being the rich and untrusting man that he was, hired special agents to go undercover and rescue Ken. The very touchy situation had led to violence, damage and hurt feelings. Neither of the two friends had mentioned this incident before today.

Guile was one of the two agents sent in to rescue Ken. His partner, Nash, had been with him from the ending of a bloody war. They worked well together and even received numerous commendations for their exemplary performances. However, Nash was one of the unfortunate casualties of Bison’s world. He had died, murdered by Bison himself and that was something that Guile would not soon forget. Even though the sergeant had suffered a great loss, he still managed to secure Ken’s future sanity. He was one of the few who realized how heroic both Ryu and Ken had been. To some point, they may have even saved the world from a force unknown to mankind.

Ryu shielded his eyes from the fading sun and helped Ken clear up the plates. Ever since that incident, even though Ken was eighteen years old, he still had to beg to leave the house never mind the country. So, this was the first time in a year that Ryu had come overseas to visit his best friend. To him, it was an eternity. He could have written his best friend a short letter, maybe mailed over a token of their friendship. But for some strange reason, he always lost the nerve. Visiting in person meant not backing out with excuses and prolonging their estrangement.

“Your parents don’t mind that I’m staying over for a while, right?”

“So long as you don’t get me kidnapped, they’re okay with it.” Ken couldn’t meet Ryu’s gaze when he nearly bumped into him. This happened far too often. During sparring, the intensity of physical contact would determine just how uncomfortable he became. So far, either Ryu honestly didn’t notice or he ignored the odd behavior.

Time for a change of subject. If they dropped this subject and never came back to it, there would be no regrets. Who really wanted to remember chains, screaming and a litter of corpses?

“You’re still refusing to cut your hair?,” Ryu teased. He took hold of Ken’s red-blonde ponytail and gave it a gentle tug. “If you don’t get rid of it soon, you’ll start to look like a girl.” His laughter was over exaggerated and slightly nervous. Moving closer, he began to stroke the hair casually with his other hand. Petting it like he would a stray cat, only this felt much softer.

“Do you want me to cut it?” It was a direct question and at that moment, it sounded as if Ken would do so if Ryu answered with a ‘yes’. His friend’s influence over him was pretty solid and had yet to find a boundary. If Ryu jumped off a cliff, it might not even take a moment’s hesitation for Ken to follow him. That was how tight their friendship bound them. Any tug on that binding might choke them both.

“Not really. It suits you.” Abruptly, he allowed the trail of hair to fall back between Ken’s shoulder blades.

“Then I won’t cut it.” He hadn’t wanted to anyway. What would he taunt with if he had no long hair to flick around? Bad habits died hard. Ken headed back towards the mansion where he lived, counting the twenty minutes it would take to reach his front door from the gates. “Why did you suddenly decide to visit now? I mean, all of the letters I sent to Japan never got a reply. You must be really busy…not being able to write and all. I even included pre-paid postage on the return envelopes.”

“Ken, you know that you’re my friend. Letters just don’t do it for me. Speaking to you directly is more personal. Besides, my Shotokan training sometimes takes me places which aren’t accessible by postal couriers.”

“Yeah, yeah! The life of a Shotokan master is never complete. Live on the earth, live of the earth, become the earth…nag, nag, nag.” Ken tried his best to goad Ryu into a match of wits but his friend wouldn’t be taken in.

“Who are you quoting?” The puzzlement on Ryu’s face was genuine but Ken ignored him.

Sometimes, it was best not to joke around with Ryu. He either never understood the humor or didn’t find it amusing. There weren’t many people around like Ryu Hoshi, he was one a kind. Devoted to the life of a martial artist, never complaining, always on his toes. Striving to be the best of the best. It got to be annoying but Ken was his best friend and supported Ryu whenever he could.

Was there a way to distract Ryu from his musings? There had to be and Ken seemed to know just how to do it. Challenge him by using the exact form of fighting that they knew so well. Rough-housing.

Ryu was walking along, thinking of how small Ken had been when he was only ten years old when a dead weight jumped onto his back. Long legs clamped onto his stomach like a vise while strong arms gripped his throat. Nearly choking him.

“Ken Masters!” He grabbed his friend’s shoulders and swung him over his head. It was never very hard to dislodge Ken because he never bothered to use a tighter grip. If he had, Ryu might be sporting a few ugly bruises by now.

Ken landed gracefully and snapped a few kicks at Ryu which would have left any man groaning at his flexibility. Some of his split kicks had to hurt but Ryu was too decent to ask if they did. On most grounds, they were evenly matched but when it came to comparing certain traits, many lines divided them. While Ken benefited from an uncanny reserve of agility and speed; Ryu made up for it with sheer strength, stamina and endurance.

Every blow by Ken was blocked or avoided entirely as Ryu sized up his fighting ability. *Is that all we’re going to do? Just fight and compete as we always have? Has nothing changed?* Ryu stepped forward, feinted with a punch then locked Ken’s wrists together behind his back. “Weren’t we going to dinner?,” he asked coldly.

Having been beaten so effortlessly was a blow to the ego for Ken. He strained against Ryu and glared at him sideways. *All you ever think about is your stomach. If I wasn’t so tired, I could mop the floor with you.* “You know where the dining room is. I’m going to lie down.” He sulked off when Ryu released him, angry at his friend for not fighting fair. Deep down, he knew that this was not why he was so upset. It was because he had given his friend an opening, a chance to press the advantage. But once again, either his friend was too slow to catch on or didn’t have any interest in pursuing him.

~*~*~

The dinner table was extremely uncomfortable for Ryu, sitting across from Ken’s parents. Ken ended up skipping the meal and that left Ryu answering questions and looking like a jerk all by himself. These parents were not the same as he remembered them from last year. They seemed to be testing him with their questions and gauging his responses. As if they didn’t trust him, thought he was a threat to their son. Who could really blame them after Bison?

Ryu managed to politely excuse himself as the dessert was carted out. Sacrificing desert meant that someone was going to have to pay for it. He ran up the stairs, two at a time, thumping up several levels before reaching the top. From there, his destination was only a few feet ahead. He burst into Ken’s bedroom, not even bothering to knock.

Inside, Ken was reading a book while lying on his stomach, his elbows propped up on a pillow. Actually, it was more of a comic book than anything educational. He had enough tutors dropping textbooks into his lap. This was his down-time where anything with pictures was easy reading.

“That’s more important than eating?” Ryu plucked the comic from Ken’s hands and turned over the cover. “X-Men? Why are you reading this garbage?”

“Lighten up, Ryu.” He stole it back and found where he had left off. “It’s much better than sparring with you. Unlike you, it goes on past the first page.”

“What are you trying to say?” So much for the unlimited patience and tolerance of Ryu, the almighty Shotokan master. His anger was bursting at the seams and it rarely inflated that far. “You’ve been giving me nothing but crap from the moment I came here. What is your problem?”

Ken peered up at his dark, messy haired friend to see if he really was flaming red. Yes, definitely red. “That has got to be the most human reaction I’ve seen from you in years.”

“Is this some sort of game you’re playing? Because if it is, I’m not going to stay here and be the object of your childish plotting. We’ve been friends for too long and I don’t have to put up with this.”

“Give me a break!” Ken rolled over onto his back and sat up. “We aren’t friends! You know exactly what we are, sparring partners. That is how I was introduced to you, as my rival. We trained together and fought against our friendship just as hard. Why change all that now? You don’t want a friend…it’s too much trouble for you to handle any kind of personal relationship. At least when we sparred together we had something to connect with…now we don’t even have that.”

Ryu spoke through gritted teeth. “How dare you say that?!! I’ve been your friend for nearly eight years and all you can think about is trying to become a better fighter than I am. I have never been anything but generous and kind to you. Does my friendship mean so little to you? And what do you mean by saying I don’t have any personal relationships? Just how ‘personal’ do you want our friendship to be?!!”

For a second, Ken blinked as if stunned. He didn’t like the intonation Ryu had implied on one of the words. It made the whole sentence seem kind of sinister. “So I like to be competitive, so what?!! That’s not the point. You just meditate and keep striving to be some sort of monk. When have you ever spoken to me as a friend and not a spiritual being? Never! You just come to visit, sit on your ass and look up at the stars. Well, I’m sick of it. Why should we be friends if all I am to you is a reminder of how weak you could be? You must really pity me to even waste your time.”

As the words were sinking into Ryu’s thick skull, Ken slipped out of the room as silent as a ninja. Flinging the comic book onto the floor for his friend to enjoy staring at. When Ryu was going to speak, he noticed that Ken had disappeared. *Weak, my ass. That was sneaky, Ken. You always get to have the last word.*

~*~*~

“SHOURYUKEN!!!” (Rising dragon punch)

As soon as Ken’s feet touched the ground, he was up again performing the only secret maneuver he knew. It was an uppercut punch which surrounded his fist with the spiritual essence of a dragon. His move was not only half as good as Ryu’s, lacking the range and power of the Hadouken, but Ryu knew it as well.

*That one’s for you, Ryu.* Ken repeated the Shouryuken and then imitated Ryu’s Hadouken stance. *I can do it. I know I can. I’ll show that stiff-faced creep who’s better.* His hands flashed forward, palms striking outwards to slap an unseen enemy. The fingers curled slightly, wishing to blast a fireball from the make-belief cage he had created between the space separating his hands.

“HADOUKEN!”

Nothing happened. No spark of light, not even a puff of smoke. *I’ll learn it even if it kills me. Anything is better than running into Ryu, wherever he is.* He prepared to try again but a warm hand took hold of his arm and halted the next attempt.

“We need to talk.” There was Ryu, showing up when Ken least expected to see him.

“There’s nothing to talk about.” As Ken was pulling away, Ryu moved his hand up Ken’s arm, electricity followed. Ken faltered, blinked, then became dizzy. Practicing a technique he knew nothing about had physically drained him. The sensation of being touched so gently had turned his nerves to dust.

“Whoa!” Ryu caught Ken as he stumbled over his clumsy feet.

All Ken should have been hearing was the wind, and Ryu’s heavy breathing, but the only sound he noticed was the beating of Ryu’s heart against his chest. It didn’t matter that they weren’t very close, he could still hear it. A rhythmic thump-thump striking Ryu’s chest with the increased power of his breathing.

“I’m okay,” Ken whispered, as if afraid the sensation would dissipate. A slight buzzing still warmed his flesh, he didn’t want it to go. More precisely, he didn’t want Ryu to let him to go. To welcome in the frigidity to his body again that had been chased away by that slight contact. *I want you.* As soon as the thought escaped Ken’s mind, he rapidly paled with fright.

“Are you sure? You seem to be unbalanced. Do you want to sit down?”

“No, I just got a little dizzy,” Ken reassured him. He was now inhaling the strong musky smell of Ryu which only made him more unbalanced. An overwhelming masculine odor that left his mind reeling with possibilities. It didn’t take long for him to react to the pheromones his friend was releasing: Ryu was incredibly aroused. Without realizing it, Ken had leaned forward to inhale the rich scent and rest his head on Ryu’s shoulder.

The electrical charge thickened, causing Ryu to hiss through his teeth as he fought to keep his erection from jabbing Ken in the stomach. *This is…awkward.* He couldn’t remember when he had done so, but his arms were wrapped firmly around Ken. His lips were moving away from Ken’s forehead. *Did I just kiss him?* Ryu had to struggle with his brain to control his body’s actions. He had never wanted to make any sort of physical contact with Ken, and it was all because he knew what would happen if he did.

“Did you say something?” Ken raised his head to look into Ryu’s eyes. Those dark eyes which revealed pools of mysterious power and seduction. Before Ken could stop himself, he was swept into those eyes, staring as deep into a churning stream of power.

“I…no.” Then more firmly, “no, I can’t say enough to make up for what I’ve done and how I’ve treated you. You were right…about everything. I made no effort to sustain our friendship. All this time, I’ve been acting so selfish regarding my own goals in life, not crediting you for the sacrifices you have made. You have done a lot for me…more than I can every repay.”

“About the other day, I didn’t mean those mean things I said. You are my best friend. I don’t think you’re selfish…maybe stiff and unemotional but not mean.”

“It was the truth and I deserved to hear it. I’ve never been open with anyone about my emotions. But I…care about you.”

“You do?”

Suddenly, Ryu buried his face into Ken’s neck and inhaled the sweet smelling fragrance of his cologne. His lips brushed over that flesh, sneaking his tongue out to taste it. Slowly covering his friend with light, almost non-existent kisses. He squeezed Ken tight against his body, showing him how he felt. Rubbing his hips erotically in circles, grinding his erection against Ken. Searching for a method of relieving this all too familiar predicament.

“Ryu,” Ken moaned. “What are you doing to me?” He clung onto Ryu’s neck, unable to hide the smile which graced his lips as their groins met. The sudden pressure caused him to moan again, unconsciously spreading his legs further apart.

A small sigh settled across Ken’s ear. “Can’t you sense it? Don’t you know how attracted I am to you?” Ryu’s voice was getting deeper and huskier, filling with lust. “Did you really think that I just hung by your side to practice with you? How I have misled you…”

“I was hoping that it was more than my poor fighting skills which kept you coming back.”

“If you weren’t my best friend, if I wasn’t bound by Japanese tradition…” Ryu swore in his native tongue and slid one hand to grasp Ken’s buttocks. “But I’m not…and Sensei is not here for me to mind my manners.”

“Hey! What’re you…?” The question was bit off by a sharp cry when Ryu pressed his hips into Ken’s.

“This is to stop all those jokes you made about my size when we were kids.” Ryu thrust his hips harder into Ken’s, holding him still. Gripping him by his ass, pulling him harder into the rocking of his lower body. “Now I have this funny feeling that you really wanted me to prove something.”

“I was only kidding. Oh gawd!” Ken dug his fingers into Ryu’s back and began to moan at the way Ryu was rubbing their erections together through their pants. The heat and friction made his knees turn to rubber. He could feel the shape of his friend’s cock, poking between his legs, trying to thrust underneath him. To find a spot where Ken was vulnerable and unable to defend. Like a fighting tactic only this plot was intended to be sexually satisfying.

The more Ryu rubbed against him, the more Ken could barely remain standing from the way his legs were quivering. Ryu’s strength was a good thing after all since he ended up supporting them both. Again and again, Ryu yanked Ken towards his hardness, creating a very wet warmth in his friend’s pants. He felt Ken shift, annoyed when his cotton briefs began to ride upwards. Ryu wasn’t doing so well either, his own boxers were clinging to him in a sticky bundle.

Ryu grabbed Ken’s buttocks with both hands and lifted him into his next thrust, causing Ken to nearly scream. He quickly bowed his head into Ryu’s shoulder and bit down as hard as he could to stifle his reaction. They both came at nearly the same time. Panting hard, Ryu lowered Ken back down and swept back his friend’s sweaty hair. Ken was attempting to move but was too exhausted, shivering with his release.

“Now do you know why I had to keep you at arms length? You’re going to hate me later,” Ryu complained.

“Not likely.” Ken kissed Ryu’s swollen bruise where his teeth marks were visible.

“I guess your parents won’t want to see that.” A sly grin masked Ryu’s lips. “Now I have something to blackmail you with.”

Ken smiled back with a suggestion of his own. “There’s plenty of things you can blackmail me with. Most of them are much better than this. But…you can’t blackmail me unless you actually do certain things. Do you want to know what those things are?” He licked his lips seductively.

“We’d better get inside unless you want your dad coming out here and shooting me in the head.” The real reason he needed to get to a private area fast had something to do with Ken’s teasing lure. Ryu became quieter as he gazed at his friend and how delicious he looked. “Besides, we need to go over this ‘friendship’ thing.”

~*~*~

It was taking Ken pretty long to clean up in the bathroom so Ryu had to find something to occupy the time. He couldn’t let his brain keep thinking about what he had done not one hour ago. His vest and cut off track pants were dry and comfortable to sleep in, unlike his crumpled gi in the washing machine. To avoid questioning by one of Ken’s maids, he had also washed his own boxer shorts and hung them out the window to dry.

During the time that he spent just waiting, he began to remember when he had first met Ken. A young, undisciplined youth that had wanted nothing more than to spend an ordinary summer with his parents on vacation. Instead, for lack of better measures of teaching their son how to behave, Ken’s parents had sent him to Japan. How fortunate that they chose Ryu’s dojo to enlist their son in. There had never been a dull moment with Ken’s fiery personality darting around him in circles.

Ken padded into the room wearing a pair of slippers and a long, thick robe. He was still drying his hair off with a towel, looking more than lightly refreshed. Probably had spent so long showering to prepare himself for what Ryu had planned for the rest of the night.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to remember if you’ve always been this cute.”

“You’re very slick, Hoshi.” Ken laughed, not realizing the potential for twisting around his words.

“You have no idea,” Ryu joked, taking the unintentional bait. “I thought you’d never get in here.” He tackled Ken onto the bed but noticed that his friend didn’t seem to be in the mood. The fear began to sink in. “No, let me guess. You hate me now.” All the color left his face and he slunk to the floor, dismal with grief. “I knew it. I shouldn’t have.”

Ken tapped Ryu’s head and offered him a spot back on the bed. “It isn’t that. I want to talk first.”

“Geez! Why didn’t you say so?” Up he went, smiling and full of energy. As he leaned closer to Ken, he attempted to breathe in the fresh, tropical aroma of the shampoo which was still lingering in Ken’s waist long hair. “Mmm, you smell good enough to eat.” His hands greedily caressed Ken’s face and neck, breaking both of their concentration.

“Can we just have a simple conversation?”

“About what?” He circled Ken’s waist with his arms and dragged him over to sit in his lap. Ryu would have been content to just hold onto Ken and never let him go. But there had been enough waiting and now was the time for action.

Unfortunately, Ken had become nervous from the way things were heading. He had always been shy when expressing himself to Ryu as anything but a friend. This was a man that he’d been attracted to for most of his teenage years. It wasn’t that he was gay because girls caught his eye as well. But only Ryu made the physical bond deeper and more intimate. It was Ryu that he wanted to be with. Only Ryu understood him, cared for him and had that special connection which, up until now, had remained hidden.

“Ken? Are you still there?” Ryu waved his hand in front of Ken’s face.

“Yes. We can talk about anything.”

“Anything,” he repeated, drumming it over in his head. “Well, I’ve always thought that you were irresistibly cute. Not to sound like a typical guy, but you really look awesome in a pair of tight blue jeans.”

Was this the same Ryu who kept silent during parties or averted his gaze if someone were dressed indecently? It was as if an enormous dam was broken inside of the Japanese martial artist and all of his true emotions were flooding out. He had never been one to compliment anyone or ever give his opinion unless it was philosophical in origin. This new attitude of his was strange but welcome in their current situation.

“That doesn’t sound intelligent at all.” Ken’s face was flushed with embarrassment. He was flattered that Ryu appreciated his body but he was beginning to feel odd. “Why don’t you tell me about what you’ve been up to in Japan?” *Without looking at my legs,* he added mentally.

“Not intelligent? I’ve known you for too many years, Ken. You’re just too shy to accept my compliments. And talking about Japan will be very boring for you.”

“Try me.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Ryu turned Ken around and straddled him onto his back before pressing their lips together. *This will shut him up.*

All of the color left Ken’s face but Ryu kept him pinned. *What are you doing? This can’t be right.* Ken wasn’t sure how the whole kissing thing was supposed to go but he suspected that Ryu was doing something wrong. It was partially due to the fact that both fighters liked to struggle for dominance. One did it as a natural instinct while the other only put up a brave front to gain respect. It became obvious shortly after who was in control of their environment.

*Hmm, Chun Li said that this was how it was done. We practiced on each other until we perfected it… I think. Is it me or him?* Ryu tentatively stroked his tongue over Ken’s bottom lip and got a shiver in reply. *I knew it wasn’t me.* He grinned and settled down lower onto Ken, abruptly ending any of the wrestling they had participated in.

Ken shut his eyes and imagined that he was in heaven with Ryu, all of his fantasies coming to life. He was so warm and secure in this man’s embrace that he never wanted it to end. Only, it did when Ryu’s tongue passed through Ken’s lips and caused him to moan. Stiffening, Ken arched his back and shoved at Ryu, reacting instinctively to the violation. Ryu paused to kiss Ken’s throat and move down his neck, leaving wet traces of his affection. He sensed that Ken needed reassurance so he cooled off a few degrees.

“Ryu,” Ken practically purred, his long lashes shielding the big brown eyes beneath. Long strawberry blonde hair tussled from the shower and Ryu’s fingers grasping him by it.

Licking his way back up Ken’s neck, Ryu untied his robe and yanked it open as he kissed his friend’s mouth once more. This time it was more passionate and hotter, the temperature seeming to rise with every movement they made. *So much for taking my time.* Ryu felt that if he didn’t relieve the aching inside of him fast, he’d explode. Worst of all, there was only one thing he craved which would appease that aching. Would Ken be willing to test their friendship and break all the boundaries of his limits to please his best friend?

When Ken freed one hand to free Ryu’s vest from his track pants, he accidentally brushed Ryu’s cock which was straining through the material. He listened to Ryu’s breathing change pace to a frantic heaving before returning to normal. Curious, Ken stroked up the inside of Ryu’s left thigh and brushed past his erection again.

This time, Ryu was ready and snatched Ken’s wrist to pull his hand away. “You’re such a little tease,” he murmured, kissing Ken’s cheek. “Next time, watch where you put your hand.” He released Ken and helped him out of the robe before unbuttoning the pajama shirt.

“So, I should lie here and let you be the one in charge?” His fingers clenched around Ryu’s throbbing member through the pants and instantly heated up. Neither of them expected that, especially Ken who didn’t know what to do. It was as if an unnatural craving had been let loose from within and he could do nothing but obey it. He wanted this, needed it, more than anything he had ever desired before.

“Ken,” groaned Ryu, falling on top of him. He couldn’t believe that Ken was touching him there, holding him with a tenderness he had never felt before. Now Ken was trapped beneath him, utterly immobilized by Ryu’s weight but his hand held on. “Don’t blame me for my actions if you aren’t going to behave.”

Then Ryu was covering Ken’s hand with his own and placing it inside of his pants. He tried to pull back but Ryu closed his hand over his throbbing cock.

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” Ken whispered with uncertainty. The thickness of Ryu’s flesh was strange touching his palm and the bristle of Ryu’s pubic hairs scraped his fingers insistently.

“No. Go ahead, you wanted to and now I’m letting you.”

Ken slowly moved his hand up to Ryu’s head where it was slick with precum. He trembled a bit as his friend hardened even more inside his grip. Then he was stroking harder and faster when Ryu begged for more. No matter how quick or powerful his hand moved, it never fully satisfied Ryu. Up until that moment, Ryu had been docile in his own pleasures. Now, he was stripping Ken and running his fingers all over Ken’s smooth flesh.

The sensation Ken felt as Ryu’s thumbs softly rubbed his nipples was enough to leave him writhing. He circled them with more pressure before kissing each one. Then Ryu was bending down and flicking his tongue over the sensitive areas, sucking them into his mouth. Still licking them one by one while occupying the other between two fingers that pinched the flesh to until they strained for more attention.

“Don’t stop,” Ken pleaded, his own ministrations forgotten. Ryu’s cock was still slipping in and out of his grasp from moving hips. Shoving Ken backwards with the momentum of the movement.

When Ken thought that he had reached his peak, Ryu slid his pants to his ankles and then sifted his fingers through the auburn hair between Ken’s legs. “Should we be talking now?” Ryu knelt down and kissed Ken’s fine hairs before licking straight down his friend’s shaft. Pressing warm lips to the slippery tip of Ken’s cock.

A drawn out cry was the only answer he got. That and a harsh tug on his own shaft. “No more, please…I’m going to pass out.”

“Just when we’re getting to the best part? You wouldn’t do that to me.” Another lick and Ryu could taste Ken on his tongue. It was a very good taste, halfway sweet but not without a salty flavor to it. “We’re best friends, right?”

“Yessss,” it came out as more of a hiss when Ryu swallowed him and started to suck on his rigid cock. In return, Ken cupped Ryu’s balls and started to knead at them with his fingers. Attempting to pull his lover off of him for another kiss but not succeeding.

Inside, Ryu could sense that he was losing it. Anytime now and he would not be able to hold back. He didn’t want that, not yet anyway. He carefully pried Ken’s fingers loose and clamped his mouth around Ken tighter.

It was a furnace inside of Ryu’s hot mouth, and so wet that Ken couldn’t keep his hips from raising to meet Ryu’s rhythm. The sheets ripped slightly when he shredded his nails through them in tiny holes. Then, Ken moaned deliriously and came as Ryu swallowed everything he had to offer. Ken fell back onto the bed, spent and exhausted.

“I didn’t think that we’d go this far.” Ryu’s hands ignited Ken’s skin wherever he touched him, still not finished.

“You can be very persuasive,” Ken whispered, his mouth dry from moaning.

Ryu licked his lips and slid off his own pants to toss them onto the floor. Upon seeing how stimulated Ryu had become, Ken realized that it wasn’t over yet. This excited him, wondering how he was going to satisfy Ryu. He crawled between his lover’s legs and was about to suck on him when Ryu gently pushed him back.

“Do you have any lubricant?,” Ryu asked desperately.

“I don’t think so. Why?”

A quick scan of the room brought a bottle of body oil to Ryu’s attention. He flung off the cap and dumped a good amount into the palm of his hand. Then, he rubbed it over his cock, making sure not to miss any spots.

Watching Ryu doing this enticed Ken to want to help and he did. His fingertips slipped off a couple of times but Ryu said nothing. He was about to ask why Ryu wanted it done when he was embraced tightly.

“Ken, …you know how I feel about you, right?”

“I think so.”

“I love you,” Ryu said with fortified conviction. “I’ve always loved you, even when you play hard to get.”

“I love you too. I never thought that you would admit it to me.” There were tears in Ken’s eyes. He cherished every kind word which Ryu said to him as if it were the last. It meant so much to him that he never lose his best friend.

“There’s a reason why I’m telling you now.” He easily slid one of his slick fingers between Ken’s buttocks and deep inside of him. “I wouldn’t do this to someone I didn’t love.” Then, he carefully watched Ken’s expression for any sign of discomfort or lack of consent. He would not do this against his lover’s wishes if it was not to be permitted.

At first, Ken was scared. He could just imagine the pain associated with what Ryu wanted to do. It had never occurred to him that his friend would want him in this way. They could not get anymore intimate than this act. The final union between them as physical partners. Ryu moved his finger in and out, making Ken spread his legs to fully benefit from the intrusion. It did hurt initially but the erotic sensations far surpassed that of a little discomfort.

Ken hugged Ryu around his neck, breathing unevenly into his ear. Every time Ryu probed further, Ken would be forced to lean onto him so that he could have the access he needed. Gradually, Ryu was stretching Ken with three of his fingers dipped in the oil.

“Are you ready?” Ryu kissed Ken passionately without hearing the answer. The look in his friend’s eyes told him what he needed to know. There would be no hurt feelings or shameful regrets in the morning. It was past the point of no return. Ken was about to lie onto his stomach but Ryu stopped him. “I want to be able to see your face.”

Ken lay on his back with Ryu kneeling between his legs. He didn’t protest when his legs were raised under Ryu’s armpits to clamp tightly to his chest. In their current position, it would be quite easy for penetration to take place. *Always considering me first,* Ken mused. His first time would not be meaningless or a one time thing. His friend was playing for keeps.

“Be gentle,” Ken joked, although it came out as more of a request.

“Aren’t I always?” The tip of Ryu’s head pressed against Ken’s virgin entrance, making him bite back a small sound. Another push and Ryu was halfway in, leaving Ken to claw at his thighs in an attempt to sit up. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah…just need a second…or two.” He closed his eyes and forced himself to relax, allowing Ryu to enter him completely.

Ken’s anal muscles were contracting and pulling Ryu in even further until he was thrusting his hips in and out to break away from Ken’s control. He seized Ken’s buttocks and crushed him upwards to meet his hips. There was pain and pleasure written all over Ken’s face as he beckoned his love in as deep as he could possibly go by grabbing onto the back of his thighs. It was too much for either of them.

Ryu buried his cock inside of Ken to the hilt and thrust one more time, filling Ken with his seed. Beneath him, Ken screamed out in total ecstasy, tears streaming from his eyes. The scream caused Ryu to collapse beside Ken, bringing him onto his side so that he wouldn’t have to withdraw just yet.

“I love you,” Ken sobbed, hugging Ryu around his neck as the pain subsided into a dull throbbing.

Now that Ryu had visibly deflated, he slid out of Ken and helped untangle his lover’s legs. “I love you…and how flexible you are,” Ryu teased. The emptiness that he had attempted to dismiss as a martial artist was gone. Not a bit of it lingered. He had fulfilled his wildest dream and satiated the pounding in his heart. Ken lived in that empty space now, clutched to his heart forever.

“You won’t leave again, will you?” Ken’s eyelids were drooping, his entire body shutting down.

“Never. If I do, you’re coming with me.” He kissed Ken’s nose and secured him tightly in his arms.

That night, they slept peacefully under the sheets, knowing that they would never be whole again without the other. With Ryu by his side, Ken would never be alone.

End of Part 1