[fic] Clockwork

[kiyala.livejournal.com]

Title: Clockwork
Author: kiyala
Word Count: 4178
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Kurosaki Ichigo/Ishida Uryuu
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: AU, mansex, SAP (come on guys, this is me we're talking about)
Disclaimer: Kubo Tite owns Bleach
Notes: For orangenoslide, as part of the new years 2009/10 exchange over at ishi_ichi <3

I'm sorry this is later than I'd have liked. Actually, I was working on ANOTHER prompt for something like a month before deciding to write something "smaller" to take a break using your "steampunk AU" prompt - and then that grew big too D: I'll finish the other fic for you too, hopefully soon!

Also, this is my first time writing steampunk. I hope I got it right D: The style of writing I used was also heavily influenced by the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik <3

(A great big thaaaaank youuu to lifeinahole27 for beta'ing this and putting up with my whiiiine. Any mistakes in spelling/grammar/sense are all my own fault.)

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The clock tower in the centre of town was not working. Ishida Uryuu worked efficiently, making the necessary repairs faster than the untrained eye could follow. He had a minute in total, thirty-six seconds now, in which to have the giant clock fully functional once again, before it became a problem. Time was important, and everyone followed the time displayed from the clock tower. It had been that way since it had been made and Uryuu knew that a minute's discrepancy would not cause any problem. Any more than that and things would be more difficult to fix.

The giant gears began to grind into motion again and he took a step back, satisfied but knowing that his work hadn't quite ended yet. In the middle of the night, when the more sensible citizens of the town were asleep, he would need to set the time a minute forward to make up for the time spent fixing it now. Checking his own pocket watch, he frowned at the thin minute hand through his glasses before finally deciding that his own watch displayed the correct time, snapping it shut and replacing it in his pocket.

The clock's mechanism was at the very top of the tower, along with the chiming bells, behind the clock face itself. Descending several flights of stairs, Uryuu returned to his room; a small room within the clock tower itself with a narrow bed, a small table and a lavish bookshelf. His table had four things on it; a half-read book, an opened letter and two cups of tea that were quickly losing their warmth in the cool air that came in through the high window.

Uryuu picked up the letter, caressing the paper absently as he re-read the messy, ink-blotted scrawl for the twenty-eighth time since receiving it in yesterday's morning mail;

On my way into town. Ship needs a month's repairs. Will visit as usual. Still four days' flight from home. I'll be there at my usual time.

The time was two-forty eight and it had already been a few hours since Uryuu had lunched. The tea on his desk was appealing, but he knew that he would not touch it until he had company. He knew the tea would need re-heating once said company had arrived, but in a touch of impatience, he couldn't help but pour it already in anticipation.

This impatience was the same reason he was unable to sit down and pass the remaining time by reading the book that was on his desk. Instead, he descended the stairs that led from the room down to the entrance at the street-level. Checking his pocket watch again, he was happier to see that it was five minutes to three. He settled to sit at the foot of the stairs, waiting.

Hearing the door handle turn, Uryuu rose to his feet and stepped closer to the door as it opened. The first thing he was greeted with was an excited bark, as a dog half the size of him gave him an enthusiastic greeting, large paws on his legs and tail wagging rapidly as he patted it.

"Zan, get down," came the command from the doorway and the dog lingered a moment longer before settling back down on the ground, tongue lolling out of its mouth and tail still wagging.

Uryuu, already smiling, turned to the figure in the doorway to find the familiar, bright grin greeting him as the door was shut behind them. Kurosaki Ichigo was his one-time rival, when they were school boys and since then, a companion, a friend and much more, which they kept to themselves. His uniform, varying shades of brown and green, all covered in a layer of dust, were torn here and there. The knee-length captain's coat he wore was the only piece of clothing with vivid colours; black with red trim around the edges, almost as bright as his hair, which was its usual mess with his aviator's goggles perched amongst the unruly spikes.

"Look at you," Ichigo murmured, not moving from where he was as his eyes drank in the sight of Uryuu. "Just like I remember."

They clasped hands, which was the most affection either of them would show this close to the public in the streets, just on the other side of the wooden door. Ichigo had a rucksack strapped to his back and a smaller bag by his side, which Uryuu picked up before leading the way up the stairs.

"Thought I'd be here exactly at three," Ichigo commented, checking his own pocket watch at the same moment the chimes at the top of the tower rang out thrice. The sound reverberated throughout the tower, which Uryuu was used to but Ichigo was not. He winced, shaking his head even when the chimes had stopped.

"The clock's a minute late today," Uryuu explained. "Repairs. I'll need to set the time forward by a minute when it's too dark for anyone to notice."

They placed his belongings down at the foot of Uryuu's bed, which the dog then sniffed through eagerly.

"Settle down, dog," Ichigo grumbled, opening a zipper at the top of his bag and extracting a plastic bag which had been tightly wrapped around a bone with a substantial amount of meat still attached. "There. Dinner."

Zan trotted away with the bone held between his strong jaws, clearly pleased with himself and once alone Ichigo turned to Uryuu, not caring to hide the affection in his gaze. His hands were on Uryuu's shoulders, holding him at arm's length before pulling him into a tight embrace.

"I can't believe it's been five months," he said quietly, as Uryuu's arms encircled him in return. "That's far too long, Uryuu. I missed you."

Uryuu, never one to admit his feelings so plainly, merely blushed in reply but the way he didn't let go of Ichigo just yet spoke volumes of how much he too had missed this. Reluctantly letting go of each other, Uryuu reheated their tea over the stove in the small adjacent room he used as a kitchen.

He was extremely conscious of the fact that Ichigo was watching him, but made no indication that he noticed. Unlike Ichigo, who was popular and affectionate, he did not have the same social prowess and tended to keep to himself. When they lived in their hometown, a smaller place a day's travel from where they were now, it had been Ichigo who had been responsible for any semblance of a social life he'd had.

"What have you been up to?" Ichigo asked as they sat down, sipping their tea.

"Reading," was the reply. Uryuu indicated his bookshelf, which had tripled its size since the last time Ichigo had visited.

Ichigo sighed, which Uryuu had expected. "You've shut yourself in here for all that time?"

There was also the watchmaker's shop he worked in every second day down the street. He told Ichigo this, but the expression the redhead wore told him that this hardly counted.

"I can't make friends, Ichigo," he admitted, into his cup of tea. "If I made friends, I would introduce them to you whenever you're here. And then when you're gone, they'd ask after you and I just—"

"Don't want to think about me when I'm away?" Ichigo suggested, the familiar scowl creasing his eyebrows.

"I don't want to think about you any more than I already do," Uryuu replied, his voice quiet but sharp. He held Ichigo's gaze for a long moment, feeling angry but unsure who or what to direct it towards. Looking away, he took another sip of tea. "And I think of you too much as it is. It wouldn't be good if people began to suspect things."

Ichigo leaned back in his chair, turning his teacup in his hands. "The ship's first lieutenant has a lover on the crew. Always a bit risky, doing something like that, but they're happy."

Uryuu said nothing, not seeing the reason Ichigo was mentioning it.

"...They're both men. No one on the ship cares, you know."

This made Uryuu snort quietly. "You're the crew of an airship. Everyone views your lot as being somewhat eccentric anyway. You've seen more places than anyone. No one's surprised if your views are a little... radical."

"It's not radical, Uryuu. We're just open-minded in the air. Everyone should be like that. You, of all people, should agree."

Uryuu's tea had finished and he kept his gaze fixed on the bottom of the cup as he spoke. "I do. More than you know, Ichigo. I don't like keeping this such a secret. If I could see you off at the ports, the same way women do to their men, without people doubting my upbringing or masculinity, it would make a great difference. But it doesn't work that way on land."

Ichigo made an unhappy sound that had Uryuu unconsciously reaching out towards him, stroking his cheek gently. Ichigo leaned into the touch and they rested their foreheads against each other.

"You mean everything to me," Ichigo said in his usual blunt manner. "And I hate knowing that every time I get on my ship, I'm leaving you all by yourself."

"And I tell you every time not to worry about me," Uryuu replied, taking both of their cups and washing them at the sink. "You still haven't learned to listen to anything I tell you."

"'Specially not if you tell me stupid things like that," Ichigo grumbled, getting to his feet and wrapping his arms around Uryuu's waist, hugging him from behind. "And you know, for once I'd like to come back to you to hear you say that you've missed me."

"You know I do."

"I want to hear you say it," Ichigo said, against Uryuu's ear. "Say Ichigo, I missed you, and I'll feel like less of an idiot for not being able to sleep for the past three nights because of how much I was looking forward to seeing you."

Uryuu turned so they were facing each other and took Ichigo's face in his hands, pulling him into a soft kiss. "I've missed you like mad, Ichigo. I'm glad you're home."

This made Ichigo smile as he pressed their lips together for the second time. When they'd moved away from their old town, for Ichigo to take service in a new airship's crew and Uryuu stayed to apprentice to an old watchmaker, neither of them felt entirely confident being so far from the comforts of everything familiar. Ichigo had said, the night before his ship left, that all they needed was each other. That as long as Uryuu was there, no matter where it happened to be, Ichigo would consider it his home too.

Five years had passed since then, and they'd only seen each other a handful of times with each visit lasting no more than a month, some barely lasting a week. They remained unshakeably loyal to each other, in their stubborn way, but even if Ichigo willingly admitted that he tended to be blind to the most obvious of things, he knew how to read Uryuu and could tell that the separation was taking its toll.

"Come," Uryuu's quiet voice broke through his thoughts, "Let me fix those tears in your clothes."

Uryuu was not pleased to see that the light, brown cotton shirt Ichigo wore hid a new scar. It went across his torso, from hip to shoulder, and the wound that caused it must have been deep, Uryuu noted, as he ran his fingers over it worriedly.

"Wasn't going to let pirates get my ship. And I've got a good surgeon on board," was all Ichigo said, after Uryuu had finished scolding him.

"What am I going to do with you?" Uryuu replied, exasperation written on his face but an undertone of fear in his voice. "Be careful, Ichigo."

"I'm not that easy to get rid of." He stroked Uryuu's hair affectionately, but could tell from the look he received that he wouldn't be forgiven so easily either.

Uryuu mended Ichigo's clothes, finding more in his rucksack including one that had been shredded across the front. His expression darkened as he clutched the material tightly in his hands before casting it aside. "There's no point in fixing this one."

By the time everything had been mended, Zan trotted back into the room giving Ichigo a meaningful look that had him checking the time and muttering to himself. "Time for a walk, I guess. Join me?"

Zan had a good memory for streets. While only three years old and having seen the town twice, he remembered the route they had walked in their previous visits and led them without hesitation. They hung back just a little, as the path was only wide enough for two to walk side-by-side and Ichigo took advantage of what little closeness he could get with Uryuu in such a public place. Passers-by gave Ichigo a range of looks in reaction to the aviator uniform, captains' bars and the goggles he'd left perched on his head; they ranged from approving to dubious and Uryuu noted with an uncomfortable prick of possessiveness that some of these approving looks were from young women and had very little to do with his profession. What Uryuu didn't notice, but Ichigo did, was the fact that he received some of the same approving looks himself.

While Uryuu thought very little of himself in the eyes of others, but Ichigo knew that regardless of his own personal biases, Uryuu was intelligent and attractive. He glanced at what Uryuu wore today; a pair of pin-striped pants tucked into knee-high boots, a dark grey vest over a pristine white shirt and a deep blue neckcloth, and ran his tongue over his dry lips in muted appreciation. He knew Uryuu was aware of the fact that he was being watched by the fact the tips of his ears were a faint pink and it made Ichigo grin.

By the time they returned to the clock tower, the sun had begun to set. Knowing that Ichigo enjoyed watching sunsets from the top of the tower, Uryuu had already left a blanket to sit on by the tallest window and once he'd made them tea, they climbed the narrow, metal stairs with Zan carefully winding up the spiral staircase right at the top of the building.

The sky was a brilliant shade of orange, shot through with purples and pinks. There was a row of factories before the sea and they were small silhouettes from their vantage point above all else in the town. None of them, including Zan, made a sound as they watched the sun disappear beyond the horizon and finally, as they watched lights slowly turning on throughout the town below, Ichigo leaned across and kissed Uryuu's jaw with an audible smack of lips.

"Glad I'm here. With you."

Uryuu merely blushed in response, giving Ichigo a playful shove. "I should cook dinner. You must be hungry."

They ate their dinner as Ichigo recounted what he'd seen over the past five months, from cities to other ships to battles he'd fought in. He blatantly ignored the fact that details of battles set Uryuu on edge and told those stories with just as much information as the rest. Uryuu washed their dishes as he listened to Ichigo's recount of the battle that had given him his newest scar, gripping the bowls tightly as he tried his best not to picture the scenes.

By this time, Zan had decided to go to sleep. His favourite spot was at the top of the stairs, just outside of Uryuu's room. Ichigo unpacked his sleeping bag and spread it out of the floor, leaving it spread open and covering it with the sheets from Uryuu's bed so they could both sleep on it. Not that either of them had plans to sleep just yet, from the way they watched each other.

Leaning forward to kiss Uryuu, Ichigo held him close before finally voicing the idea that had been floating around at the back of his mind for more than a year now. "Come with me when I leave."

Uryuu went still in his arms but before he could protest, Ichigo interrupted. "Think about it," he pleaded. "If you refuse, I want a good reason."

Frowning, Uryuu thought. "And why do you think I should?"

"Because then, you'll be with me," Ichigo said, plainly, "We won't have to settle for seeing each other once a year. You could be the surgeon's assistant if you want, like you were back in our old town, and we wouldn't have to worry about hiding anything. You'll love the ship and the only thing that would make me love it any more than I do is if I had you with me."

"Things are never that easy," Uryuu muttered, but he leaned into Ichigo's arms, quietly considering. "I suppose finding a replacement to watch over the clock tower wouldn't be too difficult. I have my savings and—this isn't a yes, so don't get excited," he said sternly, but his expression softened into a faint smile. "But it isn't a no either. Give me time."

"I could always cheat," Ichigo murmured, fingers tracing their way up Uryuu's back and scratching lightly at the nape of his neck. "I could remind you just how good things would be if we were always near each other."

"That's cruel, Ichigo," came the reply, Uryuu leaning back into Ichigo's touch, eyes sliding shut as the hand went to his scalp, massaging gently. "Definitely cheating."

Ichigo pulled him close, so they were sitting chest-to-back, and sucked gently on Uryuu's neck, one hand resting over his heart, the other one moving decidedly south, coaxing Uryuu's blossoming arousal to full hardness.

"I hate you," Uryuu gasped breathlessly, head falling back against Ichigo's shoulder as a hand gently undid the front of his trousers and slid past the material to stroke his erection.

"You'll forgive me," replied Ichigo, with confidence.

Turning in Ichigo's arms, Uryuu straddled him, kissing him hungrily. Quiet as he normally was, Ichigo knew extremely well that it just took a little push in the right direction to reveal just how demanding he could be if he wanted. After years of knowing each other, they knew just how to irritate each other, just as well as they knew how to blow each other's minds.

This was exactly what Uryuu was doing at the moment, grinding against Ichigo, with a hand gently rubbing over the front of his pants. He bit down on Ichigo's neck, drawing out a ragged moan. Chuckling, Uryuu pushed the coat off Ichigo's shoulders and began undoing the shirt underneath. "I'm unsure your crew would appreciate my reducing you to a moaning, incoherent mess on a regular basis."

"D-Doesn't matter," Ichigo mumbled as he was pushed on the floor, naked on the upper half of his body, and Uryuu crawled on top of him. "More."

Uryuu smiled, the way he always did when he turned the tables on Ichigo, and gently undid his pants, tugging them down. With Ichigo in nothing but his undergarments, Uryuu licked his lips in approval, extending a finger to press against the small wet patch that grew wetter at the contact.

"Why is it you're still dressed?" Ichigo asked, his words jumbling together due to his panting and barely coherent. He cursed under his breath as Uryuu's fingers massaged the head of his cock through the thin material and reluctantly pushed his hands away. "Wait a second."

He sat up, running a hand through his hair as his thoughts cleared. Uryuu was still fully dressed, with only the front of his pants undone, so Ichigo decided that his first priority was to fix this. Pinning Uryuu down and kissing him, Ichigo undid his shirt before returning to the pants.

Once they were both naked, still kissing each other hungrily as their hands wandered, they settled on the blankets. Uryuu had quickly retrieved the small vial of oil from his drawer, which he pressed into Ichigo's hand.

"I'll be gentle," Ichigo promised, which was unnecessary after all this time, but it made Uryuu smile, stroking his cheek in the candid, affectionate manner he reserved for times like these when they had each other entirely to themselves.

He kept an arm wrapped around Uryuu, holding him close as his fingers, slick with oil, prepared him carefully. As often as they submitted to their desires when they were together, those times were far in-between and they both knew to be careful for the first night. Ichigo scissored his fingers slowly, probing further, finding that one familiar place that made Uryuu gasp loudly and tighten his grip on Ichigo's arm.

"I'm only patient for so long," Uryuu murmured, his voice husky, almost pleading. "And I know you're worse."

This was very true; Ichigo's erection ached for attention and the thought of finally doing what he could only fantasise about for the past several months was more than he could bear. Withdrawing his fingers and rubbing the oil onto his length, Ichigo slowly rolled his hips forward, unable to hold back the appreciative moan at the feeling of the warm, tight heat that surrounded him. His mind fogged to the point of insensibility, where the only thought he could process at all was, Yes yes, finally, and he gathered Uryuu in his arms, holding him close and they rocked against each other gently. There was a part of him that wanted to pin Uryuu to the floor, screwing him as roughly as they'd kissed before, but for the most part, he was happier to have him close, to kiss him and listen to him panting in time to their movements.

"Love you," Ichigo said breathlessly, only brave enough to say those words when it could be blamed on the passion of the moment.

He heard Uryuu laugh, equally breathless between their gentle thrusts. "I love you, idiot."

Ichigo grinned at the fact that the insult had turned into a term of affection between them, and slipped a hand in between their bodies, closing around Uryuu's erection and pumping. Uryuu made a sound of pleasure, half-whimper and half-moan, which made Ichigo pump harder and faster, head spinning as they both neared their climax.

Ichigo came first, moaning against Uryuu's neck, who released soon after. They stayed as they were for a long moment, panting and struggling for both breath and coherency. Uryuu's arms, which had been tightly wrapped around Ichigo's shoulders, loosened slightly and they kissed, neither of them willing to pull away for a long moment.

"Come with me," Ichigo whispered against Uryuu's lips, once they did. "Stay with me. We'll share my cabin, I'll do anything I need to. I don't want to leave you behind this time."

Sighing loudly, Uryuu rested their foreheads together. "You're a dirty cheat and I'm going to make you remember that. I suppose that would be easier if I see you every day."

Ichigo beamed, kissing Uryuu again. Smiling despite himself, Uryuu held him in a tight embrace before finally disentangling himself from his lover. "We need to wash off before we sleep. I'm sure we're both tired and I doubt either of us have slept very much over the past few days. Come."

Once they're clean and under the covers, back-to-chest once again with Ichigo's arm possessively around Uryuu, they both drifted into a deep, comfortable sleep, content not only with the knowledge that they had a month together, but far more than that without having to part.

The month passed quickly, as it always did when Ichigo was on land. They stayed in the clock tower for three more weeks, before visiting their old town. Ichigo's father was overjoyed to see them both and Uryuu's father, while distant and disapproving on the surface, was equally pleased to see his son and even more so to hear that he would be returning to the field of medicine. Neither Ichigo nor Uryuu were brave enough to mention the fact that his new occupation was his last reason for joining the ship's crew.

The clock tower was a minute slow again when they were leaving. Uryuu could see it from the port, checking his own pocket watch against the time displayed to the rest of the town.

"Are these all of them?" Ichigo asked from beside him, watching as Uryuu's several boxes of books were transferred onto the ship.

Uryuu nodded, taking one last look at the town before following Ichigo onto the ship. He'd seen it before, but never had he taken the time to appreciate it. Before, it had only been something that carried Ichigo away. Now, with the two beds that had been pushed together in Ichigo's cabin, with the crew that happily welcomed him as one of their own, and with his new captain watching him with unchecked affection, Uryuu looked at it and saw home.


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