Koushirou slowly walked across the kitchen floor, stopping at the end to look at the microwave clock. It read 12:52 AM, one minute later than the last time he checked it. Sighing, he slowly turned around and started walking in the other direction. He had been pacing the kitchen for the past half an hour, looking at the clock every time he passed it.

    He never liked it when Jou was late coming home from the hospital, and tonight was especially bad. Jou had called a few minutes before his shift ended to say that he would be late, but he didn't know how late, something about an emergency surgery that he had to perform. As Koushirou hung up the phone, he noticed how tired Jou sounded, and wondered just what was keeping his boyfriend at the hospital.

    That was three hours ago. Jou was rarely this late, and when he was, he would find time to call again, to let Koushirou know when he would be home. This time there was no call. Koushirou had no idea just how much later Jou would be, and that was making him sick with worry.

    Fifteen minutes later Koushirou was still pacing the kitchen. Watching the clock at every passing was proving to be too stressful for him, and was about to start pacing the dining room when he heard the front door finally open.

    Koushirou let out a mental sigh of relief. Thank god Jou was finally home, the redhead thought, as he honestly didn't think he could wait much longer before finally going out to look for him.

    As soon as Koushirou got a good look at his boyfriend, however, the worry he had just shed came rushing back.

    Jou was slowly closing the front door behind him, as if he thought Koushirou was asleep. He couldn't have noticed the redhead walking towards him, though, as his head was leaning down, his blue hair blocking his eyesight. His entire body was slumped over, and every move he made was slow and deliberate. Koushirou had never seen Jou this tired before.

    "Jou, you're finally home," Koushirou said, pulling him close. He looked into Jou's eyes, wondering what could possibly cause him to be so tired, and saw nothing but pain and sorrow swimming in a pool of black depression.

    "What happened?" Koushirou gently asked.

    "There was an accident," Jou replied, his voice hiding what his eyes could not. "A family of three was driving a car, and it was hit by a drunk driver. We tried to save them, but all three of them died. The drunk driver walked away with minor cuts and bruises."

    "My god, Jou, I'm so sorry..."

    "I was working on the mother," Jou continued, "And for a moment I thought she might just pull through. But then she ruptured an artery, and we couldn't stop the bleeding..."

    "That's terrible..."

    "And when I came out of surgery, I was told the father and the little boy had also died. I began to think that perhaps it was better that she died, so that she wouldn't have to suffer, that she could be with the rest of her family..."

    Koushirou merely stood there and waited for Jou to continue. No wonder Jou looked like he had been through hell. Hell would have been so much kinder.

    "The worst part," Jou finally continued, "is that the little boy was your age when your parents died. I began to think of what would have happened if you were riding that car your parents were killed in..."

    Once more, all Koushirou could do was hold Jou in silence. He couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of pain Jou was putting himself through.

    "Jou," Koushirou finally began, trying to chase away his lover's pain. "I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. You've had a horrible night, but don't make it worse by imagining things that never happened. I love you, Jou, and I will never leave you."

    He gave Jou a gentle kiss on the lips, and was not surprised when Jou broke it off. Koushirou was not discouraged, however; he was determined to help Jou dispel at least some of the pain that was festering inside.

    "Come to the bedroom," he whispered in Jou's ear.

    Jou did not respond, nor did he protest when Koushirou led him to the bedroom they shared.

    Koushirou laid Jou on the bed, leaning over him. "I know what a horrible night you've been through, and I want to help you feel better, to show you that I'm still here, and I still love you."

    Jou was about to reply, but Koushirou cut him off with a kiss. He forced open Jou's mouth, slipping his tongue inside.

    Meanwhile he began undressing Jou, pausing periodically to remove his own clothes and for breath. It wasn't long before Koushirou managed to undress them both.

    The auburn haired one then started kissing Jou's neck, eventually reaching his ear. "How are you feeling?" He whispered.

    "A little better," Jou replied

    "That's good, but I want you to feel even better," Koushirou started his kisses once more, this time going down Jou's chest. He paused once, letting his tongue play with a nipple, hearing gasps of pleasure. Satisfied, he continued with his kisses, eventually reaching Jou's rather hard erection.

    Koushirou started licking his lover's member before finally putting it in his mouth. He heard another groan from Jou, this time louder. Koushirou began twirling his tongue around the rock hard organ, as Jou's groaning became louder.

    Eventually, Koushioru heard a sharp cry as Jou came in his mouth. He swallowed the fluid, then wiped the excess from his mouth.

    "So," Koushirou whispered again in Jou's ear, "How are you feeling now?"

    "A lot better," he replied, still tired from his exertion.

    Koushirou smiled, partly to see Jou feeling better, partly because he planned to make Jou feel even better. He grabbed the tube of lotion that was kept on the night strand for such occasions.

    He put a generous amount of lotion on his finger, and ever so carefully slid it inside Jou. Jou immediately gasped at the intrusion, and Koushirou could feel the muscles tighten around him. He felt around for the spot he knew Jou had, before finally hearing a groan from the blue haired one, telling him of his success. Satisfied that Jou was loose enough, Koushirou began putting on a generous amount of lotion on his erection.

    "Ready?" Koushirou asked, straddling Jou's hips.

    Jou merely nodded, and Koushirou slowly and carefully slid inside Jou, feeling the muscles around him tighten once more.

    Slowly and gently he began moving in and out, stroking that spot with every passing, eventually hearing Jou groan from pleasure when the pain finally faded away.

    It was imperative that Jou received the most amount of pleasure possible, since everything that night was about making him feel better. Koushirou made sure he was extra gentle with Jou, and heightened his lover's experience by giving kisses and occasionally stroking his erection.

    It wasn't long before he heard a loud, sharp cry form Jou as he reached his orgasm, releasing his seed onto Koushirou's belly. The extra tightening of muscles around him was enough for Koushirou to reach his orgasm, and released his own seed deep inside Jou.

    After resting a moment, Koushirou pulled out of Jou and lay down next to him. He then felt a head on his chest as Jou cuddled next to him, and wrapped an arm around his lover; again making sure Jou was completely comfortable.

    "So, how are you feeling now?" Koushirou asked for the third time.

    "Much, much better, thanks to you," Jou replied.

    Koushirou smiled, and leaned over to give his lover a kiss. He was relieved to see Jou feeling better, as he seemed so depressed when he first came home. Looking down at the older man, he saw a genuine smile spread over Jou's face. It was true Jou would never forget the death of the young family, but at least all the self-induced pain was finally chased away.

    "I love you, Koushirou," Jou said, "and I know that you'll never leave me."

    "I'm so happy I was finally able to beat that into your head," Koushirou replied with a grin. He gave him another kiss, and watched as Jou closed his eyes, and eventually fell asleep.

    "I love you too, Jou, and I know that you will never leave me, either," Koushirou whispered, gently stroking his blue hair. Giving his lover one last gentle kiss, he closed his own eyes and was soon fast asleep.