nealuchi | temper your love

Title: temper your love
Fandom: Fate/Grand Order
Character(s): Ritsuka, Taigong Wang
Pairing(s): Taigong Wang/Ritsuka
Genre: Angst/Smut
Word Count: 770
Rating: R
Warnings: None
Summary: Jiang Ziya requires a great deal of mana, more than other Servants.
But it's fine. This is fine.
Notes:

Without a doubt, Jiang Ziya is the worst Rider Ritsuka could have possibly brought with him today.

Not because he isn't useful. The enemies that block their way in this Singularity are all divine in nature, and opponents that anyone else would struggle with, Ziya makes short work of.

But that was before they were cut off from Chaldea, with both Dr. Roman's voice and the supply of mana going dead. Before they were separated from Mash, somewhere in this labyrinth of empty buildings.

"Do you have fangshi to find someone's location?" Ritsuka asks, pulling the door closed behind them. It won't hold up to an enemy assault, but it's better than being out in the open.

"Of course I do! Without a doubt, I can find Lady Mash. But…" Ziya hesitates. "After casting something like that, without a supply of mana… It's shameful to admit it, but I wouldn't be able to protect you properly."

Jiang Ziya is the worst choice Ritsuka could have made for two reasons. The first, that not every Servant requires the same amount of mana. Ziya has the power of a Shenxian in a human form, and his fangshi can accomplish feats no other Servant can, but in exchange, he consumes a good amount of mana just to manifest.

The second, that Ziya is beautiful. Ritsuka knows what he has to do, knows that it's a matter of survival and practicality, and yet his skin still starts to feel warm merely from the thought of it.

"So, you need a mana transfer, right?" His voice only shakes a little. "Okay."

"Master…" Ziya's eyes widen, before he smiles a little sadly. "Just leave everything to me. You can shut your eyes and imagine someone else, if you want."

No, he really can't. Even if he tried, he wouldn't be able to forget who it is that's with him. But he doesn't want Ziya to apologize for that, so Ritsuka takes a seat on the bed and closes his eyes.

A gentle touch of lips to lips as the bed dips next to him. Ziya kisses him hesitantly, as if unsure if he has the right. Ritsuka parts his lips. A messy kiss is more effective than a chaste one - he has that justification, so he doesn't need to think too hard about encouraging him.

Jiang Ziya tastes like the autumn sunset. Nothing Ritsuka could keep or hold in his hands, but a wonder each and every time.

More kisses travel down Ritsuka's neck, his collarbone, his chest as Ziya unwraps him as he would any precious gift. His body burns where Ziya's mouth has been. He wonders if he's allowed to touch him, but he fears the answer too much to try.

His pants are discarded like the rest of his clothes, and Ritsuka finally peeks beneath his eyelashes. Ziya's expression is mixed as he draws him out, but there's a flush on his cheeks, too. That gives Ritsuka some gratification, perhaps more than Ziya's hands working him to hardness.

Ziya tucks his hair behind his ear and leans in. His mouth feels divine. Ritsuka should have expected that; he already knew what wonders Ziya's tongue can do on a normal day. He may never be able to hear him chant again and not be jealous of the words for having Ziya's mouth around them.

He knows that he's moaning at every motion, but he's too overwhelmed to pay attention to the shape of it, so he catches the slip too late. "Ziya-"

Ziya inhales sharply. One hand fumbles with his own clothing, doing something Ritsuka can't see but can clearly imagine. The other holds his hips steady as he redoubles his efforts.

In another situation, maybe this would last longer. If this were two people coming together of their own wills, they could take all the time they wanted to. But regardless of how Ritsuka feels about it, this is something Ziya will do because it is necessary to survive. He owes it to him not to take too long.

In the end, he cries out Ziya's name over and over as he comes undone. Ziya only pulls away once he's drained every drop of mana from him he can.

They both pretend they aren't looking at each other from the corners of their eyes as Ritsuka dresses himself again. Neither of them speak.

(Of course Jiang Ziya finds Mash, and they reestablish connection to Chaldea, and they deal with the Singularity like always. And if Ritsuka's skin still burns when he sees Ziya in the halls, that's his problem and his problem alone.)