Work Text:
They're really good knots, all things considered.
Tied just the right amount of tight, offering enough give that there's no immediate pain when he tugs on them, while also holding firm enough that he can't simply slip out. Still, when he gives a cursory pull, he can easily pinpoint the weak points. The parts where the rope is just a little too loose, the knots just slightly too messy. It wouldn't be hard at all to work himself free.
As if to test this theory, he gives another small tug. Can feel where the binds tighten a little under the pressure. Pushes back up to feel the way they weaken again.
Eyes sharpening, he tilts his head back to focus more on where the fabric is looped through the headboard. Traces the areas where it wraps around the wood, follows it to where it's wrapped around his wrists. And it's not panic that has him starting to twist and pull at the ties. It's pure curiosity, interest in testing how easy it would actually be to escape. Ichi's been caught before, when he was less experienced at hunting and still learning his way around his own traps. So he's had his fair share of moments trying to escape a situation of his own making.
This isn't his work, though. The knots are different, something new, and he can't help but be caught up in the excitement of trying to figure out how to beat them.
"-chan."
Someone is speaking, bemused and only barely registered. In some vague part of his mind, Ichi thinks he should be more concerned about that. Normally, his instincts wouldn't allow him to not register someone else's voice so close to him. Especially given his current state of vulnerability, tied up and borderline defenceless. After all, he's always very hyper aware of his surroundings, always listening for any potential threat or danger.
But oddly enough, he feels no sense of urgency. In fact he loses no amount of concentration towards his task at all, his instincts completely unconcerned about the source of the voice. Drawing his lower lip between his teeth he starts to gnaw on it in thought as he continues to twist his wrists this way and that, easily pushing past the small sting starting to radiate from where the binding is biting into his skin.
The rope is growing looser, the carefully crafted knots starting to lose tension. Furrowing his forehead he pushes up - tugs right, then left - feels the rope give -
"Icchan!"
Ichi startles at the same moment the knots give way and his wrists slip free of their binds. As his attention shifts and refocuses he finds himself blinking up into the wide, sparkling eyes of Gokuraku. The man is leaning over him, shirtless, lips open in a toothy smile as he grins down at him. Ichi is suddenly aware of the sound of him laughing, and the warmth of his broad thighs under Ichi's own.
They're in his bed, he realizes. No, he remembers. They're in his bed, he remembers, and Gokuraku is shirtless, and he's also shirtless, and he's tied up because.
"Oh," he says, as his awareness comes back to him. Looks up at the rope now hanging loose around the headboard, and then down to his wrists, rubbed a little raw from where he'd just pulled them free of their bindings. The bindings Gokuraku had so kindly tied for him. Because he asked him to. It was something he'd overheard a couple ladies talking about in town, tying up a partner to 'spice up the bedroom'. He hadn't really understood it, at the time. Luckily, Gokuraku had known exactly what he meant when he brought it up. Had asked if he was interested in trying it - asked if he was interested in tying Gokuraku up. Asked if he was interested in Gokuraku tying him up.
And he had been. The idea seemed fun; the concept of being held down, completely at Gokuraku's mercy. Of course he had nothing but absolute trust in his partner, knew he'd never do anything to hurt him. So why not give it a try?
Apparently, this is why not. "Oops?"
Gokuraku's laughter pitches in volume at Ichi's sheepish acknowledgement, and he reaches down to take his wrists in his hands. Gentles his thumbs over the red skin, arching an amused eyebrow down at him. "Geez, Icchan. If you decided you weren't into it, you could have just asked me to untie you?"
"No, sorry!" Ichi is quick to reassure, shaking his head as he huffs out a small laugh of his own. "I didn't," he stops, not sure what he didn't. "It wasn't bad or anything, I just," he tries to offer in explanation, except he doesn't know how to actually explain what just happened. There's a worry that Gokuraku might think he was freaking out, that he'd been desperately trying to escape out of some momentary panic. The reality is honestly more embarrassing, and also more difficult to put into words.
Luckily, Gokuraku seems to understand anyways. Simply nods in sympathetic understanding as he draws his wrists up to his mouth and starts pressing soft, healing kisses to the sore skin.
"Hyper-fixated on figuring out how to free yourself, huh?" Gokuraku summarizes Ichi's thoughts succinctly and, in relief, Ichi mimics his nod. Gives a full bodied shrug of apology, which only makes Gokuraku laugh again before he's leaning in to kiss him. Warm lips against his own, both of them a little chapped, and then he bumps their foreheads together. "That's alright. Think we can firmly add bondage to the no list, yeah?"
Ichi hums in thought. "Yeah, maybe," he agrees, and then grins up at him as he reaches to start tugging the ropes free from the headboard. "Wanna see if you can beat my record?"
"That's not the point of bondage, you know," Gokuraku informs him, right before he proceeds to tip over sideways to spill out onto the bed beside him. Before Ichi has time to worry that he's just been rejected, Gokuraku is flashing him a dazzling grin and stretching his arms above his head. "I'll try my best not to break the headboard in my efforts."
Ichi release a laugh of his own, absolutely delighted, and reaches up to start looping the rope around Gokuraku's wrists.
Gokuraku, inevitably, breaks the headboard. Desscaras is not amused.