Pain was closeness - with the two of them in particular. Pressure on fresh cuts and bruises, as well as light sprinkling of alcohol where it was needed, and, sometimes, salve. Contrast between prodding and soothing. That was how they had always been, and, somehow, the pain inflicted was never as much as, let alone more, than everything else.

The sting of it, and the pressure and friction of Alec inside him was making Richard want to stop thinking and surrender to it - but surrendering to Alec was never that simple.

"This... this, maybe a few days. Other things, a couple of nights. There were... complications, last night." You were upset wasn't something he was going to say, but the memory of Alec, spilling words about his sister (spilling disappointment), of Alec shaking with memory and pain - it made him focus a little harder on Alec here and now. He gave a smile up, surging up to give a lips-only bite at the side of the paler man's neck. "You saw me angry. You liked seeing me angry."