Title: The Next Step
Author: opalmatrix
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: mild m/m
Prompt: Samurai Deeper Kyo: Benitora × Akira, Testing the lines of friendship, "I found myself wanting sympathy"
Word count: : 1485
Summary: Benitora is there when his old friend needs him.
A/N: Written for springkink VIII. Set between the last two chapters of the entire series (306 and 307), but I've tried to finesse any spoilers for volumes 35-38. This story assumes familiarity with canon in vols. 1-34 (the ones released in English so far), so there are some spoilers from those volumes. Beta by the insightful smillaraaq, the always-helpful blue_hobbit, and the surprising kispexi2

The noise of the common room of the roadside inn faded out as the host led Benitora back ...