I think I understand your thoughts, but their relationship has been a little bit twisted (for me, I don't like that kind of BS in RL) since the beginning.
Sousuke likes teasing Shiraha and is aware of Shiraha reactions: Shiraha loves his teases. They are also in a submissive/dominant relationship, and somehow they change roles (?): the divine messenger/the servant. Sousuke lowered his head, Shiraha got excited; Sousuke badmouthed him, Shiraha blushed; Sousuke told him to give him a command, Shiraha was turned on; Sousuke asked him to let go, Shiraha denied, Sousuke blushed. Sousuke loves being Shiraha's number 1, that the heir is in love with him. Shiraha loves being treated as a normal deer by Sousuke. :P
But it is not only about a role play, they are disturbed by those roles: Shiraha doesn't want to order Sousuke around, Sousuke prefers to hold back due to his position as a servant.
Both know they have great feelings for each other, but are in denial, kind of:
Shiraha: "you are a friend", “we decided to remain close friends”.
Sousuke: "and yet I chose to stay here".
They want to be together, but they also think they shouldn't because of regrets, guilt, status, stubbornness (?).
They have been in love since they were children but had have trouble to admit it.
My hypothesis: Sousuke bullies Shiraha, Shiraha “hates” him because he wants to be treated gently by Sousuke, it hurts when someone you care is mean; and Sousuke bullies him because Shiraha being so close makes him self-conscious of his feelings.
You made me think if the BJ was out of character, but it seems not, because Sousuke has been teasing him a lot, maybe he went overboard, but even Shiraha asked him to give him a handjob, and it is the same Shiraha who talked about their "friendship", there is a boundaries issue between them, Sousuke is aware of that, but his desire and curiosity has blinded him.
Giving him a BJ was a mean to get information, but it is also Sousuke’s desire, he was using that excuse. I don’t think it is only about “sucking him info”, it IS cruel, because he knows Shiraha’s feelings but he might have told himself “he isn’t aware of them and I need info”. He was desperate, no one tells him the truth, he is having nightmares, he feels an important part of his life is missing, Hiko told him Shiraha is suffering for his sake, “mmm, who might know? Oh, the airhead Shiraha, the one who would do anything for me, who wants a handjob and who I want to ravish me… *cough*”.
As Anonymus said, both are at fault, they are not victims. Sousuke may have been insensitive, but Shiraha isn’t the most sensitive either while forcing Sousuke (being honry is not an excuse, just as Sousuke being desperate isn’t a BJ excuse either), or asking him to do him a handjob…
Sousuke also has feelings, is Shiraha aware of them? Isn’t he also cruel while being such an airhead towards someone who is holding back?
Both are idiots, there is no doubt… I like them!
About what Hiko said of Shiraha cutting himself off, I think he is talking about the "calming rituals" (grueling rituals) Shiraha needs to do since his father used a treasure to resurrect Sousuke, although we still don’t know the real nature of the rituals.
It is also weird that Shiraha’s father showed him the dead raccoon, but resurrected Sousuke, even though he told Shiraha the cycle of life was precious…
There are mysteries yet to discover…
Very interesting and well thought out. Nice perspective, so thank you for taking the time and trouble to write it all out. I'm duly grateful.
I still think that Sousuke has a tendency to hide behind his 'servant' status, using it to rationalize his actions and choices, not to say relations with others, and define himself as such far more than anyone else does. It has become an emotional crutch and excuse for a great deal, including why the two of them can't meet on equal terms, at least when they're alone together.
But, yeah if I was to advise these 2, I would tell them to put some distance between them for a while, just so they could figure things out separately. I'm sure in the end they would both end up wanting to be together. IMO Shiraha (Gosh! About time I got the name right) needs to mature a bit, and Sousuke needs to come to terms with the past and decide what it is he wants for himself.
I like this and really do want to know where this is going, but have to admit to being slightly confused every now and then. Also, I hate to admit it, I'm not quite sure I really care for Sousuke. However regrettable his past, it still doesn't excuse being mean or cold to people, even if we understand why he is that way.