Chapter Text
Kazuki woke slowly, memories flooding back. Miri getting sick, and Rei’s reluctance to talk to Kazuki. The quiet ride home, and Rei offering to sit by Miri’s bed to keep an eye on her overnight:
“I’m used to sleeping in a bathtub. One night on the floor won’t hurt.”
“But Rei—we could take shifts or-“
“Get some sleep Kazuki.” The tiredness in Rei’s tone was ironic.
“Are you sure?”
“Let me do this for her.” And for you was left unsaid. “Please.”
He padded into Miri’s room quietly. The sight of Rei asleep against Miri’s bed with his hand in hers made his heart ache like never before. He wanted nothing more than to join them. But he was afraid that if he did, he might ruin the scene before him.
This domesticity was something he had craved for so long.
Sneaking closer, Kazuki crouched down and glanced at Miri’s face. It was less red than the day before, and he let out a sigh of relief. She would get better.
(Deep down he knew that. She would bounce back into the excitable Miri they knew and loved, yet something inside of him was worried that she wouldn’t, a nagging fear that a child he loved so much would be ripped away from him again.)
Kazuki let himself go. He reached out a hand towards Rei’s sleeping form, slowly running it through a strand of his hair. He stroked Rei’s forehead softly, until a small rustling sound saw Rei lifting his head sleepily.
“…Kazuki?”
His hand froze.
“Yeah?”
“Keep going. Feels nice…”
Kazuki felt himself smile. He moved around the bed until he was beside Rei. He kept running his hands through his hair, tilting Rei towards him and downwards. He pressed his lips to the top of Rei’s head, before setting him down on the bed again.
Leaning against Rei’s shoulder, he couldn’t help but feel content.
“Sure.” He whispered into Rei’s shoulder, “I’ve got you.”