Chapter Text
Tecchou suehiro was a man of simplicity. He believed that the most efficient path to anything was a straight line.
His comrade, Jouno, was the most complex person he had ever met. Why the invisible strings of fate had placed them together had been a mystery.
Yet, Tecchou couldn't help but like him. Despite his undeniable sadism, the hatred that he made plain.
So when Jouno wound up in hospital, critically injured during a particularly gruelling battle, he felt oddly empty.
Tecchou would visit him often, but he would almost always be sleeping, his breathing uneven and laboured. It hurt something in his chest to see the other in such a state.
One night, around three weeks after Jouno was admitted, Tecchou sat in bed, wide awake. The other man plagued his thoughts ever since the incident.
How the sword pierced through his chest, blood spraying across the green of his uniform. The way he had cradled the other man in his arms as he bled, whispering his name over and over again until paramedics had arrived.
Jouno, Jouno, Jouno, Jouno...
He got up, and began to pack a small bag. Underwear, a shirt, pants, socks and a hoodie belonging to Jouno that he had begun to wear out of comfort. He also packed a blanket given to him by Teruko- the hospital duvets always seemed so thin.
Then he walked all the way to the hospital, roughly a mile. He walked to the room he had memorised so clearly and gingerly opened the door.
'Jouno?' he whispered. 'Are you awake?'
The other man shifted in his bed to turn away from him. So he was awake.
Tecchou tossed the bag into a corner before walking over to the other man's bedside. His eyes were closed, as they always were, but he wasn't exactly sleeping. Nonetheless, he began to drag his fingers up and down Jouno's nose, from the base to his temples. It wasn't long before he jolted upright, and heard couldn't help but laugh at the sudden movement.
'What the hell do you think you're doing, Tecchou-san?' he snapped hoarsely. He coughed.
Now, Tecchou had come to the hospital with the intent of giving Jouno a bath. He had not showered since his admission, and, even if he could not admit it, he often smelled awfully of sweat.
'Simple, I was trying to wake you up.' he replied flatly. 'Could you come somewhere with me.'
Jouno seemed to scoff, almost.
'Where on earth could I go with you at the moment, Tecchou-san?' his voice sounded hollow, lacking its usual sharp tone.
'It seems I'll take you there a different way, then.' he muttered. He hooked an arm under Jouno's knees, and used the other to support his back. He noted the other's lack of protest.
He lifted the man easily, and walked slowly over to the bathroom. He pushed the door open, revealing a small bathroom that smelled of soap and chemicals.
He gently placed the man in his arms onto the floor, and began organising body wash, shampoo and towels, which he dropped next to him. He figured that Jouno wouldn't like being showered while fully clothed.
'Can you stand up?' he asked. The other man stood up shakily, and grabbed his hand for support.
Tecchou tugged at his shirt weakly, in an attempt to pull it off. Jouno opened his mouth as if to protest, but he said nothing.
'Is it okay if I... help you? To take a bath?' he mumbled. It felt strange to ask something so personal.
Jouno gave a small nod. Tecchou pulled off his shirt, then his pants, which left him in just his underwear.
He sank down onto the floor once again and shook. Tecchou crouched down next to him.
'Jouno, are you alright? Are you okay with me helping you?' he asked softly. The man gave a small nod, and he lifted him into the bathtub.
Tecchou turned on the water, making sure it was warm. He gently poured water on to Jouno, wetting his body and head. He squeezed shampoo onto his hands and softly massaged it into the other's hair, then rinsing it away. He rubbed body wash into his skin, under his arms, his legs, his stomach. He tried to avoid his chest, where a long, deep scar resided over his heart.
He rinsed off the body wash and lifted Jouno out of the water, which made him quite wet in the process. He didn't mind.
He pressed a small towel into his damp, white hair, and wrapped another around his body. He rubbed the towel into his hair and tossed it onto the floor. Then he remembered that Jouno still had his underwear on, undeniably wet. It obviously wouldn't be comfortable to put clothes on over it.
'Jouno, is it okay if I... take off your underwear?' he asked tentatively. 'It's wet, and I brought you spare clothes. It's okay if not.'
Jouno hesitated.
'Alright.' he replied quietly.
Tecchou began to gently peel off his underwear, leaving the other man fully nude. He draped a towel over him, and quickly left to grab his clothes.
He didn't want to leave Jouno for too long. He gingerly pulled the shirt over his head, easing his arms through the holes. He gave him new underwear and pants, and the hoodie for more warmth.
'Do you want to walk back to your bed? It's not far.' Tecchou asked.
'Why not?' Jouno replied rather flatly. He shakily stood, gripping the other's wrist tightly, to the point where it hurt, almost. He made small steps to the door, which Tecchou opened. His steps became steadier as he walked.
He almost flopped on to his bed, sitting up against the few pillows. Tecchou grabbed Teruko's blanket and lay it upon his legs.
'Is this yours?' Jouno queried.
Tecchou shook his head. 'It's Teruko's. She said you could borrow it until you get discharged.'
Teruko had said nothing of the sort, but that didn't matter. It felt nice to share such a nice blanket with him.
He slid under the covers, positioning himself comfortably.
'What on earth makes you think you can climb into my bed like that?' Jouno muttered. The brown haired man ignored his words and instead fixed his gaze upon him.
Slowly, Tecchou began to trace the lines on his palms; dragging his finger up and down the other's biceps. He hoped that Jouno would not notice his racing heart.
He moved his hands up to cup the other's face, fiddling with his still-damp hair. He leaned forward, and their foreheads connected, breaths spilling onto the other's cheeks.
The bow of his lip brushed the other's. It felt a surprise when Jouno was the one to lean in, closing their small gap.
His lips felt warm against Tecchou's own, and he moved against them, almost complementary. Jouno shivered, digging his hand into his hair, fiddling with the strands between his fingers.
Finally, they broke apart, breathing heavy and hot. It felt as if his lips chased after the kiss, wanting more, wanting this.
Jouno was never really the same as his other comrades. He felt different, in a way. Jouno was full of hatred and sadism, full of things Tecchou was not.
Yet he persisted. He liked the man, despite all of it.
Tecchou let himself rest on the pillows, burying himself underneath Teruko's blanket. He looked up at Jouno, taking in his white hair, its red tips a bold contrast. His eyelashes, so long and lush, his lips, so full and red and slightly swollen from their kiss.
This man truly was breathtaking.
Jouno sank down onto the small bed, turning away from Tecchou. In return, Tecchou wrapped his arms around the other, hooking his leg over Jouno's thigh. He pressed a soft kiss into the white hair, inhaling its delicate smell.
Eventually, he fell to the bounds of sleep, yet it no longer felt like bounds. It felt relaxing, like this, being so close to someone like Jouno.
Someone he loved so dearly.