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It was late when Akira finally found his way into bed. A little too late, in the Black Lion pilot’s opinion, not that Raible tended to care much about that when he was going on about what to do next in their seemingly endless war against the Galra.
Isamu was already there, sprawled out and thoroughly unconscious under the covers. He was holding onto Akira’s pillow like his life depended on it. A faint snoring emanated from where he lay. There wasn’t much of a chance Akira would be able to get into bed without waking his boyfriend up, but he tried regardless.
Stirring a little, Isamu opened his eyes as Akira, sitting upright on the bed beside him, prodded his limbs out of the way. He smiled and gazed up at the Black Lion’s pilot through half-lidded eyes. “Hey, Chief.”
“Oh, um, sorry for waking you, Moody.” He reached out to touch Isamu’s face delicately, tilting his head with a soft smile as Isamu leaned his cheek into Akira’s palm.
“S’no problem,” Isamu slurred. “Uh, what time is it, anyway?”
Akira’s eyes darted to the side. “I’m not sure you want the answer to that. Just...try to get back to sleep.”
Isamu yawned once and exhaled with a contented sigh. “Mmm...no can do, Chief. I’ve been distracted now. Can’t focus enough to sleep again.”
Akira said nothing, only looked at Isamu quizzically as the Red Lion’s pilot grabbed Akira’s hand and kissed his knuckles, light but a little sloppy in his half-asleep haze. Blush burned from Akira’s cheeks to the tips of his ears, and he let out a soft laugh at the gesture.
Releasing his grip on Akira’s hand, Isamu gestured for the Black Lion’s pilot to lie down with him. Akira happily complied, not breaking eye contact with his lover as he settled comfortably into his spot in bed.
Isamu grinned and pulled Akira close, pressing their foreheads together with a laughter-tinged sigh. Their noses bumped together, not painfully, but enough to startle both of them. Their widened eyes met and softened again, and Akira draped his arm over Isamu’s waist absently. “You know,” the Red Lion’s pilot said, “missing sleep ain’t so bad when I’m missing it for you.”
“Mmm,” Akira agreed warmly. “Still, you should sleep.”
“Whatever,” Isamu slurred. He ran a lazy hand through Akira’s hair, watching fondly as the Black Lion’s pilot let his eyes slide shut at the touch. Akira’s whole body seemed to relax, releasing tension he hadn’t realized he was holding onto. Isamu continued combing his fingers through the silky locks and, smiling to himself, adjusted his angle to press a kiss onto Akira’s lips.
Akira’s eyes fluttered open with surprise for a moment before closing again. He chased Isamu’s lips as they pulled away from his own, drawing the Red Lion’s pilot in for another kiss. This one lasted longer and grew deeper than the last, and Akira hummed into it as Isamu’s fingers continued tracing trails through his hair. Akira occupied his own hands by cupping Isamu’s jaw protectively.
Akira savored the way Isamu’s teeth grazed his lower lip, inviting him to open up – an invitation Akira was more than happy to accept. Isamu’s breath was warm on his cheek, almost hot, and familiar as it mingled with his own.
Isamu’s fingers curled in Akira’s hair, grabbing a careful fistful of it as he tried to contain the fire that burned in his chest when he realized his lover’s mouth tasted like candy, sweet and just a little bit tart. Strawberry.
It was just so like Akira to suffer through a too-late night of strategy meetings and then reward himself with something sweet, Isamu could hardly bear it. Something like a laugh built up inside him, and he smiled against Akira’s sugar-sweet lips because he couldn’t just contain it, not now that he’d remembered just how many ways there were to fall in love with a man like Akira Kogane.
Isamu loved the Black Lion’s pilot’s secret candy habit, yes, but the disgustingly sweet taste of strawberry in Akira’s kiss was far from the only thing making Isamu’s heart pound. Isamu broke the kiss to whisper barely-coherent words of affection to his boyfriend’s cheek. He took in the sweet scent of Akira’s hair, one hand still laced into the dark black locks, and fell in love a thousand times.
He fell in love with the lethargic way Akira’s eyes slid open when the kiss ended, meeting Isamu’s adoring gaze with his own. He fell in love again with the feeling of Akira’s thumb rubbing absently against his cheek. He fell in love with the way Akira tangled their legs together, pressing their whole bodies flush against each other. He fell in love with Akira’s heartbeat, racing against his own as they shared a deep breath.
Akira was something new every second, and Isamu never wanted to stop falling for him.
Isamu adjusted his angle and craned forward, kissing the curve of Akira’s jaw. Akira sighed, pushing up his chin to give him easier access. Hungrily, Isamu accepted his silent offer and trailed kisses down Akira’s neck, letting his teeth skim over the sensitive skin as he moved. Akira shuddered and hissed, pushing on Isamu’s chest.
“Too much?” Isamu asked as he pulled away, voice low.
Akira nodded, tracing over where Isamu had kissed. “On any other night I’d be more than happy, but I don’t think it’s in our best interest to be getting too riled up right at this hour.”
“You never told me what time it is.”
“Late enough that it’s almost early.”
Isamu groaned. Akira laughed and gave a quick kiss to Isamu’s nose before propping himself up on an elbow. Blood rushed into Isamu’s cheeks at the gesture.
“How are you so awake, then?”
Akira yawned and grinned. “Oh, I’m not. I just do this a lot. You really get used to it.”
“We’ll have to be up in a few hours for drills,” Isamu said, running his fingers over Akira’s arm. “Unless, of course, you decide to cancel, huh Chief?”
“That’s cute, Isamu,” Akira replied, tapping the tip of Isamu’s nose once with a finger. Isamu’s face scrunched up in response. “I’m not canceling morning drills over a little lost sleep.”
Isamu pouted.
“And I won’t do it just because you can make yourself look adorable, either,” added Akira, leaning to kiss his lover again – this time on the forehead.
Isamu took the opportunity to grab onto Akira’s face and pepper it with kisses of his own. Sparks seemed to shoot through Akira’s nerves with every kiss like pins and needles. Isamu was merciless with his onslaught of kisses, only stopping for a moment to press their foreheads together and whisper a drowsy “I love you” into the space between their mouths. Just as he moved to resume his shower of kisses, Akira pecked the corner of his mouth and Isamu melted.
“I love you too,” Akira said, licking his own lips ever so subtly while staring at Isamu’s. He went in for the kill this time, in love with the way Isamu’s eyebrows flew up for a moment, in love with the way Isamu’s lips softened against his, in love with the way Isamu fell into their usual rhythm of give and take and give some more, in love with the way both of Isamu’s hands dragged through his hair seeking something he could hold onto.
This kiss was slow and comfortable and felt like home. Akira did everything he could to take it all in, to burn this moment into his mind forever. He tried to memorize the clean scent of Isamu’s well-cared-for skin and every freckle on it.
Isamu hummed softly and focused on his boyfriend’s breathing, the way Akira’s chest swelled against his own and then shrank again with a puff of air onto Isamu’s face. Akira was so perfect, beautiful, alive that Isamu was having a hard time thinking clearly about anything other than him.
After a blissful minute they broke apart, mouths hanging open slightly, eyes half-lidded.
“I love you,” Akira repeated, unsure of what else to say. “I love you more than I can say.”
Isamu looked back at him, examining Akira’s shining black eyes in the starlight. “I love you too. More than any planet full of life or any star in the sky, I love you.”
Akira felt his ears burn. “You always were better than me with words.”
“I only say what I mean.”
“Still.” Akira yawned widely. “Ugh, I’m not going to feel good in the morning.”
Isamu shrugged. “You could always just cancel – ”
“Nice try.”
“Worth a shot,” Isamu said. He hesitated for a moment, looking off to one side as his smile fell. “Hey.”
Akira frowned, glancing at him. “Is something wrong?”
Isamu shook his head. “Sleep...as good as you can tonight, okay? I worry about you sometimes.”
“I’m used to this.”
“Yeah, that’s exactly why I worry about you,” Isamu muttered. “Listen, even if it’s just a few hours, try to get some shut-eye. I’ll give Raible hell for keeping you up if you want me to – ”
“Isamu.” Akira’s tone was firm but warm.
“I just want you to be happy and safe. And stuff.”
Akira wrapped his arms around Isamu and tucked his head under the Red Lion’s pilot’s chin. He paused, settling into the familiar heat of Isamu’s body. “Right here, I’m as happy and safe as I’ll ever be.” He smiled. “And stuff.”
“Go to sleep, love.”
“I could say the same to you.”
With slurred goodnights they let themselves slip away into sleep, comforted by each other’s closeness. The night enveloped them, stars the only light that reached their room, and for just a few hours, there was peace. Happiness. Safety.
And stuff.