Work Text:
Tetsuya sat on his reading chair, in his, in their, cold, quiet apartment that was too empty. How long had it been already? It was difficult to keep track of time when he wasn’t around. Dragging his eyes away from the pages of the novel in front of him, his gaze landed on the calendar hanging upon the wall. Ah, it’s been five years already. Five years since Daiki left for the army.
He was staring at the lines of printed words, but his brain was processing nothing. Tetsuya was once again starting to drift into his own world of memories, of the past, of smiles, of promises, of him.
It was amazing how clearly he could remember the times they spent together. The first time Daiki had said ‘I love you’, looking into Tetsuya’s eyes with determination, hope, fear… Their first date at the movies, where Daiki had reached over and hesitantly held Tetsuya’s hand, a pink tinge visible on his cheeks even in the dim light. Their first kiss under an evening sky streaked with oranges, purples and blues, and how Daiki’s fingers curled at the back of Tetsuya’s neck. The first time they had made love, passionately and slowly.
The way Daiki had held him, for what felt like an eternity, before he had to leave.
“I promise I’ll come back, so wait for me, Tetsu.” Daiki had said, his voice muffled by the way he was burying his face into Tetsuya’s shoulder.
And wait he did. For five years, Tetsuya endured the loneliness. He would go to sleep with a heavy heart, and under the cold sheets, he would clutch at his chest, in an attempt to remove that hollow, aching feeling within himself. Tetsuya would remember how warm it felt to have Daiki’s chest pressed against his back, skin to skin, how it was to feel and hear the steady beat of his lover’s heart as he slept. Tetsuya would wonder, whether that heart was still beating… and whether his lover was still alive.
After a certain amount of time, Tetsuya grew accustomed to those thoughts and feelings. He became used to the constant emptiness that came with Daiki’s absence; he accepted that it wasn’t going to disappear, no matter how hard he tried.
Glancing outside the window of the living room, Tetsuya realised that the weather outside was perfect: a few fluffy clouds, hanging from a smooth, blue backdrop, and a sun, high in the sky, shining down on the world below.
Ah, so that’s why.
It was on days like these, that Tetsuya missed Daiki the most. Because, Tetsuya thought, just like how the sun illuminated the Earth, the natural warmth Daiki carried with him had made Tetsuya’s own world so much brighter.
Immersed in his reminiscing, Tetsuya didn’t even hear quiet click of the apartment door opening.
I miss you, Daiki.
There was a rustling of material. A bag was placed onto the floor in the hallway. Careful footsteps sounded along the tiled floor.
Please. I want you to come back home already.
The footsteps stopped.
And then Tetsuya’s vision was blocked out by… a pair of hands? No, not just any pair. Tetsuya knew those hands as well as he knew himself. They were hands that held him close when he needed to be comforted, hands that would caress his skin softly, leaving invisible, lingering marks wherever they touched… They were Daiki’s strong, calloused, yet gentle, hands.
“Guess who.”
A quiet, low, husky voice that oozed nostalgia and familiarity. Standing up, he let the novel fall with a soft thud to the floor, as those hands dropped from his eyes. He turned around ever so slowly, heart thudding loudly in his chest, and locked eyes with him. Tetsuya’s breath hitched. Years had made Aomine Daiki lose his young, boyish handsomeness, and had transformed him into a striking, breathtaking, beautiful man. That smile on his face was still so warm, and Tetsuya couldn’t help but notice how the corners of his eyes were now softly crinkled. Those midnight eyes gazed at Tetsuya, probably with the same amount of wonder that a certain pair of light blue eyes were gazing at him. With a few small steps, they were standing face to face.
Still in a state of mild shock, Tetsuya opened his slightly parched lips, ready to welcome Daiki home, but at that moment, a strong pair of arms encircled him, pulling him into the warmth of his lover’s body. A tiny tremor travelled up Tetsuya’s spine as he tensed up with the sudden contact. After so long of not having physical contact with anyone, he’d forgotten how warm, how comforting and how wonderful it felt to be held like this.
Daiki’s back. Daiki’s finally, finally home. Slowly, Tetsuya lifted his arms and wrapped them around his lover’s firm torso.
“Tetsu… you waited…” Daiki’s voice was strained, yet at the same time, filled with relief. “You’re still here, you didn’t leave…”
Tetsuya felt his chest tightening, and small drops of fluid gathering at the corners of his eyes. Indeed, these years had been difficult, and friends had suggested that he should start seeing someone else. But Tetsuya refused, because he knew, that there was no one who could make him feel whole again, except for a certain navy-haired male.
“I love you, Daiki. And you made a promise, so there’s no reason why I wouldn’t be here when you come back.” Tetsuya replied softly, but firmly.
The tall male’s hold tightened, bringing Tetsuya even closer to his body. Breathing in deep, Tetsuya’s nostrils were filled with the husky, familiar scent that was Daiki. “Hah… I guess I really am stupid for ever thinking that you might have left.”
Allowing himself a small smile and trying to keep his voice steady, he replied with fondness, “You have always been an idiot.”
Daiki let out a breathy chuckle that ghosted past the sensitive skin on Tetsuya’s earlobe, making him shiver involuntarily. “I come home after five years and you insult me? Come on Tetsu, shouldn’t you give me a greeting kiss?” There was a softness and shakiness to Daiki’s voice that could only mean one thing. And as he heard a small sniffle and felt warm drops landing on his shoulder, Tetsuya finally pulled back from his lover’s embrace, and tilted his head to gaze up at the one he loved most. His dark eyes were glazed over with emotion, and there were a few tear streaks on his tanned skin, ending where his lips curved into an affectionate smile.
“Welcome home, Daiki.” The unsteadiness of his words, and the way his voice cracked, was something Tetsuya could no longer control.
Reaching up to place both hands on Daiki’s cheeks, Tetsuya leaned forward and brushed his lips softly against the other’s, as he felt a familiar touch on the nape of his neck. He closed his eyes, the action causing the built up moisture under his eyelids to finally slip free. Their kiss was salty from their combined tears, tender, passionate and filled with longing, and the overwhelmingness of it all, that Daiki was alive, that the emptiness had disappeared, that the two could once again live and love together, did nothing to stop the tears of happiness that continued to roll down their cheeks.