Work Text:
"Please? Just this once?" came a pleading voice from the other end of the line. "I can't help it, my boss won't let me leave. He actually said he'll fire me if I go, can you believe it?"
"He's got guts, threatening someone with a face like yours. Why don't you just beat him up? I know you want to." Ogata's tone was sarcastic but he was only half joking. He absolutely loved Sugimoto unleashed, he’d actually pay money to see him beat the shit out of people. Maybe he should suggest a career change. He knew Sugimoto wasn’t happy with his current job, but he vehemently refused when Ogata offered to pay his bills. That stupid pride of his .
"I came close, but you know I can't do that when I’ve got a child to care for."
"So responsible..." he sighed. "About the child, what am I supposed to do with her? We've never been alone together."
"You just have to pick her up from school, bring her home and spend some time with her till my shift is over. It shouldn't be that hard babe. I know you like her, and she likes you too. What could go wrong?"
Everything , he thought. He didn’t have a clue how to handle children and now he was entrusted with one without supervision or guidance. But he didn't want to be responsible for any disaster that might happen if he refuses. "... Fine," he answered after a long pause.
"I knew I could count on you! See you after work. Love you!" even through the phone he could see Sugimoto’s stupid giddy smile in front of him.
He let out a sigh and pushed his hair back, returning the flyaway strands to their place.
"Love you too," he said softly before hanging up.
---
Asirpa’s school was a twenty minute drive from Ogata’s office. He arrived earlier so he could have a smoke before the last bell rang. Just before the kids started to pour out of the school's entrance, he put his cigarette out on the sidewalk. He spotted the girl quickly, she was small but the Ainu headband she always wore made her stand out. Asirpa stopped by the gate and glanced around, searching for her dad, frowning when she couldn’t find him. Ogata decided not to let her suffer further and went up to her with a lazy wave.
"Hyaku? Did you come to pick me up?" she asked, bright eyes locking with Ogata’s dark ones.
"I did."
"Where’s Saichi?"
"At work. Your dad’s boss is a demon or so he says. I’m here to take you home," he explained, taking her hand and leading her to his car.
"I see. I thought he forgot to do the laundry and had no clean pants or undies to wear," she wondered. "Ooh can I sit in the front?"
"Sure." he opened the door for her, then went around the car and took the driver’s seat. "That’s oddly specific. This wouldn’t be the first time, huh?"
"Yup, it happens all the time." They shared a laugh at Sugimoto’s expense. This was already going better than he expected.
---
Sugimoto's apartment was small, but cozy and lived in, unlike his own. He liked spending time here. Asirpa took her shoes off, neatly placed her backpack next to the coffee table, and hopped on the couch. Ogata did the same, settling into the other corner of the couch, legs drawn up, elbow on the armrest propping his head up. Maybe they could just take a nap until Sugimoto arrived. He entertained the idea but Asirpa was already scooting through her backpack, pulling out a pencil case and a few sheets of paper.
"What are you doing?"
"Homework."
So diligent. Other kids would want to play around but Asirpa put her duties first, whatever duties a 1st grader with a single dad has. How mature of her.
"We have to draw our family," she explained while putting pencil to paper, engrossed in her work.
Ogata settled on watching her silently. Family, huh? When she finished she smiled triumphantly and held the paper up for Ogata to see. He examined her drawing carefully. Asirpa was better at drawing than most kids her age, as far as Ogata was concerned. Three figures were standing next to each other, two with ainu headbands and huge smiles and one that looked more like a demon than anything else, with a scar crossing his face. Ogata couldn't help but laugh.
"You're amazing, that looks just like Sugimoto."
"Thanks Hyaku! Do you wanna try?"
"Huh?"
"Drawing," she held her pencil out, prompting Ogata to take it.
"I can't draw."
"I can't draw either but I still did it. C'mon, it'll be fun!" Asirpa stared at him expectantly. It looked like she wouldn’t give up so he caved in.
"I guess you're right..." he sighed and took the pencil from Asirpa.
She also handed him a piece of paper. He leaned over the desk and tapped the pencil against his cheek. Do I want to try and impress this child? Hmm… no, it seems like she’ll be happy as long as I try. With that he doodled a stick figure drawing of himself making sure to add his distinguishing features - he had to put in at least a bit of effort.
"There you go, are you happy?" he turned the completed piece towards Asirpa who inspected it with great interest, humming and stroking her chin, like a critic examining a gallery artwork.
"It's perfect," she nodded, "it looks just like you, you even got the scars. They look like whiskers. Oh! Are you secretly a cat?" she asked while tracing whiskers on her own face.
"Maybe I am," he gave her his best feline smile, "but you know, it was your dad who gave me these." He stroked the outline of the scars on his jaw with pride.
"No way!" she retorted, squinting at him.
"Ask him about it then."
"I will!" she fell silent for a while before speaking up in a soft voice. "Hyaku? Where's the rest of your family?"
"I don't have one," Ogata answered matter-of-factly.
It was true, he didn't have anyone left. Not that he missed his neglectful father who drove his mother to insanity. Or his half-brother who shined way too brightly until his life ended abruptly.
They stared at each other for a long moment before Asirpa hung her head. "Sorry for asking, I didn't mean to upset you."
"I'm not upset."
Well this got awkward real soon . He had to do something to salvage the situation, seeing Asirpa with that expression on her face made his stomach tighten uncomfortably.
"Anyway. How about some snacks?"
"Snacks!!" Asirpa's entire face lit up.
Food does solve everything. Ogata got up from the couch, heading into the kitchen to raid Sugimoto's supplies.
"Hey Asirpa? Can you cook?" he raised his voice a bit so the girl could hear him from the living room.
"Yeah, we cooked with Huci all the time but Saichi doesn't want to let me into the kitchen. Says it's dangerous for kids."
"You shouldn't let him into the kitchen either," he shuffled through the cabinets, and found plenty of snacks to choose from: packs of chips, biscuits, Sugimoto's favorite dried persimmons and other sweets. It's like he was planning a party. "he's a disaster."
"But you're dating that disaster."
"You're not wrong there." He peeked into the fridge as well, finding ice cream in the freezer but not a lot of cooking ingredients.
"He once set noodles on fire. It's probably why we only eat takeout," she wondered.
Ogata could barely hide the snicker that escaped him.
"So that’s where the budget goes."
He settled on some rice crackers and a bag of these brain shaped gummies. Were they already preparing for Halloween? As soon as Asirpa saw Ogata return with them, she snatched the gummies with surprising speed.
"That’s your favorite, I take it?"
"Yeah!" she nodded with enthusiasm between chewing.
They both raised their heads when they heard rustling from outside the door. Asirpa jumped up and opened the door to see a tired Sugimoto in front of her.
"Welcome home Saichi!" she went in for a hug, Sugimoto kneeling down to accommodate their height difference.
"I'm home," he said with a smile, ruffling Asirpa’s hair.
"Hey," Ogata waved from further down the hall.
"Hey yourself," Sugimoto flashed him a smile too as he stood up.
He walked up to Ogata and crushed him in a bear hug that was way too tight for how exhausted he looked. He let out a small gasp but didn’t protest. Sugimoto buried his face in the space between Ogata’s neck and shoulder and breathed silently.
"The only thing that kept me from murdering that jackass of a boss was knowing you’d both be waiting for me here," he exhaled after a while.
"You did well." he patted Sugimoto’s back affectionately. "Though spending the rest of our lives running from the police would be kinda fun too," he mused.
"No it wouldn’t!" Sugimoto let go of him suddenly. He already missed the contact. "I want Asirpa to have a happy life," he continued, tone serious.
"Saichi, I’m happy as long as I’m with you but please don’t kill anyone," Asirpa chimed in.
"I won’t, I promise."
"Booo-ring." Ogata was fantasizing about a life on the run, full of violence and adventure, but Sugimoto had to pull him out of it.
"Shut up."
"So…" he sighed. "am I finally free?"
"What? Wait, don't just leave yet. I'd like to thank you properly."
Ogata's eyes widened at that, he glanced at Asirpa then back to Sugimoto.
"I appreciate the offer but wasn't it you who said we're not doing it with Asirpa in the apartment?"
Sugimoto's brain stopped functioning for a solid 5 seconds. When he finally processed what Ogata said, he started sputtering and flailing wildly. It was quite a sight. Watching Sugimoto make a fool out of himself was one of Ogata's favorite pastimes after all. Asirpa looked on with curiosity.
"Hey, calm down big boy, it was just a joke," he put a hand on Sugimoto's chest for emphasis. That seemed to ground him a bit but he was still red to the tips of his ears.
"Please don't do that again," he whined.
"Hey Sugimoto?" all the color drained from his face as hearing his last name from Asirpa filled him with dread. He gulped as he waited for the storm that's about to get unleashed. "Is it true that you gave Hyaku his scars?"
"Huh? How do you-" he caught a glimpse of Ogata's smirk. "What have you told her? It was an accident I swear!" he pleaded, turning back to Asirpa. His voice sounded like a wounded puppy. Ogata almost took pity on him.
He raised one eyebrow and cocked his head instead.
"Accident? Sure, the stairs were slippery but you were the one who pushed me down." He looked over to Asirpa who had her eyebrows furrowed, looking at Sugimoto with disapproval. "I don't hold it against you though."
"Then why did you bring it up?!" Sugimoto looked ready to punch him but he had Asirpa as a shield. He seemed more afraid of her for some reason, which Ogata needed to investigate later. Sugimoto brought his hand up to his face and groaned in frustration. "I already apologized for it, didn’t I? I didn’t think you’d go face-first into the railing. Besides, you gotta admit, you look better with them."
"Wow Sugimoto, you don’t sound like you’re sorry at all," Ogata huffed. "But I’ll take that compliment."
"You're adults, adults shouldn’t fight," Asirpa interjected, with her hands on her hips, squinting at Sugimoto.
"That’s right Sugimoto, listen to your daughter," Ogata mimicked the girl's stance, adding his signature grin.
"You too Hyaku, don’t tease Saichi so much!" she turned to him.
Ogata let out a gasp of feigned surprise then leaned close to Asirpa. "I'll let you in on a little secret," he whispered, loud enough for Sugimoto to hear. "If he didn't like me teasing him, we wouldn't be together." he looked at his boyfriend and winked playfully.
Sugimoto looked away, trying to hide the blush creeping up his face, scratching the nape of his neck. He didn't have a comeback for that.
"To be fair, it's thanks to that incident that we're dating now. And he made me look hotter, so it's all good, right Sugimoto?"
"Please just stop it," he whimpered.
He looked up with a small 'oh' sound when he finally remembered the point he wanted to make before they got awfully derailed from their conversation.
"Anyway. I was talking about food when I said I wanted to thank you. I wanted to invite you. You haven’t had dinner yet, right?"
"No, I was thinking of cooking something but your fridge looks like it belongs to a starving college student," Ogata said dryly.
Sugimoto looked pitiful as he undoubtedly realized he missed the opportunity to eat Ogata's home cooking. "Uhh… then how about we go grocery shopping and cook together?" he gave him a pleading look.
Ogata considered it for a moment.
"Cooking with you would be more like babysitting to make sure you don't set your home on fire."
"Whaat? You think murder would be fun but not arson?"
"Setting things on fire can be fun but not when it's your own apartment and I know you don't have the money for repairs."
"Right…" Sugimoto hung his head.
"We can go out and set something on fire if you really feel the urge though."
"Don’t even think about it Saichi," Asirpa looked at her father with furrowed brows.
"I wouldn't, I’m not a pyromaniac!"
"Besides, cooking would take too much time," Ogata interjected, "let's just go to the ramen place on the corner for now."
Both Asirpa and Sugimoto perked up at that.
---
An hour and three steaming bowls of ramen later they walked back to Sugimoto’s apartment. Ogata paid for their meal before Sugimoto had the chance to grab his wallet which left him pouting, he did want to invite Ogata after all. Asirpa had dozed off before they reached the elevator, she was resting in Sugimoto’s arms now. The sight of them made Ogata’s heart swell.
They stepped inside the apartment, Sugimoto going straight for the bedroom to lay Asirpa down. Ogata was lingering in the living room when he noticed the paper sheets on the table with his and Asirpa’s drawings on them. He picked up his doodle and after a sidelong glance he crumpled it up and threw it in the garbage can in the kitchen.
"Whatcha doing?" Sugimoto came out of the bedroom when Ogata turned back to the living room.
"Just getting rid of trash." he replied nonchalantly.
Ogata moved for the entrance when Sugimoto called his name. He looked his boyfriend in the eyes, taking in his slightly upturned brows and the faint blush spread across his cheeks.
"Stay?" came the simple question. Ogata sighed.
"I have that conference to get to early in the morning, did you forget?"
"I- … I did." if Sugimoto was a dog, this would be the moment his ears would slump. Ogata couldn't stand to look at that pitiful face for long.
"Mmm... how about Friday?" Sugimoto’s entire face lit up. He really was easy to please. "I could come over, bring groceries and maybe let you help with cooking? The jury’s still out on that one, you seem to be a walking safety hazard."
"Yeah that's great! Can’t wait!! Asirpa will be happy too! And you’ll sleep over, right?" he clasped Ogata’s hands in his own, almost jumping with joy, ignoring the jab at his cooking skills. He was like a child who’s been promised a trip to an amusement park. Amusement park, huh? He was confident in his skills at the shooting games, he could get any prize Sugimoto and Asirpa would want. Ogata filed that thought away for later.
For now he was more occupied with Sugimoto who pulled him in a strong embrace again, pressing kisses on his cheek, jaw and mouth. Ogata returned his boyfriend’s affections eagerly, cupping his face to pull him into a deep kiss, turning the innocent signs of appreciation into something more heated. Asirpa was already asleep so it was fine, right? His hands moved to Sugimoto's hair to massage his scalp and take hold of unruly curls. Sugimoto seemed to have forgotten the rule he set for them, exploring Ogata's body through the layers separating skin from hands. He didn't mind when Sugimoto reached to unbutton his shirt, kissing and leaving red marks near his collarbone. He pushed Ogata up to the wall, one knee between his thighs.
That was when something fell clattering to the floor. Ogata paid no mind to it but Sugimoto froze when shortly after he heard the bedroom door creak open, revealing a drowsy Asirpa rubbing at her eyes. Sugimoto was off him instantly and ran to his daughter, apologizing profusely. Ogata was taken aback by the speed it took Sugimoto to abandon him, half undressed and needy for attention. It stirred up something in him which he tried to push to the back of his mind with a gulp, at least until his next therapy session. While Sugimoto was busy putting Asirpa to sleep again, he left without a word.
---
When he got home, he noticed a message from Sugimoto. It read "Sorry about before. Friday still stands, right? Good night and good luck with the conference!!" His texts always read so enthusiastic and sincere, adorned with emojis and exclamation marks. It was endearing.
---
The next few days passed by in a blur and once again Ogata found himself standing before Sugimoto's apartment door, with two bags of groceries for tonight's dinner. Sugimoto quickly let him in and enveloped him in a tight hug. A long moment later he let go, stepping back a bit. Asirpa grabbed the edge of his jacket.
"Hyaku, can I get a hug too? It's not fair that only Saichi gets to hug you," she pouted.
Ogata was perplexed. He took a moment to collect himself, then squatted down to Asirpa's height and opened his arms in silent invitation, which the girl gladly took and ran into his arms, her tiny ones reaching toward his back, not quite able to reach around yet. After a while she let go with a satisfied hum.
"Thanks Hyaku!"
"How was it?"
"Hmm… You're sturdy but soft?" she said, trying to voice the experience. "It's nice, I get why Saichi does it all the time."
Ogata couldn't help but chuckle. He looked over at Sugimoto who was already tearing up.
"What the hell? Why are you crying?"
"I'm not crying, you're crying!!" he shouted while wiping his eyes furiously. That earned a flat look from Ogata. "I just- I love you both so much," he sniffled.
"Oh my god Sugimoto, you're so sappy." he scrunched his face in mock disgust.
"Sh-shut up!"
"It's okay Saichi, we love you too," said Asirpa, patting her dad's arm in an attempt to comfort him.
His reaction was endearing in a way but Ogata couldn't bear to watch the mess that was his boyfriend anymore.
"So… now that that's over can we get to cooking or… ?"
He picked up the grocery bags from the floor and moved to the kitchen to unload their contents, instructing the others. Asirpa didn't need much help, she wasn't lying when she said she knew her way around the kitchen. On the other hand, he had no idea how Sugimoto was able to survive on his own, he was as reckless in the kitchen as in every other part of his life, but in the end they made a tasty dinner and no fingers were lost in the process. The look of satisfaction on both his companions’ faces made it worth the effort.
"That was so delicious!" exclaimed Sugimoto, setting down his chopsticks. "We should do this all the time!" Asirpa nodded with enthusiasm.
"I don't have as much free time as you think," said Ogata, hand running through his hair. He enjoyed this evening but he didn't say it out loud. He leveled his boyfriend with a half-smile instead. "Come on, let’s clean up this mess."
They worked efficiently, Ogata washing the dishes, Asirpa drying them and handing them to Sugimoto who put everything in its place. They were done in no time. They sat down at the dining table again.
"Oh, Asirpa, show him!" Sugimoto looked excited as he called out to his daughter.
"Ah, we almost forgot! I got an A on that assignment we did together!" she beamed at Ogata then ran to the living room, coming back with a drawing in her hands.
Ogata wanted to say he already saw the picture when she made it, but it was different this time. Glued in next to the figures representing Asirpa, Huci and Sugimoto was the crumpled stick figure he drew and later threw away. He was taken aback.
"Why... did you do that?" the voice that came out of his mouth didn’t quite sound like his own.
"Everyone should have a family," Asirpa said, "it's not fair that you don't get one, so we'll be yours!"
Ogata swallowed around the lump in his throat. The other two kept looking at him expectantly but he was at a loss for words. Family? For him? They’re out of their minds, he can never belong - Some primal part of him urged him to escape, to run away before he inevitably gets hurt or hurts those around him, while another wanted to accept their offer eagerly. It would be so easy to just reach his hand out- Run. The word rings brain-shatteringly loud in his head, tuning out his surroundings. He stands up abruptly. His heart is hammering inside his ribcage, threatening to break out. He can’t breathe. Run . His vision is swimming. He has to run, quickly, before his carefully put-together shell of normalcy cracks and exposes his truly broken inner self for all to see and trample upon- he was pulled out of his thoughts by Sugimoto grasping his arm tight enough to leave a bruise. They were standing at the entrance of the apartment, his hand hovering over the doorknob. He felt like a deer in headlights. Was he about to bolt without shoes or a coat on?
"Ogata?" Sugimoto called his name so softly, he had a sudden urge to cry. His breath hitched. He made the mistake of looking into his boyfriend's eyes. He looked so worried, it made him want to scream. Sugimoto let his arm go and took a step back to give him some space. They stood there in silence while Ogata forced himself to regulate his frantic breathing and calm his nerves.
"I'm sorry, was that too much?" Sugimoto asked softly, "I know we haven't talked about taking the next step, and this isn't even about that - Jesus what am I thinking, it’s way too early for that, I just- ugh, I'm rambling..." he took a deep breath, gathered himself and continued in a gentle tone. "I want you to know that we're here for you, we won't let you down, ok? I love you and I'm happy to call you my boyfriend, I want to be a part of your life... That is if you'll let me?" he looked up at Ogata, hope shining in his eyes.
Ogata let out a shaky exhale.
"Sugimoto, I- Can you… hug me?"
Sugimoto complied without words and pulled him into a tight embrace. Ogata used to hate physical contact but with Sugimoto he found himself craving it, it helps to ground him to reality and calm his mind. His boyfriend's natural warmth and him rubbing soothing circles on his back also helped. He buried his face into the crook of Sugimoto’s neck, breathing him in. The scent of bergamot, cinnamon and sandalwood permeated his senses. It was easy to lose himself in the sensation of Sugimoto enveloping him, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat. Eventually the insistent pounding in his own ribcage reduced to a steadier rate. He wasn't sure how much time had passed when Sugimoto whispered in his ear.
"Are you good now?"
"Mm. Thank you." he slowly let go and stepped back. Sugimoto took his hand and led him back to the dining table where Asirpa was waiting for them.
"Are you ok? Did I say something wrong?" she asked, brows pulled up in a clear sign of concern.
"Don't worry, he just got emotional and didn't want us to see him cry," Sugimoto explained while patting her head affectionately. "right Ogata?"
The lie came from Sugimoto naturally. Well, technically it wasn’t a lie, it sounded plausible enough. Of course, it was easier than trying to explain the workings of his own faulty brain to a child. A smart child, but a child nonetheless.
"...Right. Sorry about that."
"It's all right, you can let it out, we won’t laugh at you. And if Saichi does, I'll smack him." she flexed her tiny arm to show she meant it.
Ogata let out a weak chuckle.
"Thanks Asirpa, you’re the best."
"Come on, I wouldn’t do that!" Sugimoto interjected.
"I know, I just wanted to reassure Hyaku," Asirpa said after a big yawn.
"Oh right, it's bedtime for you soon. Will you take a bath first?" Sugimoto asked.
She nodded then went to gather her pajamas from the bedroom and headed into the bathroom. They were alone with Sugimoto again.
"Hey... are you alright?" he reached out and took Ogata’s hand in his own. He didn’t resist.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm sorry for-" he started, avoiding eye contact.
"Baby, don't apologize, it's not your fault," Sugimoto interrupted, "but are you okay with staying over tonight? I won't blame you if you'd rather be alone."
"No!" the word spilled embarrassingly quickly from his mouth. "...No, I don't want that," he repeated, less erratic this time.
Being alone was the opposite of what he needed at the moment. What he needed more than anything was the comfort his boyfriend’s physical proximity gave him.
"Asirpa will be between us."
"I know there's only one bed. It's fine. Stop worrying."
His boyfriend gave him a look that told him he was Sugimoto, of course he wouldn’t stop worrying. Ogata knew that. He sighed. Even in this situation Sugimoto never failed to ease his mind.
"Did you bring PJs with you?" Sugimoto asked.
"No, I was hoping you would lend me some of your clothes," Ogata smiled, "unless you forgot to do laundry, I’m told that’s a common occurrence in this household."
Sugimoto stood up abruptly, a faint blush staining his cheeks.
"Come, we’ll find you something," he turned his back to Ogata and headed towards the bedroom, looking back over his shoulder to see if Ogata follows him.
He turned to the wardrobe, opened its doors and shuffled through some drawers until he found what he searched for: a white T-shirt, a pair of dark grey sweatpants and black boxers. A tame choice this time, Ogata noted with a half-smile as his boyfriend handed him the folded pile. Well it can't be helped. He fished around some more and got himself a similar set.
Asirpa appeared with a jaw-cracking yawn.
"Are you coming to bed?" she asked.
"We'll take a quick bath too, we'll be here in no time," Sugimoto assured her, patting her head. "shall we?" he turned to Ogata.
"Together?" his mind wandered.
"Only so the water doesn't get cold." Sugimoto replied, avoiding eye contact.
"Sure…" he hummed, noting the redness of his boyfriend's ears, "let's go."
They headed into the bathroom together, Sugimoto closed the door behind them. They put their change of clothes on top of the washing machine on the side of the changing area. Ogata turned toward his boyfriend.
"Sugimoto, I get the feeling you don't really want to follow your own rules," he mused while taking his shirt off.
"W- what are you talking about?" Sugimoto tried to play it cool but Ogata didn't miss how his voice cracked.
"You're not subtle," he deadpanned.
"I don't know what you mean, I don't have any ulterior motives." Sugimoto was terrible at lying when it came to things like this. It was sort of endearing at times but it mostly annoyed him. Why can't he just say what he wants.
"If you want me to believe that, you're gonna have to do better than this."
"Fine, I have ulterior motives!" he gave up sooner than Ogata expected. "But not what you're probably thinking about."
Ogata fell silent. He didn't know what Sugimoto was getting at. He sighed as he took off the remainder of his clothes, folding it into a neat pile, planning to take it home the next day. He didn't miss the sidelong glances his boyfriend gave him but decided not to comment on it. They moved to the inner part of the bathroom full of curling clouds of steam. He turned around and faced Sugimoto.
"Ok, spit it out. What do you want with me?"
"Let me help you wash your back."
Ogata looked at his boyfriend incredulously.
"Why?"
"Stop questioning everything, just let me do something nice for you," Sugimoto grumbled, pushing Ogata further in, guiding him onto the stool.
He turned the showerhead on and directed it towards Ogata, rinsing him thoroughly. He did the same himself then stood up and grabbed his shower gel and kneeled back behind him. He poured a small amount in his hand, lathered it then took his time spreading it on Ogata's back, lightly massaging it in, rubbing at the knots of his muscles. It felt nice, he felt some of the tension from the day melt away with Sugimoto's touch. The scent of cinnamon made him feel cozy and warm.
"You're taking your sweet time," he hummed, "are you sure this wasn't just your excuse to feel me up?"
"Ogata please. No. Maybe? I love you, of course I wanna touch you-" he was blabbering now, "but this isn't about that… Can I wash your hair?"
"...Sure. But wash yourself first, I'll also finish up here," he stood up and leveled Sugimoto with a half-smile. "unless you wanna do the rest for me too?"
Sugimoto's breath hitched. Even in the heat that surrounded them, Ogata saw his boyfriend's face redden, the gears in his brain turning as he considered his options. He inhaled sharply and looked at Ogata, not quite able to meet his eyes.
"Fine, I'll do it, you're clearly asking for it."
Ogata opened his mouth to say he didn't ask for anything but Sugimoto already had his soapy hands all over him. He sighed but he couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from curling upward in delight. He reached for the bottle of shower gel to return the favor and explored his boyfriend's body freely, paying special attention to the scars scattered all across his skin. He couldn't stop himself from purring when Sugimoto massaged his scalp, he melted under his boyfriend's touch.
Sugimoto turned the shower on again and thoroughly rinsed both of them. He moved into the bathtub, made himself comfortable and motioned for Ogata to follow. He stepped into the water opposite of Sugimoto.
"No, not like that, come here," he gestured towards his chest.
Ogata followed his boyfriend's instructions, turning his back and sitting between Sugimoto's legs. His body felt even warmer against his own in the steaming water. He didn't know what to do with his hands but Sugimoto locked their fingers together in a smooth motion and rested them on Ogata's chest.
"Just relax," he whispered next to Ogata's ear and pressed a kiss on his temple.
The combination of the heat of the water gently lapping around him and Sugimoto's closeness along with his careful touches made him forget about every problem he ever had. He laid his head back on the space between Sugimoto's neck and shoulder and closed his eyes, feeling their heartbeats fall into rhythm. He could fall asleep any minute.
---
"-you still with me?" he felt the rumble of Sugimoto's chest along with his voice close by, his hand gently stroking Ogata’s face. He blinked slowly, his senses numbed. He probably did fall asleep. "Let's get out of here before the water goes cold and our entire bodies turn into raisins, ok?" his boyfriend nudged him gently.
"Mm..." he nodded weakly.
He moved sluggishly, Sugimoto helping him out of the water. He held onto him to stay on his feet.
"Are you ok?"
"Mn yeah… Just dizzy," he mumbled.
He rested his head on Sugimoto’s shoulder for as long as he could as he dried both of them off carefully and helped him get dressed. Sugimoto's clothes were a bit big on him but he liked the loose fit and wearing his boyfriend's clothes made him strangely happy. Ogata could get used to being pampered like this. Sugimoto sat him down while he dried his hair with a towel again. He disappeared for a minute then returned with a glass of nice cold water, much needed for Ogata’s overheated body. While he gulped it down Sugimoto brought out the hairdryer. He made a sound of displeasure at the warm air hitting him but he enjoyed having his boyfriend's hands in his hair again. He let out a content exhale. He wanted to do this more often.
By the time they were done Ogata felt like he could move again without stumbling. He stood up while Sugimoto put the towel and hairdryer back to their place. They went back to the bathroom to brush their teeth, then headed into the bedroom where Asirpa was already curled up, fast asleep.
"We made her wait for a long time," Sugimoto said while he turned on the light on the nightstand.
Ogata hummed in response as he closed the door behind them.
Sugimoto crawled into the bed on one side of Asirpa and gently moved her to make place for Ogata then prompted him to take the other side. He curled up facing Sugimoto, careful not to smother the girl between them. Sugimoto threw the big comforter over them all and turned the light off. They spent a long moment in silence, winding down as their eyes adjusted to the darkness. Ogata swallowed, wet his lips then spoke up.
"Thank you."
"For?" he could faintly make out the way Sugimoto's brow quirked up.
"For today. For… everything," he let the word hang between them.
Sugimoto reached out, took hold of Ogata's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as he laid their interlocked hands on Asirpa's shoulder.
"Of course, that's what I'm here for." he grinned.
It was typical of Sugimoto to say something like that, as if it was the most natural thing. He most likely wasn't aware that he saved Ogata's life in more than one way. Of course he didn't tell him this and wouldn't for a long time. Maybe never. It didn't matter now. Instead he thought back to what happened today. He let out a shaky exhale.
"I'd like to be with you both…" he couldn’t keep the slight tremble out of his voice.
"...huh?"
"I didn't answer earlier. I… Maybe… I can accept you two as-" Sugimoto stole the words off his lips with a languid kiss.
As they parted, Sugimoto planted another kiss on the corner of his mouth before he drew back and settled on softly gazing into Ogata's eyes.
"Shh… You don't have to answer right now," he brought his free hand up to caress Ogata’s cheek, "I love you. Now go to sleep."
Ogata leaned into the touch and smiled fondly.
"I love you too." he closed his eyes before his newfound courage could slip away from him, and opened his mouth again. "Good night Saichi," the name rolled off his tongue easily.
He heard his boyfriend's small gasp and felt him squeeze his hand again before he finally replied, voice full of adoration.
"Good night Hyakunosuke!"