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It's the little things, they always say. Minor details in everyday life. Split seconds, fractions of moments...it's the little things that matter most. And that's true, actually. If Hitoya has discovered anything about himself, it's that the littlest details make or break anything. Annoying habits someone has, a piece of food that ruins the flavor of a dish, a minor inconvenience preventing him from doing what he wants at the moment...he tends to get agitated at the littlest things, and has always done so, even when he was younger. But at the same time, he's able to have an appreciation for small things, too. Coffee in the morning brewed just right, that little boost of adrenaline felt just after a ride on his bike, and...well...this.
This being one of the softest moments he's ever known in all his thirty-five years of living. He's at his home, in his room, at an interesting point in time. It's the time of day where the Sun has only just set, but the sky is still a lighter shade of blue and stars have yet to appear. The Mariner's Hour. That's not its actual name, in fact it probably doesn't have one, but it's the one Hitoya has always used for this time, ever since a conversation with an old friend in school.
"Why do you call it that, anyway?"
"I like how blue the sky is. It feels like looking out at the ocean."
"Well yeah, but...why is it the mariner's hour? We aren't anywhere near the ocean, and it's not like sailors do anything special right now."
"I remember being by the ocean once, at this time. There was a lighthouse there, and waves on the cliffs...I think about that, whenever I see the sky like this."
"Okay, but it doesn't make sense."
"Does it have to? Not everything needs to make sense, Hitoya."
He hadn't come up with an answer to that. For him, things need to make sense, and it bothered him that he couldn't really figure out what mariners had to do with anything his friend had said. But he's at least aware of why he thinks of it as the Mariner's Hour nowadays, and it makes plenty of sense: it's Jakurai who calls it that. In fact, it's Jakurai who makes this particular moment in time complete, because he's at the center of it.
Hitoya is at his home, in his room, during the Mariner's Hour...and Jakurai is with him. They're on Hitoya's bed, already under the covers and in their pajamas, legs tangled together with Hitoya resting his head on Jakurai's chest. Jakurai has one arm around Hitoya's shoulders, and in his other hand he holds his cell phone. It's the only source of artificial light in the room, with the lights turned off and the soft evening glow lighting their world up for as long as it can. This apartment is so high up that the lights of Nagoya can't be seen unless you stand at the windows and look down, but Hitoya likes it that way. His apartment is a sanctuary, a place to just get away from everyone else and unwind after a busy day. And the days that Jakurai can come over and be here with him are even better.
He turns his head slightly, glancing at the illuminated band logo on the T-shirt Jakurai is wearing. He doesn't miss owning it, it looks so much better on his boyfriend. Hitoya had practically swam in that shirt, and it fits Jakurai perfectly. This is a rare time where being the shorter of the two doesn't bother him nearly as much as it usually does. Of course he'll never admit that, though, nor will he admit how much he enjoys being held. Letting your guard down, letting someone else care for you...it's nice, but also scary as Hell. You open yourself up to being hurt and vulnerable when you do something like that.
"Oi." He can feel his thoughts starting to spiral somewhere he doesn't want them to, so he glances up at Jakurai.
"Hm?"
"What are you up to?"
Jakurai doesn't let his eyes leave the phone. "I'm just reading messages from one of my many lovers."
Hitoya pinches his arm for that one. "You tease me a bit too much, you know that?" Not that he minds, of course. Seeing Jakurai try to be playful is unbelievably cute.
Jakurai chuckles. "Such a shame that you're so fun to tease." He looks at Hitoya then, giving one of those sweet smiles that makes his heart melt. "Hifumi told me about this application that lets you read books electronically. It's so convenient, I've been using it all the time."
Japan's greatest doctor, and he only just discovered ebooks. As if Hitoya couldn't fall for him even more… "Oh yeah? What are you reading now?"
"A few things, actually. Mostly nonfiction, some biographies...though there are a few novels I've been reading, too. Do you have any recommendations?"
"Hmm…" Hitoya takes a moment. "There are two things I like. First...um…" Shit. He's so mellowed out that he can't finish.
At least Jakurai finds it amusing. "...Money?"
"Yeah. Let's go with that. And second, mysteries are good. O. Henry has some good stuff, too. His whole thing is a plot twist at the end of each story."
"That certainly sounds interesting. Give me a moment…" Jakurai messes with his phone. "Oh, here we are. A collection of his short stories." A pause. "Would you like me to read some of them to you?"
"If you want, angel…" Hitoya barely gets the pet name out before yawning. "...I'll try to stay awake."
Jakurai laughs. "If you can't, I don't mind. I'd much rather you get some rest." With that, he clears his throat and begins to read. "'One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. She had put it aside, one cent and then another and then another…'"
The sky is getting a bit darker now, and Hitoya sighs contentedly. Damn it. Jakurai has no idea how beautiful his voice is, does he? It's low, and rich, but at the same time there's an elegance to it that makes it so pleasant to listen to. Even when they were younger, he always liked hearing Jakurai talk, and it only got worse when he got involved in all this division battle business. Even at his worst, when the lawyer was green with envy, he still loved hearing him. Every song, every album...over and over again, it was heaven. And it's heaven now, hearing that same beautiful voice reading to him, only for him.
He wants to stay up for a few more stories, he does, but Jakurai decides to be cruel in the kindest of ways. The hand around Hitoya's shoulders moves to his head, sliding into the taupe locks. Once Jakurai starts massaging his scalp with his fingers, it's all over. He barely registers the first paragraph of the third story before he mumbles something he can't even process. Jakurai seems surprised, and Hitoya can't figure out why. But then the doctor smiles, whispers, "I love you, too," and the soft darkening blue of the Mariner's Hour turns to a blissful, slumbering black.