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He’d maybe been asleep for an hour when the sound of the door opening has him on high alert. He lays there silently, listening, waiting. Palms smoking, heart racing, he’s ready to spring at a second’s notice.
But all he hears is the soft pad of feet, and a thud followed by several muffled curses. The deep baritone is all he needs for his palms to extinguish, and the adrenaline coursing in his veins to slow.
Getting out of bed, he shuffles out of the bedroom, finding the “intruder” standing in the dimly lit kitchen. the only light coming from the tap lights above the sink. The man is standing by the sink, holding a foot, leaning precariously against the counter.
“The fuck are you doin’?” his voice is groggy, heavy-laden with sleep.
The other man’s head whips up and around, nearly causing him to lose his balance. When he catches himself, narrowly avoiding falling, he flips Katsuki off. “Oh save it. The hell are you even awake for?”
Katsuki huffed a tired laugh. “Was asleep until your noisy ass walked in.” He crosses his arms, leaning against the doorway. God he just wants to go back to sleep, but he’s still too worked up.
For a moment, the other man says nothing, giving Katsuki a chance to really look at him.
He looks him over, searching for any obvious signs of injury, other than the obvious stubbed toe from whatever he smacked it off of on his entry. Tall, slender frame, stealthily hiding an impressive underlying musculature. Under the awful t-shirt reading “cats R purrfect” in such bright lettering he can see it even in low light, Katsuki knows there are tattoos and scars littered across his chest and shoulders.
As he stands there taking mental stock of his kitchen companion, he’s watched by exhausted violet eyes. Eyes he’d once upon a time been disturbed by, no one he’d ever met before had white pupils. Now he can’t imagine him any other way. Soft indigo curls frame his face, falling from the braids that Katsuki himself had done hours before.
“You know, you could take a picture. It’ll certainly last longer.” there’s a smirk on his face now, full of mirth and sass.
Katsuki can’t help rise to it, “As if I’d want a picture of your fuckin mug.”
The other man huffs a laugh, a big fake pout on his face. “Awh, Katsuki, you wound me. I thought you liked my face. Wasn’t that you this morning, telling me how pretty I am?” he does his best to bat his eyelashes at him, but with as tired as he looks, it just looks ridiculous.
Katsuki rolls his eyes. “Well, clearly you’re fine, if you can be such a shit, I’m going back to bed.”
When all he receives in return is a nod and a wave, he’s on edge again.
“Hitoshi? What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing, Kitten. Just tired.” He definitely sounds tired… But it’s more than that. There’s something underneath the exhaustion.
“Don’t ‘Kitten’ me, dammit.” he wants to argue, it’s his default, what he does best. But another glimpse of his fiancé, told him that an argument isn’t what Hitoshi needs. “Dammit…” he mumbles under his breath.
He walks the rest of the way into the kitchen, right up to his purple-eyed lover. Wrapping his arms around his waist and holding him close.
Hitoshi grumbles, something distinctly sounding like “I don’t need coddled.” Katsuki huffs a laugh.
“Not coddling you, asshole. I know you don’t need it. Can’t a guy just hug his fiancé, hmmm?” He speaks softly, keeping his tone light.
Hitoshi breathes out a soft laugh, wrapping his arms up around Katsuki’s shoulders. When Hitoshi lets out a soft, shaky sigh, Katsuki pulls him closer.
“C’mon sweetheart, bedtime.” Katsuki murmurs several minutes later. Slowly he takes a step back, not letting go. Effectively pulling the taller man with him as he moves out of the kitchen and down the hall.
When they make it to the bedroom, Hitoshi puts up little fight as Katsuki pulls the shirt over his head and strips him down to his boxers. Then Katsuki does the same to himself before pulling them into bed. They had found out a long while back that when they’re upset, they both like the quiet intimacy of just being able to feel the other, skin to skin, no barriers. Keeping boxers on was purely because if there were no barriers, all they’d do, as it turns out, is fuck.
It doesn’t take him long to get them situated, laying cuddled up close with the thick weighted blanket Hitoshi likes pulled up over them. He shifts them slightly, gently pulling Hitoshi’s head onto his chest. In moments, he’s taking the ties out that held his braids back and softly brushing them out with his fingers. Even when the braids are all undone, he continues to run his fingers through his hair.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Toshi?” Katsuki whispers after a while. The room around them is quiet, but not in the way that he knows means that Hitoshi is asleep. His breathing hasn’t slowed, and his body tremors slightly around his own.
It’s another moment before the deep rumble of Hitoshi’s voice breaks through the quiet. “Paperwork day… lots of shit cases. Too much time to think. Just… stuck in my head.”
Katsuki hums, not wanting to interrupt as he continues running his fingers through the purple curls. When Hitoshi doesn’t say anything else, Katsuki softly speaks up.
“Talk, fuck, or quiet?” It’s a crude way to phrase it, but it’s worked for them this long.
If one of them was down or upset, the options were presented. They can either talk it out, fuck until they can’t think, or they can cuddle together, simply holding each other, no words needed.
Softly, Hitoshi responds, “Quiet.”
Katsuki nods, “Alright baby, I got you.” he whispers, smiling softly when he feels Hitoshi nod back against his chest.
He continues to stroke his fingers through Hitoshi’s hair, his other hand rubbing up and down his back. He can feel Hitoshi’s fingers tracing little circles against his ribs and he relishes the contact. Only two last sentences whispered between them before silence engulfs them completely.
“I love you, Katsuki.”
“I love you too, Hitoshi.”
Moments later, Hitoshi’s breathing begins to even out. Katsuki slowly begins to slow his movements, knowing that once Hitoshi’s asleep, he’ll stay asleep until morning.
And when Hitoshi inevitably begins to snore, a noise that Katsuki will forever equate to a cat’s purr (he’ll never tell Hitoshi that, though), the sound lulls Katsuki to sleep as well. His arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding his love close.
They can talk in the morning, like they have all the times before.