Chapter Text
The air was rigid and suffocating, and no noise except for the crickets chirping outside and Gonta’s soft snoring could be heard. Kokichi felt almost trapped under his blankets as he curled into himself, pulling the covers closer to himself and almost off of his sleeping boyfriend. He couldn’t pinpoint the exact time, but he had to guess at least two in the morning. And unfortunately for him, he hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep since then.
He didn’t usually suffer from insomnia Well, he used to, but Kokichi had been under the impression that he had managed to iron out all his bad sleeping habits. He grunted quietly, squeezing his eyes shut and shifting under the covers slightly. What he had usually done back when insomnia used to strike him regularly was get up and find something interesting to keep him busy until he felt tired, but that had been before he moved in with Gonta, and Kokichi didn’t want to reuse that strategy and end up disturbing his boyfriend. So all Kokichi could do now was toss and turn and hope that he could eventually drift off to sleep-- not usually an effective method.
A frustrated breath released from Kokichi’s nostrils as he gripped onto the pillow, restlessness and boredom slowly creeping upon him. Keeping still and quiet was never his specialty, nor was maintaining a clear and unfocused mind. These traits of his seemed to be highlighted especially tonight, as his hyperactive brain decided that there were apparently more important things to focus on than sleeping, such as the freezing cold air of the room or the faint yet definitely noticeable sound of Gonta’s snoring.
Suddenly thinking about his boyfriend, Kokichi turned to face him, quietly observing his sleeping figure. He looked like the embodiment of peacefulness right now, with his chest slowly rising and falling and his eyes fluttered closed. Kokichi felt both a stab of jealously at how easily Gonta could doze off and a swell of pride at how adorable his boyfriend looked like this. He reached up a shaky hand, brushing off a stray strand of Gonta’s hair out of his face. Gonta had not faltered at all, not even feeling the touch as he slept like a log. That didn’t really come as a surprise to Kokichi-- Gonta had always been quite the heavy sleeper. Maybe it was because of his forest background. He’d probably learned to tune out the nosiness of the forest around him as he slept, Kokichi inferred. He wished he could tune out everything around him just as well.
A rush of cool air blew through the room, causing Kokichi to shiver and wiggle under the covers a little more. Although he normally considered himself a fan of cold weather, he didn’t hold much affection for the chilliness that came with the night. What he did hold affection for, however, was Gonta, who seemed to represent the opposite of cold. Not only was he a warm and inviting person who could easily make your heart melt with a single radiant smile, he was also usually physically warm as well, holding a lot of body heat within himself. Kokichi could tell whenever they hugged or held hands, and it was a nice little detail about Gonta that he stored away in his mind.
Such a detail came in use especially now, when Kokichi wanted to escape the bitter breeze of the night. He scooted a little closer, taking Gonta’s arms and guiding them around his body, wrapping himself in Gonta’s warmth. He smiled to himself once he felt Gonta’s natural warmth envelop him, settling into his arms and slowly closing his eyes. It didn’t make him any more sleepy, which was unfortunate, but it was nice to finally get away from the cold. However, Kokichi was utterly unaware of what all his movement had caused. Well, he was unaware, until he heard Gonta’s snoring suddenly cease and felt Gonta’s body shifting against him.
“Mmm… ‘Kichi?”
Gonta’s voice was groggy and hoarse as he rubbed the tiredness from his eyes. Kokichi sighed quietly upon the realization that he had awoken Gonta. His boyfriend deserved the rest. After all, it wasn’t Gonta’s problem that Kokichi couldn’t sleep, was it? So why should it affect him? Nevertheless, Gonta had already been awakened, so it wasn’t like Kokichi could do anything about it now. He tilted his head up toward’s Gonta’s face, looking up at him with wide, restless eyes and a cheshire cat grin.
“Gooood morning, sleepyhead,” he whispered, well aware of how late it was and not wanting to disturb Gonta any more than he already had. “You’re up bright and early, aren’t you? Wellllll, the ‘bright’ part may have been a lie, but the ‘early’ part certainly wasn’t.”
Gonta blinked and peeked over his shoulder to look out the window, staring out at the darkness enveloping the outside. For a while, he said nothing, but then turned back to face Kokichi. “It really, really late. What ‘Kichi still doing up?”
Kokichi puffed out his cheeks playfully. “Geez, Gonta! Ignoring my words like that… Hmph, that wasn’t gentlemanly at all of you, y’know?” He was dodging the question in hopes of Gonta dropping it and going back to sleep, but it seemed like that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
“Did Kokichi have nightmare and wake up in middle of night? Or maybe he just wake up for glass of water? Or maybe…” Gonta pondered for a while, staring off into space as he thought over as many possible explanations as he could. “Maybe… Kokichi just having trouble falling asleep?”
A sigh escaped Kokichi’s lips and he looked down. “Geez… you’re really no fun at all, huh? Well, I can’t blame you. It’s super late right now and you got woken up out of nowhere."
Gonta blinked, staring down at his boyfriend, then reached down to cup Kokichi's face gently. The supreme leader had jolted at the abrupt touch, looking up and making eye contact with Gonta. The entomologist smiled at him with tired eyes. "If 'Kichi need help falling asleep, Gonta not mind." Kokichi swallowed thickly, his heart skipping a beat at both the affectionate touch and the gentle words. He probably should have lied and said that he didn't need help at all, but… for some reason, his mouth suddenly felt dry, and he couldn't say a word.
Gonta took his silence as affirmation, and wrapped his large arms around Kokichi, pulling him closer and snuggling him like a teddy bear. Kokichi squeaked at this, ready to protest, but any complaints died in his throat once he soaked in Gonta's warm embrace. As Gonta slowly stroked his hair and whispered quiet, loving words into his ear, Kokichi seemed to melt. He felt his cheeks heat up, but ignored it, and nestled into Gonta's hug with the faintest smile on his face.
After a while, Gonta stopped whispering, only running his thick fingers through Kokichi’s hair. Eventually, he spoke up once again. “Umm… Sorry. Gonta never really help anyone fall asleep before, so he not really sure what to do… Maybe… oh! A lullaby! Gonta not a great singer, but heard those help people fall asleep.” Kokichi grimanced slightly against Gonta’s chest. He didn’t have the heart to tell him that kind of stuff was for kids, so… hey, whatever. If it made Gonta feel like he was helping, then Kokichi would let him do whatever he wanted. Besides, might as well give it a shot. Kokichi nodded wordlessly, nestling closer into Gonta’s embrace, and the entomologist smiled and cleared his throat a little.
His voice was hushed and gravelly, yet silky smooth, as he began his singing. Kokichi didn’t quite recognize the words of the lullaby, but it wasn’t like he was properly registering them anyways, as he was more focused on how nice and deep Gonta’s voice sounded. Gonta definitely wasn’t much of a singer, but he was clearly trying his best for Kokichi, which was more than enough. Just listening to the gentle and satisfying sound of Gonta’s low voice was enough for Kokichi.
He felt his eyelids droop, fatigue slowly catching up to him as he relaxed in Gonta’s arms. Gonta himself seemed to notice it too, as his song seemed to slowly trail off. He chuckled quietly a little, gazing down at Kokichi lovingly. “‘Kichi look cute right now,” he mumbled underneath his breath, quiet enough for Kokichi to have to strain his ears to hear the words properly. He grumbled a little against Gonta’s chest, his response muffled and unintelligible. Gonta chuckled again, leaning down to press a sweet kiss to the top of Kokichi’s head.
That kiss was the last thing Kokichi recalled before he gradually drifted off to sleep, finally finding himself relaxed enough to do so. He never thought this was how he’d fight back against insomnia, but he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. As long as Gonta was by his side, he felt like nothing could stop them.
Gonta smiled fondly as he felt Kokichi’s breathing even out. The entomologist allowed himself to soak in the moment as he continued to stroke Kokichi’s hair, still holding him close. Gonta decided in that moment that he never wanted to let Kokichi go, planting another loving kiss on his boyfriend’s head. Soon after, he followed Kokichi, drifting off to sleep as well. Laying in each other’s arms, the couple knew nothing but peace and love.