Work Text:
“Morning, beautiful.” Kento’s voice was gravely from sleep, sending shivers down Satoru’s spine.
Bright blue eyes opened and were met with the sight of Kento on his side, staring back at him with that soft look in his eyes. The look reserved for when they were alone together like this. Satoru grunted and closed his eyes, shifting closer to Kento to take advantage of this moment. He buried his face in the bare broad chest of his love, enjoying the familiar smell of cologne that still lingered on the man’s skin.
“Don’t want it to be morning,” Satoru grumbled, not ready to wake up and face the day. “I want to spend all day in bed with you.”
“We can do that if you want.” Kento soothed him, his calloused hands coming to rub up and down Satoru’s sides.
Satoru opened his eyes and looked up at Kento’s face, the hazel eyes looked down at him full of so much love and tenderness. Satoru turned to jelly whenever Kento gave him those looks, how could he not love this man. How could he not want to spend forever with this man, in this bed just the two of them?
Forever? Something about forever felt wrong?
Satoru blinked at the strange thought, shaking his head before turning his attention back to Kento. Beautiful Kento who’s golden hair shone even brighter in the sunlight, coming down to frame his cheekbones perfectly despite being untidy from sleep. Kento sat up, unwrapping his arms from around Satoru.
“What are you doing?” Satoru whined, stretching out his arms to Kento, wanting the blonde to return to them. “Get back in here with me?”
“I was thinking of making you breakfast in bed, it’s rare we get lazy mornings like this. I plan to take full advantage.”
“Let me help with breakfa-”
Before Satoru could finish sitting up, a firm gentle hand pushed him back down into the soft mattress, followed by a gentle kiss to his lips. Satoru hummed against the soft lips on his, enjoying the return of Kento’s touch. When the kiss stopped, a pout formed on Satoru’s face.
“I want you to relax today, let me spoil you. I don’t get to have you home all day like this often, so let me indulge in this. Please?”
Well how could Satoru argue with such a request, he leaned up to steal one last kiss from Kento’s lips before settling down again in their bed. Kento smiled, pressing their foreheads together. Kento’s warm calloused hand cupped Satoru’s face before withdrawing the touch. Satoru lifted his head to watch his love walk out of the bedroom, grabbing his robe off the back of their door on the way. Once he was alone, his eyes started to feel heavy.
Satoru decided Kento wouldn’t be too mad with him if he closed his eyes and snoozed while waiting for him to return.
Satoru’s eyes slowly opened, he was cold and it was dark. Realisation dawned on him as he remembered, he was still trapped in the prison realm. He’d been thinking about that morning again, that last morning of their most recent day they spent together. Satoru thought it was the most perfect day in existence.
Now here he was sullying it’s memory, letting the prison realm distort and twist the memory. Each time he closed his eyes something about that morning was different. This time Kento hadn’t stayed in bed and made love to him, instead leaving to go make breakfast. Satoru sighed as he wrapped his arms tighter around himself, determined not to fall back into a sleep that would cost him the memories of Kento.
Alone here in the prison realm with only the dead for company, Satoru wanted to see Kento so badly. He wished he could know that the blonde was okay, that whatever was happening outside of where he was sealed he hoped that both Kento and his students were all safe. Satoru held out that hope, he had faith in Nanami Kento. He had faith in the man he loves.
“Morning, beautiful.” Kento’s voice was gravely from sleep, sending shivers down Satoru’s spine.
Bright blue eyes opened and were met with the sight of Kento on his side, staring back at him with that soft look in his eyes. The look reserved for when they were alone together like this. Satoru grunted and closed his eyes, shifting closer to Kento to take advantage of this moment. He buried his face in the bare broad chest of his love, enjoying the familiar smell of burnt-
Why could he smell burnt flesh? He knows what burnt flesh smells like. Why was it coming from Kento?
“Satoru, are you okay? You’re shaking.”
Warm calloused hands reached out to cup his face, wiping away tears Satoru didn’t even know he was spilling. Satoru sucked in a shuddering breath as he realised that it was happening again. The prison realm was twisting his memories of the one thing in his life that brought him happiness. Satoru lifted his gaze to stare at Kento, his eyes were full of concern.
“I miss you.” Satoru whispered, moving his body until his chest was flush against Kento’s.
“I’m right here.”
“Kiss me, please.” Satoru begged, his hands coming up to slide into Kento’s hair and pulling the blonde in close.
“Satoru, what are you-”
Satoru cut him off with a kiss, wanting to remember how Kento tasted in the morning. He never cared about morning breath. He needed this. He needs to commit every part of Kento to his memory. The way those lips feel against his own, how those calloused hands held him. Satoru kissed Kento desperately, he wanted everything he could have from Kento before he was forced back into the dark of the prison realm.
“Satoru-” Kento spoke softly, trying to pull back from the kiss by pushing the taller man away.
“I’m sorry, Kento. If I’m not strong enough this place will take you from me.” Satoru babbled, fear now consuming him. “I can’t believe it’s going to take you from me.”
Satoru hated this, he wasn’t weak. He was strong, the strongest. How could he act like this? He knew this Kento wasn’t his, he knew that his Kento was outside the prison realm. Satoru had to keep it together, he couldn’t be a mess. He had to persevere so when he got out he could take care of the monster using Suguru’s body.
If I get out of here.
“Satoru.”
Satoru let his gaze drift up to look at Kento, the eyes that had been worried gave him a sad look. Satoru almost felt like it was a knowing look. Kento pulled him close, wrapping his arms tightly around Satoru and pressing soft kisses to the white hair on his head. Satoru felt some of the stress melt away inside Kento’s arms, his shaking muscles relaxing against the warm body holding him. But he couldn’t shake the smell of burnt flesh.
“Satoru, I’m here. It will be okay. I’ll get you through this.” Kento spoke quietly in a soothing tone. “I won’t let you go through this alone.”
“Kento? What do you mean?” Satoru’s blood ran cold, he couldn’t bring himself to think of the deeper meaning to his love’s words. Kento wasn’t here in the prison realm. Only one person could be sealed inside, just Satoru and all the dead victims of the same cruel fate he was forced to endure.
Satoru lifted his head, wanting to look into Kento's eyes. Eye. One eye.
Satoru shot awake, gasping and panting to catch his breath after what he just saw in his dreams. Dreams now turned into nightmares. He was losing his mind, the prison realm was trying to force him to face his worst fear.
Losing Nanami Kento was always the worst thing Satoru could ever think of.
For a man so young he has already lost so much. He’d lost his life, the freedom to choose his own path. He’d lost his best friend to a twisted ideal, only to later kill him with his bare hands for it. But he’d had Kento through that. The man who was firm yet gentle, always knowing what he needed before he himself did. Now the prison realm was trying to take from him the man who loved him. The man he loved.
Satoru hated to admit that the idea of slipping back into that dream terrified him. He didn’t know what he would see. He was torn between hoping to see Kento again and dreading the way the prison realm would twist his dreams. He had to stay awake.
Satoru could not let sleep claim him.
He was strong. He could stay awake.
Right?
“Morning, beautiful.” Kento’s voice was gravely from sleep, sending shivers down Satoru’s spine.
Bright blue eyes opened and were met with the sight of Kento standing near the window, dressed in pyjama pants and his robe. He was facing away from Satoru, staring out the window at the sun as it rose over the surrounding mountains. Satoru sat up, looking at the empty spot that normally held Kento.
Where Kento normally held him.
“What are you doing? Come back to bed.” Satoru yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, not ready to face the day.
When Kento didn’t respond or move it sent chills through Satoru’s body. Satoru sat up, pulling one of his knees to his chest as he anxiously watched Kento. He couldn’t see the man’s face. Satoru moved to slide out of bed but was frozen in shock.
“Don’t. Don’t come over here.” Kento’s voice was firm yet the tone was off, something was wrong.
“Kento? You’re scaring me.”
Not Kento. Kento isn’t here. He’s out there, with the kids. He’s not here.
“I am, Satoru.”
Satoru’s blood turned to ice. He stared at the back of the being tormenting him, making every moment of rest, of respite from what could be his tomb, unbearable. Satoru shook with rage, he wasn’t going to let this place have Kento. He didn’t deserve this. Kento was too good for them to ever mimic, they wouldn’t have his memories of these moments. They were his.
“They’re ours, Satoru. Our moments. I’m lingering here in them, with you.” Kento turned his head slightly to offer him half of a smile. “It’s selfish, but I can’t bear to leave you alone.”
“Alone?”
Kento heaved a heavy sigh, turning his gaze forward and out of the window again. He didn’t move or speak for what felt like an eternity. Satoru was still afraid to move, he didn’t understand what was happening. Maybe he was losing his mind. The prison realm had destroyed his mind, he wasn’t strong enough to withstand it. He had failed.
“Please, Satoru. You’re too thick headed to lose to a box.” Kento teased, causing Satoru to frown.
“What do you know? You’re not him.”
“I am. I failed, I tried to free you and I failed. Mahito, I didn’t see him coming.” Kento shook his head, before continuing in a more somber tone. “I failed you, Satoru. I failed your students, I’ve left them without a protector. Even worse, I’m a selfish man. Instead of moving on and finding peace I’m here with you. How can I leave you behind?”
Satoru’s eyes spilled tears he didn’t know were there. Before he was aware it was happening his legs carried him to Kento. The blonde hunched in on himself away from Satoru.
“Please, don’t look.”
“Kento, I don’t care how bad it is. Please.”
Satoru sucked his breath in at the sight as he stood before the blonde. The burns were bad, but the eye. Satoru went to lift his hand to stroke Kento’s face before withdrawing his hand, afraid the contact would hurt the love of his life. Kento closed his remaining eye and turned his head away.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Satoru managed to say quietly. “Thank you, thank you for doing your best. I’ve got it from here, don’t stay here in this hell with me.”
Kento turned his gaze back to Satoru, concern on his features as he stared at the man before him. He knew when Satoru was being brave for the sake of others and this was a prime example of it. Kento reached his good hand out to grab one of Satoru’s own.
“How can this be hell if you’re here? I’ll stay if you’ll have me. I won’t leave you alone.”
“Morning, beautiful.” Kento’s voice was gravely from sleep, sending shivers down Satoru’s spine.
Bright blue eyes opened and were met with the sight of Kento on his side, staring back at him with that soft look in his eye. The look reserved for when they were alone together like this. They smiled at each other, before leaning in for a soft kiss.
It was going to be another perfect lazy morning.