Chapter Text
I. Winter Beach
If anyone saw what they were doing, they would think they were crazy.
Tsukishima Kei was driving down the highway in Akiteru’s Nissan Sentra that he had lent him for the trip. It has been a year since he obtained the driver’s licence, but this was the first time that he ventured to drive in the highway, far from his native Miyagi.
He was definitively nervous; even though there was no crossroads, traffic lights or transit police, sitting behind the wheel during a long straight road was a resistance and concentration test. Back in the city, he had to drive at 24 or 30 mph. But now, when his gaze looked at the speedometer, the needle pointed at 60 mph. As twice as he was used to.
“You need to be careful and drive at the signalated speed. It’s winter, so the road will probably be slippery, also it has been drizzling these days. If it’s slippery, then take the curves with caution. Also, charge enough fuel, that’s the most important thing: don’t forget the fuel”. Akiteru filled him with those and many other tips and advices that he had already forgotten. Sometimes, Akiteru worried more about him than his parents.
The road wasn’t slippery but the pavement did looked wet. It was pure luck that there hadn’t been snowfalls on the season, just rain. Kei still hadn’t taken any curve, but thinking about it made him more nervous.
One of this hands was on the wheel, the other one was in the shift lever (even though there has been about 10 minutes since he’d changed the speed). Both of his hands were tense because of the tightness used to hold both things.
Until a light-brown hand landed in the top of his own at the lever.
“You are really tense”. The feeling of the touch made Kei relax the hand a little bit. It was like magic.
“No, i’m not”. Kei’s eyes were fixed in the road.
“I know you well, Tsukki”. The aforementioned wasn’t looking at his companion’s face, but he could almost guess the look of disbelief in his face.
“Ok, fine. I am. It’s the first time I’m doing this”. He knew he couldn’t lie to Yamaguchi. It was something he had learned that a long time ago.
“I’m riding the same car as you, y’now? I’m nervous too, but I trust my Tsukki” Tadashi tried to intertwine his fingers with the ones holding the lever and Kei let him do it.
If Akiteru was more parent than brother, Tadashi sometimes was more cheerleader than boyfriend with the many encouragement and cheers he gave him. He wasn’t complaining, though.
After almost 20 minutes, a signal appeared in the road. It said “Shiogama” and announced a deviation in the road 500 meters ahead. Yamaguchi had already looked at the map and that deviation was the most pronounced of the route: a curve to the left that was pronounced at the beginning and then it incorporated to the road which will take them to their destination: the coast city.
Once they approached the curve, Kei light up his turn signals. The copilot –with his fingers still intertwined- squeezed lightly the other’s hand in a gesture of encouragement to his partner. The deviation came at last and the driver lowered down the speed and changed the speed-gear from the fifth to the first, moving his and his boyfriend’s hand along with the lever.
Kei took the curve slowly, following his lane. When he finally got out of it, he raised the speed again. From his side, he heared a sigh of relief.
“I knew you could do it” he approached to give Kei a kiss in the cheek to which the driver reacted with a twitch, the action took him by surprise.
“I’m driving” Kei said, trying to hide the light blush of his face.
Yamaguchi let out a chuckle.
“And for that reason I can’t pamper you?”
“I’m not saying that. I’m saying that it’s distracting. When we arrive you can do it... yeah”. Tsukishima’s eyes were still fixed in the road, avoiding eye contact and preventig his blush to grow even more.
Tadashi squeezed his hand again.
“Alright, fine” there was a little silence until Tadashi spoke again. “You looked so manly changing the speed and taking that curve” he said with a smile, captivated.
Kei tried to ignore him again.
After an hour, they arrived at the destination.
“Search for the hotel in the map” Kei asked while driving on the city’s main avenue.
“Aye, aye captain!” he said, jokingly.
“Don’t start, Yamaguchi” Kei said and Tadashi obeyed.
While he was flipping the map trying to orient them, Kei kept on driving. He noticed how all the streets of Shiogama were almost desert. After all, it was normal; they were travelling to a coast city in the middle of the winter.
From the avenue where they were, Kei just had to turn his head to the left to see the bay at the distance. He allowed himself to be distracted from the road because getting into the city made him relax. Finally, he could lean back in his seat.
At that moment, a faint drizzle started to fall from the sky. Kei turned on the windshield of the car and then, he turned his head to look at Yamaguchi who was still struggling with the map.
“Not yet?” he chuckled lightly.
“It’s the first time that I travel this far from home, have a little patience” Tadashi grumbled. “What’s the name of this avenue?” He asked.
Kei lowered the speed and parked the car on the side of the road, after all, there weren’t any cars nearby. “This is the Main Avenue” he said and then stretched his arms, feeling tingles due to the tiredness of driving for hours.
After some minutes, Yamaguchi found the hotel in the map.
“Okay, I know where is it”
“Bravo” Kei said and Tadashi frowned at his direction.
The car started moving again and Kei let Tadashi guide him through the streets of Shiogama until they arrived at a hotel located just in front of the bay. It wasn’t a five-stars establishment but it looked decent.
The look of the hotel wasn’t a problema, they just wanted it for the parking lot and for leave their things for a couple of hours.
Kei parked the car and, finally, he was able to relax his whole body.
“You made it!” Yamaguchi praised him. “Congratulations, Tsukki” said and gave Kei a pat in the shoulder.
“W-What about the cuddles from a while ago?” Sometimes he felt ashamed for asking that kind of attention, but looking back at the beginning of their relationship, he didn’t used to know how to ask for affection to begin with. That was one of the things that Tadashi taught him.
His companion looked at him.
“So Mr. Driver wants some love?” his boyfriend loved teasing him. The good news were that Kei’s pride didn’t cracked with the same easiness as before.
Tsukishima nodded without saying a word. Yamaguchi chuckled again.
“I can’t say no to the most awesome driver of the world” He smiled and kissed Kei in the lips. Kei corresponded the kiss and moved his mouth a little bit, keeping the contact.
Yamaguchi cupped his face with both hands and with his fingers massaged the back of Kei’s ears. Tsukishima felt a shiver that went through his whole body and made him relax. Feeling the relief, he let out a sigh while kept on kissing Tadashi. That was one of his sensitive areas.
They broke the kiss.
“Again with that shiver” Tadashi pointed out.
“You know that one is a weak spot” talking about that parts of his body made Tsukishima embarrassed. “Let’s go check-in” he said, changing the subject and trying not to lose his composure.
Out of the car, the atmosphere of the place was humid and cold. The mixture of both climate sensations was odd.
They took out their backpacks and got out of the parking lot.
Outside, the sky was cloudy and of a grey so deep that it looked like it’ll become black in any moment. Looking down, the sea extended in front of the hotel and looked like the sky: gloomy and dead. The exact opposit of how it looked at summer. Far away, there were some islands and fishing boats docked in a small pier.
Kei felt the cold breeze coming from the sea. He also felt the drizzle coming from the sky, scarse, but continuous. Tadashi intertwined their arms and both entered in the hotel.
The receptionist looked surprised when she saw the two boys enter through the door. Kei supposed that they didn’t expect customers in that season of the year. He asked for the cheapest room available and, when the receptionist gave him the key, both of them went into the elevator.
“It’s the 165, on the fourth floor” Tadashi pushed the bottons of the elevator. After some seconds, it shook and began to move.
They were in silence for some moments until Kei talked.
“What’s today plan?”
Tadashi yawned.
“Let’s sleep first. I’m really tired”. He stretched his arms and use the movement to wrap his arms around his waist, hugging him.
The aforementioned was surprised by the contact but let Tadashi hug him and caressed the hands that were resting in his stomach.
“Are you wearing a new perfume?” Yamaguchi asked from behind.
“You know I don’t use perfume, it’s just the laundry detergent” Kei tried to talk calmly, but the feeling of the other’s warm body behind him made him nervous. Even after all they have done in the past.
“Then it’s a detergent that smells really good” Kei heard him chuckle and felt how Tadashi’s nose buried in his sweater, behind his neck. The touch of the other’s nose in his bare skin made Tsukishima shiver.
“Sensitive spot”
He heard another chuckle.
“I know” Tadashi rubbed his nose on Kei’s skin, caressing the spot.
The elevator’s door opened in front of them and Kei rushed to get out of there, breaking from Tadashi’s hug. He heard how the other followed him from behind.
“Why do you escape from my love, Tsukki?” he said, jokingly.
Kei didn’t answer because he knew that Tadashi was teasing him. He wouldn’t give Tadashi the pleasure to do it this time.
“This is the room” Tsukishima stopped in front of a door with the numbers 1, 6 and 5. He opened with the key and entered the room, followed by Yamaguchi.
The room was simple. It had a double bed with a headboard made of wood. In front of the bed there was a dresser with two mirrors on top.
“Don’t you think it’s fancy?” Yamaguchi looked at the room and sat down in the bed.
“It’s not. It’s pretty simple” Kei knew Tadashi was being sarcastic. He also sat down, looking at the mirrors in front of him.
“Let’s sleep a little bit. I’m worn out” Tadashi suggested, laying down on the bed.
Kei did the same and held the other’s hand. Both boys were looking at the ceiling.
“Something’s wrong?” Tadashi asked.
“Not really. Let’s go to sleep”
“Big spoon or small spoon?”
Tsukishima felt his face burn because of Tadashi’s question.
“B-big” He finally said.
Tadashi nodded and the both of them took off their shoes. When they were settled in the bed, Yamaguchi shifted, turning his back to Kei. Tsukishima then hugged him from behind.
After some time, Kei heard the calm breathing and some light snores coming for Tadashi. He put his hand in Yamaguchi’s chest, feeling the relaxed beats of his heart. His other hand went to his abdomen which Kei caressed and rubbed lightly.
He started to feel sleepy surrounded by the warmth and smell of Tadashi. That sleeping position was his favorite because he could feel everything about his boyfriend and admire him without him noticing.
Tsukishima felt asleep and the last thing he thought before losing consciousness was how much he’ll miss being like this with Yamaguchi.