Work Text:
The workday was already over and the only two left at the agency were Kunikida and his mischievous partner, Dazai. Everybody else had packed up and gone home early, since it was a Friday evening and there was hardly any work left to do for the night. Kunikida was finishing up with his own– rather, with Ranpo’s work, which he had volunteered to finish for the great detective so he could leave early to hang out with Poe. He was not one to daddle on his own work, nor would he allow for any work to go unfinished before the weekend.
It’s not that Dazai had finished his work, either, he had just convinced Atsushi to do it for him earlier. It wasn’t much anyways, the bulk of the work went to regular members rather than the two most intelligent detectives, since both hated paperwork with a passion. Ever since everybody had left, he had situated himself in a chair behind Kunikida’s desk, playing with his ponytail and lamenting about overtime. “You chose to stay, Dazai,” Kunikida had to constantly remind him that this was his own doing. He didn’t need company while he finished up his work, but his partner had insisted anyway.
“Who knows what would happen if you were left alone, Kunikida-Kun? You could get ambushed by the enemy, you could slip on water and hurt yourself, you could–”
Kunikida sighed, deciding that arguing in defense of his combat abilities (which were far superior to his partner’s own, by the way) would only be a losing battle, so he refocused his attention on getting the paperwork done. Dazai’s fingers resumed their brushing in his ponytail, which surprisingly wasn’t as distracting as he thought it would be. Gentle fingers combing through his hair, separating it into three sections and folding them over each other in a pattern, producing a pretty little braid that he couldn’t see. Once he was done, he pinched the end of the ponytail and asked, “Got a hair tie, Kunikida-kun?”
“What are you doing with my hair, Dazai?”
Despite not being able to see his partner, he could hear the pout in his voice as he said, “I made your ponytail into a cute little braid, but it won’t stay if I don’t tie the bottom!” He sat there thinking for a second of where he could possibly find a hair tie, and remembered the red ribbon tied into a bow around his collar. He untied it and handed it behind him, unlooking, to Dazai, who took it with an excited little squeal, “Yay!” He smiled in spite of himself, turning his attention back to his work, his fingers resuming their typing on the keyboard.
It took another half hour before he finally closed his laptop, his emotions overwhelmingly thankful that he would no longer have to listen to Dazai’s complaining. He pushed his chair back, the space behind him now empty as his partner had moved to lay on the couch instead, and gathered his things to leave for the day. The sun was starting to set, though it was hardly visible behind the clouds in the sky that evening. The air that came through the open window smelled heavily of oncoming rain and, for some reason, coffee. Maybe it was Kunikida’s body telling him that he desperately needed coffee, because his energy felt almost entirely depleted from the long work day.
He closed the window and made his way to the glass door, calling to his partner who was still on the couch, “You’ve got five seconds before I lock you in here, and I’m not coming back until Monday.” With that, Dazai groaned and picked himself up off of the couch, walking over to meet Kunikida at the door. They took the stairs and left the building together, finally free of work for the next couple of days– at least that’s how Dazai saw it, Kunikida felt upset that he would have to wait two days before he could work again.
“Good night,” Kunikida called out as he turned his body in the direction of his dorm, clearly about to start walking home, not wanting to spend a minute longer away from his bed. But, before he could move an inch, Dazai gripped his wrist and stopped him from walking away. “Kunikida-kun, it’s a Friday night! Let’s go hang out somewhere,” he said with a smile on his face, hoping to inspire some energy in his friend. He didn’t want to be left alone for the night and, after all, the whole reason he had stayed overtime at the agency was to wait for Kunikida to finish his work. He wanted to spend time with him afterwards, they hardly did these days. It felt like they had drifted apart, had grown less close, perhaps became too busy with their own lives to keep up with each other.
Kunikida turned back to look at his partner, meeting his gaze and noticing a small glint in the other’s eyes. Despite their recent drifting apart, the four years that they had been partners didn’t teach him nothing about the other. They were very adept at reading each other’s emotions, albeit how confusing Dazai’s could be at times, so he understood the unspoken words in his friend’s gaze. He felt the same way, after all, and hadn’t realized until now just how much he craved a revival of their past closeness. “Yeah, alright,” he responded, and Dazai loosened his grip on his wrist, but he didn’t let go.
“That hairstyle really suits you, by the way,” he teased as he pulled Kunikida in the direction of the busy streets and shops. His free hand instinctively went to his ponytail, pulling it across his shoulder to look at it. He’d completely forgotten that he was walking around with his hair in a braid, the dainty red ribbon tied at the end, and he blushed a little in embarrassment. His fingers went to undo the knot, but Dazai swatted his hand away. “No, keep it. It took me so long to do, Kunikida-kun!”
He reluctantly brought his hand back down and brushed his ponytail behind his back, sighing and allowing himself to be pulled across the sidewalk, passing people on the street that glanced over to stare at the eccentrically dressed men. A few minutes of walking brought them to a small evening cafe, not exactly packed with people but it was definitely busy, and Dazai gripped his wrist harder and pulled him through the doors. It smelled strongly of coffee and pastries, which forcefully reminded Kunikida of how tired and hungry he was.
They sat down at a small window side table, their chairs across from each other, and only then did Dazai finally let go of his wrist. The loss of contact made Kunikida’s skin feel unreasonably cold.
“You’re tired, aren’t you, Kunikida-kun? Let’s get you a coffee and a little cheese danish,” his partner said, having to raise his voice slightly to be heard over the other customers. Kunikida stared at him, a little surprised that he remembered his favorite pastry after all these years; the last time he had divulged such information was when they had first met and Dazai forced him into a round of “twenty-one questions.” It was an American game that he had picked up from somewhere, intended to help you get to know someone better. Albeit, his favorite pastry could have changed since then, but it didn’t. He was a man of unwavering loyalty, which certainly did not exclude his loyalty to cheese danishes.
“Actually, I think I’d prefer a chocolate chip muffin,” he replied, preventing the smile that threatened to show itself on his lips and expose his deception. Dazai goggled at him, momentarily thrown off, until he finally grasped what was going on. “You’re lying, and you're very bad at it,” he said in mock annoyance, but a smile and a giggle betrayed him. Kunikida smiled back and said, “That’s a good thing, is it not? It just means I’m an honest person.”
“I suppose so…”
The waitress came to take their orders. Dazai ordered a cappuccino and a cheese danish for the other, and an americano for himself, not forgetting to include some flirty lines before she was able to get away from their table. While they waited, they talked about the most important things that had been going on in their lives recently, catching up on anything that they might have missed about the other. The agency had been flooded by work recently and nobody had much time for their personal lives anymore. Nights like these had become a rarity, where everyone finished their work early and left before sunset (with the exception of Dazai and Kunikida, of course).
They both stared out the window as they conversed, marveling at the dark gray sky, the clouds growing heavier and heavier with rain by the minute. It was only a matter of time before the downpour came, harshly reminding both of them that they had forgotten their umbrellas at the agency. Finally, their coffees were placed in front of them, along with Kunikida’s danish.
“I’ve missed this,” Dazai lamented as Kunikida took a bite out of his pastry, his full mouth rendering him temporarily unable to respond. He swallowed it with a big gulp of his cappuccino and said, “What, americanos? The cafe beneath our agency gives you them for free… or, well…” It seemed like he got them for free, but Dazai was actually racking up a massive bill that he put off paying, and would probably put off paying forever.
“No,” Dazai started and smiled, turning his gaze from the sky to Kunikida’s face, “ I’ve missed us. Spending time together, no distractions, just us.” The words were so blunt, so uncharacteristically blunt of Dazai, and all the other could do was turn and stare. His eyes wide and his lips slightly parted, his cheese danish and coffee forgotten. They stayed like that for a few seconds until Dazai finally broke the silence, “Did I say something wrong?”
Kunikida snapped out of his little trance and stuttered out, “O-Oh, no… I was just surprised at what you said. You’re usually not so honest.” He took a nervous sip of his coffee, not knowing what he should do with his hands or where he should look. “Maybe I should be honest more often,” Dazai began, “if I get to see you nervous like this.” They made eye contact again and Kunikida blushed, though he didn’t understand exactly why. He felt particularly vulnerable that evening, with the coffee that hardly helped his sleepiness, the pastry that was slightly too sugary for his liking, the gentle rain that had started to fall against the restaurant’s windows, and Dazai’s unwavering stare that unnerved him the most.
“I’m not nervous, okay! I just… Well, I missed this, too…”
The waitress came over to their table to check if they wanted something else or if they were ready to pay, to which Kunikida felt immensely grateful. It stopped further discussion and put an end to whatever that was, though Dazai continued to stare at him curiously. He pulled out his card and handed it to the waitress, then downed the last of his coffee and the last couple of bites of his cheese danish. Dazai had hardly touched his americano, not unusual for him, but at least he had ordered the cheapest thing on the menu.
Kunikida stood up from his seat and his partner followed suit, hurrying to grab his wrist so they wouldn’t be separated on their way out. It really wasn’t necessary, but neither of the men chose to mention that, and they both continued walking; Kunikida in front and Dazai directly behind, clinging tightly to his wrist as if he was a child. It was raining, not exactly pouring but not exactly sprinkling either; it was unideal weather for a pair with no umbrella.
“Kunikida-kun,” Dazai’s voice came from behind his left ear, “what should we do?” He sounded more excited than he did worried as he stood there, leaning up against Kunikida’s back, watching the rain as it fell and sticking his hand out to feel the water against his palm. They really had no choice but to walk, standing there in the cafe’s doorway was blocking other people who wanted to leave the building.
“I don’t know, do you care about getting wet?”
“Not at all,” Dazai responded genuinely and rushed out from behind Kunikida, pulling him by the wrist into the rain. It took him by surprise and he yelped “Agh–!” at the sudden influx of water onto his hair, shoulders, and face. It was ice cold and he certainly was not properly dressed for the rain. Dazai laughed at the look on his face, keeping a quick pace as he dragged him forward, hoping to find an area of cover before they got completely drenched. Kunikida let himself be pulled, quickening his steps to keep up with his partner, smiling in spite of himself.
It was kind of fun running around in the rain, forgetting his norms and ideals for a little while, allowing himself to smile and laugh and enjoy the moment, despite the cold water dripping down his neck. Dazai was having the time of his life, too, jumping in little puddles that got in their way and splashing the dirty water all over their ankles and shoes. He was also smiling and laughing, occasionally looking back at Kunikida to make sure he was okay, maintaining his hold on his wrist so they didn’t lose each other amongst the passerby.
Halfway to the dorms, Dazai found a large tree for them to hide under for a few minutes, catching their breath before they ran the rest of the way there. It was past sunset and it was cloudy, so the night was very dark, but they could still make out the expressions on each other’s faces. Dazai’s eyes were twinkling and he was smiling brightly, despite his hair and clothes being nearly drenched in rain. Kunikida was similar, he felt wet and cold, but it was easy to ignore when all he could think about was the infectious happiness of his partner. He really liked seeing him have fun, especially since they rarely had time to have fun these days. Though he wouldn’t admit it, he would probably allow himself to get soaked one hundred times over if it meant that Dazai would be happy.
“..............kun?”
The rain poured around them, having gotten steadily heavier since they left the cafe, and had he not been staring at Dazai’s face, he wouldn’t have even known that he spoke. “What?” He asked loudly, bringing his face closer to the other so they didn’t have to shout over the rain. Dazai smiled and leaned up to speak into his ear, “What are you thinking about, Kunikida-kun?”
He contemplated for a second before answering, “I’m just happy right now, that’s all.”
At his words, he could see Dazai’s face light up, even in the darkness of the evening, the heavy blanket of clouds preventing any moonlight from shining across the city. The nearby street lights were pretty much their only source of visibility, and even those were very dim. The hand that tightly clutched his wrist loosened, following his skin down to his palm and intertwining its fingers with his. It was a very unexpected and unfamiliar feeling, yet Kunikida happily allowed the touch to happen, relaxing his own fingers into the hold. “That makes me happy to hear,” Dazai whispered into his ear, then pulled back and squeezed the other’s hand before pulling him forward, away from under the cover of the tree.
It was only less than ten more minutes of running around and splashing in the rain before they arrived on the doorstep of Kunikida’s dorm, which had a long overhead roof that provided cover for the two drenched men. It was unspoken between them that Dazai would be staying the evening here, and possibly even the night if the rain continued its heavy downpour. Frantically pulling out the keys, Kunikida unlocked the door and they both rushed into his dorm, dripping water all over his wooden floors, a small price to pay if it meant they could finally get out of the rain.
They both stood there by the entryway, shaking as the stale, cold air of the dorm hit their wet clothes, Kunikida trying to devise a plan in his head that would get them both dry as quickly as possible. He only had one bathroom with one shower, so would one have to wait while the other took a bath? Or maybe, would they both…at the time…?
“K-Kunikida-kun, I-I can hear the gears turning in your head. L-Let’s just get in the bath and warm up, p-please,” Dazai’s lips were trembling and his teeth were chattering. That would, indeed, be the quickest and most efficient way for both of them to warm up. It would save time, water, electricity, and probably one of them from getting sick, but…
“Fine, alright,” he responded, though hesitantly. Getting in the bath together would put them in very close proximity and, well, they’d both be naked. He had never been in that sort of situation before, not even with a woman. Where would he look? Does he have any bubbly soap? What if Dazai sees his–
He was ripped out of his thoughts as the other tugged at him by the hand, their fingers still intertwined from earlier, and he was forced across the dorm and into his own bathroom. He reluctantly leaned over the bathtub to turn on the shower, all the way to the hottest setting, and said, “I guess you can start– you know –and I need to get us some towels.”
He turned to leave the bathroom but found the hold on his hand to be unrelenting, even as he tried to break the contact and walk away. He looked back at Dazai, who simply stared, a pout forming on his lips as he squeezed Kunikida’s fingers.
“Dazai, let go.”
“......”
“Please?”
“......”
He sighed.
“I’ll hold your hand as soon as I get back, okay?”
Finally, the grip on his hand loosened and fell. He smiled reassuringly at Dazai and left the room, walking to his closet to grab the biggest, warmest towels he could find, leaving small puddles of water in his wake. When he got back, the bathroom was hot and humid, and Dazai was standing by the bathtub, his clothes discarded on the floor. His body was surprisingly small and thin, his skin paper white and wrapped in bandages, some spots stained brown from old blood (and he wondered how old that blood really was), other spots loosely hanging off of his skin and exposing the scars underneath. He looked smaller than usual as he stood there, facing in the direction of the open door, so he noticed Kunikida as soon as he came back inside.
He averted his eyes from the bottom half of Dazai’s body, simply out of respect for his partner, and hung their towels up on a hook by the shower. Once his hands were free, he felt a cold touch against his finger, a small hand sliding itself into his. He pulled his hand away, looking up and smiling apologetically at Dazai. “Not yet, okay? I’ve got to take off my clothes, too.” The other nodded and waited, averting his gaze to the running water that filled up the tub.
It was a little awkward to just take off his clothes infront of someone that he’s known for so long, and never had they once seen each other so exposed, but he really didn’t want to be in those soaked clothes for any longer than he had to. A loud squelch announced that he had taken everything off and thrown it on the floor beside Dazai’s pile of clothes, and he stood there, feeling extremely exposed and embarrassed. He felt like he was going to regret what he had gotten himself into, but they were both still cold and covered in dirty rainwater, so he might as well just get in the bath and clean himself already. He would just try and make it quick, so maybe he could even get out before Dazai was done.
At the sound of his clothes hitting the floor, his partner turned around and found his hand again, taking it tightly and pressing their palms together. It was comforting for both of them, and Kunikida was slightly surprised by how clingy his partner had become. He’d never seen this side of him, not in the four years that they had known each other. He held Dazai’s hand as the other stepped into the bath, sitting himself down on the far side so Kunikida could easily step in and sit down, too. He greatly appreciated the averted eyes as he made his way into the bath, being as exposed and bare as he was in such a small space.
The bathtub definitely wasn’t built for two grown men, and their thighs brushed occasionally as they adjusted their positions to be more comfortable. The water was warm and inviting though, and both visibly relaxed at its touch to their cold skin. They sat there for a couple of minutes, adjusting to the heat of the water.
“Kunikida-kun,” Dazai began and the other looked up to meet his gaze, “We should wash our hair, shouldn’t we?”
“Yeah we should. There’s some shampoo and conditioner right here,” he replied as he grabbed the bottles closest to him, and stretched his arm out to hand them over to his partner.
“Actually… do you mind if you wash my hair for me?”
Kunikida’s eyes widened in surprise before he responded lightheartedly, brushing it off as a simple joke, “Did the rain break your arms, Dazai?” The other giggled at his words, a small, genuine laugh that made Kunikida smile in spite of himself.
“I just think it’d be nice, you know! I could wash your hair for you, too. You still need someone to take out that braid, after all,” Dazai added. Once again, his free hand flew instinctively to his ponytail and he felt his hair; the braid had stayed despite the unrelenting rain that had soaked it. He thought for a second, wondering what he had gotten himself into– but not entirely opposed to the idea, at all –before giving in, “Alright, that’s fine.”
Dazai disentwined his fingers from their hold and turned his small body around in the bath, moving himself a little closer to Kunikida so that the latter could reach his hair. “God, your hair is in need of a wash,” Kunikida gasped as he looked down into the messy, brown tuft. He wondered when the last time Dazai had washed it was; he knew the other struggled with mental health problems, so it wasn’t unusual for him to show up to the office unshowered and dirty; he struggled with taking care of himself and everybody knew that, so nobody teased him for it. “Your hair doesn’t look much better, okay!” Dazai teased and it was true, after all, neither one’s hair looked very good after their excursion in the rain.
Kunikida smiled and leaned over to grab the shampoo, squirting a little into his hand and gently massaging it into the other’s scalp. He made sure to disentangle the knots with his fingers, careful not to pull too hard. Dazai let himself be at the other’s mercy, his eyes closed as he hummed little songs to himself, playing with his fingernails and sometimes brushing them up against the other’s leg, both of which were situated around his body because of the lack of space. With each touch, tingles sent themselves up Kunikida’s spine, making him painfully aware that they both were still naked under the bubbly water. That Dazai’s naked back was between his legs, very, very close to–
“You know, I really enjoyed today…”
Dazai’s voice brought him out of his haze and he realized his fingers had been rubbing the same spot for a while. He took his hands off of his hair and cupped them under the water, bringing it up and pouring it over Dazai’s head to scrub all of the shampoo out. As he did so, he said, “Yeah? I did, too.” A comfortable silence fell over them as Kunikida switched to conditioning his hair, repeating the process that he had done with the shampoo.
“You know, I think we’ve both changed a little bit,” his voice was quiet, his finger tracing patterns along Kunikida’s leg under the water.
“You think so?”
“Yeah… you’re a lot nicer than I remember…”
Kunikida laughed, which sparked a little giggle from the other. When silence fell over them again, he asked, “How have you changed, then?”
Dazai took a few seconds to think before he answered, “I don’t really know…”
Silence fell over them for a few minutes as Dazai sat there, his mind hard at work while Kunikida scrubbed his hair clean, washing away any conditioner that had pooled under the loose bandages on his neck. “Well, while you’re thinking about that, I’ve finished with your hair," he commented once he was done and, with a smile and a word of thanks, Dazai placed his hands on the bathtub floor and pushed himself up, turning his body back around in the bath. Kunikida tucked in his legs to make sure they didn’t get sat on in the process, then relaxed them on either side on the other’s body again, once he had finished getting himself situated. “It’s your turn, now, so come here,” Dazai said happily and Kunikida sighed, turning his large body over in the bath and pushing his back up between the other’s legs, making sure not to get too close, but just close enough for Dazai to reach his hair. As he settled himself, two thin arms wrapped themselves around his chest to pull him closer, and he froze, a small heat making its way up his neck at the embrace. He was so close to Dazai he could feel the other’s breath on his neck, and he desperately didn’t want to think about anything that might have been touching below their waists.
“Is it okay if I just hold you like this for a little?” Dazai whispered in his left ear, his hot breath sending a shiver down the other’s spine. It was a pleasant feeling, but Kunikida felt the slightest bit embarrassed to be in such a vulnerable position. Both of them naked under the water– very, extremely naked –and close. Skin touching. Dazai’s breath against his neck and arms wrapped around his chest, holding him tightly in place. “Yeah,” he murmured back, desperately trying to calm his nerves and force away the blush that was creeping onto his cheeks. His heart was beating so fast, he knew Dazai could feel it against his arms and, just as the thought crossed his mind, the other spoke from behind his ear, “It’s okay, Kunikida-kun. It’s only me and I promise I won't bite, so relax.”
“Sorry…”
He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, trying to reason his emotions out in his head. He couldn’t understand why he felt so anxious, or why his heart beat so fast every time Dazai touched him, or why he couldn’t think of the fact that they were both touching and, underneath the water, naked… very, very, naked… without blushing. And their bare skin was touching so intimately, with his body in between Dazai’s legs, whose breath was intoxicatingly hot against his neck. And everytime Dazai’s lips accidentally brushed his nape, a pleasant shiver ran down his spine, rushing to pool in the dull warmth that had begun to fill up his stomach. What was this feeling and why did it make him so nervous? What was so different today, so different from the last four years that they had spent together as partners?
Hands tugging at his ponytail brought him back to his senses, and he realized Dazai had let go of him and was undoing the braid that he had created so many hours before. The small, red ribbon that had held it together was tossed over the bathtub and forgotten, his fingers combing through Kunikida’s hair until he finally reached the top of the ponytail and undid the hair tie. His hands were very gentle, working through the hair slowly, careful not to pull anything and hurt Kunikida. It was quite soothing to be taken care of like this, to be handled so softly and gently, and Kunikida felt his eyes growing heavier and heavier by the second… the world going irresistibly dim, his thoughts getting louder and louder until he finally drifted into a peaceful, warm sleep.
**
“....Nnhg….hg..”
“Kunikida-kun.”
“Mm… Mhm….”
“Wake up please, we’re both getting soggy and the water’s gone cold…”
Kunikida’s eyes flew open as reality dawned on him, and he realized he had fallen asleep. His entire body was lying against Dazai, who was squashed beneath him, completely supporting the other’s weight with his own body. He must have stayed there so patiently and unmoving, simply waiting for him to wake back up so they could get out of the bath together. “I washed your hair while you were asleep. It was adorable, really, you’re such a deep sleeper!” Dazai said happily, the blood rushing back to his legs as Kunikida pushed himself into a sitting position opposite of the other, still groggy from his nap.
“H-how long was I asleep?”
“An hour. I’ve been watching the clock this whole time, waiting for you to wake back up, and I’m actually a little sleepy, myself…”
Horrified, he groaned, “You should have woken me up, Dazai! I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to fall asleep, I was just–”
Dazai smiled at him and shook his head, placing a soft finger against Kunikida’s lips to silence him, “It’s alright, okay? You were tired, that’s all, now let’s get out of here before we get even soggier.” The words were reassuring and Kunikida stopped himself from saying anything more, instead gripping his hands on the side of the tub and heaving himself up to reach for their towels. Most of the initial nervousness had washed away, and he didn’t feel as embarrassed with such a blunt display of his naked body– though, neither did Dazai seem to feel as embarrassed about staring. He could feel the other’s eyes running along his body, starting from his toes and up until his face, tracing every curve of bone and muscle, making him feel as if his entire body was being dissected by those dark, brown eyes.
He decided not to bring any attention to it and stepped out onto the cold bathroom floor, wrapping himself in his towel and shivering, holding out Dazai’s for him as he, too, stood up and stepped out of the shower. Kunikida taking the lead, they both left the bathroom and rushed into the bedroom; the air of the dorm was freezing cold because neither had remembered to turn on the heater when they first came in, so it was a race to put on as many layers of clothes as possible. Kunikida provided his partner with a few pairs of sweatpants and pajama shirts (long-sleeved, of course), and put on a similar outfit himself. Once dressed, he rushed around the house, turning on the heater, throwing the wet clothes in the washing machine, and draining the tub of the leftover water, wanting nothing more than to go lie down in his warm, cozy bed.
And finally, everything was in place for the night, all chores were finished, and the heater was on full blast, so he made his way back to the bedroom. “Dazai?” he called out as he walked through the doorway, not seeing his partner where he had left him.
“Nngh..”
The noise came from somewhere in the direction of his bed. He turned his head towards the covers and focused his gaze, noticing the massive lump under his blanket that had certainly not been there this morning. He smiled, his eyes softening, and walked over to his side of the bed. It seemed that Dazai was going to spend the night here; after all, it would’ve been cruel to try and send him back to his own dorm in this weather and so late in the evening. He didn’t particularly mind, nor did he mind sleeping beside his partner tonight, it would actually be quite comforting to have someone beside him all night. He pulled back the covers and laid himself beneath them, feeling for Dazai’s body underneath, which he found quite quickly. “You’re going to sleep already?”
“No…”
Dazai was looking at him, his body facing Kunikida’s side of the bed, his eyes half-lidded and sleepy and his hand reaching out. Kunikida hesitated before taking it, bringing it up to his clothed chest and holding it there, loving the warmth that flooded through his body at the touch. “You’re so warm, Kuni…” Dazai whispered, his voice growing steadily quieter and groggier as he fought to stay awake. The sight was adorable, and Kunikida was overcome with an overwhelming urge to pull the other closer, to wrap his arms around him and hold his head against his neck, to comb his fingers through his hair and whisper sweet praise into his ear…
As if reading his mind, or perhaps he could read the emotions behind Kunikida’s eyes with his own trained gaze, as sleepy as it was, Dazai slid his body closer under the covers until their chests were touching. Kunikida’s breathing hitched in his throat for a second before he relaxed, realizing that Dazai just wanted to be held for the night. He would be more than happy to do that, he thought, as he gently placed Dazai’s head into the crook of his neck, feeling, once more, his hot breath against his skin. He wrapped his right arm around the other’s body, pulling him as close as they could be, and held his free hand there behind his back while the other intertwined tightly with Dazai’s small, warm hand. “Thank you, Kuni…” Dazai breathed into his ear, his voice soft, hoarse, and on the brink of sleep.
“Always.”
He whispered in response, though he doubted Dazai had actually heard it. His breath was soft and steady against his neck; it was the breathing pattern of one who had fallen into a deep, peaceful sleep. Kunikida smiled against his forehead, placing a soft, hesitant kiss against his skin and bringing his fingers to rest in Dazai’s damp, messy hair. Peace overflowed in his body and took over his thoughts, which became steadily louder… and louder.. Until finally, the world became a hazy blur and he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.