Chapter Text
"Shut up. Don't talk to me." Hajime said, walking into their living room with a red towel wrapped around him and a smaller one covering his hair. He slumped into the couch next to Seishu, and started to stare blankly at a photograph of their cat hanging up on the wall. Kokonoi Hajime was infamous for his dramatic antics, so this sort of situation was frequent, but it still saddened Seishu to see his boyfriend like this.
Seishu shuffled closer to Hajime and put an arm over his shoulders. “Are you okay?” he asked, trying to conceal the worry in his voice.
“No.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No. You shouldn't have to worry about it, Inupi. It's nothing.”
But he knew it wasn't nothing. A stressed look formed on Seishu's face as he thought about their problems. Maybe he's thinking about how he should be here with Akane right now but he accidentally saved me instead and he has to deal with all of my shit now. Maybe he's thinking about how I used him for his money-making skills to revive the Black Dragons. I'm so useless, why is he even with me?
"Seishu, calm down. I can see on your face that you're overthinking again. Don't worry, none of it is your fault."
“I just wish you would talk to me more,” Seishu sighed, “you always bury all of your shit and it gets you all stressed out. I’m here for you, okay?”
Hajime paused, lowering his head into his hands. “I…” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes, “I can’t trouble you with this.”
"It's okay, honey, you can tell me anything."
"I...", he fought to get the words out, "I put shampoo on the ends of my hair instead of conditioner."
“What?”
“You just said I can talk to you. This is why I never tell you anything, Inupi. I can deal with my shit on my own.” Hajime tried to get up to leave, but Seishu pressed an arm to his chest and shoved him back down into the couch.
“No, no, no,” Seishu said, trying for a comforting tone, but struggling not to laugh, “I’m sure it’s fine, I do that all the time."
"You don't understand!" Hajime said, a little harsher than he intended. He took a breath before saying, "I have a meticulous routine, I have to follow it or I won’t look like your fabulous trophy wife anymore. You think I wake up like this?" He turned to stare Seishu in his eyes. "We seriously need to talk about your grooming habits, by the way. Despite how pretty you naturally are, I can't have you going out looking like some commoner. They'll think I'm a terrible boyfriend for not taking care of you.”
He took a few seconds to process this. “Uhm, how dare you? I look fucking fly.”
Hajime raised an eyebrow. “Fly?”
“Shut up!” Seishu smiled and placed a hand on Hajime’s shoulder, squeezing it slightly. “Seriously, what makes you think I can’t take care of myself?"
Saying that was a mistake.
"Uhm okay, one, when we moved in together, your toiletries consisted of 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner and body wash, and Axe body spray,” Hajime said, “two, all of your clothes have either paint or oil all down the-”.
“Shut uuup, Koko,” Seishu interrupted with a smirk, "I am not taking this disrespect from someone who won't admit that they need glasses. How on earth do you mistake shampoo for conditioner?"
Hajime wanted to feel offended, or to respond with some sly remark, but he couldn’t. He had worked through his life of hardship for moments like these, so he decided to burrow his head in the safe haven of his partner's chest and surrender. "I guess we're both in denial about something then,” he said with a soft smile.