Work Text:
Rinne came home late once again. He's been much busier lately, to the surprise of Niki. He had never seen his boyfriend work this hard. He'd often see Rinne awake 'till dawn, and it wasn't because he was playing games or drinking his heart out. He was conducting calls, doing paperwork, or just coming home wearing formal clothes with an exhausted look on his face.
Despite all this, Rinne still finds the time (and energy) to mess with Niki. Even after all the work he's done, he still smiles and teases his boyfriend, often patting him on the head or hugging him from behind while he's cooking.
"Rinne-kun, are you sure you're not tired?" Niki worryingly asks, looking behind his clingy (and cute) boyfriend hugging him from behind as he rests his head onto his shoulder.
"Ehh?? Why would I be tired from somethin' like this? I'm strong, ya know? Ya should be more worried about yourself; you're the one who gets sick a lot~" Rinne chuckles, his hand slowly making its way underneath Niki's shirt.
"But you've been working too hard. Also... where is your hand trying to go?!" Niki yells, quickly stopping Rinne's naughty hand from feeling him any further, but his boyfriend was too strong for his grip.
"I'm hungry... And you're taking way too much time cooking food~ Of course I have to eat what's there on the dinner table, right?~"
'You piece of shit, we're in the kitchen?!' Niki internally yells. He felt a vein inside him burst before glaring at Rinne, who had a grin on his face.
"If you want me to finish dinner already then go to the living room and sit there like a good child!"
Rinne pouts, retracting his hand from Niki's body. He gives him one last kiss near his neck before walking out of the kitchen without speaking at all.
At last, Niki was in peace. He sighs before proceeding to cut up the vegetables on the cutting board.
'It's so obvious that you're overworked, what's the point of trying to hide it from me?'
No matter how much burden was on his shoulders, Rinne would barely say anything. It didn't matter how obviously distressed or tired he presented himself; he would still act like nothing was wrong even though there clearly was.
Of course, he eventually learned how to open up to Niki, but would still hide his own feelings of negativity at times when he thinks he can shoulder all the pain to himself. He's also been freeloading less ever since the two started dating, as he saw it to be a burden to his lover. At first, Niki was delighted to see that his red headed bastard was finally becoming more self-aware; but as time went on, he noticed that Rinne would often do all the exhausting work himself, not bothering to ask his beloved Niki for help.
While Niki got to spend more time cooking and and focus on fewer idol activities such as dance practices and vocal training (which was already draining for him to begin with), he felt a bit guilty that Rinne was the one reaching out to all these companies, interviews, and other side-jobs that would help boost not only Crazy:B's overall reputation but also Niki's popularity as a chef.
Not only that, every time Crazy:B got into another scandal, it would always be him who would let out a statement defending his unit, even when it's the agency's responsibility to let out an official statement about it. While Rinne was never the type to care about hate comments or posts dragging his own name, it's almost certain that there would be times where those posts of nonsense would get through his thick skull.
'Stupid Rinne... Idiot Rinne...' He pouted as he tipped the chopped carrots into the rest of the chopped vegetables in the pot.
'I'm right here with all the time in the world to spare, can't you just try to lean onto me for a bit like you did in the past?'
-----
The early rays of sun start to shine through Niki's window. The sunlight greeted the asleep couple, shining its light onto their faces.
"Hngh... Mornin'..." Niki sluggishly wakes up, rubbing his eyes and brushing away his hair from his face. He slowly gets up, stretching and rotating his arm around to remove the sleepiness.
'Ahhh... Food... I want food...!' Niki rubs his stomach, excited to cook breakfast once more. He was thinking of what food to eat for today; the mere thought of the delicious meals he can use to start the day made him drool.
Before he stands up, he notices how Rinne was all cuddled up, seemingly cold despite the rays of the sun hitting his face.
It was a bit weird, as he would usually find himself waking up to the red-haired bastard clinging onto him first thing in the morning.
While Rinne wasn't fond of waking up early in the morning, he'd notice Niki wake up and greet him lazily before falling right back into his deep slumber.
'Maybe he's just tired?' He thought to himself. Nonetheless, he went over to carefully pull the blanket out of Rinne's face to kiss him on the forehead and softly greet him a good morning.
When Niki pulled the blanket, however, he saw something he didn't expect.
Rinne's messy red hair was drenched with sweat, and so was his face. His eyes were shut close, seemingly cold and distressed. He was breathing heavily, and was curled up as if he got constant chills.
"Rinne-kun?! Rinne-kun?!?!" Niki yelled out, worryingly shaking Rinne to try to get him to wake up. He touched his boyfriend's forehead, his skin hot to the touch. He also touched Rinne's neck; it too was burning hot.
"...Ahhh... Niki... What are you doing?" Rinne sniffled as he caught Niki touching him on the neck.
"Be quiet. You have a fever."
"Mmm... I see..." Rinne quietly nods before beginning to sniffle. His nose was blocked and his face was flushed.
Niki stands up, intending to get a thermometer. "Stay put, I'm going to tell our unitmates that we won't be going to practice today." He says, before going to a nearby drawer. He first messages the Crazy:B group chat on their absence for the day before grabbing a thermometer.
A long silence ensued between the two, waiting for the thermometer to beep.
"...101 degrees Fahrenheit." Niki gripped the thermometer in his hand, gritting his teeth before pitifully looking at the sick Rinne. The sick red-head gave his boyfriend a soft smile before caressing his hand, his rough palm and fingers with calluses from work touching Niki's soft skin.
"Chill out... It's not like I'm going to die or anythin'..." Rinne laughs it off before coughing. His voice was rough and raspy; a stark contrast to the loud, clear and confident voice he always had during performances. Despite his reassurance, Niki was still worried.
"Stay in bed. I'll go cook breakfast for the two of us... I'm hungry too... Hngh..." Niki almost forgot about his undying hunger until his stomach started to growl like crazy. He ruffled up Rinne's bedhair; brushing the strands off of his forehead to cool him off before he leaves.
-----
Niki was hungry, so hungry he couldn't function. Despite this, he pushed through and tried to cook some fresh okayu for Rinne. He tied his long and messy grey hair into a low ponytail and washed his hands before he started to cook. Niki's place felt empty without the loudness of his chaotic boyfriend rampaging around. He was used to Rinne suddenly hugging him from behind or teasing him, sometimes kissing him on the nape and even trying to have a feel at Niki's impossibly toned body.
As annoying and distracting as it was, he didn't stop Rinne from doing whatever he pleased.
Niki sighs, worrying about Rinne's condition before tasting the okayu he just finished and squealing at the flavor. He was about to take another sip before restraining himself.
'No... No... Niki, this isn't for you. It's for Rinne-kun!' He shook his head, trying to resist consuming the entire pot of okayu. He slowly pours some of it into a bowl and carries a plate of mangoes on his other hand.
"Rinne-kun~" Niki calls out. He spots Rinne on his phone looking quite serious. He was so into whatever he was doing that he didn't even notice Niki call him.
Niki sighed in annoyance and pouted before putting down the plates onto the nightstand beside the bed and taking away Rinne's phone as if he was about to get grounded. "I told you to stay in bed, didn't I?!"
"But I am in bed." Rinne laughs. Niki couldn't deny the fact that he was snuggly in bed. He was leaning on the bed's headboard and half his body was underneath the blanket.
"Ugh, just relax for today. You're the one who always complains about having to work and wanting to relax all you want. Now that you have the time to actually relax, you go ahead and work? Make it make sense." He sighs before handing Rinne the okayu.
The smell that was radiating from the bowl of heaven was irresistible. Rinne couldn't wait to dig in. As he took the spoon near to his mouth, he slightly flinched.
"Ah! Fuck, it's hot..." Rinne muttered. He'd usually overreact like a child when he gets slightly injured, but this time he was much more reserved. Niki took away the spoon from Rinne's hand and blew on it before putting it near Rinne's mouth.
"Eh...?" Rinne was taken aback by what his beloved was doing.
His boyfriend, who usually complained every time Rinne asked him to feed him, was now doing exactly that.
It was clear that Niki was a bit embarrassed, but still went in with the act. Rinne smiled a bit, happy that Niki was pampering him for the day. He opened his mouth, the flavors of the okayu filling up his taste buds. It was mild and gentle, only having a subtle hint of savory from the few garnishes sprinkled on top for both color and taste. It was because of this gentleness that made the dish feel like a warm hug during a cold winter day.
"It tastes good~" Rinne complimented Niki, as always.
Niki continued spoon-feeding Rinne, occasionally giving him water when he feels thirsty. Soon enough, the bowl was empty.
"There's some fruit on the nightstand. You can eat it while I go out to buy some medicine. Just leave the plate there when you're finished and don't work for the day. " Niki warns Rinne before heading out.
Rinne takes a bite out of the cubed mango, its sweetness happily making its way into Rinne's tastebuds like candy. By the time he finished, he felt unusually tired and sleepy. He wasn't in the mood to do anything, and closed his tired eyes; hoping to relax for the day.
-----
The door creaks open, Niki was tired from everything that he's done. He went out and completely forgot to eat breakfast, resulting to him almost passing out in the middle of the road. He wasted a lot of time trying to find a nearby café to stop by and eat before he dies on the streets. Afterwards, he almost got lost trying to find the pharmacy. It took him almost an hour to get back, which was long considering all he had to do was get some medicine.
Niki heads over to the bedroom with the medicine and some more water. As he slowly opens the door, he sees Rinne asleep once more. This time, his face was more relaxed. He looked so innocent while asleep, as if he had nothing to worry about in the world.
Niki slowly places the medicine on the table, with a plan to wait for Rinne to wake up and take the medicine himself (he's already pampered his boyfriend during breakfast). However, Rinne was too alert and noticed Niki finally return. He rolled on the bed, his sleepy eyes glancing at Niki like a cute cat.
"Mmm... Niki~... You're home..." Rinne sleepily murmured, his voice soft and gentle. This was a critical hit on Niki's heart.
Rinne was often like this when he woke up, but this particular moment somehow made his heart beat like crazy. Was it because of Rinne's slightly flushed face?
"Ahaha... Yeah I am ho- AAH?!"
Niki was pulled into bed, his body fully hugged into Rinne's arms like a plush. His face was redder than his boyfriend who was the sick one of the two.
"Wait- I'm still sweaty...!" Niki was speechless. Neither of them have taken a bath yet, and Niki was dirty from going outside.
"Ngh... Don't be so loud... I'm tryna sleep..." Rinne mutters as he lightly coughs, his low voice that Niki only heard when he was down and depressed echoed in his ear, making Niki more flustered.
As much as Niki wanted to take a bath from how sweaty he was, he decided to stay in Rinne's warm embrace.
It was silent, the only sounds that could be heard were Rinne's soft snoring and Niki's own heartbeat.
They've been together for over half a year, why was he still so flustered about something like this?! It's not like this was their first time cuddling in bed... and they've done much more... explicit stuff than simply hugging and kissing.
Even when he was really flustered and felt sticky from all the sweat, Niki was delighted. He liked this a lot. Soon enough, Niki slowly drifted to sleep as well.
-----
"Ahhhh... Hungry... So goddamn hungry~" Niki's stomach wakes him up as it growls in anger once more. This time, he finds his body trapped into Rinne's tight embrace. The air conditioning was on, but it was still hot for Niki. It was to be expected with Rinne's hot body temperature as well as his slightly bigger body trapping the heat.
Niki slowly moves away from Rinne's embrace, planning to cook lunch. He knew that Rinne woke up from that slight shift in movement, but the latter chose to pretend he was still asleep.
"I know you're awake, so take your medicine as soon as you have the energy to get up." Niki tells Rinne, who smirks and slowly opens his eyes, watching Niki from behind as his figure leaves the bedroom.
-----
Niki pulls out the bowl of curry and reheats it on the stove again. As he stirs the curry, a pair of arms suddenly wrap around him from behind.
"...Amagi Rinne." Niki's voice goes deep, making Rinne startled from the sudden shift of tone.
It was clear that he was slightly mad.
"I told you to-"
"Stay in bed?... Mhm... I just want to walk for a bit... Is that okay...? I'm feeling less tired anyway..." Rinne snuggles in Niki's neck, his red hair tickling his beloved boyfriend.
"Ahh... Fine... You'll need to take a bath anyway." He lets Rinne cuddle him throughout the reheating process. Normally in this situation, he'd start making moves on Niki. Slowly moving his hand underneath his shirt... kissing and biting on his neck... if he was really desperate, he'd go below Niki's torso and down to his thigh. This time, however, he was still. He watched Niki as he stirred and stirred.
"The curry is ready."
Rinne nods before heading to the dinner table. He watched as Niki spooned the curry into the bowl and prepared some rice alongside it. He poured some water into a glass and sat down as well.
"Ahh~ It's smells so good~ Thank you for the meal!" Niki yells out loud, clapping his hands together before beginning to stuff his face with food. His face was so excited that Rinne could see the sparkles and hearts around it.
The curry tasted salty and flavorful. The spices sang in harmony and perfectly seasoned both the sauce and the other components of the dish. The beef was perfectly tender and so were the vegetables. Every bite made Niki want more.
Rinne's appetite wasn't exactly feeling it for lunch, but because of how enthusiastic Niki was of his feast, he decided to dig in as well. Despite trying to eat, he spent more time staring at his cute lover munching at his food. Eventually, Niki caught on with Rinne's stares and looked at him in curiosity.
"Is there something on my face?" He asked. Rinne simply giggled.
"Nah, you're just so cute." His tone was gentle instead of the usual flirty and teasing voice he usually has when he flirts with Niki.
Niki looks away in embarrassment, wiping off the nonexistent food on his mouth before gulping in the final bites of rice and curry. He was still hungry, but didn't want to steal Rinne's meal that was left unfinished.
"You know you can just take my food, right?" Rinne looks as Niki. It was so obvious how much he just wanted to devour that unfinished meal right in front of him.
"Eh...?? But you should eat more when you're sick." Niki reasons out, yet was slowly taking away Rinne's plate and stuffing the leftovers in his mouth.
Rinne watched his lover in adoration as he finishes both their plates. He smiled in happiness; grateful that he has such a cute and caring lover. While he may be a bit harsh at times, Rinne found comfort in the simple things Niki did.
It would be nice if you actually considered my constant marriage proposals for once...
-----
"You have to drink it!!" Niki grabbed the spoon and tried force-feeding the medicine into Rinne's mouth that was shut tight. Rinne shook his head like a brat, trying to evade the cursed brown liquid that was about to enter his mouth.
"No way!! It looks so gross!" Rinne whines, unwilling to take the medicine.
'It's exactly times like this where I'm reminded that this man hasn't changed...' Niki sighs.
"You're going to be in bed much longer if you don't drink it... Aren't you bored doing nothing but lay down all day?!?!" He tries to reason with Rinne.
"I'll just sweat the fever out!!!" Rinne whines out loud. Niki sighs again, his head hurting from his manchild boyfriend.
'God, you're hopeless.' Niki thought to himself.
"Look, it might look like something scooped from the remains of the sewers, but looks aren't everything." This was the only way Niki could persuade Rinne into drinking the medicine. After all, he was a chef; it would be reassuring to Rinne if Niki found the medicine tasty.
Niki tasted a bit of the medicine, trying to show Rinne that it tastes decent.
"..."
"..."
The red head watched as his boyfriend slowly puts down the spoon and grabs the water bottle on the nightstand. In an instant, he drinks the entire bottle as he tried to remove the horrible, horrible taste of the medicine from his tongue.
The medicine was bitter and left this sickening aftertaste in his tongue. The longer the taste lingered in Niki's mouth the more the medicine tasted... salty?
Niki looked at Rinne who quickly backed off.
"...It will be over in an instant-"
"No!! No way!! I don't wanna!!" Rinne whined like a child, trying to escape the bed. Niki however was faster and grabbed his arm, preventing him from fleeing.
"Look, I don't know why you're so scared of a spoonful of this crap, but you're only delaying the inevitable. So please, you'll never have to drink it again if you do it now." He pleaded to his boyfriend, his blue eyes shining as if begging for Rinne to take his medicine.
"...Haaa... If you show me that look, I can't refuse." Rinne gave up and took the spoon from Niki's hand, hesitantly putting it near his mouth before gulping in the brown liquid of hell.
For a while, he coughed and let out a disgusted noise before reaching at his own bottle of water and downing it all.
"Fucking hell... That's gross." Rinne wiped the water off his mouth, the lingering bitterness of the medicine still stuck in his throat.
Niki giggled from his cute reaction before patting him on the head; ruffling up his fluffy red hair. All of a sudden, he is pulled near his boyfriend's grasp once more; their faces barely touching.
"...You'll have to give me a tasty meal later." Rinne pouted. Niki laughed again before giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Nahaha~ Once you brush your teeth, that taste will be gone anyway~ Oh well... I'll make something good and hearty just for you~"
-----
It was late noon, yet the sun barely showed through the clouds. Niki had a basin with water and a towel in his hand.
"Why the hell do you have that?" Rinne gasps. Niki looks at him in confusion, as if he was supposed to know what those items were going to be used for.
"What else? You may be sick, but you need to take a bath... Ah, why are you suddenly complaining so much..." Niki sighs once again. In the morning, Rinne was quiet... too quiet... but now, he was getting louder and louder.
"Can't I just shower as usual?~" Rinne whines.
Niki shakes his head, "You're going to get sicker if you do. Come on, I'll wash you. You reek of sweat." Niki gestures Rinne to go with him to the bathroom, to which he follows.
As he enters the vicinity of the bathroom, Rinne takes off his shirt, revealing his toned muscles. He also begins to take off his pants, which left him only wearing boxers. Niki was taken aback from the sudden gesture, but quickly got used to the sight of Rinne's amazing body.
"Alright, sit there." Niki points at the bath tub.
It was silent for the most part. Niki grabbed the towel and started to wipe Rinne's body. He started from his arms, followed by his torso, and then at the back of his neck. He also started to wash his hair; slowly running his slender fingers into the soft red fluff that is Rinne's hair. He then moved onto washing Rinne's face. When he was massaging his face, he unintentionally squished Rinne's cheeks together, as he couldn't resist.
"What are you doing..." Rinne laughs, seemingly surprised by the sudden act.
Niki immediately realizes what he was doing before retracting his hands.
"It was on impulse!" Niki answers, flustered with what he just did.
If Rinne was being honest, he could probably wash himself. In fact, he felt well enough to do everything else himself. Despite that, he let Niki take care of him once more, as he liked the feeling of having someone care for him like this.
He knew that Niki won't ever do this to him again in the future, so he might as well take advantage of his kindness.
Niki finished cleaning Rinne's torso, but the bathing wasn't done yet.
He still had the... lower part of Rinne's body to deal with.
"..."
"..."
Silence filled the bathroom once more.
"What? Aren't you going to continue washing me?" Rinne smirks with evil in his eyes as he witnesses Niki contemplating on what to do. The latter glares at the smug red-headed bastard right in front of him.
"Do it yourself, I know you're just being lazy!" Niki throws the towel towards Rinne, hitting him in the face. Rinne clicks his tongue before taking off his underwear.
"Dude, take it off when I'm outside!!" Niki stands up and walks away, his face once again redder than his own sick boyfriend. Rinne chuckles at the thought of his boyfriend's flustered face, tossing the underwear near the laundry basket before continuing what Niki had left unfinished.
------
Rinne sat onto the bed as he waited for Niki to finish taking a bath himself. His hair wasn't as fluffy as it was due to the water. He wiped the dripping water off his face and hair before taking out the blow dryer and plugging it in.
Rinne figured that Niki was tired from pampering him for the entire day, so he took it upon himself to dry his hair. By the time his hair was dry, Niki finally came out of the shower.
"Niki~ Sit here!" Rinne excitedly yelled out as he gestured Niki to sit right beside him.
"Eh...? Why... I can dry my hair myself."
"C'mon now Niki~ You've done enough for me today." Rinne stood up and pulled Niki over to the bed, making him sit before proceeding to turn on the blow dryer.
The two sat in silence with the only sound being the loud wind coming for the blow dryer itself. Rinne delicately ran his fingers through Niki's silky grey hair. As he sectioned off parts of Niki's hair to dry out, he notices his nape showing up from time to time.
Niki's neck was smooth and defined; it was tempting to take a bite out of it. Of course, Rinne doesn't go through with his thought as his cute boyfriend would get mad.
As soon as his hair was dry, Rinne also took it upon himself to comb it. He reached over to the nearby drawer and took out a hairbrush and a hair-tie as Niki sat in silence.
At this angle, Niki's features looked delicate and almost maiden-like. His hair that was often tied into a low ponytail drooped over his shoulder and onto his back; making him look cuter than usual.
As much as Rinne wanted him to keep this appearance, he knew that Niki would eventually tie his hair up in preparation for cooking.
"Have you ever thought about cutting your hair?" Rinne asked, slowly brushing Niki's hair as to not tug on the hair strands. He made sure to use his fingers when untangling the hair as to not hurt Niki.
"Eh? Why would I? The ponytail is my charm point; removing it is like eating bread without butter~" Niki hums out loud.
"It's just criminal to remove it, y'know?~ I'm already below average when it comes to performing live but cut off my ponytail and I'll just be plain bori-" Before Niki could finish his sentence, his stomach growled once more. It told him that it was time for dinner. Rinne quickly finished tying Niki's hair down as he swiftly stood up, determined to ease his hunger once more.
"What do you want me to prepare this time?~" Niki hummed, anticipating for Rinne's answer.
Rinne thought for a while, wondering what would be a good meal for the final hours of the day.
"Mmm... Some instant ramen would be ni-"
Before Rinne could finish his sentence, he was thrown into a coughing fit. He felt as if he was going to cough his heart out with how hard he was coughing.
"Rinne-kun?!?!" Niki quickly rushed to his side, massaging his back as he slowly halts the painful coughs.
"Fuck... My throat..." Rinne complains before going into another coughing fit once more. Niki begins to panic with how badly things were turning out.
Was his fever worsening?
Niki grabs the thermometer again and checks Rinne's temperature.
"...100.9." Niki mutters. His temperature barely dropped at all since the morning hours.
Niki rushes off to the kitchen once more, preparing some last-minute ginger tea to help with the cough. To make it less bitter and spicy, he adds some honey and lemons to it.
Niki returns to the bedroom, slightly burning himself from touching the mug in the wrong direction. He accidentally poured the tea into his mug instead of Rinne's, but it didn't matter at this point.
"Eh?? Why tea?? I already had to drink that disgusting ass medicine and now you're making me drink some bitter tea??" Rinne whines again as tiny coughs interrupt his sentence.
"I put some extra flavorings to make it to your taste. God, you need to start eating healthy!" Niki scolds Rinne once more, handing him the tea that had been cooled due to their conversation. Rinne hesitates for a bit, before drinking it.
Fortunately, he did enjoy the delicate taste of the tea. It was likely because Niki had prepared it for him; making the flavors much sweeter and tastier than usual. The sweetness of the honey and sourness of the lemon juice lessened the intensity of the ginger's spice. He drank all of it in one go, not bothering to wince at the slight burn he felt once he was midway through the mug.
Rinne sighed, his throat seemingly feeling better from the warmth and hydration that he got.
"I'll go ahead and prepare the noodles. Are you sure you want that though? It's pretty basic for a "good and hearty meal" I promised you earlier."
"Who said that instant ramen wasn't a good and hearty meal? And it tastes ten times better when you're the one preparing it anyway."
Rinne was right; instant ramen is one of the best things to have when you're sick. The rich smell of the broth; the soup packed with flavor warming up your cold heart as well as it perfectly clinging onto the noodles, just imagining it made both Rinne and Niki hungry.
Once again, Niki darted off to the kitchen. This time, it was a quick trip; only taking 5 minutes to prepare 2 cups of instant noodles. To make it a bit fancier, Niki added some extras such as a soft-boiled egg and some green onions.
The umami smell of instant noodles filled the bedroom as Niki went to hand Rinne the cup noodles in his hand.
"Don't burn yourself this time." Niki warned Rinne.
"I know~"
As the two indulged in the savory taste of the noodles, Niki decided to get his phone out; planning to watch something with Rinne before the day ends.
"Ah, you're trending on Twitter." Rinne pointed at Niki's phone. His name was 2nd on the list of trending topics on Twitter.
Curious (and slightly worried), Niki clicked on the tag, only to be greeted with numerous videos of him as well as some other tweets gushing about how cute his expressions were. Crazy:B had just released their new music video a few weeks ago, and it just so happened that he had the most screentime. Alongside that, they have performed in multiple live performances right after its release, giving their fans much more content to watch.
"Woah~ You look really cute here!~" Rinne gushed at a certain clip a fan took. It was a video of Niki darting around the live stage greeting the fans below him and waving at them. At one point, he even held one of their hands.
Niki really was the center of attention at this live. Rinne took Niki's phone out of his hands and began to play more of these videos.
"Oi- Give that back!" Niki whined, trying to take back his phone. Due to their height difference, however, he couldn't retrieve it at all.
"Why are you acting so cute on camera?~ Ahhh~ I'm so jealous, you're showing such a prized smile to your fans when you should only be showing it to me~" Rinne jokingly teased.
"You're... You're being ridiculous... And give my phone back; it's embarrassing having to look at myself!" Niki yells again, to which Rinne complies and puts the phone back down.
As soon as his hand was empty, he used it to pinch Niki's cheek, leaving him to wince in pain.
"I don't get why you're so ashamed of your own face~ After all these years of working as an idol, shouldn't you love yourself more? You've seen how many fans love you, so why can't you do the same~" Rinne asked in a teasing tone, but he really did want Niki to see himself in a much brighter light.
"Ah... You don't understand at all! Just... Let's change the topic..." Niki sighs once again before closing Twitter and heading onto Youtube. Rinne rested his head on Niki's shoulder while scrolling through his Youtube homefeed, looking for videos to watch.
While he was busy looking for a good video, Niki stared at Rinne's gentle face.
'Learning to love myself more... I don't know, the love that you shower me in every day is enough for me to feel content with myself.
-----
The day ended so fast. Niki felt like he just made that okayu minutes ago. He brushed his teeth and put his hair down, the grey strands making their way to his neck and back. He changes into much more comfortable clothes before closing the lights to the kitchen, glancing at the fridge once last time before heading to the bedroom.
Rinne had brushed his teeth before him, and got ready to go to bed as well. Rinne would often stay up until dawn whether it was to gamble or to do idol work. This time, he's tired and simply wants to sleep.
Niki finds Rinne softly sleeping on the bed. His innocent face melted Niki's heart once more. Niki got onto the bed and put his back towards Rinne, anticipating for him to hug him from behind.
For a moment, there was silence. The only noise was yet again the ticking of the clock.
Rinne was taking too long to make a move. Was he teasing him?
Yet again, it's been exhausting for Rinne. Even when he did nothing but be served by Niki for the entire day, he was sick and likely worried about the work he didn't do for the day.
Niki's eyelids became heavy as he found himself slowly drifting away to sleep. Just before he falls into dreamland, however, a pair of arms wrap around him once again.
"...I knew it." He sighs. Rinne chuckles a bit as he buries his head into Niki's neck as always.
That action seems to be Rinne's favorite way of showing his love for him.
Rinne's hand makes its way to Niki's as he slowly holds it; the warmth of both their hands making the entire atmosphere feel warm and nice.
Before he drifts off to sleep, Rinne kisses Niki at his nape for the last time before speaking in his ear with the same low and raspy voice he had this morning. He must've suffered a lot while he was coughing.
"Thanks a lot, Niki... And I'm sorry for making you put up with all this..." Rinne muttered underneath his breath.
"...Haa... I told you already to not apologize for stuff like this. It doesn't suit you. You've done enough for me, it's natural that I'd return the favor." Niki answers back.
"...Still... Thank you..." Rinne's voice slowly trailed off as he found himself unable to stay awake.
Niki hesitated for a while; finding himself slowly melting away at Rinne's gentle tone."...Go sleep. You deserve it."
"...Mhm... G'night... I love ya, Niki... "
"..."
"..."
The room was silent once more. Rinne had fallen asleep. His quiet snores echoed through Niki's flushed ears.
Everything was silent except for Niki's brain. In his world, it was chaos. His mind was going crazy about those three words that Rinne would usually say without any care in the world.
His boyfriend was capable of spewing out flirtatious nonsense that weren't made to be taken seriously. He would often give explicit remarks with the most innocent face ever, which made Niki embarrassed.
Despite his shamelessness, Rinne was a romantic at heart. He would be the one to often set up dates or give out presents from time to time no matter what day it was. He was the one who would encourage Niki to join in cooking-related events and other idol-related activities. Whenever Niki needed an item or lacked energy to do a certain task, he would find his wishes fulfilled by the next day.
Yes, he lacked shame, but it was also because of this that he manages to say the most heartfelt confessions without ever feeling embarrassed. He's likely written an entire document or two gushing about the love of his life.
Niki's heart was beating like crazy. He didn't know what to do. Even when he knew that it was useless trying to keep his gestures quiet as Rinne would wake up anyway, he still quietly moved so that he could face his beloved.
Niki was slightly shorter than Rinne, making him fit into his arms much more snuggly. He buried his face into Rinne's chest, muttering a few words before he too falls asleep.
"... You're really... such an idiot..." Niki mumbled.
"..."
"...But even so, I love you too."
"Night night, Rinne."
And with that, Niki drifted into a peaceful sleep. Once he did, the arm that was wrapped around his body slightly flinched. It slowly made its way to the back of Niki's head, lightly stroking his hair.
Rinne's mouth slowly crept into a smile, his face flushed red with joy and warmth.
-----
The early rays of sun start to shine through Niki's window. It was a peaceful morning....
...Or so Niki thought.
"Good mornin' my beloved Niki-kyun!~" Rinne squeezed Niki tightly into his embrace as he continued to shower him with phrases of love and gratitude.
He was back to his happy-go-lucky self once more. His hand tried to enter Niki's shirt, only to be stopped.
"Ha... Get off... I need to prepare breakfast." Niki manages to escape from Rinne's grasp and swiftly runs off to the kitchen, tying his hair into his usual low ponytail and cleaning the dishes in preparation for cooking.
All of a sudden, he is once again hugged from behind.
"Ah~ I missed havin' this much energy. I was sooo lame yesterday, wasn't I? Eh, whatever, I'm all cured now so I can do whatever I want~" Rinne happily yells before making his hand underneath Niki's shirt once more.
Niki sighs in annoyance, but doesn't stop him as always.
"Don't go doing whatever you want right after you're cured. What if you get sick again?!" Niki groans before banging the slab of pork onto the table and slicing it up.
"If I do get sick, then you'll just take care of me again, won't ya? Kyahaha! My beloved Niki, why don't we get married! That way, we'll get to take care of each other wheneeever we need~" Rinne teases Niki, planting kisses on his neck and jokingly flirts with him.
It's almost as if the Rinne from yesterday has completely disappeared, to which Niki didn't mind.
As nice as it was to keep that side of Rinne for much longer, Niki felt at ease when his world was noisy and full of his antics. Perhaps he's turned into a masochist of some sorts.
"...I wouldn't mind that... Getting married to you..." Niki mumbled underneath his breath, intending to keep it as his own little thoughts. Rinne's hearing was good, however, and clearly heard what his beloved partner just said.
"..."
"..."
The two were silent.
It was the first time when Niki didn't refute Rinne's pleas of getting married, leading the latter's face to slightly blush. He recovered rather quickly from the stun attack however, and was planning to tease Niki once more.
Niki however sensed an income of teasing and flirting coming up, and therefore rushed to change the topic.
"Ignore that... We're having katsudon for breakfast." Niki scoffed, his face also slightly red.
"Mhmm~ All the food ya make anyway tastes good, ya also taste good in be-"
"Please shut your mouth before I cut your tongue off." Niki stabs the knife into the pork out of embarrassment.
"Kyahaha!~ Alright~ I'll just watch ya in silence~" Rinne laughs off the threat.
Niki knew that Rinne won't stay silent throughout the entire cooking process, but he didn't mind. As long as he's Rinne, Niki wouldn't give a damn on what he did, because he knew he wouldn't get angry.
As Niki finished cutting the pork, he looked at his boyfriend who was babbling on and on about the various companies that reached out for their unit. Whether it was about Rinne's day or some sort of shower thought he had on his mind, Niki would be all ears on the conversation. It didn't matter if the topic on hand wasn't interesting as his red-haired boyfriend would find a way to make it fun and engaging.
While Rinne was talking, Niki gave him a peck on the lips.
It was short and sweet, but enough to leave Rinne stunned once again. This time, he had a harder time bouncing back from the sudden act and looked Niki with a slightly startled face.
He darted his eyes away from Niki who chuckled, proud that he managed to make his beloved flustered.
Rinne remain silent and distance himself slightly from Niki as he began preparing the breading for the katsudon with a smug grin plastered on his face.
The sun fully made its way to the sky just as the pork finished cooking. As the perfectly cooked katsudon was garnished, both Rinne and Niki looked at the picture-perfect dish with gluttony in their eyes.
Niki grabbed the two bowls and placed them on the table alongside the metal chopsticks and a cup of water.
The couple sat down in excitement, ready to dig in.
"Thank you for the meal!" They both exclaimed, clapping their hands together before grabbing their chopsticks and starting their first meal of a new busy day.
fin.