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Their first meeting after the game came weeks after- merely by chance. Matsuyuki managed to calm the flustered farmboy down by offering some biscuits Dosetsu packed for him.
The last thing he wanted was for the farmer to assume things weren't alright between them. In fact, Matsuyuki felt they had gotten a tiny bit closer since then.
They enjoyed the idle chatter until Eiji released a small sigh.
"The storm a few days ago was rough. The animals and I were fine, but I lost a good amount of crops."
"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that. You put a lot of work into raising them."
"Heh, thanks. They were almost ready for harvesting too! My arms and shoulders are still sore from plucking out all the dead crops..."
Another sigh escaped the farmer's lips as he briefly massaged his stiff shoulders, obviously sore.
Matsuyuki wished he could do more for his friend.
Then, a rather embarrassing idea popped into his head. There was no reason for Eiji to reject it, but just the mere thought had him pondering long enough for the other man to notice his silence.
"Ah, sorry for complaining! You come up to me for a chat and I just dump some whiney stuff on you."
Matsuyuki immediately shook his head. His mouth was still masked, but by how his eyebrows knitted together it was obvious there was a deep frown under the cloth "No, don't apologize. I don't own a farm but I can empathize with seeing your hard work ending up destroyed in some way."
There was a slight pause before the ninja spoke again "Is there anything I can do to assist?"
Two hands raised up and waved sheepishly "Ah, no need! It's a loss, but I'll bounce back." The smile sent the ninja's way caused his cheeks to feel warm, even moreso as Eiji spoke again "It does make me happy that you're so concerned."
'But, I want to do something.' came the unspoken reply.
The string of bravery continued, encouraged more by Eiji's thoughtful words. Was the brunette always this... soft?
"I don't mean to pry..." Matsuyuki chose his words carefully, not wanting to sound rude "But, you seem tired."
"Ugh, yeah. My body's still recovering from all that extra work. I could use a massage, y'know? Maybe Doctor Marian knows a place."
"Would you..." the words slipped out before Matsuyuki could even consider just what he was about to offer. However it was too late, Eiji had cornered him with those round, expecting brown eyes and that innocent smile.
"Would you... uh, care for a hug?"
Eiji blinked, unsure if he heard right. Brown eyes widened when Matsuyuki's arms raised as an invitation- albeit an awkward one.
The dark-haired man was shocked to see the space he created filled so quickly.
Once again, Eiji's arms wrapped around his torso in a warm hug- face buried into the taller man's shoulder.
Matsuyuki almost forgot to hug him back. When his own arms pulled the farmer closer, he could feel the excitable response through Eiji's increasing heart rate.
It was a short one, much to Matsuyuki's disappointment when Eiji pulled away some moments later. He didn't seperate completely however, and was still only half an arm's length away to look up at the ninja.
"I didn't expect you to offer me a hug. Not complaining though!" Eiji grinned, cheeks dusted pink as his voice softened "I won't lie and say I didn't miss it..."
Matsuyuki still heard it, his own heart beating rapidly as he thought quick for a proper response "It has been some weeks since then. It... was nice."
'Nice' was putting it lightly.
"Really? Does that mean the tough ninja likes hugging~?" Eiji almost laughed at the covered, but still obvious scowl sent his way.
"... Maybe. I would prefer sharing such an intimate exchange with only one person though."
"Oh... mmm." Eiji's teasing didn't even last long as the admission shut him up. Matsuyuki pushed his own embarrassment away for a moment as his smugness felt stronger.
Eiji stepped back into the hug, pressing his cheek against the taller man's chest. It felt the same, but the air felt different.
"Can we hug when I'm tired again?"
"...You don't have to be tired to request one."
"What if I want to hug the whole day like before?"
"Make sure your errands are finished before then, and inform me beforehand."
"Heh, so we don't get interrupted?"
"Mm."
Eiji rubbed his face against Matsuyuki's chest and the ninja felt like his heart was about to bust out of his rib cage "I like this sweet side of you. Less grouchy."
"You think I'm grouchy?"
"Are you surprised?" Eiji pulled away again, raising an eyebrow.
Matsuyuki simply responded with a shrug.
...
Since that encounter, both men have been looking forward to their spooning. Matsuyuki had never even heard of the term until Eiji explained it.
"It sounds vulgar."
"But, it feels nice!"
The hugs in the forest were nice, but they felf even more comfortable being close in the privacy of the farmer's home. There, the duo felt more at ease and feeling even more needy for each other's touch.
It took a great amount of reassuring and attempts before Matsuyuki felt comfortable about the thought of even sharing a bed together to cuddle. Heck, the ninja felt stiff about sitting together on his couch when Eiji invited him over to watch a movie. It's not that Matsuyuki didn't want to, but he just wasn't used to such deep forms of intimacy.
"Do you do this... 'spooning' with anyone else?" Matsuyuki asked, eyes closed and welcoming the warm comfort of the large bed.
"Oh, no. Just you."
"I see." A part of him felt relieved. Eiji was a hugger towards most of the residents, or at least physical with his affection. Matsuyuki felt odd about this even though it was the farmer's usual behavior.
Somehow... a piece of him disliked it. Why is that?
He pushed those thoughts away for now.
They were both on their side and facing each other. Normally, Eiji was the little spoon- which he explained to Matsuyuki that it was the person deeper into the hug compared to the 'big spoon'. But this time, they changed positions and Matsuyuki could understand why Eiji enjoyed it so much.
Being held by someone so intimately... how other-worldly.
"How about you? Have you hugged anyone else like this?" Eiji asked, hands combing through the ninja's untied hair.
Matsuyuki closed his eyes and relished the feeling, releasing a content sigh "I cannot even fathom being like this with anyone else, honestly."
"Heh, then that means I have you all to myself."
The ninja nodded, growing sleepy from the warmth of the farmer's chest.
He will never allow anyone but Eiji to see him like this. Matsuyuki should make sure the farmer doesn't tell Iori, or else the man would just hide under a rock and perish.