Work Text:
Rei winces, grabbing his right shoulder in pain.
“Lemme see,” Kazuki beckons him closer.
They just finished a job, barely making it out. They both got grazed, but Rei’s wound was deep and still bleeding.
He groans as he takes off his blazer, and unbuttons his white shirt.
“Tch, I’ll never get this bloodstain out,” Kazuki jokes, shaking head, as he helps peel back the blood soaked shirt off Rei.
It’s still dark in the apartment, only the moonlight shining in through the large windows. Kazuki sits Rei down at the table, opening their first aid kit, cleaning his wound.
This is a normal occurrence in their household. Ever since they started living together, Kazuki began tending to things around the house and worrying about Rei’s wellbeing. So, him fussing over his wound is nothing new. Only, this time, Rei is glad to have a wound for Kazuki to tend to.
He sits quietly, letting Kazuki pat his wound clean. The feeling of Kazuki gripping his arm as he stitches him up makes his heart race; hopefully Kazuki can’t hear it. His eyes trail over Kazuki’s concentrated face, resisting the urge to caress his cheek where his wound has stopped bleeding.
“Just a scratch,” Kazuki says when he catches him staring. “Don’t worry about me.”
But Rei does worry.
This job could have gone a lot better than it did. It should have been easy, should have been an in and out process, but lately Rei has been feeling this fluttering in his stomach whenever Kazuki gets close to him, or when he looks at him a certain way. He’s never felt this before and it’s effecting his his work.
~*~
He got shot when he hesitated after Kazuki fell. His heart dropped seeing him on the floor, not moving.
The shooter came forward, charging at him next, shooting his gun at Rei now. The sting on his shoulder breaking him from the trance he was in as he stared at Kazuki’s body.
Rei growled in anger, tears blurring his vision. He unloaded all of his remaining bullets at the guy. The last one finally piercing him through the heart, dropping him only a few feet in front of him.
When he ran to Kazuki, he found him still breathing, squirming at the painful sting on his face. The bullet merely grazed his cheek.
Relief washed over Rei, as he helped him up with his good arm.
“Did we get him?” He winced.
“Yeah,” Rei nodded. “We got him.”
Rei didn’t want to think how it could have been Kazuki’s last job.
~*~
“Done,” Kazuki smiles, cutting off the bandage tape around Rei’s arm.
Thinking back on what happened, Rei stares at the thin red wound on Kazuki’s cheek, again, not sure what he would have done if Kazuki hadn’t made it. He can’t bring himself to think on it any longer.
Resisting the urge to pull Kazuki into him, to hold him and tell him how scared he was at the sight of him, he reaches for the first aid kit.
Unwrapping an alcohol wipe and gently swiping it across Kazuki’s wound, he flinches under it. Rei has never does this before, tended to Kazuki’s wounds.
“Sorry,” Rei winces.
“It’s okay,” Kazuki smiles at him. His bright eyes staring into Rei’s deep blues, encouraging him to keep going.
Peeling apart the thin bandage, Rei leans in close to Kazuki’s face, making sure he lines up the bandage correctly. Their breathes, shaking at the close proximity.
The warmth of Kazuki’s body heat radiates around Rei’s bare skin, wrapping around him like a blanket.
His fingers gently graze Kazuki’s cheek as he presses the bandage on, careful not to hurt him.
“Thank you, Rei,” Kazuki whispers, smiling softly as the moonlight shines on his face.
Rei nods, scared that if he says anything, he’ll say too much.
Bidding each other good night, both men leave to their respective rooms.
~*~
In the morning, Kazuki is in the kitchen making breakfast. Rei sits at the table as he serves him a plate - French toast, his favorite.
They eat in silence, neither one saying anything about last night. Until Kazuki breaks the tension.
“How’s your shoulder?” He asks, pointing with his fork to Rei’s wrapped wound.
“Fine, I guess,” Rei looks at it, and shrugs.
Kazuki huffs a laugh.
“We almost died last night and you just shrug it off,” he says, amazed at Rei’s nonchalance.
“But we didn’t,” Rei whispers.
“No, we didn’t,” Kazuki smiles at him. His crimson red eyes peer fondly at Rei as he stands from his seat, gathering their plates and taking them to the kitchen.
Rei feels the flutter in his stomach again. He doesn’t know what to do or say. He’s has never had feelings like this before. He only knows when he’s hungry, or tired; his body tells him. But, these type feelings? The ones that make his heart feel like it’s going to burst every time Kazuki stares at him like that, he doesn’t know what to do about these feelings.
Like now, as Kazuki stands at the sink to wash the dishes, he quirks his head at Rei as he continues to sit in his seat, just watching Kazuki do all the work.
“You could help, you know?” Kazuki teases, breaking his gaze.
“Huh? Oh, sure,” Rei averts his eyes at being caught. He can feel the blush creeping up his cheeks, as he looks away quickly, shuffling over to the sink to dry the dishes Kazuki hands him.
When they’re done, Rei pads over to the couch, sitting in his designated spot to play Morio Cart. He can hear Kazuki’s footsteps following him, and feels him sit on the couch next to him.
“Can I play?” Kazuki asks softly.
“Mm,” Rei nods and hands him a controller. Their fingers brushing over each other, he hears Kazuki’s breath catch in his throat.
Kazuki shifts closer to Rei, their thighs almost touching, and he can feel Kazuki’s warmth through his sweater.
Rei’s brain is so clouded that he loses twice to Kazuki.
“Are you letting me win?!” Kazuki teases, as he sticks his tongue out of the side of his mouth, pressing the buttons and watching his driving Fox zoom past Rei’s wolf, winning first place.
~*~
After a few rounds, Rei sets his controller down, and slowly turns to face Kazuki.
“Kazuki?” Rei breathes, his heart pounding in his chest. “I need to tell you something,” his voice is shaking, scared to admit what he has been feeling. “Last night,” he closes his eye tight, afraid to say what he’s thinking.
“Rei,” Kazuki says his name softly, placing his hand on Rei’s thigh. Rei’s eyes open wide at the feeling, the flutter in his stomach increasing with each breath.
“I’ve never been so scared,” Rei gasps. “I thought you were dead,” he shakes his head of the image of Kazuki laying motionless on the floor.
“But, I’m not,” Kazuki whispers, reaching to hold Rei’s hand, squeezing it slightly to remind him that he’s still here.
“Kazu, I-“
“I know,” Kazuki whispers. His eyes gaze into Rei’s as he smiles at him.
“You know?” Rei furrows his brow, his heart in his throat as he stares back at him.
“I feel the same,” he admits. Blush tinting his tan cheeks as he inches closer to Rei.
“You do?” His eyes go cross eyed as Kazuki leans in close to his face, his maple syrup breath on his cheek.
Kazuki slowly leans in further, closing the gap between their mouths, pressing his lips to Rei’s in a soft, sweet kiss. Rei gasps quietly as Kazuki’s eyes flutter closed.
Melting into him as Kazuki’s hand slides up his chest, hooking around his neck, pulling him closer. Rei wraps his arms around Kazuki, holding him as they admit their feelings for each other with soft, gentle kisses.
Their lips fit perfectly together. Breathing each other in as they continue to explore each other’s mouths. Kazuki’s tongue nudging at Rei’s lip, swiping across and inside, tasting the sweet French toast they just ate.
The game on the screen plays a loud chime, asking if they are ready for the next round, startling them, forcing them to pull apart.
“Rei?” Kazuki whispers down into the space between them as Rei turns to shut off the tv with a press of a button.
Looking back at Kazuki, Rei’s breath catches in his throat. He’s blushing slightly, his eyes are turned down, bashfully and his bottom lip is caught in his teeth. The sight makes his heart flutter in his chest.
“Kazu?” Rei reaches his hand to grab Kazuki’s, lightly squeezing his fingers.
“I-“ Kazuki swallows, his eyes dance around the space between them, trying to get the courage to say what he wants to, just the way Rei did, moments ago.
“Tell me,” Rei whispers, raising his bandaged arm up to Kazuki’s chin, wincing at the motion.
“Don’t move your arm, dummy, you just got shot,” Kazuki says out of concern, taking Rei’s hand and gently holding against his chest. Placing his other hand on the bandage over the wound that now has a small stain of blood. “Now I have to restitch it.”
“First, tell me,” Rei whispers. He bends to catch Kazuki’s eye, making him forget about his concern for his wound and tell him what he was about to say.
Kazuki’s eyes flick up to meet Rei’s deep blue gaze. Breathing heavily, Kazuki exhales a shaky breath.
“As I was lying there,” Kazuki’s voice is small as recalls the events of last night. “I heard you shout out in pain after that guy shoot at you,” his hand squeezes Rei’s as he grinds his teeth at the memory.
“My body, it wouldn’t move even though I tried to get up, tried to run to you, but I couldn’t,” his eyes fill with tears as he looks at Rei’s face. “I was scared, Rei. I’ve only ever been that scared once in my life,” he takes a deep breath, calming his heart.
“And I know that only time can heal scars, but hearts,” he presses Rei’s hand that he holds to chest flat against his heart. “Hearts can only mend with love.”
Tears stream down his cheeks as Rei feels his heartbeat against his hand, fast and burning, just like his own. Using his good arm, Rei reaches up to wipe Kazuki’s tears from his cheek with his thumb. Kazuki smiles softly, leaning into Rei’s touch.
“I-I love you, Rei,” Kazuki whispers into his palm.
Rei’s eyes widen at the confession. The man he’s shared a space with for two years, the man who turned his life upside down and made it better, the man he’s completely, absolutely and utterly in love with, loves him.
“I love you, too,” he breathes. “I always have,” he admits, pulling Kazuki into his chest, pressing their lips together again.