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“Kusuo-kun? Are you falling asleep?”
Saiki blinks rapidly, stirring slightly from his spot on the couch next to Akechi in front of the TV. Jojo’s Diamond is Unbreakable was playing. Akechi’s favorite part. Yawning, Saiki takes note of the incriminating position he was in, his head resting on his friend’s shoulder. The way Akechi pats his shoulder with a small chuckle only exacerbates his humility.
‘Mm. I’m sorry.’ Saiki, flushed, lifts his head off of Akechi’s shoulder, the other boy’s arm still wrapped around him. Saiki looked down, embarrassed. *How could I let my guard down like that? I’m never close like this with anyone. But I am really tired. I hope he doesn’t make fun of me for this.*
Akechi was a bit puzzled. *Why does Kusuo seem embarrassed? That’s a perfectly normal thing to occur between close friends. Oh, right… perhaps the very thing he has avoided his whole life was to grow close enough to someone to become this comfortable around them. I need to show him that it’s alright.*
“It’s okay, Kusuo-kun. Don’t worry about it, I’m not gonna make fun of you. That’s what friends are for!” Saiki looked up at him. *How did he know what I was thinking about? Is he sure he’s not psychic?*
‘Is it alright if I stay the way I was..?’
Akechi smiled softly, a glimmer in his eye as he squeezed Saiki with the arm around his shoulders. “Always!”
Hesitantly, he felt Saiki’s head drop back onto his shoulder and an arm wrap around his waist, like a hug.
*Kusuo’s never hugged me before..*
Akechi looked at Saiki, then paused the episode and switched off the television. Finishing Part 4 for the sixteenth time could wait until tomorrow. Yawning, his eyelids heavy with sleep, Akechi rested his head on top of Saiki’s and drifted off.
°°°
Akechi was awoken the next morning by a high pitched squeal followed by lots of cooing. He could recognize his mother’s voice in the background and a male’s voice he swear he’d heard before, but the one squealing…
Rubbing his eyes, Akechi raised his head off of Saiki’s to investigate the source of the noise.
“Oh how adorable!! My Ku and his best friend Touma!!!! They’re so cute oh my goodness!!!! Ku has never been the affectionate type but clearly he has a soft spot for Touma!!!!! Oh my goodness, I’ll cherish these photos forever!!!”
Mrs. Saiki… wait. Photos???
Akechi shook Saiki lightly until he stirred awake. *Kusuo,* he shouted mentally, *your mother took pictures of us while we were sleeping. I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do.*
Saiki projected an ‘Oh no.’ into Akechi’s mind, turning towards his mother now engaged in a conversation with his dad and Akechi’s mom.
‘Mom. What pictures are you talking about?’
“Oh Ku you’re awake! Papa and I just came to Tomoko’s house to pick you up from your sleepover when we saw you snuggled up to your bestie Touma!!!! Soooo cute!!!!”
Saiki pouted at Akechi with a small frown. Akechi mirrored this expression, patting Saiki on the hand in understanding.
(At this point they’d let go of each other because they got tired of Mrs. Saiki wailing at “how cute they were”.)
“Ku? We were gonna pick you up but Tomoko doesn’t mind if you stay another night! Would you like to?”
Saiki nodded. ‘Thank you, Ms. Akechi.’
Ms. Akechi smiled. “Of course, Kusuo.”
Saiki later hypnotized his mother into deleting those pictures.