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There weren't too many things Tsukasa disliked more than the feeling of being cold. He naturally ran a bit warmer than most others, but his internal temperatures didn't do much against the harsh winter.
The warrior pulled both his blankets and his lion pelt tighter around himself as he tried to focus on the warmth of the nearby furnace. He'd slept in far worse conditions countless times before; he couldn't understand why he was so bothered by a slight chill and some noisy wind. Surely, a bed inside a house with heating was more comfortable than the hard floor of a cave.
His eyes squeezed shut as he tried to ignore the sound of movement outside the little cabin, but he then felt something—someone—lie down beside him and wriggle underneath the blankets.
Tsukasa's arms automatically hugged the shivering scientist closer, despite the pouty look on the latter's face. It still felt a bit strange to make contact with someone and not harm them in some way, but it was something he'd missed during the time he'd spent fighting random people on TV for money and being at war against Senku.
Senku often complained about the way Tsukasa practically glued himself to his hip after they reunited, but he never exactly resisted, nor did he scramble to get away as he typically did with even his best friends. One could argue that he simply knew it was useless due to the difference in strength between the two, but Senku made it clear that wasn’t the case when he kicked and squirmed as Taiju gave him one of his surprise hugs. The scientist didn’t appear intimidated nor bothered by Tsukasa’s strength in the slightest—he loved to tease and poke at Tsukasa as if the former MMA champion couldn’t snap him in half like a twig at any second.
It was still a surprise to Tsukasa for the stubborn Senku to just crawl into bed and snuggle up to him, but he welcomed it with a warm smile nonetheless. The brunet lifted part of his cloak and draped it over Senku’s frail form.
“Are you still cold…?” was what Tsukasa was going to ask before he noticed Senku was already fast asleep. The look he wore was a far cry from his usual—that confident, sharp grin was replaced by ever-so-slightly parted lips, and those bright, energetic eyes were hidden by heavy eyelids and long lashes.
Of course, by no means did that displease Tsukasa. He couldn’t help but raise a scarred hand to the other’s cheek and run his thumb over the now delicate features. Truth be told, this wasn’t the first time he’d seen Senku with such a peaceful expression, but it was surely less heartbreaking and brought him much less guilt than the one prior.
Tsukasa let his hand rest in Senku’s hair before he once again closed his eyes. Sleep came much easier this time around.