Archive of Our Own

In the dim glow of dawn, long before the rest of the city had stirred to life, Tecchou thrived– a man whose eyes would flutter open each morning well before the world had dared to start dreaming. As the first rays of sunlight already cast shadows in his room through the blinds, he’d be up, already immersed into a routine he couldn’t shake.

The days were repetitive, the mornings boring and monotonous since no one was awake to be an unforeseen obstacle in his actions. He didn’t mind it, it was fine, it was comfortable and known.

When wine-red fabric covered him, it was time to start training– even before breakfast, he had a basic regime to get through. It was mostly so he didn’t wake Jouno at a completely atrocious hour with his footsteps or the creak of his door, as he did have to walk a way to get to the kitchen. He’d done it once, by accident, and had gotten a boot thrown at the back of his head with a level of accuracy you wouldn’t expect of a blind person.

Tecchou knew Jouno was capable of such feats, of course, but still, the message had been clear: silence at those early hours of the morning, at least in proximity to their room. So he stayed in his own– he didn’t mind it, he had his workout equipment and water, that’s really all he needed to spend the first half hour. An hour left until a full sunrise.

Then he’d leave his room, usually forgetting to put on a shirt before exiting, and take the long way around to the kitchen. While entirely against his nature not to take the quickest route, he’d still rather not pass by Jouno’s door– they already slept so lightly, it felt like a sin to wake them if they had the chance to rest to begin with.

So he took the detour, out through the back door just to enter from the front again. In the end the fresh air outside was still beneficial, serving to cool him down somewhat after training. It wasn’t too much of a waste of time that way.

Once in the process of making his food, rummaging through the cabinets for whatever they may be looking to eat, his hand somehow always lingering on the locked cabinet. Tecchou wasn’t quite sure why it was locked or who had the key, but it was probably someone trying to ‘protect’ their food from Tecchou’s cooking. Not that that was necessary, in his humble opinion a simple name label would have sufficed, but alas, he’d respect it.

Around 7 was usually when Jouno would make their first appearance, still seeming tired despite a night’s sleep. Not a morning person– not everyone could be– and so they relied on caffeine instead. Usually walking past Tecchou without any acknowledgement, even when greeted by the other, they filled their cup with liquid energy.

“Good morning, Jouno.” Tecchou always tried again after Jouno had taken their first sip– after so long, even this conversation had become routine, and Jouno would always give one of two standard responses. A scoff accompanied by their version of an eye roll, the head gesture exaggerated to make up for the lacking eye movement, or–

“Don’t talk to me without a shirt on. And take a shower, you stink.” Jouno had finished the entire cup of coffee in one gulp– impressive, really– and put the ceramics down with entirely too much force, making an obvious noise upon contact with the countertop.

Tecchou ignored the comments, after all putting on a shirt and taking a shower was fundamentally useless when he intended to start a second round of training right after cleaning the dishes that had served his breakfast– something Jouno had been lucky not to witness, lest another lengthy lecture would have unfolded.

He put his knife on the dish rack after rinsing it off, ready to grab the plate next, when Jouno pressed against him to reach a cabinet they needed to access– they could have easily waited a second, or asked Tecchou to get what was needed, but it was Jouno, so could they really – and some of the water spat onto their sleeve.

“Watch it.” They scoffed, rolling it up so the wet fabric didn’t touch their skin directly– it was a feeling they found incredibly uncomfortable– revealing their right forearm.

“ You pushed past me .”

“Didn’t mean you had to splash me!”

“I didn’t do it on purpose .” He turned his head towards the other Hunting Dog, just to find them still standing close, their shoulders nearly touching and their face right in front of his. It made him blink a few times, but he didn’t pull away. That would be like admitting defeat, and he refused to let such a petty argument end with Jouno’s victory.

“Sure you didn’t. And you’ve never stabbed me on purpose either.” Jouno had this habit of growling when annoyed– usually it was rather cute, in Tecchou’s opinion, but now he was a bit too exasperated with their behaviour to truly appreciate it.

“Those were intentional reprimands for your behaviour towards civilians.” He kept his voice level and calm, showing no hostility so Jouno had nothing to latch onto and get defensive about. “This was an accident.”

“ Sure it was .”

“...” Swiftly and before Jouno could react, Tecchou took his wet hand and smeared it against Jouno’s cheek. “There. Now you have a reason to be mad.”

“ You– How dare you!” And just like that, they were on track for a full-blown fight before the sun had even risen properly. Jouno grabbed him by one of his longer strands of hair and yanked at it, making Tecchou’s head snap upward with a hiss before he could properly anticipate it.

In retaliation, he executed a precise leg sweep, failing to account for the fact Jouno was still holding his hair when they lost balance, which did hurt somewhat. Before Jouno could accidentally rip out an entire handful of hair Tecchou stabilised them with a hand on their back, catching their fall.

Jouno’s face was the picture of shock and startlement, their annoyance long gone as they had their lips parted in a silent ‘o’, completely quiet. Tecchou could see it rather closely, now, the way their cheeks seemed to tint slightly red.

“Are you calm now?” His eyes drifted across all of Jouno’s features, trying to remain focussed on attempting to read the expression rather than appreciating the symmetry and soft look of their face. It proved difficult, specifically since the most telling mood indicator was still Jouno’s mouth opening and closing in shock, not speaking a word.

….yes, Tecchou’s eyes long had found focus on those lips– agh, that was rude, wasn’t it? Eye contact had been hammered into him by annoyed adults since childhood, but Jouno couldn’t exactly appreciate such a thing. It was a lot more comfortable not to, either way, it just had the side effect that Tecchou’s eyes lingered elsewhere .

At least that wasn’t a conscious effort. At least Tecchou could still focus on the words Jouno spoke instead of being too preoccupied trying to maintain that eye contact. Or at least he’d be able to focus if only Jouno said something .

“...Jouno?” Tecchou lowered his voice a bit, since he was rather close to them, and more than certain they could hear him just fine. Did the distance between them shrink? Maybe it did, Tecchou was unable to recall just how far Jouno had already fallen before his reflexes had kicked in to catch them.

After another few seconds, Jouno seemed to go just a bit less rigid in his hands, their hand relaxing and releasing the hair they were clutching, their wrist loosely draped on top of Tecchou’s shoulder now. The weight of it felt somewhat comforting.

Tecchou’s next exhale was somewhat shaky, since he could feel Jouno’s breath on his face now– yes, they were definitely closer than before. He was sure Jouno could hear the way his heartbeat stuttered at the realisation.

Oh. This is definitely… compromising.

“I– uh. I apologise, I...” He wasn’t quite certain what he wanted to say, but whatever it was quickly got cut off by Jouno’s words.

“...were you thinking about kissing me?”

Well, if he wasn’t before, he certainly was now.

“Well… I mean since you mentioned it…” He felt slightly bashful, turning his head slightly to the side trying to avoid gazing at Jouno’s face directly, though his eyes kept getting pulled back. “...now I am, yes.” Dishonesty was pointless in the face of a human lie detector. He pulled Jouno just a little more upright, to at least give opportunity to resist– foolish, really, if they wanted to escape they’d have used their ability by now– though he kept their faces close. “...is that a problem?”

“...” Jouno was silent for a second, in contemplation. “No. I don’t think it is. What matters is what you’re going to do.”

“If I tried to kiss you…” Tecchou left the question in the air for a second, hoping Jouno would finish it, but no luck. He quickly scrambled for an end to that sentence. “Would… would you let me?”

“I might.” They smiled, a little smug despite the blush growing increasingly more prominent.

“That’s not an answer.” Tecchou insisted, wanting certainty, the likes of which was hard to obtain with Jouno. He was a straightforward man, clad in black and white, yet Jouno walking the line in perfect grey was the picture of everything he wanted at that moment.

“It is.” Jouno was a person that saw an absence of denial as confirmation– they were vocal about displeasure, and expected others to realise that in turn tolerance was their brand of acceptance, of fondness .

“I’ll kiss you if you don’t stop me now.” A warning, perhaps that was more forward than a question about hypotheticals. He grabbed their waist a little tighter, pulling them in with both hands, closer– knowing fully well Jouno could turn to atoms and flee any second. They’d probably laugh at the way they could hear his heart break, if they did–

No, Jouno was not that cruel. Tecchou refused to believe Jouno would stoop that low.

Still, when he could feel the hand previously placed on his shoulder trail along his skin to take purchase on the back of his neck instead, his relief was unimaginable. Under the urging of Jouno’s hand, he leaned down, closing the limited distance that had been taunting him before.

For just a second, the world faded into nothing. Then he pulled back again, heart aching and tugging at him, pleading for it to last longer– but he had to know Jouno’s reaction first.

“...Jouno..?” He breathed out, surprised he even had breath left to form the sound– Jouno’s name felt so right on his tongue that he couldn’t help saying it sometimes, but now especially. One of the hands on their waist lifted to brush some of that gorgeous white hair out of the way so he could just see them a little bit better.

Jouno, on the other hand, needed just a second to breathe before they could respond. The words were confident and somewhat taunting– words Tecchou associated with Jouno down to their core.

“If you’re going to kiss me, at least do it properly.”

And with that statement, they tugged Tecchou closer with the hand resting on his neck, lips meeting with entirely less hesitance and sweetness, but it was passionate .

There was no reason for doubt remaining. Jouno did like it, and it was relieving. Every time their lips briefly parted for air, Tecchou was quick to steal another kiss, not wanting the trance they shared to end, for Jouno to realise what they're doing and regret it–

He hoped so passionately that Jouno wouldn't regret this. Because Tecchou didn't. He couldn't if he tried. Caressing the side of their face, holding them close, gently, for a second he completely forgot all the circumstances that led them here. Where they even were, what time it was– all forgotten, irrelevant static in the back of his mind, and–

Then Jouno pulled back, and for a single agonising second Tecchou was convinced he’d ruined it. Before he had the chance to apologise, mend things between them and hope that at least Jouno’s tolerance of him hadn’t shattered like fragile glass, Jouno raised a hand, the universal gesture for Tecchou to keep quiet.

“Footsteps.” They elaborated very curtly, but despite the sharp edge of the words Tecchou was still relieved.

It was just an interruption. Not a halt.

Tecchou had never quite been so simultaneously annoyed yet grateful at Teruko entering the room he was in.

“Oh, you both aren’t at each other’s throats for once? Did Jouno finally find the right dosage of caffeine to jumpstart their benevolence?” Teruko teased, tone light as always. “Is it finally the day?”

“Very funny, Vice Commander. We already finished fighting before you entered the room.”

“Jouno thought I splashed them with water on purpose while I was doing the dishes.”

“You did do it on purpose, you prick!”

“Did not.”

“Did too!”

“I did not. You bumped into me.”

“You–” And just like that, Jouno was right in Tecchou’s face again, growling with annoyance. “ I’ll get you back for it, mark my words. ”

“I did not do anything to you.” Tecchou sighed, still standing with his point despite the pushback he received. 

“ Whatever . I’m leaving.” They grabbed their coffee cup from where they had put it, filling it up a second time, before walking out the door, leaving Tecchou to look wistfully at the direction they ran off in.

“You know, Tecchou, I really don’t get what you see in them, push come to shove. But I hope, for your sake, that it works itself out soon.” Teruko sighed once Jouno was out of earshot, shaking her head with a somewhat pitying expression.

“I’m sure it will, Vice Commander. Don’t worry.” Despite his composed outward appearance, Tecchou’s heart still beat erratically in his chest at the memory of what had just happened right where he was standing.

“Alright, well, as long as you’re happy with it, I guess I’ll keep having a bit of faith in your progress– even if it seems completely hopeless! Besides, I still have a wager with Tachihara about when you both will finally work it out, so make it sooner rather than later, won’t you?”

“I– uh… Of course, Vice Commander, I will try my best.”

Perhaps it’s better not to mention anything until it has fully worked out…

In the end, Jouno never really did retaliate, at least not in a way that was out of the ordinary for them. A few comments here and there, a few insults aimed at his eating habits and social ineptness. Nothing Tecchou couldn’t effortlessly shrug off, he’d grown thick skin for such insults, especially when the source was such a predictable one.

It was more as if it was routine than any attempt at hurt or offence, even the bite in their words had started to ebb away over the years. Tecchou could see those jabs for what they really were: Filler dialogue to spare their pride the blow of having to admit tolerance or fondness for things they disapproved of.

Ultimately, if Jouno allowed something they couldn’t hate it that much, or it’d be forcefully brought to a halt, somehow. They were smart enough to plot such a thing– Jouno had the ability to escape any situation they found themself in, that's what Tecchou chose to believe.

That evening, when he went to bed, the events still played on loop, begging to be addressed but ultimately cast aside, left to simmer. Despite his best efforts, Tecchou could only toss and turn with sleep just out of reach. Every time he tried to close his eyes, the same images flashed in front of his eyes, shocking him awake again.

Eventually he slipped from under the covers, intending to go to the kitchen to get a drink or a snack, anything to distract from the unfortunate situation. Sleeplessness was already throwing a wrench in Tecchou’s usual routine, so there was no additional disadvantage that this unplanned meal would really have in that regard. He put on slippers and opened the door to the hallway, walking to the exit, avoiding Jouno’s door out of instinct.

The air outside was colder than that morning– as much was to be expected– and it shook the last slivers of fatigue from him rather effectively. For a moment he stood still, just gazing at the night sky that was almost pitch black, the moon and stars obscured by clouds, and he sighed.

He’d be the first of many to admit he wasn’t the greatest at reading people, he was more than aware of it, but the way these events had passed just seemed so unnatural. From his limited knowledge, Tecchou had always believed that a relationship formed through a rather consistent pattern: If you were in love with someone, you’d say so, and if they returned the sentiment then you could be in a romantic relationship. Once that step has been completed, only then people were supposed to kiss, hold hands or do other romantic things–

Yet in the moment, Tecchou had completely neglected to navigate the situation as it was intended and skipped ahead to a kiss. He didn’t regret it– he couldn’t possibly regret it, not with how Jouno seemed to react positively to it– but it left him in a grey area as to what they now were. 

Does a fulfilment of the second step automatically imply the perks of completing the first? 

Tecchou didn’t like grey areas. They left him confused and sometimes at a loss for what to do. He had no clue if that kiss– those kisses – meant that Jouno was now his partner in a sense beyond just colleagues or if it meant nothing more than that they simply wanted to kiss him then.

Even the latter would be a small victory, but he couldn’t say that it wouldn’t crush him to face such superficial apathy. If Jouno truly didn’t want more than that, it would hurt a fair bit, but it’s no fault of theirs.

Tecchou just had to know. He just wanted to be certain.

He shook his head to discard the thoughts that were starting to weigh on him, getting back on track to the kitchen, pushing open the back door.

“And where do you come from, suddenly?” A voice spoke from inside, though the lights in the kitchen were all turned off– it almost made Tecchou jump, but before the instinct to reach for a weapon he wasn’t even carrying kicked in, recognition dawned on him first.

“...Jouno?” From shock to slight flusterment, Tecchou’s heart rate remained accelerated, something they could surely notice. “I– Why are you here?”

“Answer my question first. Where did you sneak in from? You’re lucky I recognised you, or I’d have kicked you out.”

“Just the garden, I wanted to grab something to eat, but I didn’t want to wake you up.”

“I wasn’t asleep.” Jouno said, sipping some liquid from a mug– Tecchou could hardly make out their silhouette in the darkness, let alone tell what drink they were holding. “Neither were you, it seems.”

“I couldn’t sleep. I’ve just been… thinking.” Tecchou sheepishly admitted.

“Don’t strain yourself, now.” They laughed, sounding both condescending and somewhat endeared. Tecchou decided to latch onto the latter interpretation of that noise.

“Jouno, I…” Tecchou stepped forward, aiming to just ask for clarification about these things he’d been pondering earlier, but his voice got caught in his throat, making him revise what he was about to say. “Can I ask you… Could you tell me what we are?”

“We are Hunting Dogs.” Jouno said, tone flat and dismissive. “But that’s not the answer you wanted, is it?”

“You know it’s not.”

“Well, at the moment, that’s all we are. Hunting Dogs. Colleagues.” They shrugged, turning their head to the side and crossing their arms. “There’s been nothing said to indicate otherwise.”

“Then, Jouno, would you–” Before he could think twice and regret or doubt the decision, Tecchou moved, grabbing Jouno’s wrist gently– though he’d been aiming for a hand in the dark, it was close enough– with every intention of putting the option of more on the table.

“Stop. Not here. We can continue this conversation somewhere that people can’t just walk in– considering that’s what happened earlier.”

Not here isn’t a no.

Jouno must’ve known what Tecchou was about to ask, no doubt about it. And instead of no they said not here .

For them, the absence of a no was as good as a yes– they were so vocal in their denial that silence meant acceptance. Of course it wasn’t enough to consider the conversation over and the question answered, but at least it alleviated some of the tension from that daunting question, the weight of possibilities.

“Alright. We can go to my room.” Tecchou offered, knowing Jouno wasn't too fond of letting others intrude into their space. He, on the other hand, didn't mind it at all, as long as whoever entered had at least decent respect for the environment they found themself in.

Not awaiting an answer, Tecchou tugged at the hand– or, well, wrist– he was still holding, urging them to follow.

It only took him about a dozen steps to realise it was somewhat foolish to lead the blind Hunting Dog through the dark, as Jouno undoubtedly would be able to navigate more precisely in these circumstances. They knew the way to his room, in fact they knew the entire floor plan of the headquarters– they didn't need guidance, it was Tecchou who was taking cautious steps forward.

Seamlessly, Jouno replaced the guiding role the moment their steps overtook Tecchou’s, giving no more than an amused huff at his oversight, likely as to not draw attention through noise at such an hour. Tecchou would have undoubtedly had to withstand a few choice remarks otherwise.

No words were spoken on the way there, opting to keep peace in the silence. The dread of possible rejection– a possibility Tecchou hadn't considered until he was already pouring his heart out– didn't loom quite as menacingly as it could.

Jouno wasn't the type to let people down gently, and they definitely weren't the type to relocate and prolong a conversation if their answer to the question would have been an undebatable, immediate no. So by process of elimination, Tecchou could be somewhat assured of a positive reply.

This all wasn't a reasoning he'd made consciously, Tecchou's thought process wasn't quite as algorithmic, but somewhere in his subconscious there was something that told him that there was no need for panic, not at this time.

His eyes followed Jouno's shape in the dark, the bright colour of their hair making them easier for his eyes to distinguish, which had already somewhat adjusted to the lack of light in the hallway. Tecchou had always thought Jouno's hair colour was pretty remarkable, the dual colouring– he'd heard of albinism before, and Jouno did match the traits of it, but that didn't explain the red parts. Those were natural, the only one that dyed their hair in the Unit was Tachihara, and that was an undercover agent, so it made sense for him. Usually hair was one colour, or at least different shades of the same hue, but Jouno's was distinctly different. It was as if their hair was bleeding from where it was cut with scissors– he'd wondered whether if someone were to cut it higher if the red would creep upwards or just disappear altogether.

If Tecchou was just a tad less socially adjusted, he'd collect Jouno's shed hair and try it himself. But he knew that wasn't appropriate, of course, and isolated samples still didn't abide by the same circumstances that still attached hair would. Besides, he'd never once found a hair that belonged to Jouno, strangely enough. It should be easy to tell it's theirs, as the only light-haired person around, not counting the Commander, but every time Tecchou came across one it was a darker shade.

It looked soft and well-cared for, like you could run your fingers all the way through without getting caught on any knots. Tecchou wondered if Jouno just woke up like that, since missions didn't tend to mess with it either, no matter the wind or movements. Tecchou also woke up with his hair like how he wore it, but that was entirely less difficult to believe, wasn't it?

That train of thought shifted to the possibility of waking up with Jouno beside him, still asleep since they usually woke up later than he did.

Tecchou wasn't sure whether he'd be able to keep his routine if that were the case. The thought of disturbing a peacefully sleeping Jouno felt completely and utterly wrong, hence his usual avoidance of their room in the morning or during the night, but with them next to him it was entirely impossible to avoid such a thing, wasn't it?

He'd just have to stay in bed. Or face an annoyed Jouno in the early hours of dawn.

Ah, he was getting ahead of himself– there was no guarantee Jouno would ever even want to share a space with him. They'd always been pretty guarded about their property and privacy, who's to say that would change? For Tecchou of all people? Just like him, Jouno was rigid in what they knew and rarely changed their mind, it was one of the reasons the two of them butted heads on certain topics, neither willing to give in.

When Tecchou opened the door, his hand found the light switch instinctively, brightening the room so that finally Jouno was more than just a silhouette. They stood with their back half turned, looking over their shoulder, but making no move to face Tecchou head-on.

"So, what was it that you wanted to ask me, Tecchou-san?"

"I wanted to... Well it wasn't as much a question as it was an offer, really..."

Remember how he said that the worst of doubts had already passed because of Jouno's lack of rejection? Well, he hadn't taken into account that being able to properly see Jouno now would make it so much more difficult. In the dark he didn't have to look right at their face while practically spilling his feelings onto the tile floor for their scrutiny or acceptance.

"I'm listening."

"..." He really should have thought about what he was going to say before impulsively opening his mouth. None of the sentences that came to mind really made sense– " I love you. "

愛してる – Aishiteru.

A word that's semantically too strong to use in such cases, and maybe it was too much in general, but he wanted to be taken seriously and leave no doubts in what he meant. Even if that meant that he had to pluck a word straight from poetry or weddings, so be it. He hadn't been thinking at all.

"...that is not an offer, Tecchou."

"I'm offering my heart."

"This is all a bit dramatic." Jouno's shoulders shook with repressed laughter, either startled or amused, which only made Tecchou more upset.

"Jouno."

"Right, right." They sighed, turning their head away. "That's sweet, sure. Just not the type of thing I'd expect to hear."

"Is that a bad thing?" Jouno's actions were just confusing– Tecchou was absolutely certain that they'd have no qualms saying no, yet they weren't really confirming nor denying whether they felt similarly for him. He reached out to them, gently and slowly as to not startle them, placing a hand on their shoulder and nudging them to turn towards him.

"Not necessarily." They sighed. "I'm just... Thinking of how to respond to that." The quick peek at their face that Tecchou could steal before they turned their head away again betrayed that Jouno wasn't nearly as unaffected as they tried to come across. A faint pink blush spread all the way to their ears, noticeable against their paler skin.

"Preferably truthfully." Now it was Tecchou's turn to be just slightly petty. "But you can respond whenever you want. I can wait. I just wanted you to know."

"...alright."

"I'll keep telling you every day, even."

"That's really not necessary–"

"I can't have you forget. It's important." The hand on their shoulder trailed up to the side of their face, turning them back so Tecchou could place a soft kiss on their forehead. "I love you." His fingers tangled in the longer parts of their hair. It was soft, just as well-kept as it looked. There was no resistance from Jouno's side, not even when he kissed them again, their cheek this time. Before his lips could trail down further, however, he stopped himself, running his thumb over Jouno's bottom lip.

"What's all that for?" They tilted their head, facing Tecchou more directly.

"Just admiring you." A soft smile crept onto both their faces, though Jouno quickly scoffed.

"You're stupid."

"I don't think so. I love you."

"Would you stop saying that–"

"No, I won't. Not unless you really want me to."

"Stop being so intense about everything, it's embarrassing."

"You're embarrassed by me loving you?"

"No, I'm embarrassed by your choice of words!"

"I wanted to be clear."

"You got your point across, now shut up." The flush of their cheeks seemed to only grow with each passing second. "...just kiss me."

"Gladly." Tecchou leaned forward, kissing Jouno's lips right next to where his thumb was placed, which he moved to their cheek again, gently caressing  it. The very tip of his finger just barely brushed against their eyelashes, their skin cold compared to his own.

He was so completely and utterly in love. Even if Jouno couldn't stand to hear him keep repeating that, it felt like he'd explode otherwise.

As the adrenaline and anxiety faded, the time caught up to him– it was still the middle of the night, and while the two of them certainly weren't being disruptive it'd be better for them to settle down for now.

Unspoken, an agreement passed between them.

Go to sleep?

Go to sleep.

With one more kiss, Tecchou pulled away, the only remaining contact being his hand on their waist.

"Will you stay here?" His fingers were slightly curled to keep a grip on them, but were they to deny he'd let go without issue.

"Is there even room for me?"

"Always. I'll find a way to make you fit."

"Preferably not crushed under your weight." Jouno added to their requirement.

"If anyone gets crushed, I'll make sure it's me." He assured them.

"My hero, solving problems he himself created." Tecchou was sure he could almost perceive Jouno rolling their eyes, an amused smile on their lips.

"It'd take a lot more than just my weight to crush you, Jouno. And all things considered, you're really light for me too. Perfect weight."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Jouno crossed their arms.

"Really?" Tecchou raised an eyebrow.

"No, it'll get you just about anywhere, truthfully." Jouno chuckled. "But I have to at least keep some dignity, don't I?"

"You're very dignified, usually." Tecchou agreed with a thoughtful nod.

"I wish I could say the same for you." They retorted.

"You parade yourself like you're above most things that you find unbecoming. Which makes you seem cold and distant."

"You're not doing the whole 'flattery' thing remotely right."

"Flattery should at least be rooted in truth, else it's entirely worthless. I can acknowledge you behave coldly while also saying you're beautiful."

"Usually people leave out the first part, in that case." Luckily, Jouno didn't seem all too offended regardless.

During the course of their conversation, they'd both gradually approached the bed, Tecchou's hand still comfortably leading them.

Before getting under the sheets, he discarded the shirt he'd put on for going outside, routine dictating that he could not sleep in it meant he didn't think twice before getting in right beside Jouno, pulling them closer to his chest.

“Hey– don't suffocate me!” Jouno spluttered, squirming around to escape from the overly tight hug they found themself in, and Tecchou did loosen his hold the moment he registered it.

“Sorry.” He kissed the back of their neck apologetically. The more casual grip seemed wrong, somewhere deep down. Every fibre was screaming at him to hold them properly , lest they disappear right from between his arms– something no amount of force could realistically prevent Jouno from doing either way– but honouring their request, he kept an arm loosely draped around their waist and one below them. “I love you.” He mumbled, face resting atop their shoulder removing the necessity to speak loudly. It felt more intimate like this, still.

“Mhm.” Jouno hummed in response, getting comfortable to go to sleep, pulling the sheets all the way up.

“Are you cold?” Tecchou ran a hand up and down their arm, noting that their skin did seem kind of chilly.

“A little bit. Nothing new.” They sighed. “Shut up now, else neither of us are going to get any rest tonight.”

“Do you want a shirt?”

“Believe it or not, I am wearing a shirt, unlike you.”

“ Second shirt?”

“I'm not layering shirts to sleep. That's just uncomfortable.” Jouno turned around, sighing. “Go to sleep.”

“If you say so.” Tecchou would shrug if Jouno’s head wasn't resting on his shoulder. He reached to the bedside table in order to turn off the one remaining light in the room, shrouding it in darkness. “Sleep well.”

“Mhm.” A moment's hesitation. “ I love you .”

大好き – Daisuki.

A word less loaded but still powerful enough to get the idea across.

Tecchou was certain Jouno got a kick out of the way his heartbeat stuttered profusely, judging by the poorly concealed amused reaction from them.

Instead of answering verbally, judging that could either end in infinite back-and-forth or simply being ignored, he just kissed them a last time before he, too, got comfortable enough to sleep, ensuring to keep Jouno close.

They were closely huddled together, causing Tecchou to feel very warm by the combination of another presence and a blanket on top of him. While mildly inconvenient, the company more than made up for the slight discomfort. It wasn’t as if he minded the heat all that much to begin with, no matter the source.

What remained of the night swiftly passed by, with Tecchou waking up later than he usually would, likely since he’d been awake until the earlier hours of morning, and in his arms still lay Jouno, confirming that the faint memory that instantly jumped out at him had not in fact been a dream.

He kissed Jouno good morning, earning a groan in response, followed by a few mutters Tecchou couldn’t decipher. He deduced that they were still asleep, judging by the very lacking signs of life coming from them.

Despite his tardier start of the day, Tecchou felt he’d accomplished much greater things already than he’d ever before done when following his routine. One such thing being that he’d discovered that Jouno in fact did not wake up with their hair perfectly flat and smooth looking. It stuck in all directions and looked pretty tangled, but once Tecchou smoothed it out using nothing but his hand, it remained in place where it should be.

Not perfect, just very manageable. Besides, it wasn’t as if the messier hair looked unsightly, just… unusual, considering how prideful Jouno could be in how they presented themself.

Overall, Tecchou was proud of his achievements, a feeling unfamiliar yet already known. He took pride in his skill as a swordsman, sure, but something about these events seemed just that much more insurmountable. That having Jouno right here, in his bed, sleeping soundly was an achievement incomparable to anything he’d previously accomplished.

And that was more than enough.